As someone who doesn't sleep much to begin with, Ardyn is actually witness to the strange ship that comes crashing down near Town. A spark of light across the night sky and then a shattering boom; he's at the site quickly, but not fast enough to beat their local deity and his bodyguard who keep him at a distance. A shame, really, since he wanted to do his own investigating.

Them mentioning the danger doesn't deter Ardyn any though. If anything, it makes him that much more curious. "Just how dangerous do you think they mean by 'tremendously'?" he asks someone else who arrives later. People are starting to trickle in, unnerved and uncertain.

"It doesn't seem like an intentional attack at least. Though perhaps peace wasn't meant to last with us around regardless." Is he trying to make people more anxious? Maybe. It's just that he, like many from his world, don't have a great history of mysterious objects crashing into their planet from afar. He thinks it's better to be suspicious than not.

Ardyn offers his services for patrolling once it's revealed what they're dealing with. Look at him, being an upstanding citizen! Maybe he's paired with you for a walk around Town. Maybe he just voluntells you that you're under his protection for the time being. Regardless of the reason, he's here now and you're safe with him. Promise.

He's actually hoping to come across one of these Intellect Devourers and see for himself how dangerous they can be though. So if he seems a bit eager to throw himself into harm's way- Don't worry about it. He'll be fine! "I've survived worse than some mindflayer," he offers. Which is, in a sense, somewhat true.

Eventually, he gets his wish after using himself as bait. One of those parasites manages to wrap its slick tentacles around his throat and latch onto his head as he gives a strangled cry. He feigns fighting it off even as he feels a pain in the back of his head that blooms out through his skull.

It only lasts for a moment through before the Intellect Devourer's grip tightens harshly. Ardyn expects a potential killing blow - and he'll have to apologize to Charlie again, he thinks - but instead it makes a strange, sharp noise and then explodes. The psconic wave is strong, leaving him physically and mentally disoriented.

Anyone in the immediate area will also be slammed with a memory. It might be his, or it might be one of the millions of others he's stolen over the years. Either way, the likelihood of it being pleasant is quite slim.

It isn't immediately after the explosion that he becomes... confused. Although dazed, he's able to pick himself up and head back into Town just fine with a dismissive and cavalier sort of attitude like he didn't almost get his head blown off.

At some point though as he walks alone, it calls back to the time he traveled all those years ago on foot to the next city. To where his people needed him, to where he was going to help them- Perhaps because of that psonic wave, his timeline of memories shifts. He isn't a monster made by centuries of The Starscourge ravaging his body and soul anymore; no, he's just a man again.

He doesn't look any different on the outside, but his mannerisms and attitude are out of character. He remembers Town, interestingly enough, but only the basics. He's stayed here now for a while, hasn't he? Yes, that makes sense. The affliction in the surrounding areas ran deep from that tragic war, he recalls, and he was... here to help. Isn't that what they'd said? Yes. Yes, that's right.

"Let me get that for you," he says, no dramatic flair or pretense to be found as he helps to move some heavy shrapnel from that downed ship. "And let me know if there's anything else I can do."

(( ardyn's plotting post is here! for the memory prompt, if you're canon familiar feel free to suggest your own. if not, hmu @ tentamenace on plurk or discord and we can hash out what memory you might want to get of Ardyn's depending on what you're feeling / what would be good for their CR.

the last prompt will also come with DLC Spoilers for him. I can avoid anything in-depth, but it's unfortunately a bit inevitable some stuff will be touched on! ))