Part 23: Episode 3: Part 7: The Motherless Man, Janwen's Revenge.

Episode 3: Part 7: The Motherless Man, Janwen's Revenge.



Oh, and that beautiful blue sky.

I don't think I'll ever take the beauty of the sky for granted ever again.



And so, we continue on our merry way down the Way.



Huh, Traziun, and so soon after that ordeal in the volcano. How stinkin' odd.

He has defeated everyone he has faced.

Even the older Blood Lyn?

None of our veterans would take the plunge against him.
But we don't have many older Blood Lyn because our battle grounds is very new.

But why wouldn't they want to fight him?

He's just too good. I know I wouldn't want to face him in a real fight.

Hmmm... Is he still at the grounds?

When we left he was.

Then I want to go meet him.

... All right.



Flaming fires of Janwen! You look like you've been dragged through the reaches Rhue! You okay?

Yea, but you aren't too far off with that assessment.

Oh?

I made a little trip through the flaming pits not long ago.

Lands! You're kidding!

No. It sucked.

Don't worry, your fortunes are about to change.
Come with me to the Matalan Battle Grounds. Good food and soft beds await us there.
Matalan is also where Kloe said she was going to report in...



Don't worry, it is.

Thank the Purpose.

But we can't let our guard down. It is believed that the Phantom Slasher has entered this area.

Phantom Slasher?

A killer who kills without purpose.

Ah yes. They were talking about such a person all the way back in Lide.

So they finally stuck a name to the killer.

Creeping death, the motherless man, Janwen's Revenge, the list of names goes on.
The motherless man and especially Janwen's Revenge are... interesting names...

Phantom Slasher is just the most commonly used name.
By most commonly, he means the one I think is near or even totally exclusively the only one used from here out.

Anyway, he says lets go and you can leave right away but you want to go back and grab a glowy thingy that's a Heart Stone and THEN leave. When you actually do leave the screen pans back over...



To show the possible ?PHANTOM SLASHER?, watching.





This is the only encounter in these following areas. Easy as sin, just mash attack. Also, Argus and Kira are pretty bad but Argus has light mass mend atleast. Also Rhue is pretty much better than Traziun right now. Does -slightly- more damage on average (with his weaker, unmaxed weapon aura!), gets 2 XL per turn to Traziuns 1, and has a bit more hp.
Though, granted, if I switched Rhue to one of his elemental sword auras in their current state, Traziun would outdamage him and Rhue would also only be getting 1 XL per turn too, since that increase comes exclusively from sword auras.



It only takes a few fights to absorb the Heart Stone so I'm left with excess battles again.



Lun puts arrows here to indicate you can actually walk behind those rocks to the south.

And on the next screen...



Look up and you'll see something else as well.



Yep, a citadel.

Do the Forerunners make those as well?

That's one theory. I know of others who believe the Purpose created them without the help of any Forerunners or wanderers for that matter.
Those who subscribe to this theory believe that citadels were created for the sole purpose of reminding wanderers that the Purpose is...
watching over them.

Only fools would believe such rubbish though...

...

Others believe quite differently. In fact, many think that citadels serve as a home for various servants of the Lord Below who roam the middle way.
I've even heard people speak of a souless and nameless being that wanders the Way endlessly, moving from citadel to citadel.
A lot of wanderers seem to think that the Phantom Slasher may be this being.
That's why a good number of wanderers try to avoid citadels whenever possible.
People tend to fear things they don't understand.

Indeed. That's probably why we had five Guided fists down here not too long ago trying to tear this citadel down.

It seems they didn't succeed.

That's not suprising (SIC). All attemtps (SIC) to tear down citadels have miserably failed. I don't think anyone has even managed to scratch one.

What's inside them?

Good question. No one knows. They may not even have an "inside" truth be told.
But if they did... It would probably be something to see.

I bet.

Citadels... sigh... There's also a Heart Stone hidden on this screen in the hills behind the Way Post. Thanks Lun. Anyway, here's as good a time as anything to tell you my theory about Scatha's treasure. Remember how she showed up stopping Cetsa from getting the Shadow Sword in Lide? But she was pissed when Rhue knocked the sword into the Pits? The implication being she wanted it for herself. Traziun also wanted it, and clearly entered the pits from where it (and Scatha) fell, as we saw. Rhue's sword is definitely... something, and is almost certainly what possessed him to knock the sword into the Pits.

So all that in mind, Traziun and Scatha both want an object of great power, a Shadow Sword. Later, Rhue encounters Scatha trying to find 'a treasure' thats more valuable than anything. That leads to a plunge against a mysterious entity that makes Rhue's sword go crazy. Scatha gives up on life because she doesn't get the treasure, and even asks Rhue if he saw 'the man.' Which Rhue responds to with confusion, strangely. Perhaps the shadow plunger didn't look the least bit human? Anyway, after that, you encounter Traziun not very far from an exit to the Pits.
While it's never explained, one of a few theories, and my personal favourite one is that Scatha wanted that sword, Traziun got it first and kicked her ass (or maybe the strange plunger did) and got out of there. The plunger might be some kind of guardian of the sword or a random monster who moved the sword for some reason, or it could be... some aspect of Traziun... conjured by the sword. That's the real unclear part. Anyway, back to the game.



Just another screen...



Blonde*. Blond is for men, Lun. Or at least, that's what I recall reading somewhere.


Leave me alone you religious freaks!

Don't look now, but I've got backup.

Lands, is that YOU Rhue?

Kloe?!


The top most Guided takes the chance to punch her out.



Why are you here you misguided cretins?

GUIDED #3: Just handing out the judgement of the Purpose. You Blood Lyn scum never learn.
Luckily we're here to punish deserters of the Way like you!

You flaming hypocrites! How arrogant of you to appoint yourselves as the messengers of the Purpose.
And what makes it especially pathetic is the fact that there is no Purpose!

GUIDED #2: Heathen, watch your words!



GUIDED #3: We're well aware of our current location. It must be sad for you to realize that this worries us little.

You speak boldly for one who is outnumbered four to three.
You must be a fool.


A fourth Guided comes down from the north.

GUIDED #3: Attack!



So uh... this is just a really really easy and simple boss battle. Just attack and use XLIFES as you can You might need to have Argus heal... once.



When you beat the guy in the back he says this. The others don't say anything.



[Since there's no Guided corpses, I guess we let them live.



And then we fade to black...



Yes, her name is Kloe.

So you've met her before?

Uh... yea. I wouldn't say we're friends or anything though.

I wonder why she's here.

I think I know why... but it wouldn't be right to talk about it.
I'd rather find that warrior who you were talking about when we first met.

So you intend to challenge him?

...

Of course you do. I hope he's still around.
It was a pleasure to meet you two.

Let's have a look around.

WE WOULD Traziun, but I'm cutting the update short here. Next update will probably be the finale of Episode 3 though, even if I have to make it extra long to fit. Then we can get on to the first half decent Episode.

the end