Part 13: Episode XI: In Which Nowe Burns ALL of His Bridges

Episode XI: In Which Nowe Burns ALL of His Bridges

Verse 1 - The Betrayal - Music: Impatience


"When did you become so mean?!"
"When I murdered your father!"
"Oh...right."
"General Gismor, what's happening!? I'm coming in!"

Eris breaks open the door...


"Eris...what am I?"
"Did you do this? Why!?"


Nowe decides to not even attempt to mention to his best friend key facts like, I don't know: Gismor poisoned him, the said poison is right over on the table, the general just confessed to murdering the former leader of the Knights of the Seal, or anything that would improve the situation in his favor. Instead, he just smashes through a nearby window and runs away crying. Way to go, kiddo!

By the way, I hope you weren't a fan of Eris or the entire spear class of weapons. Both are out of the Nowe's party for umm...a very large portion of the game. That is the shortcoming of the separation of weapon classes to specific party members thing I mentioned earlier.


This is a gimmick level. Nowe is still poisoned and will be for the duration of the stage. This doesn't translate to any physical debilitation other than the screen flashing red regularly. He still fights just as well as if he'd just woken up this morning and had a hearty breakfast of Wheaties and non-poisonous OJ. But, his health is constantly draining during the mission. So he has to keep on the move to avoid keeling over. Luckily, there are a ton of health orbs in boxes along the single path. So it's not too hard to stay healed.


The Knights of the Seal have all been alerted that Nowe has attempted to assassinate General Gismor and will attack him on sight. Likewise, Nowe has no trouble at all massacring his former comrades like a fucking lunatic. Nowe seems to be only concerned with injuring the general. Generic knights that are in the way between him and the exit? Pfft...they were cannon fodder anyway.


"I knew you'd betray us someday. Accursed dragon child!"
"What have I done...? I lost control, and..."
"Raargh!"
"General Gismor is never going to forgive me for that..."
"Fredrick! No! He was only three days away from retirement! You mons-ARGH!!"
"I can't believe Gismor would betray me like that."


If you thought Hierarch Seere was getting no respect before due to being literally a man-child, I think his credibility is completely down the toilet with tomorrow's newspaper headline reading "Knights of the Seal 'Savior' Butchers Fellow Soldiers and Flees Country!" I suspect Gismor is going to go slap him upside the head with his dismembered arm.


"S-Stop! I don't understand... What's going on!? Nowe, are you really a rebel?"
"I...I can no longer stay here. Gismor...Gismor, he... Damn him!"
"What did General Gismor do, lad? W-What are you doing with that sword? Nowe?! Hey! Stop!"




Even if Nowe just runs past every other knight on the way toward the exit, he has to murder both of these two hulking guards to get the key out of the Grand Shrine. So hey, let's make sure his bridges with the knights are thoroughly burned. Oh, and if that's not enough...


There are several boxes full of gold right by the Grand Shrine's entrance. No doubt that late tribute from the Stone Village. Nowe will happily pocket about 1700 in gold. I mean, the Knights of the Seal are clearly all corrupt. It's going to a much better cause. Like fleeing the country to avoid the gallows for high treason and multiple counts of homicide.


Alrighty then. Forty former allies dead as we made our escape. You know how much team killing Caim had during the duration of Drakengard 1? Zero! Team abuse? Sure. But he didn't actively kill any allies that hadn't turned on him first or transformed into horrible abominations. My point is Nowe needs to stop TKing or he's getting booted from the server.

Verse 2 - The Escape - Music: Impatience


As luck would just have it, Legna has decided to take a nap out in the courtyard this time. I guess their coordinated acrobatics meetings only take place every other day of the week.


"Legna...I can't stay here anymore. We have to fly...fly far away."
"...I wasn't planning on eloping with you just yet. But, I suppose now is as good a time as ever."


"I'm not a child anymore..."
"That happened last week..."
"Ergh... Look, we just have to go!"
"Hang on. We'll fly out."


"Yes. I think the poison has gone. How about us? Are we in the clear?"
"Not yet. These fleas are infuriatingly persistent. What ever did you do, boy?"
"I may have...hurt a few people on my way escaping."
"How many is 'a few' people?"
"Uhh...I wasn't really keeping track. Err...how much is a dozen, again?"
"Twelve."
"A lot more than a dozen... Also..."


"I'm not surprised. Jealousy, hatred, treachery. Sounds like a typical human story."
"Damn him!"
"Reminds me of a man I once flew with... He had all those traits in spades. It was nearly unbearable."
"Huh... Who was that...?"
"Ancient history, my boy, from before your time. Don't worry yourself with it. We have bigger problems."


So the entire Knights of the Seal airforce in the region are trying to stop the traitorous Nowe from escaping. All we have to do at the beginning here is evade the cannon fire from their hot air balloons. On that note, I'm not expert, but I don't think firing cannons from hot air balloons is particularly safe.


"I'm a traitor?"
"What did you say you did to this Gismor fellow to make enemies with him...?"
"He tried to poison me so I err...lost control momentarily and...may have cut off his arm..."


Technology has advanced a bit in the eighteen years between games. Instead of just having slow, lumbering blimp like airships, the Knights of the Seal have developed straight up fighter planes. Sure, why not?


"Please, stop! Stop, I'm not your enemy! I don't want to fight you!"
"Don't be a fool. Look at them. They certainly think that YOU'RE an enemy. Just deal with them and let's get out of here."


So the only enemy we have to take out during this mission is the pursing plane. Thankfully, it's a pretty fun battle. Actually having an enemy with varied attacks that can keep up with Legna for a dogfight can be quite enjoyable. So of course, the fighter planes barely ever show up in the game. Though err...given Drakengard Ending E...perhaps that is for the best...


Insofar as there are probably going to be wanted posters with bounties on your head across all Knights of the Seal controlled territory...? I'm gonna guess "yes". You probably got Eris demoted or tossed in jail for suspicion of aiding a traitor to the state, too. What a pal.


The fighter plane has a few attacks up its sleeve. When coming head on it can shoot dummy fire cannon balls or homing rockets. The former is easy to evade by dashing to the right or left. But, the missiles are a bit trickier, as they must be dodged at the very last second or else they'll correct their course and hit Legna anyway.


The plane can also strafe Legna with machinegun fire when flying very near. I'm still mystified why guns seem to be limited to airship roles in Drakengard's world. The airships in the first game also clearly had machinegun turrets mounted on them that fired while nearby. Just imagine of Caim got his hands on a fantasy M60...


"Very well. You're the only human I care to be with anyway."


When trailing behind the plane, it will drop several floating proximity mines like Manah's stolen airship did in the earlier pursuit. As before, they can be blown away with Legna's dragon fire, or just flown under. Unlike Drakengard 1, aerial missions this time around remember there is quite a bit of vertical space in the sky and allow for maneuvering accordingly.


When the no doubt extremely expensive Knight of the Seal fighter plane is blown out of the sky and its trained pilot just trying to do his job immolated, the mission draws to a close.


"You're right, but let's be careful. In any case, we need to put more distance between us."
"So then, where to now?"
"Ergh... Well..."
<sigh> "I suppose having an exit plan is too much to ask of you... Very well. Try to think of a destination while I make some distance between us and them."










Verse 1 Cutscenes


Verse 2 Cutscenes




Knights of the Seal Balloon and Plane Concept Art - Technology in Drakengard's world has developed weird...