Part 5: Chapter 1 (2)
But that life is behind me now... I could stand it no longer.
... Men are but faceless prey to an assassin. We spend our days hunting strangers, until one day it is we who are the hunted. Long I accepted this, but as my comrades began to fall around me, the desolation of that fate became too much to bear.
It is your comrades' fate you should mourn, not your own. Living is its own reward.
What reward did that life hold? A coffin known to neither kith nor kin? An unvisited grave, barren of flowers?
So you fled the guild?
I traded one dire fate for another - the huntress is now the game. Not quite how I'd planned it, but such is life, nay?
Indeed. One thing I find strange, however.
And what is that? What turmoil has beset Artolia that they should venture such lengths to capture a single deserter? Alas, I was trained to obey, not observe. Still, whispers of unrest at court reach even my obeisant ears.obeisance (əʊˈbeɪsəns, əʊˈbiː-)
— n
1. an attitude of deference or homage
Yet though a deserter I may be, I am no traitor - and I would prefer to know with whom I speak. You know all there is to know about me. You haven't even told me your name! You haven't any need for it; we are done speaking. Was it something I said? I assure you, I meant no offense. None have I taken. I've simply nothing to gain from idle banter. Well, you might learn a thing or two about common courtesy!
Come again? A lady traveling these lands alone will garner too much attention. If you would accompany me as a guise- No. Honestly, whatever-your-name, you could try to be a bit more chivalrous! I am obliged to assist you no further. Besides, other matters require my attention. And what matters might those be?
My calling demands I better my steel. ...And my resolve. Combat, then! Why did you not say so in the first place? You would only be in the way. A trained assassin in the way? Surely you jest! I do not jest, nor do I need to explain myself. Away with you! Fine, then! ...---
What use have I of her?
So long as you hold the Destiny Plume, sire, she will be of use to you in one way or another.
But I shall speak of it no more. I defer to your discretion, Master. Hm...---
It was... I have decided to join you after all. You will not regret it! Now then, how shall this damsel in distress address her gallant hero? My name is Wylfred. I thank you humbly, Sir Wylfred. "Wylfred" sounds so formal though. I believe I shall call you "Wyl." Suit yourself. That I will, Wyl. ...Keep moving.
---
We could go shopping in the Market. There's nothing new equipment-wise though - we could pick up a Viking Sword at a hefty cost (1,200 OTH) if we hadn't got one, but luckily we already did. There are two Tactics that aren't of much use and I'll cover them the next time we go shopping anyway, so let's just jump to the storyline battle that's opened up.
Cheripha, enough of this nonsense. It's time to return home. Go then! Do not delay on my account. You return with us a soldier, or you return with us a corpse. The choice is yours. I pity you, then. The palace is a long way to drag a body. Cease this insolence, girl! You can still return to the guild. I will plead on your behalf. Spare me your charity. It is much too little, and far too late.
I am aware of our orders. Are we at an end to words, Cheripha? My weapon will speak for me. Then I shall waste no more breath. En garde!
Sometimes, mission objectives will ask you to defeat a specific enemy leader instead (in this case, Lockswell). We generally don't want to just finish it as fast as we can because 1. We need as much Sin as possible and 2. It's easier if we get the underlings out of the way first. Let's see what we're up against.
Several of the same enemies from the previous map appear there. We have a Swordsman right in front of us, a Warrior behind him, and an Archeress on either side.
Lockswell is in the back, along with a Swordsman and a Warrior. They'll stay put til we get closer. We have a Sin quota of 130, which means our target is 260. Let's get to it!
Alright, two group attacks bring it down to 1/3 health. Maybe if I just snipe it with Cheripha...
...Yet somehow I don't.
Okay, that's just one enemy. No sweat.
THIS IS NOT A PROMISING START.
Okay, five enemies left, including Lockswell, and I'm on 47 Sin. Still workable.
Better!
Good, good...
Even better! Things are starting to look up!
Another 40 Sin here...
I want to say these get more interesting, but with only two characters there's only way so many ways to go 'spam attacks, hope for the best'.
They drop a Honeysuckle Dew, an item that cures Poison.
Alright, so here's where we stand - only Lockswell is left, and we're 17 Sin away from our quota because I'm apparently messing up really bad on this battle. But we can do it! Lockswell doesn't have too much HP, so we're going to have to tread a little carefully.
Don't mind me while I snipe you in safety.
Lockswell uses Fire Storm as his spell. Thanks to a decent MAG it hurts more than I'd like.
Wylfred pops a Warrior's Arcanum to heal himself from the injuries he's incurred over the battle.
Lockswell has a Technique called Enlightenment. It activates 20% of the time and bumps his MAG up during a round.
Cheripha does not approve.
One quick note is that enemies don't play by our rules in terms of Soul Crushes; they can seemingly use them even when only a few attacks hit or even if we avoid or block all their attacks. Luckily Lockswell seems to rarely, if ever, pull his out.
Vali, the son of Loki.
Each character, when Plumed, has their own special effect on the battlefield. After that battle, Wylfred gains a slightly neutered version of that skill under Tactics, which he can use for a hefty AP cost. Vali's Awakening is Ancel's, and it's an extremely useful one throughout the game - it doubles all of Wylfred's stats and provokes enemies into attacking him instead of other party members. It costs 80 AP, and lasts for two rounds. The best use of it is the hefty ATK boost, great for finishing enemies off.
I had already lowered Lockswell's health, so it seems like a good chance to finish him off and get that Sin...
Then he goes and does this!
Heal is a Spell - Spells are usually available only to Sorcerors (but we'll run into a few non-Sorceror enemies capable of casting them as well). They're usually powerful support options at the cost of AP - Heal, in this case, costs 40 AP and heals the target for 80% of their maximum HP. All attack spells, like Fire Storm, can be done as spells outside of a battle round too to hit multiple opponents, but they're usually not nearly as effective.
But it'll be fine. I'm reasonably sure I can use the amped up Wylfred to soften him just enough to near death, then I can attack with both him and Cheripha to get that Sin.
And apparently, I underestimate how squishy Sorecerors are. Argh! Should definitely have sniped him with Cheripha first to soften him up.
I suppose he does drop a Union Plume for me, but I messed up in this battle. The Sin quota is still actually quite lax, some attacks just dealt too much damage for my liking.
Splendid, Sire. Mistress Hel seems quite pleased with your efforts and sends an offering to aid you in your travels.
More First Aid is always good! Might Potions are also very nice - they act as a boost to ATK to an ally for 3 rounds. This works wonders on a Vali's Awakening'd Wylfred. The Union Plumes and Elixirs are both the base rewards. Elixirs heal an ally of all status conditions - handy for some specific statuses we can't cure yet, and there's one that is only curable with Elixirs.
The 200% rewards I missed out on are another pair of Ambrosia, and Golden Eggs. Golden Eggs boost a random stat of a party member permanently by 1 to 10 points - it's not really great so I didn't miss out on anything that important here.
---
It is no concern of yours. Be done with, knave! ... You never had any intention of harming her. Who is she to you? What provokes your restraint?
He is your father?
In blood alone! He has been no father to me! I was but a subordinate to him. Never once has he treated me as his child! This man is nothing to me! I have no father! Cheripha... I'd sooner die than hear you utter such words. I cannot atone for what I have done. That it bring you peace, I offer my life. What peace would that bring? I take no solace in your guilt!
Sweet daughter, I seek only to ease your pain. Then be silent! Your penitence is worthless to me! Take my life, Cheripha. Then you will be free to flee the king's lands. Though it may not suffice, it is all I have to give.
Can you not see how you grieve me? For you to show you care only now, after all that's happened... Cheripha... What I would not give to see you happy! That I could have offered you a better life!
Of Mother's family and the rebellion, of your dismissal from the royal guard... But how could you know?
And from that day forth we were ghosts to the world. Father and daughter turned assassin and apprentice. You paid for our lives with the lives of countless others. You forsook Mother's cause, and your own conscience... all in my name. I strove to keep you innocent of that knowledge. It comforted me in my solitude. Always I tried to convince myself you'd done all this for me out of love. But I lost faith, Father. I never knew that love...
You saved me, only to abandon me. Cheripha... I never meant to hurt you. I.. I know... You did only what you thought best. Dwelling in the past will change nothing...
Anywhere but back! There is a whole world to explore! Life is in the journey, not the ending. The road ahead is a grim one. The journey will be fraught with sorrows. Amid the darkest swamps there grow the fairest flowers, if one knows where to look.
Do you hear yourself? Is it really so strange? Hopes and dreams are short-lived in this unforgiving world. You had best keep them in the comfort of your bedchamber. Scoff all you like, Wyl, my mind is made up. To do what?
Do not bother to protest. Like it or not, I'm coming with you. ...
Do as you will. Then I too will join you, if you would have me. Father! You would turn your back on the guild? What choice have I? Once they discover I let Cheripha slip through my fingers, they'll have my head for treason. And I should like time to spend beside my daughter, if only for a while. Father! When I donned the cloak, I severed all bonds of the heart. I lost sight of who I was. And my dear Cheripha has suffered for it. I can only hope to make amends for lost time. I would like that. From my daughter I have learned a valuable lesson.
I know now where my loyalties lie, and it is for Cheripha that I shall live... Father...
Cheripha...
As I clutch the Destiny Plume, so too shall you be redeemed. This I promise you, Father.
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Homeland: Artolia
Height: 160cm
Weight: 48kg
Measurements: 79/58/82
Though an accomplished assassin serving the Artolian court, watching her fellow soldiers fall one by one into unmarked graves forced Cheripha to question the life she had led for as long as she could remember. Resolving to see all the world has to offer before succumbing to such a fate, she deserts the assassin's guild and sets forth for adventure.
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Homeland: Artolia
Height: 180cm
Weight: 64kg
Once a high sorcerer in the king's army, Lockswell was cast into the dungeon while the crown executed his wife and those of her house for treason. Loath to lose an able man, the court offered clemency on the condition both he and his infant daughter cast off their worldly bonds and enlist in the assassins' guild. Confronted with the choice of life or death, Lockswell elected to save Cheripha and relinquish his heart to the shadows.
Lockswell official render.