Part 50: Sword vs. Shield

Entry 47: Sword vs. Shield



There's charm to these appropriately named Age of Myths items. Shells containing cosmic powers? No big deal. Did you know there's a fable involving the decapitated head of a magical talking horse offering words of sympathy to the princess protagonist? Get on it, Disney.



The Shieldbearers have large gates blocking passage on either side of Eisen Bridge. Tiz, ready to take on the Swordbearers single-handed, attempts to sneak through.



Datz strolls up.



Corporal Datz! I'm afraid this area's been put under lockdown...

I see. Well, we'll just have to take another route, then.

Good to see Datz supports Tiz's bloodlust despite his purported mission to take us to the Shieldbearer commander (who is on our side of the gate).



Eisen Bridge. Needs more flags. The Shieldbearer's second gate is partly visible to the northwest. Further west the road continues on, but if we try to go that way:



We're headquartered at the Eisen Bridge now.

Only one place left to go.



That's a lot of shields they're bearing.



The vestal's party is escorted right to the top of the ramparts overlooking the bridge. Everything appears quiet at the moment.



You guys'll never figure out what this character's name means.

Datz has already filled me in. It seems we have you to thank for getting Zatz back to us. Much appreciated.



You did well to repel the swordmaster for one of your age. I am suitably impressed. With you on our side, we may well turn the tide. It would certainly rally the troops.

We did not fight him off. Our opponent withdrew. And we have not come here to join your war.

A vestal such as I cannot take part in such conflict. Please do not misunderstand.



You could have been a bit less blunt, Agnès.

But I...I...

Well, then. To what do we owe the honor of your presence?

My task here is to awaken the Fire Crystal. Once that is done, I intend to leave this realm immediately.

Oh, so you have come to quell the seething magma in place of the late fire vestal?

Exactly. That is why we need your help. Do you know of a way into the temple?

We are doing all we can to find one, but we have not found a way through the lava yet.

I see...

I am sorry we could not be of more help. We will of course do all we can to aid you. A way in shall be found.



Of course. The Shieldbearers welcome the vestal and her companions. Feel free to rest your travel-weary bones in town.



Forgive us for not being able to lend a hand.

Not at all. Leave the fighting to us soldiers. It is our job, after all.

.......

False alarm, guys. Looks like we're not fighting in this war after all. Who'd have thought?




Wooden shields versus cannons. Either the Shieldbearers have some unseen tricks up their sleeve or the Swordbearers are incredibly, insanely incompetent.



Whether one or both are the case, Commander Goodman seems pretty chill.



The regular soldiers, not so much.



Right? Everyone here loves him, soldiers and townsfolk alike. Respect him, too. He's the reason the Shieldbearers have held together this long. He's the glue.

And he practices what he preaches. He's a paragon of self-defense. We never fight to take anything from anybody else. Ever.

......

......

So, Tiz. Mind if I ask what's got the vestal and Edea all in a bunch?

Er, yeah... It's kind of--



Y-yeah? That certainly sounds complicated...

Unfortunately, because the 'women are not objects' storyline was optional, none of Ringabel's character development from that carried onward. I commented earlier in the thread that he gets better after Chapter 2, but we're not there yet.



Adventurer's cryptic advice will come in use later.



Sure, it's not like there's any war in the war zone to keep us occupied.




The southwestern edge of the continent features a very impractically placed town.



With equally impractical decorating.



Datz gives a big hearty laugh while Tiz wonders what mad architects build these places.



If it gets any worse, we may have to think about evacuating.

Ever since the vestal passed into the light, Mount Karka has been raging without cease.

The women of this town must be made of strong stuff to put up with this.

I could see myself falling for a strong woman. You might even say I favor them. This is the place I have been seeking!

Here we go again...



He seems that way until you've heard the same jokes for threefour chapters.

I'm going on ahead to the commander's residence. Once you've seen the town, you should come and join us.



Catch you later, then.

Datz takes off.




Logical? No. Badass? Yes.



The path in the lower left can be taken down to the lava's edge, because video game people are tough.



Despite this being the most badass town, the residents are sad.



I've searched day and night since then, but he's nowhere to be found. He's a boy about this tall. Have you seen him?

Hartschild hasn't been attacked, so this woman is a refugee from some other place on the continent. What's the chance of her kid making it to safety?



If there were still people unaware of the hot topic for this chapter, I hope by now it's crystal clear.



The Swordbearers have a terrible weapon of mass slaughter. A chemical they call the toxic mist. I spend each day terrified of the air I breathe. I can't imagine fighting...

The party's already dealt with a fair number of chemicals. Breathing in all that nidaphyx only made them stronger.



It creates nothing, brings happiness to no man... Why do we persist in this madness?

Because both sides have beliefs they can't let go, I suppose.

Something so precious that it warrants the deaths of countless innocent people?

The world is faced with a crisis dire as it has ever seen, and this is what we are doing?

Humans fight to secure peace as they envision it. The trouble is, everyone's vision is different.

I fear I cannot understand it...

However lofty the ideals of sworld and shield, the fact remains that they are engaged in murder.

Wherever people gather, emotions run high, and justice and truth are subjective.

Where the majority has reached consensus, it is difficult for any one person to resist.

......

Even so, I don't want to be the sort of person who just accepts all that as a given.

Me neither.

At the very least, I swear I will take no woman for granted. I'll give my all, always.

Aaand there's the sad, strange Ringabel we know and love again.

A good time to note that the vestals again appear to be complete pacifists, who were long ago absorbed into and protected by the distinctly non-pacifist Crystal Orthodoxy. Peace seems simple and easy if you've never had to fight for it. Agnès also ignores the fact that the reason so many people are fighting against her and the other vestals is because they think Crystalism is responsible for nature going crazy and peace being disturbed. As Ringabel said: shared goal of saving world, but differing opinion on how to fix it.

Of course, as many people in the thread have pointed out, it'd be easier to sympathize with the Eternian side if they weren't also a bunch of bombastic psychopaths. As it is, things are pretty black and white.



War means war supplies, so let's go shopping. New white and time magic, promptly bought out.



Armory's new stock is decent, not great.



There's something wonderful about how Catholic imagery is now used to denote heathen magic potency.



If this were visible in-game, it'd likely be the traditional Final Fantasy white mage robe: white with red triangle pattern on the edges and a cute hood.



Considering how much Wa junk is around I don't think it can be classified as mysterious. More like the meticulously preserved and documented culture of Wa.



A closer view of the town. Off at the left side, below the upper left stairs, the party sifts through some barrels.



Bingo! No one was using this, right? Not like these barrels were left out to go to the front lines of a war or anything.

Agnès pockets the elixir with full knowledge it will never be used, not even during the final boss.



The Adventurer is full of good advice. Tell your friends you care about them, everyone. They won't always be around.



Yeah? What if we don't want to?



Agnès insists.

Tiz throws out one last delay:



Ooh, right! I've heard of those!

You can use those parts to customize your special moves.

And what's more, the parts aren't consumed in the process, so you can keep reusing them.

Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started right now!

It seems there are rare attacks, even among special moves.

Oh, really? That's news to me.

What sort of thing do you mean, Tiz?

I mean staff and rod attacks!

They take different parts than all the others, so be sure to try them out!

This conversation sounds like an advertising campaign.




Next: Ringabel's lady troubles and long time no see, Council of FourSix!

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Event Viewer
Main Scenario:
Eisen Bridge
Hartschild

Party Chat:
Symbol of the Shieldbearers
Tragedy
Norende's Special Moves Parts