[She makes a noncommittal gesture with one hand, pausing for a moment as she tries to articulate her exact thoughts on this matter.]
From what I'm given to understand, the Scourge is a direct, active influence on him at all times. An influence he's gotten used to over the centuries, certainly, to the point where it's nearly impossible to tell whether any given impulse he might have belongs to it or to him, but still a distinct thing outside of Ardyn himself. The Scourge has shaped who he is to a great degree, and even if it wasn't directly influencing him any more that would still be true- I certainly doubt he'd just return to being Ardyn Lucis Caelum without it- but I don't think he'd be exactly the same without it directly acting on him, either.
Perhaps it might be more accurate to say that I don't think who he is outside of the desert is all of him. The Scourge suppresses his more positive traits, just as Monsun suppresses the negative. It's a tad presumptuous of me, maybe, but I can't help but feel that someday I'd like to meet the entire Ardyn, instead of just whichever bit of him the universe didn't decide to smother today.
As for whether it would even be physically possible...
[She shrugs.]
I'm not saying it absolutely can be done, but given that I know for a fact that the Storyteller can revive the dead, I'm not willing to say it can't be.
no subject
[She makes a noncommittal gesture with one hand, pausing for a moment as she tries to articulate her exact thoughts on this matter.]
From what I'm given to understand, the Scourge is a direct, active influence on him at all times. An influence he's gotten used to over the centuries, certainly, to the point where it's nearly impossible to tell whether any given impulse he might have belongs to it or to him, but still a distinct thing outside of Ardyn himself. The Scourge has shaped who he is to a great degree, and even if it wasn't directly influencing him any more that would still be true- I certainly doubt he'd just return to being Ardyn Lucis Caelum without it- but I don't think he'd be exactly the same without it directly acting on him, either.
Perhaps it might be more accurate to say that I don't think who he is outside of the desert is all of him. The Scourge suppresses his more positive traits, just as Monsun suppresses the negative. It's a tad presumptuous of me, maybe, but I can't help but feel that someday I'd like to meet the entire Ardyn, instead of just whichever bit of him the universe didn't decide to smother today.
As for whether it would even be physically possible...
[She shrugs.]
I'm not saying it absolutely can be done, but given that I know for a fact that the Storyteller can revive the dead, I'm not willing to say it can't be.