Story question about Nergal *do I need to mark spoilers?*

[Heptade]

Having just gone through HHM, I was wondering about something.

How come Nils and Ninian don't seem to know Nergal is their father?

I mean, in the flashback from 19xx, Ninian at least seemed old enough to have a clear recollection of him. I understand that he looked way older, and that his total change personality might have overridden the passing resemblance. But Nils mentioned he had recognized the "voice of an old friend" calling them through the Dragon's Gate. And, as far as we know, Nergal was always his name, as  Athos, who has known him for centuries, only ever refers to him as Nergal. If he once had bore another name, surely it would have been mentioned at some point. Don't they remember the name of their own father? How does it not occur to them that the man whose voice sounds like their father's, probably resembles their father at least a little bit physically, and shares their father's name might actually be their father? Are they in complete denial? Refusing to admit to themselves that their once loving father could have become such a despicable human being?

As Nergal dies, Nils does seem to recognize him somewhat, yet only subconsciously, as he is genuinely confused as to why he feels sad. Granted, Nils was very young at the time, so it might make sense for him not to remember much. Still, it's implied he remembered what Nergal's voice sounded like.

Thoughts?

By the way, I find it quite interesting that Nergal actually accomplished his objective before the beginning of the game, yet never realized it.

[Etrurian emperor]

Well, Nergal might not be his actual name. Neither of his kids react to the name and Nergal is said to have forgotten a lot about his old life so it wouldn't be too far fetched that he forgot his name and took a new one. 

That they don't recognize Nergal when meeting him in person is probably a testament to just how much Nergal has changed for the worse. He doesn't recognize them and they don't recognize him. 

[Interdimensional Observer]

Humans live short lifespans compared to dragons, it is possible that when they realized how much time passed since the Scouring, they quite logically concluded their father was dead. The arts of immortality/living for a millennium aren't exactly common knowledge in Elibe (but I do hope Pent learned them from Athos).

 

As for Nergal's past name, there is a gulf in our understanding of Nergal. He must have seen Aenir dead, but how he recovers, forgets his kids, and meets Athos is a total blank void. Some speculative possibilities:

1. By the time he recovered from Aenir's death, did he realize the all dragons had finished crossing the Dragon's Gate, and hence had no means of ever seeing his family again? Therefore he didn't forget, but instead just moved on? Why didn't he bring up the Gate to Athos then? Athos and Arcadia would have been overjoyed to hear of it. And he could have used them to open the Gate again so he could see his children.
2. Did Nergal already start toying with Dark Magic to bring back his wife prior to meeting Athos, and thus lose his memories that early on? But it sounds like he spent centuries with Athos in Arcadia, how did he not show full corruption for so long if he already was? If he was only partly corrupted- enough for a memory wipe but not a husk seeking POWER!, why did the corruption process halt for so long?
3. Or was Nergal so traumatized with Aenir's death that he simply repressed all memories of his family naturally without magical interference?

 

What I find even more problematic is that neither Ninian nor Nils ever says they're only half-dragon. I mean sure being any dragon at all is radical (and they do have full dragonshift powers) and what everyone will notice, to the detriment of them ignoring your humanity possibly, but you'd think Nils would bring that up to elicit more sympathy from HEL. Being human would make him more "normal" and "like everyone else" and hence increase the likelihood of others understanding him.

Did Ninian and Nils forget they were half-human? How would that not be noticed when they spent centuries in dragon form among other dragons? You'd think there would be some biological distinctive difference, if not visibly physically, then in terms of draconic senses, powers, and "aura".

 

 

12 hours ago, Heptade said:

By the way, I find it quite interesting that Nergal actually accomplished his objective before the beginning of the game, yet never realized it.

That being getting Nils and Ninian over the Gate?

I guess he might not have fully realized what he had done? Although I don't get the sense he had the Quintessence to summon or control dragons yet. Ninian and Nils were presumably the only people to hear Nergal's call in the first place because they were genetically half him, once they were over, there was nobody else on the other side able to listen to him. Ninian and Nils didn't have full strength to keep the Gate open either, since immediate and sudden exposure to Elibe's anti-dragon climate seriously weakened them. Nergal also then probably realized he needed massive quantities of Quintessence before he'd open the Gate again.

 

I also find it ironic that Nergal's original purpose behind practicing Dark Magic was Aenir's resurrection, and shortly after he dies, Bramimond- the lone true master of Dark Magic in Elibe, resurrects Nergal's daughter. Nergal dream WAS achievable! He just slipped off the narrow path of mastery and fell into side of the dark abyss that drives humans berserk.

I'm not sure if it's for the better or worse that Nergal didn't see Ninian's revival. As is, in an indirect way it's fornicating over a grave, rubbing in what the dead can't have no more, but badly wanted.

 

 

I'm not the biggest Nergal fan, as I've pointed out, he has holes in his story, and he is in the end just an irrational husk of a human being, more a force of nature or wild animal at this point than a person. This makes fighting him something of a hollow battle, since there is no "firm" antagonist the way other villains are truly themselves. Nergal wanting Quintessence is not the true Nergal, but Ashnard's want of chaos is fundamentally and truly in his character (just to give an example). The game doesn't try to make you pity him either, like SS does with Lyon, particularly on Eirika Mode, or RD with Sephiran.

But Nergal's intimacy with the heroes, the Nils-Ninian secret family tie, and Elibean Dark Magic on the whole, makes him decently likable for me.