Part 11: Chapter X: The Tides of Destiny

Welcome to the final dungeon of generation one: the Gai Desert. By now, enemy groups should be pretty easy to dispose of, but you'll probably lose party members out of simple eventuality. As long as you don't let the enemy fire off their Original Skills, you should be able to scrape through any fight without much trouble.

As far as what I did to prepare for coming here, I upgraded Aina to the Gale Spike, a considerable upgrade over the Staff of Healing. I decided because she hasn't gotten much screentime in battles. She's not exceptionally handy, but she is pretty quick. As for enemies you'll find in the desert, you'll be seeing upgraded versions of the King Scorpion, Mages, Skeletons, Worms, Orthos (only the base versions. No Neo Orthos here), and even Garudas at a couple locations. Just make sure to save every few battles or so so if you get a Surprise Attack, you can swiftly withdraw and reload if losses are too high.



At some battle points in the desert (in this case, at a place called Saw of the Dawn), you can run into Mieshas as a rare encounter. The evasion rate and magical power of these little bastards is through the roof, especially for an enemy at this point in the game, but you know what they can't run away from? Original Skills. On the plus side, they give out 9999 Gold and 1998 EXP, so they're very worth it to kill. Just make sure to Over Kill at least one of them for a commission.



But before too long, you'll be hitting the big event for the shifting sands. The exit at the right side of the screen leads to the far eastern part of Aegisthus, which also opens up a new portal. It's not that much shorter to the desert from the initial portal we took to this continent, though. Oh well, let's see what Sirus has been up to. Demon ambush



Do not worry, I am confident that Sirus will come to our aid. I am sure that the enemy will reconsider their plans once they see the army mobilized.

That'd be nice.

Will you two be silent for a moment?

Are they here?

... I think they are...but, something's not right. Those footsteps definitely don't sound human...

You did get in contact with them, right?

Yes, without a doubt. I even received a report from the messenger they sent.

And yet only demons have arrived.

That's...?!

Why?!

I don't really want to say something like this... After considering the various circumstances up to now, I can only draw one conclusion... And that is Sirus told the demons about this place.

Sirus is not someone who would do something so dishonorable! There must be some other reason...

Hey, look! There's a bunch of people coming out of that big building.

They have absolutely, remarkably, genuinely awful timing!

I hate to say this, but I honestly don't believe we can trust him considering the circumstances.

But...

Perhaps it'd be best to leave conversation for later. Instead of dwelling on what happened, should we not be thinking of a way to escape?

And as always, I am flabbergasted at how our lovely queen can remain calm in the face of certain death. Well, that being the case... Do we face the demons in front, attack the bandits behind. Or, sit tight and wait here for Sirus...?



Showing confidence in preppy boy increases Aina's, Fiona's, and Victoria's affection, but takes yet another hit to Eva. She's now back down to hating us, but it won't stay that way for long. This decision, like many others, doesn't affect what happens in any meaningful way.

Are we going to wait here?

I can hardly applaud your decision as sound military strategy.

Weiss, please. Believe in Sirus...and in me.

... Let's attack the demons.

A last charge followed by an honorable death... Well, that's all right. I'm not against it.

Yeah, I think that any choice we make will end the same way. And I'd rather go out killing demons, really.

I think we should all have faith in Victoria.

Everyone...thank you.

It appears that the time for discussion has come to an end.

Please let me lead the assault against the advanced guard. Here I go!



The most important thing to do here is crush the enemy very quickly. As you might expect from getting sandwiched between hostile forces, we have another back-to-back battle sequence, and once again, party health is not restored between battles. That's part of the reason why Aina is along: her Crying Happiness has a very predictable range, and it's fairly powerful by itself.



The battle dragged on a bit longer than I might have liked, but it ended okay. Only Aina was significantly wounded going into the next battle, and it's not like she has a lot of lasting power, anyway.



The bandits are approaching from behind!

Hey, thanks for the tip!

That demon...? I can feel something terrible radiating from it.

That's...no, it can't be?! A garvel...!

That's...a garvel.

I will deal with that demon myself. Everyone else, please take care of the others that are with it.

Are you insane?! It's too dangerous to face it alone! I'll go with-

Reinforcements are coming just now?!

Wait, the demons look like they're totally caught off guard. Could it be...?

Princess!

Sirus! You've come.

I apologize for making you wait!

I'm glad you're here and all, but aren't you kind of hogging all of the glory?

I wonder? All things considered, I think his timing couldn't have possibly been worse.

Do not worry, those soldiers are under my command.

What do you mean?

There is not time to go into details now. I will explain everything once the demons have been expelled. I have my troop attacking from the rear. We will surround the demons and then crush them.

We will deal with the demon we believe to be a garvel. Sirus, I leave the rest of this rabble up to you.

Understood!



Don't think you'll escape me when you die. I will personally cast you into the flames and misery of hell! In fact, I will see to it that you live, so I can raise you as livestock to be fed to the goblins and orcs!

The flames of hell...huh... If eternal damnation will free me from all of this, if it'd release me from the torment of living while burdened with my sin, then I'd gladly give my life. But...taking my life is beyond even your powers.

What?! You pathetic, miserable little worm! You're going to be the first to die!

I'm curious to see if you actually have the power to kill me. Come, then.



In spite of his boasting, and the dread Faz exhibited, the Garvel isn't that much of a problem. He's powerful, sure, but not exceptionally so, and he doesn't have much HP. His biggest advantage is that he has a bunch of goblin and orc buddies to back him up, but in a way, that's a plus for you. You can build up Ultimate Points while including the Garvel in any group magical attacks.

As far as he goes, he's vulnerable to Light magic, while strong against Darkness magic. I could bring Fiona along for the best of both worlds, but eh. I like Aina plenty. He also has physical counters, so don't fight him directly until you're ready to finish him off.



Make sure you take out the Goblin Mages fast. If either they, or any of their allies, gets too low on HP, he'll heal them. Obviously, that's the last thing you need to have happen.



In a fortunate turn of events, the Garvel ended up on my side of the field, and the circumstances were just right for me to hit him with a whirlwind series of attacks, ending with a Hazard Strike. My visciousness overwhelmed him, Over Killing him in one of the few boss fights I can consistently Over Kill the boss. Too bad the Damascus Scythe is pretty useless, but it can fetch some fairly good money on the market.

Obviously, one Bull Orc is no match for my team.



A smashing outcome. Six enemies, including the Garvel, killed in four turns, and Aina was able to use Endeavor and Training to increase the amount of EXP and TP I got from the battle. Death is denied to Weiss another day. An ambitious plan



I am unharmed. More importantly, I will hear your explanation regarding all this. Understood?

Yes, I understand. Actually...

Sirus explains his plan in a fade to black. Basically, he wanted to lure the garvel out into the open by making him think the player's team got caught in a trap between hostile bandits and the demon army. The garvel, convinced of success, would lead the hordes directly.

Then, this entire operation was to trick that garvel, correct?

Yes, he was devilishly cunning. We tried many times in the past to take him down, but...

According to what little has been written, the garvel are thought to be more intelligent than humans. Furthermore, their physical strength and magical abilities far outstrip that of humanity.

We might've been able to take him if he were by himself, but with the sheer number of demons... So we thought to deceive it by posting soldiers disguised as bandits at the fortress to stop the demon influx.

So the reason you allowed the demons to proceed was to make them think you were obeying their commands.

I originally planned on attacking them from behind once the siege of Signihardt Castle began. The reason we couldn't contact you earlier was to maintain the illusion we were the demon's allies. I had thought that the king would realize my true intentions. However...

So the garvel turned back, as you weren't able to gain its trust.

No matter how many goblins and orcs we slay, it's akin to cutting the tail off of a lizard.

So you were trying to create the opportunity to cut the -head- off somehow.

Yes, and so the princess...



I think it was a sound plan, actually. Though everyone assisted in the battle, it seemed that the strength of Jueyvei was more than sufficient.

Jueyvei is the name of Victoria's country. It's just never mentioned in dialogue.

If Victoria were to be captured by the enemy, she would be an extremely valuable hostage.

There is nothing more dangerous or foolish as to give a hostage to creatures like goblins and orcs.

It'd be pointless as well if the true leader didn't come out of hiding.

I sincerely apologize. But...

It is all right. I would gladly risk myself in such a role if it'd save our people. You have accomplished something very important here, Sirus. You have my gratitude. You've done very well. Once again, thank you very much.

I am unworthy of such praise! My princess, please raise your head.

Sirus, I must leave. Please continue to serve the people, and protect them, in my stead.

Yes, please leave the defense of the country to myself and the rest of the army. Weiss, you have prove beyond any doubts to me your skills in battle. Although I do not entirely understand what is happening, I feel I can leave the princess in your care. Once again, I ask you to please watch after her.

Yeah...

Princess, please take care of yourself and try to stay out of harm's way.

You too, Sirus...

Alas, Victoria is all too aware of what part she's to play very soon. But, it looks like preppy boy came through after all. Maybe we'll be seeing him again...

Well, the first generation is just about over. Your obvious objective is to head back to town, but first, make a pit stop at Signihardt Castle. There's a long Victoria scene there, which you can see here. I'd cover it normally, but this update is pretty long already, and we have to wrap all the gameplay up in Weiss' story. Back in town, there's an event at the Runo Alchemy Lab about a demon appearing in the Gildas Ice Field of Fendias. Time for the fourth and final demon quest of the generation.



The dude is located just north of the temple of the Nebula. He's still not harder than Neo Orthos, but he will be giving you trouble. Versus Cerebrum



One of the very few enemies in this game that will never get a palette swap. It's definitely pretty interesting, visually at least. A disembodied, floating brain SHOULD be creepy, after all. He has pretty strong magical counter attacks, which See All will not protect you against. Extinguish, which Eva currently has, will.

Otherwise, his physical attacks are pretty pitiful. His magical attacks, on the other hand, can and will kick your ass.



I can't directly support this, but I'm pretty confident in saying enemies struck with elemental attacks that they're weak against reduce their break gauges more than enemies who are strong against, or just have no weakness / resistance to that element, like with the Garuda and Rushing Jaeger.



Were I not showing off for the Internet, I probably wouldn't have used Aerial Raid here. It's another Finish Strike that was gained after the previous scene with Victoria at the castle. It's pretty sweet, though, and has the same costs as Hazard Strike. Unfortunately, it's left me without an Ultimate Point to use against Cerebrum.



Well...at least I don't have to worry about any more enemy Original Skills...



Turns out not bringing Eva in was what was really holding me back. Another part of the problem with this fight is that Cerebrum is really, really fast, and is constantly aiming at Weiss. I don't have the patience to go back and count how many times Weiss has been KO'd in this game so far, but I'll bet dollars to donuts he's been KO'd far more than anyone else.



What a disaster. With the way that fight went, I might have been better off just restarting it altogether. Well, it doesn't really matter, does it? I mean, I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone here, aside from "Yes, I can beat all the bosses in this game", I guess...

Anyway, back in town we have a very important scene with Jainus in the Domicil Park. You have to see this scene before the generation ends, otherwise you'll be locked out of the True Ending. A future together



Don't make me worry about you like this. You shouldn't be out and about alone this late at night. So, was there something you wanted to talk to me about?

Um...thanks to the support of your friends, I have decided to be honest with you about my feelings. As you know, my sister and I are dark elves. Until we arrived in this town, we were treated as outcasts wherever we went. There was a drought in the village I was born in one year, which resulted in a bad harvest. The other villagers blamed us for the lack of rain and set our house on fire... Thanks to our parents, we managed to escape, but became rootless vagabonds in the process. After searching for what seemed like an eternity for a safe haven, we came across this town. ...It is here in Frensberge that I first experienced the warmth of being accepted by others. This town is truly wonderful; there is no racial discrimination to be seen here. Everyone is treated equally.

...You're right about that.

I never dreamed that I could live like a normal person, let alone have a shop of my own, as small as it may be. I have been asked to go on dates on occasion...

Well, I knew I'd have some competition.

But always in the back of my mind was the thought that I couldn't be happy...or shouldn't be. I always thought that as long as my sister was happy, that would be enough for me... That's what I've been telling myself for so long; that's why I've turned down every single invitation.

Oh, that's why you have been trying to distance yourself from everyone.

Shamefully, yes. However... That tea... Do you remember that one time when I made tea for you?

Yeah, it was delicious.

You were the first person...I've ever made it for.

Eh?

That tea is the only good thing I remember from my home town. My mother taught me a spell...to get someone I liked to like me in return.



Served to me...? And only me?!

I am completely helpless when it comes to cooking, but I can make tea. I practiced making tea everyday in the hopes of making someone love me as I loved them... Despite believing that I had no right to happiness... All I was doing was lying to myself.

...

I wanted nothing more than to make that tea for you, Jainus. I am fully aware of the dangers your responsibilities expose you to. So...I didn't want to wait until it was too late...

I am truly honored that you feel that way about me.

It was your friends who made me realize it. That I was running away from everything... That I was afraid of being happy. And that the only one who cared that I was a dark elf...was me. Jainus, the kindness you showed me everyday...really made me happy. That made me -want- to be happy. Um... Would you be interested...in someone like me?

Are you really okay with me? There are so many others...



If so... I am truly glad to have met you.

I feel the same.

So, after that scene, Jainus and Chloe get married off-camera and have a kid between generations. Like I said, if you miss that scene, you're insta-locked out of the True Ending, regardless of what else happens. A character we'll meet early in the second generation (as in, literally the first character who speaks in the first event officially of the second generation), is their child (his bright red hair completely gives it away. Apparently in the Agarest universe, hair color is carried on the X chromosome for the most part. There are a couple exceptions).

So what difference is there if you don't see this scene and continue on into the game? Not much. You're just wondering where this character came from, and Jainus, to my recollection, never says who the kid's mother is, either to the rest of the team or his own scion. Chloe also never appears again after the first generation and hands her shop over to her younger sister, Sena. She does this anyway if you see the above scene, but she still has scenes with Sena and Jainus occasionally. All in all, kinda a depressing origin story for the character we have yet to meet.

Now then, after this scene, complete commission 312, which you already did by defeating the Garvel. It gives you a whopping 25,000 Gold, 50 PP, and 500 TP. The Mysterious Oracle is quite generous. My advice to you at this point is to not upgrade Weiss, Aina, Victoria, or Felenne with any PP, since, obviously, they will not be joining us for the second generation. The Oracle also gives you a synthesis material called Xhosa-Materia, which, if you keep that in mind, makes a sequence in the next generation kinda funny. As for now, there's a super short scene at the inn where Eva basically just tells you to go to Domicil's Great Tree. Looks like the end is upon us.

After that short scene, Aina's horrible event shows up, along with the hot springs event for the first generation. Yes, there's three of them. Update X bonus video. This update was a pain in the ass to record, for several reasons. The biggest reason is that I need to max out all three heroines' affections before ending the generation, and Felenne and Aina are still at level five. I was able to get Aina's to level six via the bath house mini-game, but not Felenne's. You know what that means? Grinding!

I wasted about...3-4 hours of my life beating up bats, bees, and skeletons outside Frensberge with Felenne in my party to grind out her last level. You know the motto for Let's Play, "We play games so you don't have to"? Yeah, consider doing THAT for 3 hours, and you'll know what I endure to bring this game to you. I really wish this game had an auto-battle option like the first two Agarest games did. Oh well...

For the final round of generation one commissions, kill two Giantworms, 7 Bone Soldiers, 2 Orthos, and a Miesha. You should done all those by now, just by going through the desert, except for maybe the Miesha, so it shouldn't be too hard to fulfill this one ASAP. The other is for 2 Gigantes, 3 Death Stalkers, 3 Garudas, and 7 Red Mages. I had all of these done, too, except for the Garudas. The Garudas can be found as a semi-rare encounter at a place, called Emaciated Courtesan, also in the Gai Desert. There's a few others spots they show up, too.

The last two commissions should be performing the Black Hole Finish Strike, which I cannot do at this point in the game, and the 250,000 Gold bathhouse expansion. I ended up selling another Cuprum and an Argentum, also worth 100,000 Gold, to pay for it, leaving me with about 89,000 Gold. Not bad.

At long last, I manage to get Felenne's affection level 6, ending my misery and allowing me to continue the game. Inescapable destiny









Ah, Weiss. I feel really calm when I'm here. I wonder why? Maybe it's trying to tell me something, like a story.

That might be it. This tree has memories that go back who knows how far. Maybe you share some of those memories, Fiona.

I can feel something strange coming from it.

Fiona, could you sing me that song you sang just now a little more?

Yeah, okay.

Fiona sings for a bit.



Eva?

Yes, I'm ready... I have been ever since I killed a god.

I see... Well then.

*Pant* *Pant* ...There you are.

Did something happen?

Demons... Demons... They've appeared on the Aldo Plains!

Eva, do I still have time?

Yes, I must have you make a child. But you do not have to do so right this very instant.

So you mean there's enough time to fight off the demons... Where are Jainus and the others?

I think they're heading to the town's entrance.

Weiss, let's go!



I know. Let's go.

Yes!

...

After this scene, you unlock a few new Finish Strikes: Blaze Soul, Sacred Force, and Soul Crush. Unless you feel like grinding everyone to level 45 (everyone on my team is in the upper 20s), forget about using them.

The final boss of the first generation is located on the Carvel Footpath, the second battle point of the Aldo Plains. Note that this video has the pre and post-battle scenes. Reunification



No matter how much strength it possesses, we cannot allow it to live.

So that no one else is hurt.

And everyone can continue to live in this world in peace.

You've been waiting for me, right? Well, I've been waiting for you as well. You and I were born from the same -soul-. And now it is time for us to become as one... Now is the time to fulfill my role as the vessel and make your soul my own. Now, let us be reunited!



In terms of pure power, I'd say the Neo Ravana is the strongest enemy of the first generation. He and his goons are going to give you a hard time, especially that Orthos coming in as backup. The Red Mages are your real punching bags, so take them out as quickly as possible. While he doesn't have a magical counterattack, he does have a devastating physical one. Make sure you only attack him with fighters once See All is up.



This was a particularly annoying part of the fight. My team had been taken out largely, leaving Aina by herself. Unfortunately, she can't break 30 AP by herself, so she could only revive two of her allies, who promptly got killed by either the Orthos or the Ravana. After a couple minutes of this crap, finally Jainus managed to get a turn after Aina and turned the tables.



Well, another long battle, but I managed to have Endeavor and Training salvage some good out of this fight.



If they are required to sacrifice everything, is desiring a single thing in return really that unforgivable? To the gods, that life may be insignificant. But to me, that life meant everything. It was one thing that I would sacrifice everything for... If you're a god, then use your powers to give me a miracle! If you will not... Then there's no reason for you to exist!





All right, let's go back. To our town.

Yeah!



Another fragment of Chaos' power has returned to the vessel, but Weiss' time is at its end. Now all you need to do to finish Weiss' story is to go to Domicil's Great Tree, but first, an event with Fiona at the park. With One Smile



Well, because... We made a promise we have to keep.

A promise? With who?

With Eva... No, actually, with no one in particular. It's something that needs to be done to make up for something bad I did.

You did something wrong in the past?

Yeah... At least, it's what I've been told.

Hmmm, really...?

Would you miss us if we left?

Of course. I'd miss you so much if you went away... Because wouldn't it mean that you're all going to die? I can't see dead people, can I? I don't want that to happen...! I don't want to imagine what it'd be like if I couldn't see you again... Weiss, please don't leave me behind... Take me with you! That way, I can stay with you forever, right?



Anyway... Fiona, I want you to close your eyes and think about the time we've spent together.

Hold on a sec... Um, let's see...

What can you remember?

I can remember all of the times we had fun together!

While we'll be gone, we will stay in your heart and mind. No matter what, we will be with you always. In a way, we will be together forever. As long as you remember us, we will live on in your memories.

Then I'll be sure to think about you every day! I'll never forget about you, Aina, Felenne, or Victoria... I will never ever forget you!

I cannot count the number of times your smile helped me go on in the past. I'd like for you to cheer up others with your smile, Fiona.

You like my smile, Weiss?

Yeah, your smile makes me very happy.



Really...? Then I won't ever cry again! I will always have a smile on my face when I'm with you, Weiss!

Thank you, Fiona.

*Giggle*

(May the light of the gods always illuminate Fiona's way...)

That last scene gives you Culmination Charm, White Hole, and Black Hole as Finish Strikes, but most importantly, the bell tolls on Weiss' life...