Part 48: Chapter 20B: Darkling Woods

We've come a long way, haven't we? Twice, as a matter of fact. But there's still one last obstacle to go before the end.



Now, remember that in Eirika's version of things, the Demon King was more overt in his appearance, so Morva could sense him coming, but here...



: Huh?

: What are you doing here, human? You should return to your own kind. This is no place for you to tread. This is darkness's domain... This is desecrated land.

: That's why I've come. I have the power of the Demon King. I will save us all.

: You... Evil grips your heart... No--you've given your heart to evil.

: ...

: What a tragedy... Human flesh cannot contain the demon. It cannot control him. You think yourself safe, but already, your control slips. I see the madness eating at you. I see the beginning of the end.

: You're wrong. This... Ah...urg...



: ...

: I had a vision... I saw my life traveling two roads. Down one, the Demon King conquers both my body and soul. Down the other, I master the Demon King, and with that power...urg... With that power, I avert disaster. I gave the people a better future... I resist the Demon King's attempts to wrest away my will... I saw this, and I made my decision. I walk the second road.

Jeez, Lyon. Do you give the "Two Roads" speech to everyone you meet?

: You fool... The Demon King has blinded you to his true wish. How can you not see it? He's had you since the moment you first held the Dark Stone. He has been hiding within you, luring you deeper into the shadows of his heart. He commands you and remakes you to suit his dark design.

: ...You're wrong...

: You think yourself unchanged? You think yourself the master? I see only more evidence that the Demon King commands you now. Can you not sense--

: It's not true! I... I will save everyone.



: Would you justify war and murder to bring about peace and justice? Remember who you were, and tell me if you are still yourself!

: ...All of this matters not. I know the Demon King has claimed me. It is not important... Not if I can save the world. My own soul is irrelevant.

: ...It is as I feared. You will not give up this madness. I am Morva, the dragonkin who guards the entrance to these woods. I do not have the ability to save you. All I can do is destroy the demon that coils around your heart. To prevent the further damnation of your soul... I can only grant you eternal sleep.

: I cannot sleep. I have not yet-- There is no taboo I will not break, no sacrifice. I will not make... I...

: ...You are beyond reason. Therefore I, too, must do what I was born to do. As it was in that ancient battle... You will die here, Demon King.

: ...

And we all know how that ended.



No zooming through this one. That's for sure. The only monsters on this map that aren't promoted are the gargoyles and Mogalls, and we've got promoted versions of them either on the map already or coming in shortly enough.



The Arch Mogalls around the edges of the map would be quite deadly if there weren't so many forest tiles to hide in. The forces of evil would have been better served giving Shadowshot to the gorgons.



Morva's had himself an upgrade, but we've got enough durable folks that he'll only be an issue if we're stupid. Guaranteed damage is a double-edged sword, you see. On the one hand, we'll always take a huge hit, but he's not going to hit twice, and unless we send someone like Knoll at him, he's probably not going to crit either.



Lots of monsters around here have weapons that drop off of them. Kind of a problem, since we're already pretty full up from the shopping I did offscreen. Suffice to say that we're rolling in Silver and Killer weapons right now.



Riev's here too, I guess, and he'll still move, but he's not going to be an issue.



First turn's mostly just posturing, though we do have some incoming gargoyles. As always, it's a good idea to have fliers in the air.



Innes opens combat in the usual fashion. I admit that I had my doubts about whether he'd ever amount to anything.



But he's turned out okay. He's still a sniper, but under the circumstances, he's fine.



I've brought Forde along in the hopes that he won't mess up. And fortunately, he doesn't.



Not a bad level. Goodness knows, he needed strength and resistance.



By request of the thread, Duessel is going to be getting a bunch of kills.



Don't expect an avalanche of levels though. He's still over Level 10 and promoted, so experience is going to be coming in a trickle.



I've a vested interest in getting Joshua promoted as well, so he's getting all the cool swords.





Much to his benefit. Even without any more stats, he's already better than Marisa.



Lots of things to kill/heal around here, so there will be plenty of levels for the taking. It's going to make deciding an endgame team a little complicated, but that's the sort of complication I can get behind.



After the bonewalkers, we have Maelduins, or perhaps Tarvos. This may sound a little racist, but-



Son of a...



What with gorgons and their absurd magic power, it's better to just nip them in the bud.



Another Myrrh level. Yawn.



When I think about it, I should probably have made Forde the paladin and Franz the great knight. Not only is it more appropriate to the levels they've been getting, but...





It's going to be kinda hard to tell him apart from Duessel now. Curse your red armor, Forde!



In other news, Tana's still scary tough.



Syrene has to use silver weapons to even compete, and she isn't nearly as fast.



I'm going to be using up the Bolting tome in this map. It's wasteful, perhaps, but what else am I going to use it for? Besides the postgame, that is.



In order to keep up with everyone else, Garcia is busting out Garm. That speed boost will really come in handy for the poor fellow.



It's going to be hard choosing between her and L'Arachel.



Still better than Marisa.



A funny little voice in my head is telling me that Cormag should stand next to this cave up north, so up he goes.



Could be worse.



Well, what do you know? It's a trio of gargoyles! Who could have predicted that?



Not to worry. Cormag's on the case.



Syrene too. I diss her average stats on a regular basis, but she's actually fine. Her only problem is that she's being compared to three fliers with ridiculous potential.



So, the cyclops. Not much to say about them. They eat damage like nothing else, but they're not that great at delivering the same.



Compared to some of the jokers around here, they're not even that damaging. They're really just a brick wall designed to slow us down for:



These guys. It can be reasonably assumed that whenever a spawn triggers, it will trigger at least twice. I'm not going to cry about extra experience.





The levels that come with it, however, I can cry about. Compared to Myrrh's average fare, this is almost disappointing.



The guy to fighting these guys is magic. Doesn't do a whole lot more than a kick to the face, but every little bit of extra damage is helpful.



Don't worry. My ability to see in the future tells me that he'll turn it all around.



Given Natasha's power as a Bishop, it's not the worst idea to let her step out onto the front lines and throw a few spells around too. Not like we don't have three other staff users on the field right now.



The only "scary" weapon of this bunch is a Halberd, but when the Maelduin had a Swordslayer and there's a gargoyle group coming up with an Axereaver, it falls a little flat.



Speak of the devil...



We've also got Mogalls popping out of the temple. They're weak and defenseless, but their magical power is just enough to make them a nuisance for someone like Cormag.



If you're wondering why Seth is all purple glowy, it's because one of the gargoyles had a Toxic Lance. Nothing to worry about.



I'm kind of glad that people have shifted attention to Innes and Duessel. Can't say why, even so, but I guess people have a soft spot for prepromotes.



Oh, this isn't good. Antitoxins are just a waste of inventory space, and we're fairly clogged as is. I wish there was an option to say "No, I don't want that. Put that back."



And while we're daydreaming, can I also invoke that for levels?



It's a good idea to take this next part slowly and let the enemies come to you. This mountainous area especially is a good staging area to avoid being overwhelmed.



Update on the Phantom: some of you folks wanted me to confront Riev with him, and Mogalls are worth very little to most of my units anyway, so I make him useful. I hope that the little guy can have a 2-digit kill count by the end of the LP, but that's wishful thinking.



The barricade goes over well, but that's partially because Eirika and Ephraim are both sitting on forest tiles.



Don't talk to the Phantom like that!



The Phantom died, sad to say, but otherwise, the assault was easily held back, even with Lute being doubled because of Bolting's weight.



Yeah, the poor guy never had a chance. He is, technically, a monster, and Riev is a Bishop, despite being excommunicated, so the Phantom is eating effective damage on top of Aura's already incredible power.

Of course, when he's only got 1 HP and no defense of any kind, that's really all academic.





Two people can rig completely unfair one-sided fights.



Well, it's still power.



And after completely no-selling a Killing Edge wight...



Myrrh gets her revenge on the subordinate of the man who turned her dad into a zombie.



Not what you'd call the most significant battle, but if you think I'm making her fight her dad again, you're out of your mind.

Though I would consider it if the quote was different.



This doesn't look so bad when you consider that he's already maxed speed and skill, though more strength would be nice.



Similarly, she's running low-ish on things to max.



Nothing to report so far as progress goes, except that these Maelduin have bows occasionally. Not the best thing to realize when you've got your fliers deep in.



And the Phantom dispenser got some rare stats. Probably Metis's Tome at work.



Getting pretty close to the end. Or are we?



Bad news: we've hit our storage cap again because of all the stinkin' antitoxins and other stuff thrown around.



At least it's not too hard to debate about whether to lose this one.



And that's strength capped on Myrrh. Big surprise.



This, however, is a bit more pleasant.



I've found a very nice use for Syrene, by the way. She's trimming all the Mogalls that keep coming out of the temple. She's strong enough to easily take them down and maneuverable enough to keep the closest ones away at all times.



That's rather sad, girl.



You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned the Arch Mogalls using Shadowshot, and that's because this is the only time they did any damage. 1 damage, to be precise. Inspiring, no?



And enemies keep handing stuff to me when I have no space for it. Imagine having to make a choice like this.

(I settled for the Killing Edge. I've got plenty of those.)



Speed and luck are always handy things for a dragon to have.



I won't say no to more resistance.



And we've got more Maelduin inbound. Groovy.



Plus some Deathgoyles. You might think this unpleasant, but it gets even better.



In the meantime, our fliers can grow...



Albeit not in ways pertaining to strength.



And Joshua's training ends with a double cap. Delightful.



I use half of the Fortify staff in this chapter, and you'll see why in a minute.



As soon as I look over the giant pile of random crud we've got gathering dust in our cabinet. It'll be nice to be rid of all these.



I have to admit, I considered making Joshua an assassin instead, but thinking about it logically, he's tough enough at this point that a crit is basically a kill anyway.



Besides, the promotion growths and caps are worse for an assassin, and if you want to be a reliable assassin, you're basically chained to Killing Edges, like Marisa is.



Real clever, dude.



Considering that he's now eligible for Nidhogg, Innes doesn't have to worry about strength so much, and that speed is very handy, since it means that he's more likely to double.



Meanwhile, more strength and skill for Garcia means that he's more likely to smite his enemy in one strike, since speed isn't his strong suit anyway.

Unfortunately, we've dithered past the 20 turn mark, and you know what that means?



Reinforcements up the wazoo.



Yeah, the Gwyllgi cannot be allowed to live, since they are guaranteed to double about half of my group, do a considerable amount of damage, and cover a large distance. These things are pain incarnate.



The Elder Baels are less dangerous, but like the cyclops, they are considerable roadblocks, and if they hit, they will be painful.



Monster hunting is what Natasha does...kinda okay.



And L'Arachel will not be outdone.



Did I mention that Deathgoyles are still spawning in? Because they are.



Regarding Tana...



I just want to point out that she's hit her speed cap and is one point away from her strength cap. That and her support with Ephraim have transformed her into a real terror.



And Myrrh hits the top with 20 or so uses on her stone. Not bad.



But the dogs and spiders keep spawning in. Then the deathgoyles, then the spiders, and so on. This goes on for a long...



Long...



Long...



Long...



Long...



Long long time.



I gotta admit, it's almost fun just stemming the tide.





Not the best value on some of these values, but Joshua and Natasha are now at an A support.



And just in case someone does hit her, Tana starts to take precautions.



And hey! That's not a bad level on Syrene too.



Eventually, I've got enough free time that I can have Gerik whack the boss. Like I said, I'm not making Myrrh do it again. Once was enough.



Besides, Gerik could always use the experience.



Even with the boss dead, I can still get an outstanding level for Duessel.



And a not-so-good one for Forde.



I wasn't sure how long this fight would go, so I cut it short a little. Turns out that I was fighting the last wave. Joke's on me, I guess.



: Myrrh! Where are you?!

: Ah...



: Myrrh? Are you...crying?

: N-no... It's nothing. The poison in these woods is thick. It burns my eyes.

: What a minute... That dragon... Could he have been--

: O-of course not... There's nothing wrong. After everything you all have suffered, this is-- I can't... This is nothing...

: Myrrh...

: Ephraim...

: I'm so sorry. You kept silent this whole time so as not to trouble us.

: ... E-everything's fine, Ephraim... I'm fine. See? I'm ready to...to...



: These are dark times. There's no reason to hide your sorrow.

: Ephraim... I, I... ...Aaah... Sniff... Father... Father...

And so, rather than suffering silently, in this version, Myrrh pours out her heart to the protagonist. I like this version, as it shows Ephraim's almost brotherly bond with Myrrh.



As we go to Lyon, the scene does a soft fade to white, which can only mean one thing.



One year ago, Vigarde is sick and on his death bed.

: Lyon... This is... the end for me. From now on... you...

: Don’t say that, Father.

: You must concern yourself... with Grado... The people... our people must be saved... Lyon... tell me again. What will happen to Grado?

: I have seen it many times now, as have the court mages. It’s the same every time, Father. It’s always the same. Sometime in the coming years, the southern continent will collapse. Countless people will die instantly. Those who don’t will likely starve.

: ...

: None but the mages and I know of the vision, as you ordered. But... if we don’t do something, all of those people will die. Please tell me, Father. What should I do? What...

: Lyon... When I die... You will be emperor... The emperor... must protect his country. There is nothing more... that I can do. It’s you... You must protect our people.



: Ah! R-Renais... If I ask Eirika and Ephraim for help, I’m sure they would--

: You would ask Renais to rescue us from... a natural disaster? They would not help us... Grado’s borders would overflow with starving refugees by the thousands. Renais would close her borders to us. It’s only natural... Renais has a duty to protect herself.

: No, that would never--

: Lyon... You are the one... who must... save our people. You must take my place... The citizens of Grado... are counting on...you...

: Father?! No...wait! I cannot do anything without you, Father!



: His Highness...

: I am...weak. Because I am weak... people will die. I...

As we know, this tragic loss led Lyon to seek...alternate methods.



: Knoll... I... Open the seal on the Sacred Stone of Grado.

: The Sacred Stone? But that’s...

: You’ve seen the scrolls. You know there is a way to stop the coming disaster. If those scrolls are correct, the rites they describe can save all of Grado. But it will require a staggering amount of dark energy--and a sacrifice as well. The human body cannot contain the powers these rites demand... And yet... Of the five Sacred Stones, Grado’s alone possesses a greater power...



: If we could harness its power, well... If we can do that, we can avert disaster and save countless lives.

: But you forget...

: I forget nothing! I know I am too weak. Because of me, all of Grado will be destroyed. I need... I need the Sacred Stone. I must become stronger. I will become stronger.

We haven't really tread any new ground with this flashback, since we knew all these details from Knoll's explanation, but it does show a bit more of Lyon's motivations.



: The Stones have been destroyed. The Demon King’s power swells. The Black Temple possesses all the demonic power I will need. The rites can begin. All that remains is for me to sacrifice my life... The disaster will be averted. My people will be saved...

But is that really what Lyon would do, or is it simply what the Demon King wants him to think he's doing? We'll have to find out in the finale.

Next Time: It's the end of the game, and I'm feeling fine. It's the Final Chapter: Sacred Stones.

Total Resets: 51