Part 36: Back To Square One

Welcome back. Last time on Exit Fate, we decided to head back to Levier, to see if we could restore Daniel's lost memories. On the way there, however, we ran into Brunhild, who fought us and managed to draw out the evil Daniel that we saw during the hypnosis some time ago. After a cryptic conversation and a whole lot of murder, Jovian and Angel were able to bring Daniel back to his senses as Brunhild fled. The encounter has only strengthened Daniel's desire to visit Levier and regain his memory, so this update, we'll be heading to Jargo to catch a boat to Kirgard. Let's get to it.



Following the scene with Brunhild from the previous update, we're dumped on the world map, right outside of Jargo Port City. Not much to do but head over.

Music: Jargo - Wild Arms 2, "Town Where The West Wind Blows"




To think this is where it all started... I haven't been here since the first day of the war.




I'm General Knight, if it's me you're talking about. What can I do for you?
I'm sorry, I don't know if I should be bothering you about this, but there's a wounded Kirgard soldier at the inn, I think you should probably go see him. He came here by ship a few days ago and asked around about whether Elysium Castle was safe or not. No one here could tell him though, so he went off to cross the Kelsinger Pass. He probably got attacked on his way there, I don't know. We found him and took him back to town, but he's delirious and can barely stay conscious.
You said he was asking about Elysium Castle? Was he carrying some kind of message for us?



Hmm... I don't know what it's about, but since we're here anyway, I think we should check it out.
Thanks for letting us know. You said he's at the inn?
Yes, in one of the rooms on the second floor. He was pretty badly hurt, I hope he'll be all right.



And with that, we have the run of the place. The inn is our immediate objective, but there's a few things around town that are worth checking out, so let's look around a bit first.





The blacksmith here is right next to the entrance of the town, and is level 10. With the money I have, I give Jovian, Ayara, and Klaus a bit of a boost.





There's also a magic shop next to the inn, but it's unmarked. It's our first source of purchasable Cure spells, though we can't afford any at the moment.



You could at least put a sign out front.



There's also this guy hanging around on the eastern side of the city.



Sure, why not?





Uh, very nice.
Thank you! Please come again!




Uh oh. That can only mean one thing.



It seems Reod has lifted some of our hard-earned Arn. Every time you talk to him, he'll do his magic show and relieve you of 10% of your money. There's no way to prevent this the first time you speak to him, but if you approach him again with a thief in your party...





Uhm...
He was trying to steal your money.
Ahh uhh... I'll give back everything I took! Please don't hurt me!



A thief, huh? Even if you give me back my money, I can't just let you walk off.
Please! I'm not a criminal! I just got myself in debt a tiny bit and I need the money before they kill me!
Oh, I see. If that's the case, why don't you start working for your money? You seem to have actual magic skill, so I'm sure you could make yourself useful.
Well, uh...
I think I have a job opening for you. If you take it, maybe I'll forgive you for trying to rob me.








Reod is a mage who is also a thief. Let me reiterate that for you if you didn't quite catch it: Reod is a MAGE WITH STEAL. And he's not just some crappy mage who has Steal to make up for his low magic stats: as SCF pointed out in the big ol' damage table he posted awhile back, with the fifth-best MAG of all characters and the highest SPD among magic users, Reod has the highest damage output of any mage in the game. And if that weren't enough, if you feel like forging his weapon, he even has a higher STR than Daniel! His only real weaknesses are a relatively low MP+ for a mage (though nowhere near as bad as Mai) and the fact that stealing requires him to spend turns not casting, but the latter isn't even that much of a detriment since every turn spent stealing means another turn's worth of MP for use later. This guy is good in so many ways that I'm holding a special vote just for him. Check the end of this update for details.





Reod attacks with a knife hidden in his cape. His damage is all right, but since he's a mage there usually isn't much reason to forge his weapon. He'll likely be spending all of his turns casting or stealing anyway.



There's also this fellow with atrocious grammar who will sell us something for 5000 Arn. We just blew all of our money on weapons, so we can't buy it now, but it's not a big deal. The item in question is Battle Plan #1, the plan for our very first battle at Jargo.



Lastly, there's a door being blocked by this guy who tells us to . I'm sure this will never come up again.




Anyway, let's head over to the inn and see what's up with this wounded soldier.




Hmm... I see. Normally I wouldn't let him see other people in his condition, but he kept talking about you. Go ahead, but be careful. I've treated his wounds, but he's still weak. He won't be able to talk for long.



You wanted to speak to someone from the army, didn't you?




He should be there by now, or at least he's on his way. What's wrong? Do you have a message for him?
I'll tell you... later. Please... take this first...



What is this?
An... ancient artifact that Kirgard... took from Zelmony... ages ago... Take... Take me outside... out of town... and use it. It's... important that I...



Quiet, Jovian. He's just passed out.
What should we do?
He was risking his life to get through the pass, so it must be something important. I can't just leave him. I don't know what this thing is, but I guess we should do what he asked.



Fade to black...

Music: None



How should I know? I don't even know what's supposed to happen if we use this thing.
Well, just try it then! What's the worst that could happen?
The end of the world?
I'll take my chances.






Fade to black...

Music: Elysium - Chrono Trigger, "Frog's Theme (Orchestral Version)"




That key instantly took us back to the castle? I had no idea that Kirgard had something like that in its possession all this time.



We can indeed, and it's not just limited to this one scene. The Portal Key is now in our inventory, which means we no longer need to find a port city to get back to Elysium. The Portal Key will instantly warp us to the castle when used, and the only restriction on it is that it can only be used on the world map. So no escaping from dungeons or anything.

Why didn't we ever use this to invade Matrech? They'd never see us coming!
We have the key with us now, don't we?
Uh...
That's true. I guess you couldn't just send in waves of soldiers because the first ones would have the key with them. It was probably never used because they were afraid of losing it.



Speaking of which, let's take him to a doctor. Once he's recovered a bit, we'll know what this was all about. I didn't intend to come back yet, but what's done is done. I want to hear what he has to say now.

Fade to black...



That's good to hear. Let me know when he wants to speak to us again. I guess there's not much else for us to do here...






You want to run while you still can, Jovian?
Haha, as much as I'd like to, he already knows that we're here. We can't just walk away.
I'll take responsibility. It was my idea in the first place.
It won't be that simple. I'm the general here, after all. I can't just hide behind you.
I don't think it matters. He'll be mad at all three of us.
Thanks, Angel. That's so uplifting.



The hard part will be getting permission to continue our journey, but it's our own fault for running away. We'll just have to deal with it.
Yeah, you're right. Let's just head for the meeting hall and get it over with.



One quick trip to the meeting hall later...

Music: None




I am so angry, I don't even know where to start. Imagine my surprise when I heard you simply walked away in the middle of a war! What is wrong with you!? Do you have no sense of discipline!? What could have possibly possessed you to think that was a good idea!? What do you have to say to that!?



Have I mentioned yet that Jovian has balls of steel? Because

Knight!
What did you say!? This is not a joke, Knight!! I'll--





There's no time for that. I'm okay. Thank you very much for bringing me here, sir. I have important news for General Eander... and for all of you, really.



It is... It's very important, and... it's very bad.
Well, speak up! What is it, then?
Well...



What!?
The king is dead? What... What do you mean?
How is that possible!? I even spoke to his majesty right before I left the capital!




Over? You... You don't mean...

Fade to black...

Music: Suspicion 2 - Suikoden V, "Standing Firm"







W-Who are you!?
Oh? I'm supposed to introduce myself to a complete non-entity such as you? Well, if you insist. I am General Ash of the Almenga imperial army. Our new Kirgard division, to be precise.
A-Almenga? How... How is that possible!?



But enough talk. I'd love to stay longer, but I have a lot of work to do, you understand.








We have to wrap things up quickly here. The rest of the continent is waiting for us.



Fade to black...

Music: Suspicion - Suikoden V, "Suspicion"



Exactly! It's impossible! Even if Almenga attacked in full force, there's no way St. Reinard could've fallen so quickly!
Well, we didn't know for sure, but...



Oh that motherfucker!

Leonius? Why? Did he mess up?
That's the thing, it seemed he hardly did anything at all... Our defense was a mess and the gates were left wide open during the attack. I'm not sure if the general was even at the capital when it happened.
I should've known. He's so worthless... He probably thought there was nothing to worry about.
Ugh... Your majesty... what have we done?



Even if they captured the capital at lightning speed, that doesn't mean the entire country is lost. We have to move into southern Kirgard and fortify our defenses before it's too late.
Yes, you're right! We can still save the country.




Pereious? The mountain warlord?
Who is this guy? I thought those tribes were no match for the Kirgard army, even in a state like this.
They never used to be, but Pereious brought most of the warring tribes under his control. He tried to attack Kirgard four years ago and scored several victories before he was repelled.



It doesn't make a difference either way. They're dangerous people. We shouldn't do anything without careful planning.
But... with the king dead and all heirs to the throne dead, and both the north and south of the country under enemy control, that means...
Yeah...



I can't believe it... How did this happen?
We have to think carefully about what to do. This is no longer a war to our advantage. Any misstep could mean the end of us all.



Fade to black...

Music: Destiny - Xenogears, "Bonds of Sea and Fire"



Some time later, we find Daniel thinking in his room. You may notice it looks a little different. We'll see why next update.




There is something I'd like to talk about.
Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even hear you come in. I have a lot on my mind at the moment... Go ahead.
Well, I didn't want to bother you at a time like this, but I think it's important. It's about your encounter with that man who was... for lack of a better term, hunting you.
You mean Clint?
Yes, that was his name. I understand his words have been bothering you somewhat.



... You know more about this, Ljusalf?



The force you possess is neutral in itself. It's the wielder of the power that determines the outcome.
Are you sure about that? Please, tell me everything you know.



If you'll recall, Ljusalf said something similar to Ryan when we first were trying to join Zelmony way back in update 7. It's time to get a clearer picture of what exactly that means.

So there's my "fate" again, huh? I don't like it. I don't like being told that I'm not really making my own choices. That everything's predestined.
Oh, but it's not quite the way you describe it. Try not to think of it in terms of your future being laid out for you. It's actually more abstract than that. You know how a master swordsman may meet his end at the hands of an untrained mercenary, or how an apprentice of magic could defeat a skilled wizard in the right situation? They have more "power", but the outcome of the fight is still not known in advance. The chances of it happening are just slim.




That is very much what it comes down to, yes. Perhaps it influences their character and their determination, or maybe their luck... The true workings of destiny are a mystery. But it is undeniable that the higher one's destiny, the more opportunity one will have to make a great difference in this world. There was... another man once whose destiny was far above average. He was a common soldier at the time, but I could already see that his future was bright.




We, of course, have known this for quite some time, but remember that Daniel hasn't heard anything about Ljusalf's past until now.

It was many years ago, but yes, I knew him. He was much like you. He came to our village to try to persuade us to help defend the island against Kirgard troops who were then invading. His efforts were fruitless, but I took notice of him and his high destiny. For a while, I helped him on his way.
But why did you never tell me about that?
It seems to be in our nature to fear change... Although I was curious about your future, I did not want to influence it too much. It's the same reason I didn't stay with Ryan. Eventually I realized it would be better for me to lead you into the right direction than to stand on the sidelines. But by then, it was already too late. I feared that telling you at that point would break your trust in me.



You're a strange man, Ljusalf. There was no need to hide this from me. If you told me earlier, we may have been able to make some use of it.
Yes, well... we still can. You must know what I'm thinking.



Fade to black...

Music: Kirgard - Suikoden V, "Harbor Town by the Lighthouse"



Kirgard and Zelmony are both weakened, and although we have no idea exactly how strong the Almenga empire is, they are definitely stronger than us at this point. We can't assume that they'll stop at Kirgard. If they plan to sweep across the continents in the near future, we have no other options than to strike back as soon as possible.



Even if they're on the verge of defeat, do you really think they'll suddenly be willing to help us? They've refused surrender time and time again. They're not suddenly going to flock to our side.
We can only guess about Almenga's motives, but it's obvious they've been waiting to take advantage of this war. If we continue to be at odds with Zelmony, they'll be the only ones profiting from it.



Even if they still hate us, we're a lot more forgiving than Almenga is. They've already demonstrated their methods. I want to send a message to the chancellor. He is now the only one within Zelmony who may listen to me. It may not work, but I see no other option.
It might put us at a disadvantage if Zelmony finds out about our situation, but it won't remain a secret forever. For all we know, they're already aware of it. We need to conserve our strength. I say we should at least try it.
All right. I'll make sure the message is sent.
But first, there's something more important we need to take care of. The whole Kirgard royal family was murdered. That wasn't just to strike fear into the people and show their own power. No, there's more to it. They've ensured that not a single possible heir to the throne was left alive.



As long as there's no leader, there'll be no one to rally to. Instead of a unified resistance, we'll be left with a bunch of competing warlords. That's why we have to decide on our leader right here and right now, before anything else. We need one person to be the symbol of the fight for our homeland. Moreover, we have to be unanimous about this decision. There can be no room for a power split later on.
You've got a good point there. Who do you suppose the candidates are? I'm not a leader, so don't look at me. Besides, most of our forces are Kirgardian. It'll have to be someone from Kirgard.



But as much as it might surprise you, I'm not putting myself forward for the position. Like I said, our decision has to be unanimous. I have no illusions about any of you willingly accepting my lead.




What about you, Keyser? Do you agree with me?
There's no need to ask me. I already chose to follow Colonel Vinyard when I joined the Elysium Army.
Most of us did, right? I know everyone here, especially those from Zelmony, would follow no one but Colonel Vinyard. He's the only one who could knock some sense into those knuckleheads in Matrech.
That goes for me as well.



But we need a unanimous decision. If anyone is against it, they have to speak up. General Eander, what is your opinion?
Hmm... Colonel Vinyard, despite your bizarre choice of running away with General Knight recently, I can't argue with your achievements so far. You've won the trust of everyone else in this room, from General Keyser, whom I respect greatly, to the Zelmony officers you've fought against. I know my limits. I am a military commander, and no more than that. I can lead my army, but I can't be a figurehead or a diplomat.









All in all, Eander is a pretty solid warrior. He's not the strongest, or the fastest, nor does he have the best defenses, but he's pretty good in just about every stat. Nothing about him particularly stands out, but he has no real weaknesses, either.





Eander attacks with his sword, Thor. His damage is pretty good, though our current frontliners both outclass him.



I promise I will do everything I can to live up to your expectations. That goes for all of you. Kirgard is gone, and Zelmony has crumbled. We are the survivors of both nations who are fighting against a common enemy.



We'll spread the news among the rest of the army about our decision. I don't think there will be any serious resistance to it. And with that, you're also not a colonel anymore. From now on, you'll be General Vinyard. Looking at everyone here, I honestly believe we can turn the tide. This is going to be the dawn of a new age, no matter how it turns out.




And with that, we begin chapter 7.

Now then, I mentioned earlier in the update that I wanted to have a vote regarding Reod. Here's the thing: we're starting a new chapter, but I think you'll agree with me that it's too early for a new party vote, since a) we've used our current party for all of one dungeon and b) I have absolutely no money to forge weapons with. That said, I really want to use Reod. Not only is he a fantastic mage, but having him in the party means I won't have to play any switching games in order to get important steals. Of course, however, we've already got a mage in Beau, and a democratically elected mage at that.

So here's the choice: should we stick with Beau, or switch to Reod? This is a more minor vote, so I'm going to leave the voting open for 24 hours.

Next time: We're going to convince Zelmony to fight with us, one way or the other.