Part 61: (Interlude) It's the end of the game as we know it

The Tower of Guidance. According to the Creed of the Goddess, which has been taught across the continent by Begnion, this is where the goddess Ashera will appear during times of great crisis...



As even the smallest child in Begnion knows, the tower is sacred, and mere mortals may not enter.

With the world edging toward catastrophe, the tower glows like a pillar of pure light, as though to pierce through the very heavens.



We're here. At long last.



That must be...

...the Tower of Guidance. It's so bright I can hardly bear to look at it! What's happening in there?

Let's hurry, Ike. I can't imagine that the glowing is a good omen. We're running out of time.





Ahh! You guys made it!



Yes, we've been here for quite some time. I've been itching to go inside and see what the bad guys have waiting for us.

Skrimir listened to reason, however, and agreed to wait here with us. We know nothing about the numbers or strength of the enemy.

It seemed safest to wait here for the rest of you to show up. We pitched tents outside the gate.

Hello, Micaiah. Any word from Yune?

She came back to me a number of times during our trip. But nothing for the past few days...

I see... Do we know where Tibarn and Elincia's group is?

No word yet, no. Ike, it's a waste for us to just sit around waiting. Why don't you and I have a look inside?



Get ready for an attack, people!



Hey, look, it's-

Caineghis? What are you doing here?

In an occurrence I'm told is increasingly common, we heard a voice in our dreams and followed it here.

And Lord Tibarn! I should have guessed your group would beat everyone here.

We joined up with King Caineghis and mopped up the Disciples of Order around the capital.

The only people left within the city are the ones who have been petrified.



Yune! Here to give us our next instructions?

Yes, good guess! Everyone, gather around. You'll all need to hear this.

---



While you were traveling, I went around recruiting more help, including King Caineghis here. Unfortunately, it looks like Ashera had the same idea. By the time I made my way to Goldoa, there was no one there.

Wh-what do you mean? Where were they?



I don't know for sure, Tibarn. There aren't a whole lot of dragons altogether, but... It looks like every one of them joined Ashera.

How...how could this be?

I haven't seen them anywhere else on Tellius, so they must already be inside the tower. Let's camp for the night before walking into Ashera's own home.

---



Before we engage in conversations, we have some new friends among us:





King Caineghis. He is very, very, fitting of his title. His stats are insane. He's got 22 (44) strength, and he has SS-Rank Strike, so that's another 22 Mt. That's 66 base damage. He's fast enough to double pretty much everything in the tower save the very fastest enemies - and one point of speed (or a speedwing) will rectify this. At 22 (44) defence, he's basically invincible, too. Only magic can hurt him, and... well, without getting into specifics, this isn't really an issue.



Besides Formshift, and the Lion/Tiger Mastery Skill, Roar [triple strength + stun for rest of turn], he has innate Fortune. Not that critical hits would damage him, anyway.





Giffca is a lot like Caineghis, only not. His stats are slightly different and he doesn't have Formshift, and has innate Nullify instead of Fortune. But he bring us a free Laguz Gem and that's not something we're going to scoff at.





Kurth has the capacity to be a fantastic unit. He's got well rounded (and very respectable) bases and OK growths, and if you can just get him his levels - or throw him some BEXP, or some stat boosters, or even Paragon/Blossom, or whatever - he can be great. He's got lots of growing room to fill, too, and, without getting too far ahead of ourselves, he gets better...



Kurth has the Night Tide skill, which increases the defence and resistance of adjacent units by 5 (while he's transformed). That's quite handy.

Ena has also joined us formally, but she's still not very good.

---

Right. Conversations.



Do not worry, Your Majesty. We will be right beside you.

Though long tested by trials of the goddess Ashera, we shall overcome, and our mission will be laid to rest.

Yes. What we do now, we do not only for the people of Crimea, but for all the people of Tellius.

Yes... We shall succeed.

You are a courageous queen, indeed.

Who said that?



Don't I look it? I stand before you in full health... Thanks to your efforts, of course.

Wonderful! I'm so relieved, Uncle!

Duke Renning.

Lucia, you have my gratitude for looking after Elincia so diligently. Bastian, Geoffrey... Everyone, you have my sincere thanks.

Please, Duke Renning. It is our joy to serve Her Majesty. Our loyalty extends beyond the queen. Please do not forget that.

...Thank you. I appreciate your concern. Especially yours, Bastian.

I stand by you, my lord.

You have ever been my most loyal and clever confidant. Was it possible for you to acquire the things I desired?

Indeed, my lord. For you, to whom I owe my mastery of disciplines esoteric and arcane, no task is too difficult. Your sword, your armor, and your faithful steed stand ready, that the battlefield shall know your valor once more.

You haven't changed a bit, Bastian. Always the clever one.

Your praise is too much, my lord.

Uncle! You intend to join the fight!? Please, you mustn't push yourself too hard!

My, how things have changed! Am I to take orders from my niece on what battles I am allowed to fight in? I'm not a princess to be coddled and kept safe behind the vanguard, Elincia. I am a knight of Crimea, and I will be one until I die. As long as I live, as long as I am able to walk, and as long as I draw breath, I shall fight. It is my duty.

...I understand. Swear to me, then. Swear that you won't die. That you won't ever leave me alone.

I swear to you that I will never leave you behind. I swear it upon my pride as a knight and upon my love for my country. Now, Your Majesty, please grant me the honor of protecting you in battle.

Oh, Uncle... You may have to compete for that role, I think.



Let's take it outside, then. Perhaps I'll remind you why you have never won a match against me.

As you wish, Duke Renning. I will also show you that I have spent three years preparing solely to defend the queen from harm. I have made it my life.



Truly, I shall have to! After all, a match between such stalwart warriors needs to be judged. I believe I shall volunteer my services. Excuse me.

Bastian!

Oh, Your Majesty. Let them be.

Lucia? Are you siding with them, too?

Doesn't all of this remind you of a scene in Melior from years ago? Tommorrow is full of uncertainty. We may live and we may die. Yet here we are, enjoying a little scene of high drama from glory-filled past. I'm glad of it.

That's true... It's like a weight has been lifted off my chest. Why don't we follow them? We should enjoy our final night together.

Of course, Your Majesty.





Renning is an acceptable Gold Knight (it's what sword/axe paladins promote into), but our Astrid and Fiona are far better and Oscar is about on par. He is, however, a pre-trained SS-rank sword user. That's something. He has no innate skills.

---





That's a strange question, especially coming from you. Didn't you create all of us?

I didn't create anything. Not laguz nor beorc. But I know what they are, because I've watched them change and grow over time. You... You're not something I've seen before.

I'm the same as the girl you dwell inside.

Ohhh... I thought Micaiah was the only one. She could hear my voice and sing the galdr of release.



Now this came outta nowhere. Amy is a Branded? Maybe that's how she survived the Judgement...

There are several in my village, as well. They are my comrades. We all live under the same fate... and carry the same curse in our blood.

When you say these words, what do they mean? Why are you cursed?

It means that we carry the blood of both beorc and laguz. Beorc call us Branded, and laguz call us parentless.

Does that mean your parents are beorc and laguz?

Not always. It means that laguz and beorc mixed blood somewhere along the line. Beorc and laguz rarely associate in that way. For them to conceive a child together is an even rarer event. What's strange is that the child bears no laguz characteristics. It's just a normal beorc infant. However, the laguz blood lies asleep, waiting, in the child's veins.

Oh...

One day, the laguz blood shows itself, marking the child's body with a brand. How old is that girl, hmm? I don't think she's as young as she looks. The other curse is that we age differently from beorc. It depends on what laguz blood the child has, but it always slows how fast we age.

Micaiah says that's true. She's listening to every word you say. Please, continue.

The laguz blood gives the Branded unnatural powers. Beorc fear and distrust us because they can't understand those abilities. The laguz are even worse. They treat us like we're phantoms, refusing to acknowledge us, as if we don't even exist.

I see...

It's easy to hide among beorcs. You just cover the brand, avoid getting close to anyone, and never settle down. Pretending you're normal. The laguz are different. They can sense what we are... They have an instinct for it. Not all laguz know for sure, but the sharp ones figure it out instantly. Others just feel uneasy around us. Some never figure it out, but they're surrounded by ones who do. Either way, the laguz would never talk to us voluntarily. Why would you pay attention to someone who doesn't even exist?

Why? That doesn't make any sense. How did things get like that?

I would like to know that as well. It's said that a union between the laguz and beorc is a crime against the goddess. That's what we've always been told.





Why are you laughing?

It's all been a lie! For hundreds of years, we've faced persecution, abuse, and isolation. And for what? A lie! What's not to laugh about, huh? Hahaha...

What's happened? This is all wrong... How did history get so distorted? Was it at a particular place and time? I don't understand. I've been asleep for too long...

Trivia: You get this conversation whether or not you have Stefan recruited. He just shows up for a chat with Yune, then buggers off again. He doesn't even do anything nice like, say, hand over his sword (which he will readily do if you visit his one square in the desert with anyone other than Micaiah).

---



Kurthnaga...

Almedha, what's wrong? You're so pale, and you've grown so thin...

Oh, Pelleas... My little Pelleas... Why? Tell me why?

Almedha! Almedha, you have to pull yourself together!

Prince Kurth? Are you there?

I'm busy, Ena! Stay where you are.



...Ena. It's been a long time. I felt your presence nearby, but you never came to see me...

Lady Almedha...

I understand that you don't want to see me. I'm sure you hate me for what I've done. My brother Rajaion... Your betrothed... He died because of me.

Don't. It's not important. That's all in the past...

...What? How can you pretend like nothing happened!? You can't! I know you hate me! You have to hate me! Go ahead, blame me for what happened! Insult me! Do anything, but you have to hate me!

...I don't hate you, Almedha. Rajaion made his decision. He gave his life to save you and his little nephew. Did you know that? He decided to sacrifice himself to protect you. I can't blame you for what Rajaion decided to do. That would mean insulting my beloved for his sacrifice... For his nobility.

Sniff... Sniff... Sniff...

Prince Kurth, my grandfather is here to see you. The king knows nothing of his visit.

Nasir is here?



It has been a long time. We haven't seen each other in over ninety years, I believe.

Nasir... You returned to Goldoa?

Yes.

Nasir, I need to know something. Why has Goldoa sided with Goddess Ashera!? What is Father thinking? The laguz and beorc have joined together to save the petrified. Why hasn't Goldoa joined the effort?



...What?

Explain, Nasir.

King Dheginsea forbade the dragon tribe to use our transformation for the purpose of war. Almedha, you left because you did not agree with this policy, did you not?

That's right.

Shortly after you left Goldoa, you met Ashnard in Daein and were united with him. However, your union begat a chain of tragedies. Did you know that the red dragon platoon which went in search of you was captured and turned into Feral Ones by King Ashnard?

I-I had no idea.

Ashnard needed Goldoa to get involved in his war. That's why he did everything in his power to provoke King Dheginsea.



Oh...

Near the end of the war, we found out that Prince Rajaion could not be saved. I thought the king would surely go on a rampage. At the time, we had no idea that Lady Almedha was still alive. The king thought he'd lost not only his dragon soldiers but also his children.

...

If the war had ended any later... Had Ike not killed Ashnard... Goldoa would have joined the war. And we would have started killing. We would have destroyed the Daein army, its coconspirators, everyone. We would not have stopped until the continent was ashes. Then the spirit of chaos would have spread across Tellius, awakening the goddess and destroying the dragon tribe. That was the danger we faced in the Mad King's War.

...

But Ashnard was defeated. And Rajaion regained his sanity thanks to the songs of the heron clan.

Sniff... Bwuah... Sniff...

We escaped annihilation once. We took Prince Rajaion's body back to Goldoa. And the king did not shed a tear, nor fly into a rage. He endured his loss by himself. He endured for the sake of his last child, and for the sake of his people. Goldoa remained neutral.

Father...

But now... All that effort has been wasted. The war between the Laguz Alliance and Begnion has spread through Daein and Crimea.



You're saying this is my fault...!? That I've started a war that my father tried to avoid?

No, Kurthnaga! This was my fault. You fought because of me.

This was not Prince Kurth's fault! Besides, the goddess Yune was not awakened by chaos sweeping across Tellius. She was awakened by the galdr of release!

By a galdr!? Are you certain?

Yes. That was what Sir Ike said.

That's... very strange. Nevertheless, the end result remains the same. Goddess Ashera has rendered her judgment. The laguz and beorc must follow her decision.

What...!? Nasir!



If we just accept Ashera's judgment, we'll all be turned to stone! That's the end of history as we know it! Do you expect me to just lie down and accept that? How can I? What you're asking is insanity! I won't do it.

And you, Ena?

I feel the same as Prince Kurth.

Then I have nothing more to say to you. However, I hope to avoid fighting my own people if at all possible.



...What will you do on the battlefield, Kurth? Will you face your father as an enemy?



Short version: Good fucking job, you two.

All the online documentation I can find says you only get this conversation if Pelleas is dead, but as you can probably infer by the fact that I have screenshots and am making this point in the first place, I got it despite Pelleas being alive. So that's weird.

---



Hey, this is...

It's called Urvan, if I remember correctly. I borrowed it from your father's grave.

Why?

Honestly? I have no idea. But I felt a sudden urge to visit Greil's grave on the morning of our journey. When I told Giffca my idea for a little side trip, he said he thought the same thing.

I believe we were guided to your father's grave by a divine message from the goddess.

When I saw your father's axe, I was convinced that I had to take it to you. I felt that's what your father would have wanted.

...Maybe he and my mother are looking over us from somewhere else. All right. It's my father's, so it's only right that I take it.

"...and give it to someone else."

[Received Urvan!]

Urvan is the Rank SS axe, and has apparently just been sitting there on Greil's grave since forever ago. I shudder to think what Greil would say if he could see the waste of an amazing weapon this is. Nevertheless, the mistake is about to be rectified. Urvan is bitchin' awesome. It's got 22 Mt, 110% base accuracy (for an axe!) and boosts its wielder's resistance by 3. That's pretty awesome.

---

Volke...?



Looking for you is still like trying to find spilled ink at night.

It's part of the job. Anyways... You've grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you.

Everyone loves telling me that.

You're starting to look like Greil.

That might be true, too. He IS my dad. I didn't expect to see you here. Did someone from this camp hire you?

Sure did.

I see. It's good to have you on our side under any circumstances. Why did you call me over?

I have to return something to you.

What the...!? What's all this money for?

It's the 50,000 gold you paid me the last time around. Well, minus my pay, expenses, and that sort of thing, of course.

Even so, there's a lot here.

Well, the contract ended sooner than expected, I guess.

You did a lot for us back then. I didn't even get a chance to thank you.

It was a job. There's no need to thank me.

I know. But if you hadn't told me the story of my father, I would never have known about his past. So thanks, Volke.

Uh, yeah, so, anyhow... You have your money back. See you later.



[Received 20,000 Gold!]

That's pretty awesome. This is the God Damn End Game, and you'd better believe we're going to throw everything we have at it. No expense will be spared.



Aimee boasts a rather large bargain list today (for the first time in forever, it seems). There's a Wyrmslayer (if you didn't already get the hint that there be dragons ahead), a second Peshkatz (or first, if you missed Volke), and a Verrine tome. There are also six Arms Scrolls, two Shine Barriers and six Laguz Stones. We don't really need anything except maybe the Verrine tome.



The Item Shop is now the most comprehensively stocked it's ever been, featuring all the heals we know and love, plus Panacea, and all three tiers of magic card. And she's finally started stocking Olivi Grass as a regular item. Why didn't she just do that in the first place?



The Staff shop is also looking pretty good; we can buy Physic staves, as well as a new stave, Ward (A-Rank) which temporarily buffs the target's resistance (like Pure Water).

The Forge is also now running at full power; we can forge silver and thrown (where applicable) variants of all weapons. And we can buy Dark tomes from the armoury.



Don't worry. None of this stuff is going anywhere...



Yune, what is it? What's happening?



Oooowwww





These soldiers... We've killed them already. They've been reborn in flesh but not spirit.

Brought back from the dead...

A miracle of the goddess...

A blasphemy, you mean! How could the goddess of order violate the most fundamental natural law?

Philosophy later, everyone! They're about to attack!



Heh, Lucia's fighting unarmed because she doesn't have anything in her inventory...



...We can't win. All we do is kill the flesh, but she brings the flesh back... We need more time... No, there is no more time! Everyone else will be turned to stone...and I will be lonely forever. There's nothing more that I can do! I've failed... I've failed.

Yune! Get a hold of yourself!



Only Ike would grab the ears of the Goddess of Chaos.

Wh-what was that for? You big bully! Who do you think I am?!

Yune, the goddess of chaos... The warmhearted being whose courage and love gives us the will to go on.

Ike... Thank you.

As things stand, we can't bring everyone into the tower. We'll need support here to hold this position. But at the very least, how many are we going to need inside?

They'll have much stronger forces inside the tower...not to mention Ashera herself. We'll send in our best 11. Oh, and we'll want the two dragons! And one from the heron tribe... And... uh... the empress. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to have Sothe.

Understood. If that's everyone, I'll gather them together.



Hah. Hah. aAHAHAHA... Oh, Yune. Good one.



Fucking finally.





It's very... red.



Honestly, though, it's pretty hard to recommend Micaiah as a combat unit. Even used properly, as a mage, she's just too slow. She is, however, quite a capable staff user, and with her high magic and Physic staves on tap, she can be very, very useful as a healer. She can reach rank SS in staves - something of a tall order given that she's capped at rank A for second tier, but we do have those Arms Scrolls kicking around...



---



---



Well. Here we are, folks. It's decision time. All the shops and unit management options are still here, so nothing will be missed. Once the vote is complete, we'll outfit our guys, get our Endgame Forges, equip our skills, sell off surplus stuff, and finish this motherfucking game.