Part 1: Prologue

Music: RADIANT HISTORIA
Music: RADIANT HISTORIA (Piano Arrangement)

The first link is the song that plays in-game during the intro and on the title screen, and the second is a piano arrangement from the CD included with preorders of the game.



The Chronicle searches these engraved histories for a pen that will rewrite them

It falls to thee to become time's master and carve a path to the future...

The book opens, and the screen fades to white.



Welcome to Let's Play Radiant Historia!

Music: Where the Wind and Feathers Return



We pan over a desert, and then the screen flashes white and two children appear.



The sand engulfed everything...
Again... We failed to save the world again... How many times has it been? And how many more will it disappear into sand like this? I'm tired of all this, my sister...
As am I... But we cannot give up. We must succeed in this... If we don't...
...... Yes... You're right. We have to do this. But can we really save the world?
I don't know... But we must have faith for now. Come. Let's start again.
Yes... Let's start over. That's what our power is for, at any rate.
This time, the true history will be written...

There's another flash of white, and the children vanish.



A world of decay where everything is swallowed by sand.



As the desertification approaches from the west, a fierce war rages over what fertile land is left...



It is here... That an intelligence agent of Alistel is about to undertake a mission of critical import.



His name is Stocke.



Stocke enters the room shown in the previous screenshot.



No need for the small talk. What do you want, Heiss?
Prompt and blunt. Well, that's fine. I'm willing to let results trump manners.
......

Music: To the Battlefield

I have a mission for you, Stocke. It's been some time since we went to war with Granorg...
I hear our situation worsens by the day.
You hear right. Granorg's land, in particular the area near the Imperial Ruins, has faced the worst desertification. They're desperate to claim any land they can that will yield a harvest...
It's a problem, to be sure.
Our little Special Intelligence group has been sending agent after agent into Granorg... And lately, they keep coming a cropper against an "unexpected state of affairs." Now it's happened again. An agent with important intel on the enemy's armaments is in a sticky situation. Which brings us to your mission: Rescue this agent and escort him safely back to Alistel.
A rescue mission ought by rights to be an Army job. Unless, of course...
You catch on quickly. The rendevous point is west of Lazvil Hills. Another operative has been tasked with escorting him there. Even if it costs him his life. I doubt you need telling, but settle this before the military higher-ups catch wind. They've been eager to do away with Special Intelligence for quite a while. Indeed, they seem to delight in snatching results from us...
So. No backup, the military mustn't know, and there's a time factor.
You're my only man who can get it done under the circumstances. The only one I trust...
I'll get it done, all right. You needn't worry about that.
That's what I like to hear. I'm assigning two subordinates to you for this job.
Why? I don't need even one. If I'm the sole survivor again...
If that's what you're worried about, then you'd best learn to make use of their talents. If you can't do that, then don't think of them as subordinates. Consider them tools instead. They're waiting outside for you.
Tools, huh...? What are these "talents"?
You're the agent, aren't you? Find out yourself. That's another skill you'll need to succeed. Moreover...
There's more?
I'm entrusting you with this.



An old book?
It's called the White Chronicle.

Obtained the White Chronicle.

White Chronicle...? I've never heard of it.

Stocke flips through the pages of the White Chronicle.

Hm...? It's blank.
Don't worry about it. You may need it on the mission.
What? Why?
Oh, never mind. Just... Think of it as a lucky charm for now. It may not help, but it can't hurt, can it?
...Fine. I'm off, then.



At this point, we're given control and leave the room. After we leave, the camera pans back up to Heiss.

...I'll be waiting, Stocke... Hurry and find your way to where I've reached...



So these must be them...

Music: To the Future that Awaits Ahead



Hey there. Nice to meet you.
Are you the two subordinates Heiss said would be working under me?
Yes, that's us. My name is Marco. It's a pleasure meeting you.
I'm Raynie. Good to meet you.
...All right. Can you two fight? What are your specialties?
'Course we can fight! I'm good with spears, and I can use a few spells.
I'm a skilled swordsman and sometime healer. You could also count observation as a specialty.
I'm Stocke.
Yeah, Heiss told us. From what I hear, you're Heiss' golden boy in Special Intelligence.
......
Heh. You're just as aloof as Heiss said you'd be. But I like it. It's how a man should act, not like those ponces that blabber on and on.
...Glad you approve.
I, too, am relieved to have an understanding CO. May our partnership be fruitful! But...leaving that aside, er, Sir... Stocke?
Just Stocke's fine.
W-Well then, Stocke, why don't we get to business and hear the mission details from you?
It's a lift. We're headed west of Lazvil Hills to meet with the target.
Oh, is that all? Piece of cake!
Not this again! You always jump to conslusions on the barest information, Raynie!
So when have I ever been wrong?
Well, your streak can't last forever. From what I've gathered so far... The Granorg army has advanced to near Lazvil Hills.
Is that true? I mean, Lazvil Hills is just to the south of here. It can't be long now before they invade Alistel!
Our target is a spy who'd been investigating Granorg. Heiss claims this man has intel on the enemy's armaments.



That's good stuff. If we had that, we could turn this war around. We can't blow this one, huh?
That's right.
Do you suppose we'll be engaging Granorg soldiers?
That's why he's sending me.
I-I see...
Heiss must really have a lot of faith in you, huh? Giving you such an important mission and all.
Well... I don't know about that. In any case, we need to devote all our effort to the mission.
Ha... Hahaha...

The screen flashes white

(Ngh...! What's going on...!?)
!
(Is... Is the White Chronicle glowing...!?)





For this entire scene, the music stops and we hear a sound like a heartbeat.

......! Are those two... Raynie and Marco...? No...Are they dead? What's going on...? What is this?

The screen flashes white again, and we're returned to reality.



(...... What I saw just now...)
What's wrong, Stocke? You suddenly went all quiet.
You're... not cross because Raynie spoke out of turn?
...
No... It's nothing. Don't worry about it. Enough chitchat, I think. Let's head out.
Oh, what a sec. Heiss left us some money for this mission.

Obtained 500G.

We're only subordinates, so you should hang on to the money, Stocke!
Let's hit the shops to gear up for the mission. You never know what might happen during the job.
(What might happen... The vision I saw earlier of these two... No. I have to put it out of my mind. Focus on the mission.)
You're right. We need to be fully prepared before we depart. Let's go.

Raynie has joined your party.
Marco has joined your party.

They don't have any skills at the moment, but Raynie will eventually learn physical skills and a few magic skills, and Marco will learn physical skills and a few healing skills. Stocke currently has one single physical skill, and he'll learn many more as the game progresses. He'll also learn a few healing skills and a spell or two.

Music: Machinist Kingdom



Directly to our north is an elevator which we can use to navigate the building. There's nothing of interest on our current floor, aside from a chest with two Soothing Balms, which restore 50HP. The third floor is also totally empty, aside from a chest with a Charm, which is an accessory that increases ATK and MAG by 1, and HP by 3.



The bottom floor doesn't have much of interest, either. We can't go into the basement because someone's doing an experiment with thaumatechs. We can go into the training room, however.



The NPCs in here just offer advice on battle. The two chests contain two Herbal Teas, which restore 30 MP, and a Holy Water, which revives a KO'd ally and restores 150 HP.



If we exit the building, we end up in Alistel's Second Ward area. There are several NPCs around, but most of them just praise the Prophet Noah and his mouthpiece, General Hugo. A few people also mention people called "The Beastkind". Humans and Beastkind don't get along well, apparently.



"The other day, I was walking around Lazvil Hills with my dad. We were attacked by a monster, and the Desert Crows saved us! I was scared, but they were so cool!"

These Desert Crow guys sound pretty cool. I hope I get to meet them one day.

Wandering around Alistel, we can also find chests with an Herbal Tea and 300G, bringing our total up to 800. That's still not enough to buy anything worthwhile, so I'm not going to worry about buying anything for now.



The inn also has a chest in it, containing Beast Skins, a cloth armor. Raynie and Marco can't equip it, but Stocke can, gaining a small increase to his DEF and MDF.



Upon trying to leave the city, we're hit with a cutscene.

If we pull this off, things might start to go our way in the war, right?
Most likely.
Well, all right, then! Let's do this! C'mon, Marc, let's go!

Raynie runs out of the city.

O-Okay... I'll do my best.

Marco leaves the city, and Stocke begins to follow, but someone calls out to him.

"Stocke!"



Rosch.
Cold as ice... I don't mind when you're like that with me, but you shouldn't be so curt with other guys. Hey... Are you heading out on a mission?
...Yeah.
A Specint job, huh?
...... All right, Rosch, out with it. What are you trying to say?

Music: To the Battlefield

This mission's dangerous, Stocke.
...... That's nothing new. All of my missions are dangerous.
It's more than that! What I'm getting at is... I just have a bad feeling about this one.
......?
I've seen a lot of soldiers die in my time. Every time it happened, I always got this exact feeling. I could always tell the ones about to die off... I could smell Death on them.
And you smell it on me now.
That's right. What I'm sensing from you is nothing good. Even if you happen to survive, you'll be left with something like this arm of mine.
Your Gauntlet... They're doing amazing things with thaumatech.
I'll spend the rest of my life with this arm. But having a life to spend--that makes me lucky. You don't want to end up like this, do you?
...... (That vision I had earlier of Raynie and Marco's deaths... Does Rosch's premonition have to do with that? And if so... Am I also going to die?)
Stocke...?
!
Yeah...? What is it?
"What is it?" Listen to you. You were scared white. I really got to you, didn't I? If so... I'm sorry.
No... It wasn't that. It's something else. Listen, don't worry about it.
All right, then. I know you, anyway. No matter how much I argue against it, you'll still go off on the mission.
Our victory or defeat could hang on this mission. I won't fail. I can't.
...I hear you. That's the way things are, I guess. The mission is everything... That goes for you in Specint and military men like me, too. ...I'm sorry if what I said spooked you. I just had to warn you.
I'm glad you're worring about me. Thanks. But I'll be all right. Allow me to be the one to prove how wrong your intuition can be.
As a soldier, I'd hope not... But for your sake, I hope so. Well... I should be getting back. Lt. General Raul summoned me. Stocke... Don't die out there, okay?
...I won't.

Rosch leaves, and Raynie and Marco return.



You know that guy?
Yeah... He's my best friend.
Oh, really? That guy? Huh. That arm of his was pretty crazy. It's artificial, yeah?
I don't remember the specifics, but his Gauntlet is powered by thaumatech. It's artificial, but he can move it as well as a natural arm. I'm sure you'll see him again sometime. Come on, let's go.



Next time, we'll be heading south to Lazvil Hills, to meet the spy.