The Let's Play Archive

Bravely Default

by Greyarc

Part 81: Tower Offense

Entry 76: Tower Offense

The final push for the Earth Crystal is about to begin.

Phase One: Beat up all the bad guys -- Complete.

Phase Two: Solve world-spanning puzzle by beating up a bunch of dragons to open a door, because DeRosso's too edgy to just hide a key under the mat -- Complete.

Phase Three: Listen to immortal batman ramble about past -- Complete.

Phase Four: Learn Vampire techniques from violent monsters without getting face bitten off (done offscreen) -- Complete.

Phase Five: Shopping~!



Any remaining opponents will never see us coming, but they may smell us.



Ringabel is no longer allowed to wear adamant hats while driving the floating city-ship.



Non-adspeak version: They left the robe in some dirt for a while.



Just in case someone in the party wants to use glove weapons again (they won't).




Phase Six sees the party at last using the north door out of Eternia Central Command.



The weather clears up, giving the party a good view of Everlast Tower. It has the same design as the water and wind temples.



Finally.



I've never set foot here, either, yet the change is clear.

Well, at least it seems the Eternian Forces dare not deploy troops here.

Yet I sense a foul presence.

Monsters, no doubt.



Let's hurry!



Okay, let's g--



Okay, found one 'foul presence'.



Apparently the party could avoid a lot of these fights if they were a bit more sneaky.



But then, stomping around everywhere is part of their charm, I suppose.



I once DM'd a D&D game where all four players played Dragonborn Berserkers with 8 intellect.



I realize that doesn't mean much to non-D&D folks, but essentially these four people ran around solving all their problems by killing/eating everything.



The Bravely Default crew reminds me of that game more often than I would've expected, with slightly less emphasis on food. So far.




Down the hall from the entrance is an exit outside.



It leads to another landing field, so we don't have to run back to Central Command to fly out of here.



Back in the tower, heading upstairs leads to a bunch of passages with treasure. The dungeon design's smaller but less linear than Vampire Castle.



One of the stained glass windows in the back has a secret: you can walk through it...somehow.



Anyway, there's a neat sword back there.



This is another staple weapon of the Final Fantasy series, though it doesn't have the lore behind it a lot of other weapons get.



Complete map of the first floor, with the party standing in front of the walkthrough stained glass window.



Second floor doesn't have any noteworthy treasure, but we do find...



Another birdfriend. We'll chat with them later.



This was kept on the third floor. Norimune was a real person who lived around the 1200s.



Norimune worked alongside 12 other swordsmiths, and their swords created for the Japanese emperor were collectively referred to as kiku-ichimonji, hence this one being called a Kiku-ichimonji Norimune.



After all the fanfare of getting here, Everlast Tower itself is surprisingly empty. We're already almost to the top and so far the party's got nothing more to say.



They're finding the usual ancient cursed treasures, but that's about it.



All that effort and the person who used it in combat probably just got stabbed by a spear. There's a reason most shields don't have decorative holes in them.




The fourth floor has a slightly different design, with the final hallway being almost temple-like...




And what do you know, the next floor up is the Temple of Earth. Same layout as Water and Fire.



Also like the other temples, the three rooms to the north, south, and east of the garden have things to inspect.



In the south room's case, there are papers scattered on the tables. Tiz and Ringabel collect and show them to the others.



Same as in Vampire Castle, Ringabel's written down his thoughts, which I'm including here. D's Journal also includes its own version of the notes, which I'm just throwing down at the bottom of the entry as its almost word-for-word repeats of what's seen in the cutscenes.


>Observations of the Crystal

D's Journal: Research Notes posted:

I came across a bundle of ancient-looking papers in the halls of Everlast Tower, penned by a researcher as the Temple of Earth was being rebuilt into the tower that stands now.

"Observations of the Crystal"
Submitted by Victor S. Court

There among its page I found a familiar name.




Research Memo - Observations of the Crystal posted:

The energy within the crystals may be categorized by their names, viz., fire, water, wind, and earth. The amplification effect of a crystal only extends to its corresponding element.

For instance, the efficacy of this crystal extends to soil, land, mud, rock, and the like. It is for that reason the Orthodoxy names this the Earth Crystal. As for the method of extracting the energy it holds within...


Wow... Not that I really understand.

Yes, I'm afraid I didn't follow that, either.

It seems...I must look beyond what I had thought was simple desecration of the crystal.

D's Journal: Research Notes posted:

He must have been young when he wrote this report. Even then, he had a passion for the crystals. Obsession, really. Strong enough to cause even Agnès, Vestal of Wind, to entertain the possibility that desecration of the crystal might indeed serve some good.


Luxendarc is a world entirely dependent upon these magical amplifying devices. Instead of their moon generating tides, they have the water crystal. Instead of temperature changes causing the jet streams, they have the wind crystal. Instead of shifting tectonic plates over a heated mantle, the fire and earth crystals.

If you find world-building interesting, this brings up all sorts of questions about Luxendarc's composition and creation/maintenance. The characters might look human, but they're really from a pretty alien planet.


>Crystal Healing Waves

D's Journal: Research Notes posted:

A second research report. It's missing a considerable number of pages, but appears to be a continuation of the other.

"The Healing Waves Emanating from the Crystal"
Submitted by Victor S. Court




Research Memo - The Healing Waves Emanating from the Crystal posted:

Two kinds of waves have been observed emanating from the earth crystal. The waves that amplify white magic efficacy were likely used by the Orthodoxy for benediction, healing, and exorcism. The waves that amplify black magic efficacy were likely used for retribution and attacks upon enemies of the faith.

The Lord Marshal ordered that only those waves that amplify white magic are to be extracted and utilized. A new technique wherein an extraction cable is attached to the surface of the crystal without doing it harm has greatly advanced our work.


It seems they truly wished to advance medicine.

That treatment Edea's mother was receiving must've resulted from this research.

How could have such worthy efforts gone so terribly wrong?

D's Journal: Research Notes posted:

If this report is to be believed, it was never the duchy's (or perhaps I should say the templar's) intention to utilize these energies for military purposes, but rather to exercise the utmost care in preserving the crystal while putting it to use combating disease and easing the people's suffering.


The Duchy's scientists did remarkable work considering their lack of access to a crystal until the Eternia invasion.


>Report on Alchemical Life

D's Journal: Research Notes posted:

The third still-legible research document in the stack looks to have been written around the same time as the others, but the handwriting is different. More mature.

"Interim Report on Alchemical Life Research"
Submitted by Vincent S. Court.




Research Memo - Interim Report on Alchemical Life Research posted:

A tome entitled "Alchemical Life" was found among a trove of forbidden volumes seized from the Orthodoxy. But rather than some book of the occult dealing in miracles and manifestations, it is an ancient book of medicine. It claims the crystal's white waves can stimulate an individual's cells, and the black waves can link cells between individuals.


Alchemical life? They went beyond merely saving lives?

Wait, there's more...

This so-called alchemical life is unstable, and keeping the resulting subjects alive comes at great difficulty.

So, it seems they proposed that the research be shut down.

D's Journal: Research Notes posted:

This willingness to cast aside his research only furthers my amazement at the sincerity and zeal shown by the templar and all the duchy's researchers in the pursuit of medical science.

Good thing the Duchy was secretly too good and pure to experiment with life. Instead they've just stuck with regular old robot bears, dragons tortured into undeath, and demonic contracts.



Wasn't able to get these guys to show up until the Temple of Earth proper.



Daedalus was the architect who built the maze housing the infamous minotaur.

In the room to the east, Ringabel finds a stack of papers stuffed in one of the corners.

D's Journal: An Adherent's Chronicle posted:

I came upon a pile of badly worn papers lying in a forgotten corner of Everlast Tower. They appear to be the journal of a high official within the Orthodoxy. The oldest legible entry dates twenty years back, the newest fifteen--written the day of the templar's strike on the Orthodoxy's head temple.

He shows it to the others.



Let's see... Oh, this is an account by a Crystalist of high standing.


>The Great Plague



An Adherent's Chronicle - The Great Plague posted:

The terrible plague ravaging the world finally reached our shores. Already, there are those falling ill in villages to the east. To halt its spread to Orthodoxy headquarters, top officials of the faith have closed all roads and forbidden the influx of people and goods.

Controversy arose when a young cleric appealed to his superiors to use the power of the Earth Crystal for purification and medical treatment. But the proposal had no hope of approval, as we hold the crystals as sacred. The heirarchy ignored it.

The "purging" of refugees for seeking to thwart the blockade was a scene from hell. The purged believers were hailed as martyrs.


The D's journal entry specifies that refugees were killed on sight. Afterwards, Ringabel comments:

D's Journal: An Adherent's Chronicle posted:

I care to read no further.


How terrible! How could they be so cruel?

By saying, "We had no other choice," no doubt.

But to have a way to battle the plague and not use it? They simply forsook them.

Previously, it was never mentioned the Orthodoxy had a possible way to cure the plague.


>A Cleric Departs

D's Journal: An Adherent's Chronicle posted:

Between missing pages and text too worn to be legible, the next entry I can read is dated significantly later.




An Adherent's Chronicle - The End of the Plague posted:

The young cleric appealed to his superiors day after day to no avail. When the Great Plague showed signs of abating, the Orthodoxy was overjoyed. Those who had advocated the blockade were showered with praise. Some days later, the young cleric was summoned before the Vestal, whereupon he was mocked and reprimanded for hours on end.

The plague wiped out his village of birth, save for a few who escaped, and many other villages within the faith's lands suffered the same fate. Henceforth, the young cleric was never again seen amongst the ranks of the Crystal Orthodoxy. Perhaps he was shipped to a post of no consequence, or fallen away altogether.


He sounded like a hero in the making. If he had counted among the Orthodoxy's leaders, this land would've, perhaps, changed for the better.

But then, perhaps, I wouldn't have been here with you today.


>The End of the World

D's Journal: An Adherent's Chronicle posted:

Even beyond the pages' wear, most of the text is redacted in heavy black ink. Whether this is the writer's own doing or not, I cannot say. The next clear page is the last, dated far later. It provides a record of that day, fifteen years ago. The text is a frantic scribble, as if written amid utter chaos.




An Adherent's Chronicle - The End of the World posted:

The Orthodoxy's head temple has already fallen, and it shall not be long now before my refuge, too, is discovered by the invaders.

The Earth Vestal was dragged before their leader. It was the once young cleric--now a seasoned soldier, fearless and self-assured. The Vestal faced him, hurling words of contempt and scorn, but ere she could finish--

--an enraged member of his guard cut her down with a stroke of his long blade, and the Vestal's body fell silently to the floor. All is lost...


So that's how the earth vestal was slain.

What an awful tale!

...With a stroke of his...long blade...

D's Journal: An Adherent's Chronicle posted:

It was an account of the earth vestal's execution at the hands of the templar's men fifteen years ago. I had no idea he had so long pled his case as a priest within the Orthodoxy... I imagine her dying words were an accusation of betrayal. Edea's expression clouded especially upon hearing mention of the templar's aide cutting the vestal down. I know not why...


Konoe Kikyo the ninja was supposed to keep the fire vestal alive, but failed. Perhaps the reason her superior was so lenient with her afterwards was because he, too, had once made a similar mistake.



Another elemental charm, probably dropped by a high-ranking member of the Orthodoxy when the temple was raided.



The room to the north has more scattered notes.

"The Reconquest of Eternia." Hmm, I wonder what it says in here.


>The Reconquest of Eternia

D's Journal: The Recapture of Eternia posted:

Other records found in Everlast Tower paint a picture of the assault, describing the templar's force that struck Eternia. Several of the names it mentions are familiar--leaders of the Eternian Forces we've defeated.

"The Reconquest Campaign: Troop Deployments"



The Reconquest Campaign: Troop Deployments posted:

Our uprising was lacking in everything--troops, armaments, cultivation of informants within the Orthodoxy...

But the Crystal Orthodoxy would soon put their plans in motion. The debate between our Lord Templar and the sage continued. At the end of three days and three nights, our Lord Templar gave the order to strike. His family was to remain behind in this land.

We departed before sunrise the next day. We procured weapons and ammunition in Ancheim and then slipped secretly into Eisenberg. From northern Eisenberg, three fortified airships took us across the highlands, at last entering the land of Eternia.

An abridged listing of our main invasion forces follows.

The valiant usurper Braev the Templar (Our Lord Templar insisted we name him as "usurper.")

Assault troops for the Temple of Earth: They are to take the Earth Crystal and protect our crystal technology squad.
Swordmaster Nobutsuna Kamiizumi, Commander
Hayreddin Barbarossa, Lieutenant Commander
Dr. Vincent S. Court, Technology Squad Leader (Accompanied by his ten-year-old son serving as his assistant.)

Assault troops for the Orthodoxy's head temple: They are to halt all of the institution's functions and seize all of its forbidden tomes and assets.
Sir Argent Heinkel, Commander
Fiore DeRosa, Lieutenant Commander
Barras Lehr, Officer-in-Training
Erutus Profiteur & Dr. Qada, Auditors

Occupation forces for the city of Eternia: These troops will be assigned to keeping the peace and preparing for the laying of the cables.
Spell Fencer Ciggma Khint, Commander
Einheria Venus, Officer-in-Training
Holly Whyte, Medic-in-Training


Presumably the party's just picking out the names they recognize. Ciggma Khint being listed as one of the leaders is unexpected. He obviously turned his back on all that at some point, though not enough to decline working with Profiteur.


>Head Temple Occupation

D's Journal: The Recapture of Eternia posted:

Seems this was penned by the leader of the force that took the Orthodoxy's head temple (now Eternian Central Command). Hard to believe the same man went on to captain the Sky Knights. The text is written in a heavy hand, almost carved into the vellum.

"Head Temple Occupation"
Sir Argent Heinkel, Commander




The Reconquest Campaign: Head Temple Occupation posted:

Once the Temple of Earth fell and news of the earth vestal's demise reached the resistance at the head temple, they quickly surrendered.

The Orthodoxy's soldiers and leaders were stripped of their weapons and confined to the temple. The Lord Templar strictly forbade us from rampant slaughter and maltreatment of the vanquished. None have yet disobeyed his order. Those sympathetic to our cause were allowed to join us, while those who refused were to be released.

As for Erutus Profiteur, the man sent to the treasure house to seize the Orthodoxy's assets, unsavory rumors about him soon began to circulate. Investigation into bribes by former Orthodoxy officials and the large-scale disappearance of artworks from the treasure house is underway.

Dr. Qada, tasked with deciphering the Orthodoxy's forbidden spells, continues to meet clandestinely with his lieutenant, DeRosa. In comparison, Barras Lehr's simple enthusiasm for more fighting is almost refreshing to see.


So Profiteur, Qada, and DeRosa have been causing trouble since the beginning of the Duchy, yet still managed to fly under the radar enough to keep positions of power in the present day.

...I wish I could say that's unrealistic.


>The Occupation of the City

D's Journal: The Recapture of Eternia posted:

The next report was penned by the leader of the squad that occupied Eternia. The templar's decision to staff it with Eternian natives shows a sensitivity to the people of the city.

"The Occupation of the City"
Commander Ciggma Khint




The Reconquest Campaign: The Occupation of the City posted:

A month has passed since our bloodless occupation of the city of Eternia, and the people are finally beginning to settle into their daily lives.

Einheria, originally from this city, doggedly patrols its streets, saying, "I shall defend the city that is home to my master's training grounds." The occupation force is also comprised of others from this land, and perhaps that is another reason for the easing of people's fears.

A few days prior, it was announced that this land had been rechristened the Duchy of Eternia. A member of the royal bloodline that once ruled Eternia before the Crystal Orthodoxy was restored to power as archduke. And naming himself Grand Marshal of the Eternian Forces, the Lord Templar began his tireless effort to build a new system of government.

When Dr. Vincent S. Court proposed a great feat of engineering be erected in one corner of the city, it was approved at once. Great cables are to be extended from the Temple of Earth all the way to the city, but I know not their purpose. Rumor has it the cables are to be linked with buildings under construction in the medical district, also part of the doctor's proposal. The decreed construction schedule is tight and will surely require additional laborers from among the people and former Orthodoxy members.

I spotted medic-in-training Holly Whyte being scolded by Victor, a boy of the same age, for standing around and watching the construction.


D's Journal: The Recapture of Eternia posted:

Reading these reports, it sounds like the templar's men did right by the city, with no looting or abuse.


This whole segment is an odd choice to include here and now. Surprise! The villains we've fought and killed were more complex than we thought!

...But what are we supposed to take away from this? They weren't literal monsters all the time? Humans generally aren't. That's what makes justice so hard to mete out in real life.

Khint was a hired killer, Holly planned to torture Agnès for fun, Kamiizumi put loyalty above the well-being of an entire country, Heinkel let Ominas burn down part of Caldisla and slaughtered many of the residents himself, and so on. Their good deeds fifteen years ago don't erase the wrongdoings they perpetrated today.


Next: A brief break to look at the final two summons in the game.

--

Event Viewer
Main Scenario:
Everlast Tower

Sub-Scenario:
Research Memos
An Adherent's Chronicle
The Reconquest of Eternia

D's Journal: Barras the Monk posted:

Records show that he served as a trainee soldier in the unit that attacked the Orthodoxy's head temple when the templar rose up fifteen years ago.

D's Journal: Holly the White Mage posted:

Records show that she served as a junior medic in the unit that occupied Eternia in the templar's uprising fifteen years ago.

D's Journal: Heinkel the Knight posted:

Records show that he commanded the unit that attacked the Orthodoxy's head temple when the templar rose up fifteen years ago.

D's Journal: Sage Yulyana posted:

In Everlast Tower, we found a passage that mentioned the sage amongst records discussing the templar's uprising fifteen years ago. It appears that before the uprising, the templar and the sage held a fierce debate over three days and three nights.

D's Journal: Profiteur, Merchant of Death posted:

In Everlast Tower, we found a diary recording the events of the templar's uprising fifteen years ago. It seems Profiteur was charged with overseeing the seizure of the assets in the Orthodoxy's head temple. He was later suspected of accepting bribes from Orthodoxy officials and misappropriating works of art, indicating he had been corrupt for some time.

D's Journal: Spell Fencer Khint posted:

At Everlast Tower, we found a diary detailing the events of the templar's uprising fifteen years ago. It mentioned that Ciggma Khint was a commander of the Eternian occupation forces.

D's Journal: Victor S. Court posted:

Victor's name appeared in the research notes we found at Everlast Tower. They seem to be from some time after the Earth Crystal was seized fifteen years ago. The notes indicate that he dedicated much time to study of the crystal.

In Everlast Tower, we found Victor's name on a troop deployment list for the campaign to retake Eternia. It seems he accompanied a Vincent S. Court, who must have been his father.

D's Journal: Einheria the Valkyrie posted:

According to documents we found at Everlast Tower, Einheria took part in the templar's uprising 15 years ago. They paint a picture of her as a young trainee who bravely patrolled her home city of Eternia, protecting the people and her master's training hall.

D's Journal: Fiore the Red Mage posted:

According to documents we found at Everlast Tower, the red mage DeRosa took part in the templar's uprising 15 years ago. It seems he served as aide to the knight Argent Heinkel in the unit that assaulted the head temple of the Orthodoxy. However, Heinkel grew mistrustful of him after his poor conduct. He was apparently also close to thet salve-maker Qada and Chairman Profiteur.

D's Journal: Swordmaster Kamiizumi posted:

In Everlast Tower, we found documents showing that the swordmaster took part in the templar's uprising 15 years ago. He commanded the force that assaulted the Temple of Earth, showing how much faith the templar placed in him.

D's Journal: Qada the Salve-Maker posted:

According to documents we found in Everlast Tower, Qada joined the templar's uprising fifteen years ago. It seems he was charged with auditing the Orthodoxy's forbidden tomes and secret tonics after the assault on their head temple. The documents suggest there were some unsavory rumors regarding his work.

D's Journal: Braev the Templar posted:

In Everlast Tower, we found documents relating to the Orthodoxy. A young cleric had proposed a way to save the people from the Great Plague, but left the Orthodoxy after he was ignored. Several years later, the same cleric attacked the head temple of the Orthodoxy. The earth vestal was dragged out and slain by his guards... This young cleric was probably Braev Lee.

In Everlast Tower, we found documents listing the forces that joined the uprising fifteen years ago. They detailed some of the events of that time, indicating that the templar and Sage Yulyana argued right up to the uprising, and noting that rebel forces marched on Eternia via Ancheim and Eisenberg. They also showed that the templar wanted himself to be known as a usurper.

D's Journal: Mahzer Lee posted:

In Everlast Tower, we found records regarding the templar's family. In the few months between the templar's uprising and his return after establishing the duchy, Edea and her mother apparently lived in the sage's needleworks. Were the sigils on the bunk bed there etched by thet tetmplar to protect his daughter, or carved by Mahzer to pray for her husband's return?

D's Journal: Vincent S. Court posted:

(Researcher?)
As one who joined the templar's uprising fifteen years ago, he proposed the construction of white magic cables to the city of Eternia. It is thought he was some kind of researcher. His age and birthplace are not known.

Vincent's name appeared as the author of a report on alchemical life that we discovered in Everlast Tower. He found a tome entitled "Alchemical Life" among the forbidden volumes seized from the Orthodoxy, and verified that it was not a book of occult theory or miracles. However, he later advised his superiors to shut down the research, as it had led to unstable results.

Among documents we found in Everlast Tower, Vincent's name was mentioned in relation to the templar's uprising of 15 years earlier. It seems he was the one that proposed the construction of white magic cables in Eternia. His son's name was Victor. It seems he was the father of Victor S. Court...

D's Journal: Everlast Tower posted:



White Magic Cables:
Duchy researchers have attached a variety of cables and equipment to the Earth Crystal to extract its power. This healing energy is transmitted through the cables to the city of Eternia, where it is used to heal people suffering from sickness and disease.

D's Journal: Research Notes posted:

"The energy within the crystals may be categorized by their names, namely, fire, water, wind, and earth. The amplification effect of a crystal only extends to its corresponding element. For instance, the efficacy of this crystal extends to soil, land, mud, rock, and the life. It is for that reason the Orthodoxy names this the Earth Crystal."
"As for the method of extracting the energy it holds within..."

Healing Wave Research pt.1:
Two kinds of waves have been observed emanating from the Earth Crystal. The waves that amplify white magic efficacy were likely used by the Orthodoxy for benediction, healing, and exorcism. The waves that amplify black magic efficacy were likely used for retribution and attacks upon enemies of the faith.

Healing Waves Research pt.2:
The Lord Marshal ordered that only those waves that amplify white magic are to be extracted and utilized. A new technique wherein an extraction cable is attached to the surface of the crystal without doing it harm has greatly advanced our work.

Alchemical Life Research, pt.1:
A tome entitled "Alchemical Life" was found among a trove of forbidden volumes seized from the Orthodoxy. But rather than some book of the occult dealing in miracles and manifestations, it is an ancient book of medicine. It claims the crystal's white waves can stimulate an individual's cells, and the black waves can link cells between individuals.

Alchemical Life Research, pt.2:
This so-called alchemical life is unstable, and keeping the resulting subjects alive comes at great difficulty.

D's Journal: An Adherent's Chronicle posted:

The Great Plague 1:
The terrible plague ravaging the world finally reached our shores. Already, there are those falling ill in villages to the east. To halt its spread to Orthodoxy headquarters, top officials of the faith have closed all roads and forbidden the influx of people and goods. Controversy arose when a young cleric appealed to his superiors to use the power of the Earth Crystal for purification and medical treatment.

The Great Plague 2:
But the proposal had no hope of approval, as we hold the crystals as sacred. The heirarchy ignored it. Refugees seeking to thwart the blockade were slain on sight, but the Orthodoxy claimed the dead were not victims but martyrs.

The End of the Plague 1:
The young cleric appealed to his superiors day after day to no avail. When the Great Plague showed signs of abating, the Orthodoxy was overjoyed. Those who had advocated the blockade were showered with praise.
Some days later, the young cleric was summoned before the Vestal, whereupon he was mocked and reprimanded for hours on end.

The End of the Plague 2:
The plague has wiped out his village of birth, save for a few who escaped, and there were many other villages within the faith's lands suffered the same fate. Henceforth, the young cleric was never again seen amongst the ranks of the Crystal Orthodoxy. Perhaps he was shipped to a post of no consequence, or left altogether.

The End of the World 1:
The Orthodoxy's head temple has already fallen, and it shall not be long now before my refuge, too, is discovered by the invaders. The Earth Vestal was dragged before their leader. It was the once young cleric--now a seasoned soldier, fearless and self-assured.

The End of the World 2:
The vestal faced him, hurling words of contempt and scorn, but ere she could finish, an enraged member of his guard cut her down in one fell swoop, and the vestal's lifeless body fell silently to the floor.

D's Journal: The Recapture of Eternia posted:

Reconquest Campaign 1:
Our uprising was lacking in everything--troops, armaments, cultivation of informants within the Orthodoxy... But the Crystal Orthodoxy would soon put their plans in motion. The debate between our Lord Templar and the sage continued. At the end of three days and three nights, our Lord Templar gave the order to strike. His family was to remain behind in this land.

Reconquest Campaign 2:
We departed before sunrise the next day. We procured weapons and ammunition in Ancheim and then slipped secretly into Eisenberg. From northern Eisenberg, three fortified airships took us across the highlands, at last entering the land of Eternia.

Reconquest Campaign 3:
An abridged listing of our main invasion forces follows.

The valiant usurper Braev the Templar (Our Lord Templar insisted we name him as "usurper.")

Reconquest Campaign 4:
Assault troops for the Temple of Earth:
They are to take the Earth Crystal and protect our crystal technology squad.
Swordmaster Nobutsuna Kamiizumi, Commander

Hayreddin Barbarossa, Lieutenant Commander

Dr. Vincent S. Court, Technology Squad Leader
(Accompanied by his ten-year-old son serving as his assistant)

Assault troops for the Orthodoxy's head temple:
They are to halt all of the institution's functions and seize all of its forbidden tomes and assets.
Sir Argent Heinkel, Commander

Fiore DeRosa, Lieutenant Commander

Barras Lehr, Officer-in-Training

Erutus Profiteur & Dr. Qada as auditors

Occupation forces for the city of Eternia:
These troops will be assigned to keeping the peace and preparing for the laying of the cables.

Ciggma Khint, Commander

Einheria Venus as his officer-in-training

Holly Whyte as a medic-in-training

Head Temple Occupation Memo 1:
Once the Temple of Earth fell and news of the earth vestal's demise reached the remaining resistance at the head temple, they quickly surrendered. The Orthodoxy's soldiers and leaders were stripped of their weapons and confined to the temple. The Lord Templar had strictly forbade us from rampant slaughter and maltreatment of the vanquished. None have yet disobeyed his order.

Head Temple Occupation Memo 2:
Those sympathetic to our cause were allowed to join us, while those who refused are to be released. As for Erutus Profiteur, the man sent to the treasure house to seize the Orthodoxy's assets, unsavory rumors about him soon began to circulate.

An investigation has begun into allegations of bribery by former Orthodoxy officials and the large-scale disappearance of Orthodoxy-owned artwork from the treasure house.

Head Temple Occupation Memo 3:
Dr. Qada, who has been tasked with deciphering the Orthodoxy's forbidden spells, is continuing with his clandestine meetings with my lieutenant, DeRosa. In comparison, the simple enthusiasm of Barras Lehr for more fighting is almost refreshing to see.

Eternian Occupation Journal 1:
A month has passed since our bloodless occupation of the city of Eternia, and the people are finally beginning to settle into their daily lives. Einheria, who was originally from this city, continues to doggedly patrol its streets, saying, "I shall defend the city that is home to my master's training grounds." The occupation force is also comprised of others from this land, and perhaps that is another reason for the easing of people's fears.

Eternian Occupation Journal 2:
A few days prior, it was announced that this land had been rechristened the Duchy of Eternia. A member of the royal bloodline that once ruled Eternia before the Crystal Orthodoxy was restored to power as archduke.

And naming himself Grand Marshal of the Eternian Forces, the Lord Templar began his tireless effort to build a new system of government.

Eternian Occupation Journal 3:
When Dr. Vincent S. Court proposed a great feat of engineering be erected in one corner of the city, it was approved at once. Great cables are to be extended from the Temple of Earth all the way to the city, but I know not their purpose.

The decreed construction schedule is extremely tight and will doubtless require additional laborers from among the people and former Orthodoxy members.

Eternian Occupation Journal 4:
I spotted medic-in-training Holly Whyte being scolded by Victor, a boy of the same age, for standing around and watching the construction.