Part 24: History and Myth

So now we get to go through the Cloudvents again to find Celsica's crest. This trip is even less eventful than the first, since I don't have to go out of my way to get the Gust Boulder this time, so let's just skip all that.







Fortunately, Nasca won't bother us as long as we don't bother him, so we can grab these without worry.





Is this C-Celsica's blood? So much...Enough to stain her crest crimson...Thank you, Sagi. We will never forget what happened. No one among us will ever forget Celsica or Rambari...I'm not sure what to offer you in return...Please, take these. I was holding them for Celsica.







Not bad. A second copy of the sword is nothing special, but having two magna mixers could be useful.





It will be hard on this kingdom from here on with two of its most important people gone. Lord Baelheit's actions continue to get more and more extreme.


Well, I think it's time to get out of here. Goodbye, Diadem. I hope the next time I visit won't be quite so depressing.

I fly back to Alfard, and...oh, that's right, I still need to go visit Sedna!


Music: Four Seasons of Peace I



















Well, it's still far from being a town, but it at least might make a nice park.







My reward is...interesting. I haven't used it before, and I can't say I'm convinced that slowing the enemy down is worth 2 MP when I could be using that MP to just murder them, but it might be worth trying out sometime.





Video: Verus Chat

Music: Parity of Light and Dark


Yes, sir. King Ladekahn and his knights are taking steps to prevent it from reaching completion. Quaestor, Baelheit is moving much faster than we thought. This time he took over Nashira and the Cloudvents at the same time.

You're quite right. The enemy is moving extremely fast. Quaestor, there's been word that he's already sent soldiers to Sadal Suud as well.

Sadal Suud...Geldoblame, what do you think of that?

It's a danger, sir. The lord of Sadal Suud is away, and an arriviste named Rodolfo is after his title. Rodolfo is the sort you could easily wrap around your little finger were the deal sweet enough.

Hmm, my guardian spirit seems to share that opinion. She's warning me not to leave Rodolfo to his own devices.





Meemai feels the same way, sir.

I see. Then you had better head for Sadal Suud. Make contact with this Rodolfo, and intervene if he seems likely to go along with promachination.

Understood.

I'm counting on you.

...Yes, sir.


Milly and Guillo turn to leave, but Sagi once again seems to have something more on his mind...


What's wrong? You look like you have something to say. Go on, let's hear it.

Quaestor...you know something about the umbras, don't you? Shanath and Valara call them “afterlings”. And there was something about “Malpercio”...

Where did you hear this?

They were talking about it. And quaestor...you said “afterling” yourself.

You mean when I called you in Diadem? Me and my loose tongue...

So you do know something about them.

...All right, I'll tell you. I suppose I shouldn't have waited this long.





Music: Tears of Compassion


Originally I planned to split the three votes into this and the next two spirit responses, but that turned out to be more clever than I could handle and I screwed up the inputs, so I went back and just gave negative/incorrect answers to everything to reflect the majority vote.


Yeah. All I know is that it's some kind of legend.

It's not a legend. The War of the Gods really happened.

It's true, I learned about it in the School of Magic. Nearly a thousand years ago there was a war amongst the gods. I've heard a record of the war still exists.

That's right. The Children of the Earth who live in Duhr recorded what happened.





Gotta love the little Mizuti silhouette.


He called forth a host of Dark Brethren, intending to remake the world as he saw fit. Soon the other gods were annihilated, the earth withered, and the world fell into darkness. The world would have been destroyed, had no one intervened...But the Children of the Earth's ancestors stepped in. They defeated the wicked god and sealed away his power.





Well...it is strange now that you mention it. How can something so big float in midair?

Quaestor Verus, do you know the reason?

A god's power keeps them afloat – namely, the “End Magnus” in which Malpercio was sealed.

End Magnus...?





The Children of the Earth's ancestors divided the wicked god's remains into five End Magnus, and sealed them in each continent. Then they severed the continents from the tainted earth, and used Malpercio's power to set them aloft.

What does this have to do with those monsters we saw?





Did it disappear?

If only it did – things would be much simpler.

So then...it was discarded?





That's right. After the wicked god was torn asunder, those pieces possessing the most power were sealed in the End Magnus...and the rest were scattered throughout the world so that the fiend could not revive. The “umbras” you've seen are the discarded pieces of Malpercio. To be exact, they're living beings with the pieces growing inside. You see, the pieces have no real power until they live inside another creature.

So then Bein and Celsica were both carriers of Malpercio's remains?

Correct. The pieces alone could never have revived, but by latching on to a host, their thousand-year yearning for life was fulfilled. When the pieces awaken is determined by the carrier's emotional state. Feelings of loss, of sadness...Negative emotions cause the wicked god to surface.

Isn't there any way to save the carriers?

I doubt it. If the carriers knew who they were, things would be different...But they don't – not until they've already turned into monsters.

...

That's all I can tell you. Are you satisfied?

Yes, sir.

Then, back to the task at hand. It's not much, but I've prepared some new magnus. Take them with you.


They're all defense magnus. [/i]





Well, that was an enlightening and highly disturbing conversation. I don't want to think about that anymore, so let's just go.









Music: Purging Light of the Sun


What does that say about Sadal Suud? There's nothing here.

That's OK. I like the peace and quiet. It reminds me of Hassaleh.

Milliarde – I thought Sadal Suud wasn't part of the Empire.

It's not. Why?





Hey, you're right. But now that you mention it, didn't Geldoblame say as much? He told us Baelheit already deployed soldiers to Sadal Suud.

He's always one step ahead...





Well, that was a bit of a filler update, but we still learned some interesting things. Join me next time for Sadal Suud – and for some of the better incidental dialogue in the game! See you then!


-


Decision Time!


Oh no, there are soldiers!


> Let's find Rodolfo.

> Evisceration is the only solution.


I am not a child!


> That's right!

> Whatever, kid.


Should we crash the gates, or sneak in quietly?


> Crash the gates!

> Sneak in quietly.