Part 32: The Sovereign Rune

Gremio comes back with no equipment, nothing in his inventory, and the same weapon sharpness/level/Rune/whatever else as before. The reason Gremio is here is because Team Full Circle won, which means we'll be bringing Pahn, Gremio, and Cleo to the final battle.

This actually works out in my favor.



This is after a bunch of training. In fact, I decided to scrap the Flowing Rune and put <insert worthless Rune> here because Gremio is just about one of the worst characters in the game. Worthless power growth until between levels 60 and 99, no magic growth, and abysmal HP.



So we continue to climb the floors of Gregminster Palace.



A deserving emperor used to sit here. Those days are long gone.



As you get closer to the top, the waves of enemies become thicker and thicker, predictably.



The actual best helmet in the game, the Horned Helmet, is rarely dropped by enemies here. However, it doesn't have the small HP regen of the Silver Hat and it's exclusive to characters who can wear the heavier helmets, which is, for our party, just Cleo.



If you want anything to transfer over to Suikoden II, it's important to save at this final Journeyman's Crystal right before the final boss.



A ruined flower garden...





Barbarossa: It is all that remains of my Empire. Miles, I shall protect my Empire, with my own hands!



Barbarossa: Dragon King Sword, give me power!





So because of the fact that Viktor's sword should be “Zodiac Sword”, US players think his sword and Barbarossa's sword are one in the same. They are not. In fact, he is calling upon the power of his personal True Rune, the Sovereign Rune, to transform into the Golden Hydra.



While you're idling, the three heads continuously roar at you. Either snapping their necks towards you or raising them above their body in intimidating gestures.



So each head has a different elemental resistance. The one I've highlighted is strong against Wind, the middle against Lightning, and the one on our right is strong against Fire.You want to annihilate the head I've selected because it can resurrect the other two and provides healing spells. Not good. This fight is by far the hardest in the game, and a typical Suikoden trope is that the final boss is generally the hardest boss in the game.



So let's accidentally target the wrong head with a Judgment spell.



And bombard the entire body with Unite magic.



A popular attack this boss uses is to encase you in some sort of globe that mashes your character to bits, dealing about 300 damage.





It's even more prioritized attack is a full heat wave that hits everyone in the party for a lot of damage.



When it's down to one head, that doesn't mean the party attacks are done with. Whatever head is left alive will start to use its respective elemental strength to hit fuck your shit up.



However, despite how tough the Golden Hydra is, you shouldn't have too much trouble.



Cowabunga, dude.



Barbarossa: Kasim...

Kasim Hazil: You've changed, Your Highness. Why? We believed in you.

Barbarossa: Kasim, I've missed you. And those days we fought together.

Kasim Hazil: You were deceived by that woman, Windy.



Kasim Hazil: How dare you insult His Highness!

Windy: Don't be silly.



Windy: Ha ha ha! Now it's your turn, Miles. The Empire is dead. But I'll still take your Soul Eater! Give it to me!













Windy: Why? Why do you reject me, Soul Eater? You control life and death, and eat souls. I am your ideal host. Together, let us take revenge on this cursed world. Even you reject me, Soul Eater! Even the most cursed rune refuses me!

Suikoden Tunes – Theme of Sadness ~ Guitar Version



Windy: What are you doing? I'll destroy you with my magic!

Barbarossa: It's no use, Windy. The rune on my Dragon King Sword, the Conqueror Rune, is protected against any form of magic. Even the Rune of the Gate.

Windy: But with the Black Rune... you were...





Barbarossa: I loved you.

Windy: Liar! You loved my resemblance to Claudia.

Barbarossa: That's not true. I wanted to erase the sadness that lies hidden deep within your eyes. The sadness of one who cannot love others. But I loved you, and that was a mistake. It was my only mistake, and it cannot be forgiven.



Sonya: Emperor Barbarossa!

Milich and Kwanda echo her sentiments.



And so Barbarossa leaps with Windy to their death. The whereabouts of her part of the Gate Rune and the Sovereign Rune to be left unknown...



Flik: And the end of the Empire.

Viktor: I don't think this palace will hold for much longer. Let's escape.

Suikoden Tunes – Theme of Tension ~ Tama-dator





RUNNING FOR OUR LIVES WHILE TAKING SCREENSHOTS



Viktor opts to stay back and stall us for time.



Viktor: Don't worry, I'll be right behind you. Flik, take care of Miles!





Flik takes an arrow in the gut for us on the next level down.

Flik: Miles, you were chosen by Odessa to rebuild this country. I can't let you get killed here, or Odessa will be furious when I see her again, up there. Go, Miles, and fulfill Odessa's dream... hurry!







Flik: He's gone ahead.

Viktor: Now we can fight to our hearts' content.

Flik: Yeah, too bad I have to fight alongside you.







Well shit. I hope they survive.



But anyway, time to revel in our victory.







When he does this I swear it looks like he's yanking on her hair.



Hix practicing a martial arts move.

Futch: Black is avenged... I guess.

Humphrey: ... it's over.



Kamandol: Stop calling me “old man”!



Liukan: Yes, undoubtedly.

Mathiu: I see. Master Liukan, I despise war. I always felt that to take the life of another, for whatever reason, was wrong. And yet I became a military strategist, and took many lives. Did I do the right thing? Perhaps I should have remained in that village, fishing in my idle moments, until death.

Liukan: Master Mathiu... the answer to that...





Suikoden Tunes – Avertuneiro Antes Lance Mao

So that was the last scene of the game, and now we start to scroll through credits. I'm going to explain most of this in text because they scroll really fast and I don't want to take a billion screenshots. And also for some reason I can't fix the issues with the screenshots. Anything added in italics is information derived from supplemental material that this game never goes into.



Kwanda became Commander-in-Chief of the Toran Republic Army.

Pesmerga leaves the country in search of Yuber.

Gremio follows Miles wherever he went.

Warren became the 1st chairman of Toran Repubic's Congress, with Taggart assisting him.

Kun To became the head of the Merchants' Guild. However, despite this, he helps Tai Ho get away from Kimberley and sends him to the Dunan region.

Cleo continues to protect Teo's mansion.

Viktor is MIA.

Valeria becomes a Platoon Commander and mediator with the Elves.

Griffith begins a business. (and we can assume it is a restaurant that serves breakfast 24/7)



Kasim Hazil heads north to fight with Jowston asking the President of the Toran Republic to let him do so, and without rest he heads to another war, but he's victorious this time.

Kreutz leaves the country.

Stallion leaves to become the fastest man in the world, but he first heads to the region of Dunan.

Kage states that his contract is up, and disappears.

Fu Su Lu stayed in Kobold village for a while, then went off on a journey.

Kirkis went on to rebuild the Village of the Elves, and to become its Chief.

Milich serves the rest of his life protecting the graves of Barbarossa and Claudia. In his spare time, he becomes a writer, penning the novel “For the Love of the Empire”, which becomes a bestseller and a play, despite its inaccurate slant on the events of the Gate Rune Wars.

Pahn embarks on a journey to improve his imperfect self, but he returned to the Toran Republic when he ran out of money.

Sonya becomes the Admiral of the Toran Republic Navy.

Anji goes into the shipping business, Kanak and Leonardo join him.

Tai Ho returns to Kaku to enjoy a carefree life, Yam Koo follows after Kimberley forces Tai Ho to marry her. The two head to the Dunan region.

Now that Hix is accepted as a “true warrior”, he embarks on a journey, Tengaar accompanying him.



Camille also becomes one of the Six Great Generals of the Toran Republic.

Leon spends the remainder of his life in his hometown, however, this is a lie, as he only spends three years in Kalekka...

Georges heads north, saying he spotted good business.

Ivanov sets off on a journey to find the “color of freedom.”

Jeane resumes her work as a runemaster in Antei, but soon after moves to the city of Greenhill to teach runemastery at its academy.

Eikei goes off on a journey to find worthy opponents. In the Saturn version, Eikei possesses the “Lion's Trial Rune”, which allows him to summon monsters for training purposes. This opened up an arena in Toran Castle.

Maximilian retires from Knighthood, while Sancho continues to serve him.

Grenseal is made Co-Commander of the Republican Guard, along with Alen.

Tesla becomes the Secretary-General of the Toran Republic.

Jabba is appointed in charge of the Republic's finances.

Lorelai sets off to another land in search of another adventure, however she acquires Kirke's old glaive, her second change in weapons, actually.



Mose helps rebuild the new capital of Gregminster.

Esmeralda goes off to live comfortably with a garden full of roses.

Melodye goes off to collect all the sounds of the world.

Chapman retires from the army and starts up a successful theater.

Liukan opens up a clinic which saves many lives.

Fukien returns to Qlon Temple.

Futch goes off with Humphrey on a journey.

Kasumi returns to the secret hideaway of Rokkaku, and becomes its Vice-Leader.

Maas becomes dissatisfied with blacksmith work and resumes his studies (in becoming the next Rick Perry).



Blackman aids in the rebuilding of Kalekka, and allows the city to resume production of its famous flour.

Joshua Levenheit gives up his Dragon Rune to Milia, who becomes Captain of the Dragon Knights.

Meese returns to the Village of the Dwarves to improve his skills.

Sergei becomes rich off his inventions.

Kimberley forces her way into Tai Ho's household (the bitch). She lives in Kaku alone, and no one knows that she approached Tai Ho because Yam Koo was her real target.

Sheena continues to wander around and have a good time, as usual.

Kessler is named Captain of the Toran Republic Patrol Corps.

Marco leads a vigorous life.

Gen returns to Teien to continue to build ships.

Hugo is appointed the Republic's first Chief Justice.

Hellion succeeds Leknaat as a Seer.

Mina becomes the most popular dancer (and stripper) in the Republic, and also takes on a pupil.

Milia returns to the Dragon's Den to resume her duties, as well as becoming Captain of the Dragon Knights.

Kamandol still remains preoccuped with alchemical studies, though he still occasionally works with Gen to help the Toran Republic with their ships.





Kasios continues to play music for Milich even after the war is over.

I bet Juppo wants to find a bigger “trick”.

Rubi is welcomed back to the restored Village of the Elves.

Vincent de Boule returns home and reclaims his inheritance.

Meg leaves home, stating, “Adventure calls.”

Giovanni starts his own business.

Quincy returns to the forest.

Apple leaves to collect material for a biography on Mathiu.

Kai is appointed Martial Arts Instructor, as well as one of the Six Great Generals of the Toran Republic.

Lotte lives in a small house with Mina the cat in Gregminster, and one other cat, Momo, who gets lost inside Milich's manor.

Mace lets Moose succeed and retires.

Onil still loves to gossip.

Kuromimi becomes Village Chief of the Kobolds.



Kirke throws away his scythe (gives it to Lorelai) and becomes a farmer.

Rock is asked by the dwarves to create a better vault, and sets off to work. He is also appointed to manage the inventory of the Toran Republic.

Ledon enjoys success after opening an honest inn.

Sylvina marries her childhood sweetheart, Kirkis.

Ronnie Bell is said to be in training for homemaking. It is rumored that she married Mose, and she later goes on to have a daughter...

Gaspar returns to tossing dice in Kaku. He goes on to find a rival in Greenhill Forest.

Window accepts an offer to design stained-glass windows, particularly to work in the Magician's Tower on its own stained-glass windows.

Marie reopens her inn in Gregminster.

Zen continues to look over the flowers in the old castle of Toran.

Sarah gets a job as a maid in Marie's inn, and while she still hates bed-making, her cooking has improved drastically.

Sansuke keeps busy designing new bathtubs.

Qlon becomes keeper of Toran Castle.



Templeton later travels to the Dunan region.

The Fates of Other Characters

Kanaan becomes a petty criminal, but is caught and imprisoned.

Barbarossa, along with Windy, are declared officially missing (not dead). Their runes remain MIA.





Anyway blah blah blah credits.





See you all in Suikoden II, the not-actually-that-amazing sequel.