User:Enziio/C1StoryDraft

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This page tells The Tale of Mabinogi.

Chapter 01: Advent of Morrighan

Pilot

One day I met a mysterious woman named Nao, in a place she called The Soul Stream. She addressed me by name and said I was a Milletian, a race from a distant star, and brought me to the world of Erinn, a place created by the great god Aton Cimeni. I was brought in at a moment of relative peace; though there were still some beings called fomors who around, who would attack the people of this land, the land was not ruled by fear. I met a wise old man named Duncan, who welcomed me to his village and taught me things like how to fight and hold my own against fomors.

I also learned that, apparently, in this world, all my belongings go to a form of ethereal inventory, which lets me summon the items anytime I want to use or equip them. I also learned about pets, and how they can as well be summoned whenever needed.

One day, while fighting a pack of strong wolves, I got distracted and two of them gave me a fatal blow... but... I woke up in the Soul Stream and Nao told me in this world I can't really die... She gave me some stones that allowed me to summon her whenever I needed to be awakened from a knock out, and also told me about phoenix feathers, which allow other people to awaken me if nearby.

As the days passed by, I kept learning more and more about this world, its people, its culture, and I was starting to enjoy it... until a certain event that changed my life in Erinn drastically!

My name is Wanga, and this is my story!

Advent of the Goddess

This covers events from Generation 1: Advent of the Goddess

Advent of the Goddess

One evening I get a dream.

- "Can you hear me?"

A woman - no, a goddess - calls out to me.

- "Ah so you can hear me..."
- "I know this is a difficult request, but please come to this world, Tir Na Nog...is in danger..."

But before I can ask her anything, the world goes bright, and I wake up in Erinn.

Chief Duncan asks me to find an earring misplaced while making a snowman in Sidhe Sneachta, and I do. Duncan thanks me but mentions that it was a favor for someone else, and says:

"If you head toward Sidhe Sneachta, I hear there is a strange structure there.
He said he made the snowman in remembrance of seeing that building…
They say the structure is connected to another place by some magical power…
But it doesn't seem just anyone can enter…
There are many rumors about a Druid who lost all of his family and couldn't overcome the sorrow…
and he turned into a bear.”

That strikes my curiosity for this snowy place, and as I venture to the northern-most point I come upon a bear on a Druid's Altar. It is large, but it doesn't attack me, and I remember that Duncan says it seems to be gathering Mana Herbs. Luckily I have some, and start feeding the bear while listening absently to its growls.

It writes "T-A-R-L-A-C-H", with a paw, in the snow. Tarlach? I should see Duncan again .

Arriving back at Tir Chonaill, I report this to Duncan. He starts in surprise; Tarlach is the name of one of The Three Lost Warrios, a trio of legendary warriors and friends, who went missing while searching for Tir Na Nog. I decide to out more and start asking around in libraries and schools, and it leads me to Dunbarton School's Stewart. He mentions that people have thought that the Three Warrior's story was proclaimed to be only a legend, but he believes it. He gives me Tarlach's Locket, which is impressed with Tarlach's memories, and requests me to see for myself this friendship. He tells me to offer it at the altar of the goddess in Alby Dungeon, which is located in Tir Chonail.

I gather two friends and view the memories through the Three Lost Warrior's eyes. Tarlach, was searching for Tir Na Nog, and was joined by a wandering swordsman named Ruairi, and an archeress training under Ranald named Mari. They find it strange that the spiders in Alby have gotten so huge and that Mari has lost her memory of her earlier youth. I learn that Tarlach is searching for Tir Na Nog to reunite with his sister who was killed by Fomors. I also learn that a goddess appeared in Ruairi's dreams as well, calling him to help her.

I seek Duncan to help me understand those events and he is amused by my questions, but tells me that a priest is more qualified to answer them, so I go to the church. When asked, Priest Meven only smiles kindly and tells me how the warriors were lost and separated. He tells me how Tarlach is the only one to survive, barely, eating Mana Herbs to remain stable. Meven tells me that since Tarlach is allergic to mana herbs, he is forced to change into a bear by day to consume these. Meven then gives a book and suggest that I go to Sidhe Sneachta during nighttime when Tarlach is human, as Tarlach is the one who can best answer questions about his own past. I agree and read the book while I travel. I realize that the statue I see in Alby IS actually a representation of the Goddess.

When I talk to Tarlach about what I have read, he tells me his story, and about what he and his friends were searching for, the Land of Eternity, Tir Na Nog. But I want to find out more so he suggest me to read The Land of Eternity, Tir Na Nog.

I head to Dunbarton, which has a thriving trade in books. Aeira the bookseller recalls that the book is no longer in stock. I talk to her again and she explains that the publisher is printing another volume of it. I decide to wait for that volume but end up talking to her again within a day and she promises to send an owl when the book is ready, as I have gone through so much trouble already. I finally get the book and read it, to learn that Tir Na Nog is the place where the sick are healed, where there is no war and everything is a paradise. However, it cautions that one shouldn't pin their dreams on something so perfect. It states that this paradise is no real place.

I ask Tarlach about paradise. He seems diffident. He gives me a Brown Fomor Pass, a special pass to enter Barri dungeon, and says I will learn more there. I am confused, but I go anyway, and after fighting my way through, I find a Black Wizard at the end. When I first meet him, he claims that I am trespassing on holy land and under Morrighan's law I will be destroyed. Humans are trespassing? Holy land? How dare this Fomor say such things! I defeat the Black Wizard, and find on him a Fomor Medal. What is this? I ask around and only the priests really give a response, but even then they only refer me to Meven. Priest Meven looks surprised, and he explains it is not a Fomor Medal but rather what Priests who worship Lymilark wear. He then mentions that there is some writing on the back, but in Fomor script.

Fomor?

I recall that Alby Arena's Gatekeeper is a goblin who, though not the friendliest, doesn't attack humans on sight. I ask Goro about the medal and he tells me he will translate the writing for me if I get his ring back from the Ciar Dungeon. I do so, and he tells me that the writing is "Dul Brau Dairam Shanon" which translates into "Goddess, please lend me the moonlight...". I decide to talk to Tarlach about me findings, but he is dismissive and he tells me the translation is not right. According to him, it means "Oh, Goddess. Please bestow me with your powers.". How does Tarlach know Fomor language?

I confront Goro about his translation, but he apologizes; he had been raised by a human and thus his command of Fomor language is shaky. He mentions a "traitorous succubus" living and hiding in Dunbarton. A succubus hiding in a human town? In Dunbarton, I mention "Dul Brau Dairam Shanon" in conversations, but there is no response until, to my surprise, I try it with Priestess Kristell, who admits "Indeed... I was originally a Gordisse--or as you might call us, a Fomor". I express my disbelief and she in defense offers me Tarlach's Glasses Pouch and tells me to drop it on the Rabbie Dungeon Altar to view his memories for yourself. I do so, and at the end of it I see Kristell as she must have appeared as a succubus. She sings a song she has written for Tarlach, and mentions that in watching Tarlach each times he comes searching for a way to Tir Na Nog she has fallen in love with him. She says that she will put her all into this fight, in order to win Tarlach's love. Despite that, Tarlach beats her, and says that he still refuses a Fomor's love and that a human's love cannot be gained through defeating them. She vows to learn this love that she does not know.

I return to Kristell, somewhat more understanding, and mention Tarlach's continued survival. She lights up, and requests that I deliver a message to him and I do. Tarlach's immediate response is to request that I ask Kristell to translate the Book of Fomor. I raise an eyebrow, but deliver the book to Kristell. She asks me to wait until she translates it, which she does, relatively quickly. However she does not relinquish the book. She asks why should she do this favor for Tarlach, who has been so cold to her.

Why indeed. I tell Tarlach her words and he seems remorseful. He tells I to retrieve something he has entrusted to Meven. It is a black rose, however it's been much damaged through time. He thinks, however, that it may be revived through magic and directs me to Lassar at the magic school. Lassar replies that she can revive the rose, but needs a Blessing Water. I give her the water, she promises to send an owl when she's ready. After retrieving the rose, I return to Tarlach, who wants me to give the rose to Kristell.

Kristell is stunned. The song she sang to Tarlach was The Black Rose. He remembers her, and cares enough to have found a gift for her and kept it safe all this time. Freely, happily, she gives me the translated Book of Revenge. This book was written by Mores and talks about how Humans are creation of chaos, while the Fomors are creation of order. He explains that the Fomors must forever hate these Humans. If they don't, the Humans will consume and destroy anything in their way, including the holy paradise created by the four gods, the land which establishes order, Tir Na Nog. It becomes quite evident that Mores does not like humans.

I talk to Duncan about it and he explains that Mores was a hero, but he lost something precious. He also tells me that Mores' last name was "Gwydion".

I talk with Tarlach, who tells me that Mores was once his master. He says that his master could never be that evil and cruel, and doesn't believe this is right. He mentions he once had Mores' Ring Torque, through which I might see Mores' memories, but he lost it. Well, all lost property goes to the Town Office, but after talking to Eavan in Dunbarton's Town Office, she only lets me know that there is nothing of the sort there, but that Kristell might have half of it.

I go to Kristell and she gives me the half torque, figuring that might still retain half the memories. I drop the half on a nearby dungeon altar, and it works. I see Mores, and I learn that he was looking for his wife Shiela after the war. He was determined to escape the dungeon and find her, but when he reaches the end of the dungeon he meets the Dark Lord, who tells him that he is doomed and cannot return to the human world. The Dark Lord then shows him what became of his beloved wife, Shiela, and their daughter: humans had burned his home to the ground. The fire crackles and no one moves towards it, even as a woman screams. The Dark Lord says this happened because people were afraid of Mores' power, despite his sacrifices in the war. This is what humans are like, he says. Defeated, Mores accepts the Dark Lord's offer to join forces, and the Dark Lord takes him to meet the Goddess Morrighan, who persuades him to join her for revenge against the Humans.

I ask Kristell about the Goddess Morrighan wanting revenge. She tells me to talk to Duncan, who then directs the me to Tarlach, from whom I obtain the Book of Revenge. After lending this book to Duncan, he tells me he is under the impression that the book is actually a trilogy. When I talk to Kristell, she suggests talking to Aeira to find out more. After talking to her, Aeira does a little asking around, and soon gives me a Wizard's Note, which I must drop on Ciar Dungeon. After finishing the dungeon, I find the Book of Revenge Vol. II in the chest. I ask Kristell to translate the new book. She sends an owl with the book and I give it to Duncan. He asks for a third volume.

Aeira directs me to Lassar, who redirects me to Seumas in Gairech Hill, the miner excavating a large dragon statue. Seumas asks for a favor before he gives me the book: he wants me to deliver a birthday gift to his son, Sion. After the quick errand he keeps his word and gives me the final book. I then ask Kristell to translate this one last time.

In this book I learn about a very destructive beast called the Glas Ghaibhleann. I talk to Duncan about this and he tells me it was a very dangerous creature used in the Second War. According to Duncan, Bryce in Bangor has an ancient text including accounts of the beast. I talk to Bryce and he gives me the book, The Embodiment of Destruction, Glas Ghaibhleann. When I talk to Duncan about this, he tells me that the Glas Ghaibhleann's skeleton is made from a material called "Adamantium". At the same time, I recall from me conversation with Bryce that there was a mysterious shortage of Adamantium in the mines. I talk to Tarlach and he tells me to find him some Magic Powder of Preservation. To do it I must fight my way through Fiodh Dungeon and finish it. I give Tarlach the powder and he gives me his preserved broken glasses and tells me to drop it on the Rabbie Altar.

As the memory begins, Tarlach, Mari and Ruairi are in a dungeon altar. Mari and Ruairi are giving Tarlach their full support in setting Tir Na Nog upon Erinn. The Dark Lord confronts the trio in the final room. Though Ruairi and Tarlach are struggling to keep up, Mari manages to deal crippling blows to him, but ultimately he retreats after telling them a cryptic message: one will lose everything, one will learn the truth and not be able to handle it, and one will live in mental and physical agony forever. When the three enter the chamber, they find the dormant Glas Ghaibhleann, still in the process of being created, Mari opens a chest and finds a book that Tarlach reads. Mores then appears and Tarlach desperately calls out to him. However, Mores ignores him, and tells Dark Lord to take them out but not kill them. Tarlach then calls out in desperation "Ruairi!!, Mari!!!". Mores hears the name of Mari, the little girl in the chamber, and changes stance quickly. He tells Dark Lord to stop. Morrighan intrudes, however, and tells him not to disobey her will and to kill them with prejudice. Dark Lord strikes at them and defeats them.

Tarlach awakens in Rabbie dungeon, being nursed by Kristell. She tells him that she does not know what happened to the others but that he was severely injured when she found him and that he is also internally bleeding. When questioned why she was doing this, she reminds him of the words he told her before, of love.

Mari's and Ruairi's fates are unknown.

Could it really be? Did the Goddess really betray humans? Then... was that dream I had meaningless? - I start to question myself about the Goddess, but I go back to Tarlach. He confirms what I saw, and tells me that since that day he can't use any advanced magic, and has to stay in a bear form during the day. Even though he still has his knowledge, he lost all of his precious magic abilities along with his friends... He can't forgive the Goddess for it... He was so lost with hatred that even Kristell's love couldn't soothe him... The reason why he left Kristell, because he felt to be a burden to her... She went through the trouble of betraying her own people to learn about love, and he didn't want to give her any more trouble...

Tarlach tells me he wants to show who the Goddess really is and make his master, Mores, pay for his betrayal.

After all that, I decide to talk with Duncan about Morrighan's Betrayal, but he tells me that it could not possibly be Morrighan and needs time to think about it. He also tells me that the reason for Mores trying to save the trio might have been also for Mari, as she was actually his daughter - Mari Gwydion. He also says that Mari was sent to him by a pair of white and brown deers when she was a baby, and it had a letter from her mother, Shiela, saying that Mari's memories about her parents had been erased, to protect her. And it also mentioned an item in which Shiela bind Mari's memories and her own last memories before she died, and it was meant for Mari to use it in Math Dungeon to recover her memories and learn the truth. Duncan then, gives me the item and tells me to see those memories myself.

I offer the Torque ring on Math dungeon altar, and it shows me the same thing as I saw with the torque ring Kristell gave me... Mores in a dungeon, looking for his wife Shiela, but... this time I see it from the point of view of the ghost of Shiela, who was desperately following Mores and trying to call out to him. When the exchange with the Dark Lord and the Goddess occurs, Shiela is the only one who notices that the Goddess of Revenge, in the chamber is not really Morrighan, but Cichol. Futilely, she tries to tell Mores but is unable to. Mores sides with who I now know as Cichol.

I go back to Duncan and tell him everything I saw. He tells me Cichol is one of the gods of the Fomors, and he's the one who brought Glas Ghaibhleann to Erinn, and also who brought Cromm Cruaich to the field, during one of the past wars. He also now believes that Cichol petrified Morrighan, when she was creating the stone barriers to seal the Fomor inside the Rath, Cichol petrified and took her to Tir Nag Nog, which the Fomor had conquered as a prisoner, and proceeded to disguise himself as Morrighan to rally the forces of evil, and Mores. He also says that no doubt, it must be the real Morrighan who sent me that message through the dream and urges me to go save her.

I go to Tarlach to tell him everything I learned, and he reacts as expected. He gets very upset with himself for not thinking of this and angry at Cichol for deceving not only him, but also his master, Mores. He changes the way he sees the Goddess and asks me to rescue her from Cichol.

On that night, another unexpected dream comes.

- "Help me..."
- "Can anyone hear me... ? Anyone?"

The Goddess calls out to me.

- "The monster of destruction... Glas Ghaibhleann..."
- "will soon be resurrected..."

- "The Adamantium required for resurrection have been ready for a long time now..."

- "...The Sample is almost complete as well."
- "We won't have to wait much longer..."

- "Once the Avatar of Destruction has life injected into it..."
- "Erinn will have seen its last days..."

- "Please come and defeat the Glas Ghaibhleann..."
- "Save me... from this place..."

- "This Pendant... Here... The door...The key... Hurry..."

Morrighan reappears to me, urgently asking me to hurry, and gives me the Pendant of the Goddess. When I tell Duncan, in the next day, about this dream, he becomes determined to help me to get to Tir Na Nog. He also warns me that Magic doesn't work against Glas Ghaibhleann and suggests I ask Kristell how to reach Tir Nag Nog. When I ask her, she demands proof that I can demonstrate strength and bravery. I think she's just worried about me and what could happen. After triumphing over strong monsters such as Golems, Ogres, or Bears, therefore proving my worth, she gives me the Black Fomor Pass.

On that night, yet another unexpected dream comes.

- ...Hello there... the one living for the divine will of Morrighan...
Hurry... There is not much time...
I have begun to see Erinn rising in flames...

- They have already used metal from your world
and created the skeletal frame for the giant that is about to descend from the other world...
...and the long-awaited summoning of the creature
is in its final stages.

- My body is bound by the powers of the five magic stones...
I do not have the power to halt the resurrection of Glas Ghaibhleann...
I need your help ...

- ...If the seal of the other world is
what's stopping you from doing so... then
You will need three warriors...
All three shall possess abilities and strength that are on par with yours...

- Form a party of three.
Become the leader,
and break the seal that leads to the other world...

- Please stop the resurrection of Glas Ghaibhleann....
Break the seal of the five magic stones that is binding me...
There is no time... The end is near...

...Please hurry..."

I meet Morrighan again, and she reveals three things: she is slowly losing her control, Glas Ghaibhleann is nearing the finishing stages, and that she can see Erinn burning. She says that if what is stopping me is the Seal of Another World, I should find two others who are of equal strength in order to help me cross over.

I offer the Black Fomor Pass on the Altar of Barri Dungeon. It is a relatively unguarded dungeon and when I clear out the boss room, I find a gate sealed with chains, and I break the seal. When I go through it I see a path that connects Erinn and Another World. Another World looks JUST like Erinn but at the same time is basically everything that Erinn is not. After wandering a while, I discover a resident: Dougal, who looks strangely familiar. More importantly, he is willing to help me my crusade against Cichol. He wants me to kill 10 zombies to test his theory on the Added Soul Phenomenon, which helps him find a way to bind our souls to this place so that we can revive near him if we are ever knocked out. He gives me a green gem after, which I drop at altar of Albey Dungeon. The Dungeon in this place lacks statues so only my friends can revive me. After clearing the dungeon, I find a strange Black Orb and drop it in the same altar.

We set about freeing the Goddess, destroying everything in our path, and with much difficulty I destroy the final seal of Albey dungeon, freeing Morrighan. Problem is, she tells me that she has little to no power left, which means I'm alone against the god of the Fomors. Good thing I've brought reliable friends.

Once I reveal to Dougal exactly what I'm about to do next, and give him the Goddess' Pendant, he tells me his own surprises. He explains that he is Glas Ghaibhleann, more specifically the Added Soul that appeared when the body was summoned without the will, and he was attached to the original Dougal's body. He makes clear his dislike of the weakness of his host body, and the fact that his real body is being controlled against his will. He asks me to defeat his body so that he can be free. Once I agree, he gives the Goddess' Pendant back, bound.

I offer this Pendant on the altar of Albey, and along with two others, I journey to the end of the dungeon to end it all.

The sixth floor reveals the Dark Lord, who blocks our path and tells me that he will defeat us in the name of the Goddess. However, he is defeated surprisingly quickly, as if he let us win. He then tells me that the Glas Ghaibhleann is finished and he vanishes. Morrighan, who I now know as Cichol, and Mores show up and tells us that it is finished and that we will be the first victims of the beast.

Glas Ghaibhleann is set free!

It heals very quickly, shrugging off wounds. While arrows do noticeable damage, we haven't brought nearly enough to kill the beast. And to top it all off, he keeps summoning Light Gargoyles that gang up on us. However, focusing on the Light Gargoyles turned out for the best - they kept scrolls that were still suppressing Morrighan's power! I immediately light a small fire from what we could find, and burn them, hoping the goddess will be able to help now. She does. She temporarily grants me Invulnerability and the ability to grievously wound Glas Ghaibhleann, even with magic attacks. With these new powers, me and my friends whittle its health down until it screams in agony and falls. After its defeat, Cichol and Mores show up once again, and Cichol (still in Morrighan's form) snickers at the defeat of Glas Ghaibhleann, and then reveals himself after Mores finally figures it out. Mores' anger peaks when the Glas Ghaibhleann's body explodes, causing a massive dimensional rift to form. This rift allows Fomors to travel into Erinn, ignoring Goddess Statues which were built at all dungeons to stop this kind of escape. Cichol had planned this all along. He had never intended to set Glas Ghaibhleann upon Erinn at all, which means he had been several steps ahead of Mores.

Mores engages Cichol in battle, but loses spectacularly. He tries to protect me from Cichol's overwhelming power and is subsequently killed. Cichol proceeds to try and kill me again, but then something happens:

“	I order you in the name of the Goddess. Stop.	„
—Morrighan

Morrighan, at the last second, steps in and stops him from doing the deed. The gods argue about the will of Aton Cimeni, but ultimately parts way without ever seeing eye to eye. Cichol vanishes, and Morrighan tells me that Erinn is now in even greater peril than before. She also tells me she had Nao, who she reveals to be Mari reborn, bring me to Erinn to stop the destruction of Erinn. Her parting words are that I must become a Knight of Light... and then she sends me back to Tir Chonaill, to recuperate, if only for a moment.

Paladin

This covers events from Generation 2: Paladin

Paladin

A year has passed since that episode where I saw not one, but TWO Gods in the same place, and both arguing about the will of Aton Cimeni... and of course, after I fought a really big beast: Glas Ghaibhleann - in spite of it being on a really weakened state thanks to Mores, it was still quite difficult and I don't think I would have been even able to defeat it if it wasn't for my friends who helped me. I've been exploring more of this continent - Uladh, and I've discovered a really beautiful city just west of Dunbarton - Emain Macha - a city built around a big river, with a fine culture. There's a big music stage, near the town square which is has a really beautiful lake view, a big cathedral where they realize wedding too, an observatory where you can see the entire town!, a restaurant by the lake!, a Royal Castle, man... I could live here for sure, but I don't think I can even afford a place in this town.

As you can probably imagine, I'm still staying at the Inn of Tir Chonail, but I do visit Emain Macha whenever I get a chance to, but during one of my nights in Tir, the Goddess sent me another message through a dream:

-" Hello...? Can you hear me...?
Wanga, can you hear me...?

The power of the Fomors
that is spreading from the other world to here in Erinn is getting stronger and stronger.
The Dark Lord is slowly expanding his territory.

At this rate
it won't be long until
the Fomors take over the blessed land of Erinn.

Wanga... Please follow the path to the Knight of Light.
Please protect Erinn.

Remember...
The path of the Knight of Light...
It's the road of perseverance and self-discipline...

...Go to Emain Macha.
Emain Macha is the sanctuary of the Knights of Light.
It's the meeting place of those who will protect Erinn from the Fomors...
Find that path in Emain Macha.

Your name represents the hope of Erinn...
If you don't gain the power to protect humanity 
while Cichol is charging his power, Erinn's future is doomed...

Please....
Go to Emain Macha.
And become a Knight of Light.

I'm always looking over you.
Always...

- The Path of the Knight of Light...

- Morrighan... I'm sorry for ever doubting your intentions... you really want to protect Erinn. I wish I knew what you mean by "The Path of the Knight of Light...". I guess my answers will be found in Emain Macha then. I only hope I'm the right person for this job.

So I set foot to Emain Macha once again, only this time I'm on an errand from the Goddess! I ask around the citizens of this city and whenever I mention Knight of Light they tell it means Paladin, and refer me to Craig, who is located at the Paladin Training Grounds, just northwest of the city. When I reach him, he tells me that I need the Lord's admission in order to train as a Paladin. So I go to the Castle of Emain Macha and talk with Lord Rian, but Esras - who seems to be his adviser - interrupts me stating that Lord Rian is in no condition to deal with that type of business for now and gives me The Lord's Invitation herself. I show it to Craig right away. Craig takes the document and gives me a training dungeon pass for Barri.

I enter Barri dungeon to start my training, but as I progress through the dungeon, I get these visions of Ruairi and a girl I've never seen before, Triona. They seem to be under the care of a Dark Knight by the name of Morgant. - Ruairi is alive?! Maybe its just my imagination... I continue with my training, but I get another vision of Morgant revealing himself as Dark Lord and Ruairi immediately tries to strike him but is too weak to do any damage to Morgant, who in return, tells him he doesn't want to fight but Ruairi can't return to the world of humans. And as I'm about to finish my training I get another vision where Ruairi begins to leave, to return to the human world. Triona begs him not to leave, telling that she cares for him too much, but Ruairi, driven by rage, tells her to back off. She grows sad and lets him leave, but Ruairi apologizes silently and walks away.

I report to Craig about my training, but I never mention anything about my visions - I decide to keep those for myself for now. Craig tells me about a very dangerous fomor seen in Math dungeon, a Doppelganger that looks like a human, and it must be defeated. He sends me and other paladin trainees to defeat it. As we progress through the dungeon, I begin to recognize some places from my visions and we actually see that girl, Triona. The paladin trainees, who are eager to fight and tired of beating up kobolds, surround Triona and she screams - I hesitate but I end up following them just in case. On hearing her scream, Ruairi rushes back and easily defeats us. Esras then appears with Rian and threatens to kill Triona. Ruairi tries to reason with her, and it is revealed that Rian is Ruairi's brother. Esras labels Ruairi as the Doppelganger that is trying to impersonate the Lord; she orders the paladin trainees to attack him. At the last second, Morgant appears and defeats the paladin trainees, saving Ruairi's and Triona's lives. He vanishes with them, Triona being injured in the struggle.

- Is this really what a "Knight of Light" is? Someone who just blindly attacks an "enemy" who can't even defend themselves... just because someone labeled them Fomor... I don't think this is "Path of Light", or at least it shouldn't be!

Back at the Paladin Training Grounds, I talk with Craig, telling him I'm quitting the paladin training sessions and Craig assumes the reason is because I was traumatized by witnessing the event, and he's not wrong, as I start to question the paladins. That event changed my view of Emain Macha a little bit.

It is evening and as I'm far from Tir Chonail, I set up a camp near Dunbarton to spend the night. - the Goddess herself is looking for me right? Nothing bad should happen...

On that night, the Goddess send me another message in my dream:

 - "Wanga... can you hear me...?
Are you looking for the path... The path of the Knight of Light...?

...There's no time...
I can't stop the power of Cichol all by myself... 
But Morgant... I can tell his power is continually growing...

Wanga... do not be discouraged and continue to find the path...
The path of the Knight of Light is still in Emain Macha...
Lugh... Find Lugh, the Knight of Light...

Don't forget.
You'll need much perseverance and sacrifice
to walk the path of becoming the Knight of Light...

Your desire to follow after Lugh, the Knight of Light
will lead you to become a Knight of Light...

Hang in there... I believe in you..."

- Lugh...

The Goddess mentioned a heroic knight named "Lugh" who was once the Knight of Light, and tells me to go back to Emain Macha... so I go and to Nele, a bard in the Emain Macha town square, and ask him about it. He tells me about a knight named Redire, and that I should ask the Wandering Merchant named Price about this man. I search everywhere for Price and finally find him not so far from Bangor. I tell Price about it and he tells me that Redire was his good friend. He gives me an old cloth to drop on the Fiodh Dungeon altar. After entering the dungeon and clearing a few rooms, I find Ghost of a White Knight. - is that Lugh? I talk to Price again and, when I mention that ghost, he tells me of Redire's demise. I ask Craig about "Redire's Demise" and he tells me something about Paladin and Dark Knight. I go to Price again and ask him about "Paladin and Dark Knight" and he gives me an note that I'm supposed to give Aeira.

I find Aeira at the Dunbarton Book Store, give her Price's note and she gives me a book called "Food for the soul for true good deeds". I read the book and find a really interesting story about helping others, and then I return the book to Aeira. I think I see why Price sent me to read that. So I decide to do Good Deeds and look for people in need of help around the town of Emain Macha, till I find a beggar near the square. I give him 1,000 gold and he "blesses" me. Then I go see Delen, who's looking for a boyfriend, but when I show her Galvin she just quits on the idea... - sorry man! - Then, I go talk with Aodhan to see if he could use a hand, and he asks me to help him convince Aranwen to rejoin their ranks and become a teacher for the town guards. But Aranwen refuses, even after Aodhan being persistent about it.

Aranwen tells me about her past, and how she failed to fulfill her duty as a towns-guard to be with a man she loved... she can't forgive herself to this day. At the night of the Tragedy of Emain Macha, she left her post because she received a letter from Redire, who wanted to meet her. While they were both off their posts, chaos began at the town. The Dark Lord had invaded Emain Macha, searching for his daughter who was held prisoner by the Paladins. I also learned that Redire became a prisoner, for injuring Lord Rian, during that night.

With all these events, I begin to question myself... Redire was a man of many feats, and still ended up like that? What did he achieve as a Paladin? What does it mean to be a Paladin? Paladins are known to be protectors...

- Protect... who... for what...?

- Am I... capable of being a Paladin?

- "Wanga

Can't you see the path for the Knight of Light...?
Believe in yourself.
The road you are taking is the road to becoming the Knight of Light....
However, there is still a long way to go.

Wanga
You have witnessed the real Paladin at Fiodh Forest. The Knight of Light.
The reason you still remember that is...
because of a spirit... a blessing from the spirit...

Wanga...
Look for Tarlach, a druid at Sidhe Sneachta.
Ask him what you have witnessed in Fiodh Dungeon.

He is an outstanding Druid...
He can help you become a Knight of Light with his knowledge of spirits.

I'll always pray for you...
Do not give up, Wanga..."

The Goddess sent me yet another message, suggesting I should look for Tarlach, and I do so. When I talk to Aer, she asks if anyone thinks she is an Ideal person to be with. To answer that, I start a research around the towns, doing interviews to know everyone's "Ideal Types", and when I ask Nele, he says it's me... - WHAA?!! But quickly explains he's just joking and that he really likes the water spirit on Ceo island. I tell Aer about this, and she tells me he must be lying because every human throws stones at her, and he did too, and that she wants to know why. When I talk to Nele he quickly explains he didn't know that when he threw the stone in the water, it hurt her feelings and gives me a poem he wrote to deliver to her. When I do it, Nele comes and sings a beautiful song to her, and she tell me that I have the spirit's help and that I must build my own Paladin armor and gives me a letter. So, the reason Aer is self-conscious of herself and very flighty is because she thinks people hate her and that's why they throw rocks at the water, meaning they throw rocks at her. What she doesn't know is that humans throw rocks in the water because they think that brings them good luck.

I set my next goal to build the Paladin armor, and so I seek help from the best blacksmith I know, Edern, and go straight to Bangor. When I talk to Edern about it, he takes the letter and gives me a Mythril Pass for Barri Dungeon so that I can mine mythril for my armor. Edern also tells me that even for a master like himself, blacksmithing with Mythril is very hard work. He will asks me to give him a Blueprint from Goibne, who was once the greatest blacksmith in Erinn and why he became a blacksmith in the first place. After getting the blueprint from the dungeon, he crafts it and gives me the armor. Now I just need to get the blessing from the spirit, so I return to Aer. She blesses the Mythril Armor and tells me to offer it at the Ciar dungeon altar to get the blessing of nature, where I journey as a White Wolf. In order to gain the blessing of Nature for my armor, I defeat the Giant White Wolf in the end, and learn about "Spirit of Order".

Price seems to have found something important, and wants to talk about it. He gives me a book of letters that can't be read as it seems to be protected by some magic, and asks me to help uncover it. So I take it to Lassar, who then lifts the spell. I take it back to Price and we read its content:

Letters in Esras' letter box

---The preparation for the revolt is now complete. Give me a word on it, and I'll set off a rumor to the Goblins and Kobolds that the baby in Math Dungeon has been kidnapped by the army from Emain Macha. Also want to know how the lord is doing these days. -Your servant, Colbha

---Good. I praise your singular effort. Ruairi seems to be MIA while searching for Tir Na Nog, and Rian is completely dependent on me. As for the lord... his health is right where we expected. ...he will pass away shortly. Now, with the chaos created, I will one day take over the rein. Wait for that day to come. -Esras P.S. Watch out for the opposing forces within the guards.

---Here's alerting you that on the first day of Samhain, they will rise in revolt. Everything is as planned. -Waiting for that day to come, Colbha

---Okay. I'm worried about one thing though. Find a way to remove Redire from the day of revolt. If he remains in Emain Macha during the day of revolt, a lot of things may go wrong. -Esras

---Alright. I will let you know as soon as we figure out a way for this. -Always faithful, Colbha

---I am hearing a word that Redire is having a fling with Aranwen, a female Paladin who's in charge of security at the northern region. If we use this wisely, we'll be able to make this work in our favor. -Always yours, Colbha

---Anything that'll prevent Redire from going near Emain Macha on the day of revolt, I am all for it. But if the process ends up like last time in Math Dungeon, where it worked as an order from the top, then that won't work. Make sure to make it look like Redire has to take the blame for this. I expect you to take care of the aftermath. -Esras

---Alright. Just let me handle this. I'll contact you separately once everything's worked out. -Yours, Colbha

---I sent a letter to Redire forging Aranwen's handwritings, and I also sent a letter to Aranwen forging Redire's handwritings. It should arrive there right around the day of revolt. It had been a while since I wrote an emotional letter addressing the love between a man and a woman, so I had a hard time writing them out. The two will meet at Gairech hills under the red tree. Should I take care of both while there? That would really simplify the matters. -Truly yours, Colbha

---I also dug up some things on that Paladin, Aranwen. She seems to be highly respected in combat abilities, so if this does not work out, we may be in for a serious trouble. Let's just drag the two out of Emain Macha that day. This may now be much easier to pull off. -Esras

---Got it. Everything is ready for the revolt. Just in case... Are our letters... being kept somewhere? I think it's better for both of us to destroy them... -Colbha

---Don't worry about it, and just take care of the business. Even if you decide to destroy them, do so after I take over the reins. ...the letters I've received from you will be covered up in magic, so the letters will be unreadable. Need not worry about it. I prefer that we cease exchanging letters until the day of revolt. -Esras

Price reveals himself as Redire and tells me about the night of the Tragedy of Emain Macha. The Dark Lord had invaded Emain Macha searching for his daughter, whom was taken captive by Redire who was obeying orders. Dark Lord and Redire end up fighting, but Redire's sword is cut off and is sent flying, hitting Lord Rian in the process, which led to a serious injury. Esras took the child, sent her to the Dark Knight and ordered the guards to arrest Redire for injuring Lord Rian. Redire learned not to trust Esras and managed to escape his prison, and since then he hid his identity behind the name of Price, a Wandering Merchant, so he could investigate on the events of that day. Redire was presumed dead by the citizens of Emain Macha, and seen as a hero of that night.

Price, who I now know as Redire, gives me a potion and requests me to help him find out what kind of potion it is. So I take it to Dilys at Tir Chonaill, who tells me it is a very dangerous potion that is mixed using a Fomor Scroll. It has the ability to re-animate dead bodies and put the person under control of the person who used it. She takes it from me because of how dangerous it is. Price suggests that Esras might have used this on all of her servants and is a very dangerous foe. Price also has a book that he thinks is written in Fomor language, and that "word on the street" says I know someone who can translate this book. I ask Kristell to translate it. She tells me that the book is about a Guardian of Ancient Wisdom named Tabhartas.

Seumas at the Dragon Statue in Gairech tells me about the golems: Golems were created by Human magic. They were used in the Mag Tuireadh war to combat the Fomors, and when the war ended, they disposed of the golems by stuffing them all on Ceo Island, hence its massive golem population. Price suggests talking to James at the Emain Macha Cathedral. It is revealed that James isn't a priest but is actually a Royal Investigator sent to keep tabs on Esras. He gives me "Priest James' Record" to give to Price. It explains everything about Esras and seals the deal that Esras must be taken out immediately.

James, in his record, talks about how people have to pay for the training to become paladins. This means only the rich folk could train and the poorer folk, the ones with the fiery passion for justice, could not become paladins. The reason we killed so many Kobold Miners in the paladin training sessions was because Esras was trying to harvest gold. The gold is being used to summon Tabhartas, and my donation helped it as well. No one knows of this, nor do they know that Rian is simply her puppet now, and that she is in full control of Emain Macha.

Craig wants to talk to me about Rian. He says that he doesn't look good and wants me to distract Esras so he can bring a healer to check on him. When I go to the Throne Room in the Emain Macha keep, I confront Esras and she tells me that Rian is not here, and that she is preparing to take over Emain Macha. Price also comes in to confront Esras and tells her that she will be stopped. We all go to Barri Dungeon. When I reach the boss room, I see Price in a heated argument with Esras and I see a Golem behind her: it is Tabhartas. Price demands to know where Rian is and she tells him he is gone and then unleashes the golem on him. Price is wounded during the scuffle. Esras laughs at this scene, and orders Tabhartas to finish him off. But before Tabhartas can crush Price, I dash in at the very last second and hold the golem's foot back; however, I strain under the weight. Esras comments on my foolishness, but is impressed with my strength. Before Tabhartas can deal its final blow, the Spirit of Order awakens within me and I take on the form of the fabled Paladin, the Knight of Light. Price and Esras are dumbfounded at this new turn of events. Esras orders Tabhartas to destroy me, but with my newfound power, I easily overpower the golem and Esras is shocked to the core.

While standing over the ruins of her Golem, Ruairi and Morgant appear. Morgant strikes at the Golem's body and Rian's body appears from it, and he mentions that it was a human sacrifice that brought the golem to life. Ruairi demands to know who was responsible for his brothers death, and Esras immediately points the finger at me. Ruairi vows revenge against me, and will remember my name. Ruairi and Morgant leave.

Now knowing that a human sacrifice was used, it is revealed that Esras is a Necromancer, not a Druid, and Price says that I must defeat her quickly. Esras finally reveals her true intentions: she believes she can take over all of Erinn. I overpower her and her summoned skeletons, and she vanishes in a dark cloud, gone for good. Morrighan appears and congratulates me for becoming a Paladin and stopping Esras from achieving her evil deeds. She is sorry that Ruairi could not be helped, but says that I must prepare, because Cichol will be sending his Dark Knights into Erinn soon, and that I must battle against them and protect Erinn.

Dark Knight

This covers events from Generation 3: Dark Knight

Dark Knight

A year has passed, and it's still hard for me to believe that I actually became the Knight of Light. I've been training myself to get stronger, ever since the events in Emain Macha. Fighting Tabhartas showed me how weak I am - I only survived it thanks to the Mythril Armor of Paladin that granted me strength. I still remember that horrible fight with Glas Ghaibhleann... I really need to get stronger if I'm to face dangers like those again. I also noticed, the stronger I get, the more evolved my Mythril Armor becomes; another reason for my training. So I've been learning new skills from Aranwen and Ranald, and I've been taking extra training with the sword and learning more archery, magic and a bit of life skills too.

I managed to buy a homestead land in Uladh, so I don't have to sleep at Inns now. In one of my nights, I get another dream from the Goddess.

-"Can you... hear me...?
Wanga... do you hear me...?

Erinn... Erinn... she's in trouble...
The seal... is breaking apart...
The seal that connects Erinn to the Other World...

If this continues...
the army of Cichol will... reach Erinn soon...

Please help us...
Tarlach... please tell Tarlach about this...
...Please protect Erinn..."

Morrighan explains that her powers are not enough to keep Cichol from sending fomors into the Human world.

I go to Sidhe Sneachta at night and talk to Tarlach about it. He tells me to investigate a broken statue at Barri Dungeon. I purchase a Special Dungeon pass from Gilmore and go to Barri Dungeon. After finishing the dungeon, I appear in Bangor of Another World, a place similar to where I was when I was trying to save the Goddess before meeting Glas Ghaibhleann, but this place is uninhabited except for a Kobold named Morc and the Dungeon, Baol, similar to Barri, is filled with molten lava and monsters that harbor unimaginable power.

Once I reach this place, the desolation and silence sets in, and I get a vision. It seems to be memories of Ruairi, where he overheard his father talking to Esras about how Ruairi can't be the next Lord of Emain Macha because he has a different fate already, and it would doom Emain Macha if he became the Lord, thanks to his "fate". Esras asks if it is because of "that contract" and comments on how she didn't know the children would inherit the father's sins. Ruairi questions his father silently, and wakes up to find Triona worried about him having a nightmare. She thinks he is too worried about the upcoming cerimony and tells him to rest again. Triona then asks Ruairi to tell her about his father, but he says she should sleep too.

Bangor of Another World is a place the fomors destroyed, and those who didn't run were soon killed. I make your way to the Dragon Statue in the deformed Gairech Hill and talk to Morc. He tells me that bad things are happening and that the Goddess of Destruction, Macha, will soon awake. I then have yet another vision, this time Ruairi has been made a Dark Knight, and is given an army made of ghost armors. He recalls the time Morgant gave him his sword, and he learned Morgant is actually Lugh, the Knight of Light who was the whole reason Ruairi wanted to become a Paladin as well, to follow his footsteps. Morgant tells Ruairi that all of those storied about Lugh, are just songs of praise for a heroic story that doesn't really matter. Back at the cerimony, Cichol officially welcomes Ruairi to the rank of Dark Knight.

I return to Tarlach and he gives me a book to place notes in, and I must talk to everyone in Emain Macha for the notes. They tell me of the namesake of Emain Macha and what they think Macha is. After finishing the book, I talk to Tarlach again and he sends me to Wyllow. Wyllow knows that I have become the Knight of Light, and tells me about statues of the Goddess in all dungeons of Uladh being broken and asks for my help in aiding the Church fix them. Aodhan gives me a dungeon pass for Coil, and I take James with me to that dungeon. James fixes the statue at the end when I finish. Aodhan gives other passes and I finish Rundal and Peaca dungeon by doing the same steps. James fixes all of the statues near the Emain Macha region, thus safekeeping it from Fomor attack. Comgan in Bangor, redirects me to Seumas, who gives me passes for Barri and Fiodh Dungeons. Comgan fixes the statues as I finish the dungeons.

During the course of this Priest Requests, I get a vision where Comgan, Riocard and Jennifer enter Barri dungeon to inspect a broken statue. I notice that Price is running from a bunch of goblins, entering from within the dungeon rather than from the entrance. All the goblins, once seen again, are knocked out. I also have a vision in Math dungeon. Ruairi and his Ghost Armor troop fight with Craig and his paladins and easily defeat them. Ruairi then calls out my name and wonders where I am - his "blade" would like to "meet me".

I talk to Kristell next and she refers me to Eavan, who gives me the passes for Math and Rabbie. Kristell fixes the statues. Meven calls for me next and directs me to Trefor to get the dungeon passes. Endelyon fixes the statues in Ciar and Alby. When I go into Alby Dungeon and defeat the boss, Ruairi appears and surrounds me with his ghost soldiers. He strikes at me in a hate filled rage, leaving me at a grave disadvantage. He then hits me a few more times, when Cichol shows up and asks why it is taking so long, and says it's best to 'kill them when they are young'. He tries to kill me himself, but Price appears and winks. Cichol acts surprised: "What?! Who are you?". Price responds with "My friend here has work to do, so you shouldn't do this, I'll be taking him from here". Price then transports us to Sen Mag Plains, and Ruairi asks if he should chase me. Cichol says it's not worth it.

Price mentions "Dorca Feadhain". I talk to Eavan about it, then Tarlach, and finally Meven. They explain that Dorca Feadhain is the name of the army of darkness that Macha fuels. She gives them the power of darkness, they are the most dangerous of the Fomor forces - Dark Knights, and Ruairi is in command of them. Ruairi is now a Dark Knight, and thinks the Goddess has given up on him and his words fall on deaf ears when he thinks of her. He joined with Cichol and has developed a sort of relationship with Triona, Morgant's daughter. At this point, I have told Tarlach of how Ruairi became a Dark Knight, and how he isn't dead like Tarlach thought. I also tell him that Mari, too, is not dead but is actually Nao, the Guide of the Soul Stream and that she helped me come here. I tell him that I'm the Knight of Light, and I also ask him about Milletians. Tarlach requests me to see Nao, and the only way to do this is to create the Holy Potion of Lymilark, and I talk to Duncan about it. Duncan creates the Holy Potion of Lymilark, and I deliver it to Tarlach - who, in my absence, uses it to meet with Nao.

Later, James, the priest in Emain Macha, talks to me about a few things he discovered, which leads me to Kristell, Duncan, and then back to him. I learn about Lia Fail - a method used to revive the Goddess of Destruction, Macha, and I'm requested to further investigate about it, and if possible destroy it. I get a vision where Triona and Ruairi are in Barri Dungeon. Triona talks to Ruairi about how she's not afraid to accept her destiny, and Ruairi talks about how he wanted to be accepted by his father. After Ruairi walks away, she says to herself that she wants to be Ruairi's, she wants to be held in his arms no matter what woman she becomes. Triona is actually Macha, and Cichol wants to awaken her, but this process would end Triona.

Eavan gives me an unknown scroll, which Muro - the friendly fomor in Ceo island - takes in exchange for a special pass that will allow me to reach Lia Fail. Unfortunately the pass is damaged, so I go to Tarlach in hopes he can restore it. Tarlach takes the pass, but tells me it would take him some time to restore it. He also suggests I wear an Anti-Fomor Robe, as it will help me sneak among Fomors without being detected. He gives me a special Barri Dungeon Pass, to reach that world again, and a special cloth fabric that I take to Eavan, to tailor it into a robe.

Eavan worries about me... About how I go through all of those troubles, for the sake of Erinn... she worries I carry the fate of this world on my shoulders, and that can be dangerous. She doesn't agree with me going to Baol Dungeon and destroy Lia Fail... she cares too much about me to agree with it. So I go back to Tarlach, as he said he was looking into information about Milletians, and I take his record to Eavan, in hopes that maybe if she reads the record, she'll worry less about me - since I already noticed that as a Milletian, I'm never in a REAL danger of death, thanks to the soul stream... even though, in that world, my link to the soul stream is thin - and she takes the record, after insisting that making a big sacrifice for the sake of others, may often end up being a meaningless act as many heroic actions can easily be taken for granted by everyone.

According to the Tarlach's Record, Milletian literally means "from the stars". Milletians do not know death, cannot be killed, and live in a different plane of time other than the Tuatha de Danaans. Tarlach recommends that they seek the help of Milletians in the fight against the Fomors. He explains that the Knight of Light has returned and is also a Milletian, brought by the Soul Stream Guide named Nao.

Eavan gives me the Anti-Fomor Robe afterwards, and I go back to Tarlach so get the restored pass that will lead me to Lia Fail. I head to Baol Dungeon by going through the Barri Dungeon with the special pass Tarlach gave me. The robe uses the powers of Imbolic, a holy day, to keep fomors from seeing me; all except the Hellhounds, they can sniff me out. If they do, I'm dead. When I make my way through the dungeon, I approach the Lia Fail and attempt to destroy it, however, it fails and I'm confronted by Morgant and his Ghost Armor troop. He tells me what I destroyed wasn't really Lia Fail, but a barried to "Cromm Cruaich". He then attempts to seize me, but Kristell comes in and saves me. He points out immediately that she is the "Ultimate Traitor of the Fomors" and she deserves nothing but death. I lose my robe during the fight and Kristell takes me back to Dunbarton.

I thank Kristell, and seek Seumas, who is excavating a dragon ruin statue near Bangor, to learn more about Cromm Cruaich. He tells me about a dragon, who was summoned by the fomors, during the second battle of Mag Tuireadh. I then talk with Eavan, and she tells me a little bit of her past and gives me a bookmark. I take that bookmark to the Library at Dunbarton, where I see a Crystal Ball, which is said to let you relive some of your memories. I use it, while holding Eavan's bookmark.

Eavan's memory

So her father also....
Does she have relatives...?
I heard she has a mother, but... if she couldn't show up for the funeral, then...
Oh no... (sigh)...
Even her father... that was way too reckless of him...
Shhhh... She could have heard you...

(Eavan at the funeral, recalling her father)

By the way, what's that...?
Wow, dad. I really love this book!

You really like it like that?

Yes, thanks a lot, dad!!

After you finish reading, promise me to tell me what the book is all about, okay? Hahaha...

Yes, I will!

... I love you, princess.

(Later that day, the Tragedy of Emain Macha)

Eavan... Hide here. Daddy will help others first and come back.

No, daddy! Don't go!!! Stay with me dad!!
... I don't want to lose you, daddy!!!

Eavan, family is important for everyone... if something happens to you or your mom...
...I won't ever forgive myself for that. It'll be the same... for everyone else, too.
... Daddy does this because... I love protecting other people.

Dad...

After I come back, promise me... to tell me the story from the book, okay?

... Daddy... .

... I love you, princess.

(Later, that day)

(sniff)... (sniff)...

Pssh, you don't even have a father. What's with the attitude?

No... My daddy passed away fighting the Fomors. He helped others escape!!!

Liar! Who dies for other people?! That's just stupid. Right?

Of course! Who does that these days?

Hahh!!

(They take her book)

Hey!! Give it back!!!

Hahaha, come and get it!! Here, here!!

Nooo... noooo!
Nooooo!!!!!!

(Back at the funeral)

Dad... is making a sacrifice...
as valuable as... you said it was...?
Can nothing be saved... without any sacrifice...?
... People quickly forget those that sacrificed for others.
They don't even take time to thank you.
... I don't want to believe it. But... but then...
Please answer me, daddy...

Eavan must have gone through a lot... I see why she was insisting on how people take sacrifices for granted...

I go back to Eavan, after experiencing her memory, and asure her that I'll come back to her, safe... She then gives me a ring, and talks to me about protection charms. I'm supposed to make a charm with that ring, so I go to Stewart, who probably knows how to do that. Stewart explains me that protective charms are meant to protect a loved person, by using a valuable object from the person who loved them - the object must be something really special and valuable to them, like a ring they always wear. It is said that, if something terrible is to happen to the person wearing the protection charm, the event will happen to the original owner of the object instead - which is why, someone making you a protection charm should tell you how much they care for you... Stewart even tells me I should treasure that person, and he jokes about his envy for me having someone who cares for me that much...

I never imagined Eavan would do this for me. I thank Stewart and take the charm, and show it to Eavan, who actually supports my decision this time, and cheers me up to go and prevent Macha's revival. Later that day, at evening, the Goddess sends me another dream.

-"Wanga...

Wanga... 
Can you... hear me...?

Wanga...
Cichol's seal is starting to suffocate me again...
It's trying to link the two worlds together...

I am focusing all of my energy on blocking the path
between Erinn and the Other World...
I do not have enough strength to break out of the seal...

If I get sealed up...
and Macha resurrects...

Macha is much more powerful than I am...
Erinn will be engulfed in a flame of destruction...

The only thing holding Macha back from resurrecting right now is time...
Please help us, Wanga...

Before she resurrects...
before she brings the God of utter destruction...

Please prevent the reawakening of Macha and help me...

Please stop the resurrection of Macha..."

The Goddess tells me she's been sealed again, by Cichol, and can't help me... she also asks me to stop the resurrection of Macha!

I go to Tarlach, who gives me Barri Dungeon pass for Bangor of Another World, and a Baol Dungeon pass to reach Lia Fail. I proceed to Barri, reach the other world, enter Baol Dungeon and prepare for a hell of a fight to get to the end and stop the destruction of Erinn. Once I finally reach the boss chamber, I face Ruairi and Morgant. They easily defeat me and I am, then, forced to the edge of the floor and Morgant approaches me, to seize me. However, Tarlach and Nao show up near me and Ruairi is shocked to see his friends are still alive. Tarlach tries to explain to Ruairi that Cichol is really evil, that he is just using him, but Ruairi insists that he's gone too far to go back now. Cichol appeares, rushing Ruairi to look at the "big picture" and ignore his old friends. Nao tells Ruairi that Cichol is doing the exact same thing Esras did with his brother, but using Triona instead, to summon the Dragon. Cichol tries to attack Tarlach, but he casts a powerful mana shield, and Ruairi rushes to destroy Lia Fail, and falls with the explosion. Cichol curses at Ruairi for destroying it and launches another attack to Tarlach, but Ruairi stands up and strikes his blade at Cichol. Tarlach calls out to Ruairi, warning he can't face Cichol all by himself, but Ruairi insists that we run away as he buys some time to protect us, and continues his attack on Cichol. Morrighan appears in a shower of light and feathers, and tells Tarlach to run away, thanking him for freeing her from the seal by granting him some power. Ruairi is surprised by Morrighan's sudden arrival and is hit by Cichol, but he tries to counter, when Cichol lands a lethal strike on him. A glowing circle glows under Ruairi's body on the floor, and Cichol argues with Morrighan about humans and fomors.

Morrighan states that the war between human and fomors starts from Cichol lying and tricking them into fighting one another. Cichol laughs and questions Morrighan for hiding from the humans the fact that Erinn is actually Tir Na Nog. He says that humans are already living on the so called Paradise, Tir Nag Nog, and still repeat the same mistakes and start fights over "human things". He declares that Morrighan is the one who's using the humans, by aiding them in the "fight between good vs evil". Morrighan says, "That's different" and Cichol questions if she really believes humans can live happy in peace with each other on Tir Na Nog, when the only way for humans to appreciate happiness is when they experience pain and sorrow. He then announces the "ultimate freedom" by destruction of Erinn, and Morrighan says it's impossible as Macha's revival and Cromm Cruaich's summon has been stopped by Ruairi, by breaking Lia Fail, and will seal up Cichol with the same power he used to seal her. Cichol then laughs and reveals that Macha is not the only one able to summon the dragon. Due to his father's never ending hunger for power, Ruairi has been offered to Cromm Cruaich, as a form of contract, and can be used to summon the dragon - "The true product of the abominable nature of humans!". Cichol then proceeds to summon the dragon, and mentions to Morrighan the experience she's gone through when she was turned into stone, and the pain she suffered as a result. Morrighan apologizes and flees with Nao and Tarlach, as Cromm Cruaich is a being too powerful for anyone to battle, and asks me protect Erinn - Tir Na Nog, from the destruction caused by it.

What am I gonna do! I'm all alone again's this beast... and Ruairi... is he actually dead?! I wish I could have saved him...

As the dragon lands, I prepare a quick campfire with the few life skills I've learned. I draw my bow and an arrow from my quiver, and as the dragon is coming towards me, I ignite the arrowhead and aim at the dragon's left eye. As it gets closer and closer, I shoot the arrow and it only enrages the dragon, as it flaps its massive wings and flies high. I can see its throuat light up, as it prepares a fireball and lauches it straight to me. The fireball is too great for me to just outrun it, and I panic looking for ideas... knowing this place has no direct link to the soul stream, if I get a lethal wound I can probably die... or at the very least, get into a permanent state of unconciousness, until someone SOMEHOW arrives and finds me here and revives me with a phoenix feather or something, which is next to impossible...

Eavan... her charm! Maybe it's the only way... but isn't this too dangerous? What if what Stewart said about the original owner suffering from the event instead... would that mean she would die instead?... No!! I can't let that happen! The fireball strikes me and I'm blown away and land next to Ruairi's body. The burn... it's... painful! I look at my wrist and the charm looks damaged.

- What?!

- What does this mean?!

- Eavan... is she alright?!

- Agh! Dragon! You'll pay for that!!

Filled with rage and complicated emotions, I stand up and cry out the dragon's name. I rest my bow and take my sword, and hold its handle with a really strong grip. The dragon dashes towards me, roaring, and I look right on its eyes. It stops and wildly swings its tail towards me, but I jump and run up to its back, damage its wings and get on top of its head. I summon my Spirit of Order and with all my strength and a little more, I pierce its thick skull with my claymore. It cries really loud and falls its head hard on the ground.

- I did it?... I did it!... Eavan... I did it!

I jump from the dragon to the ground, walk towards Ruairi's body, when something unexpected happens. The dragon's corpse disappears, and I see another dragon coming from above, landing in front of me and speaking to me. Is this the real Cromm Cruaich?... they ask why they have been summoned, then looks at Ruairi and realizes what happened. they says that it's a bit earlier than expected but accepts Ruairi's offering, and acknowleges that I'm not the one who summoned them here. Cromm Cruaich also comments about how he finds it tragic that, in spite of all the time passed since their last summon, humans are still ignorant and fomors are still unwilling to adapt. They also compliment my courage to face a stone "shaped" like them - WHAT?! -, and for that, Cromm's interested in me.

Cromm Cruaich refeers to me as the "human that is hailed as a hero in this world", and my "heart is still filled with chaos the Goddess left behind". They also confirm that Erinn is Tir Na Nog, and that "Tir Na Nog goes to both the land of Fomors and Erinn". They also tell a fomor story that "if someone unworthy of being in paradise, actually enters one, then that place will cease becoming a paradise". Cromm says I should never forget that, the "the source of discontent and tragery is neither Fomors nor anyone else" but the greed within 'you', "which refuses to recognize another equal being, and instead, forcefully submits it under your will". "Even if you do not necessarily pay for these sins, in the end, those that are closest to you will pay for it in great agony... That's the law that governs this world... The fact that the humans refuse to acknowledge it is indeed, the root of all tragedy...". Cromm then says that I may not completely understand his words now, but sooner or later I will.

Cromm Cruaich then talks about Ruairi's contract, offered by a human - his father - and comments that Ruairi has only suffered in this world, where the rules have been largely ignored... they do no wish that to anyone... so the dragon takes him "a little earlier than expected". The dragon bids farewell with the following words:

“	Love them... and take care of them... Whether it be a human being like you, or other living creatures... whether it be the world you live in... or, most importantly, the very being that lives and breathes everyday, YOU... Differences will disappear in the name of understanding, and that would be the true calling of beings like you that have come to this world. That's how the world will be shaped and formed... through your very own two hands... ... The next time you summon me, I hope to see more things in Tir Na Nog go through positive changes...	„
—Cromm Cruaich

Cromm Cruaich takes Ruairi and flies away. I go back towards the exit of the dungeon, when I find Morgant and Triona, and he refeers to light and darkness as two names of the same thing, and "the moment God enters the picture of the humans in the name of goodness and justice", I will run into him again... I let them leave, while trying to understand his words. I go back to Morc, who sends me back to Erinn.

As soon as I step on Erinn's ground, I look for Eavan at Dunbarton, to see if she's alright. We meet and she asks for my confirmation that Erinn is safe from Macha, and compliments my accomplishment. I give the charm I used in that fight back to her and, blushing, she thanks me for returning it. She also admits that she couldn't accept the importance of making sacrifice for others, due to her past. But now, she can understand her father's sacrifice, thanks to my heroic efforts. Now she understands why I'm being hailed as the Knight of Light and called Erinn's Savior. She also declares that if there is any other chance, she'll help me again and even if for some reason she forgets about me in the future, she will never forget the fact that she was willing to protect me - by making the ultimate sacrifice. She thanks me for helping her realize who she really is...

“	Out of thousands of spirits out there, the Goddess chose you. While I was awaiting your arrival, I had a dream. A dream of you coming to me. And... miraculously, here I am, face to face with you. I think this all means that... instead of you being the chosen one, I think I was the one chosen to be with you. Thank you... for coming to this world...	„
—Eavan

This time I'm sure she protected me from the dragon, with that charm... I thank her for her support and promise her to never forget what she did for me. But alas, she may not even recognize me the next time we meet, as this is the tragic course of us, Milletians, who are bound to the Soul Stream and its never ending rebirthing cycle. We hug, and I bid her farewell, until some day.

After all those events, I mysteriously find a Ciar Dungeon pass, and I offer it at Ciar Dungeon altar. After clearing it, I find a Dark Knight Armor, which binds to me and starts talking to me...

I show it to Tarlach, and he guides me on a long journey that takes me to Black Wizard, who offers me the chance of becoming a Dark Knight myself. I even go through the memories of Ruairi, when HE became a Dark Knight. But in the end I decline the offer, and the Black Wizard takes the armor, giving me the option to seek him if I ever change my mind.

Chapter 02: Pioneers of Iria

A new continent has been uncovered and the humans have marked their territory, Qilla Base Camp, in the Rano Region. It is still largely undiscovered but there are traces of ancient civilization and new monsters and things to discover. There are no fomors on Iria. Iria was the home to the Ancient Irinid.

It just opens up for more to visit, to do, to fight, to accomplish.

Ancient Secrets of Irinid

This covers events from Generation 7: Ancient Secrets of Irinid

Ancient Secrets of Irinid

Ever since that encounter with the wise dragon, Cromm Cruaich, I've grown interested in dragons and their origins, and while researching on dragons I learned about a land called Iria. I decided to take a boat from Port Ceann and travel there, and I've met a few explorers who shared with me some of their knowledge of the land and led me to a village named "Cor". They taught me more magic skills, taught me how to go rafting, how to discover hidden artifact and ruins with a special rod device, and a little bit about the wild life in Iria. I explored a little bit and found some artifact that I sent to an expert, Voight, and he would appraise and tell me the value of the artifact and if possible, restore it. I managed to make some money from it, and from time to time I would go rafting and train my magic skills by fighting some Hobgoblin monsters lurking about the area, attacking the children of Cor.

Here I am, in one of my usual ventures on this raft... following the stream of the river. As usual, some hobgoblins are ready to attack me, and I take my Trinity Staff to start casting some lightning magic. I manage to hit a few here and there, but my goal is to enhance the element on the staff so I can cast stronger lightning spells with it. Thunder!... a really strong skill that Stewart taught me... I manage to do better this time and defeat many more hobgoblins compared to previous times. But... this time, some goblins jump onto the raft, and I quickly put the staff on my back and weild the dagger hanging on my belt. Two goblins, charge at me, I give a strong grip to the dagger and ready my stance... Windmill! both goblins fall on the water, but then FOUR! Four goblins jump on and threaten me... - I've never faced such hostility from goblins before - I then recall the other reason I came to Iria... Aodhan told me about an ancient battle technique that was really powerful, and I'd have to look for it in Iria to know more about it... Ah yes, that guy Nicca told me about it, and I even traveled to some dangerous places looking for a statue to sketch it and show it to Nicca, so he could give me some special artifacts to let me enter some really old ruins, in search of that technique.

On the raft, I hang the dagger on my belt and weild two Hooked Cutlasses on both hands, with a really strong grip. I close my eyes and concentrate hard enough to feel the most quiet sound of the wind, and I feel a wild energy flowing through me. I can feel the positions of every single one of those goblins and when I try to slash one I'm instantly teleported within range and manage to quickly take care of all four goblins. I open my eyes and see corpses floating over the river...

- *sigh* Is it over? - I ask myself while looking at the stream ahead.

I notice a spot ahead, where the stream splits in two. I know this spot... I usually go for the left path of the stream... but this time I decide to take the right one instead. Not long after, the raft starts to go faster and I brace myself. Immediatly I see a rock, where my raft hits hard and I'm thrown off the cliff, and I begin to free fall! I panic as I fall, and try to position myself better for the crash down the waterfall.

I wake up on lying on solid ground, by the waterfall, and I look around to see a beautiful and interesting looking place. I see three pyramid structures, each with an altar. I look at the altars and find glyphs, each altar with a different glyph. I look at the glyphs and they look to represent "sun", "lightning" and "snow". Right there, something comes to mind. I remember restoring some artifacts with the same glyphs, so I take them from my inventory and place them on each altar. Doing that triggers a vision, where I see memories of dragons roaring from the skies, driving the elves into hiding and burning the land and the giants on it. This person desperately trying hard to dig and find someone alive... I... really wonder who's memories are these... sealed in this temple. Having found some survivors of that terrible assault from dragons, they rise and seal the dragons to a place called Zardine... Whoever owns these memories, must be really powerful, to seal the dragons like that. The last vision shows hope in the "Great Spirit of Irinid"... The vision ends... I walk to the middle of the ruins and I get a glimpse of Ruairi's memory... he foresaw the dark fate of this land... I get more visions, of what it looks to be undead people in robes, summoning a device, a seemingly powerful device.

I go back to Cor Village and talk to Kousai about it, and he tries to calm me down, saying I'm still young and there's a lot I don't know about Iria yet. Tupai then calls for help, and after I help him he gives me a memorial item that contains memories of Ruwai. When I use it I see Ruwai's memories of it finding that artifact from my visions, and fighting some Cultists - the undead people in robes - and I learn that its name is Courcle's Heart, an Ancient Artifact that's causing a lot of disturbance in Iria. Castanea shows up and saves Ruwai and takes the "Heart of Courcle" herself and keeps it.

I then talk with Voight about the artifact and it leads me to look for a "Mirror of Memory" at Physis, and Taunes, a giant from Vales, leads me to Par Ruins, where I fight a "Mirror Witch" and I get a broken "Mirror of Memory". I take it to Voight, so he can repair it, and Taunes sends me to Atrata, an elf in Filia, and I give her the mirror. She is glad I did it and gives me a Wind Bell, to offer at the Longa Desert ruins, and when I do it I see a memory of Atrata and Taunes: Atrata is aiding Taunes in secret in those ruins.

So, apparently, giants and elves are enemies, and Taunes used to be a honored general among the giant army. Taunes was sent on a mission with a troop of giants, to retrieve a book that contains secrets about the ancient power of giants. They had to go to Connous, and the desert was harsh on them and Taunes became blind from sickness, but the troops left Taunes to die alone in the desert. Atrata saw him and decided to help him heal, though his blindness remained, and a love story between an elf and a giant was born from it.

I later learn that, the troops that left Taunes, were ordered by Krug to leave him, due to a disagreement they had regarding the war: Krug ordered Taunes to attack Filia, even tho there was no real reason to do it, and Taunes refused for that reason. I also learn that Atrata can't really remember Taunes because Castanea wiped her memory of him, because he's a giant - an enemy -, but apparently the Mirror of Memories helps her revive a few of those lost memories.

I really wish Taunes and Atrata could stay together, but they are forced to be worlds apart, due to their racial differences. I decide to go on and investigate a little more about the Dragons and if given the chance, learn more of the "Heart of Courcle"...

Dragon

This covers events from Generation 8: Dragon

Dragon

I can't stop thinking about the words from that wise dragon who took Ruairi... Cromm Cruaich... "the source of discontent and tragery is neither Fomors nor anyone else" but the greed within 'us', "which refuses to recognize another equal being, and instead, forcefully submits it under your will". I wonder if that dragon was among those who attacked the people from this land in that vision... maybe he didn't agree to what the other dragons did... "greed"... "pride"... are all the other dragons like that?... I remember some of Cromm's last words... "Love them... and take care of them... Whether it be a human being like you, or other living creatures..." I know he was probably was not refereeing only to Fomors back there, but to other creatures as well... such as Dragon... Could I ever be allied to a Dragon?...

I kept having those thoughts ever since I received a message from Cromm Cruaich, through a dream...

“	After the days of the great flood, there was one Conduction Ceremony. The one who was chosen as the Gold Dragon's Conductor was Cessair, who was from a noble family. Cessair's darkness swallowed up the Gold Dragon and the dragon brought upon an era of eternal darkness with the name, 'Moonlight of Death'. However, the seemingly endless days of darkness finally ended with the appearance of Irinid. And with that, the era of the dragons was over. After a few thousand years passed, fate has planned for yet another Conduction Ceremony. I, Cromm Cruaich, am guiding the dragon's contractor to Iria in preparation for the Conduction Ceremony. ... His name is Ruairi... He was sitting at the final valley of despair, the most miserable Human of them all.	„
—Cromm Cruaich

Whenever I think of Ruairi, I remember all the things he had to go through, being offered to a dragon as a baby, out of greed of his own father... watching his brother die because of Esras, someone he used to trust... losing Triona... man, I wonder how he's doing now that Cromm took him. And then, there's the gold dragon Cromm told me about... and the Cessair... there really is a lot I don't know about Iria huh...

I receive a letter from Krug, who wants to meet me in Vales, and when I reach him, he tells me to inform Taunes that the giants are declaring war against the elves. When I tell Taunes, he refuses to join the war, because of his feelings for Atrata - an elf woman -, and it would make things complicated. I leave Vales to go back to Cor, where I've been staying for a while now, but I receive another letter, but this time is from Effie, a woman in the Qilla Base Camp, so I go to that camp. She asks me to help her find her brother, and I do. I look for her brother in all the populated areas of Iria that I know of: Qilla, Cor, Vales, and Filia, but no luck finding him. I overheard something about a sealed door or gate, far up north east of Vales, supposed to lead to a not-so-explored area called Zardine. I try to reach that gate and, surprisingly enough, the gate is actually open. I can see some chains here and there but I can just go through it.

Zardine makes a big contrast to Vales, it is mostly desert, but it's very hot and full of mountains. I can see little wyvern drakes, flying around the skies of this land. And as I go further and explore more of it, I find a camp of humans. I talk with them and I find a boy that looks a bit like Effie. His name is Kelpie, and he should be the boy Effie's looking for. I talk with him but he says that he doesn't know anything about Effie. I go back to Qilla to tell Effie about it, but she wants proof, so I go back to the Calida Camp in Zardine, to sketch him and show her. She confirms that he's Kelpie, her brother, but is shocked that he can't remember her, and asks me to find the "Mirror of Memory" to see if that'll help him. So I go to Atrata in Filia, to ask for the mirror.

Atrata shows me a memory of her, about the hatred she suffered from Filia for being a black-haired elf, as it was seen as a sign of calamity coming to Filia. She gives me a letter to send to Taunes, and when I reach him, I find him on house arrest, for not going to the war. Taunes asks me to help him get a unicorn from the Mirror Witch, as it is the only way he can leave the village unnoticed. I find the unicorn in the Par Ruins and tame it, using a skill Tupai taught me back in Cor. Afterwards, Taunes takes the unicorn and sends me back to Atrata to tell her about it, and she thanks me, giving me the Mirror of Memory that I need, but its broken.

I seek Voight again, to fix the mirror, but this time he is unable to do it, and sends me to Arenen instead, the banker in Calida Camp. After running an errand for him, he fixes my the mirror for me, and I take it to Kelpie. Kelpie takes it and shows me his memory: He left Effie to travel and explore Iria, and went to Filia. He found a lost elf on his way and took him there, and the elf became his trusted friend. But one day, that elf transformed into something else... Kelpie saw Castanea and some other undead creatures take his friend, Phasneus, who has also become an undead creature. Castanea told him that was the curse of the Elves left by the Great Spirit of Irinid - same Irinid that drove the Dragons away and sealed them in Zardine... same Irinid that protected the people of Iria... something about this I don't understand. - Castanea, afterwards, cast a spell on Kelpie and made him lose his memory. Castanea didn't want the other elves to suffer from loss of loved ones who became desert ghosts, or have any memories of that curse, so she built a memory tower, using the "Courcle Heart" and used it to manipulate memories.

I decide to confront Castanea and talk about it and she confirms that she did wipe his memory, to protect him, and she does it the elves too to protect them from the truth about that curse. I go back to Calida, but this time the woman named Belita tells me a dragon named Crumena needs my help, and she asks me to gather some things to help her build a Hot-air Balloon. We build it and I take off, and fly to the volcanic region to find the dragon, but I group of wyverns surround me, ready to attack, and a big red dragon appears and takes care of them. We both land and he explains to me how the Conduction Ceremony works, and asks me to help him, saying there are many evil dragons who want to take advantage of that to gain power, by having their conductors become the Conductor of the Golden Dragon, Adniel. He then takes off saying, when the time comes I'll aid him the same way he aided me.

I go back to Belita and report everything, and this time she asks me to gather materials to craft an Irinid Bolt, and use it to slay the evil dragon Crumena was talking about. With everything ready, I take off on another Hot-air Balloon, carrying the Irinid Bolt and go back to that volcanic region. I see Crumena fighting a blue dragon, and that dragon seems to be stronger, so I take my bolt and shoot it with the crossbow in the balloon and hit the blue dragon. Crumena takes the opportunity and rams the dragon and it falls on the lava pit of the volcano. He then proceeds to mock the dragon, calling him Cromm Cruaich... - wait!! Cromm Cruaich?!.

- "Everything seems to be going exactly as planned... That poor creature has not the slightest clue what just occurred. Haha!" - "What do you mean, as planned? Crumena..! Were you using me this entire time?... And did you just mention Cromm Cruaich? Wait, then was it... Ruairi?" - "Your level of foolishness hasn't changed much from the days of Irinid. Back then, you might've been the last ones standing thanks to Irinid, but there appears to be not even an ounce of hope left for you this time! Haha!" - Crumena takes off

- What...have I done...

- Cromm...Ruairi..... I'm such---a fool.....

I go back to Belita and tell her about it. She apologizes as she had no idea that Crumena was an evil dragon. Another dragon summons me, this time a blue dragon. I go up the mountain to see a big lake, the Calida Lake, and next to it I see the blue dragon. Filled with grief and regret I talk with the dragon, who calls himself Legatus, and he tells me to go find Cromm's conductor, Ruairi, and he gives me a Snow Crystal to use it in that lava pool on the volcano. Filled with hope, to see Ruairi safe, I go back to that volcano. After I used the crystal on him, he wakes up.

- "... The shackles on the burning land has been broken and lifeless soil is seeping through. I know... and I see... the fate of this dark land..."

- "How long have I been dreaming that same dream over and over again?"
- "The dragon's contractor, Ruairi. You have been chosen for Adniel's Conduction Ceremony. You are the only hope against Crumena's plot."
- "No, as the dragon's contractor, my job ends here. So you're telling me that you still haven't figured it out? Since the beginning, Erinn's fate has always been intertwined with yours, Wanga. I have always been merely the facilitator who was supposed to bring the Conductor here to Iria. However, without the voluntary will, the Conductor's fate alone can't change the world."
- "..."
- "The shackles of the burning land have already been broken and the omen of darkness is beginning to unfold. Perhaps we are trying to embrace a future we cannot change... It is possible that we will never be able to utter the word, hope, ever again..."

Ruairi then leaves, and I go back to Calida... What Ruairi told me makes me think about my life in Erinn... I can't really call it ordinary but I don't really see me as anything special really... I may have done some good, but that's because I've had help from Morrighan... but I still couldn't save Mores... I still couldn't help Tarlach gain back his life of a mage... I killed... Cromm... and Ruairi tells me I'm the chosen one for the ceremony... I guess I can accept it, for Cromm and Ruairi... if this will stop Crumena's plan, I'll do it.

On my way back to Calida, I hear a voice, calling me for the ceremony... I go to Legatus and he flies with me to the ceremony place, Renes. When I enter Renes, I find Crumena there.

- "Ha... Legatus of Calida has decided to personally get involved... Is that right? But even still, don't tell me you, Wanga, have come here chosen as Adniel's Conductor? Your race is as foolish as it is arrogant. Adniel's Conductor can only be Atrata! Only Atrata's darkness can swallow Adniel's light and open the new era of the dragon race that will arise from the Moonlight of Death."
- "I heard that Adniel's Conductor can't come to be unless the person willingly volunteers! There's no way Atrata would have chosen that for herself!"
- "Ha! It was indeed Atrata herself who willingly chose to become the Conductor. Haha... I believe this is what the people of this world call...'sacrifice'? The only way to end the curse of Irinid on the elves is the resurrection of the dragon that begins at the Moonlight of Death."

- Sacrifice? Does it have anything to do with her being a black-haired elf? Are they really fool enough to trust this dragon or do they really think so little of black-haired elves? Ugh!

- "Only the new world order from the dragons can eradicate the curse of Irinid and eliminate any last traces remaining on this land. Wanga, are you still holding onto the dream of becoming Adniel's Conductor? If you're still dreaming I guess dying while dreaming is not such a bad ending! Haha!"

Crumena takes off and summons some yellow thunders, but I block them with a Lightning Shield, then I take my Trinity Staff and Highlander Claymore, which hosts a spirit that I put there with the help of Tarlach. As the dragon gets closer to the floor, I hit him with some lightning bolts and cast Thunder on him. He hits me with his tail and I'm sent flying to the far east of the cave. I hold my spirit sword, Pandora, and she heals me. I stand up and as the dragon comes closer, I concentrate and activate Final Hit. I slash the dragon in his legs and tail and neck, so fast that he struggles to hit me back, and hits me again with his tail and I'm sent back. But this time, Taunes arrives on his unicorn.

- "Wait! Atrata. I came here to keep my promise that I will always be by your side." - Taunes declares
- "Ta... Taunes?" - Atrata recognized his voice
- "Ha! You even brought the Mirror Witch's unicorn... Truly fitting for Vales' greatest warrior. But it's no use... You're all still a bunch of worthless bugs!" - Crumena mocks and blows fire towards us and it hurts Taunes in the eyes
- "Ahhh... My... my eyes...!"
- "Taunes!!!" - Atrata screams
- "You should've thought twice about getting off that unicorn. Your uneasy movements make it too obvious that your eyesight is bad. Haha! No wait. Perhaps you're completely blind now? Haha!!" - the dragon keeps mocking

Taunes became completely blind from that, and Atrata tries to threaten the dragon saying she'll betray the elves and not become a conductor, but the dragon doesn't care, so she tries something else.

- "Taunes! Do you still remember the sound of the wind bell? Use the Vastian now in the direction of the wind bell sound!"

Atrata throws her wind bell towards the neck of the dragon and Taunes slashes hard and the dragon is fatally wounded. Crumena is slain, by Taunes, finally... we all gather near the dragon egg and Legatus arrives as well, bringing Ruairi, and we all await the birth of the Golden Dragon, Adniel, for the ceremony.

“	Listen. Conductor of Adniel. The small light of Wanga which has been remembered as the first flame will finally once again be remembered as the eternal flame of Renes through the completed ceremony. However, the dark fate of the land that is flickering behind the shadow of the flame is not yet over. Remember. The return of Irinid is not far away.	„
—Adniel

Adniel then flies away, after addressing me as: "the Conductor of Adniel"... which means, I'm the Dragon Knight now...

Ruairi takes a boat and goes somewhere... I don't really know where he's heading, but at this point I just wish he can start a decent life somewhere...

Taunes and Atrata go back to their villages, after spending some time together here in Renes, and Legatus goes back to his place by the lake in Calida.

I decide to go back to Uladh... Iria has been a long journey, and honestly, I miss Tir Chonail and Emain Macha. At least I made some money here in Iria so I can probably afford better things in Uladh, I hope...

Chapter 03: Alchemists

Alchemist

This covers events from Generation 9: Alchemist

Alchemist

“	The wings of a dead bird shall begin fluttering. And the light will be consumed by darkness... Wanga... You are bound to the Soul Stream by destiny... You must enter the Shadow Realm... And prevent the Soul Stream's destruction...	„
—Adniel

Adniel, the Golden Dragon, sent me a message through a vision, as I was sailing back to Uladh. Back at Port Ceann, in Uladh, an owl gives me a letter from Fallon, and he is summoning me. According to that letter, I have to go to a town called Tailteann... I have no idea where that is but I look around for directions, which lead me to Dunbarton, then a Bard Camp near a lake, and finally a town with castle-like walls similar to Dunbarton, and full of farms by the outskirts. From what I see, this town is considered the Alchemy Village and War City, and there is a strong military force made of humans, elves and giants... who know elves and giants would be in the same militia...

I seek information on Fallon, so I try the leader of the elf unit, Granat, then the leader of the giant unit, Karpfen, then I try a shop, a church, then the alchemy house. Dorren, the old alchemist lady by that house, sends me to Andras, the leader of the human unit and vice captain of the military force. She welcomes me as she's been expecting me, and tells me she's in charge of the Expeditionary Force while Captain Fallon is gone. She tells me about Fallon's legacy, as the one who defended Tara against the Fomors after they lost Balor of the Evil Eye (defeated by the Knight of Light, Lugh, of the human army). She gives me his medal and sends me to a Stonehenge, where I should use that item to live some of its memories, similar to dungeons.

I see a young warrior fighting in the Mag Tuiread War, outside of Tailteann. They fight many fomors and defeat them, but there's an ambush and it seems like there is no hope for them, but then a White-winged Champion, the Knight of Light shows up with his own unit and saves them. I guess this is one of the heroic feats of Lugh...

I go back to Andras, and she states that she doesn't trust me yet, and wants to test me by having me hunt a bunch of wild animals wandering the outskirts of Tailteann. She then gives me a medallion with the alchemist symbol on it, and tells me to find a friend to join me as this item has memories of two people. I take it to the stonehenge and start the memory. I see two royal alchemists, Leymore and Cai, supposedly the greatest alchemists in Uladh, investigating what seems to be a dark version of Tailteann, they call it the Shadow Realm. Time here seems to be the opposite of how it is in the real Tailteann... when it's night, you get a dark daylight here, and when it's day time, you get a very dark night here.

Leymore and Cai keep investigating the area and end up fighting some weird cows, and after slaying many, they hear a loud noise and run towards it. When they get there, Leymore identifies the beast making such noise as Glas Ghaibhleann... wait what?! Glas Ghaibhleann!!, I defeated that beast a while ago! And apparently Leymore knows about it too, which isn't surprising, but... Cai states that Berched mentioned a monster like him can be re-summoned using magic, but Leymore believes it to be something other than magic, as whenever Glas is summoned, a spirit summon effect happens, much like how I met Dougal back in the other world of Tir Chonail... What is going on in the Shadow Realm?! The memory ends...

Andras tells me that she wants me to help transport supplies to the Shadow Realm. She gives me a package and a mission. I go to back to the Shadow Realm through the altar in the stonehenge. I fight some monsters on the pathway all the way to the gate of Taillteann, and when I get there, I find that the Glas Ghaibhleann really is attacking the inside of the city. Fallon comes and attacks it with his ice mines, driving it away. He welcomes me to the army, and calls me a Paladin. I exit the Shadow Realm and report back to Andras.

Dorren tells me that Andras wants me to create some Ice Mines for use in the Shadow Realm. However, she has no Ice Spear Crystals, so she teaches me Mana Crystalization and asks me to get her some. After I deliver the crystals, Eabha gives me the mines. I talk to Andras again and she gives me a shadow mission. Once I arrive in the Shadow Realm, I find many corpses on the floor, from Fallon's army, and a woman who seems to have survived but is still regaining consciousness... she wakes up, questions who I am and tells me to prepare for the oncoming enemies or I will die. We install the ice mines and with its help, we manage to survive the assault from those shadow realm monsters, but the woman is gone...

I report back to Andras, and she is dumbfounded that Fallon's army, composed of Elves, Giants, and Humans, was defeated - a legendary army, but they will not give up hope. Fallon should be safe from the shadows for the time being. Andras also mentions that the Elves and Giants have not gotten used to the environment. This time, the army's plans will have to change. Andras talks about the last survivor of Fallon's army - Jenna. According to Andras, she is a suspect related to the missing alchemist - Leymore. As a member of the Temple Knights, she is a suspect and is being investigated by the Royal Guard. Due to the highly classified information, there are a lot of unknowns about the Temple Knights, so Andras wants me to find out more about Jenna and the Temple Knights. So I start by asking the General Shop keeper, Pierrick in Taillteann. He tells that he knows about the Temple Knights. He mentions a good old friend named Lucas that he met in Emain Macha. They were both born in the same town. Lucas mentioned the Temple Knights to Pierrick recently. He should have some information about it, so I must now set out to Emain Macha and speak with Lucas.

After slaying 10 Kobold Bandits, Lucas tells me he only found out about the Temple Knights quite recently. Many mysterious guests come to Bean Rua, and one of them spoke of it. He had nothing important to say, but he delivered mysterious items to some secret place. Nothing difficult, "crappy pay", as he called it. The Temple Knights are a very secret organization, very complex. A bit of a twist is that these Knights seem to be connected with the Pope. Lucas mentions that he has been to the Rundal branch of the Temple Knights, but I need a Temple Knight Medal to enter. He gives me the necklace because he doesn't want it anymore. So I take the medal to the Rundal Dungeon altar, and as I enter the dungeon, I fight my way through a lot of knights. The dungeon is two floors - the first floor is quite long, and the second is just one room and a boss room. When I get to the boss room, I find Jenna imprisoned in the center. I try to be sneaky, but I'm soon found out, so I have to kill the knights to free Jenna.

Jenna hopes that there aren't any misunderstandings between the two of us. She explains she was a former member of the Temple Knights and was given the order to eliminate Leymore. She gives me an arrowhead necklace to take to the stonehenge altar, which contains her secrets. When I use the necklace, I see a memory between Jenna and Collen.

Jenna: "How is the life of a priest?"

Collen: "It's much more comforting than when I was part of the Temple Knights, of course.
But Jenna, have u come to see me because you had something to tell me?"

Jenna: "I'm thinking about leaving the Temple Knights.
In the past, the purpose of my life was to fulfill my duties as a Temple Knight,
and I was always prepared to sacrifice my life.
That was the mindset I had, even though I wasn't old enough to understand the duties.
But I no longer have faith in the purpose and activities of the Temple Knights."

Collen: "It won't be an easy decision... So this may be your last mission as a Temple Knight then."

And as her final mission, she was supposed to eliminate Leymore... but she hesitated... She saw her special memories with Leymore... he meant so much for her ever since they were young.

I report to Andras once again, but she tells me that after all that I saw, it is still not enough to prove Jenna's innocence - especially her loyalty to King Ethur Mac Cuill II, the current King. Andras promises to further investigate into the matters regarding Jenna, and will keep me updated. Time passes and as she investigates, Andras tells me that the more clues about Jenna she gets, the more suspicious she becomes. It's all questions marks, and she wonders - what secret missions did the Alchemists carry out in the Shadow Realm? Andras says she received some information regarding Cai. He had a chance to train as a Druid before becoming and Alchemist. His teacher, Berched, lives near Taillteann - close to the stonehenge. Andras suggests I talk to Berched for more information regarding Cai.

So I visit Berched, and I find out that Cai was his last student as a Druid. Even though he became an Alchemist, he still considers him his favorite student. Berched's granddaughter, Lena, had fallen in love with Cai, and Cai fell in love with her. But she passed away. If it hadn't been for Lena, Cai wouldn't have abandoned becoming a Druid. He says he still has great hopes for him. "I haven't contacted him for a long time", Berched says, and he is surprised when I mention the Shadow Realm. "The Shadow Realm could be a parallel world to ours that doesn't follow the order and logic of our own world." Berched also says "Maybe the 'Shadow Walker' can help".

The Shadow Walker... Berched mentioned him... He told me about how to find him. So I enter the Shadow Realm of Abb Neagh, and after harvesting some Arat Berries from the Shadow Realm trees, I make my way to the other side of the lake. There I meet the red-haired Incubus, Elatha. He says he is a wanderer of the Shadow Realm, and the Shadow Walker. He says he has seen Alchemists wandering in the Shadow Realm, looking for Caliburn. Although they're human, they seek the Erg of Darkness in Caliburn. Elatha says that Caliburn belonged to the Fomors and that the humans took it due to their greed. Caliburn is the basis of the power of Tara and the fundamentals of the Alchemists. Elatha says, "Isn't that ironic? Humans blindly pursue and practice Alchemy, the essence of Fomor knowledge." And with a final parting word, he vanishes, and I report back to Andras.

After talking to Andras, she tells me that the Fomors are active and she thinks it's because Fallon's army has been defeated. She wants my help, and asks me to take missions on the Shadow Mission board. After a little while, Berched sends an owl to give me a message. He says that he found Elatha's Chain Necklace in his study, and he knows I met with him in the Shadow Realm. He aided a wounded Incubus who was hurt more psychologically than physically. That Incubus was Elatha. He wants me to drop the necklace on the Coill Dungeon altar in Emain Macha. I watch a memory of Elatha in a dungeon, and the dungeon is short and fast because of his powerful magic. Once Elatha reaches the boss room, he finds another Incubus and a conversation happens.

Lebbaeus: Although it was a favor from the Dark Lord...

Lebbaeus: It was a mistake to accept you into our race when you don't have a drop of our blood in you.

Lebbaeus: Now, here I am, paying for my mistake with the blade of betrayal in front of me.

Elatha: Lebbaeus, I only wanted to know your destiny.

Lebbaeus: Haha! Destiny, you say? An Incubus like me doesn't have such a thing as destiny.

Lebbaeus: Incubuses are incomplete beings that can only live off of other people's dreams.

Lebbaeus: The moment we awaken from long slumber is the start of death for us...

Lebbaeus: If you truly wanted to wake up from sleep and breathe the aroma of death...

Lebbaeus: I, Lebbaeus, shall help you!

With that, they fight. However it is not easy for either of them, as both of them are stronger than a normal Incubus, but Elatha wins the fight in the end, and the memory ends. Later, Granat calls for me, and tells me about a strange feeling elves have been getting for long exposure to the Erg in the Shadow Realm, and sends me to Dorren. She couldn't find a solution for it, because she doesn't know much about elves, but she suggests the Erg flow in the Shadow Realm is a result of a big transmutation. She says that she knows the Fomors are doing something with alchemy and it worries her. She also gives me a "Sundial in the Darkness" - it reacts to the Erg of Darkness, a collection book and 8 Shadow Missions that I must enter each on specific times to find clues about the secret experiments and collect them in the book. I find a Fomor Camp in the Shadow Realm, and I gather some pieces I find and log them in the book. After that I return to Erinn and report to Andras. She talks about a book on Claimh Solas she saw in Fallon's library and tells me she'll contact soon.

Andras explains to me that Claimh Solas is the Spirit Sword of the late King Nuadha, and it's sometimes called Sword of Light or Sword of Fire, but it was supposed to have been destroyed in the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh. The reason for the Fomors to be researching on it is unknown, but now we know their camp and have these clues. Soon we'll know their intentions. Andras sends me back in the Shadow Realm, to further investigate on it. After fighting several fomor troops, I find Leymore! He's being held prisioner by fomors. I try to sneak up, but I step on a stick and it breaks and they are alerted, so I'm forced to fight. Leymore then talks to me. He says he does not have time to explain everything but he was on the Fomor's side to protect Jenna, then he makes a defensive wall of Barrier Spikes to buy some time while I deal with the enemies who are catching up. He also hands me a torque that contains all of the information he has gathered while in the Shadow Realm, and runs off saying there's something he needs to do. Now I must defend myself from the Fomors.

It isn't too hard thanks to Leymore's powerful Alchemical wall. However, after defeating them, the Shadow Commander known as Tethra appears. Tethra is a prominent captain in the Fomor Army. He says he can't understand why we have to interrupt, and asks if it is because of discrimination towards Fomors. He says it is always like this, that humans never try to understand the other race, we always try to eliminate them, and that it never changes - and honestly, I can see where those thoughts are coming from. He laughs, and says he already knew there would be a battle, but didn't know it would be like this. Now I must face Tethra and I use my two swords to unleash my strongest assault - final hit - and it seems to work as it allows me to teleport back to him even if he manages to push me away... however... the momentum is gone and the final hit state is over, he seems to be badly wounded and stops moving... I slowly approach him, but... he casts a red stream of energy that seems to be draining my vital energy... his Life Drain weakens me and he seems to be recovering from it, but thankfully Fallon appears running towards me from the other side while I feel my conscience fading away. I awake near the Shadow Gate back in Erinn.

I return to Dorren with the torque Leymore gave me, and Dorren tells me that at one point, alchemist were persecuted, and they used methods of synthesis and fragmentation to hide secret messages. She also recognizes the torque to be made by her student Leymore. She explains that all Alchemists have their own attribute, such as Cai being Wind and Leymore being Water. I also find out what Noitar Arat is. It means "Complete Darkness". If Palala (the sun of Erinn) radiates Erg energy, that gives power to Life and Magic, then the dark sun of Noitar Arat radiates the Erg of Darkness that gives power to Alchemy. She then recommends that I talk to Berched, the Druid, about the relationship between the Shadow Realm and Noitar Arat.

According to Berched, the Second Mag Tuiread War could have been the origin of everything. Nuadha's Claimh Solas soaked the Mag Tuiread Plain with Fomor blood, but no one knew the blood of Fomors would affect "Findias' destiny", that was engraved in Claimh Solas. With that, Solas opened a rift to Noitar Arat, a world of absolute darkness, and the Erg of Darkness began to seep through the rift. Soon after, Cromm Cruaich devoured Claimh Solas and the darkness of Noitar Arat vanished. That phenomenon may have made some greedy humans interested in this foreign erg of darkness, which led to the bloom of Alchemy. The word "Claimh Solas" means "undefeatable sword", similar to Califex, Lugh's sword used in the War. Berched helps me realize that the experiment the Fomors are doing is to be able to summon Claimh Solais, and unleash the darkness of the shadow realm onto Erinn, and as a side effect of it, the Glas Ghaibhleann was summoned.

I return to Andras, and she is still worried over the loss of Fallon's army. It changed everything; the Fomors have a very strong offense, and the discovery of the wandering Glas Ghaibhleann is just the beginning. But she says she is not without hope and that if the Elves, Giants and Humans can cooperate, nothing is impossible. She says ruins were recently discovered in the Shadow Realm, and confirmed that the Heart of Courcle is within them. The Elves and Giants have their eyes on it, and she wants me to sketch it for her. So I follow her instructions and find the artifact in the Shadow Realm and sketch it.

Collen calls me saying he's protecting Jenna, but is worried for Leymore's safety. Collen tells me he's glad that Jenna's injuries are being taken care of, and that she knows Leymore is okay for now. He met her right after the Tragedy of Emain Macha, and she had lost her parents and was lost. He directed her to the Temple Knights, which he was also part of. Collen also says that Jenna and Leymore's bond is complicated and looks to be the will of Aengus, the god of love. As we talk about Jenna and Leymore, I get a vision... Jenna's memory...

Jenna's Memory

Jenna is on her mission to take down Leymore, but she saves him instead from a Craig Cow. They both gaze upon each other in silence... And Jenna thinks about their history...

- Leymore...
- "The Tragedy of Emain Macha" may be over, but the world, in the eyes of a child who has lost her entire family, is reflecting nothing but a shy gray light...
- Leymore, I remember you...
- You are the first Alchemist I've ever met...
- In a world of nothing but shadows...
- You were the first Alchemist to shed light in the darkness.

I speak with Granat, since he might know more about the Courcle's Heart, and he tells me it could be an important key to Irinid, the ancient goddess of Iria. He tells me that with the evidence of that artifact, the elves will join forces with the Expeditionary Force. Karpfen also tells me the giants will join forces with the Expeditionary force, but asks me to go on a scouting mission, to gather more information. As I scout the Shadow Realm, I find Glas Ghaibhleann there, actually looking stronger than before! It has a lot of odd cows and it's making a lot of noise. There are too many cows, so I take my cylinder to see if I can distract some with Wind Blast, but as I use it a few times on one of the cows, it turns to attack Glas, so I use it on more cows, and after that I take my two swords and Final Hit! Glas is defeated, but some robbed alchemist who names himself Tiamat appears and we fight. He wonders how I managed to defeat Glas, but I try to final hit him, and he casts something that I can't really understand... but... I lose all my sense of direction for some reason... Luckily, Cai appears and Tiamat recognizes him... he keeps accusing Cai of being a traitor, but Cai casts Life Drain on Tiamat and he dies... wait, LIFE DRAIN?! I thought that ability was for the Fomor Commanders only...

I meet Cai for the first time and he goes on and on about his friendship with The Great Alchemist Leymore, and also talks about how he doesn't feel worthy of being called Leymore's friend due to his actions in the past, and he talks about it...

Cai's Past

- But Leymore can no longer claim me as a friend. I've betrayed our friendship.
- Leymore was the first one to fully understand the secret behind the Shadow Realm, and he was the first one to warn me about its dangers.
- I was desperate to learn Alchemy and I just had to get to the bottom of it all, you know. But I wasn't the only one that wanted to uncover the secret.
- In hopes of learning the secret, I entered into a contract with them, and I pushed my friend out of the way.
- The reason that I was so desperate was Lena. With Alchemy, I was convinced that I would be able to bring my one true love back to life.
- That was what kept me going... until now.
- But no matter how hard I chased that dream, I never could make it come true.

Cai and have history. They both have done great research on transmutation and apparently Cai came up with a way to use Life Drain through Alchemy... but he still wasn't able to bring back his loved one - Lena.

Back in Tailteann, Collen tells me Jenna has gone to the Shadow Realm to help Leymore, when her recovery wasn't complete yet, and he's worried. As he asks me to look for them in the Shadow Realm, I get a vision - an old memory of Jenna and Leymore. Jenna finds Leymore as he's on his way to the Shadow Realm, and tries to stop him, saying that doing he's putting himself in danger for a friend that betrayed him. Leymore says Cai's in trouble, and as his friend he won't give up on him. He also mentions the fact that the events happening in the Shadow Realm have something to do with Noitar Arat, so it is also his duty as a Royal Alchemist of Aliech to stop it. After that he promises Jenna that he'll return to her... his return is "inevitable"...

I go to the Shadow Realm to look for Jenna and I find her surrounded by Fomors, so I help her fight them. She tells me the reason for her going to the Shadow Realm isn't just Leymore... She feels a little guilty for the events in the Shadow Realm due to her past as a Temple Knight. We fight, and fight, groups after groups of fomors... Jenna is exhausted, and I'm getting tired myself... there's still a lot of enemies surrounding us but... The Shadow Realm Expeditionary Force appears! I see the elf, giant and human units... all here! They save us. Once the fight is over, The Heart of Courcle appears! Everyone gets confused, as Granat claims it belongs to Iria... I decide to check it out myself, so I touch it, but... it somehow teleports me to Adniel, in Renes...

“	Wanga, what brought you to Renes isn't your will alone, but your destiny. It is that which beckons you to Soul Steam. The transmutation of Claimh Solas has begun and the door to Noitar Arat is about to open. Go down to the Shadow Realm and stop Soul Stream's destruction. Adniel shall be with you in the final moments and my horn bugle will remain as symbol of our promise.	„
—Adniel

Adniel gives me a special horn and some "Wings of the Blue Goddess" that teleport me back to Berched. I tell him about Adniel's message and he says it must mean that Claimh Solas' transmutation is close. Fomors want to use him as a door to Noitar Arat, much like it briefly happened back in the Battle of Mag Tuireadh. I go to the Shadow Realm, but on my way there I get another vision... Cai has found the transmutation circle for Claimh Solas, and sneaks in to plant mines, but Fallon finds him and betrays him by helping the Fomors stop him... Fallon talks about his reasoning for joining the Fomors... He was basically let down by the humans after the Mag Tuireadh war and when he had the chance to meet the Knight of Light, Lugh was a Dark Knight, and showed him the Fomors ideals... and since then he decided to help the Fomors bring Noitar Arat to Erinn, on his dream of a reborn Erinn, despite Cai warning him of the destruction it will do... the vision ends.

As I reach the Shadow Realm, I find the Expeditionary Force fighting the Fomors, and as I approach them they tell me they can take care of that battle, so I proceed to stop Claimh's transmutation. But on my way there, I find Leymore, Janna and Tethra... one of the Fomor Commanders... so we have to defeat him... but with the help of Leymore's alchemy, Jenna's combat mastery and my own magic attacks, we defeat him, but more enemies arrive, so I let Leymore and Jenna deal with them, as Tethra took some of our precious little time... and as I run, I can't stop thinking of his last words claiming it's already too late to stop the transmutation...

On my way there, I find Cai, being excort by fomors, so I decide to free him as he would do the same for me. We both fight the fomors and escape towards the transmutation device. When we arrive at the location, we find fomors guarding it, so I take the fomors head on, while Cai sets up mines to destroy the device. I take care of the fomors, but Fallon arrives, and has a discussion with Cai about their ideals, questioning if Cai knows the truth about the Shadow Realm, the place where Alchemy originates from, and says the Shadow Realm is a "parallel world to reality"... he talks about Cai's wish to revive Lena, but Cai makes it clear that he's over it, as one can't use alchemy to revive something that took place in the past. But... as Fallon is trying to talk back, a titanic monster crawls out of the transmutation circle... Claimh Solas! An incomplete version of it, but no less dangerous! And it consumes Fallon...

The white winged god, Cichol appears, and explains that Claimh, while being incomplete, has evolved... Cichol also explains that Noitar Arat will be the end of the Soul Stream, and questions if the Goddess Badhbh Cath Neamhain will involve herself at all, since she's known for her self-righteousness, and declares that "all hopes will perish in the face of the darkness of Noitar Arat"... then proceeds to introduce himself as the King of the Fomors. He also mentions Claimh Solas' original owner, Nuadha Airgetlam, and then vanishes, leaving me to deal with this monster with walls that came out of the ground and sealed the place with just us two in here!

I transform into my Spirit of Order from and go all out with my reliable two swords and Final Hit. The monster throws me around and hits the ground hard enough to cause a strong shockwave... I only manage to defend myself, thanks to this Holy Knight armor, but I take a lot of damage from it. I try out my claymore instead and run at it, dodging its attacks, and I finally manage to Smash it, but it hits me hard again, sending me across the room... I hear a loud noise coming from outside, it seems like Cai and Leymore manage to break the ceiling, but, when I crawl on my knees, I notice I dropped something... it's a horn... the walls colapse, Cai, Leymore and Jenna come to aid me and remind me of Adniel's promise with that horn... yes! the horn Adniel gave me! I pick it up, blow it as strong as I can, and I fall. The monster slowly crawls towards me, with only its upperbody surfaced, and as it gets closer, I hear big chunks or rock crashing down on Claimh Solas! I look up and I see Adniel looking at me, and flying back to wherever he came from. I stand up, pick up my Claymore with my remaining energy, and stab the monster deep in the chest. However, as I take out the sword, the monster begins to self detonate, but Leymore reacts quickly and absorbs all the destructive energy, and falls to the ground. Jenna panics, and calls back to a promise Leymore made: that he would always go back to her, safe and sound... she begs him not to leave her like this, but... Cai mentions his studies on the homunculus experiment, and how the possibility of reviving someone is there... he found the answer in the Soul Stream. By offering his soul to the Soul Stream, he can revive Leymore, and so he uses alchemy to do it... Leymore wakes up, as Cai colapses and disappears...

Jenna mentions to Leymore how she feels like their troubles with the Shadow Realm didn't end with Noitar Arat, and Leymore sets himself on a quest to find the Caliburn as a Royal Alchemist of Aliech. Jenna offers her support and both set foot on that journey. I go back to Tailteann and after some talking to Andras, I learn that she's actually an elf, and she shows me her past as an elf in Uladh, at a time where humans didn't know about elves, so she was bullied so much as a kid, and later decided to hide her ears to avoid any more mistreat by humans, and she actually grew up to be the leader of the human squad of the Shadow Realm Expeditionary Force - forget irony!

I decide to stay a bit more in Tailteann, to learn more about alchemy and master it.

The Corrupt Alchemist (SideStory)

This covers events from Generation 9: Alchemist (Sidequests)

The Corrupt Alchemist

I receive a letter from someone named Heledd, from Tara's Alchemy Shop, and she asks me to visit her.

She tells me she has obtained a really rare crystal, but an evil alchemist stole it from her and she asks me to retrieve it. She says she can't retrieve it herself because she can't leave the shop... but then admits that her battle alchemy skills are not that great, and therefore she's not confident enough to do it herself. She promises a gift for retrieving it and warns me about this evil alchemist... who fled to the Tara Shadow Realm... and so there I go.

After fighting a few fomors, I find a familiar face - Jenna! She seems to be also after this thief. She's collecting clues on the Tragedy of Emain Macha and the reason behind her father's death... and he might be a lead on that. We decide to join forces and work together.

After fighting more fomors we find a robed alchemist who recognizes Jenna. Surprised, she questions how he knows her name. He says that not many survived Emain Macha, and as he expected she lost her memory of that Samhain night... He also says he was also in that state until he used the memory crystal - stolen from Heledd, to recover his memory. Jenna tells him what she wants to know is the truth of her father's death, and that she has been told he holds the key to that truth... the robbed alchemist, named Helvetius continues:

Helvetius: "The truth... Do you happen to know the other reason why people cover their injuries with bandages?
It is because they lack the courage to face their wounds.
If you want to know the truth you have to defeat me and take this Memory Crystal.
But before you make your move, you must ask yourself whether you truly have the courage to face the truth.

We quickly beat him up and take the crystal, and when she uses it, she remembers...

Jenna's Memory

- It was night in Emain Macha...
- The nightmares that have faded into the darkness of the night
- start to appear one by one.
- I've heard rumors about a Fomor raid in Coill Dungeon.
- It was at night when I heard unpleasant murmurs coming from somewhere.
- When I awoke from my sleep and looked out of the window with my blurry vision, I saw a red glow of fire and plumes of dark smoke rising into the air.
- The strange mutterings started to spread rapidly, like the plague.
- And strange footsteps grew louder.
- I heard my father's voice trembling.
- A cold hand...
- I think I grabbed my father's cold, shaky hands, and came down the stairs.
- When I opened the back door, I was taken aback by the intense heat.
- A shadow was following us, I could hear it.
- ...I heard my father's scream
- and watching him fall to the ground.
- Who knows how much time passed, but when I came to...
- the Lymilark Temple Knights were fighting the Shadow.
- Collen... This was my first meeting with Collen.
- My lost memories are now slowly coming together.
- I think I can recall the voice behind the shadow.
- They were voices belonging to humans, not Fomors...
- They weren't Fomor. ...they were human.
- ...They were Alchemists.

We leave the Shadow Realm, Jenna gives me the crystal and takes some time to digest it... humans huh... The Tragedy of Emain Macha, led but human alchemists...

As I take some time myself to digest it, I go back to Heledd and deliver her crystal. Heledd thanks me and tells me that crystal was made by synthesising fragments of the Connous Memory Tower, and it can restore or erase someone's memory. She's relieved the crystal is back in safe hands, and teaches me a new alchemy skill as a gift: Metal Conversion. It changes the property of a Metal or Ore. She says even Eabha probably doesn't know it, and she learned from a famous alchemist who stopped by her shop once. She then proceeds to explain the fundamentals of this skill.

I decide to go back to Tailteann and practice more Alchemy...

Goddess of Light

This covers events from Generation 10: Goddess of Light

Goddess of Light

-Footsteps... bright white floor... this echo... someone's walking in the Soul Stream... blue coat... spiky hair, white shirt--wait! Is this CAI?!

I wake of a very strange dream. I saw Cai walk around the Soul Stream and unleash massive destruction! I think the memory of his death still haunts me to this day... but, some general named Padan calls for me to Tara, to help him rescue a trapped soldier.

I follow a path from Tailteann through Corrib Valley, and finally Tara. I find a camp where I meet Padan, and he sends me on a 'shadow mission' to rescue a soldier trapped in the shadow realm. As I reach the area, I find a group of fomors, skeleton fomors and some ghosts - this is new - but I deal with them anyway. The soldier comes to me and calls me Wanga the Shadow Hero - Shadow Hero huh - and reports on the strange sightings of these creatures in the shadow realm, and the rumors of soldiers who saw Cai in the shadow realm! Cai in the shadow realm... this reminds me of that odd dream I had early this morning... anyway he says he experienced it himself, Cai isn't a human anymore and is emiting darkness as he slaughters everyone in sight... what is going on?... the soldier wants to quit the task force after this nightmare and gives me his badge.

- Damn! Cai... could it be really Cai? he did offer his soul to the soul stream... maybe the soul stream filled the lack of soul with something else to his body... I don't fully understand the rules of the soul stream anyway.

I report back to Padan, and as I deliver the badge, he talks about rumors of a "Shadow Alchemist" who can use alchemy without any equipment and how it slaughtered an army of elite soldiers. Padan gives me Leymore's journal. I take it to the stonehenge of tailteann and I see some of Leymore's memories. Leymore really can't take Cai's sacrifice out of his mind, and I can't blame him... he seeks the Shadow Walker Elatha, after more information about the Shadow Realm and about Cai's death. Elatha says that "a Shadow Walker is cursed to spend an eternity in sufering", and that is "Cai's penalty for using the Alchemy of Caliburn to restore a friend's life". Leymore denies the possibility of Cai using Caliburn, but Elatha states that it has been always in Cai's posession, but he was not skilled enough to handle its power, and as a result he suffered a curse for venturing in a forbidden domain.

Andras calls me. She comments on how odd it is for Iria ghost spirits to be seen in the Shadow Realm and aiding the Fomors... and tells me how she met Elatha for a brief time but they already had a "long-established mutual connection and understanding". She also gives me a music box she has been working on from time to time... a music box made for Elatha, to soothe his spirits whenever he needs to. The music box is incomplete but she lends me. I open the music box and I can feel her emotions as I listen to the music.

Andras message

- What Elatha revealed to me for the first time...
- was not his past, but rather the pain he had endured for so long.
- A cruel curse with no beginning or end...
- He suffered and endured.
- When he pointed his sword at Lebbaeus, a friend as dear to him as his own brother.
- he felt as if the light in the world had disappeared and has if his heartbeat was no more.
- With light nowhere to be seen in this world, all he had left
- was the life of a Shadow Walker, a ghost wandering amongst the shadows.
- But I knew him.
- I had remembered him for a long time.
- I understood him. His pain, his scars.
- ...and darkness.
- I hope that in me he will be able to forget the darkness.

Andras and Elatha seem to share a really special relationship... but also a really distant one... I wonder if that's part of the reason she leads the Shadow Realm. In the memories I noticed she would do everything she could to help me cope with his pain, and he would do everything he could to protect her from everyone who would attack her for being different.

I find Elatha in the shadow realm. He tells me the Expantion of the Shadow Realm, the Opening of Noitar Arat, the disappearance of the Rock of Fate - Caliburn, are all connected. Cai's actions are not of his own will but of the Caliburn's will, and it means the return of Neamhain, a Badhbh Cath goddess like Morrighan and Macha... also known as the Caliburn Goddess... and I should look around Tara for clues about the goddess Neamhain.

In Tara, a portrait artist, Hans, tells me about a Portrait he drew of Neamhain, and after a quick modeling task he explains that he found the model for it in Iria... while he was going through the heat of a desert... a strange woman appeared... she was so beautiful that he thought "if there is a goddess in this world, it must be her..." so he asked to draw her. Hans then gives me the portrait.

I seek Pencast and Lezarro, who give me a scroll and an inscription... not very helpful but I keep the items. Lileas sends me to Eluned, who claims to have a goddess item. Eluned agrees on giving me the item if I defeat a jousting champion - Adair, as the "Shadow Hero" and in her name, mostly to embarrass her rival Lezarro, since he supports Adair. After defeating him, she gives me one feather decoration from her fans, and she says part of the decoration is made out of Neamhain's feathers... feathers that were actually part of the Goddess Neamhain's wings...

After doing so many tasks, including winning a joust battle with a jousting champion, I collect the clues and bring them back to Elatha. He then teaches me an alchemy skill - Synthesis - and I use it to synthesize the clues and I get a goddess memorial box, which warns about Tir Na Nog's destruction... Andras calls me and talks about an "Omen of destruction - Irinid" - the ancient god of Iria. Andras gives me an item with some memories of Elatha, to know what he's been investigating recently. I take it to Ciar dungeon and go through one of his memories. Morgant questions Elatha on him going as far as killing his friend in search for answers, and Elatha only asks Morgant about his fate. He tells Morgant he knows Morgant was involved in his birth and the transaction with the Incubus kinsmen. He then demans Morgant to tell him what he is, how did he came to be and why is he constantly in pain. Morgant directs him to Iria, saying that's where he'll find his answers.

Pencast calls me, tells me the church have been watching me for a while, tells me his the first time I asked for Neamhain's clues he didn't give me right away because the church was testing me, and now he gives me a book: Book of Tir Na Nog's Doom, a dream from the first pontiff of Lymilark written in a book. Pencast also tells me to go to Iria, as some of the things mentioned in the book point out to Iria.

Book of Tir Na Nog's Doom

- Revelations about the End Days - 

I. As the lands are torn and filled with blood, 
And clay walls come tumbling down, 
The crescent moon above the graveyards shall 
begin to fade.

II. The Golden Dragon of the end days will prepare its wings, 
While the stones of fate disappear into the dark. In the end, 
the black sun too shall hide its face before the encroaching shadow of darkness.

III. Between the continents,
and especially in the city first smitten, 
Shall the once unseen gateway to darkness open its mouth. 
Soldiers will be wounded by a force unlike any known blade, 
And, in the wrath, 
they shall curse the name of the Goddess of Light.

IV. The dead shall return and walk amunst the living, 
While the eyes of the ill-fortuned twin are opened. 
A dark shadow will befall the plagued city, 
And the stars in the sky shall colapse onto the earth.

V. As Tir Na Nog's end days come to pass, 
the Goddess of Light shall awaken from her otherworldly dreams,
And return to this world once more. 
From that appointed time, 
the days of ceaseless battle shall continue forevermore.

- The first paragraph might be a reference to the dimensional rift opening way back when Morrighan was first captured and rescued. The second verse is more clear, a direct statement that Adniel, the golden dragon, will be born, and this happened already. The “city first smitten” and the “once unseen gateway to darkness” is probably Taillteann and its Stonehenge; that's where the first Shadow Realm opened. The “force unlike any known blade” may perhaps be Claimh Solas, who I've only recently defeated; but what's this about cursing the Goddess of Light? The dead returning is probably something about the Bone soldiers in the Shadow Realm, but who's the ill-fated twin and what dark shadow is forthcoming? The last paragraph is the only one that hasn't happened yet; the goddess of Light awakening and causing wars in this land. But why would the goddess of Light do that?

This book gave me more questions... but at least now I know Iria definitly has some information I need, so I set sail. I find Alexina at the Qilla Base Camp, and she sends me to collect some artifacts in a dungeon to help me find clues on a spirit called Irinid - maybe information on that spirit might direct me to information on the Goddess of Light. After mixing all of the artifacts, I get this Ancient Artifact of Irinid, and I go to Cor Village to have Voight restore it for me... but he is only able to partialy restore it and sends me to an old friend who's in bad terms with him - Arenen.

Arenen agrees to restore it, but sends me on a dungeon to see a memory of him and Voight, where he finds Voight having a date with his girlfriend in the dungeon, when Voight was supposed to help him propose to her. I go back to Voight to talk about this, but he gives me an item with the woman's memories, and when I use it in the dungeon I realize the big misunderstanding... Voight just wanted to help his friend propose, but she fell in love with him instead, even tho he didn't share any feelings with her... kind of random information, but whatever, Arenen should have restored the artifact at this point... I go back to Arenen and he gives me the restored artifact - Rain Maker Crystal. It looks like an alchemy crystal... but it's odd and has a cloud symbol on it. I better show this to Kousai, he might know what it does.

Kousai tells me about the Rain Maker, another name of the Ancient Irinid, a spirit who stopped the famine in Connous, brought rain into Longa Desert and basically blessed that land... also seen as a "sign of death and destruction" in other parts of Iria, but he disagrees. He tells me that crystal will basically let me use the power of the Rain Maker, and teaches me how to do it using Alchemy. After I cast it, he gives me an arrow to offer in the Longa Desert ruins, saying that it will get me closer to truth about the Rain Maker. So I go to the desert ruins in Connous. As I enter the ruins, I find a lost elf.

- "Please help me. I must get out of this place but I don't know how.
Maybe it's because I'm too far away from the Memory Tower. I can't seem to remember anything.
I don't even remember how to fight, but there are too many monsters in the Ruins.
Please help me.

- Man... elves don't have it easy huh... sometimes I forget they may lose memory if they move too far from the Memory Tower.

I decide to help the elf. I fight my way through the dungeon, using alchemy - starting to get really comfortable fighting like this. I slay the guardian of this ruins, but then Cichol shows up... what is he doing in Irinid's ruins? He taunts me saying I ended up all the way to this ruins because of the fear of "Tir Na Nog's Doom" - which is true. He then threatens me, by summoning... none other than Cai... I have... to fight Cai...

Alchemy seems to be ineffective against him, so I switch to my claymore. I struggle and stab him with the sword and he falls hard on the floor, but quickly recovers and splashes me with Water Cannon... I'm out of strength... as I lay powerless on the floor, Cichol talks:

- "There is a Goddess that once disappeared.
The Goddess crossed to ocean to arrive in Iria.

'Tir Na Nog's Doom'.
That Goddess was the first to utter those words.
Do you still not understand?
Puhaha! Night has simply come a bit earlier than you expected."

Cichol laughs at me and leaves with Cai... I'm still confused at his words... is he talking about the Goddess of Light?.... is Irinid... the Goddess of Light?... I'm still powerless on the floor. Waboka from the Cor village shows up and tells me Kousai's premonition saved my life. He somehow heals me and delivers a message from Kousai: "Warriors with true courage will never be a victim of their destiny, since they are the masters of their own lives... Take courage, Wanga. You are the only one who can prevent the end of the world.

Pencast seems to have come to the same realization, as he calls me all the way back to the Court in Tara. He talks about how the Goddess mentioned in Tir Na Nog's Doom is also refeering to Irinid of Iria, but he's suspicious of how Cichol is the one who confirms this... he wonders what happened to the Goddess. He also tells me the Courcle's Heart has been spotted in the Shadow Realm of Tara, and reminds me how it represents Irinid. He then asks me to investigate it. In the Shadow Realm I find Mata, another Fomor Commander, who's not happy at the rumors of how I rescued Cai and humiliated Tethra. He then challenges me to a jousting duel.

I beat Mata in jousting, and he says the the Goddess of Light, Neamhain has sided with the Fomors, and Courcle Heart will soon be the heart of the Fomors. We then, fight on ground and I beat him again. He coughs and acknowledges the power of milletians and that he shouldn't have underestimated me. He also say:

- "We Fomors have worked long and hard to obtain the Caliburn and Courcle's Heart.
If the Caliburn is said to be vested in the shadows, Courcle's Heart can be said to belong to the light.
That is the reason the Fomors had such difficulty in obtaining it."

He then walks away, and I decide to leave him, as I don't really want to face any unnecessary battles. Back in Erinn, Padan tells me the Shadow Realm Expeditionary Force have successfully aquired the Courcle's Heart, but are now surrounded by Fomors, and he asks me to help me secure it. And so back to the Shadow Realm I go.

I flank the Fomor troops from south east of Shadow Realm Tara, and as I beat them, I move my way to the square, to meet with the Expeditionary Force. Andras announces my arrival as "the Shadow Hero", and they greet me, but more troops come so we fight them. After defeating most of the Fomors, in the middle of the silent sound of flames... I suddenly see an elf woman in robes... wait, it is THAT lost elf from Longa Desert!! Did she follow me?! I colapsed back there that I don't even remember what happened to her... and now she's here... in the middle of this battle... probably confused...

The lost elf walks towards the Courcle's Heart, but a big golem goes towards her! I run as fast as I can to protect her from the golem, and right as I turn my back to her as I destroy the golem, I see a really strong light coming from her direction! As I turn around to look... I can't believe what I see! The elf woman, in a flash, turns into a black winged goddess in black robes...

I have never seen anyone so beautiful to this day! She trully is a Goddess!

Granat: "I can't believe that such a thing could happen..."
Andras: "Could it be... the Goddess of Light... Neamhain?"
Karpfen: "...Irinid!"

Neamhain: "Pretending to be a lost elf is not much fun anymore.
Courcle's Heart... We should never have entrusted an object from Falias, the city of Gods, to this world.
I will now take this object back."

And in another flash she vanishes, along with the Courcle's Heart artifact. Everyone is still digesting what we just experienced... but then the white winged god, Cichol, shows up with Mata and a Fomor army.

Cichol: "Finally, everything belongs to the Fomor. Shadow and Light, Caliburn and Courcle's Heart.
All the is now left is to unite the Caliburn and Courcle's Heart."

Andras: "This can't be... There is no way the Goddess of Light, Neamhain, would have betrayed us to stand on the side of the shadow..."

Cichol: "Your blind faith of the Goddess has not changed. Why do you think the Goddess must always be on your side?
Is it because you fool yourself to be on the side of Light? Arrogant fool.
The reason that Irin... no. Neamhain... had to turn her back on Iria, Irinid's land, was because she was disillusioned by such arrogance.
...If you want to stand on the side of Light until the very end, I will do you the honor of dying by light!"

Cichol proceeds to cast one of his spells, but Elatha shows up.

Elatha: "Cichol! Stop!"

Cichol: "Oh ho... Who's this? Aren't you the Shadow Walker?"

Andras: "...Elatha!"

Cichol: "Awe, I'm rather sad. Had you come a bit earlier,
I could have prepared for you a much more dramatic scene.
Unfortunately, Neamhain, the on you're looking for, has already left."

Elatha: "Stop it, Cichol. You know better than anyone that this will only end in a meaningless slaughter.
What good will these deaths do in face of Tir Na Nog's Doom?"

Cichol: "These deaths have nothing to do with Tir Na Nog's doom. Everyone from birth has a method of death that suits them best.
I merely want to let them die by the method that they deserve."

Elatha: "Damn the gods..."

Cichol: "Do you dare challenge a God?"

Cichol proceeds to cast another spell, towards Elatha this time. But it has no effect on him.

Cichol: "Ooh... Are you coming to an understanding of who you are? Puhaha, this is starting to get interesting.
Yes, I've changed my mind. I will give you a chance.
Elatha, I will make a Noitar Arat pact with you.
I will take you, and in return, let those humans live a bit longer.

Elatha looks around and stops at Andras... He makes his decision.

Elatha: "Fine Cichol, I will accept your proposal."
Andras: "Aah... No! Elatha... Elatha!"

Elatha leaves with Cichol, Andras can't accept it, and everyone is still confused about the situation. Outside of the Shadow Realm, Padan calls me once again, and tells me Leymore has found Cai's location, through the Caliburn's Erg. The Courcle's Heart was also found with him. Padan asks me to help Leymore on this mission. And so I go back to the Shadow Realm.

“	Light into Shadows Shadow back into Light Stone of Fate, Caliburn of Falias. Return to your original state...	„
—Badhbh Cath Neamhain

Me and Leymore arrive at the location, and we find the Goddess fusing Courcle's Heart and Caliburn into Cai. Leymore asks her how we can return Cai to normal, but she says it was a fate Cai chose, "...Through Caliburn, Cai has become light itself." Leymore begs her, but she says that the "guardian of Caliburn" will light the shadow of Tir Na Nog, and realize the dream of paradise... Cichol then appears, along with Elatha...

Cichol talks about how his plan was a bit different... to destroy the soul stream instead, and "purify" Erinn that way. Neamhain tells him not to use Elatha for it, but he mentions his Noitar Arat (World of Darkness) pact with Elatha. Neamhain says he's not ready for that, but Elatha tells her he knows who she is... his Mother! Cichol tells him when his demigod powers inherited from Neamhain mix with the Caliburn and Courcle's Heart, he will have enough power to destroy the soul stream. Neamhain tries to convince her son to not sacrifice himself for such a pact, since he inherited her Goddess of Light powers, and can light even the darkness of Noitar Arat. He refuses to do so, as he refuses to accept that as his destiny... He chooses a destiny that doesn't have anything to do with his mother... He probably just wants an end to his suffering...

He gives me a music box Andras made for him that always reminded him of who he is, and gave him strength to resist possession, and entrusts me the task of protecting the Soul Stream. He then fuses himself with Caliburn Cai, and proceeds to the Soul Stream. Neamhain cries as she can't accept an ending like that to her only son... Leymore tries so desperatly to stop Cai but Cai attacks and stops him, then keeps going towards the Soul Stream.

Enraged, Neamhain threatens Cichol and prepares to attack him, he prepares to fight back, when... black feathers fall... this sound...

“	I order you, in the name of the Goddess. Stop.	„
—Badhbh Cath Morrighan

The familiar sound of Morrighan's arrival! She stops their fight and urges me to stop Cai and save the Soul Stream... not every day you get to see 3 gods in one room... anyway, I go to the Soul Stream.

-Footsteps... bright white floor... this echo... someone's walking in the Soul Stream... blue coat... spiky hair, white shirt--wait! This is exactly like the dream I had some time ago... but... he becomes my doppelganger!!

I face my doppelganger, he has a light aura around him, and he uses alchemy with no cylinder! I try to hit him with my claymore, but he recovers from wounds way too fast! I use alchemy on him but it's like nothing I do to him actually does any meaningful damage... He then points a Spear of Light towards me! He throws it... I try my best to avoid it, but it explodes on contact with the floor and the explosion hurts me... as I stand up, I see rays of light coming out of his body and hitting me hard, one after another... this light hurts a lot more than I expected... I feel Morrighan's protection, but even then I take a lot of damage from him...

But then, I remember about a box Elatha gave me... a music box. I play it and it actually puts him in a conflicting state, and at that time I use Life Drain! to recover myself. However, this time I end up absorving a LOT! I absorb his life force, AND his demigod energy!

- This power... is overwhelming...

I point out a Spear of Light at him and hit him. All that aura around him is gone, and he changes back into Cai... I get close to check on him when Nao appears. She thanks me for saving the Soulstream. She says it's not over yet, as Tir Na Nog and Cai still need me. She then, takes me back to Erinn. Cai finds Leymore, and I don't know how the reunion between those gods went...

- I guess I can rest for now... but who knew huh... the Goddess of Light was that elf I saw in Longa Desert, and possibly the same elf Hans saw! And to think that she had a child... and I could tell how much she loved her child... and I took his life force to myself... the Expeditionary Force get me an Inn to rest.

Sword of the Gods

This covers events from Generation 11: Sword of the Gods

Sword of the Gods

I have a dream, in the dream I see an old man in a library, contemplating something. He then hears something getting close to him and he yells in panic... and I wake up.

Aeira, from the Book shop in Dunbarton, sends me a letter through an owl. She can't get a hold of a famouse book dealer named Buchanan, who was supposed to give her a certain book. She wants me to find him and see if he's ok, so she sends me to Dunbarton Library. I look around the library and only find a library card, that belongs to Buchanan aparently. I take it to Aeira, and she tells me she doesn't know what he was searching for, but she notices a mention of Partholon there, so she sends me to Arzhela, the librarian in the Rath Royal Castle's Library. As I meet Arzhela in the library, she tells me Buchanan is a good friend of hers, but she doesn't trust me enough to talk about him, and to prove myself she sends me to find some ancient book in the shadow realm and give her, and so I do it... And so she gives me Buchanan's Royal Library Card, and sends me to the shadow realm of Tara. I find some Blinker fomor monsters that look like giant eyeballs, and defeat them among other fomors, and then Cichol appears.

Cichol wants to chat, and tells me about his fear for the Caliburn, that has merged with the Heart of Courcle. He explains that the Caliburn was created by Aton Ciemeni, and was used to create Erinn, therefore it can potentially destroy this world. Cichol also claims when the fomors stole it from the humans, they had the intention of altering the world, but not destroy it. He predicts that the Caliburn will be the destruction of Fomors, Humans, Gods as well as Milletians. Cichol also mentions that the Partholonians were wiped out by a plague spread using the Caliburn. With that he tells me I must deal with it as it is clearly a great danger to this world, and as one with the power of the gods, I have the responsibility to protect this world too.

Cichol leaves after that, and I also leave and go back to Arzhela and she admits she realized that card wasn't Buchanan's card. I tell her what happened and she reminds me Cichol can't be trusted. She also tells me a lot of strange things are happening in the Shadow Realm's Castle. I leave the library and on my way out of the castle, Glewyas, the Royal Castle's Chef calls me saying he's a close friend of Buchanan and they are working on a recipe together. He asks me to help him make a Hotcake of Love, and sends me on a... cooking dungeon?... I have to fight food in a pot!!!... anyway, when I give him the cake he gives me Buchanan's real library card. I go to the Shadow Realm again. I'm inside the Castle, and there are books around the floor... living books! I guess they are like those "mimic" fomors that look like treasure chests, but these ones look like books. I fight them and I find a key... I used it to open the library door and I find the man I saw in that dream... he was in panic because of a rat, and again because of me... it's so easy to scare him.

I approach the old man, and tell him I was sent by Aeira to investigate his disappearance, but he seems to be ok. He talks like they are overeacting, and he just left for a small trip - probably to look for something in this library. Buchanan offers me a chance for him to publish a book about me and how I defeated Claimh Solas... I'm tempted by it, but I shrug that thought as we have more important matters to discuss, and ask him why is he in the dangerous Shadow Realm. He tells me he came here after learning there are ancient books here written by the Partholonians. He shows me an ancient book that talks about the Caliburn, the treasure that dissapeared from the Rath Royal Castle, and shows excitment for the fact that Caliburn came from a civilization older and more advanced than the Tuatha de Dannan - the people currently living in Uladh. He then, tells me he wants to look more into it, as the Partholonians might have some connection with the Caliburn. Cichol did say something about Caliburn being a weapon of great destruction, so I should probably look into it as well.

After leaving the Shadow Realm, Sinead calls me and asks me to persuade Cai to join the Royal Alchemists, and I should find him in the Shadow Realm. When I talk to Cai, he seems unsure about it since he's to blame for the events that lead into the battle I had with him possessed by the Caliburn and Courcle's Heart... and Elatha... and he also needs to restore de Caliburn to its altar. I go back to Sinead and she sends me to look for Leymore this time, in the Shadow Realm of Tailteann. Upon finding Leymore, he seems to be distracted about something. He states that Jenna has left him a letter and disappeared. In the letter, Jenna discovered that Alchemists from the Aliech Regime were responsible for her father's death. She then explains that Leymore is also part of the regime, and that he must understand why she can't be with him anymore.

Collen then summons me, and explains what is happening to Jenna right now and sends me to the Shadow Realm of Tara. It seems Jenna is battling Corrupted Alchemists in the Great Hall of Shadow Rath Royal Castle. After battling the Corrupt Alchemists, they surround her. Helvetius appears, which shocks Jenna. He states that he accomplished his goal of separating her from Leymore. And then kills her. Neamhain - the Goddess of Light - appears and destroys the Corrupt Alchemists, along with Helvetius. Jenna is then revived by the goddess, and states on how she is dwelling in darkness, and is confused, she begs the Goddess to take her. Neamhain agrees, saying that she'll share the dream of Tir Na Nog, where her tears will be no more, and leaves, taking Jenna with her.

Sinead then requests me to help out Leymore and Cai in their investigation of the Caliburn. In the Great Hall, Morrighan appears and informs me about the Brionac, the final evolution of the Caliburn, and about the Partholons, an ancient race.

Briana then summons me, and hands me a Parthalonian Artifact and informs me of Buchanan in Ciar Dungeon. Using the Artifact, Buchanan is found within the deepest part of the dungeon. He goes on to the Shadow Realm after sharing information about the Partholons.

Sinead sends me to find Buchanan in the Shadow Realm, with Leymore and Cai assisting me. He states that the Partholons left a book of their history, and it is hidden somewhere within the walls of the Castle. He also gives me a puzzle solution, to be used in the search.

With Leymore and Cai, exploration of the castle was not too difficult. However, in one of the rooms, Mata reappears. He goes on to state that the Caliburn belongs to the Fomors, and that Cichol is a "coward" who has forsaken the Fomor ideal. His army then surrounds me. However, before they could attack, they're halted by a mysterious figure, the Python Knight. He asks the Fomors to leave, and destroys them, along with killing Mata with the "Sword of Uroboros". The knight goes on to entrust me with a Book of Partholon and asks to seek the pages. Cai goes on to investigate this Python Knight character while Leymore goes to investigate more of the Partholon's magic.

After collecting the pages, I acquire a Partholon Stone. Sinead has no use of it and directs me to Belita. Belita is eager to investigate it, but she asks a favor of me. She says her problem with men is traced to Lucas, who had done something terrible to her. She asks me to seek him and make him pay. After talking to Lucas and entering Peaca Dungeon, Lucas is found in the dungeon's boss room. After battling him, he tries to bribe his way out of being killed. But, I state that he is pathetic and weak, and I'm disgusted by his actions to a young and innocent Belita years ago. With scores settled, Belita gives me the Partholon Crystal, found from the Partholon Stone.

Leymore summons me to help him in his investigation of a Parthalonian magic called Shock. After acquiring the materials, Morrighan appears and is amazed at how I was recreating its magic using Alchemy, but warns me to hurry to Ceo Island as Neamhain is planning to do something with the Brionac.

In Ceo Island, Aer hands the Brionac to Jenna, who had shown up prior to my arrival. After intervening to not give the Brionac to Neamhain, she threatens to kill me, but Cichol appears, telling her drop the Brionac. Jenna however, threatens him with death, stating that the Brionac can kill even a god such as Cichol. Cichol states that the Brionac will only bring Tir Na Nog's destruction, not its revival. Jenna kills him with the Brionac, and Cichol is shocked to see how Jenna knows Parthalonian magic. Before dying, he states how the survival of the fomors depends on me, and surrounds me in darkness. Leymore appears before I fall into unconsciousness.

After talking to Collen, and receiving a Shadow Stone, he sends me to find Jenna, who is in the Shadow Realm with Neamhain. In the Shadow Realm, Neamhain is about to sacrifice Jenna to bring about Tir Na Nog's purification. Leymore and me intervene before anything is done. Leymore falls, and Jenna stands in front of him, threatening to kill Neamhain if she doesn't stand aside, she realizes that Leymore is her hope of anything, and is willing to go against the Goddess's desires. She entrusts me with the Brionac before leaving.

The Goddess Needle, given to me by Morrighan, tells me to head for the Shadow Realm to confront the Python Knight. Confronting him, he reveals that his plans were as expected, from the disappearance of the Caliburn to the death of Cichol, he himself is Tuan mac Cairill, the Prince of the Parthalonians, and that he is the last survivor of the Parthalonian race. His plans are to revive his race using the Brionac. Using Cichol's power from the Shadow Stone, I defeat him. He goes on to state that Morrighan, fearing the Parthalonians, used Cichol to destroy them. And it didn't end there, she grew fearful of the Fomors as well and sent the Milletians to deal with them. And goes on to question what happens if Milletians grow to powerful. He then leaves to the Altar of Caliburn.

Cai requests me to help him in removing the barrier of the Altar of Caliburn. And after facing heavy resistance from Tuan's forces, the barrier is broken. Only one more thing remains, to put it back in the Altar. In the top of the Castle, the Parthalon's Guardian, the Uroboros, appears and proceeds to defend the Altar.

After defeating Uroboros, The Altar of Caliburn appears, and Tuan intercepts me, preventing me from returning the Brionac. He proceeds to use the Altar to revive the Parthalonian race, but the Light of the Caliburn emanates from my body, it truly being me the final transformation of the Caliburn, not the Brionac. He proceeds to destroy me with his entire army, but Cai, Jenna and Leymore appear to help me. The Altar, and the Light of the Caliburn eradicate the entire army of Tuan, including Tuan himself. Jenna goes on to say that the Shadow Realm was born because of Tuan's grief. Cai goes on to state that even though the Caliburn is back in its place, they must continue fighting as the Shadow Realm still exists.

As Leymore, Cai, Jenna and I walk down the steps, Morrighan appears behind us undetected. She says that the Milletian grew too powerful, and that she fears she may not be able to stop them, and must destroy them. A new battle begins...

Return of the Hero

This covers events from Generation 12: Return of the Hero

TBA

Chapter 04: Shakespeare

Hamlet

This covers events from Generation 13: Hamlet

Hamlet

"...Can you hear me?

Ah...
So you can hear me...

The Tragic Bard, imprisoned by the Gods in Avon,
has escaped.

Please help stop
the song of despair
echoing throughout Erinn."

I get another dream of the Morrighan, and she gives me an earring...

Soon enough, Duncan calls me, and tells me that the earring belonged to the Tragic Bard. He has the other earring, and says that their power grows even more. The power indicates a specific location - Alby Dungeon. After clearing Alby Dungeon, I find a notebook that Duncan says could have belonged to the Bard. There are a lot of strange rumors about the Bard, and one day he went missing, along with all of his writings. "Hamlet" may have been the play he was working on before he disappeared. After showing Duncan the notebook again, he reveals that it is actually an Avon Feather, and gives it to me. This is what is written in that book:

“	Battle after victorious battle, led by a valiant king ushered Denmark into an era of peace. But it was not to last. For the king's sudden death cast a dark shadow, the catalyst to a tragic thread of events. The king's younger brother, Claudius, married the queen, his brother's wife, before the king was even cold in his grave. But there was one who still mourned the king, One who's tears had yet to dry His name was Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark.	„
—Prologue of Hamlet

I analyze the feather and it teleports me to a place... a really strange place, apparently called Avon. There I find a man, Marlowe, who welcomes me. He tells me that Avon is used as a place to hold exiled gods, and none have escaped from Avon. Shakespeare, however, has. He left a script called "Hamlet". Marlowe sends me to the Globe Theatre to become an actor and go through the play. He also gives me a helmet and a book.

There is a scene of soldiers in the cold. Their fire goes out, and then a ghost appears. When the storm calms, I make me way to a soldier so I can change shifts with him. The soldier tells me that just about an hour ago, a ghost appeared.

Marlowe is quick to dismiss the soldier's story. He then says that new pages are being written for Hamlet, and that I should ask him for help if I need it. He then says it is time for me to meet Claudius, and it would be best to show him respect. I go back to the Globe Theatre and play the script.

In the Castle Meeting Hall, Laertes (Polonius's son), Polonois (the Lord Chamberlain), Horatio (Hamlet's friend), and Claudius (Hamlet's uncle and the King of Denmark) are introduced. Claudius makes a speech saying it is sad how Hamlet's father has died. He then asks me to deliver a message to Fortinbras, the Prince of Norway so that he may give it to his father, the King. Hamlet then talks to Gertrude, who tells him not to be so dreary. Claudius tells Hamlet to think of him as a father. Hamlet says he will try, and Claudius is pleased.

After everyone other than Hamlet exits the Castle Meeting Hall, Ophelia comes in. Hamlet asks her how Gertrude could marry Claudius in less than a month after Hamlet's father died, and Ophelia tells him to respect his mother. Hamlet then asks if Ophelia received the letter he sent, and she says yes. They then embrace.

I enter the border area, where I'm to meet Fortinbras. Rats appear on the way to the Norwegian Outpost. Fortinbras welcomes me, and says that his military is there to defend against the recent monster outbreaks. He then says he will cease his actions, since they cause Claudius distress. The play ends

I go back to Marlowe and he says the monsters have been coming out of nowhere and encroaching on Denmark's borders. In his Tarot cards, he saw nothing good, and advises me to be careful. I go back to the Globe Theatre and play the next script from Marlowe.

Laertes talks to Ophelia before he leaves, and asks her to write to him. He then tells her to be cautious about Hamlet. Ophelia says she will remember it. Me and Polonius come in, and Polonius says that I will escort Laertes to the dock. After me and Laertes leave, Polonius asks Ophelia what is wrong. Ophelia tells him about what Hamlet said, and Polonius tells Ophelia not to believe it.

As I and Laertes walk to the dock, Laertes comments on the amount of walking. He then wonders why Polonius sent an escort with him, since he is a competent swordsman. Snow Trolls then appear, and then the Grim Reaper appears and summons a Giant Snow Troll. At the dock, he says he will remember me as his friend, and asks that I bid Polonius farewell. The play ends.

Marlowe says that Shakespeare had warned the residents of Avon of a plague, but they turned on him and accused him of bringing it on them in the first place. Shakespeare led the rats away, and became known as "the Bard who plays the song of death". Angry with the residents, he lured the children away from the town. This angered the gods, who imprisoned him in Avon.

Marlowe then asks me to get a dagger to be used as a prop from Tir Chonaill. In Tir Chonaill, Ferghus says he can make the dagger, but lost his Blacksmith Hammer while in Ciar Dungeon five days ago. If he uses a different hammer, the quality of his work will suffer. He then gives me a nail and tells me to go to Ciar Dungeon to retrieve the hammer for him. In the dungeon, I see Ferghus enter the boss room, only to be scared away by a Golem. After defeating the Golem and reporting back to Ferghus, Ferghus creates the sword and gives it to me.

Marlowe thanks me for the dagger, and then says that something secretive is happening at Elsinore Castle. I take a script from Marlowe and play it at the Glove Theatre. Hamlet is to meet Horatio, and he wants me to be there. At the Castle Wall Guard Post, me and Horatio are talking when Hamlet walks up to me. Horatio says that he thinks he saw Hamlet's father, which Hamlet says is very strange. He then says he will stand guard to see if it comes again. The apparition is seen again, and Horatio tells Hamlet that it beckons to him, while I ask if it is a good idea to follow him. Hamlet says he will follow it. Me and Horatio stop him, and Horatio voices his concerns. Hamlet insists on following the apparition. Suddenly, the Grim Reaper appears, and me and Horatio take care of the ghosts it summons while Hamlet follows the apparition.

Hamlet follows the ghost through the city, and only pauses when he is startled by a bird. When he thinks he's lost the ghost, it appears in front of him and introduces itself as his father. Hamlet's father tells Hamlet to avenge his murder, which was caused by Claudius. Hamlet promises that he will. Hamlet walks back to me and Horatio, and he makes Horatio swear that he will not tell anyone what happened. Marlowe wonders if it's possible to trust the ghost, and hopes that I'm able to find my destiny in Avon as well.

In the Globe Theatre, I talk to Polonius's butler, who wants me to deliver a luggage to the dock. At the dock, I see Shakespeare, who tells me that he was being chased, and this was the only way to meet me. The monsters that I fought were sent to destroy him and the works he has been writing. Shakespeare gives me an Avon Relic to show to Duncan in Tir Chonaill. Marlowe says the pattern on it is familiar, and there is an old relic in Tir Chonaill that bears the same mark. Duncan examines the relic, and says he has a personal interest in Avon. Avon did exist in the past, and the remnants of the city survive to this day. There is a remnant on the way to Sidhe Sneachta, and he says I should be able to find another fragment of Avon there.

After bringing Duncan the fragment, he tells me that Avon was once one of the most prosperous cities in Erinn. In a rage, the gods destroyed Avon with plague and natural disasters. A legendary bard spread predictions through his songs and plays, but that was not enough to save Avon.

Marlowe says he's never heard of the legend of Avon, and there is no proof Shakespeare is the bard that predicted the downfall of the Partholonians. When I talk to Polonius, he thanks me for delivering the luggage. He then tells me he has asked his servant to spy on Laertes while he is in Venice. Ophelia runs in, worried by Hamlet's strange behavior. Me and Polonius go to speak to the king, but before I can get there, goblins appear and attack us, taking Polonius's letter. I defeat them and get the letter back, and Polonius thanks me for saving him.

Marlowe tells me that he has been writing a manuscript of Hamlet, but has run into a problem. He has run out of Quill Pens, and needs me to fetch another one from Tir Chonaill. When I talk to Malcolm, he asks me to bring him a Small Gem while he looks for one. When I bring it to him, he says that he had only one Quill Pen left, and he'll give it to me for free.

Marlowe asks me if I remember the story of Act 2 Scene 1. Hamlet's madness is faked. In the Castle Hall, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are welcomed by Claudius. He wants them to find out the reason for Hamlet's behavior. They leave, and Polonius says he may have found the cause of Hamlet's madness. Ophelia had given Polonius a letter that Hamlet had given her. When Ophelia took Polonius's advice, Hamlet became sad - that is Polonius's thinking. Gertrude says that it is possible.

In the Globe Theatre, I ask around about Hamlet. The first person I talk to, the Man Afraid of Ghosts, is wondering if the stories about the ghosts are true when Elsinore Ghosts appear. After I defeat them and talk to him again, he denies that he ever believed in ghosts, and then says he saw Hamlet going to the room to the north. In that room, I talk to the Cleaning Maid, who is annoyed that there are rats around. After defeating the rats and talking to her, she says that Hamlet should be in the reception room.

In the Reception Room, me, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern find Hamlet. He is happy to see them, and asks them why they are here. They say they are here to see Hamlet, nothing else. Hamlet says he knows that the King and Queen sent them. Rosencrantz says that there are actors coming to Elsinore Castle soon. Hamlet wants to stage a play so that maybe Claudius will be overcome with guilt and tell the truth. After the others leave, Shakespeare appears to me and says that the Avon relics are proof of how he was mistreated by the gods. He felt that it was his duty to put warnings into his works. The gods fear his ability to predict the future, as he predicted the plague the gods would unleash on Avon, and was severely punished for it. His writings were destroyed by the gods, but he will complete Hamlet. Suddenly, the Grim Reaper, the prison guard of Avon, appears. After I am hit by one of the attacks, Shakespeare sends me back to Avon. He then escapes himself. In the Reception Room, Hamlet and Ophelia are talking, and Hamlet questions her honesty.

Marlowe tells me that the dressing room of the Globe Theatre was flooded, and there is no way to restore the costumes. He then asks me to go to Dunbarton and get the necessary costumes. When I talk to Simon, he says he hasn't finished making the clothing yet, and asks me to get him some wool as I wait. He gives me the clothes once I give him the wool. Back in Avon, Marlowe wonders if Claudius's secret will be revealed.

In the Castle Hall, The Murder of Gonzago is acted out. Claudius appears to be displeased, and Polonius calls for the play to be halted. Claudius then leaves the room, which Hamlet takes to be proof of his guilt, as he planned to do that act as a test to Claudius. Later, he instructs me to follow Claudius. In a room in Elsinore Castle, I see Claudius meet up with Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Polonius. He tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that he is going to send them with Hamlet to England. Polonius goes to spy on Hamlet.

While I go to find Hamlet, I encounter ghosts in front of the castle gates. After defeating them, I make my way to the Queen's bedroom, where Hamlet and Gertrude are arguing. Polonius is listening from behind the tapestries. Hamlet hears him and kills him. The play ends. I'm starting to be interested in this story... I wonder how will Hamlet deal with guilt of the death of Ophelia's father...

Later that night, I get another dream from Morrighan.

"Did you not see yourself?

This is the truth behind
the world being
written by Shakespeare.

Stories of bloodshed,
death, despair, and darkness...

You must stop it 
so that the tragedy can end."

Back in Avon, Marlowe wonders why Shakespeare wrote such a tragic story. He then asks what other bards might think of it. I go to Emain Macha, and talk to Nele about the problem. Nele says that I'm doing a wonderful thing by helping Shakespeare finish his writing. Nele then tells me of a story hidden in Rundal Dungeon, and seeing it will clear things up. After facing the Siren in Rundal, I receive the Siren's Flute. Nele then tells me how Shakespeare foretold the disaster the Parthalonians were facing, with no one listening. According to Nele, Shakespeare and the children who had lost their parents escaped, and looked all over the world for a place they could live. He played his flute to lift their spirits, and when he finally found a living place, vowed never to play the flute again.

Marlowe realizes he was mistaken about some things. He then remembers the letter Hamlet sent to Horatio, and wants me to play the role of Hamlet for just a little while, and gives me the next play. As Hamlet, I set sail for England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. On the way, I am attacked by pirates, and Guildenstern confesses afterward that he and Rosencrantz were given a letter by the Claudius to be delivered to the king of England. Hamlet reads the letter, and decides to return to Denmark - the letter asked the King of England to kill Hamlet on sight.

In the city, the civilians are protesting for Claudius to step down. They want Laertes to be their king. The soldiers attack them, and I join in the fight and help the civilians. As the soldiers are about to be defeated, a little girl runs up and offers a flower to one of the soldiers.

Meanwhile, in Elsinore Castle, Laertes charges in and demands information from Claudius. Claudius tells Laertes that Hamlet killed Polonius, and then tried to kill him as well. Gertrude then comes in and says that Ophelia is dead - drowned.

In the Graveyard, I am attacked by Ghost Cloakers, then meet Hamlet and Horatio. Gertrude, Laertes, and Claudius then come in, and Gertrude lays flowers for Ophelia. Upon hearing that Ophelia is dead, Hamlet runs out, and me and Horatio follow. Laertes wants to fight Hamlet right away, but Gertrude stops him.

Later, Osric welcomes Hamlet back to Denmark, and tells him that Claudius has arranged a fencing match between him and Laertes. Horatio tells him not to do it, but Hamlet disagrees with him, and then asks me to be his sparring partner. After the practice, Shakespeare appears and says that both light and dark coexist in the world.

Marlowe says that the tragedy will soon be completed, and there are people who believe that completing the tragedy will allow Shakespeare to regain his power. The Grim Reaper will stop at nothing to make sure that Shakespeare's works are destroyed. He then warns me not to fall to the Reaper.

The match between Hamlet and Laertes commences, with each of them knocking their swords out of their hands and taking each other's. Claudius has a goblet that he plans to have Hamlet drink; Gertrude ends up drinking it instead. Claudius warns Gertrude not to drink it, but she does so anyway, and dies, just as Hamlet kills Laertes with his own poisoned sword. Hamlet chases after Claudius and knocks him to the ground, then pours the poison on him. Later, Hamlet is blind and wandering around when me and Horatio run up to him. He tells me to tell the story and goes mad and kills himself.

Shakespeare then appears and asks how I liked the play. Then Morrighan appears and summons the Grim Reaper. Shakespeare asks me to protect his play and flees. I am left alone to fight the Grim Reaper. As I fight it, I feel my life force being drained by their scythe, several times... fighting this monster makes it hard to think properly... uh... what am I doing here... right! Hamlet... I try to awaken my Spirit of Order, but my attempts are useless... and I fall to the ground... I see the reaper slowly moving away as if looking for Shakespeare... as I feel my life force fading...

- "Shakespeare!"

I hear a call for Shakespeare that sounds like a howl... it echoes throughout the stage... I feel my weak conscious slowly coming back... I then summon the Brionac... the powerful sword from legends... I hold it and call out its power, and then it happens... Awakening of Light! I stand up and summon ravens to protect me. The awakening triggered an explosion and it got the reaper's attention, so it comes back to attack me. But this time, I stab it with my legendary sword, and slay it... but... it then vanishes...

Once it is defeated, Marlowe appears and helps me escape. Afterward, Shakespeare says that the Grim Reaper is the first of the four guardians that protect Avon, and offers me the First Folio - Hamlet's complete script. I leave Avon and return to Erinn. As I wander around Uladh, I decide to get some more battle training, and learn a bit more about Battle Music - specially the Enthralling Performance that Shakespeare used to lure the children of the Partholons - and some Life Skills. While doing this training, I recall the events that happened since I met Marlowe and Shakespeare... I'm still unsure about his goals, but for some reason that man strikes my curiosity... I really want to understand his deal with the Goddess...

Ascon (SideStory)

This covers events from Generation 13: Hamlet (Sidequests)

Ascon

Sometime after that tragic incident, I receive a letter from Austeyn, the Dunbarton banker, asking for a favor. He wants me to deliver a Mysterious Letter to the banker of Port Cobh. Clearly Augustine isn't pleased by it as he just tears it apart as soon as he receives it from me, but I carefully place the pieces back together and read it. Apparently Ferghus is trying to open a new blacksmith shop here huh. Well, at least I found who this letter is meant to be for, Ascon.

I look around Port Cobh, asking around about Ascon, and all leads drive me to one place - The Lighthouse - So I go there and find an old man sitting on a chair by the lighthouse. Ascon takes the letter and reads right away, and apparently he isn't pleased by Ferghus' letter. To show gratitude towards my delivery service, he gives me a Star Sapphire, and points at the constructions around that area, mentioning about their plans to turn this into a busy port. He also recommends me to try out sailing when the port is done, before mentioning about his work with lanterns. Looking at his disappointment with the early letter, I decide to help him but he refuses it. But, when I'm about to leave, he grabs my arm and, avoiding my gaze, talks about the lighthouse and asks me to help him get materials to make lanterns - I guess he really wants my help in the end. I get his materials and deliver them, he thanks me and invites me to visit him whenever I have free time.

Some time have passed and Ascon sends me a letter, asking to see me. He thanks me again for helping him with lanterns, and shows me a special drawing from his diseased sister, who apparently used to play with him around here; 50 years ago. He tells me his story of adventure on his youth and also about a time he was taken by pirates to Belvast island to be a slave and how he lost his youth to that... He gets emotional, as tears start to fall from his eyes. He talks about how during those harsh times of his life, what kept him strong to carry on were the memories of his loved ones. He talks about how he wonders if he could have saved "her" had he gone back earlier... He must be talking about his sister.

It was a sunny day, a family of 4 people hanging around the lighthouse. Ascon, a 10 year old, and his younger sister Arranz, were playing around the lighthouse. She drew them on the walls of the lighthouse and they kept playing. Their parents were leaving but Ascon convinced them to let them stay for a little while. But suddenly two pirates arrive. Ascon tells Arranz to flee and seek help from adults. He then tries to defend himself against the pirates to buy time but eventually gets captured and taken to Belvast Island to be a slave.

Ascon tells about Admiral Owen and his fleet who raided Belvast and got rid of pirates living there. And that's what freed him from slavery, allowing him to get back to Uladh. We finish our conversation.
Apparently, the two graves at Port Cobh are from Ascon's parents, Alasdair and Gwenllian.

Ascon calls me, and from the looks of it the matter is urgent. He found some old letters requesting things from his parents, and they were written under his name. It was used to threaten his parent and force his sister to marry a man from Emain Macha. He needs help to find out who wrote them. He begs me to help him for the sake of his lost family and hands me the letters. I read them and it looks like they really have been decieving Ascon's family with these letters. I go to Dunbarton and question Walter, and he leads me to Siobhanin at Port Cobh which leads me to a name I never heard of - Videk. Siobhanin suggests that I speak with Annick about Videk. Annick doesn't know much about Videk either, but she suggests I talk with the Rich Man who walks around Emain Macha square. She then gives me a letter to give Ascon. I read them and it looks like Videk was the one handling those letters but was never able to deliver, and Arranz did get married with the man from Emain Macha and had a child.

Ascon blames himself for being the source of all the troubles that his family suffered.

I head to Emain Macha to talk with the Rich Man, and fortunately he's fine with telling me the location of Videk - as long as do him some favors. He wants me to retrieve a jewelry pouch from a dungeon. I do it but the pouch comes empty, so he asks for something else instead - tame a kid cyclops in Rundal Dungeon. So to Rundal here I go!

After two floors of Rundal - actually, more like one and a tenth because second floor was a joke - I finally find the cyclops family... so ug- I mean cute! A red father, a blue mother, a gray older brother - or was that a sister? Cyclops are a complicated race - and a yellow kid. I tame the yellow kid cyclops and as soon as I leave the dungeon, the Rich Man takes it. He thanks me for the job and even suggests I should start a business of selling young cyclops... Of course I deny it! It's not like I need the money anyway... EHEM! He finally tells me about Videk. According to him, Videk is currently working at Belvast Island's trading post, and he suggests I should as Gordon for more information. I go and talk with Gordon, but end up asking about Arranz. Apparently, she really wasn't happy with her husband, and ended up fleeing from him. Gordon also tells me that Videk used to give Arranz letters from Ascon, when Ascon was in Belvast, and that's why she was always happy whenever Videk showed up. But, Gordon points towards an area near the river and tells me Arranz had a fight with Videk, when he arrived after making her wait for over three hours - she greeted him by slapping his face hard. Gordon states you could hear that slap from Iria, and she even tried a second one but Videk caught her hand. She was shouting with rage and hatred towards him and left. Videk stood there looking down, showing shame and rage, for a while and left too. They both left Emain Macha, never to be seen again. Gordon also states that Videk was always carrying around cooking pots and letters for Arranz, and then ends the conversation.

So... Videk was not only taking letters FROM Ascon's family but also sending them letters supposedly from Ascon... Was he the man who forged those fake letters? Or just a culprit... I better talk with Ascon about this.

Ascon apologizes for the way he acted last time we talked, and asks me not to worry about him anymore, as he believes Arranz is living a happy life somewhere, in spite of their parents being dead, and gives me a diamond as a gift. I tell him about what I learned from Gordon and he reacts to it... he wants revenge on Videk as he too believes Videk is the one who wrote those fake letters to take advantage of his family. He asks me to find anything about Videk that could help him on is revenge, and we end the conversation.

I guess if I ever visit Belvast and learn more about Videk, I'll let him know...

Romeo and Juliet

This covers events from Generation 14: Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

Long have passed, since my encounter with that Grim Reaper, but that memory is still vivid and frightening. And then there's that guy Shakespeare... Why was the goddess so obsessed with preventing the end of Hamlet's play? There's still a lot about that place that I don't know...

An owl gives me a letter from someone named Lanier, asking me to meet them in Avon. She tells me Shakespeare is missing and he left an unfinished script book named "Romeo and Juliet", afterwards she gives me the book. I open it to read its content:

“	In fair Verona, where we lay our scene Two households, both alike in dignity From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers... As our curtain opens, join us now in this tale of Romeo and Juliet.	„
—Prologue of Romeo and Juliet

I guess this is a love story then. From vengeance to romance? What are you up to Shakespeare...

Lanier calls me again and gives me a play script after telling me someone is writing Romeo and Juliet as Shakespeare is missing. In the play, two groups of people are fighting on a Verona street, the Montagues and the Capulets, and after some time a guy named Tybalt from the Capulet shows up displaying his hatred towards the Montague. The groups keep fighting and it upsets the people around who have nothing to do with the fight... The play ends.

According to Lanier, the Lord of Verona learned about the fight and became furious about it. As a result, the Capulets decided to start a feast to avoid more public displays like that one. So Lanier asks me for some things - actually, just milk - to help prepare the feast and then gives me the next play script.
The play happens in the Capulet Mansion, as an old man named Capulet and a young man named Paris talk about Paris' love interest and the feast yet to happen in the Capulet Mansion. Lord Capulet gives me a list of names invited to the feast and the play ends.
Sinead calls me and gives me some official invitations for me to give to the names from that list I received in the play, and in spite of the need to travel to distant areas of Tara I do so. Not everyone seems happy with their invitation though...

Lanier calls me again to talk about the coming masquerade feast - she seems to really like masquerades, and really fancy events... She also mentions Romeo is planing to join the masquerade as well, and also arranges someone to teach me the proper manners for the ball - Fancy! She gives me another play script for that.
In the play, a woman gives me instructions on how to greet, dance, compliment my partner and a few other things, and afterwards, I proceed to the ball. Hidden between the pillars, there is Romeo - a Montague!. The man is really drawn by the delicate beauty of Juliet, one of the dancers, and he can't seem to draw his gaze away from her. Tybalt, who is a Capulet, notices Romeo and is filled with rage, but Lord Capulet orders him to calm down to avoid any dramatic scene during the masquerade. When everyone puts on their masks to dance on the ball, Romeo finally approaches Juliet to dance with her and then both of them go outside. Romeo, lost as he is in the beauty of Juliet, praises her and says all romantic things to her, and they end up kissing - not once, but twice!... The play ends.

Oh Romeo, poor Romeo, lost in love with a Capulet... a Capulet no less! Man he's in a complicated situation.
Doesn't take long to realize I'm not the only one having these thoughts as Lanier too shows that concern for the rivalry between the two families when she calls me, and gives me the next play script.
The play happens at evening, at the backyard of the Capulet Mansion, where Romeo bravely sneaks through the guards to find Juliet daydreaming on the second floor's balcony, gazing at the stars. The man calls on Juliet and climbs the wall to meet her at the balcony. There Romeo vows his love to Juliet by the Moon, but she refuses as the moon is ever changing, but she accepts when he swears by his own self. The play ends.

If only their families were not enemies... I actually wonder what happened that created the rivalry between them. Lanier calls me to give the next play script. In this play, Romeo meets with Father Laurence at the church and ask for his help to prepare a wedding with Juliet. Laurence agrees to help him and I decide to help him too by delivering his letter about the wedding to Juliet. On my way to deliver the letter, as I walk around the streets of Verona, some undead creatures show up, but I defeat them and carry on... but... for some reason I feel a really strong presence lurking around the Globe Theatre again... more frightening than when I was in Hamlet's play... The play ends.

Lanier is concerned about the strange appearance of monsters in the Globe Theatre and asks me to keep doing the plays, giving me the next script. In this play Juliet, after receiving the letter, asks her father to go to the church with me as her escort, and he agrees. As we walk towards the church, another group of undead monsters appear and I tell Juliet to hide somewhere safe. After defeating the mob, Shakespeare appears out of the blue and warns me about Bran who seeks him, but asks me to finish Romeo and Juliet's play - just like with Hamlet... maybe Bran is the frightening presence I felt earlier... similar to Grim Reaper. Anyway, after that I take Juliet to the church to meet with Romeo, and they get married!! - another kiss. The play ends.

Lanier, happy with their marriage, calls me again to give the next play script. This play happens at the Verona Square, where Tybalt finds some Montague men and challenges them. Among them is Romeo's best friend Mercutio, who challenges Tybalt to a duel, as Romeo arrives. Tybalt decides to challenge Romeo instead, to get revenge for seeing him at the masquerade feast, but Romeo denies a duel. Mercutio challenges Tybalt again and distracted by Romeo he is fatally wounded by Tybalt's blade and dies. Romeo, driven by rage for the death of his best friend, kills Tybalt. When he comes back to his normal self he flees the scene, filled with regret on his mind. The play ends... what a tragic outcome...

Romeo was banished from Verona by the Lord of Verona, according to Lanier, and he needs my help again. She gives me the next play script. In the play, Juliet's servant is surrounded by undead monsters, and I go to protect her and defeat them. Afterwards she goes to Laurence's Abbey to find Romeo... desperate about his dire situation... worried about what Juliet thinks of him now, he seeks advice from Laurence. The woman tells them about Juliet's situation and shows Juliet's ring, symbolizing her forgiveness to Romeo's murder of her cousin Tybalt. Afterwards she heads back home. Things are getting really complicated. The play ends.

Lanier is touched by Juliet's show of wisdom and strength to deal with the situation, gives you another play script. Romeo goes to see Juliet to bid her farewell, as he exiles from Verona to Mantua, with little hope to come back. Sadness and Sorrow is seen on their expressions, but the situation seems to be beyond hope. Paris, who's interested in Juliet, convinces Lord Capulet to let them get married and within a day. Lord Capulet tells Juliet about it and she begs him to postpone it, using the excuse of grief for Tybalt's death. The play ends.

Lanier calls me to give the next script. Juliet, desperate for a solution, seeks Laurence to see if he can help her in anyway possible to prevent her marriage with Paris. Laurence has an idea but he needs me to collect some special herbs from Verona for it to work, as so I do - in spite of all the undead monsters that roam about. With it Laurence makes a potion and instructs Juliet to drink it at home, and it should make her look dead for a few hours. The plan is to inform Romeo about it and wait till Juliet's family brings her "corpse" to the church, and Romeo comes to stealthily take her with him to Mantua. Juliet warmly accepts the plan, and I'm responsible to deliver the letter to Romeo informing him of the plan, and I agree to do it. The play ends.

On the next play, Juliet goes home, gets everything ready according to the plan, and drinks the potion. Meanwhile, I'm on my way to meet with Romeo, when I see Shakespeare running away from a really big, strong and frightening monster!! It is big! With a device on its left arm that seems to release shock-waves... I can't really ignore the situation, so I decide to help! I let Shakespeare run away as I stall the monster - So this is Bran huh!! Can I really hope to defeat this?

I take my brionac and try to stab the monster but its skin is too thick to register any damage... and it counters with a strong punch!... I try again, but this time it counters with a massive shock-wave!! Argh! I can't fight this... maybe if I awaken the brionac with my Awakening of Light! I awaken the brionac and try to smash and I manage to hit on a critical spot and it bleeds a little, but not really enough to consider it a wound... This is nothing like the Grim Reaper... Like nothing I ever encountered! - I ca... I can't... - I attempt summon ravens to protect me in hopes to escape this seeing that Shakespeare is nowhere to be seen, but Bran just hits me before I could even start it... I fall to the ground... powerless...

- Weak!... - Bran taunts me and goes away calling for Shakespeare... I failed to bring the letter to Romeo... I'm sorry Juliet...

Back at the Capulet Mansion, Juliet's parents find her "dead" and grief. Paris arrives soon after to find the situation... Juliet's servant suggests them to bring Juliet's "corpse" to the church - as part of the plan. The play ends.

According to Lanier, Romeo heard the rumor of Juliet's death. She gives me another play script. Romeo is desperate, after hearing the rumor of Juliet's death and looks for an apothecary to sell him a strong poison. He's willing to give all of his remaining ducats for it, but he ends having to gather the herbs for it. I wake up a while after being beat up by Bran... realizing it is already too late to seek Romeo I go to Laurence to report it. The play ends.

Lanier gives me the last play script. Paris goes to the Tomb of Juliet and finds Romeo. Mad with grief he draws his blade towards Romeo but is slain in instead. Romeo then proceeds to see Juliet, laid there with a cold temperature. He drinks the poison as he sees no future with no Juliet, and falls on the ground next to her Tomb. After some time Juliet awakes to see Romeo laid dead on the ground. Desperate at the grim sight she cries in pain, and decides to commit suicide, as she too doesn't see a future with no Romeo. She takes the bottle of poison to find it empty, and curses. She desperately tries to kiss his lips and leak them attempting to get some of the poison he drunk from it. She then finds his dagger, stabs herself and falls on top of his corpse...

I arrive at the scene only to realize I'm too late... But then Shakespeare appears yet again running from Bran, and this time he requests me to protect the play from Bran. Filled with resolve, I challenge Bran yet again. But this time I summon the powers or shadow, from Cichol, and with the Shadow Spirit I stole from the Grim Reaper long ago, I manage to make Bran vulnerable and attack it with Wings of Rage made of ravens... and pierce its chest with the legendary Sword of God.

Alas... Romeo and Juliet's tragic end... the fact that Shakespeare acts as if he knew I would fail to contact Romeo that time and things would end up the way they did... and seeing how he used me to defeat two of the four guardians of Avon... what are you up to Shakespeare...

For Golvan (SideStory)

This covers events from Generation 14: Romeo and Juliet (Sidequests)

For Golvan

Hmm, Aeira thinks I lost a book, and is calling me to take it. I guess I'll go check. It's been a while since we talked after all...

Aeira gives me a book written by Golvan which, even though I don't recognize it, has my signature on it. According to her, an owl just dropped it on her head. Maybe I should check with Marlowe.

Marlowe doesn't seem to recognize that name either. He takes the book to further inspect and does find some familiar aspects about it. He gives me a bottle of Ink for me to offer in Coil Dungeon and see if I learn more about this book. I do it and go through a fairly long coil dungeon, but strangely I see many paper butterflies along the way and when I finally reach the boss room, I find some paper sheep, an Ink well - really? - and an angry paper-woman by the name of Aisling. I didn't really understand her but we end up fighting and I defeat her. I report to Marlowe and he tells me that well used to be a normal well, until the Gods banished Shakespeare to Avon. They dumped his plays into the rivers, where the magical ink seeped from the pages. They forced the tained waters through that well, to purify Avon, which is how the well began to fill with Shakespeare's Ink. The Gods declared that the ink could only be used by the Magical Spinning Wheel. Marlowe also states that the book is cursed and I should hide it in a place no one can find. He gives me a page from the book for me to play it at the Globe Theatre and find a way to hide it in that play.

I enter the Globe Theatre and fight many rats, spiders, trolls and a castle golem. After all that struggle, I find a man made of paper. But, this one is different... he thinks I'm his fan and came for an autograph? He grabs a book and starts writing his signature on it, and I slowly hide the book and go away as he does that. That man insists on his autograph and talks about sending it with an owl. I report this to Marlowe and he seems surprised that I saw Golvan there, and talks about a story Shakespeare was writing but never finished. The story was titled: For Golvan, and Marlowe had a chance to read it. Apparently Golvan escaped the book somehow and is trapped between the world of Erinn and the world of that story, just like his father... Marlowe cuts off there as might have talked too much and ends the conversation.

Several days have passed, and Aeira calls me again, about a book - the same book, only this time she accidentally sold it to Nele. So I go to Nele. Nele seems happy he had a chance to see an unpublished work of Shakespeare, and gives me the book in the end. I talk with Marlowe about it, and he tells me that Golvan is cursed. He will keep writing and writing with no end, and it may even trouble the gods, similar to Shakespeare, but actually worse, as everyone will suffer its consequences. He then gives me an empty bottle to fill it with ink from Avon's Ink Well in Ciar Dungeon.

I go to Ciar again, to find that woman again. She realized I want that Ink to erase Golvan, but she tells me he's her fiance and she wishes for him to keep living on Erinn just like her, but she doesn't stop me from taking the Ink and gives me a gift for Golvan instead. Marlowe takes the Ink and states that Golvan is too dangerous, and he can interfere with Shakespeare's escape. He tells me to go back to that play, but this time make sure Golvan realizes he's a paper life, and not a real author, as he could never live in peace knowing he's just a piece of a random story. So I start the play.

After fighting many rats, spiders, trolls and a golem, I find Golvan, again he asks me if I want his autograph, but this time I trick him into writing it on that book where Marlowe erased him. He falls to his knees as he fading away and Shakespeare appears, telling him he shouldn't have left his book. Conflicted with many emotions he remembers his lover, Aisling, and mentions her name. On hearing that, I give him the paper crane she gave me for Golvan, and she suddenly appears. She sacrifices herself to switch places with Golvan, as being the one erased from Erinn, and begs me to help save Golvan. By the end of all that, she disappears along with Shakespeare, and I'm left with Golvan. He states that it is ironic that tho sides of the same page may never meet, but he then gives me a book and asks me to sign it as it is my own biography written by him. - something about this seems weird - I sign it, in spite of my doubts about it. I leave after, as Golvan keeps saying words to himself about how he can't forget Aisling and if needed he will create a paradox in time and relieve the short moments he had to meet with Aisling in Erinn - since they could never meet in the book. That probably explains the owls Aeira got from Golvan with a book signed by me.

I report it to Marlowe and he states that Aisling was from another play where she would give her life to others, but decided to leave to choose her own fate. - just like how Golvan chose his own fate outside of Shakespeare's hands...

Merchant of Venice

This covers events from Generation 15: Merchant of Venice

Merchant of Venice

It's been a while since last time me and Marlowe shared a conversation, and now he got lead on the whereabouts of Shakespeare huh... I should go see him.

According to Marlowe, Shakespeare was seen in Avon, close to the Globe Theatre, and then vanished leaving his journal - though, it only had one page left, and that one page is badly damaged from the water in Avon. Marlowe gives me the page and asks me to take a look on it. I inspect it and I get a vision.

“	Life is an uncertain voyage.	„

I see a ship off the coast of England, and on it a man in a suit and a sailor. There is a really strong storm and it looks like they suffer an accident. The man on a suit wakes up in... The Soul Steam! - but why?! Is that a Milletian? - anyway, the man wakes up in the Soul Stream, but there's no one there but three wisps. He defeats the wisps and two ghosts show up, followed by two red ghosts and lastly a giant ghost. But after all that fighting, the man is badly hurt and falls to the ground. He dreams and hears a voice... the same voice of the Goddess...

Can you hear me?
Ah, can you hear me?
From a world so far, the descendants of stars.
Yes, you shall be called "Milletians".
Oh, first Milletians.

He wakes up in the middle of what looks to be a forest, with the sound of a flute playing. He looks around and there's a campfire, some trees and some rocks by the distance, and a woman in a green robe. The man asks if she's the one who saved him, and she tells him she was so worried about him, reveals her name to be Bella and asks for his name. The man reveals his name to be William, William Shakespeare.

Marlowe asks if I found any clues, and whispers to me to go find Nele, as Avon is full of ears and he cannot speak freely for that reason, so I go to Nele. After running a little errand, Nele tells me that Shakespeare is like no other bard he ever knew or heard of, with a unique sense of things, as if he's from another world. And that's why so many bard, like Nele himself, try to follow his example, but in spite of being so famous, each person describes him differently. Some describe him as a child, others as an old man, and others even as a woman. He really is a mysterious person. I then ask what he knows about the Guardian of Avon, and he states that there are 4 guardians, but only two are known, as they are the ones I've met - the Grim Reaper and Bran - the other two are a mystery. I then ask him what he knows of Romeo and Juliet, and he states that he read the script I finished and cried out for that tragic love story, but really appreciates it. When I talk about Hamlet, he states that thanks to me the play went smoothly, in spite the absence of Shakespeare, and I finally ask what he knows about Avon and he says it is a place of exile for those banished by the gods, but somehow Shakespeare escaped. Avon was once a beautiful and peaceful place, till the plague of Partholons changed it - according to the rumors -, and the same rumors say that before the plague hit, Shakespeare saved the children with his flute, by playing it and luring the children out of Avon. When I end the conversation, he suggests I visit Belvast, as it is a beautiful land, where my worries will melt away by the warmth of the sun. Afterwards I get a vision - another play?

“	Golden waves crash along a new ocean route, As dreamers set sail upon the open sea, Holding true to treasured friendships And seeking their long lost loves. One father, Shylock, whose name rings with sorrow, Walks, haunted by the dark shadow of revenge... So the dreamers gather with their tangled fates, Toward Belvast, the land of opportunity and danger. There, all stories begin and end.	„
—Prologue of The Merchant of Venice

Aodhan calls me to do him a favor and he asks I don't speak of this to anyone. When I arrive, he tells me he wanted to talk about the whiskey I took from Lucas for Nele earlier - the little errand - and tells me that the Commonwealth of Belvast - the place where that whiskey is from -, though it used to be run by pirates, it is now a major city of commerce and its ruled by Admiral Owen, a man who was born a commoner in Emain Macha, with little hopes of advancement in Emain Macha. But then the order to rid Belvast from the pirates, Belvast - an island surrounded by cliffs and the only area where ships can approach from is rough and treacherous. While everyone was reluctant to heed to the order, Owen volunteered himself for the task. Everyone laughed at his recklessness, but Owen used a tactic to invade never seen before, Hot-Air Balloons!! And in three days he accomplished his mission. He also states that Admiral Owen is the one who gave him his medal, and is now seeking help from a trustworthy ally. So Aodhan thought of sending me.

I go to Port Cobh, the place where I met Ascon, who suggested I should take a ship to Belvast one day. I take a ship. In the ship I meet a guy named Antonio, who is a Merchant in Belvast. He tells me how many nobles envy Milletians who are bound to life in this world or Erinn as we never die but he thinks of it differently, as the fact that life isn't something they have forever, it makes it more valuable. He then tells me of an adventure he has on this sea, back when this area was filled with Pirates: He met a stranded man named Bassanio on the remains of a sinking ship, and took him on board. But then they were attacked by Pirates and were forced to fight to survive the assault. Both end up being close friends and sailing partners. As the ship is about to reach Belvast, he wishes me good fortune and we separate. I set my goal to find Admiral Owen.

I finally find him, but he tells me what he has to say is confidential so he needs to know he can trust me, and for that I need to reach level 2 Merchant Rating at Belvast. So I go to the Trading Post and talk with Pongo, and he tells me how it works - also comments on how I don't have any Ducats to begin with, which is their currency. So he gives me 300 Ducats to start my first trades. I buy some Iron Whips to take them to Emain Macha, which is the shortest route. I board the ship, where I meet Carasek, who's a man of little words, and also the captain of this ship; We sail to Uladh. We arrive at Port Cobh and I set foot towards Emain Macha, and an Imp is following me, saying he's my assistant and will help me avoid bandit assaults - we'll see about that. We go through Dunbarton, and somewhere on the field I hear the Imp's heart rate raising up. It's surprisingly loud. He tells me that's his Bandit Radar and whenever that happens I should take care and stay alert to any bandit ambush. We go through Osna Snail and bandits ambush us twice. The Imp warns me about the weight of the goods messing up with my damage potential but I defeat them anyway. We proceed to Emain Macha. I sell the goods and go back to Belvast to buy more and sell here, about a few more times till I reach the requirements to become a level 2 Merchant of Belvast.

After days of trading things from Belvast to Emain Macha - on a backpack - I finally achieved my Merchant level 2 at Belvast, so I go back to Admiral Owen to finally learn what he has to say. Apparently, there's a rumor that Barry, the Bartender, water downs his drinks and Admiral Owen wants me to put a stop to it so it doesn't affect the city's trades. He wants me to deliver a bottle of whiskey for Lucas to asses it - I guess I'm going back to Emain Macha again... - I nod and accept it. I arrive at Emain Macha, and now that I'm here I do recall Nele saying something off about the whiskey I gave him, and it was from Belvast as well... Anyway, I give the whiskey to Lucas, he tries and spits it right away. I tell him its from Barry and he realizes its a taste-test, and asks a favor in return. Tired of running other people's errands I refuse, but he insists that after I hear his story I'll be interested in doing that favor, so he tells me the story anyway.

He talks of an Elven lady who lives in Filia, the Elven town of Iria. According to him, she is a fine lady... "perfection doesn't even do her justice" he says. Her name is Portia, and all men of Erinn know about her beauty? Really? Lucas also says that from all sorts of places, men go to ask her hand in marriage, but she refused all. On that, her father left a will stating that whoever solves a riddle, will have her hand in marriage, regardless of her own decision. And if she doesn't accept it, she is to be exiled from Filia. She is also the heir to a ridiculous amount of riches, and Lucas is interested in that money specifically, so he wants me to go learn her father's riddle and its answer... - oh boy... - and in exchange, he will tell me about the whiskey and also give me all his accumulated fortune in Emain Macha - well, the money isn't bad - so we make this a deal.

I find her home in Filia and reach her. Lucas really wasn't kidding when he said she is really beautiful, kind and lovely too. I compliment on her beauty and she does the same, and asks me to be friends. She talks about how Filia, peaceful as it is, is also lonely, and she's glad we met. She wishes to travel freely like I do, and even suggests she joins me on my travels, but says its a complicated situation. I agree to listen to her, she jumps and hugs me, and explains it: Her father passed away leaving a will which states that whoever solves the riddle gets to marry her. Due to this she lost of freedom to do many thing, and has been living a lonely life ever since. She tells me of a man she loved, but because of the damage on the memory tower, she can't seem to remember him. She wants my help to find this man, and gives me an item containing said memories. She wants me to find out who he is and where he is, so I take the item to the nearest dungeon ruins. I live a memory of Portia, going through Longa Desert Ruins dungeon, to find Bassanio. He wants to leave to Belvast, but as an elf she can't join him, so he promises to come back to her and gives her his compass. I return to Portia and she recognizes the name, Bassanio, and gazes at a place far away beyond her window. She talks about how Bassanio was her whole world. How he would tell her about places she never been to, and walk with her around the chores of Connous. She also talks about how stupid that will left by her father is as it doesn't allow her to choose to marry the one she loves. She asks me to deliver a letter for Bassanio, and that no one other that Bassanio may read it. I receive the letter and set foot to Belvast.

I seek a man I met on the ship to Belvast, Antonio, as I remember him talking about a friend named Bassanio, so he can lead me to them. Antonio tells me about Bassanio's never ending stories of Portia and his efforts on becoming a "wealthy man... suitable for a woman of her beauty and wealth". But, things didn't go as planned and he thinks of himself a failure, and lives in a pub getting drunk. He hopes that with a message from Portia herself, it might lift his spirits, and also gives me some money to give him. I sail to Port Cobh and visit Annick's Pub, where I find Bassanio, with a mess of a beard, bad small and really bad looks - I believe he hasn't washed or sleep in days... - I talk with him, he tries to shove me but I slap him back to his senses. He takes Portia's letter with a bit of emotion showing. I give him the money Antonio gave me, and he pays his debts to the Annick. He then asks me to tell Antonio that he needs thirty million gold, to pay the dowry to Portia, so he can marry her. Back to Belvast I go, and tell that to Antonio. He says thirty million isn't much for him, but his assets are on his ship, and he would need to wait till the ship is back. But since its for Bassanio, he will try to find money by whatever means. He asks me to check his credit in Belvast, by trying to get as much as I can with his credit, so he can send Bassanio back to Portia in Filia. He suggests I ask a man named Shylock to lend some money. According to Antonio, Shylock lives in a big house near the graveyard so I look for him there. Shylock seems to have a "not so pleasant to remind" past with Antonio, but agrees to lend the money. However, he wants Antonio himself to go to him, and gives me an Alby Dungeon pass and tells me to go with Antonio there. So we go to Alby, me, Antonio and Bassanio, we fight our way through Alby to meet Shylock. When we reach him, he mocks Antonio about his wealthy noble position and suggests that Antonio is responsible for the deaths of his family, but lends the money anyway on the condition that if Antonio doesn't pay pack within the deadline, he will have Antonio's life. Bassanio tries to convince Antonio do give up on the idea and look for another way, but Antonio tells him to take the check and promises he will have three times the money when the time comes. We leave Shylock and he reports back to an unknown person that he will have Antonio's heart like they said.

Friend - Hey, in the sky.
Little Girl - Hmm?
Friend - There is a hole in the sky.
Little Girl - Huh? You're right. I see something shiny inside the hole.
Friend - That...looks like a star. You know, the thing that shines in the night sky.
Little Girl - No, I don't believe you!
Friend - No, really. Look carefully. See, it's not a constellation you can see in Erinn.
Little Girl - I really can't tell from way down here...
Friend - That look on your face... don't tell me... Please, not today.
Little Girl - What are you waiting for? Get up! Don't you want to see it closer?
 

I have another vision, this time I see a robed person and a little girl looking up in the sky and talking about a star. I don't really understand it.

Marlowe sends me a letter, asking me to meet him. He tells me Shakespeare appeared before him again, only this time he looked like a lunatic, and then just vanished, but left behind some other pages of his journal. He gives me one page that he was able to restore from the water damage, which seems to be the seventh page, according to Marlowe. He also says he feels like Shakespeare risked coming to Avon just to let me find that page. I take the page, analyze it, and vision comes to me.

“	Cowards die many times before their deaths, The valiant never taste of death but once.	„

I see a young Shakespeare, at what seems to be Avon? But it looks much different than it is now, and three years have passed since he came to Erinn. He's trying to learn to play the enthralling performance with the flute, but fails to do it and Bella does it easily. He tenderly tells she will play it for him whenever he needs to hear it, and she is about to tell him something... but is interrupted by a group of gremlins that appear to attack them. They fight the gremlins, a group of goblin hunters and a ogre. But more enemies come and overwhelm them and they fall... Shakespeare looks at Bella on the floor and an ogre goes to finish him off... but... the voice of the Goddess, sounds once again...

Open thine eyes.
Witness!
The time hath drawn near...
 

Shakespeare wakes up in the Soul Stream... with a younger body... confused with what happened... the vision ends there.

Bassanio sends word that he's ready to give a response to Portia, so I meet him and Antonio at Belvast. I arrive in the middle of a chat between the two and I learn about Bassanio being a noble related to the Tara family. Bassanio gives me tea and a letter for Portia. When I reach to her house, she jumps and rushes to see if I have Bassanio's letter. She tells me how grateful she is for me going through all this trouble to make her happy, and even says she would marry me if it wasn't for Bassanio. Many colorful thoughts go through my mind as she caresses my hand... AHEM! She proceeds to tell me the things she'll need, due to her father's will, so that she can finally be together with Bassanio. She needs a skull from Rabbie Dungeon, a Clown Doll made by Pierrick and a portrait of herself drawn by Hans, and she asks me to help her get those items, as it would be much faster if I collect them instead of herself. There's a hint of guilt in her voice, but I accept it. She gives me some ashes for me to offer at the Rabbie altar and a Waxen Wing of the Blue Goddess to teleport me back to Filia when I get the skull. So I sail back to Uladh and offer the ashes at the altar. After killing so many rats, I fight some skeletons at the boss room and get the skull. I use the Waxen Wing to get back to Portia and deliver the skull. She tells me a story of how she met Bassanio, and gives me many details about it. In the end she apologizes about telling me all of that out of the blue, and tells me about Pierrick who can give me the next item. She gives me a shy kiss on my cheek and blushes, then thanks me again for doing all this for her. She also tells me that Pierrick is Bassanio's friend so he will give me a doll for free. Again I sail to Uladh, but this time I go to Tailteann to meet Pierrick. The man charges 50,000 gold for the Clown Doll and denies his friendship with Bassanio, saying he doesn't know them. With the doll in my hands I go back to Portia using the Waxen Wing. I find her reading Bassanio's letter again, and she asks me about doll and I tell her how it went. She says she suspected that Pierrick didn't know Bassanio at all, and apologizes for the trouble, giving me a pouch of gold.

Portia then asks me if I ever wonder why she likes a man like Bassanio, who talks too much and often lies about things. I stop to think about Bassanio... about the way he talks to people, the things he did to a poor commoner just because he thought the commoner was selling something overpriced. Portia gets close to me, looks directly into my eyes and asks:

- "Have you ever been in love, Wanga?"
- "Has just the thought of someone ever made you want to cry tears of joy,
  or fill your heart with more warmth than you ever thought it could hold?"
- "Have you ever felt love like that?"

I don't... think I ever felt that type of love...

When I tell her I haven't felt it, she smiles sadly and takes my hand... and tells me I'll understand someday... and tells about how illogical love can be...

Afterwards, she looks at me apologetically and talks about the last item she needs, a portrait from Hans. Again she tells me about Bassanio's friendship with the person I'm after but this time she's not so sure about it. So I sail to Uladh again, seeking Hans at the city Tara. The man frowns at hearing Bassanio's name, and doesn't speak well of him - not surprising. He charges me 50,000 gold for the portrait, and asks me to describe Portia's features. With that information he paints the portrait with ease. Once finished, he gives me the portrait, asks me to send his compliments to Portia and to tell Bassanio to stop lying to everyone. I go back to Portia with the portrait, to find her sleeping standing up! She opens her eyes when she senses me, and thanks me for the portrait. I tell her about Hans and she says she expected that and gives me 100,000 gold. She then talks about her love for Bassanio despite his lies and imperfections, and how many of her friends tried to talk her out of this saying there are many elves, humans or even giants better than him - and I agree. She tells me that thinking of Bassanio would clear away all her doubts about him, and takes my hand to touch her chest and feel her heart pounding. She then says that Bassanio was the only person who could make her feel this way... until now... She asks me if I think Bassanio will make her happy, and I - being honest - disagree, but she tells me love can overcome all things, with a cheerful smile but her eyes fixed on me. She then talks about the riddle Bassanio needs to solve, as she does wish to fulfill her father's dying wishes, and tells me to look away as she prepares three boxes. Curious that I am, I look, and I see her putting the portrait on a Lead box, and she tells me I can look now. She puts something warm on my hand, a pendant made by her grandmother, to keep her safe as she was reckless. She asks me to think of her when I wear it, and to attend to her wedding, as she might move to a far away place after the wedding. We end the conversation.

Lucas wants to meet me, so I go back to Uladh to meet him at his Pub in Emain Macha. The man acts strangely friendly towards me, and even offers a drink. He then tells me about his discoveries on the riddle and tells me how much gold I would get if he marries Portia, ten billion gold... He then asks me the answer to the riddle, but I lie to him telling the portrait is on the gold box. He goes right away to Iria and promises me his money, if he succeeds on marrying her. The next day Lucas calls me again, and he's mad that I lied to him, as he lost the chance taste her goods - and I by that I mean her money. He proceeds to tell me how it went - and how he got slapped by Portia. However, he does give me information on that Whiskey. It had 20% water and a bit of sugar to hide the taste. After that Lucas wants to be alone.

I report to Admiral Owen and he asks for another favor without giving me details, to get a million gold borrowed from the Erskin Bank, so he sends me to Shylock. Shylock explains me that while Belvast is a really wealthy city, its wealth is not equally distribuited among the citizens, and to make things worse, the wealthier people are often the greediest, and do everything they can to avoid taxes, which then affects the state's economy. That's why it is in need of a lot of money now, to help with critical funds. Shylock gives me a letter for Keith, the banker in Tara, so I go to Tara. Keith read the letter, but says the one million is a significant amount to just hand for free, even to the governor of Belvast. He then asks me to tell him the right answer to Portia's riddle and in exchange, not only will he give the one million gold to Owen, but will also give ME a HUNDREAD MILLION GOLD!! Well now... this is a situation... but... I can't really do this to Portia... so I lie to him too just like to Lucas, and tell him its in the Gold Box. He then tells me to come here tomorrow, to get my reward if he ends up married to Portia, and leaves. On the next day I meet him again and... He doesn't seem angry at all... He admits I lied to him but he expected I wouldn't sell out a friend. He was actually going for the Lead Box, when Portia said he should carefully read the text on all three boxes. And with the mindset that he diserves Portia he chose the Silver Box which its text implied that the one to choose it would get what they diserve. The man admits he was fooled by it, and his desire to marry her died with that. He does agree on lending the money to Admiral Owen, however, and send me back to Belvast.

I report to Shylock and he asks me for yet another favor... To help the poor in Belvast, he wants me to deliver some special Belvast seeds to the farmer in Tailteann, so he can have them grow and give some of it to the poor families in Belvast. He also wants me to deliver some crops from that farmer to a woman in Belvast. When I deliver the crops to the woman, I learn that Shylock too suffered from the cruelty of nobles, and even lost his daughter and wife because of it. She also tells me how Shylock has been a great help to the poor people of Belvast. She also mentions Mr. Videk! - the man who took advantage of Ascon's family... - She says that Videk also went through the same thing as Shylock. She also mentions Tory Ravine, as being a place in the island where Admiral Owen keeps it off limits, for unknown reasons.

I report to Shylock and I learn that Antonio's fleet of ships just vanished. Shylock sees it as divine punishment for Antonio being a noble who cares only for himself. Shylock also tells me of his younger ages, when he was a poor vegetable merchant in Emain Macha, with a wife and a daughter. I go back to Admiral Owen, who thanks me for all the help and gives me his old gloves - from the time he fought in the front lines - as a token of gratitude and a show of trust. He pats my shoulder and tells me to pay him a visit whenever I pass by Belvast. He then goes back to his duties as the governor.

Friend - The hole is getting bigger. We must tell everyone.
Girl - No! Then people might make the hole disappear.
Friend - What if something really scary comes over?.
Girl - Don't worry, we'll make a magical door then! The two of us are more than enough!
Friend - Magical door? That's too dangerous.
Girl - Look at this place. Can you really say that?
Friend - The most colorful animals have the strongest poison.
Girl - That's why we should make a door to keep us safe. Please? Just this once...
Friend - Grrr... FINE! But this is truly the last time.
Girl - Okay!
 

I have a vision of a robed person and a little girl again, this time they're flying on brooms and talking about the hole in the sky. I still can't understand it.

Marlowe calls me, talking about some stuff recorded in "Erinn Tavelog". When I talk to him he asks me about the information I got from Shakespeare's journal page he gave me last time, and I tell him about the memory of rebirthing. Marlowe is surprised at learning he's also a Milletian like me, but admits that it makes sence considering how Shakespeare has had many descriptions from different people. He gives me the 15th page of the journal and wants me to analyze it as well, hoping that by uncovering Shakespeare's past we can uncover his future. I analyze it and another vision comes.

“	The course of true love never did run smooth.	„

I see a young fully armed Shakespeare - armored with two swords and a bow, in Avon 3 months after his rebirth, walking to the same place he "died" last time, following a dream he kept having of Bella being there, but he only finds her flute. Not long after his find, Cichol appears with Bella lying unconcious on the floor. Cichol refeers to Shakespeare as a prophet and a fool, for loving that woman. Cichol threatens Shakespeare, demanding that he runs from Erinn, and calling him a blind prophet, while summoning undead skeletons to fight him.

- "Another deluded Milletian... You are invited here by no one!"
- "Milletian! Remember! You are but an uninvited guest here in Erinn!"

Shakespeare hears those words as he defeats the small army summoned by Cichol, and goes after Bella, when Cichol appears again and threatens him to condem him to eternal torment. Cichol is about to cast something to Shakespeare, when Morrighan appears and stops him, saying that is to be HIS fate - and not Shakespeare's. Cichol says that Morrighan may banish him to Avon but he won't be entrapped for long, and he will destroy her and everyone else. Morrighan says that Cichol can never defeat her and Cichol tries to counter her spell, when Shakespeare stops Morrighan, as the destruction caused by their fight may end up hurting Bella. Freed, Cichol tells Shakespeare he still has time, and he should run far away from there, and disappears with Bella. Morrighan warns Shakespeare not to make her regret her decision, as when the day comes, Shakespeare will rule over Avon and not Cichol. They both vanish and the memory ends.

Bassanio calls me, sayin he's ready to go to Portia, but he needs a favor first. When I reach him in Belvast, I hear him comforting Antonio for the lost ships, and tells him the death of Shylock's daughter wasn't his fault, but it happened because of Vigorin - Vigorin... the man who married Ascon's sister, Arranz... - but Antonio still blames himself for being the one who let on about the neckless. Bassanio tells him not to beat himself so much about it, as he was much younger and it was only normal to ask about something you just found. And when the owner went crazy about it being stolen he couldn't have done much about it. I didn't really understand everything about it. Bassanio notices me and asks me what I would do if I saw a man stealing something from a girl, would I let the owner know or just pretend I didn't see anything. This is a bit tricky because it would depend a lot on the circumstances, but I would normally let the owner know, and I tell that to them, but Antonio cuts me off and says its up to fate to decide. If he must be punished, like Shylock said, he will. If not, then the two lost ships should arrive safely at Belvast. After that he leaves, and Bassanio tells me how Antonio has a really good heart, but blames himself for too many things. Bassanio then proceeds to talk about his marriage with Portia, and how normally even if he failed the riddle, he would become a farmer or a servant there just to be near her, and that would be enough to make him happy, but now it is not just for him but also for Antonio's sake - as he lost his ships so it may be hard for him to pay his debt by the deadline, which would result on his death, so he asks me the answer for the riddle. I tell him the answer and he thanks me for it. We leave to Filia, for the proposal. At her house, Portia shows the box to Bassanio, and as he becomes poetic as he goes through the boxes and chooses the Lead Box, which has her portrait. Then, he proceeds to propose her and she says yes! We attend to their wedding. Portia is filled with joy, but Bassanio is conflicted between his worry for Antonio and his happiness for their marriage.

Back at Portia's house, Bassanio asks me for one more favor, as I'm the only one he can trust to do it. He explains me that since a third ship sinked, Shylock forbid Antonio from leaving Belvast, so Antonio had to go back and stay there until the deadline for the payment of his debt. If the remaining three ships arrive safely at Belvast, the thirty million gold would be nothing as their goods are easily worth a hundread million. But, if something happens to the ships, Antonio's life would be in danger. And due to the his recent wedding, he can't leave right away, so he can't just pay with Portia's money. So he asks me to help Nicca protect the ship that sails from Port Qilla. So I go to Nicca at Qilla. Ethna joins us on the ship, as we face pirates at sea. We end up protectiong the ship, but fail to deliver the goods as the pirates aim wasn't to steal, but to just destroy everything, and they managed to sink the other ships.

Not long after, Shylock calls me saying that Antonio is bankrupt, and he wants my testimony on the trial, but I refuse. He then, says he made preparations in case I sided with Antonio, and says Morrighan is on his side, so he shall have Antonio's heart soon. He mentions Jessica, who I'm not sure if its his wife or daughter, and reveals that all of his life has been focused on taking refenge for their death. He still thanks me for all I've done. Later, I attendo to the trial at the courthouse.

Admiral Owen is the judge, and appeals to Shylock that regardless of the contract, he shows mercy towards Antonio, but Shylock refuses. He states that he swore to the Gods that he would receive the amount shown on the contract. He also declares to not have any obligation to reveal his motives to take a man's heart over thirty million gold, but it appeals to his sense of justice. Some of the crowd supports him and some critizise him. Owen asks Antonio if what Shylock says about the contract is true, and Antonio, being the honest and humble man that he is, confirms it. Shylock is surprised by his honesty, and Admiral Owen declares the veredict clear, and according to the contract, Shylock is to take Antonio's heart. Shylock hesitates for a moment, Owen notices and asks him to declare it now if he changed his mind and decided to spare Antonio's life, but Shylock declares that he "wants" Antonio's heart. Owen gives Antonio three days, to put all of his personal affairs in order, before the deed and ends the trial. The commoners support it, but the nobles show their discontent with it.

I visit Antonio at his prision cell. Shylock is shouting at him, saying that unless Jessica and Jeah come back to this world, he will never forgive him. And he keeps on showing his hatred towards Antonio, and I manage to learn that Antonio was a young boy on a family of noble, and Shylock tried to ask for help to them, to save his daughter Jessica. He pleaded at their house door, but they didn't care. Antonio probably wasn't sure on what to do, as that might have been a really tragic situation. I think I get a clearer picture now:

A man steals a neckless from Jessica, Shylock's daughter, and Antonio who saw it tells her and she goes crazy about it. And maybe the thief became hostile and fought with her and scared he just fled from the scene. And Shylock, who found his daughter badly wounded, cried for help to Antonio's family, but was ignored - and if you add that with the way commoners have been treated by nobles along the history, that might have been a really critical experience for Shylock.

Well, as I think about it, I hear Antonio grabbing the cell bars and looking straight at Shylock.

- "If you want my life, you can take it. If you can bring peace to your heart using mine, I'll gladly give it to you."
- "However... my death will not bring Jessica back. Ever since you left Emain Macha, revenge and hatred are the only things that sustained your life... Revenge on me, and hatred towards the nobles."
- "Surely you realize by now... revenge and hatred can only beget more revenge and hatred. Your heart will never find peace at the midst of such rage..."
- "Once, the goddess of revenge was revered as the guardian of all humans, but she only brought upon us endless wars."
- "The peace between humans and Fomors in Belvast would never have been possible under the goddess of revenge. I pray that... your thirst for vengeance will disappear with my life. My death will not bring Jessica back from hers..."

- "Antonio..."

As Antonio said all of that, I could only think of everything I experienced in this world. The war between humans and fomors, Cichol's many attempts to destroy Erinn, the way Lugh turn into the Dark Lord, the things that happened with Ruairi... The events in Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet pretty much showed that. History shows that, but we keep repeating the same mistakes... Silently Shylock stares at Antonio, his face twisted with confliction. Shylock says he's not wrong but Jessica CAN come back to life. He then, thanks Antonio and leaves. Antonio then apologizes for making me wait, and asks me for one last favor: to give his letter to Bassanio, and tell him to live a happy life with Portia and forget about him. He gives me the letter, with a bitter smile, and asks me to leave him to rest.

Friend - It is done! So, this day actually came. Wait! There is one more left.
Young Woman - What's left? I didn't leave out anything.
Friend - We have to close it so one can come over.
Young Woman - Come on... we might go there every now and then.
Friend - Absolutely not. We promised to only look at it.
Young Woman - Hmph! How boring. Can't you just let it slide like I do?
Friend - What do you mean by let it slide you do?
Young Woman - You thought I didn't know? I know what you are trying to give up.
Friend - It's not giving up... I'm trying to make a weak world stronger.
Young Woman - Please don't... Watching you change scares me.
 

I have another vision, and this time I see the roben person and the young girl older, and they seem to have built something that looks like the soul stream... Could that be Morrighan and Cichol?...

As I sort of expected, Marlowe calls me again. I tell him what I experienced last time and he is surprised at how that story of Shakespeare warning the people of Avon of its destruction wasn't a myth. He then gives me the 133rd page of Shakespeare's journal and I analyze it and get another vision.

“	There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face.	„

It is the 2nd Battle of Mag Tuireadh, last line of Tailteann's stronghold, fomors and humans are fighting, and Shakespeare joins to aid the humans. After a very intense battle, the humans win the fight, but Cichol appears with more Black Knights. Shakespeare demands that Cichol reveals where is Bella, but the God instead praises on how Shakespeare have gotten strong rather quick, and questions is that's the source of Morrighan's obsession. Shakespeare only cares about the whereabouts of Bella, but one of the Black Knights knocks him down and Cichol says that Shakespeare, while stronger than before, is still weak and nothing but a puppet of the Goddess - "A soulless existence, subservient to the Goddess". Cichol then tells Shakespeare to "break the shackles of the Goddess, and escape". Shakespeare questions if Cichol is just trying to turn him agains't the Goddess, and says it won't work. Cichol then leaves, saying: "Remember this... The future that's been promised to you is a lie, my dear uninvited guest." The memory ends.

I tell Marlowe what I saw, and he questions why Morrighan banished Shakespeare to Avon after his show of loyalty, and why Shakespeare decided to rebel agains't her. "Could Shakespeare have found Morrighan's hidden fear, as Cichol suggested?" he questions, but we never think of an answer as we're left with more questions than answers.

I go back to Filia to give Antonio's letter to Bassanio. He learned about Antonio's trial and is rushing to leave for Belvast and try to save his best friend, while promising Portia that he'll come back alive. Portia says she's join, as his friend is her friend. Bassanio denies it as it is too dangerous, and she insists as she's skilled with the bow and we will need as much help as possible. Bassanio hugs Portia, and thanks her for supporting and being with an incopetent man like him, and she places her chin on his shoulder, and fixes her gaze on me and says:

- "And I love you... I love you..." - That takes me by surprise... Does she love... ME?! Why would she declare to me like that in a time like this... After all I did to let her be with her lover...

Bassanio tells us to hurry and I just nod to him, still shocked, and we leave. We arrive at the prision, and Portia snipes one of the sentinels guarding Antonio's cell, and Bassanio blasts the other one. We open the cell but Antonio refuses to flee, as he believes this to be his only way of clearing his debt with Shylock. Bassanio ,and Portia too, insist but Antonio refuses. Portia warns about us not having enough time and Bassanio tells us to go a keep the guards busy and secure an escape path as he tries to find a way to leave with Antonio. Me and Portia leave, and look at the guards outside. She snipes some guards and I finish them off. I try to avoid as many casualties as possible, but we end up having to kill some of them. Whenever I talk to Portia, she says we need to protect their friendship. As we're busy with the guards, Shylock arrives at the cell and lifts Antonio's burden by declaring his debt paid, and lets him escape with Bassanio, and even gives them a horse. Bassanio and Antonio rush to find us surrounded by guards. They charge and knock down all of them and we all run to the ship, where Ethna is waiting for us. We sail to Iria and Shylock lets us go.

Back at Portia's house, Bassanio thanks me and says I won't be seeing them for a while but Portia will tell me the details. I speak with her, she takes my hand and tells me she wants to see the world, and while still cradling my hands, she looks at me with sparkling eyes she apologizes for not telling this earlier, but it was due to the confusion and planing to free Antonio. She looks at Bassanio and confirms he's still busy talking with Antonio and puts her head closer to mine and says:

- "Wanga, I can't believe you... You never... You didn't even notice... How I felt about you..."

Tears begin roling down her face, as she is overcome with emotions and falls to the ground sobbing. Bassanio get worried and asks her what's going on, embraces her and gives me an icy look.

- "No... it's nothing, Bassanio. I'm just... so sad to part with the person... people that I love."

She then forces a cheerful look and suggests we should celebrate, and asks me if I would like to hear her play the lute. She goes towards the table to get the lute but falls hard to the floor. Bassanio rushes to her, but her face has turned pale and sickly. He suggests that I leave, as he thinks I said something that upset her.

- "No... don't leave! If I don't play for you now... You'll never hear... I can... Play the tuba, too... It's a secret... Don't tell anyone my secret, Wanga... My sweet, darling..."

Portia... seems overcome by her fever. Antonio too sugests I leave, and says he'll be going with them, as he doesn't have any more business here. He also asks me to send his regards to Shylock, and guides me out of the house in a polite manner.

Friend - I can't believe you broke our promise! How could you?
Woman - You are the one who broke our promise first.
Friend - You shouldn't have done it... You of all people should have protected...
Woman - I had no choice. That was the only way to stop you.
Friend - No... because of this, you've turned me into an unstoppable monster.
Woman - What?!
Friend - You... never listen to my requests.
Woman - Please, come back to us.
Friend - Today is the last day... That we will call each other friends.
Friend - Morrighan...
 

I have another vision, the same robed person and a woman. Only this time, it is clear that they are Cichol and Morrighan.

I find Shylock at the Avon relic near Alby Dungeon, at Tir Chonaill. He seems calm and admits the blindness on his hatred towards Antonio, and he talks about how many commoners suffered a terrible fate because of the nobles. He mentions Vigorin's daughter, some other names and even Videk. He talks about Shakespeare's power to bring anyone to life with his pen and paper, and tells me about a letter sent by Shakespeare, describing all of the things yet to happen, and they did. It described everything we just lived, Antonio borrowing money from him, his ships sinking, and everything. On the letter, Shakespear also said:

"Would you like to see your family again?
I can bring them back to you.
Your wife Leah, and your
precious daughter Jessica."

And as a price for it, Shakespeare wanted two things... for Shylock to bring me to Alby and to bring Antonio's heart to him... He was consumed by the wish to see his family again and did all of those things. He then asks me if I could have done it... kill an innocent person just to see a loved one back to life... I deny it, with all my honesty, and he tells me I have a good heart. He tells me how he lost his will to kill Antonio at the last moment, and could only watch him flee. He also says he's looking for Shakespeare in Alby, but a purple monster is blocking his way, and he asks me to help him reach Shakespeare, as he wants to offer his own heart for the sake of his family being brought back to life. He then gives me a pass, which I offer at the Alby Dungeon altar.

After fighting my way through seven floors, and dealing with Bran Fran, I see Shakespeare. I tells me that everything that happend, even to this moment, was all fated to happen, and now "it's time for the entrence of the final actor, who will lead this performance to the grand finale". Does Shakespeare really have the power to control fate on this world the same way he did in Avon... Shylock arrives to tell Shakespeare of his "failure" to get him a heart, and Shakespeare says he knew it as Shylock is not a man to kill an innocent person for a selfish reason. Shylock then offers Shakespeare his own heart, in hope to see his family, and Shakespeare accepts it, by writing him in the "Story of Golvan", where he will be able to see his family and live with them there, and then takes Shylock's life. He then tells me he want's to rebirth with Shylock's appearance to fool Morrighan's eyes, but Morrighan shows up, with Bran and Grim Reaper, telling him that won't happen. Shakespeare is shocked, as his prophetic dream showed him otherwise, and he says that the fate was changed as a result of my own decisions, and if that's the case, there's still hope. He tells me I must find Bella, and I must never forget about it. I must make sure the future he dreamed of, does not become a reality. Shakespeare then vanishies with Morrighan, leaving behind his book.

Afterwords, I get a prophetic vision of the future.

“	The gods treat us, the humans, like little more than pests. They slay us, toy with us, without remorse.	„

“	A few years after the Soul Stream was sealed... Future Soul Stream...	„

I see the soul stream, but all dyed in red... there are corpses... corpses everywhere on the floor... and all of them are... MILLETIANS!! Milletians on the floor! All DEAD!... And in the middle of it all, I see myself... On my knees, looking at the horrible scene... And Morrighan... appears and walks to me... showing hatred in her eyes... I can only watch her... on my knees... Bella arrives with her, holding a sword... she comes to me, and lifts the sword on top of me... I only watch them, powerless... and she finishes me off with the sword...

“	Dear, arrogant Wanga... With your dying breath, I, Morrighan, declare the extinction of the Milletians.	„

Day of Liberation (SideStory)

This covers events from Generation 15: Merchant of Venice (Sidequests)

Day of Liberation

Two days have passed, since that frightening vision of the Milletian's extinction... I'm still frightened about it, so I decide to go for a walk in Belvast, to clear my mind and distract myself a bit. I notice that there are so many Fomors in Belvast, so I decide to ask Owen about the fomors. Owen directs me to an Imp named Kinu. Kinu tells me about an incident. He was at Ceo Island, with some fellas, and a Goblin asked him to slay a wolf on top of the cliff, so he did. But after slaying it, he saw a robed man with white wings - Cichol, wandering around the island and he then saw me rushing to the underground place where Aer lives. He was scared and went back to his companions to tell what happened, but then he saw a black aura coming from that underground place like an explosion... by the way he describes it, it must have been when Jenna almost killed Cichol with the Brionac.

Owen, then, confirms this as the fact that Cichol was destroyed changed a lot on how some fomors - followers of Cichol - thought about things, and some even became friendly to humans and everyone is welcomed in Belvast... that's why there are so many fomors in Belvast.

Macbeth

This covers events from Generation 16: Macbeth

Macbeth

A while has passed, since that dreadful vision... is Morrighan really plotting to make us Milletians extinct?! Bella was there... I still can't make sense of any of that... there's also, Portia... I really wonder how is she with Bassanio now... but, I guess I should forget them. Even if she really loves me, my life is way too dangerous for her to be with me. Besides... one thing those visions from Shakespeare showed me, is that we Milletians are not welcomed in this world of Erinn...

Admiral Owen sends me a message, asking to talk with me about an incident on the prison... I wonder if he means what I did with Antonio. I talk with him, and he does talk about THAT incident. I tell him the truth since he probably already knows it from Shylock, and despite his loss of guardsmen, he accepts my apologies. He then jokes about how killing me would be useless anyway, as I'm a Milletian and I'd be back on the streets within a few days, and says that Shylock himself did everything he could to clear my name. He then asks me about where Shylock may be, and I tell him about the incident at Alby Dungeon in Tir Chonaill. Owen then, tells me a story about Shylock's past and then treats me some stamina potions, and whispers about a person who wants to meet me at the graveyard.

I find the suspicious man, fully covered in robes, and he takes me to camp, through a pathway behind the graveyard. There I see some royal alchemists and patrolmen arguing, and a really dark land beyond the wooden gates. I follow the suspicious man to the gates, but another man, by the name of Odran, orders us to halt. He tells we shouldn't wander at night in this place. Odran, then, inspects the suspicious man in robe, and after realizing something, lets us carry on, but warns about monsters lurking around the place outside. I keep following the man outside, and he reveals to be Owen!! Wha-really?! Well, he then explains why the deception, being the fact that he's the governor of Belvast, and because of that, at times he has to hide it, to avoid public gaze, and talks about a lover, who is cursed.

Owen says, the reason for him to become the admiral, wasn't his military strategy, but rather something else, and he just made it look like it was a military strategy. Owen tells me how he and his men, were able to come out victorious at the cost of so many lives, and though he doesn't regret it as it was the right thing to do, it was still his fault that things turned out the way they did for those lives, and for Scathach. He then takes me to a cave, filled with some weird monsters. I've never seen these kinds of monsters before, and they look much stronger than the ones I'm used to facing. I try to fight a few, but they overwhelm me, so I just slip past the rest, and go straight down to the bottom of the cave. As soon as I reach a shipwreck, I see a woman there - Scathach, and Owen runs to hug her. Odran then appears and calls her a witch, and orders her to leave his brother... I didn't know Odran and Owen were brothers... they end up fighting, as Owen defends Scathach and Odran insults her. The fight stops, and Owen talks with Scathach. Apparently he's trying to convince her to join him in Belvast City, and leave this dark, cold and dangerous cave. He even says he'll build strong walls to hold the witch, as long as it allows her to be close to him. I'm still trying to understand the whole thing about witch and what it has to do with Scathach. She refuses to go with him, as it would be too dangerous, because of the witch's power. She then warns about the sun that's soon to rise, and we should leave.

One think I think I understood from all that, is that Scathach is possessed by a witch, and that witch only awakens during the day... or more accurately, as long as the sun is up. So that's why Owen came with me here at night time. Owen tells me to leave, to avoid contact with the witch, but Scathach stops me, apparently with something to tell me. She asks Owen to leave, and me to stay as she has a message for me - a Milletian. Owen leave, as Scathach asks me to hold her hand, to warm them. When I do it, she becomes icy cold and transforms into something else... all that delicate beauty is gone, and now I see a cold, blue and scary woman, laughing. She caresses my face with her icy cold hands, and warns me about a war. After saying that she and Scathach share the same feelings for Owen, she tells me to warn Owen and get ready for war. She then sends me back to Owen.

When I reach the Admiral residence, I find Owen and Odran arguing about Scathach and what would people think of him, if they learn about their relationship. When they notice me, Odran shows his discontent for his brother consulting not only a witch, but a Milletian too. I guess some people really don't want Milletians here... Owen apologizes for his brother, as Odran leaves, and we talk about the war that Scathach witch mentioned. When we end our chat, I get a vision of Shakespeare.

“	Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under't	„
—Macbeth: Act.I Scene.IV

"Can you hear me?
Shakespeare..."

I see Shakespeare waking up in a strange place, with Bella there who tells him Morrighan must be killed before she notices them. Bella declares her love for Shakespeare and takes him to another place. They reach what it seems to be the Hanging Garden at the Rath Castle in Tara. Shakespeare fights two skeletons and proceeds to slay Morrighan, but when he does that, she falls and transforms into a man... a man covered in royal robes... dead... the guards look at the corpse and chase down Shakespeare. He defeats all the guards, and proceeds to the Gate Hall, where Bella stops him and asks him to forgive her. Shakespeare is clueless to the meaning of her words, and then is stabbed on the back by Lugh Lavada, who calls her Triona. The guards arrive and he declares to be the Knight of Light, returned to fulfill his role of guardian.

The vision ends, and as I try to process what I just saw, I get another vision.

Cichol - This is not what we agreed to. We were not to use the Soul Stream!
Morrighan - You broke your word first, not me. What do you intend to use the Fomors' power for?
Cichol - ...You should have trusted me. Instead, you've brought the Milletians into this world...
Morrighan - I had no choice. It was the only way to stop you.
Cichol - Even though you knew that using the Soul Stream to draw them to this world would expedite the collapse of Tir Na Nog?
Morrighan - Cichol...
Cichol - You never listen...
Morrighan - Come back. We can't continue with just the two of us. But if we use the Milletians, we can save paradise.
Cichol - No... With this act, you've turned me into a monster.
Cichol - From this day forth... We are no longer friends.
Cichol - Morrighan...
 

I see Morrighan and Cichol arguing about Morrighan's use of the Soul Stream to summon Milletians, and Cichol declares the end of their friendship... After that vision, Owen calls me, and tells me about a chaos that started at Tara, due to the assassination of King Ethur Mac Cuill the Second, and the appearance of Lugh Lavada - just like it happened on my vision. Owen asks me to go and check it myself, so I go to Tara. I ask Lezarro, and he tells me the King was murdered, and sends me to a girl named Eirawen, at the Hanging Garden of the Castle. When I get there, Eirawen shows little care to who I am, and just tells me how "we Milletians" have been nothing but trouble, and talks about the Milletian that murdered her father, the King. She also talks about Lugh Lavada, who showed right after the event, to claim the throne. She then asks me to help prove that Lugh Lavada is the actual killer, as his appearance is suspicious, and it would clear my own name as a Milletian.

I look for witnesses at the Infantry, on the first floor of the Castle. I find a scared guard, who says it was neither a Tuatha de Dannan, nor a Milletian, but a green thing... a thing, bigger than Glas Ghaibhleann appeared, it was green, and it frightened him enough to make him faint. He also talks of a white feather... aside from it being a monster bigger than Glas, everything else, sort of fits Shakespeare's description... I go back to the Gate Hall, to look for clues, and I find a feather pen, tainted with blood.

I get a vision of Cichol, on top of what seems to be a high rock in "Another World" of Bangor, looking at his army of fomors, talking about his regrets on listening to Morrighan.

I go back to Eirawen and find her talking to Sinead. Sinead supports Eirawen as the true heir to the throne, regardless of all the legends of Lugh. I give her the Quill Pen and she asks me if I think this is work of a Milletian... I tell her what I believe, and confirm. She then talks ill of Milletians, but then apologizes for it, as all of that has been hard to process. She then tells me about the need of support from the nobles, for the ascend to the throne, and asks me to get a bottle of fine wine from Glewyas to Pencast, as he's one of the few nobles who she believes to support Lugh and his legend of being the "Knight of Light". I realize how right she was, when Pencast, after taking that wine, keeps supporting Lugh, arguing that Eirawen is way too young to be a leader - I guess I can see where he's coming from, but I don't trust Lugh...

I go to Eirawen, and she's talking with a strange armored guy. I tell her about Pencast's support of Lugh, and she orders me to be her bodyguard as we go to the court to face Lugh. Callow, the strange armored guy, tells her that's a dangerous idea, but she insists. When we enter the court, I feel a strong tension in the air, and everyone appears to be having a strong feeling of vertigo. I go towards Lugh, and I get a hostile feeling from everyone in the room... Even Sinead... And apparently, everyone suddenly supports Lugh Lavada! This can't be right... I talk with Lugh, and he threatens on Eirawen's life, saying we should leave this place for good if I want her to be alive. Eirawen then calls on Sinead and Lezarro, asking an explanation for it, as they were supposed to support HER and not Lugh... I kind of want an explanation too... but, all they say is that Lugh is the rightful King. Lugh even goes as far as accuse Eirawen of being a greedy princess who conspired with a Milletian - Shakespeare - to kill her own father, for the sake of the throne, and now is being aided by another Milletian - me - to accuse him of crimes he didn't commit. He then proceeds to banish her from Tara, and sentence her to death in case she returns. We are then, sent away from the Castle.

Afterwards, I get another vision of Shakespeare. He wakes up in the Soul Stream next to Nao, who apologizes before Morrighan shows up. Shakespeare calls Nao by Mariota - her original name - and asks to be sent back to Tara, but Morrighan stops them and suggests him to return to Avon, saying that she'll even send him to his original world, but he refuses to do it as he is worried about the other Milletians. Morrighan prepares a burst of ravens to hit Shakespeare, when Cichol appears and stops her. Cichol, then, takes Shakespeare to the passageway between the two worlds of Tir Na Nog. Cichol claims that Morrighan destroyed paradise and led the Milletians into destruction. Shakespeare questions Cichol for kidnapping Bella, but Cichol claims he took her to protect her from Morrighan. Shakespeare asks Cichol about Morrighan's destruction of paradise, and Cichol says the Soul Stream doesn't belong to this world, and they just found it, and thought to control it, but it was a foolish idea, because "not even the gods have the power to control the Soul Stream". Cichol also talks about a decay that was happening in their paradise, and they noticed the cause of it being the Soul Stream and Cichol tried to seal it. But Morrighan, instead of sealing it, she used it to summon Milletians, and even let us rebirth through it. Cichol blames the Milletians and Morrighan for the destruction of the other world of Erinn, the Shadow Realm, and even Scathach Beach. Shakespeare then questions why Cichol attacked him and Bella... why make Bella suffer if Cichol wanted to protect her from Morrighan. Cichol then reveals Bella's true identity as being the Emissary of Destruction, created by Aton Cimeni, and with a destructive power that opposes the creative power of the Brionac. Bella can control minds by making them believe her to be someone they know and care about, like how Lugh Lavada thinks she's Triona. Cichol also says that Morrighan wants Bella's power, so she took Shakespeare hostage to control Bella. Unlike me, Shakespeare never met Triona, so Cichol explain to him that Triona is someone who is long dead, but Shakespeare doesn't believe him so Cichol promises to show him.

I meet Eirawen at the Dunbarton School, and she gives me two letters, one for Aodhan and the other for Duncan. I give Duncan his letter and he agrees to support Eirawen, but when I give Aodhan his letter, he refuses to support Eirawen, as he can't accept her claims about Lugh Lavada. I go back to Dunbarton School to report to her, but I find Betty - her friend and servant - on the floor, dying... I can see some deep wounds and blood spilled all over her body... she tells me the princess is in danger, and passes away...

I rush out of Dunbarton, towards Osna Snail, and find a group of assassins chasing the princess. I go as fast as I can to protect her and defeat them. After defeating all of them, I turn around to see Eirawen on the floor... she looks unconscious, but unharmed. I wake her up, and as soon as she wakes up she looks at me and blames herself for the deaths of Betty and Callow... I pull her to my arms and hug her, as she cries. I stay with her like this until she feels better, and then I take her to Belvast.

“	Hence, horrible shadow! Unreal mockery, hence!	„
—Macbeth: Act.III Scene.IV

On our way there, I get another vision of Shakespeare. He's in the other world of Tir Chonaill, and going toward the graveyard, searching for Triona's grave. On his way, he fights some zombies and other undead creatures. When he gets there, he finds Cichol, who shows him Triona's grave, and finally believes in Cichol's words about Bella. Shakespeare decides to try his best and save Bella from Morrighan, believing that he's the reason behind Bella's actions. Shakespeare agrees to listen to Cichol for now, and Cichol tells him he'll need a Truth Orb, and he agrees to make one.

At Belvast, Eirawen looks more emaciated than I ever seen her. She begins to question whether Lugh supporters are right about the kingdom being better without her as the queen, as she blames herself for the deaths of Callow and Betty. She declares her trust in me, and asks me see if Admiral Owen can be a potential ally or an enemy. Doesn't take me long to confirm Owen's support for Eirawen, but this time he sends me to the Scathach cave, as the witch seems to have a message for me. When I talk with her, she claims to know much about me, my ambitions, and the ambitions of the gods.

- "The goddess of the crows is not so dark as her pawns. Remember this: Paradise is being sacrificed to allow your kind to resist the flow of time and seek ever greater strength."

- "Which of your gods is Palala? And which is Ladeca? Outer appearance may be important... or it may not be. No matter what choices you make under the wheel of destiny, someone WILL be crushed by the wheel."

- "So ask yourself: What is important to you?"

What is important to me? I spent all this time trying to figure out the visions, the Soul Stream and the gods... I never really thought about that... What is important to me... back when I sent those letters to Duncan and Aodhan, they mentioned my deeds... Duncan reminded me of that time I saved the goddess... why did I save her? Because I believed that was my purpose in this world... Yes, I'm a Milletian, I don't belong in this world, I don't even have memories of my life before this, and then a goddess calls ME to save her... I felt special, with a purpose, so I did it. Aodhan even reminded me of when I became the Knight of Light, and I did that because of HER! I received the blessings of Nature and Spirits, but Morrighan was the main reason I even started that path... Morgant warned me about Morrighan, but I didn't listen to him, and in the end even he was being used by Cichol to revive Macha. I still can't fully understand the reason behind the hostility between Morrighan and Cichol, but the visions showed me that they used to be friends. I met Neamhain in the Shadow Realm of Tara, and later learned that even a goddess like her, was being used by Cichol to win his war against Morrighan... Nuadha, the so called Hero, ended up being a greedy god who tried to use me to do his dirty work, and that was the first time Morrighan called me arrogant...

What is important to me? Long ago, I would say: To enforce the will of the goddess, Morrighan. But that thought was shattered by that prophetic dream I had, where Morrighan used Bella to do a genocide on Milletians. Aton Cimeni created this world using the Caliburn... The same thing Neamhain used to create Iria... The same thing that choose me to be its guardian... I'm still unsure how to feel about it... Could it actually be the will of Aton himself? Well, the Caliburn is too powerful to be in the wrong hands, so I rather have it with me... ah right... this world... I may not belong here, but I spent so many important moments of my life here... I may be an uninvited guest for the gods, but I saved this world many times, and I met so many people who are part of my life now... What is important to me... Erinn! And right now, it may be in danger, with Lugh as the King of the Aliech Kingdom.

Eirawen... she is the rightful heir to the throne that once belonged to her father. She was banished from her own rightful kingdom, and doesn't have as many resources as Lugh. I want to help her claim the throne. I want to help her build the ideal Kingdom in Aliech, and protect her ideals. Yes, I want to protect her, because... she is important to me! I want to protect her Kingdom... I want to protect her world... That is my answer.

“	By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes	„
—Macbeth: Act.IV Scene.I

I get another vision of Shakespeare. This time, he's gathering materials to make the Truth Orb, and he starts by getting Manannan's Tear from some golems at Scathach Forest, and then fights some corrupted Aonbharrs in Falias, to get some red falias fragments, and finally he goes to Raspa Volcano to mine for some flint. After that, he goes to Tailteann to synthesize them into the Truth Orb.

Afterwards, I get a vision of Morrighan, observing Shakespeare and Bella, back when Shakespeare spent his days with Bella in Avon.

Morrighan
- There's still hope.
- We can use the Milletians to save the world from the Soul Stream and restore the paradise of the past.
- Cichol...
- How is it you've come to hate this world that you once loved? Haven't you realized that you cannot restore paradise by your own power?
- Abandon these thoughts of war. Don't give these lesser creatures cause to oppose us.
 

“	Don't awaken the Goddess of War...	„
—Morrighan

I go back to the Admiral's Residence, and find Eirawen and Owen speaking quietly. Eirawen's cheek turn red when she notices my presence. She is a little annoyed that I didn't report to her about my early meeting with Owen right away. She then proceeds to tell me about some rumors circulating Tara, and about a stench coming from the Castle's west tower... she then clenches her fist and goes silent, and Owen continues saying that people believe Eirawen willingly handed the throne to Lugh. Eirawen then points out how strange it was for Sinead, of all people, to betray her like that. And not just Sinead, all ministers were acting really strange. Eirawen then, blushing, asks me to go investigate it further and find out about what's going on in Tara. She thanks me for everything I've done for her, and looks in my eyes with uncharacteristically warm eyes, and asks me to kneel... I kneel, and she gives me a kiss on the forehead... and blushes even more... and gives the excuse of it being a ceremony all knights in the Aliech kingdom go through to get a blessing. Owen coughs awkwardly and hands me a letter for Corentin, the priest at the Pontiff's Court in Tara. They both bid me farewell and Eirawen asks me to take care.

I deliver the letter to Corentin, she takes and hides it in her robes, and makes it sound as if she's being hostile towards me, maybe to avoid unwanted attention. She makes sure no guards are nearby and whispers to me to meet her in the private Confessional room. The comfort of the room makes me fall asleep as I wait for Corentin, and I feel her shaking me to wake up. She tells me about strange noises coming from the west tower, the sound of evil chanting, children and women screaming, and a strong stench of rotten corpses, all coming from the tower. She then suggest I talk with Alpin, as she needs to go. As we part ways, she warns me to be careful and wary for Lugh Lavada. I meet Alpin at the Hanging Garden in the castle, and he stealthily takes me to a hiding place, and I eavesdrop on a conversation between Lugh and Bella, who he believes to be Triona. Lugh talks about his desire to kill me and Eirawen, as they are not safe as long as we live, and talks about a tragedy that is to fall upon this land. He then goes away and Bella tells me to come out of hiding, as I can't really hide from her. I tell her about the nightmare I had, where Morrighan genocides all Milletians and Bella kills me. She tells me she doesn't really want any of that but it is a burden she has to carry. She puts me to sleep and I wake up next to Scathach.

The witch asks me to keep her company for a little while and tells me that Bella is not who I, Shakespeare, Lugh, Cichol or even Morrighan think she is. Bella is burdened with a curse even worse than Scathach's, according to her. She also claims that Shakespeare's love for her blinds him from the truth.

“	God, God forgive us all!	„
—Macbeth: Act.V Scene.I

I get another vision of Shakespeare. This time he is in Tailteann, looking to synth the ingredients for the Truth Orb, and afterwards, heads to Albey Dungeon to deliver it to Cichol. Cichol then gives him something that is supposed to make Shakespeare immune to Bella's mind control. Cichol then sends Shakespeare to Tara, as something big is about to happen, and the vision ends...

I go back to the Admiral's Residence, to find a worried Eirawen... she runs to me with eyes red and swollen, and asks where I've been... people say I suddenly disappeared, back in Tara... I guess Bella somehow teleport me to Scathach... maybe Bella wanted me to hear the witch's words... maybe Bella really is suffering a terrible burden... as I'm lost in these thoughts I feel Eirawen's gaze on me, with that worried look in her eyes. I can't help but to smile and console her, and I feel a bit of relief in her eyes. She then puts her hand in her forehead and staggers on the floor... Owen call to her, worried, and Shayla comes quick to aid her, and all I hear is a Eirawen's faint words: "Please... Don't go..." and feints. Owen says that was expected as she haven't slept since she heard I went missing in Tara. He also says Lugh Lavada was spotted in Peaca Dungeon with a girl, according to a merchant named Bryun, making a compact with Master Lich... Owen also says that more and more citizens in Tara are going missing, and are probably being used as sacrifices to the monsters of Peaca... he also says that Lugh is aiming to get rid of Milletians and after Milletians probably the Tuatha De Dananns, until all life is gone... he then glances at his gold medal and points out that Belvast force alone will not be enough to stop him, and suggests I seek allies with the military forces in Uladh, saying they might side with us if we reveal Lugh's plans.

I go to Tailteann and meet with Odran, Andras, Sinead and Padan in secret, on top of the Beacon Mound, and I find Odran and Padan arguing and try to stop the fight, when suddenly we find ourselves surrounded by undead creatures... Padan and Odran blame each other for the appearance of said creatures but we all assemble and fight them. There are Ghouls, Cloakers and a Hollow Knight... they are so many... The commanders are actually holding their own well against the creatures but their number is overwhelming... and I'm not strong enough to kill all of the creatures and protect them at the same time... but I can't let them die here... Eirawen needs them... Erinn needs them...

I see no other way but to use the power of the Caliburn once again, as even with my Spirit of Order, their numbers are just overwhelming... so I awaken the Caliburn's light and I take the souls of the felled ghouls to attack the remaining ones, but more keep coming and I summon Wings of Rage made of spirit ravens to and we finally defeat all the monsters. Odran who has always been hostile towards me, actually compliments my strength and all the hostility between the commanders is gone. We finally manage to form an alliance under Eirawen's command.

I find Eirawen at the Lighthouse in Belvast, and she looks well and happy to see me. Owen talks with me about the plans: Padan and Sinead command Tara's Royal Guards and Royal Alchemists, Odran commands the patrol guards of the Scathach Beach Expeditionary Force and Andras commands the Elven, Giant and Human troops from the Shadow Realm Expeditionary Force. Eirawen thanks me, and with red cheeks she puts her small and soft hands on my shoulder and gives me a gift... it's a pretty leather fine bag, with the emblem of The House of Mac Cuill, her royal family... I thank her, she looks at me and tells me I should rest, and suggest that maybe I avoid the battle... we Milletians can't die - although that idea is starting to lose weight - but, she still fears for what Lugh may do to me. I hear she say something like "I don't want to lose a..." and then goes quiet and changes the subject... We board a ship and sail with a fleet to Uladh.

Cichol - Our paradise... Our mistakes... Such things can only be corrected by our own power.
Cichol - Is is... dishonorable to use Milletians in this way.
Morrighan - The Milletians are the only way we can recover our paradise.
Morrighan - I'll not allow anymore bloodshed.
Cichol - I will cleanse this tainted paradise with the blood of lesser beings and create a true paradise befitting of our divinity!
Morrighan - If you won't listen to reason, then I have no choice but to stop you.
Morrighan - Even if the rivers run with the blood of thousands...
Morrighan - Even if I reopen the Soul Stream... My friend...
 

As soon as I reach Uladh, I get a letter of an unknown person asking for help in Rundal Dungeon. I use the pass I found on that letter, and after several rooms in Rundal, I find Shakespeare... he is being chased by the 4th guardian of Avon - Merrow - and I help him defeat it. He then tells me to meet him in Dunbarton. When we meet in Dunbarton, he tells me he wants to join the fight against Lugh and help us stop Bella. He then asks me to get some military supplies from Annick. Annick sends me on an Errand, as the condition to give me the supplies... I give the supplies to Shakespeare, and he says he's going to join Owen's army.

“	The night is long that never finds the day	„
—Macbeth: Act.IV Scene.III

It is a stormy night... Morrighan and Bella get ready to seal the Soul Stream and summon the Milletians for the genocide... everything is ready.

Meanwhile, Shakespeare joins Owen's army and we match to Tara's Rath Castle. Eirawen wants to make a speech, but she asks me to be by her side, to give her confidence. I go near her and she begins the speech:

- "G-good people! I, Princess Eirawen of the Aliech Kingdom..."
- "Oh... I-I mean... What I meant to say is..."

Eirawen gets nervous from facing the big crowd of people looking straight at her... Owen suggests I go to her side. I get close and hold her left hand...

- "Wanga..." - She looks at me, and with a smile I suggest her to try and show more passion. She turns back to the crowd, raises her right arm while hugging my right hand with her left hand tight and yells.
- "Lugh Lavada promised us a golden age. But look around you! Lavada has brought us nothing but death!" - I suggest she talks about honor.
- "He's twisted both Tuatha de Danann and Milletians to his evil purpose! Who sullied the honor of our Kingdom? It was Lugh Lavada!" - I suggest to talk about unity.
- "I will not lie to you. We have no reason to trust each other. I'm asking you to set aside age-old grudges."
- "Elves and Giants. Alchemists and Soldiers. But we cannot retreat. If we give up... If we retreat... If we lose... Everyone..."
- "Whether you're Human, Giant or Elven... man or woman... child or elder... Tuatha de Danann... or Milletian..."
- "All will be turned to ash, and everything we love will be lost."
- "If I can wash away Lugh Lavada's curse with my blood... If I can bring the light back to this world with my death..." - The rain gets heavier.
- "Then I will gladly lay down my life. For the late King Ethur Mac Cuill the Second! For Tara! For Erinn!"
- "And for Wanga, and Milletians everywhere, who have sacrificed so much for us!" - She finishes her speech with a battle cry

Owen gives the order to charge, and everyone gives a loud battle cry and charge to siege the castle. We fight through so many undead monsters, and after a while in the battle field, Shakespeare clears a path for him, me and Owen to seek Bella inside the Castle. We run through the main hall, all the way to the second floor, where we split. We hear Bella scream and we go to the throne room to face Lugh. We find Bella laying on the floor, unconscious, and Shakespeare takes her to the garden, while me and Owen face Lugh. Lugh summons two really strong monsters with him and charges at me with his Pragarah sword. I take my Brionac sword and the two legendary blades clash, making loud noises as we keep trading blows. With the help of my Spirit of Order I manage to defeat the former Knight of Light. We go to the garden and find Shakespeare, along with the army commanders, surrounding Bella, who is laying on the floor, gasping for breath... She apologizes to everyone and talks about her love for Erinn and its people... she looks at Shakespeare and hands him a note... she then gives a last goodbye to Shakespeare and everyone, and implies that it needed to happen so Erinn could be saved... Shakespeare cries her name and hugs her... and suddenly, the souls of all the people who died in that battlefield burst into Bella, and she glows... I then see the Soul Stream having its seal lifted, and some of the monsters from Scathach Beach disappear... and her body disappears as well...

Everyone except me and Shakespeare, then, leave, and Morrighan shows up at the Garden. Shakespeare talks about Bella's note to Morrighan and questions her. He then blames Bella's death to Morrighan, and she mourns Bella's death and says Bella was like a sister to her. Shakespeare then questions Morrighan's plan to genocide the Milletians, but she says that she has no reason to stop the Milletian anymore because with Bella's death, the damage that the Soul Stream was doing to Tir Na Nog and its destructive potential had died with her... The Soul Stream shouldn't be a threat to Tir Na Nog anymore, and for that reason there was no need to get rid of the Milletians and seal the Soul Stream. Morrighan also declares that there won't be divine intervention from her anymore, as anyone with divine power has the responsibility of protecting paradise, and the Milletians share that responsibility too as we have both divine and fomor power at this point. She intends to return to the Realm of Gods and only cross paths with the Milletians if an extraordinary threat falls upon Erinn. She says this world is my responsibility now... Shakespeare demands that Morrighan sends him back to his world... back to my world... and Morrighan warns him about his loss of memory of everything he lived in Erinn as a side effect. Shakespeare says that he can't live in this world anymore... a world without Bella, that keeps bringing him memories of her... Morrighan then accepts and we all part ways... Morrighan back to the Realm of Gods... Shakespeare back to his world... and me... back to Erinn... my new world...

I get back to the castle and all the troops praise me as a hero, but all I can think of is Shakespeare's prophetic dream I saw with his book... the extinction of all Milletians... at least we don't have to worry about that anymore... I think so...

As I go to the throne room to see Eirawen, she jumps and gives me a warm welcome. I compliment her speech earlier, and her determination that led to her becoming the Queen of the Aliech Kingdom... Eirawen Mac Cuill...

I spend the evening with Eirawen, talking about her plans to the Kingdom now, and what the future holds, and she even allows me to spend the night in the castle. I tell her that I've decided to travel a bit, to clear my mind and process the events that happened during our short journey... she doesn't seem all too happy with me leaving, but she understand it - or at least she says so. In the next morning, me and Eirawen part ways...

Bound in Destiny: Puppeteer (SideStory)

This covers events from Bound in Destiny (Sidequests)

TBA

Chapter 05: The Saga

Iria: Part 1

This covers events from Generation 17: Iria Part 1

Prequel: Shamala and Nightmare (Episode 00)

Shamala and Nightmare

After all the drama with Puppetry, I decided to leave Uladh for a bit, and train my puppet skills in battle. However, Kousai sent me a letter saying he's worried about the safety of Cor Village.

Kousai tells me about a dangerous black panther that hunts animals nearby and it's starting to attack the village's livestock, and he's afraid that the villagers are in danger because of that beast. I agree on helping him, and I hunt the panther at night time. However, for some reason, the panther drops a lingerie as it runs away from me.

On the next day, I take the lingerie to Waboka, to see if he knows who owns it, but he blushes instead and sends me away... I take it to Tupai, but he's also clueless... so I give it to Kousai and he sends me on another hunt for the black panther... This time I find some creepy monsters... Lycanthrope, Hellhound, Ghost, and finally the black panther. I kill it, but then a bigger black panther shows up... I defeat it, but suddenly a woman appears and vanishes...

On the next day, I find the woman in Cor Village, and her name is Shamala. She tells me she's not just attacking animals... "she's purifying the spirits"... I'm not really sure what she means, but I decide to follow her. We find a possessed Boar, and we fight it... Shamala uses Final Hit and tells me to escape while I still can, but I fight by her side instead!! She's a really strong warrior... anyway, we fight some Lycanthropes, some Hellhounds and some Ghosts... again... and there are so many of them. In the heat of the battlefield, Shamala transforms into the black panther!! SHE TRANSFORMS INTO THE BLACK PANTHER! And helps me defeat a Giant Headless, and then vanishes again... where are all these creepy monsters coming from...?

On the next day, I ask Kousai if he has seen the black panther lately, and he sends me to hunt it again. I wait for nightfall, around the place where Kousai sent me to, and suddenly I feel a chill. Snakes! I'm surrounded by a lot of snakes, not my first time fighting snakes so I quickly get rid of them... however, more snakes keep on coming, and some very poisonous ones too... and I get overwhelmed and get bitten by some. I'm on the ground, struggling with the poison, when suddenly the black panther comes back and takes down the snakes overwhelming me. It then transforms into Shamala, and she sucks the poison out of my wound, but more snakes come and we get ready for another fight, as she transforms back into the black panther. We defeat some really big python snakes, and a giant ascended python snake that can teleport hit like final hit! But I also final hit, and we both defeat it. Shamala shows some surprise at my battle abilities and will to fight, and gives me a giant lion's potion that I'm to use it when I find myself in danger... It should temporarily grant me the abilities of the giant lion if I transform into it - and she teaches me Transformation Mastery. She also says that she needs to purify the spirits urgently, as something bad is about to happen...

On the next day, Kousai tells me the lingerie I brought earlier might be a clue, as some villagers reported seeing a person transform into the Black Panther. I go to Shamala and she is trembling with fear... she looks really scared...

- "If something goes wrong, tonight could be the end... something terrible is coming this way... but I must go no matter what."

She looks at me with sad eyes, and tells me not to follow her. I look in her eyes and she leaves abruptly. But I follow her from a distance anyway. I find Shamala unconscious with way too many hobgoblins around her... I can't take them all on my own... at least not fast enough to save her... not even with my Spirit of Order or Awakening of Light, so I desperately drink the potion she gave me and I transform into the Giant Lion. I rush towards the hobgoblins about to slay her, and ram them with my giant lion body... I roar to get everyone's attention and widly kill every goblin out there... but more keep on coming and attack me with fire magic, lightning magic, ice magic, arrows and sword swings, but I tank it all and ram around them and kill every single one of them... then more goblins arrive with two armored bears, but despite all the struggle and pain I'm feeling right now, I manage to somehow defeat them too...

I transform back into human and rush to Shamala, but she's severely injuried! I desperately gather some herbs and kill several lions to make her a special potion, before it's too late... I give her the potion and treat her wounds as she wakes up...

- "Ugh... that... was not pleasant... you saved me...?"

We stare at each other for a moment, and I feel a relief from seeing her awake and well.

- "Things should settle down for now, thanks to the purification we just finished."

- "There she is! That's the witch who transforms into the Black Panther!"

- "Oh, no... Ugh... I-I'm sorry!"

Waboka rushes towards us along with some tribespeople carrying torches with some hostile looks. Shamala looks at me, with sad eyes, and transforms into the black panther. She pushes me away as she gets surrounded by the tribesmen with torches. I fall hard on the ground and hit it with my head... I fall unconscious and see a vision of Shamala inside some ruins... alone... enduring pain... and she suddenly falls to the ground, unconscious...

Shamala saw an ill omen in her dreams, and now she disappeared... I'm worried about her, since the last time I saw her she was surrounded by angry tribesmen...

I ask Kousai about Shamala and he says he personally sees no reason to detain her, and sends me to Tupai, since Ruwai was the one who found Shamala through her scent back when I was treating her wounds. I ask Tupai to see if Ruwai will help me find her, but Ruwai denies, so Tupai sends me to Waboka. Waboka complains about everyone assuming he keeps tabs on every women in Cor, and gets angry after learning that Shamala is gone. He blames her for all the troubles with demons Cor village has faced, and calls her a vile witch. He asks me to help him deal with some demons surrounding Cor, and we wait till nightfall to search for them. We fight a bunch of demons and an Arachne, and we defeat them all.

On the next day, Waboka asks me to help deal with another group of demons invading Cor, and this time we fight a Demi Lich too. On the next time another group of demons appear, but this time it is a really huge army of them... all of them invading Cor Village, and burning the houses and Waboka blames this too on Shamala... but for some reason, I can't really accept the idea that she's behind all this...

This time everyone in the village helps fight this army and with my help we successfuly defeat them all... but then an unknown man in robes appears and summons more demons... but this time I call on Adniel, using his horn, to send a rain of meteor rocks to that group of demons and the unknown man, but he escapes. After everything settles down, he comes back to the village, and I approach him.

As I get close to him, I feel a black energy coming out of him and I get a vision... I see the robed mysterious man casting some sort of enchantment on Shamala... and then I see her in some underground place, fighting many demons. She tries to escape that place, but as she looks for an exit she goes through a lot of ghouls, demonic creatures, Banshees, Arachnes and even a doppelganger... and then she finds an exit... but as soon as she gets out, I see a red haired girl, casting another enchantment on Shamala, and she falls unconscious...

I'm not even sure if that's a memory, but the enchantment from the red haired girl seemed to put Shamala in great pain... I wake up from that vision next to the red haired teenage girl.

- "Finally! Geez, took you long enough to wake up! You look awful. The demons attacked ME, too, and I don't look like a bear pooped me out."

She talks like that, but I can see her lips trembling...

- "The demons devastated the entire village. So many dead. So many lost. My dad... My dad and I spent the last three months exploring Cor Village for relics. When the demons invaded, he... he..."

She swipes at her eyes roughly with the back of her hand...

- "He saved me. But the demons got him. It's all that witch Shamala's fault! She's the one who lured the demons to Cor Village! If it hadn't been for her, my dad would still be alive!"

She swears to hunt down Shamala, to avenge her father's death and tells me to stay put in the village. She also tells me her name: Millia. She then disappears... but I chase after her. As I search for her, I find and fight a bunch of undead skeleton creatures. And after taking down so many of them, I find Millia on the ground, with a skeleton about to attack her, so I charge at it and take it down. She then joins me as we fight the rest of those undead skeletons.

After taking them all down, along with a really big and armored skeleton ogre, we stop for a break, but she tells me not to pester her as she needs to avenge her father's death... and that she needs to train hard enough to become unstoppable... she tells me she doesn't need my "stupid help" and just walks away... I literally just saved her... anyway, all of this doesn't add up either... why would Shamala lure the demons to Cor Village? She went through a LOT of trouble trying to rid this place of demons... I was there with her, doing that...

I ask Waboka if he's seen where Millia went for training, and he gave me directions. As I got there, I saw Millia fighting some Bone Drakes! She was in danger so I helped her, and after slaying them we see a Bone Dragon, but I slay it with my Spirit of Order and Final Hit. Millia is struggling to stand up, but keeps on telling herself she needs to get stronger to avenge her father... she even asks if maybe I could avenge on Shamala for her, but she quickly takes it back and walks away, barely able to even stand up...

I find her back in the village, and she's still going on about revenge and how Shamala needs to pay for that... so I tell her the truth... I tell her that Shamala has been purifying this place from spirits, and she never tried to lure any demons to this village. Millia doesn't believe it, as she saw Shamala transform and "hanging out with spirits"... she even says I might be hexed by Shamala for thinking that, and proceeds to promise - again - to make Shamala pay for her father's death. And as we keep on talking, I notice Waboka lurking around us...

Kousai calls me saying it is partialy his fault for the village suffering, as he neglected his duty of performing spirit-warding rituals, and he asks for my help on gathering materials for it. I go to Kusina and she asks for garlic - which I deliver - then Tupai asks for a sacrificial animal, so I go hunting for a boar, and I take Millia with me. We sneak in on some boars, and some pigs but it takes a lot of slaying until we finally find a right sized animal... a really big pig. We really had some fun hunting those animals. Millia carries the dead pig by herself, really proud and confident about her strength progress...

As we reach the village, Millia notices some villagers staring at me and tells me. I deliver the pig to Tupai and he's impressed by its size, and thanks me. Tupai then, tells me someone was looking for me... and as he says that Waboka and some villagers approach me, with some very hostile looks...

- "It's them! They're the spies! They work for the witch!"

It seems like they believe me and Millia are spies for Shamala... I guess I can understand that, since we're both outsiders here...

- "There they are! They're working with the witch! Grab them!"

The villagers surround us and attack us! I get close to Millia to protect her... we both fight them, the whole lot of them... even Kousai, Kusina, Tupai... Waboka... we fight all of them... we defeat each and everyone one of them... but their numbers is just too overwhelming and I can't really deal with that without hurting them... but I also can't escape and leave Millia alone... so I let them tie us up.

Tupai asks Waboka, what are they going to do with us, and Waboka says they're going to use us as the sacrifice for the ritual! On hearing that, I try to free myself, but the ties are really strong... However, I feel a cold wind and suddenly the robed unknown man appears knocks Waboka and Tupai unconscious. He then casts some sort of spell and we pass out...

We wake up in an underground place... it looks like the place where I saw Shamala trying to escape. I untie myself and Millia, and we both fight our way out of here. Just like Shamala, we fight a bunch of demons, but also some drakes, and at the end we see the unknown man summon a demon he called Elizabeth... I use my Awakening of Light to take down Elizabeth. However... as soon I take her down... I hear a faint voice...

“	You... Will soon... Face a fate you can't escape.	„
—Unknown Man

Fate's Origin: The Demon (Episode 01)

The Demon

“	Whoever fights with monsters, should see to it that he does not become a monster in the process.	„

“	And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.	„

I have a vision of the Cor Village... some villagers farming, others fishing, but a dark energy suddenly comes. Waboka gathers with some men, but suddenly a dark fog emerges between them... a Gigantic Demon. That demon destroys everyone and everything... one by one... unending chaos. At one point the villagers quit on fighting back and just try to escape the demon... but two people run towards it instead... Millia! and a guy wearing an eagle mask. They run towards the demon... towards... me! Millia tries to cast some spell, but it looks like it failed, and I attack her right away... the masked guy casts a warding spell but she's sent flying a few meters back. The masked guy tackles me with some spell and runs towards Millia. My... demon body slowly desappears... and I see Millia standing up.

- Why?! Why did I attack this village... is this a dream? Why did I hurt Millia like that...

Still confused, I just look at the masked man walking towards me.

- "I am Akule. Come find me. I'll be waiting for you in Cor Village."

I'm not sure how this guy Akule was able to see me. My body had disappeared and none of this makes sense. As I watch Akule and Millia walk away, I hear her calling him Teacher! I guess Millia is learning to become a shaman...

I wake up from whatever that was, and decide to go to Cor Village. I not really sure if that would be safe, but this Akule guy seems to know more about what I just experienced. I talk to Kousai, and he apologizes for the events on the last time I was here. I ask him about Akule, but he sends me to the villagers. I talk to Waboka and he admits they were wrong about me last time, but he still warns me about people who are plotting something bad. I go back to Kousai, and he gives me directions to where I can find Akule.

As I reach the Tree Mark around Herba Jungle, I find Akule and Millia. This guy is really swole, and this time he has a human face mask... as I greet him, he recognizes me as The Dragon Conductor, "the hope of all shamans". He then explains to me that I have been possessed by a demon, and that demon possessions tend to be fatal. I ask him what to do, and he tells me about something that will make demons avoid me. I find it suspicious but I accept it anyway. Akule tells me about a place in Karu ruins, where we can find this item. He also whispers me that he doesn't want Millia to know if I get possessed again.

We arrive at the hidden ruin in Karu forest, but we find some agents that prevent us from getting there. Akule suggests we make a new charm instead, and sends me on some weird hunting missions to gather the materials for it. After finding a white tail from a black tailed mongoose, I get a vision of two robed men walking...

Black Robe - The memory of that day still haunts me. That innocent child...
White Robe - Are you talking about that woman again? I've told you, that wasn't your fault.
Black Robe - But it can't be helped. In the end, it's something that I must bear for the rest of my life.

Akule sends me to get "a stone that's not a stone", and he shows me this super purple and blue land: Shyllien Mana Reserve. He casts an invisible spell on me so I can seak in and get it. He then shows me a mine in Physis: Hillwen Mine, where I'm supposed to get a "stone like a lightless gem". I get the gem, but when I go back, I only see Millia, who tells me where the next item is. I travel back to Uladh, get a marble from one of the fomor traders in Bangor. But as soon as I take the marble, I pass out and wake up as a demon attacking Cor Village... again... but Akule arrives at the village...

- "You're in worse shape than you think. The Relic is your only hope. You must complete it. Come back to me at once."

I wake up back in Bangor, still feeling guilty about the people I hurt in Cor... but I carry on to Iria, to find Akule at the Herba Jungle. Akule takes us to Connous desert, to find the last item needed. He opens up a quicksand that sends me into the underground ant hell, where I search for at "Black Sunlight's Herb". On my way there I have to fight a bunch of demons, but after a bit of a struggle, and with the help of a special compass he gave me, I'm able to find it.

With every needed item, Akule takes us to Lappa, the Hobgoblin's camp. We go there for a "Last Ritual", but Akule leaves Millia behind for the ritual, because she's still rather new at being a shaman and the ritual would be overwhelming and dangerous for her. So we go to a place with a dragon symbol mark on the floor. As we begin the ritual, we are ambushed by a really huge black dragon and some men in dark robes, same robes as the guy who was sending demons into Cor. The dragon challenges Akule, and summons an army of raptors. I fight the men in robes who know final hit for some reason... Akule fights the dragon and its allies. I easily take care of the men in robes so I join Akule, but the dragon's power is just too overwhelming... this dragon is bigger than Adniel... I have never seen a dragon THIS big. It roars and that creates a massive shockwave, but Akule casts a warding spell, gives me the amulet we were trying to make and sends me away. He also tells me not many can notice but Millia has a great power within her... a power so strong he mistook her for Irinid at times... power that can only be noticed by shamans, who have a close connection to gods. He says she's a "beacon of hope" to all shamans, and we must protect her at all costs. He says the creatures don't know about her yet, so he suggests he stays here to stall them and I go back to Millia to take her somewhere safe. He also gives me his eagle mask, so shamans can easily find me. The dragon breaks the warding spell, and sends more raptors to us. I use my Awakening of Light and clear a path with my Spear of God and Fury of Light. I rush towards Millia, leaving Akule to fight the dragon...

I run as fast as I can towards Millia and as soon as I reach her she asks me about the "Teacher" - Akule - and I give her his mask instead... and as soon as I give her, we hear a really loud dragon roar and a shockwave from the distance... she panics and rushes towards the sound, but I run and block her from going any further... we see fire and hear loud noises, but I hold her behind me... however, as I look at the top of a mountain... I see an armored red haired guy... I can't see his face at all from this distance, but for some reason that guy gives me a familiar, almost nostalgic feeling...

Hero's Return: The Trap (Episode 02)

The Trap

Another vision... Shamala trapped in a cage, with a black armored knight telling her Akule - her teacher - is dead... and she can't escape that place, as no one is left to rescue her...

I find Milia, who verbaly attacks me for leaving Akule behind... and also strongly says he's way too strong to die from something like that. She then tells me to leave, but I insist on staying with her, to fulfil my promise to Akule to take care of her, but she refuses for a moment, till I convince her to let me stay with her. We travel back to that ruin in Karu, where we found the spies guarding it, but an owl drops a letter from Akule, giving instructions to go to a market area in the map. This is suspicious, but Milia is so excited and insist we should trust it, as her teacher can't be dead. We arrive at the marked location, and we find a worn mailbox. As I approach it, we are ambushed by a bunch of demons... a trap...

As we are fighting the demons that appear, Milia is actually holding her own surprisingly well... however, their numbers is overwhelming, so I activate my Awakening of Light, get close to Milia and use my Wings of Eclipse to protect us, and Shadow Spirit to stun all of them, and I finish them off with Final Hit. With the demons gone, I see a robed person running away into the dark forest, and I follow him. I slowly approach him, trying to be stealthy, but they turn towards me and cast a weird spell on me, and I pass out...

I wake up possessed by another demon... Elizabeth this time. I attack all the spies around that ruin in Karu Forest, and after a lot of struggle from them, I defeat them all, but Milia shows up and using Akule's mask manages to revert me back to normal... I wake up near the ruin and look for Milia. She's worried about me, and reports about a demon that attacked this place, but apparently she still doesn't know I'm the one who was possessed by that demon... I guess Akule was the only one able to see me in spirit form. Milia finds an entrance to the ruin and drags me with her. As we enter the ruin, I get another vision...

Black Dragon Knight - I already know that you are the one who purified the cursed beasts of that tropical land. The Black Panther of Cor. That was you, correct?
Shamala - ...
Black Dragon Knight - You are so foolish. Those people will never appreciate what you have done for them. Risking your life is meaningless for that rabble.
Shamala - You're no different...
Black Dragon Knight - ...What?
Shamala - You're just like me!
Black Dragon Knight - ...That's not true.
Shamala - No one appreciates you! You! The same! Not different from me!
Black Dragon Knight - Shut UP!

Me and Milia investigate the Karu ruin, facing a bunch of demons, but we easily take care of all of them. However, as we reach to the last room, the giant black dragon ambushes us on a trap, and banishes both of us to different parts of that weird ruin, while making a strong mess to destroy these ruins and bury us underneath... I have no idea where Milia is, but I see her being taken by a robbed man. I also see Shamala and that Black Dragon Knight again, but this time the knight is leaving as he hears a loud noise happening on top of where they are... the mess made by that Black Dragon... I guess they're also in this ruin! Maybe that's why I was able to see Shamala...

I wake up in some random corner, and proceed to look for Milia and Shamala. I fight more demons but they're just too weak to stop me. I reach the room where Shamala is caged, and I run towards her cage. I look at her, relieved, and give her the charm Akule gave me (to let her transform again). I can still hear that loud mess and things are starting to fall from the ceiling... Shamala looks at me, takes the charm, transforms into a snake to leave the cage, and then into the giant black panther, and let's me mount her! We escape that colapsing ruin thanks to her speed in panther form...

Waking Nightmare: The Chase (Episode 03)

The Chase

On a dream I see Milia with the robbed man... Ruairi! I'm pretty sure that's him! He looks much older, but that's definitly him... Milia is taking him to Hillwen Mine... and I feel someone slapping me... telling me to wake up... that voice... that's Shamala!

I wake up in a dark forest, Karu Forest, and Shamala complains about me sleeping, and tells me we should find Milia. I realize we are standing exactly where I saw Milia and Ruairi on that dream, by a Mana Tunnel... a device used to warp quickly to distant locations. Shamala tells me she'll make sure I don't turn into another demon... and asks me where we should go. I look at her and say I have a hunch that Milia is in Physis, more specifically Hillwen Mine, and we decide to go there, using the same Mana Tunnel.

We arrive at the mine, but we find a group of Ogres at the entrance. I lure them away of the entrance and take them down, while Shamala infiltrates the mine, transformed into a rat. She comes back to me and reports that the mine is filled with way too many monsters, and we should let the people of Vales know about this. I talk to Taunes about this and he tells me about a dragon attack... a giant white dragon attacked Vales and took over Hillwen Mine... Krug is preparing an army to reclaim the mine. I go to Kirine and she tells me how precious the mine is to them, because it "contains resources that could exterminate the Elven race..." - Vales was attacked and she's still worried about a war with the elves... anyway, I offer King Krug my help on reclaiming the mine.

Near the mine, we find a bunch of Snowfield Slayers and some bandits too... I wonder what these bandits are doing here in Vales. We defeat all the ogres and proceed to enter the mine. Inside the mine we find another group of monsters but with the army of trained giants, and my help, we quickly take over the mine. However, a loud noise sounds outside, and we rush to see it... the giant White Dragon - Languhiris. The dragon threatens us, and Krug requests me to escort the scholars back to Vales, and the giants remain fighting the dragon's army. I leave the area with the scholars and escort them back to Vales.

The giants also reach the village and I check on Krug, and they all look exhausted. But someone comes quickly to warn us about more monsters coming to the village. I offer my help to Krug, and Shamala's eyes glimmer with hope... we march forth to face the dragon army together! I join Shamala, take my mandolin and play an inspiring Battlefield Overture! She wields her axes and I wield my swords... and we Final Hit everyone around us! Shamala is impressive as always with her skill in dual wielding axes, and we quickly defeat every enemy surrounding us. However, the giants are losing ground and the white dragon mocks them, saying

- "You've only gotten weaker while I was away! What a shame. Is there no one who can satisfy my lust for battle?".

Hearing that challenge, I step forward! I go right in front of the dragon roaring loud through the battlefield. I take my brionac, activate my Awakening of Light, and get ready to face him with everything I've got. But then a robed guy stops me with another one of those spells that turn me into a demon... The Eye of Death... it hurts, and I start losing all my strength... but Shamala rushes to catch me as I faint... this time, I don't turn into a demon... but instead I see Milia and Ruairi, at the Oasis. They're going to the Shyllien Nature Reserve...

I wake up near Kirine, and she tells me the dragon army is gone and King Krug is resting, and suggests I should rest as well. I then go to Shamala to see how she's doing and she tells me the dragon left saying his fun was spoiled. Shamala then says I should complete the charm her teacher, Akule, made. I need it to counter the Red Eye power the black robed people use to weaken and transform me into a demon. I then take her to Shyllien Reserve, since I remember Milia talking to Ruairi about it. When we get there, I ask around about a red-haired man and a pink-haired girl, and an officer says he saw them yesterday, but I suddenly hear Shamala telling someone the area is forbidden for outsiders. I turn around and see a group of intruders heading our way. Shamala points out we are surrounded, and we are forced to fight our way out. As we fight them and go further, we see a LOT of enemies, raptors and demons. We quickly take care of them, but then the giant Black Dragon shows up, and questions how we escaped those ruins in Karu that he destroyed and tried to bury us there. He then summons an army of more raptors and demons and they overwhem us. Someone then calls us to the mine, to find a device there that teleports us to Filia.

At Filia, the Magic Scholar who called us to the mine thanks me for saving their lives back there. An elf named Maike - the elven military general appears, and dismisses us. I offer my help to stay and fight the dragon's army, but he gets very upset and takes it as me calling them weak. Shamala aproaches and whispers to me softly: "We'd better get out of here, grr. Let's go to the oasis".

We arrive at Filia, and I tell Shamala about my dreams. Shamala believes it is not a coincidence. As the Dragon Conductor, the Gold Dragon could be sending me these visions as a guidance, similar to the visions shamans get from the gods. She then gives me a potion to make me sleep, and asks that I tell her of any dream I have on my sleep. I take the potion and fall asleep. I see Milia and Ruairi around Muyu Desert, hunting for a black tailed moongose. They fail to find it, but Milia requests Ruairi to help her with something else. I also have another vision of the time we fought the black dragon, after we ran off to the mine. I see a white robed guy who called the black dragon Bhafel, and says they have important business elsewhere.

Mystic Training: The Ritual (Episode 04)

The Ritual

I see the Black Dragon Knight and Black Mask guy in white robes talking, and one of the Cessair (the masked guys in black robes) aproaches them.

Cessair - The leader of the shamans has been dealt with. Furthermore, Irinid's seal on the dragons is breaking. We shall proceed as planned.
Black Mask - There are still other shamans left. If we want to ensure our success, we cannot leave anything to chance.
Black Mask - Go then. Go and find the Holy Land of Shamans.
Black Mask - Wipe them all out, once and for all.

An army of Cessair gathers at that command. I wake up...

Shamala asks what I saw, and I tell her about Millia and Ruairi around Muyu Desert. Shamala believes she knows why I see Millia in my dreams, but she finds it hard to put it into words, because she still struggles to speak human language. We decide to go at the exit of the Ant Pit, to find Millia. As soon as we see Millia, she attacks Shamala with a lot of rage! Shamala tries to calm her down, but Millia won't listen. she still see's Shamala as a monster. I get closer and Millia asks me if I brought "this woman" here... Shamala gets pissed but calms down. She tries to talk to Millia again, but Millia blames Shamala for not being there for Akule, her teacher... She blames me for leaving her behind after making a promise to take care of her... She proceeds to attack Shamala, I try to stop her but Shamala holds me back and agrees on a duel.

Shamala roars wildly and quickly defeats Millia with Final Hit. But some Cessair and a bunch of demons ambush us but me and Shamala quickly take care of them with Final Hit. More Cessair come and this time they also attack us with Final Hit... but I summon my Paladin armor to tank all of it, and watch as Shamala manages deal with all of them on her own - she is really strong! Shamala checks on Millia and gives her a moment to breathe.

Millia accuses us of summoning those Cessair, but Shamala explains that they serve the dragon the attacked Akule. Millia questions how she knows about it and I confirm that I told her myself. Shamala then tells Millia about the Holy Land of Shamans, a sacred place for shamans... and we can possibly find traces of Akule there, or at the very least, Millia can learn more magic there. As long as we have Akule's mask, we should be welcomed there. After a lot of effort from Shamala to convince Millia, she agrees to go with us to this holy land.

We take a raft, and go to the holy land to train Millia and finish Akule's charm. This place is under a waterfall, and it's beautiful... we find a bunch of shamans in training, and a shaman named Demote receives us. He questions Shamala's presence here, but she kneels down and begs him to teach Millia to be a shaman, and identifies her as Akule's pupil. The man is skeptical, but accepts it after seeing his mask. He sends Millia on a test, where she drinks a special water that takes her to a spiritual plane. She has to fight her most negative emotions and fears. After that's done, Demote realizes Millia's power is too strong for them to contain, but a weird guy named Lelach shows up, and offers to train her himself. He talks like a mad man and really talks bad about Akule, which upsets Millia. But, without many options, she agrees to train.

Lelach sends us on a moongose chase, for the white feather of a black tailed moongose. I look for it with Shamala, and we find one in Maiz Praire. As we travel back to the holy land, I have a vision of Ruairi and Tarlach... they seem younger, and Tarlach found about something that Ruairi doesn't want to believe. And they talk about things that I can't understand...

Back at the holy land, Lelach takes the materials and says to complete the charm, we need to go to the dragon mark, but we'll need aid from the giants and elves, because there are too many enemies guarding that place. I go to Dowra, who sends my request to Krug, and Maike who just sends me back away. I meet Lelach, Millia and Shamala at the dragon mark and Millia gets ready to begin the ritual, as the monsters aproach us. However, Dowra and the giant army, Maike and the elven army, both arrive and aids us. We protect Millia as she finishes the ritual, and after a while, the charm is then finally complete. I take the charm and it restores all my full power, and we drive the enemies away. We go back to the holy land, where Maike requests my help with reclaiming the Shyllien Nature Reserve as a payment for their aid. Dowra also requests my aid with reclaiming the Hillwen Mine. I talk to Shamala and she decides to sit this one out.

Later on, I have a vision of the Cessair talking to the black dragon knight and the black mask about the charm we finished, but they also state that we managed to show them the way to the holy land...

Proud Heritage: The Battle (Episode 05)

The Battle

Milletians are being called in Filia. I bid farewell to Shamala, and she requests me that I return to her safe. I talk to Maike and we go to the Shyllien Nature Reserve. Castanea is already there, with the army of elves and milletians too. We charge and drive away all the enemies from the mine. For some reason it felt way too easy, and Castanea also points that out. She thanks me for my aid in reclaiming the mine, and Millia checks on me to see if I'm ok. Millia can be really dificult at times, but she's a good kid... who tests my patience many times. We travel to the Hillwen Mine in Vales afterwards, and find Krug, Dowra and the giant and milletian army at the entrance, preparing for battle. I join them and we quickly free the mine from the enemies... again, it was too easy... suspiciously easy...

Milletians rarely join forces, unless it is to clear some extremely difficult dungeon, or to raid some extremely powerful monsters. It also usually only happens with some specific goals in common, like some rewards or loot or things like that... so I really appreciate chances like this, of having other milletians with me on this battle... they're not as strong as I am, but they are fellow milletians!

Millia checks on me. She seems glad to see that I'm fine, after those battles, and she decided to seek revenge on the people who attacked Akule. She doesn't want to do it alone though, so she asks me to be with her on this. She also asks me to seek aid of the giants and elves, since they owe me for helping them out here. I hesitate at first, I feel like this is too dangerous to involve her, but I agree to join her. She suggests we go to Zardine, and maybe we can find their base or something like that. I go to Vales and ask Dowra to join us again, and she agrees, but only if I lead the battle because she noticed unlike everyone else I don't really "fear" death... - I mean... I'm a Milletian... we are bound to the soulstream... although, that spell that turned me into a demon, gave me this weird feeling as if I was somehow disconnected from the soulstream... I wonder if I could actually die in that form...

I agree to Dowra's condition, she'll wait for me on the path from Vales to Zardine and I proceed to Filia to ask Maike for his army as well, and he gives me the same condition of leading the battle. He makes sure to let me know the elves are supporting ME, not the giants... they're only joining forces because they owe me for helping save their land. I go back to Millia and Dowra, and we go to Zardine. However, on our way there, we find the white dragon army of Cessair, bandits, ogres and wyverns, and we fight them. This time I use my knuckles to Drop Kick and Sommersault Kick most of the ogres and bandits... the giants do the same and the elves take care of the wyverns. With a few left, I weild my Brionac, activate it with Shock and dash towards the remaining group of enemies... I knock them out and Assault Slash to finish them off, but the dragon roars and the shockwave pushes me back. The dragon recognizes me as a worthy opponent, but says now it's not the right time for a one on one duel and flies off. We quickly finish off the remaining bandits. Dowra enjoyed that battle and suggests we go forth into Zardine to try and wipe them all out while morale is still high.

Dowra sent a scouting party, and they came back with some intel. She shows me on the map where they found tracks and we split up to search for them on those areas. As we search for it, I have a vision... a Cessair spy infiltrating the Shyllien Nature Reserve. The elves there are discussing about possible discoveries the giants have made that can help them destroy the elves, but the spy diguised as one of their scholars shows them a fake ancient document that shows that the milletians are the real threat... the vision ends there.

I meet Dowra by the Raspa Volcano, where she went to search and she didn't find anything there, and neither did I. Millia is uncomfortable with the elves following us when they only agreed to join for that one battle... only the giants agreed to further support us. She feels like they want to join us, and when I go to check on Maike, I find him and Dowra just roasting each other non-stop... I try to stop them by telling Maike we should check the northern area, and I head in that direction. But on my way there I have another vision... Shamala and Lelach back at the holy land, they are being attacked by and army of Cessair and raptors. Lelach using his martial arts skills and Shamala with her axes, they manage to defeat all the enemies, but the black dragon - Bhafel, shows up and summons a LOT more enemies and they are overwhelmed by the number...

Millia tells me she feels anxious like when we parted from Akule. She asks me how do I feel, but I'm not sure... - I'm worried about Shamala, but I also don't know how to feel about these visions... the one where a spy convinced some elves that milletians are a threat... I'm really confused about their goal... maybe they fear for our power, like Morrighan did... or maybe they just want us out of Erinn like Cichol wanted... but why turn me into a demon? People got hurt because of that...

An elf messenger arrives in a rush, and reports that Maike needs my aid urgently. They are surrounded by a lot of enemies who came out of nowhere... so I follow the messenger. When I get there, I see the other milletians also joining. Dowra, Maike and their armies, Millia and the milletians and me... we all join forces to fight the cessair army. We take down many of them, but suddenly a fire splits the battleground. We stop to see what's going on, and two people walk towards us - Black Mask and the Black Dragon Knight.

Black Mask - Seeing you here leads me to wonder... Wanga.
Black Mask - If the sacrifice of your life and divine power is the price... The cost to turn Erinn into a true paradise...
Black Mask - Would you sacrifice yourself willingly?

I wave my hand in a clear denial gesture... This makes no sense... What does it have to do with my sacrifice?! I can't just sacrifice myself like this... I'm the dragon conductor... my life is not completely my own anymore...

Black Mask - Besides, Milletians still have a place to return to even after they die, don't they?
Black Mask - Unlike Tuatha de Danann, I mean. If you sacrifice yourself... Everyone who lives on in peace will honor your memory.
Black Mask - Wouldn't anyone sacrifice themselves in that situation?

I remain silent... being a milletian can be lonely, but I arrived here for a purpose... and I'm tired of this whole idea of sacrificing me for the good of Erinn... I don't believe on it!

Black Mask - Argh... Milletian! You have the fate of our world in your hands! And what I ask is not even true death for you!
Black Mask - And yet you STILL refuse to do what is right! How can anyone be so selfish?
Black Mask - Fine... If you will not answer the call... I will take on that role! For the sake of every soul in Erinn! Yes, I will do what must be done!
Black Mask - I will shed my humanity!

He and his entire army cast a spell... The Eye of Death... and all the milletians around me are turned into demons... except me, thanks to the amulet Akule and Millia made for me. But I feel weak and fall on the ground... as the black dragon knight comes closer...

Demon Night: The Truth (Episode 06)

The Truth

Millia runs towards me, worried, but Dowra stops her, and points out that whatever happened made every milletian turn into a demon, and drags Millia back with everyone and they retreat to a safe place. A few Cessair surround me, but leave me for the black dragon knight...

Black Dragon Knight - This is truly bizarre, and sad. Everyone that I wanted to spend my life with... Is gone now...
Black Dragon Knight - Wanga, why does fate keep bringing us together? I once said that I shall never forget your name. Do you remember that?
Wanga (Milletian) - Ruairi?!
Black Dragon Knight - You already knew, didn't you? I've been honing my sword of revenge, awaiting the day I can turn it against the gods. I've been waiting so long... Since I lost everything and became the Black Dragon Knight!
Black Dragon Knight - Milletian! To regain everything that I have lost... I will kill you. And I will do so with your own power!

I stand up to face the Black Dragon Knight - Ruairi! I use my Spirit of Order Paladin armor and my Claymore to fight him... but he is very strong! I try different types of slash, but he blocks them all with his heavy sword... I try to pierce his armor but it is very thick... he hits me once and I fall hard on the floor. I switch to my knuckles, and Charging Strike. I uppercut him to break his defenses and Pummel him. I hit him as hard as I can and he falls on the ground unconscious... but, suddenly he awakens again with energy restored, and fights me again... Is that what he means by "your own power"? I really wonder what just happened, but I keep on fighting him with my martial arts. I struggle and defeat him, but he keeps on recovering immediately... I notice he's using the demon bodies to recover... Is he stealing the milletians souls like that? Is that what they meant by turning Erinn into paradise with my sacrifice? Use my soul to revive someone? I'm so confused...

Ruairi keeps on mentioning his beloved ones... like it's always about me and the gods... I guess I can see where he's coming from, but I can't afford to lose this battle! I keep on defeating Ruairi, but this time he revives himself with more than one of him... and eventually he beats me, and finishes me off... but something strange happens... a strange light appears around me and all the demons are gone, as well as Ruairi...

I go back to my allies, but no one seems to notice my presence... I'm not even able to touch them for some reason... I feel like the way I felt whenever Akule would free me from that demon form. I go to Millia and even she can't see me... everyone seems concerned about the light and how the demons suddenly disappeared... but they also report that "both the Black Dragon Knight and the Milletian disappeared"... I am so confused! Millia asks Dowra what she'll do and she suggests they strike the enemy now that they are weak, but Maike suggests they retreat because the soldiers are also not in their best state right now... they fight over it, and Millia becomes their voice of reason and agrees with Dowra.

I then have a vision of a younger Ruairi, looking for a female shaman at the holy land, but they refuse to give her out to him, so he proceeds to slaughter them... he is looking for "the shaman able to make the charm", and I'm still confused with all of this. I then see a vision of a couple - a shaman woman and a mage man, running away from something... the woman decides to stay and 'stop them' there, and let him run away and protect their child... she then gives him a necklace, saying her brother will recognize it... the man then proceeds on running with it, and then I see explosions where she is. I wonder if they are Millia's parents... I'm pretty sure that's the same necklace she wears. The vision ends there... - Did Ruairi kill Millia's mother?

Back with the expeditionary force, I see some milletians unconscious on the floor, and some elves discussing about the possibility of milletians actually being demons... they mention the disaster in Cor Village, and how it was done by the same monsters the milletians were transformed into... I wonder if literally all the demons we fought were actually milletians... I see Millia, talking to herself... she doesn't want to consider the possibility of me being a demon... because that would mean I'm like the demon that killed her father... Millia is holding on the necklace her uncle gave her... I guess that couple really was her parents. Dowra approaches to cheer her up, but an elf messenger arrives. They show Maike, some ancient documents that show that milletians with great power, always become monsters and will overrun Erinn... Maike decides to keep strict watch over those unconscious milletians until they are proven to be allies.

I see another vision, of Bhafel facing Shamala and Lelach. He reveals that their plan was to have every milletian together fighting Cessair, so they could be transformed into monsters and become their servants. They also plan on separating Erinn from the world of gods and goddesses, so they can't interfer with Erinn. Lelach reveals to be Akule, and instructs Shamala to destroy 4 pillars, and that way they seal Bhafel away of that land. With that, all the shamans come back to their normal activities on that land.

Back with the expeditionary force, I see Millia questioning the milletians who woke up. She questions the possibility of them being demons and blames milletians for the death of her father... she gets very angry with milletians, elves, giants, demons, everyone... and goes into a spiritual plane where she fights demons... the things she hates the most... but when she tries to get out of that plane, I suddenly I feel my conscious being dragged somewhere else...

“	There is always some madness in love.	„

“	But there is always some reason in madness.	„

I see Nao! I'm at the soulstream! Nao tells me the reason for all these strange events is the pollution of the soulstream, which is affecting the souls of milletians... and it grows from the "evil side of milletian nature", so she can't do much about it... it can only fully disappear with the destruction of the soulstream, but that's another issue of its own. She then asks me to make the right choice, and if possible, save her friend Ruairi from the dark path he took... she begs for it...

Heroic Path: The Choice (Episode 07)

The Choice

Millia is at the Oasis of Connous desert, and suddenly Ruairi appears next to her, very wounded. She treats him and stays with him. I wake up by the expeditionary force, but everyone is wary about me... they question me about what happened. I recall the explosion that happened came from the charm that broke. They realize since I don't have the charm anymore I can turn into a demon too, so they try to restrain me, but I flee... seems like everyone has turned against us milletians now, but I receive an owl with instructions to meet someone who wants to help me.

Following the instructions, I meet Akule in Courcle Tree Mark... same as always with that weird way of talking... anyway, Akule explains to me that Bhafel and the Cessair are trying to separate Erinn from the realm of the gods and goddesses, so there won't be any more divine influence on this land. And to achieve that, they will need Millia because they need their own divine power and Millia can provide it... I wonder why is that, and he says she has the potential to wield the power like that of a god, and it is why he asked me to protect her. I tell him she disappeared, and he panics, but as I try to calm him down I feel my consciousness fade, and I see myself in the soulstream again!

Nao tells me this is an emergency, and the Cessair are trying to Assassinate King Krug, with the goal of further break the link between me, the elves and the giants, so our alliance completely collapses...

Back on Iria, Akule noticed I was in the soulstream, and asks about Nao, and then just gives me a new Charm! And I wonder why did I have to go through all that trouble to make the last one, if he always had spare ones... as we talk about it, a letter falls to my face and Akule takes it. It's a letter from Millia and Akule reads it... she's telling me not to worry about her because she's safe. She also asked me for a favor, but Akule interrupts there to ask more about Nao, and I tell him what she told me. He agrees that we need to prevent Krug's assassination, and I go to Vales. On my way there, in a vision I see one of the Cessair take off their robe... it's a woman, carrying a pair of long guns. She breaks through all their defenses with a group of 4 Cessair ainding her with Final Hit. As she reaches Krug, he fights them back but he's overwhelmed, and at that moment me and Dowra arrive to stop her! She flees from the scene.

Back at the chief's house, Kirine thanks me for saving King Krug, and assures me that she will do her best to clarify the misunderstanding about us milletians with the giants and the elves. I then meet Shamala outside, and she tells me to get to Akule as soon as possible. Back in Courcle, Akule tells me the favor Millia asked was to send her more shamans, but all the shamans disappeared, and they can't track them down... he's worried something terrible happened. Afterwards I have another vision... I see Millia with the shamans, she thanks them for coming and ask them to help heal Ruairi, but when they surround him and begin the healing spell, one of them recognizes him... and when he wakes up and summons his Black Dragon Knight armor and sword, and knocks them down, including Millia... who he made an oath to protect. The Black Mask guy arrives and see's Ruairi alive, reveals himself as Tarlach and asks him about what just happened. Ruairi says he'll use Millia as the offering for the "manifestation of the goddess"...

Holy Land: The Sacrifice (Episode 08)

The Sacrifice

I'm with Akule and Shamala at the Oasis, the last known location of Millia, and Akule senses the power of a demon. As I get closer, I get a vision... I see a young Tarlach, back in Sidhe Sneachta, recalling the time he, Ruairi and Mari searched for a paradise. But they realized paradise was originally Erinn all along, and the chaos happening in it is the reason why it is not a paradise now... the hate between Fomors and Tuatha de Danann... the discrimination toward the Milletians... and that may stop if the gods stop medling with Erinn. Tarlach believes he may work out some solution if he studies the relics from Iria. Days pass and he gets a hold on some stelae from Courcle region, found the the league of explorers, but he doesn't know their language so he can't understand it. He takes time to study them and slowly he begins to understand a few common factors between the words on the stelae... the vision ends.

Back with Akule, he comes up with a plan to trace the location of Tarlach and Ruairi. He wants to use the connection I have with them from that spell that turned me into a demon and find a way to trace back to them. It's a dangerous plan but I agree with it, to save Millia and possibly the world. I go with Shamala to Hillwen Mine to find some materials for it. Shamala seems lost in thoughts and I ask her what's up.

- "Sorry. Everything that's been happening... It reminds me of the past." - She says - "The past?" - I ask - "Yes. The oldest memories that I can remember... Memories of running around with my siblings, of being in my mother's arms, of breathing in the morning air from a tall tree."

She continues - "...Maybe it would have been better if I was never found by humans, and I had just stayed with mother and my siblings." - "I know I'm helping with teacher's work... But the clash of emotions and the greed of people, these things are making it very difficult to me. Difficult to understand and accept." - She pauses and continues - "...I don't know why I am talking about this." - She smiles and continues - "I wonder if it is because I feel comfortable with you, like family? Grr. Let's go to Shyllien next."

Sometimes I forget Shamala was raised by a family of panthers and not by humans. She must have felt really lonely at times with humans... I'm glad she feels comfortable with me because I've really grown to like her.

We go to Shyllien for the other materials, and after gathering them I ask Shamala how she's feeling. She says she's fine, but she mentions a time in the past where she saw the Black Dragon Knight... a long time ago... she felt so repulsed by him, a need to stay away... but at the ruins, when they were talking, she felt something different... She loses herself in thoughts again, but she shakes her head and says it's all in the past, and we go back to Akule. And on our way there, I have another vision of younger Tarlach, I guess they are memories... I see him studying the stelae he found, and he learns about some power different from magic... a divine power, that can "twist space and weave time". He also learns about a seal placed in Iria, and decides to study alchemy to better understand how those forces work. After some time he finds "their version of magic to be very... interesting."... even superior than ours. Tarlach is studying the "magic" of the gods, through alchemy. Suddenly Ruairi appears, and Tarlach is so happy and emotional for seeing his old friend... last time he saw him was when Cromm Cruaich took him away, a LONG time ago. They catch up on things, and the memory ends...

Shamala gives the materials to Akule, and he begins the ritual. He transforms me into a spirit... I see another memory of Tarlach, he's wants to share with Ruairi what he learned about Erinn, but Ruairi doesn't want to know, and he says he wants to find Triona instead... He leaves Tarlach, to look for Triona, and Tarlach requests him to look for some relics from Iria too, to bring him, since he can't leave that place... the memory ends, and I wake up in Renes.

I see Millia surrounded by some Cessair, but she looks fine. In this spirit form no one can see or notice me at all, so I keep on looking around. However, suddenly I head Tarlach talking to me... He can see me for some reason, and Akule struggles to keep my spirit form under control. Tarlach notices I'm being helped by a Shaman, and tells me I may have come here freely, but I won't leave freely... I ask him why he's doing this and he tells me to forget everything about this world and return to "my world". Then some demons spawn and I have to fight them. After defeating all of them Akule regains full control of my spirit and Tarlach can't accept it, because he should be in full control of my spirit inside Renes. However, Akule commands me to return, and I return to him.

I report what I saw in Renes to Akule, and I get another memory from Tarlach...

- It seems that Ruairi hasn't found much in search for Triona.
- I've been analyzing the artifacts that Ruairi brought from Iria.
- I am now able to decipher the words on the stelae.
- Based on what I've read, there are special Charms hidden in Iria.
- They are extremely powerful relics that seem to contain divine power in its purest form, yet they are created by humans.
- A Charm...

The memory ends...

Akule calls me again, and suggests we let Shamala infiltrate Renes, transformed into a stealthy animal, while I go out looking to recruit gather a big expeditionary force to assault Renes and save the world from what Tarlach and Ruairi are planning. And I see, yet again, another memory of Tarlach... He requests Ruairi to go search for a charm in Iria... I guess it's that charm he was looking for when he slaughtered a group of shamans later on... which led to the death of Millia's mother... the memory ends...

I go about and talk with Castanea, to get the elven support, Krug, to get the giant support, and Queen Eirawen, to get the human support. And during that process, I see several memories of Tarlach...

Ruairi delivers the Charm to Tarlach, and criticizes the level of security they had to protect such a "powerful" relic... Tarlach takes it to study it. Ruairi also asks Tarlach if he can help with anything else, Tarlach suggests him to help fight for paradise, but he looks for something other than that, and Tarlach dismisses him... Ruairi goes back on his search for Triona... later on, Tarlach creates a staff using that Charm, a special staff that makes up for his ruined magical abilities, and that allows him to further study about the magic of the gods and Iria.

- The Soul Stream is the most important connection in all of Erinn.
- It stops the flow of time by connecting this world to another world of pure space and time. In this way, it keeps Erinn from being a true paradise.
- First, we must completely block the gods from intervening in this world's affairs.
- Second, we must purify the people of their anger and hatred. They cannot see that they already live in paradise because the gods cloud their minds with fear.

Tarlach decides to take advantage of the Milletian, and curse the soulstream to inflame the evil aspects of their nature and corrupt their soul... harvest power from it, use Lia Fail to connect Erinn to the divine realm and explode the corrupt power in the center, to destroy the soulstream and the world of the gods at once. Tarlach later on thinks about how the Ancient Dragon was the avatar of destruction, and decides to travel to Iria and study more about the dragons... who used to rule the world until the gods sealed them. Tarlach decides to ask Ruairi to join him, but Ruairi tells him he finally found Triona... well, he found her grave... and I can see Ruairi's depression from that... he really lost basically everyone, except Tarlach... Tarlach suggests Ruairi to join him, but Ruairi wants to be alone for now, so Tarlach travels alone...

Tarlach found ways to break the seals put by Irinid to seal the ancient dragons away. He goes to the locations, but finds many Shamans guarding the seals... but with his new staff, he's able to use really strong magic and with a bit of struggle, he defeats them all and destroys the seals - which are spread all around Iria - freeing Languhiris in Physis and Bhafel in Courcle.

The memories end...

I go back to Akule to report him about the alliance troops, and says that we'll start our assault as soon as Shamala returns from her scouting infiltration... And I have a vision of Shamala. She's in Renes, trying to evesdrop on conversations, but Ruairi notices her magic quickly and she tries to run away as fast as possible... and then I see another memory of Tarlach... this time he's reading a letter from Ruairi, showing how Ruairi looked for Lugh Lavada, Triona's guardian, looking for some closure regarding Triona, only to learn that Lugh was manipulated by the gods into killing countless innocents, and killed by a milletian named Shakespeare... and there was his last link to Triona... Tarlach can't believe Lugh Lavada, who was a Knight of Light, died pointlessly because the gods tampered with his fate as well...

Damn, I guess I can see where they are coming from... Tarlach and Ruairi really have strong reasons to hate the gods...

Fate's Design: The Stand (Episode 09)

The Stand

Ruairi finds Shamala in Renes, and asks why she stopped running. She gets nervous in his presence and struggles to say anything... The Cessair find her and chase her, and she runs away as fast as she can... they surround her and she switches between forms to escape in a great display of transformation skill...

I'm with the new army alliance, at Pera Volcano, and the generals are discussing strategies for the assault. And I see another memory, this time of Ruairi. He's telling Tarlach how desperate he is to see Triona again... Tarlach explains to him about Lia Fail that represents the Tree of Life, which links different realms to each other. And that tree of life bears the Golden Apple, which has power to bring someone back to life... Tarlach promises that if they follow his plan, they can get this "golden apple". The memory ends.

I see Shamala running so desperatly towards me, and I hold her stead to ask if she's ok. She reports what she saw in Renes, that they want to use Millia as a sacrifice to summon something and we need to stop them as soon as possible to be able to save her. I see another memory from Ruairi... he's at the holy land, and asks for the woman who can make him a charm, and they bring him Gael, the woman I saw the other day running away with her lover and giving him a necklace for their child... Millia's mother. Gael notices and comments about Ruairi's burdens... and with that Ruairi becomes nervous and a dark energy comes out of him, and the shamans become alert. Ruairi becomes hostile towards them and proceeds to slaughter them, but Gael manages to escape for a while - until she is killed later on... the memory ends.

Odran, Dowra and Maike, decide to go and distract the enemies, by drawing attention to them and leaving an opening for me to assault Renes. Dowra and her squad even manage to draw attention from Tarlach... and then I see a memory of Tarlach and Ruairi, sealing the Gold Dragon Adniel from Renes, to take control of that place for the ritual. They then prepare a spell to let them visit the soulstream, but Nao appears in front of them... she tells Ruairi he will never have the answers he seeks, and goes away... Ruairi is depressed, but he doesn't give up on his goal. The memory ends...

Me, Akule and Shamala infiltrate Renes, but Ruairi notices us pretty fast. Akule goes to find Millia and I stay to fight Ruairi and the demons he summons. I take my brionac and slaughter those demons... but suddenly Akule calls me to jump over to a structure, but when I do it Ruairi strikes me pretty hard, and I fall flat on the ground... Shamala immediatly casts a shaman healing spell, and Ruairi recalls it being the same spell the shamans were using on him, when he was with Millia... that time he thought they were capturing him, but he realizes Millia was not betraying him... that reminds him of the promise he made to Millia back then... that he would be her sword in the final moments. He then looks at Millia, who is trapped on the Lia Fail altar, just like Triona was... Akule gets near him tells me to destroy the structure right now, with the Brionac... Ruairi tries to stop me but Akule distracts him with a fake exploding charm... I hit the Lia Fail structure as hard as I can with the Brionac, and I manage to break it... but a big explosion happens...

Divine Fury: The Advent (Episode 10)

The Advent

An explosion happens, we fall back, I stand up and go back to the structure and keep striking it. Tarlach urges me to stop it, but Akule tells me to keep going at it. I keep striking it, until that Cessair woman with guns shows up. I dash to a different area to escape her gun shots, then I equip me knuckles and fight her and 2 other robed Cessair. I go to finish her off, but she vanishes. I then hear something going on in Lia Fail, and I go back to strike it again, but a barrier suddenly appears between us and Millia... but this time Tarlach actually urges me to destroy Lia Fail, but the red barrier is just too strong. And then... a goddess emerges from Millia's body! It is a goddess in red robes, red hair and red wings... Emain Macha! The goddess who has sworn to destroy this world... Tarlach questions why gods have to intervene even here... Macha summons red Aonbharrs, and Tarlach requests that I hold off the Aonbharrs as he tries to break the barrier... he begs me to help him this time, as I'm the only one able to send Emain Macha back to where she was. I hold off the Aonbharrs for a while, and Ruairi who's laying on the floor after the explosion, asks Shamala to grant him some of her power, stating that when he struk me with his sword, it corrupted my charm, and that's what made it explode... I guess he's trying to do the same with the barrier. Shamala agrees, and walks to him. She kneels next to him, and kisses him... It transfers some of her energy to him, and he stands up and runs toward the barrier. He jumps over to that structure and hits the barrier with his sword. It pushes him back, but he leaves a crack on it. The goddess is NOT happy with that, but Ruairi stands up again and goes at it. He looks at Millia, still unconscious and she reminds him of Triona... he runs toward the barrier again, but the goddess sends him flying, and falling on the lava pit... Shamala looks at it and desperatly jumps, trying to save him.

Tarlach enrages at Macha, who sent Ruairi to his death... she comes out of the barrier with many floating rocks from Falias - the city of gods... the rocks throw a lot of fireballs left and right, but I do my best to dodge them and fight the goddess with Final Hit and my awakened Brionac. After landing so many hits on her, the goddess pushes me back, and I see Tarlach coming to a realization... 'the relation between the divine, the milletians, the humans, elves and giants'... I'm not exactly sure what he means by that, but he uses some form of energy to completely erase the barrier, and warps me next to Millia. I break the force connecting Millia to Lia Fail, and the altar completely shatters. Macha bids a farewell, but she tells Tarlach he will pay a heavy price for tapping in forbidden power... and vanishes...

I move back to Tarlach, who looks very exhausted. He comments that I forgot he's my enemy, but keeps on talking, saying that he understands everything now. "This might just be the beginning of something else...", "They will come to you... you must not trust them freely, and don't let them change your mind...". I'm not sure what he means by that, but as I question him who "they" are, he continues to say he can't express how sorry he is, but apologizes for everything and requests me to tell something to Kristell, but he desappears as he says it...

I talk to the generals, and they are all getting their squads ready to go back to Vales and Filia. I go back to the holy land, to check on Millia and Shamala. Akule tells me Millia is fine, but she's in a coma state... he's very regretful for not being able to prevent all of that to happen to Millia, but tells me he's sealing this place from anyone who's not a shaman, to completely focus on recovering Millia. He bids me a farewell, and he's not sure if we'll even see each other again. I approach Shamala and ask how she is, and she's fine. I then ask about Ruairi, but I see sadness in her eyes as soon as that subject comes to light... she stares at me for a moment, looking into my eyes, and says he's badly injuried, but at least he's still alive. But he lost his arm... she changes the subject and tells me she needs to go back to Cor...

I see Shamala clearly feels something for Ruairi... probably because both of them have been walking some very lonely paths for a long time, she feels connected to him... maybe even loving him... I remember back in the cage, she saying they are alike, as in no one cares about them... well I did care about her, AND Ruairi... Nao cared about Ruairi as well... but I see where they're coming from...

I guess Tarlach tried to access a power strong enough to rid Erinn of the gods, and that is why he needed to sacrifice me and other milletians... in the end it enough to revive Macha... I'm going back to Uladh for now, but I'll miss Shamala, Millia and Akule...

From the Shadows (Side Story)

This covers events from the Ninja Storyline

TBA

Iria: Part 2

This covers events from Generation 18: Iria Part 2

Prologue: Aces

Aces

I just had a crazy time with some ninjas, but I'm working on becoming a certified Grandmaster in most of my talents, and for that I'm training pretty hard... my last time in Iria showed me I still need to get stronger, and not rely too much on these demigod powers I have access to.

I just got a letter, from Tarlach... He says he's 6 years old... and he's living in Tailteann now, but his master - Berched, had to leave for some business in the hot springs, and now he's left with some people babysitting him. Tarlach is a toddler now... unbelievable... I guess that's what Macha meant by paying a heavy price for messing with forbidden power...

I go to the Druid House in Tailteann and see Tarlach crying to a young man who damaged his drawing... a woman with a really sweet voice appears and talks to baby Tarlach. It will take some getting used to seeing Tarlach as a baby... anyway, the woman's name is Starlet and the guy is Merlin, who seems to be a mage. Starlet has a really beautiful voice, she must be a singer or any sort of voice artist. Starlet promises something "yummy" to baby Tarlach, and asks for help. I help set it up and we all get ready to eat Starlet's cooking! We eat it and... it's terrible... Merlin clearly trying to impress her tells how much he loves it and that Tarlach is just being a brat for not eating it... but Tarlach keeps crying about how really doesn't want to eat that food... and honest, I don't enjoy it either...

Merlin decided to look for "professional help", and talks about a chef he knows who can be summoned by a spell he knows, but we need to gather the right ingredients that can get this chef's attention. And so we go fishing, and go gather grapes, but Merlin fails to summon this chief... so he decides we should hunt for boars, for the juiciest boar out there, and that should surely do the trick... I slay it by myself, and Merlin fails to summon him again, so we deicide to try and prepare it, but as we poorly do it, a flying truck arrives quickly and a really big guy - Culinary Artist comes out of it and slices the meat with fine cuts, and prepares a nicely catered meal. Another guy arrives, Professor J, and says that he can't miss on an oportunity to taste one of this artist's foods... and so we enjoy the meal...

Episode 1: Merlin

Merlin

“	No tragedy could compare to this moment. At least... That's what I believed when I opened the door.	„

We enjoy the feast made by the Culinary Artist, and Merlin tells us a "heroic" tale of the time he fought a bear bigger than a house... he used martial arts and Snap Cast - Fireball... hm, that sounds interesting... being able to just snapcast magic... I might look into that later. Merlin goes out of his way to try and impress everyone at the table, but is far from successful - save for baby Tarlach, maybe?... then Culinary Artist tells a tale about a bear that wanted to be strong and so it faught a bunch of foxes and wolves and eventually was defeated by a man using martial arts and magic... that quickly made Merlin go from Hero to Villain...

Culinary Artist asks us to deliver something to Glenis in Dunbarton, and leaves on his Flying Food Truck - also, apparently Merlin made his special butcher knives. As we start to move to Dunbarton, Merlin questions why don't we just use a Moon Gate to warp there fast, but Tarlach cries about a picnic that Starlet promised him, so we go to the Abb Neagh lake for the picnic, but suddenly it starts to rain and we look for shelter at the Bard Camp. In a tent, we get cozy and comfortable, but suddenly we hear a loud thunder... it sounds weird, so Merlin and I go outside to check, and we see a monster like the Neid that lives inside the lake, but this one is flying and looks possessed or something... Merlin asks me to distract it for a few moments to give him time to cast something powerful. I take my shuriken and throw kunais at it, but it does nothing to it... I try Shuriken Charge, and it's also completely useless on it... Merlin then finishes the preparations and I see a red glowing circle under his feet... a fire around his Mana Knuckles, and he points to the sky and the weather gets worse and I see pretty powerful thunder among the cloud, and suddenly a huge burning rock falls from the sky and onto the monster's back... a HUGE Meteor Strike!!! How... how is that even possible... what kind of magic is this guy capable of...?

We go back to the tent and find everyone save inside, I'm still processing what I just saw, but everyone decides the weather is too bad for everyone to carry on to Dunbarton with baby Tarlach there, so I decide to take the item myself and travel to Dunbarton with it. Inside Dunbarton, I give the item to Glenis, who seems clueless about who keeps sending her those gifts. I don't tell her because he asked me not to. The group catches up to me, but Starlet is crying because baby Tarlach went missing, so I look for him near the church and find him next to Kristell. Tarlach wants to stay with Kristell despite her being busy, we decide to do her tasks for her this time, to see if she can stay with Tarlach for a little bit. They go to Emain Macha, and I go to Port Cobh for a delivery. After the deliver, Professor J calls me to Emain Macha.

Apparently, Merlin lost money that Kristell gave them to donate to the Emain Macha's church, and so we decide to do some community work to make up for it, and I help a farmer harvest corn, but then have a vision, where I see Ruairi... he has a metal left arm and talks about Dian... I'm clueless about who Dian is... I take out the trash around town and then in another vision I see Kristell spending quality time with baby Tarlach in Port Cobh... he really seems to have lost his memories... Kristell goes away for a second to get some candy for him but Ruairi approaches Tarlach in a robe, and Tarlach doesn't recognize him, but feels a pain he can't understand just from talking to him... Ruairi then leaves and Kristell comes back to a crying Tarlach with his candy and the vision ends.

Afterwards, Professor J suggests we perform at the stage in Emain Macha to raise funds for the donation money that was lost, but Starlet doesn't want to participate, and so we decide to perform just the 3 of us. We get on stage and perform, Professor J on the electric guitar, Merlin on the piano and me on the Mandolin... but the performance is a disaster and everyone is starting to leave...

Episode 2: The Missing

The Missing

“	I destroyed half of my heart to survive... And gave the other half to vengeance, Now, I am but the head of a monster.	„

Our performance is terrible and people are leaving, so we quit... I approach Starlet to see what's going on with her... she looks really down. As I approach her, she tells me she'll do it, but then Professor J calls me and whispers me about something bad that happened to Starlet long in the past: She used to have a dog who would join her on her stage performances as a bodyguard, and they she was really attached to that dog. However, one day an accident happened on stage - the chandelier fell on top of her but the dog pushed her away and took the hit... the dog died to that accident, and ever since then she was unable to perform on stage again - stage trauma.

I approach Starlet again, and she seems ready to perform. The song starts and she sings, really well, and people come back fast and start to cheer to her, but a random dog comes to watch as well and when she sees the dog she stops singing and turns away from the crowd, and as that happens the spotlight stops working as well... Professor J suggests I go talk to the guy in the backstage to see what's going on, and I learn that the spotlight broke and I help him fix it, but then Professor J suggests we quit on the idea of the show, and he'll take care of the money himself, but Merlin insist Starlet should sing, as this particular performance seems important to her and it will help her overcome her trauma. I then look for the music score we used for the first performance and approach Starlet to join on her performance, and we go back on stage. This time I play the Mandolin as she sings and together we make a great performance. The crowd donates a lot of money to our performance and in the end Starlet thanks me for helping her with her struggle - that performance really seemed to help her in a very personal way, and I'm glad she got to enjoy singing again as singing seems to be a big part of her personal life. I then take the money to Aodhan for the donation.

I go with Merlin to Dunbarton to pick up Tarlach, who had a great time with Kristell, to go back to Berched's house in Tailteann where he's staying, but it's pretty dark now and Kristell suggests we stay the night and travel in the morning, and she already asked Annick to let us stay in her Pub. We accept her offer and walk to Port Cobh, and on our way, Tarlach tells us about the great time he had with Kristell and the candy she gave him, but when Merlin says the candy will make him stay up late he looks down and sad with the idea of sleeping and says he doesn't want to sleep so he doesn't get nightmares... apparently Tarlach has frequent nightmares... I really wonder if they are memories, or foresight... I remember how bad nightmares can be, so I can relate to him on that. Tarlach begins to cry, but I try to cheer him a bit as we carry on with the walk.

At the pub, Annick shows us the room, and I put baby Tarlach in bed, and I see him holding a drawings book... I take it and look at a bunch of doodles Tarlach made of us together... he's really enjoying his time with me and Merlin's group. I go back downstairs to find Merlin arguing with some pirates, and we end up fighting... after a lot of bantering the pirates challenge me for a fight outside, but I quickly take them all out. Baby Tarlach is having a nightmare... He's being chased by Glas Ghaibleann, and see's Berched who questions his purpose, and then Merlin that questions his poor use of power... back in Iria... but of course Tarlach doesn't remember and is clueless of what he's talking about... Starlet appears and scares him, and he runs away to Kristell but her face turns into a zombie, and he kneels down and prays, and eventually wakes up... and looks at the wide-open windows.

I get back in the Pub and decide to check on Tarlach with Merlin, but when we get to the bedroom, it's empty... the window is wide-open but there's no sign of Tarlach... we go back downstairs and ask Annick about it and she's clueless at how he went missing, but she talks about a person who can "find anything". She says we should be able to find him at Bangor, and so we go to Bangor. At the pub we talk to Jennifer who recognizes the person we are looking for, but says he hasn't been around lately, however, as she says that, someone approaches. Riocard quickly says "Jennifer, the Treasure Hunter is here!"

Treasure Hunter asks for a beer and Merlin joins him. Riocard reports about a flood at the dragon excavation site and Treasure Hunter goes to check what happened. Me and Merlin follow him to the excavation site. We find Treasure Hunter inspecting a few dragon fossils and Merlin tells him about our missing person, Tarlach. Treasure Hunter agrees to help us find Tarlach for a fee, but suddenly an earthquake happens and we get surrounded by gargoyles and a weird looking red dragon... it looks possessed like that monster we saw at the lake. It is Crumena!! The dragon I defeated a long time ago in Renes, at the Dragon Conductor ceremony... the dragon that deceived me into killing Cromm Cruaich... but he looks "enslaved", and we fight him. Treasure Hunter shows high skill with his guns, and Merlin shows his skills with magic... I use my ninja skills to control all the gargoyles, and we manage to take down the dragon after a lot of struggle dodging his meteors and blocking his yellow thunders. However, the dragon then disappears with a really strong explosion, but Merlin casts a strong magic shield and protects us three from the explosion.

Treasure Hunter gains interest in us after that battle and decided to help find Tarlach, and tells us to find him in Port Cobh. At Port Cobh, he says we have to go to Qilla in Iria, where his leads are pointing to. Merlin realizes we might be in a lot more trouble than we thought, and we take the boat to Iria...

Episode 3: Pursuit

The Pursuit

“	I will purify this world. I will banish you all. Food will turn to ash, water to dust... And your blood will turn black in your veins.	„

In Iria, we follow leads all the way up to Muyu Desert, where we find strange titanic bones and some pools of water around the bones... in the middle of the desert... Merlin tastes a bit of the water and it's super salty... Treasure Hunter drops a book he's always carrying with him onto the water and suddenly a bunch of alien blob creatures appear, and we fight them. Every time we defeat one, multiple ones appear on its place, but as soon as I kill the biggest one, all the blob creatures disappear. Treasure Hunter follows the tracks and we join him. On our way there we find a guy named Lopez who tells us the kid went to Oasis instead. Hunter trusts his lead and decided to keep on the track with Pinky, but Merlin decides to go to Oasis and I join him.

As we reach the Oasis, a big group of bandits surrounds us and attacks us. I set up a few explosive kunais on the floor while Merlin insists that he got this and doesn't need my help. He throws around Thunder and Fireballs, while I throw Kunai Storms to them. More bandits keep on coming and are starting to overwhelm us, but Treasure Hunter arrives! He suggests we look for a "skittish" guy in the middle who probably knows where to find their boss, and keep him unharmed for it. So I hit them all with Shuriken Charges till I find this guy, and I bind him with Shadow Bind. We deal with the rest of the bandits and some of them flee. Hunter says he came because he got worried for us - to be honest, Lopez was sketchy... Merlin threatens the bandit that we caught with his "shock therapy". He tells us the bandits will rob a medicine store in Filia, and so we decide to go there.

In Filia, Atrata tells us about bandits who robbed the medicine store, and gives us her blessing... Hunter hesitates at first but accepts it after seeing me and Merling receive it. We follow the trails, and eventually find Lopez by a tree in the desert. He seems confused, very confused, and acts like he isn't sure about his actions earlier. He tells us the people who took Tarlach were headed to Cor village, and we decide to go there. In Cor, we meet Akule, and we ask him about baby Tarlach and the men in black robe. Akule talks about some ominous nightmares he had, and talks about a misterious group of people Tupai mentioned, but Shamala arrives shortly and immediately turns hostile towards Hunter... but Akule explains her they are my friends. As I see Shamala next to Akule, nostalgia hits me and I ask them about Milia, and Akule assures me she is fine, in spite of still being in her comatose-like long sleep. We decide to go towards Tupai, and as we walk, Shamala tells Hunter he "smells" familiar and asks what IS he... He asks the same thing to her...

Tupai does NOT agree with sharing his information until we take him to the Holy Land of Shamans, and so we take him there. In the secret land, we approach Millia and I take a good look at her... still in her comatose-like state... looking at her like this gives me bittersweet nostalgic memories... but as I get closer to her, suddenly a red energy swirls out of her and she opens her eyes wide!

“	As the flow of time turns in on itself, angels will appear as harbingers of the beginning. And when they are done, the three goddesses that have protected this world will lose their seats forever. Findia's fate does not end here. All will disappear when those who sleep are awakened.	„
—Millia

Millia speaks out those words, and the book that Treasure Hunter dropped earlier in Muyu Desert suddenly glows and all that red energy swirling from Millia disappears and she goes back to sleep, and the book goes back to normal... Akule aproaches Hunter and asks for the "ancient book" and tries to read it, but he isn't able to understand anything from it... he describes it as "The language swirls before my eyes. Words change and image shift in my mind...", he forbids Hunter from ever opening the book in the holy land, and even suggests to completely seal it off with magic. He then tells me I have capable friends, and bids me farewell... Hunter says Tupai told him the men in robes are taking a Hot-Air Balloon by the hot springs in Zardine, and we decide to go there.

At the hot springs, we find a sick monkey, and Pinky says the monkey is poisoned by something similar to the poison Lopez had, and it fell from the sky... probably from the robbed guy who took Tarlach... Hunter decided to stay and make an antidote for this monkey to make Pinky happy and I take Merlin for a walk to keep him from distracting Hunter. Done with the antidote, and the monkey back to normal, Hunter joins us and we prepare a Hot-Air Balloon to chase them. We take off, but Wyverns quickly surround us and we have to fight them... thankfully, Hunter prepared some rapid fire balista weapons on this vessel, and we manage to shoot most of those wyverns. We see the hot-air balloon and shoot it... it crashes and we follow up. Back on the land we see the robbed Cessair guy holding Tarlach, and we demand that he gives him back to us, but he summons a big fire monster and flees. And we have to fight the monster...

Merlin is excited about fighting this monster, and even takes his time to talk about the many spells he has to defeat fire monsters, but the Enslaved Ifrit just throws fire to him, and he gets annoyed... but he keeps his careless attitude and we engage on it. We approach it, and it summons Salamanders... Hunter takes care of the Salamanders using his Shooting Rush skill with the dual guns, I begin charging Sakura Abyss as Merlin distracts the big monster with his ice magic... with Sakura Abyss completely charged, and I wait for the monster to get in range and release it. The wind pressure from it completely shuts the flames out of Ifrit and destroys the monster. We look around, and Tarlach is nowhere to be found... however, Hunter blows a horn and 2 horses come. Hunter and Pinky mount on one and Merlin and I mount on the other horse, and we gallop after Cessair and baby Tarlach...

Episode 4: The Black Book

The Black Book

“	My mother birthed a child that shouldn't have been born. My father saved the life of someone who should have died. My life won't be my own until my curse is broken.	„

We gallop from Zardine to Physis, and we find the robbed man on a ski, and Hunter gives us skis to chase him. As we get close, Hunter gets closer and takes Tarlach, and we move to a different direction. We get to a warmer place in La Terra and check on Tarlach, but he seems off. We decide to camp there for the night and look for a better plan tomorrow. During that night, Hunter trains Pinky in putting on a disguise to make it look like Tarlach, and then casts a spell using his ancient Black Book on baby Tarlach to make it harder for anyone else to tell which is which, but a group of Cessair appears, me and Merlin get out of the tent to face them. Hunter suggests we work on finding a raft as quick as possible and he will deal with the Cessairs. So I go with Merlin and prepare the raft, and Hunter joins us and we flee from them. But, we find Cessairs waiting for us through the stream, and so we have to fight our way through, while avoiding rocks. We manage to get to Cor, but even more Cessairs come towards us and overwhelm us. They take both Tarlach and Pinky and run off.

Merlin is very pissed about it, but Hunter says according to Pinky they headed south... probably by the pebbles he gave to Pinky to leave a trail to follow. And so we head south, and find them fleeing on horsebacks, and so Merlin gallops his horse faster and tries to take Tarlach, but it's just Pinky. We track and follow them all the way to Metus Canyon, but when we get inside, we find a big group of Gargoyles and enslaved salamanders... I really wonder how they Cessairs manage to take control over all these powerful monsters... anyway, we fight them and even fight the Arc Lich. As we defeat it, we hear a creepy voice saying "Who dares disturb my slumber...?". Pinky tells Hunter the Cessairs vanished, and Hunter finds the shattered altar in Metus very interesting and recognizes it to be a form of portal... so he decides to stay and analize it, and I take Merlin away again, to avoid distractions.

Alone, Hunter opens up The Black Book of Bith again as it has been acting strange since we got to Metus. With the book opened, he hears some high pitch sounds from different directions and follows it. He fights a few demons in the way, but he picks up a bunch of pieces of a page. Having all the pieces together, he tries to join them back, in a way that he can read the full information written on them. So he goes to the altar, and puts the pieces of the page on the book, and organizes them up like a puzzle. And with everything set, he reads:

“	I realized that the symptoms those three children experienced was a curse on the Settlers. A curse from god. The curse of death. Had I listened to reason, maybe I would have known better than to attempt forbidden magic to save them. And save them I did, but now my body degrades. Little by little, it crumbles. Before I completely lost consciousness, I gave the book to one of them: the one with the thickest of our blood. I've made a pathway to the sacred place. I'll use the boy's name to open the door...	„
—Birren's Diary - Month: x Day: x

Hunter recognizes that from the past, and gets filled with emotions, but a portal opens as he finished reading the passage. Merlin and I approach him and we all enter the portal. We are sent to somewhere in the middle of Muyu Desert. Hunter says accoring to his book, the people we are chasing are not human... but we don't have enough information to know for sure what exactly they are. Hunter shows me some writtings on the book and asks me what I can make of it, but I can't understand a single symbol written there. Merlin recognizes it as an ancient language, older than the Partholons. He reads Gloomy Hills, and a sequence of numbers: 9-6-9-12-12-9-6-9. Once Merlin reads that sequence of numbers, a giant pyramid with a long staircase reveals itself right next to us, in the middle of this desert... we decide to go in, but physics shifts almost like we are flipped 180...

Inside the pyramid, we find ourselves in a square room with 4 doors, 1 each side, white walls and floor... everything looks so old but is also so clean... Merlin tries to open one of the doors, but a group of floating crystals appear and attack us with magic. We quickly destroy the crystals, but the room shifts... Hunter suggests we understand the rules of this "world" as it might even be a different reality all together... a bigger floating crystal appears, but this one isn't hostile. Hunter tries to activate it, and a voice comes out of it...

“	...learned to harness a crystal that could store the very thoughts of anyone who touched it. It was alive, and it fed upon empathy...	„
—Memory Cube

Merlin decided to try and touch it as well...

“	...and the survivors of the Ban Clan fled came to settle in this world...	„
—Memory Cube

Hunter suggests I try to interact with it as well, maybe we can find clues about this place doing this...

“	...'s Journal. Day 11: In the beginning... We, the Settlers, the Ban, established a prosperous life in the western lands.	„
—Memory Cube

Hunter also suggests the sequence of numbers we saw, could be a reference to the positions of numbers in a clock, and it could be directions on which doors to open in a sequence, and so I try to follow the sequence - 9 being west, 6 being south, 12 being north. And as we move from room to room, the memory cubes of each room have their own recorded memories...

2nd room

“	...'s Journal. Day 99: Our... banishment to the southern lands... How were we to know that it came with a curse?	„
—Memory Cube

3rd room

“	...'s Journal. Day 11: In the beginning... We, the Settlers, the Ban, established a prosperous life in the western lands.	„
—Memory Cube

4th room

“	...'s Journal. Day 101: It was then, along the river that flowed from the sun's rise to the sun's set, that the voice of god rattled in the sky. "Should any bear your blood, they shall leave no mark upon nor take any sustenance from this world."	„
—Memory Cube

5th room

“	...'s Journal. Day 140: I can't seem to breathe properly, even in the open field. No one could tell how much longer this life of mine will last, the enchantments are all that keep me alive. For now, I shall head toward the winter, the closest land of mana.	„
—Memory Cube

6th room

“	...'s Journal. Day 142: The journey north continues. There is only one thing that I am thinking of. If we are able to maintain our own existance with magic, why can't we maintain this world?	„
—Memory Cube

7th room

“	...'s Journal. Day 372: A heart's desires must be followed... Once the goal is set, nature will have its pull. Our greatest mages were worn down from tragedy... It was not hard to convince them.	„
—Memory Cube

8th room

“	...'s Journal. Day 9,898: The mana world, said to have been a copy of god's world... This world grows in the opposite direction from the one that deserted us. A single chance for success bought with countless sacrifices.	„
—Memory Cube

9th room

“	...'s Journal. Day 233,967: The world forgot us, just as we forgot the world. How could a piece of the old world be used to make a new one? Questions such as these cannot be asked in the new world. Only the laws of nature hold any true answer.	„
—Memory Cube

We open the door and it leads us to a different room. This one has a huge door and here the memory cube got a lot bigger... and it... attacks us! This one hits with some strong magic, but with a bit of a struggle, we manage to destroy it, and right after that we open the big door in the center. We see a strong light in the end of a tunnel, and following that we find ourselves in a very strange world! The architecture is so strange, there's a lot of crystal structures and some metal ones, and we see so many people wearing brown robes and masks... masks similar to the ones we saw Cessairs wearing under their robes...

Episode 5: Dian Cecht

Dian Cecht

“	Humans are enamored with the impossible. Willingly blind, they march for hope down the path of destruction. I've seen countless heroes fall to their own base nature.	„

We arrive at a really weird land, and Merlin says this reminds him of "some long-haired little punk...", but Hunter says we should leave recollections for later, and so we look around and see a group of people in robes, and we stealthly steal some of those robes and masks to infiltrate in the building. Merlin whispers "Wanga, in all my long years, I've never seen a building like this." - long years... I really wonder what he means by "long years", he seems pretty young but he keeps talking like he lived so many years... anyway, Hunter questions how old Merlin is, but Merlin just ignores it and we hear some Cessair talking about "Gaia's return and the time of prophecy...", and Merlin recognizes that phrase from somewhere he doesn't remember. Hunter, then, leads us on an infiltration as we are wearing their robes, and we go through a Cessair "training" session. After many awkward procedures, like punching Neamhain's illusion, they discover us and we have to fight everyone. After defeating them, we carry on to a big hallway. We go upstairs and find a guard that doesn't allow us from going further, dispite us having the Cessair robes, but Merlin tries tries to convince the guard and fails, so the guard casts that "Eye of Death" spell on me and I just pass out... but Hunter shoots that guard and uses the Black Book to help me recover from that spell.

Hunter then proceeds to look for a way to open the door, using the black book to guide him, and the manages to open it. He goes back up stairs to find me and Merlin laying on the floor, but he leaves us and keeps onward to the infiltration. On the next hallways, he finds a bunch of guarding Cessairs, so he uses everything he knows about stealth to sneak past them, and the Black Book of Bith helps him see the blindspots in the security system. He manages to sneak past everyone all the way to the next door, but he can't open it... however, the book guides him to a corner in the hallways, where he finds a crack that he can open and go through, and he does that.

I then get a vision where I learn that the person behind all of this is Dian Cecht, who was split into 2 parts, one of the sitting a the throne (Dian), and the other one is the one who kidnapped baby Tarlach (Cecht, a.k.a. Cessair's Heart). Dian somehow separated all her emotions and put onto her clone, and that's how Cessair's Heart was "born".

I wake up inside a barrier, with Merlin by my side, who looks down, and he tells me what happened. Basically Cessair's Heart found him with me, and attacked him and so he fought her... however, it was a setup to lure him to the spot where we are now, where she set up the barrier, and while inside he can't use his magic, and neither can I, so we're stuck in here.

Hunter found a place with big tablets filled with glyphs, and with the help of the Black Book he manages to read them.

Irinid's first punishment was banishment.
Any being with our blood in its veins was cursed.
Our kind would take nothing and give nothing to this world.
We were cut off. We could not eat. We could not drink.
We could not even breathe as we faced our punishment.
Death approached.

Only the most adept among us survived.
We used magic to support life... or some semblance thereof.
We worked together to remove the curse, but it was hopeless.
Fear had already taken its hold.
That's when the extremists made their voice known...
Out of the din of voices, one idea arose.
We would create a land of our own.
It would be a world held together by magic, and we would live.
It was a tempting solution.
One that would free us from the will of gods.
We had faith that it would only be temporary.

There was only one chance of success, and we took it.
It cost us more than we could have ever imagined.
But it worked, Pincara was founded.
And a chosen few were hidden from the gods.

Hunter cries as he says "My father sacrificed himself to lift the curse on me... I must never forget that." He, then, proceeds to the next stone tablet.

We knew that Pincara was not perfect from the beginning.
But the problems arose much faster than anyone expected.
The space was collapsing.
We needed more sacrifices to maintain the barriers.
But no one was willing to die.
Magic and technology could prevent death.
Why should anyone have to give themselves up willingly?
Factions arose. Fighting began. It was bedlam.

Who would we sacrifice?
Or could we find another way?
In the midst of all that, a man entered Picara's barriers.
His name was Birren.
Once a slave, this man rose to become Bith's husband.

The curse fell to all Settlers, even the half-bloods.
But this man had been able to cure his children.
His method hid the bloodline from the sight of gods.
Unfortunately, it came with a great cost.
But I found another way.
Cloning the half-bloods proved a useful tool.
The exceptional clones were sent outside Pincara to find answers.
The rest were used to maintain the barriers.
Heartless fools supported the idea.
They tried to solve the symptom without solving the problem.

(Hunter realizes this part was written by a different person)

We needed a final sacrifice for the cloning facility.
Bith... Why did you think it had to be you?
Bith sacrificed herself and Birren left for good.

Hunter keeps crying and wonders "Is that how this book was passed on?" and goes to the next stone tablet.

We cannot return to our world.
The gods have caught on.
How long can this place last?
Some of our problems were solved, but...

(Hunter notices the rest of the writing is worn)

Killing clones with no end erodes the human soul.
Once all hope has been worn out, we can no longer succeed.
Emotions weaken the mind over time.
Without them, we could carry on forever.
I rid myself of all emotions and placed them in a clone.
It is like me, but different.

Hunter goes to the next stone tablet.

Fabricated sacrifices have their limits.
Time was running out.
We had to commit to the course.
Perhaps, if we sacrificed everyone...
What choice do we have?
There are hard answers to situations like this.
There is a small crack, perhaps it has succeeded.
This is the only opportunity. We cannot miss it.
The soldiers who went through the crack met someone.
For a moment, they thought they had found a savior of prophecy.
But we have been forgotten by the world.
I will make sure our memory lives on.
Revenge...destruction...chaos... whatever it takes.
The world shall remember us.

Hunter realizes the person who wrote this is using this tower to prepare some form of revenge on Erinn, and he decides to stop them. Pinky points at some blocks and patterns, and hunter reconizes it as something he saw in the book. He decides to solve the puzzle, to see if it will open the doors of this place. Once he finishes the puzzle, something is revealed...

The god has disappeared.
The curse was broken.
Everyone was lost.
It was slaughter.
The people I liked could have lived.
I am a murderer.
I cannot ask for mercy or revenge.
I can only offer more misery...
I shall give death to all.
Until I cannot go on.
My name is Dian.
And I'm a monster.

Hunter gives Pinky a note to send to Merlin...

Back in the barrier trap, Ruairi arrives and recognizes me... but he refeers to Merlin as 'the one seeking the god fragment'... and delivers something Tarlach wanted us to have. He also suggests we don't interfere with the plan, as this will give Tarlach a normal life as an innocent child... Merlin questions the cost - someone's life, and Ruairi just mentions the sufering the people in this tower - the Settlers, have gone through and we should accept the fact that they need the God Fragment... Merlin calls such a plan "irresponsible", as there is no guarantee on the results at the cost of a life... Ruairi leaves and Merlin approaches the jewel Ruairi delivered. He casts a little magic on it, and it reveals to be some kind of wand with enough mana to let him use his magic, and so we manage to exit the barrier.

Hunter finds Dian in her throne, and questions her plan of bringing death to the world by sacrificing everyone of her people... but she ignores him, as she notices another "guest"... me and Merlin...

Hunter sent a letter to Merlin which tells him about the Settlers, Dian's people, and Merlin realizes what's going on. We try to enter the chambers where Dian is, but Merlin is first trapped in a nightmare, but he manages to escape it and we finally get in the room... it is very dark and gloomy... Merlin says the energy is "tapestry of morbid lies and broken promises..." We find Hunter trapped in a weird dark energy, and Dian is sitting on her Throne. Merlin tries to blast her but a barrier blocks it. Merlin loses his cool and demands her to release Hunter, but instead we are surrounded by Cessairs... we quickly defeat them, and she transforms... she summons crystals that protect her, and more Cessairs! We destroy the crystals, but then a dark energy just drains my life, and I retreat for a second to heal myself with the help of some recovery potions that I always bring with me. The crystals are back, and I destroy them one by one with my shuriken... then I carefully dodge her dark energy and charge sakura abyss next to her and it does heavy damage to her! She has fallen on the floor and is weakened. Merlin blasts her with fire and Hunter's "cage" is destroyed. On her lasts words, she says that she separated herself from her emotions so they would not cloud her judgment and she would be perfect, but her vengefulness awoke the moment she learned Hunter was alive...

We assemble near a door upstairs and we hear the sound of a ritual going on the other side... we thought it would end with Dian's defeat, but it seems that didn't stop it... so we charge in...

Episode 6: Ritual and Sacrifice

Ritual and Sacrifice

“	There is much left to do, no matter what corruption is within me. I can see the happiness I must create and the misery I mustn't bring. Tragedy will strike when I can no longer separate the two.	„

Ruairi - "I delivered your message. I didn't even alert the guards. Now, tell me what to do."
Tarlach - "As I said before, Dian has been feeding you nothing but lies."
Ruairi - ...
Tarlach - "Dian's plan was to sacrifice us both to re-enter her vessel. But we could tweak it. We could use it for our purposes..."
Ruairi - "What?"
Tarlach - "We're not too late."
Ruairi - "We would destroy the link between our world and the gods using their own power? Are you talking about trying to destroy the Soul Stream and Falias again?"
Tarlach - "No, that was never possible. I wasn't sure then, but now I know. What we need to do is the opposite."
Ruairi - "What do you mean?"
Tarlach - "We will open the door."
Ruairi - "Door?"
Tarlach - "The gate... to the other cities of the gods. Findias, Murias, and Gorias... We could even open a gate to another world... One with a different god."
Ruairi - "Another god?"
Tarlach - "Yes. Not Aton Cimeni. Another."
Ruairi - "Why? What would that achieve?"
Tarlach - "There would be another god to intervene in our world."
Ruairi - "Wasn't our intent to prevent the gods from meddling?"
Tarlach - "What time will they have for us when they have each other?"
Ruairi - "Hmm?"
Tarlach - "Ruairi, I had a glimpse of the truth. I'm sure this will work. Humans could obtain divine powers. There is no reason for humans and gods to remain separate."
Ruairi - ...
Tarlach - "We have been hampered and subjugated long enough. Humans will never reach their full potential under the thumbs of the gods... They treat us like... livestock."
Ruairi - ...
Tarlach - "But things have changed. The gods are disappearing. You've seen the changes yourself across Iria... Massive changes have struck this world as a result of a tiny seal breaking. If the balance of power were to shift, if there were more than one god, it could give us an even better chance..."
Ruairi - ...
Tarlach - "I don't know how long the fighting will last, but I believe that humans will someday control this world. Should that happen, humans can finally have their freedom."

Ruairi - "So?"
Tarlach - ...?"
Ruairi - "You want us to sacrifice ourselves for that plan to work."
Tarlach - "Not at all, the only one to be sacrificed will be me. I have no need for the second life the gods have given me. The fact that I could use their gift to interfere with their plan... Nothing could be better."
Ruairi - ...
Tarlach - "Save your angst. My chance for a normal life is gone forever now. If my life would stop the needless losses, I'd throw it away in a moment."
Ruairi - "Your hands are trembling."
Tarlach - "What?"
Ruairi - "Your voice is trembling as well."
Tarlach - ...
Ruairi - "My friend wouldn't speak this way had he really decided to sacrifice himself. Your lies have fooled me long enough..."
Tarlach - ...
Ruairi - "Who are you?"
Tarlach - "...I'm your friend, Tarlach. I was just reborn."
Ruairi - "I'll ask again. Who are you?"
Tarlach - "I wouldn't be here if I weren't your friend. You brought me here, Ruairi. Why are you acting like this?"
Ruairi - "Stop lying to me."

We charge in, to that big hall... we see Tarlach in a crystal, and Ruairi next to him... Merlin gets Ruairi's attention and blasts him with fire, but he just blocks with his sword and calls for Cecht... who calls herself "Cessair's Heart"... she reveals that Dian Cecht was also a Dragon Conductor like me, and she summons the spirit of her own Golden Dragon...

We fight her with everything we have, and together we defeat her, despite the dragon aiding her. She then vanishes, telling Hunter to 'live to his heart's content'. We charge towards Ruairi, but a barrier appears! Pinky pushes Merlin to hit it and it blows him away... Hunter tell says he believes this place is a giant cannon, and the altar like a cannonball that will be shot through Iria's sky... Hunter asks me to help him destroy the pilars creating that barrier but Cessairs appear and surround us. Hunter rushes to the pillars and me and Merlin back him up by taking care of the Cessairs on his way. Hunter disables all the pillars and the barrier is lifted!

Ruairi casts a dark energy, and all the Cessairs we defeated transform into some winged draconic humanoid creatures! They surround us and we fight them! We defeat a lot of them, but their numbers is overwhelming, and the ones we defeat recover too quickly! Merlin charges a strong magic spell and it blasts a really strong shockwave that pushes ALL the creatures far back, and he tells me to deal with Ruairi as he's going to have his hands full with the creatures... I jump onto the platform as the barrier activates again, and the platform slowly descends... However... Just like Hunter said, the platform is shot high to the Iria sky... It ascends fast like a cannonball, but the barrier protects us from the wind... as we ascend, I approach Ruairi and question him about this plan, and he just tells me he is going to "open a door to another world", and what's important is what will happen AFTER the fact...

I then have a vision... a "memory" of Ruairi's conversation with Tarlach in this platform... and Tarlach admits he's not the Tarlach Ruairi knows... the "God Fragment" contains Tarlach's memories and when it awoke, the memories became his... he tried to stay true to Tarlach's behaviour but Tarlach is so naive... Ruairi questions that, but he says that Macha is the one who made him like that... he then asks Ruairi to do him a favor and fulfill his desire to open that door... it was Tarlach's biggest goal, and he just wants to fulfill what Tarlach wanted... Cecth appears and tells Ruairi that the "Young Tarlach" lied to him about the reason his desire to be sacrificed... it was a destiny that was chosen to him - probably by the gods who gave him a second life... and he lied to him to spare his feelings... but Cecht also says that 'Tarlach's death doesn't have to be forever'... the memory ends...

Ruairi tells me he's tired of sacrificing his friends for people he doesn't know, and challenges me to a final battle with him, and I should not hold back... We fight a pretty fierce battle! Ruairi summons some illusions of him, but I manage to track his real body and attack him... he summons some crystals like the ones back in Nemeton, but I ignore them and attack him with my trusted highlander Claymore! We trade blows back and forth but I manage to overpower him... he struggles and summons that dark energy again, but this time it transforms part of his body into a draconic humanoid thing... he gains a wing and a horn on his left side... he comes back to me and slashes the air and a strong shockwave strike me. It was a heavy hit, but I regain balance and Final Hit him with my claymore... after a lot of struggle I finally defeat him!

As Ruairi gets knocked back, I see the crystal holding Tarlach begin to ascend toward some marking on the sky above is... Ruairi then rushes and strikes the altar trying to break it, but the entire platform explodes and we are sent on a free fall... there is a blinding bright beam that comes from the explosion... so bright it can be seen from literally anywhere in Iria... me and Ruairi fall down fast but Ruairi suddenly shines and vanishes... As I fall, Merlin - with Hunter in a hot-air baloon, sees and catches me with a magic spell... we land and Merlin asks if we managed to stop the ritual, but I tell him we couldn't stop it... but... suddenly a bright light - similar to what I saw when Ruairi vanished, shines nearby and we see Tarlach laying there... Merlin shouts at him about opening a door to another world and Hunter kicks him so he stops scarying the kid... but apparently Tarlach is "back to normal"... young Tarlach doesn't seem to have any memory of any of that stuff that just happened to him... Merlin asks me to take him back to Berched and he and Hunter have a chat while I walk away...

Treasure Hunter - "What were you trying to do?"
Merlin - "Huh?"
Treasure Hunter - "Why did you just attack the boy with that God Fragment thing?"
Merlin - "Oh, that. Well, you have to make a pledge if you want to know."
Treasure Hunter - "A pledge?"
Merlin - "Yes, a pledge to join the secret group that protects Erinn. Be warned, this pledge can't be broken. It's like a curse..."
Treasure Hunter - "I seem to end up doing that all the time anyway. What I have to do?"
Merlin - "Wow, did you believe me? Ha! You are SO gullible."
Treasure Hunter - "Why you..."
Merlin - "Okay, okay I'll tell! Listen carefully, I won't say this twice. Hey, wait, what is your real name? Surely it can't be Treasure Hunter."

Chapter 06: The Divine Knights

The Divine Knights

This covers events from Generation 19: The Divine Knights

The Divine Knights

It has been a while since the time I spent with Merlin and his group of "Aces"... our struggle to stop the Cessairs from bringing massive destruction to Erinn... Hunter and the Settlers... There's a lot I don't know about the Settlers, but they seemed to have suffered a lot at the hands of the gods... the gods really made a mess on this world. I really hope I can see the Aces again, they seem to care for Erinn as much as I do and seem like a very capable bunch too! But time will tell if we cross paths again...

Duncan as sent me a letter inviting me to hangout, so I came to Tir Chonail... it has been a while...

- "Ah, Wanga, I was hoping you would have time to stop by. I've heard many strange rumors from the south. Is it true about your battle with the lost hero?" he asks.
- "The world is a confusing place." I reply.
- "You seem disheartened, my friend. The title of hero bears a hefty burden, and those who wear it often find themselves becoming agents of the very evil they fought to stop." Duncan says with a sigh.
- ... (You don't have to tell me that...)
- "Not all heroes suffer a tragic fate, my young friend. The good you have done for the people of this world is immeasurable." Duncan smiles and continues, "Do you remember when you first came to me? You were so eager to help people with the tiniest favors. There was nothing but kindness and wonder in your eyes."
- "Vaguely" I reply.
- "Meven was looking for someone to take a delivery into Dunbarton. I'm sure he would be excited to have a great hero like you help him with such an easy task. Why not take a moment to remember why you help people in the first place? You deserve to slow down once in a while."

Duncan is right. With all the latest events... it has been crazy for me... I've been having this "sense of loss", and wondering about things lately. Tarlach and Ruairi betrayed me... I guess Tarlach tried to redeem himself in the end, but still... being a Paladin for Morrighan to realize she planned to destroy all of us Milletians in the end, if it wasn't for Shakespeare... finding out about the Settlers and their suffering at the hands of the gods... and now I have to worry about the "rift" that Ruairi and Tarlach opened... what kind of danger can emerge from it into Erinn... I really need a break! I need to find myself again...

I go to the church, and Meven gives me a poorly sealed package to deliver to Kristell, he even suggests someone else should do it but I tell him it's a chance for me to take a break. As I walk out of the church, I hear someone, wearing black robes, in the town square preaching about something... I approach to listen to him.

“	He will come! He will come to redeem us! Salvation will be proven by the mighty power. Open your eyes to the truth... The chosen will be acknowledged as an Apostle and be blessed with tremendous power!	„
—Crazy Prophet

Who will come? Is he talking about another god? A god coming to judge us? He seems like a madman, but I approach him to investigate more, and he whispers: "This world is such a painful place! But, HE granted me the power! The power to escape! You! You! And... You! Yes, you! All of you can have this power!", I ask him how and he continues "Oh! Yes! Are you interested? Good, good, good. There's just one thing you must do! Don't worry, it won't be that hard. All you have to do is offer up everything to Him! Literally, everything! No? That doesn't sound good to you?", at that point I decide to ignore him but he insists "No matter what I say, you won't understand! You'll remember. Oh yes, you'll remember my words! My spirit will transcend you all!", I walk away...

I deliver the package to Kristell and tell her about the conversation I had with Duncan, and my "sense of loss". She talks about her past and her own reason to help in the church. She then asks me to run an errand for her as she tries to fix the poorly sealed package Meven gave me. I have to help a farmer, south of Dunbarton. The boy tells me about wolves who have been attacking their livestock lately... he was supposed to deal with them but they seem much more aggressive than usual, which is why he asked Kristell for help. I guard the farm for a few hours to see if the wolves come and I defeat them... but they really seem a lot more aggressive and sturdy than normal! I report to Kristell and she thanks me for it, but comments on the strangeness of it all... animals being a lot more aggressive and sturdy than normal, animals with crystal shards coming out of their bodies... some weird diary... but she apologizes for mumbling out her thoughts and gives me the properly sealed package and sends me to the Cardinal Pencast in Tara.

Pencast receives the package but gives me an advice regarding my "crisis of faith": "Why don't you take a little time away? Appreciate the glory of nature, enjoy the blessing of Lymilark's great world, and reconnect with yourself.", and I thank him for the advice, maybe not every god is egocentric and selfish...

Queen Eirawen sends me a letter summoning me, so I go to the castle. She complains about my absence, never coming to say hi, but then whispers in my ear about rumors of some cult that appeared out of nowhere, and the churches are gathering their congregations in secrecy and since she doesn't have control over the church she doesn't have any information about what exactly is going on but fears the church might be involved with this new cult, and she asks me to investigate on that. As I leave the courtyard of the castle, a young man approaches me with a lot of excitement... maybe too much excitement...

- "Umm...hello! Milletian! Uh...um...so...I am..." he suddenly kneels and continues, "I've been watching you for a long, long time! Could you please give me your hand so that I could have a handshake and touch your hand with my...hand? Please don't run away, I'm a huge fan!"

He identifies himself as Altam, and tells me he saw me going in the Castle so he waited here until I came out to greet me. He is aspiring to become a great warrior and he says to be inspired by my heroic tales as the guardian of Erinn. I never thought I'd have a huge fan like this guy... he keeps praising me for all the things I've done for Erinn. I get a little impatient and he apologizes for delaying me and keeps on apologizing for it and we part ways.

I question Corentin and Pencast about the "cults" and they assure me it's all a bunch of nonsense rumors, and the church of Lymilark would never be involved in "cults". I report it back to Eirawen and she gets upset about me confronting them directly and sends me away.

Duncan calls me and tells me about strange events that started after I left... aggressive animals that came from the forest and attack the livestock of the people here, reports of a colossal being that appeared out of nowhere after a bright golden light from the sky... the people are living in fear and he asks me to try and calm them... he says my presence might do it. I visit a few residents and when I speak to Nora at the Inn she tells me about a group of people who look like "heroes of a storybook" or even "milletians". She tells me where they are and I look for them by the tree behind the Inn. I walk toward the tree and find the young man Altam by the tree...

- "Oh! Wanga! What are you doing here?" he asks.
- "I was going to ask you the same thing." I reply.
- "Well, this is where a great legend was born. The legend known as Wanga!" he pauses and continues "It began with a call from a Goddess in need, and a daring rescue that required the heart of a great hero."
- "How do you know all that?"
- "Oh...well...I've just... done my research."

He then apologizes for the awkwardness of the conversation and tells me about a mistake he made in battle that hurt his comrade and asks me to help him with their task, which is very important, and tells me to meet him and his captain at Sidhe Sneachta. He leaves without telling me more details, but when I get to Sidhe Sneachta I eavesdrop a little and are talking about a war... but Altam seems to in trouble for involving me in it. I approach them and his captain, named Avelin, seems to be very uncomfortable with the presence of a third party like me in this conversation... but Altam shows a strong confidence and excitement. Altam talks about a monster they are hunting but he's very restricted on the amount of information he can share... Captain Avelin apologizes for me coming all this way for nothing, but I insist on having at least some information about this monster, but she replies with "The only thing I can tell you is that there are no 'monsters' to speak of. Nevertheless, your townsfolk should lock their doors...". She then takes Altam with her to speak with him in private...

I've never been benched like this before... anyway, I go back to Tir Chonail to spend the night, but Duncan calls me and asks me to help him stop Lassar who went into Sidhe Sneachta to investigate about these rumors of monsters in the forest. So I rush back to Sidhe Sneachta on my horse, but I find her unconscious... I try to wake her up, but the ground shakes and some minerals slowly float from the ground up and a suddenly a bright goldish yellow light shines from above and when I look at it a big blue skinned muscular monster falls from it and the ground shakes hard from that impact! It is very muscular with a really thick blue skin, slightly dresses in a white decorated cloth, holding a huge metal staff with many decorations too... It faces me but I can't see eyes on it. Its "face" is covered in minerals and horns come out of it, but there's a mouth in it... No eyes, but it's like it senses me... The blue monster lifts the staff on its hand and swings towards me but I quickly dodge it! I take my shuriken and throw kunais on it, but they seem to have literally no effect on it... Captain Avelin and Altam suddenly appear and join the fight. Their weapons seem to be somewhat a little effective but they also don't do much to that monster... BUT! Altam casts a really bright blue magic on it... some blue spikes "pierce" the monster and they slow it down. Captain Avelin also casts a bright blue magic and a MASSIVE SWORD floats down from above, stopping just on top of her, and she swings her arm down and the sword "lands" on the monster, and THAT seems to actually damage this monster!

What ARE these knights!? The battle carries on, I broke my claymore trying to damage this thing, but I did manage to do a lot of damage to it after Altam used those magic spikes on the monster. Seems like that blue magic is the most effective against this monster. After a lot of struggle, Captain Avelin lands the final blow on the monster with that giant sword magic she uses and the monster falls to the ground, glows yellow and just vanishes! I look around and there's no sign of that monster anywhere, but suddenly I get hit! It is a werewolf dressed with decorations similar to that monster, and a mineral armor on his chest and arms. He praises my battle mastery and promises to meet again, then vanishes...

Altam is amazed after that battle, and Avelin agrees to answer my questions, but asks me to accept the fact that some things she just can't tell me. She tells me this monster was once human but was twisted by energy from another world, and all trace of humanity in them was burned out and they are just a puppet. These people are being seduced by promises of greatness, but they're instead turned into agents of chaos. I ask about the werewolf guy and she tells me the guy's name is Pennar and he is responsible for creating these "abominations". He is also an "agent of a foul god" and he's not acting alone. I ask her who they are and she just replies with a "We are the ones keeping this world safe" and warns me not to speak about this with anyone, and to never show mercy if I ever see any one of these monsters, because they will never show ME any mercy. Altam bids a farewell until next time and they leave.

I take Lassar back to Dilys and later Duncan tells me she's making stead recovery and thanks me for helping her out. I check on Lassar and she talks about an argument she was having with Dilys about meteor magic, and when I ask her about what attacked her, she describes a monster of which magic simply has no effect on it... I tell her how I saw those knights using some weird bright blue magic to hurt it, she asks me about them but I tell her how secretive they are. I go back to the Inn and ask Piaras the Inn keeper if he knows where the knights went to, and he tells me no, but the captain said they were going to "follow the will of God, wherever it may lead", and the other knight repeated it like some form of prayer. I go back to Lassar and tell her what I learned from Piaras and she finds the phrase they knights used familiar. She tells me she wants to do some research on her books to see what she can find about them, and so I leave her for the night.

On the next day, I go back to Lassar and she shows me the record of The Aton Cimeni Church, an old church who one day disappeared from the face of Erinn and no one knows why. It is there where she saw the saying those knights said, but she doesn't have any more information about them, so she suggests I check with Meven and Kristell. Meven doesn't know anything about the knights but he recognizes that saying commonly used among "true believers of the old faith". I reach Kristell, but she sends me to the father of that farmer boy I helped not very long ago. The man thanks me for inspiring his son to be a better person but asks me to guard the farm again, from boars this time, and I decide to help him so I can further investigate on those strange animals. After not very long, a bunch of boars arrive and I easily take care of them with my Kunai Storm, but then some very strange boars appear... they have peridot crystal shard coming out of their bodies... they are a lot sturdier than the ones from earlier... they are a lot more aggressive too. No matter how hard I him them, they just don't fall at all. So I switch to alchemy to use deadly attacks like Heat Buster and Life Drain to counter the damage they inflict on me. After a bit of a struggle, I defeat them all, and I go back to the farmer. The man thanks me, and I ask him about the knights but he also doesn't know anything.

The farmer's son tells me about an ogre that talks like a human, who was seen around Gairech, and was talking about serving some god. He sends me to a bounty hunter for more details, and the bounty on that ogre, and knights who came to defeat it and didn't even care about the bounty's pay. People tried to help the knights but they refused any help. I return to Kristell to report about the farm and ask her if she learned anything about the knights. She says that "all will be revealed in time", and tells me that the organization is secret and does anything to achieve their goals. According to her, their name is The Alban Knights, a very old and powerful organization of holy warriors, wielding Aton Cimeni's Will, who quickly disappeared short after their inception, and it would be best not to approach them because one of their priest said that their goal was to "eradicate any foreign creature who would dare sully this world."... and that could apply to me as well... I tell her I'll be careful.

I go to Bangor near Gairech, and speak to Comgan who called me. He says a lady knight wants to speak to me and directs me to her. It is Avelin, and she tells me to stop looking for them. Altam's behavior my involvement in this has led the superiors to punish him for treason and Avelin is trying to avoid things like that from happening again. She tells me she will return with Altam when their superiors allow them to be more public. Someone interrupts our conversation with a laughter and teases Avelin... it is a succubus that Avelin calls Brilluen. She playfully announces another "gift"... that blue monster again! Only this time it is armored! It looks a lot stronger than the last one... after that she leaves us with this monster.

Me and Avelin try to fight it but we can't do anything to it, and without Altam to use that blue spike magic on it we can't reduce its defenses. Avelin suggests we run for it, but a really calm and confident voice sounds and another knight comes to support us. His name is Talvish and he carries a very long sword and shield. He casts another weird magic on top of the monster and with Avelin's big heavenly sword magic they manage to stun it. After that we throw everything we've got on it and we manage to defeat this one too.

If I am to describe these knights, Altam is a very young and easily excited boy, with brown hair, green eyes and a really huge two handed sword that has a very weird shape. Avelin is a young adult, very focused, has a pink ponytail hair, brown eyes and holds the smallest lance I have ever seen... she holds it in one hand! Talvish is a tall and blonde guy with blue eyes, a very charismatic smile and a very loose personality. He carries a long longsword and a big shield. All their equipment are very elaborated and made with the finest materials I have ever seen in battle equipment.

Talvish stands tall with his shield in the back and his sword piercing the ground, surveys the area with an airy grin on his face. Talvish identifies himself and another member of the Alban Knights and shows appreciation for meeting me with a genuine smile. If Avelin looks very focused and worried, this guy is the polar opposite... He seems very confident and calm and playful. He must be a great leader for his unit. Avelin asks him about Altam and Talvish tells her to trust the judgment of the superiors. He comments that it wouldn't hurt them to have an "outsider" help their cause, and straight up invites me to join the Alban Knights! Avelin is shocked, but he suggests that's a good way to show the council that Altam's judgment on my involvement was not misplaced. Talvish says he believes I could be of great help on their fight against the Prophets, who worship a "false God". They have a twisted divine power that they use to transform good people into monsters like the one we just fought. I question him about this divine power, but he says he's limited on what he can share. He does say that during my recent tussle against demigods in Iria, Iria was compromised. I ask him how they know about this, and he says they monitor me because they believe I am a dangerous force. He then continues to talk about the Iria incident, and tells me about a "doorway" that was open... a doorway that is similar to the Soulstream, but this one allows gods to enter Erinn! The moment the door opened, an otherworldly God entered Erinn, and it is spreading its influence across Erinn. A God that can turn people into monsters that they call Apostles. And the reason why they could use my help is because I can handle the power of a demigod, and so he asks me if I want to join, or am I "tired of saving the world". He playfully teases me, but I accept his invitation, and he tells me he'll tell the superiors about it. Our conversation ends there and they leave.

Some time passes and Talvish calls me to a place in Emain Macha, behind the Ben Rua's Pub, and he says the superiors allowed him to share more information with me, and Altam has been freed, but placed in a unit with younger knights. He says that we are standing on one of the secret assembly areas of the Alban Knights.

- "Tell me about the Alban Knights" I ask.
- "Our order was founded long ago, when Aton Cimeni spoke directly to a cleric and gave him orders to create an order of holy knights." He replies and continues, "There were two commands in the cleric's great revelation. One is that our world must be allowed to mature without any outside influence or hindrance. The other is that interlopers must be stopped at any cost. We are tasked with defending this world. Sometimes that means taking on battles against forces that we are not remotely equipped to battle. As such, we have taken the impetus on ourselves to borrow the power of gods. We will turn this power against them. This is precisely why we must remain in secret. The people in Erinn, especially the church, would misconstrue our actions as a danger to their safety. When, in fact, we are protecting them from a much greater threat. Do you understand?"
- "That seems unnecessary" I reply
- "You see? Even you are unable to see that necessity of our approach. Our decisions to give up our own freedom and lives to achieve a goal... that is an act of desperation." He replies with a grin
- "Make me understand"
- "I hope to. Simply follow myself and Avelin. You'll begin as a new recruit would, though it might take a greater toll than you'd expect." and the conversation ends.

I try to talk to Avelin but she asks to leave her for now... she feels remorse for what happened to Altam since he was in her protection, so she blames herself for what happened to him, and believes she "failed him"... I go back to Talvish and he says we are going to follow up on intel gathered by their intelligence unit. So we have to chase after rumors around that are related to the Apostles. Things like reports of those mutated animals I've fought before, and sights of the Prophets or Apostles. Avelin will be our Captain, and we will be a team of three: Avelin, Talvish and me.

- "In fact, this is the perfect mission for the two of you. Please gather any information you can from Emain Macha. Just try not to be as obvious as you were when you were working for the queen." He says
- "How do you know about that?" I ask
- "Because I'm actually good at subterfuge. Now be on your way." He says with a big grin, and our conversation ends.

I ask around and eventually talk to Lucas, who tells me rumors he heard about things happening in Tailteann. I report back to Talvish, who warns me about the direct way I use for investigating things, as people might take advantage of me and mislead me. But he decides to investigate further on Dunbarton and Tailteann. I go to the blacksmith shop in Dunbarton and Nerys tells me about a massive increase on demand for weapons and armors, as soldiers seem to be breaking all their equipment fighting this unknown monster, and it seems like she's talking about Apostles. I then go to the tailor in Tailteann and talk to Brenda, who tells me about an order to make a huge forest tapestry, and the person was a man with big fangs, which seems to be Pennar. I go back to Talvish and report it. With all the clues with conclude that the order for the tapestry could be from Pennar or Marcan, the interest on a forest, they could be targeting Abb Neagh or Corrib Valley. The order for weapons and armors could be going anywhere, but we decide to go to Abb Neagh. Once at Abb Neagh, Talvish senses Divine traces, but without Avelin we can't trace it all the way to the enemy, because she is much better at sensing divine energy. I talk to the people in the Bard Camp, and a boy tells me Hamelin saw a miracle... a big golden light in the sky... I tell that to Talvish and he tells me that is what happens when a person is transformed into an Apostle. The human gives up his soul and everything and becomes an empty host to be used by an Apostle who is basically a puppet for the Prophets. Talvish leaves saying he'll return with Avelin.

I go back to the Bard Camp and Yvona asks for my help to deal with mutated animals with crystals on their backs... those weird animals again! Anyway, I fight a LOT of mutant boars and eventually Pennar arrives and fights me. He uses Final Hit, but I counter him with my own Final Hit and we fight for a while but suddenly he flees saying he will have to interrupt this duel to deal with other things. Avelin and Talvish arrive and I report them what happened. Avelin says Pennar would never flee from a battle, so something else is going on, and we stay to investigate. Avelin suggests with tell the people leave this area for a safer place as the next battle could endanger them, but Talvish says that we don't have enough time for that since we have to track the Prophets as fast as possible. So we survey the area but only find more mutant animals... We regroup and survey the area again, but this time an Apostle appears... this one with a halo too... it seems to be progressively getting stronger! And this time we are unable to do anything to this one... but Pennar suddenly appears and runs west, and Avelin tells me to chase him and leave the Apostle to her and Talvish. I chase after him but Brilluen and Marcan ambush me. When I notice them I use my Awakening of Light to borrow the demigod's power and face the three of them, but they cast a golden magic on me and some dark energy painfully strikes me and tries to take over... - Are they trying to force me into an Apostle?! I struggle to keep myself awake but Marcan just knocks me down.

I wake up next to Talvish and Avelin. Talvish tells me I've been contaminated with corrupted divine energy, and when I ask him about a cure he tells me about the Cave of Remorse, but they still need to ask permission from the superiors to let me into that place. Avelin for now orders me to look for the nearest healer to recover, because right now I can't really keep using my powers as it may increase the progress rate of this divine corruption. The Queen requests my presence, and she tells me about soldiers dying on a battle against mutated animals... I tell her I'm wounded but she asks me to suggest someone else to go and help them... but I can't think of anyone, since the knights are busy and no one else I know is strong enough to deal with those... so I agree to go... soldiers are breaking all of their weapons trying to damage those animals but nothing can hurt them... they see me and regain some confidence but in my current state, no matter how hard I fight, I can't do anything to those animals either... after several minutes Altam and Avelin arrive and take me away from the battle. Avelin scolds me for not taking my time to recover but apologizes for underestimating my character... with the heroic tales everyone tells about me, she thought I was someone focused on the glory and fame supported by my "eternal life" but I don't really "live up to that reputation". Avelin directs me to the Cave of Remorse hidden somewhere on Corrib Valley and we get ready for my ritual.

- "Hi, Wanga! It's this way! Follow me." Altam speaks to me in a hushed whisper "It's going to be scary in there. Everything inside is just an illusion, but it's the kind that will scare you to core... Every memory you have will flash through your mind, until you get to the one you fear the most. You just have to remember it was in the past. You have to move forward and let it all go. But I know you're not like me, Wanga. You're so strong, you won't have any problems at all"
- "I hope so..." I reply with hesitation
- "Is there really something that scares you?" Altam questions me
- "Yes" I confirm... yes there is, Cromm died because of me, Mores died protecting me, people see me as a hero but I have failed so many... Altam sees me as this unstoppable force, but yes I have my fears...
- "I'm sure you're going to be fine. I just know it! You can take this path up. Just come back in one piece okay?" Altam reassures me
- "Okay" I reply and walk up to the area.

I've seen this place before... in one of Shakespeare's memories with Bella... anyway, as I walk around I see many familiar items... the Chain of Protection that Eavan made for me at one point... the Shadow Walker pass that let me meet Elatha for the first time... Shakespeare's Journal, Dark Knight Relic, and many other familiar items from the past. I make a thorough search, to make sure I didn't miss anything, and all these items bring me back strong emotions from the past... people look up to me as their hero, when I failed so many important people... I have these negative thoughts as I walk inside the cave...

“	Caring about worldly things caused me nothing but pain, I longed for the restful peace of Sidhe Sneachta... But then you moved my heart and gave me the courage to take action again...	„
—Tarlach

“	In the end... What were you able to protect?	„
—Rian

“	Why continue, when only despair awaits us in the end? But you showed me that anything can be overcome. I wanted to be like you...	„
—Ruairi

I hear all these voices in my head, reminding me of how I failed to protect Rian... how I failed Tarlach and Ruairi... I hold my head with both my hands, trying to control these very negative feelings...

“	Humans took alchemy from the Fomors and used it against each other. What would they do with the power of a demigod?	„
—Elatha

“	With power like that, you could make a better world!	„
—Shylock

“	We never would have made it this far without you. I can't thank you enough.	„
—Eirawen

“	I want to thank you for coming to this world.	„
—Eavan

Eirawen... Eavan... what would I do to myself if I failed to protect you... if I failed to protect my comrades... from this monster... from Girgashiy! What would I do if anything happened to you... I don't remember the last time I've felt this powerless against anything...

“	The moment I saw you, I knew you would be a great hero. The spark in your eyes...	„
—Duncan

“	What do you want to do in this world?	„
—Nao

- I want to protect it! I want to protect the people in it! I want to be able to protect anyone who fights with me and risks their life to help me protect this world!

I feel a divine energy trying to enter my system... but this time, it is warm and gentle... soothing... it is nothing like that corrupted energy the Prophets threw at me... it makes me feel protected... it glows blue like that magic the knights use... it forms a shield around me... a Shield of Trust! This energy seems to cancel out the corrupted energy trying to turn me into an Apostle. I leave the cave and return to Altam.

- "That was quick! The Shield of Trust protected those around us." Altam says and continues "Wanga, I think I know what you're afraid of. You know, the powers we use are all about turning our fears outward. No matter how strong you are, even if you're immortal, you can't always stop the people around you from being hurt."
- "None of us are perfect. Even our greatest leaders can show themselves to be incompetent and unwise..." Avelin adds
- "But... I want to be better. I want to make a difference. It's the only way I can forgive myself." Altam says
- "Altam, haven't we spoken about this enough? Mistakes happen. You cannot go on flogging yourself forever." Avelin looks at Altam in tears and continues "You are no good to me like this. Let's focus on the mission, shall we? I've tracked the enemy to Tailteann. We must move quickly to stop them."
- "Okay" I reply.

Avelin gives the location of where we go next. Having arrived at the location in the outskirts of Tailteann, and we get ready to fight. The Apostle Girgashiy appears, this time it has wings! It comes close and summons a mineral crystal that surrounds and cages me, and overtime it inflicts wounds onto me! Avelin and Altam rush to break the crystal and free me, but then it inflicts a contagion on me, and no matter what I potion or healing magic I use, I can't get cured of it... it just slowly drains my life force, but eventually the disease dies. As I try to heal myself back, Girgashiy crouches and gets ready to jump! Avelin says that we can "crack his defense if we block this attack", she and Altam get close to me, that warm and gentle blue divine energy surrounds us and with all the faith and trust they showed to me I cast Shield of Trust! As Girgashiy jumps, a Mineral Hail falls right on top of us, but a protective divine aura surrounds us and completely blocks the hail. Girgashiy lands, Altam clenches his hands toward Girgashiy and those bright blue "spikes" I saw him cast before, the Celestial Spikes, appear and pierce Girgashiy, stunning it. Avelin lifts her right hand holding her lance high, a gigantic blue energy sword appears, the Judgment Blade, and she lands it right on top of the stunned Girgashiy, and it seems to have done massive damage on it. Girgashiy grabs me with with force and gets ready to throw me, but Altam and Avelin manage to free me. It then pierces itself with the staff and somehow I see my soul leaving my body! It slowly walks towards Girgashiy, and it seems like Girgashiy is trying to feed on my soul, so I try everything I can to keep it away from the monster. The fights carries on for a bit but by combining my Shield of Trust, Altam's Celestial Spike and Avelin's Judgment Blade, we manage to defeat it.

Afterwards, we search for the prophets and find traces of them south of Uladh. We find an armored Girgashiy with no wings in Port Ceann, and we fight it. This one is much easier to fight since it can't fly and doesn't seem to be able to feed on my soul. We finish this fight rather quickly, but then the Prophets arrive.

- "All out of lackies, huh? Tell us what you're scheming!" Altam says.
- "I don't have to explain myself to nosy children." the succubus Brilluen replies.
- "Explain yourself to me, Brilluen, if you think it will help." Avelin adds.
- "Sweet Avelin, always one step behind. Just like last time..." Brilluen says with a smug, taunting Avelin.
- "You! Don't you ever talk about that! I'll kill you where you stand!" Avelin angerly replies.
- "Hahahaha! Are we still holding a grudge about THAT? You are unbearably adorable." Brilluen says.

Avelin signals us to get ready to fight, Altam suggests it might be a trap, but Pennar and Brilluen playfully banter and Marcan gets impatient and we fight. I have fought Pennar before and he is very skilled, but Marcan is just way too strong! He hits me hard with his hammer and in one blow I'm knocked back pretty hard and it hurt like hell... I take my cylinder and Life Drain Brilluen who was distracted by Altam and I manage to knock her out and heal myself back up. I then Final Hit Pennar to knock him out and the three of us attack Marcan and overpower him. With all of them cornered and the arrival of Talvish, they manage to retreat. But from what they say as they retreat, Talvish understands that their plan is to go after the Queen, and they were just buying time by keeping us busy here! So we take a moment to think and plan our next move. Avelin suggests they inform their order and get more knights involved and Talvish tells me they will not be able to continue the chase, so I suggest that I go to the Royal Castle by myself. Altam points out that Girgashiy is too strong for one to fight it alone, and even I certainly can't handle it alone. Talvish shows that you don't necessarily need more than one to fight it, but rather you need more than one of the divine abilities, and if one has access to all the three of them, they can defeat a Girgashiy. He then reveals that he is able to redirect divine energy and he suggests that he transfers Altam and Avelin's divine abilities to me and they all show some worry and doubt but in the end they trust Talvish and agree.

Having Avelin and Altam's divine energy in me, I feel a lot more confident about facing the apostles, and so I go to the Royal Castle in Tara. When I arrive there, the guards tell me the castle is flooded with monsters and the queen is missing! I get in the castle and find a LOT of monsters with crystal shards and the guards are overwhelmed... I use the Judgment Blade to attack big areas and slay as many monsters as I can on each attack. Some lesser Girgashiy monsters appear and I slay them as well. These monsters are really sturdy and the guards can barely scratch their skin, but as expected, the Judgment Blade made of divine energy is very effective against these creatures. The battle goes on for a while as more monsters keep on coming, but eventually I manage to clear this area of any monsters and go out looking for the Queen. I reach the hanging gardens and find the Queen and a few guards guarding her and I approach them.

Eirawen looks at me worried and asks what am I doing here if I've used up all of my power... then giant animals with crystals on their backs appear on the garden... they seem to be climbing the walls of the castle all the way up here! I run up to them and use Judgment Blade to slay every single one of them. Upon landing my last blow, I hear the Queen speaking very loud.

- "Who... Who is that?" the Queen says, and on the other side I see a black robed man with a white cloth covering his face... it is the Black Wizard!
- "He has granted all that you desire." the Black Wizard says those words to two guys who seem to be going through a transformation and continues "Now you must grant His desire. Give yourself to our god and He will grant your greatest wishes."

The men who were listening to that ritual, transform into two armored Girgashies with wings and face me!

- "I -I can't believe it. T-those monsters were human?!" the Queen says in shock.
- "We have to get you out of here. Let the Milletian take over!" the guards say.
- "...No! Not anymore!" the Queen strongly denies.
- "M-my Queen..."
- "I stood up for what was right once before..." the Queen gets closer to me and continues "We can't expect Wanga to just fix every problem we encounter. This fight is ours."
- "Please, my grace! There is nothing we can do here. We must get you to safety!"

A Girgashiy knocks me back with a blow from its staff.

- "Come, the underground pathways will be safe! We can still get out of here!" the guard continues.
- "I won't leave! I will see the end with my own eyes." the Queen stubbornly says.
- "Please, my queen. This is a fight between gods! Humans have no place here!"
- "If Wanga is a god, then we're lucky enough to have a god on our side. Everyone stay where you are! We will not abandon our allies in their time of need!" the Queen finishes.

As I hear the Queen talk, I stand up to face them once again, unsure of how to deal with two Girgashies on my own! Last time I faced a winged Girgashiy I was with Altam and Avelin, and we STILL had a lot of struggle! Now I'm facing TWO and all on my own... the only thing I have going on for me is Eirawen's faith in me... and my own faith in the God who's been protecting me from these apostles... Aton Cimeni...

I just keep moving forward... slowly... but suddenly I feel a strong burst of divine energy flowing through me! I feel like I can infinitely use the Divine Crusader Skills and it gives me confidence as I hear the rumbling of the apostles slowly approaching me. The fight didn't last long... with the energy I have access to right now I managed to quickly slay both of them with the Judgment Blade! The Black Wizard casts something to put the Queen and the guards unconscious, and talks to me.

- "Impressive... you withstood the sloppy attempt to meld your power with that of our supreme being. You are lucky."

I dash towards him but he casts something that knocks me back and all the energy I felt in me vanishes...

- "Still, power without a leash has a way of biting its owner..." he adds and continues "When that power finds its way, the world will face a birth of its own." he says that and vanishes.

I help the guards on taking the Queen back to the throne room, and I talk to her.

- "Thank you... Thank you so much, Wanga. I didn't think you'd come..." the Queen Eirawen says and continues "I wished you would, but I didn't think it would happen. I kept screaming for you in my head. And then you were here... like a hero in the legends." she blushes for a second and continues "I won't question you ever again. I believe in you... Wherever you are, whatever you say, whatever you do..." she pauses for a second, looks me in the eyes and says "I believe in you.... Thank you so much..."

I put my right hand to my chest to salute the Queen and leave. I look for the Alban Knights in the secret assembly area in Emain Macha. I find them and approach Altam.

- "Wanga! Have you heard all the rumors about us? People are saying we can take on any monster. They say we're wiping out hundreds of enemies with a single swing of the blade and surrounding ourselves with impenetrable energy. But I haven't heard anything about ME. I guess nobody really noticed me... Oh well, I guess once we're rested up, it'll be back to fighting. Maybe somebody will notice me then." Altam says that with a smile and continues "I just wish we'd managed to stop the Prophets. As long as they're out there, the Apostles will keep coming. I've got to get back to the captain for now. We can talk some more next time, okay? I'll be practicing for the next time we meet, Wanga! I'll be the best knight you've ever seen!" Altam finishes, and I approach Avelin.
- "Everything is calm enough for now. Altam will need some time to recover, but he should be fine soon enough. I wish I could say the same. We are expecting a new recruit soon and I feel like I've been put through the wringer. I've heard nothing but bad things about this one too. Worse than Altam, even." Avelin looks disappointed "I always manage to get stuck with the problem children... Oh well. I must be going, Wanga. You have been a great help to our cause. Stay safe until we meet again." she smiles at me. Afterwards I approach Talvish.
- "Yes, Wanga. Do you feel okay? I've never transferred the ability of two people at once... I was very concerned with the burst of power. It was unexpected, as you can imagine. Yet..." his voice falls into a whisper "You held the power of a demigod for a long time, and you did not seem afraid to wield it. The powers themselves may disappear eventually, but your body will never forget. In the end you may be able yo use all of our abilities freely."
- "Is that a problem?" I ask.
- "Haha. No, it's not a problem. The members of our knighthood usually only get one skill. Each of them trains endlessly to master their one tool. You, on the other hand, will have to work to master all three. There was a great explosion when you took on these abilities. It's highly likely that you obtained a special power. Just remember how you felt when you controled that force. If you can control your feelings, you can defeat your enemies and protect those around you. I've told you that this was the Knight Assembly Area, right? The markings on the wall will react to anyone with divine power and lead you directly to the Apostles. As you train and your teamwork deepens, your power will grow and grow. I think I've said everything that I had to say. I will see you later."

Talvish then proceeds to say words that seem to be some sort of ritual.

- "Welcome, new blade of the heavens!" Talvish says and continues "Grant us the trust to help us through tough times."
- "Grant us the willpower to avoid the wrong path!" Altam adds
- "...Do I really have to do this?" Avelin asks, Altam and Talvish laugh at her and she says "Grant us the determination to forge ever onward!"

And just like that, they "knighted" me as an Alban Knight! We bid farewell and I stay in Emain Macha as they leave to some place else. As I walk the calm streets of Emain Macha, I relive the memories of my battles with Girgashiy, and how powerless I felt in every single one of them... like really, I never felt frightened afraid in my life... if I hadn't been given access to that divine energy... I wonder if I would even be alive... the power that apostle had, there's something about that power that scares me, a lot more than any god I have faced before! I guess I can say it put the literal "fear of god" in me, by the way I saw my supposedly "immortal soul" be pulled away from me like that... I just hope I can meet the knights again. It is thanks to them that I was able to find my way to Aton Cimeni, who protected me from the apostles and the corrupt light that tried to turn me into one myself!

I've been betrayed by gods before, but I trust Aton Cimeni, and their knights, the Alban Knights. For some reason I feel like I can trust Altam with my life... Talvish and Avelin seem very reliable, specially Talvish, but Altam seems like the loyal kind of friend. To think that Erinn has strong knights like them, who can channel the power of Aton Cimeni directly! Doing these raids on Girgashiy will be interesting, specially if I find other milletian knights like me!

The Gate of Sanctuary

This covers events from Generation 20: Gate of Sanctuary

Gate of Sanctuary

It's been a while since I faced those two Girgashies at the Rath Castle, and a lot has happened since then. I've been actively helping the Alban Knights with the Daily and Weekly Orders to defeat new Girgashiy that the prophets keep sending throughout Uladh. Done that through the Alban Emblem at the Assembly Area behind the Pub in Emain Macha, which would teleport me to each mission. I've also been training at the Alban Knights Training Grounds, which has an Alban Emblem at Dunbarton behind the blacksmith shop, which would teleport me to the secret training area. I'm really impressed by how effective this teleport technique the knights use can be.

Talvish sends me a letter asking to meet him at Tailteann near the Easter Gate. He asks me to help him investigate a rumor about reanimated corpses, and a familiar golden aura around wherever they appear. He says the Alban Knights "truly" trust me, but after I accept the task, he adds "I often wonder if you were born with a good heart or if you're trying to cover up a dark past...", after an awkward pause he smiles saying he's joking and tells me other knights will join me as soon as they can, and then goes away. I walk around the outskirts of Tailteann, towards the graveyard, looking for clues regarding these zombies. As I go towards the graveyard, I find some wolves, boars and bears, but with crystal shards on their backs like the ones I've seen back when we were investigating Girgashiy. I fight my way through, and as I arrive at the graveyard, I see a suspicious corpse with a golden aura surrounding it, and the prophets next to it. They tease me about the knights always being "two steps behind" and threaten to attack me. But Avelin and Altam arrive right at that moment and the prophets vanish, along with the corpse.

Altam is so excited to see me, he won't shut up about it, but Avelin reminds him that we need to focus on the mission and look for that body we saw earlier. Altam shows me a blank journal and tells me he brought it to keep a record of "everything I do"... He then offers help to clarify anything I need regarding our mission. So I ask him about the Alban Knights, and he tells me:

- "The Alban Knights are faithful followers of Aton Cimeni, the god of Erinn. The only Alban Knights you've met so far are Talvish, Avelin and me."

Then, I ask him about the Prophets:

- "Pennar, Brilluen, and Marcan are the Prophets. They're the ones causing all the trouble! There MIGHT be more, but we just don't know enough about them. They're all Fomors, but they don't act like any Fomor I've seen before. These guys worship a really unholy god..."

I end the conversation with him and talk to Avelin, and she suggests we visit the graveyards of Uladh, since the Prophets seem to be looking for corpses, we have the most chance of find them that way. We travel to Tir's graveyard first. There we find zombies, but these ones have red shards coming out of them, and Avelin says those are traces of "Unholy Light" that the Prophets use, and they probably used that to revive these corpses. Altam asks if that's the opposite of "our Divine Light", and Avelin confirms. We fight the zombies, a lot more zombies appear, but we defeat them in the end. A lot of these zombies somehow explode when they are defeated... anyway, Avelin confirms that there's no more trace of this Unholy Light nearby so we should be clear, but she managed to take a piece of those red shards to see if we can investigate them for clues. We rest for the night as Avelin sends her report of the situation and I ask Altam about this "Divine Light" he mentioned:

- "Hm... How do I describe Divine Light?" He replies and continues, "The Alban Knights were blessed with Divine Light from Aton Cimeni, and that Divine Light is the key to unlocking our Crusader Skills. The Prophets use a sort of corrupted Divine Light from their god, but they are VERY different. All I can say is that the Prophet's Divine Light is surrounded by evil and corruption."
- I guess that's why Avelin calls it "Unholy Light".

That's a lot to take in... I decide to go for a walk by the river of Tir Chonaill, and reflect on what I learned so far... The first time I met these knights, they were very secretive, but eventually revealed bits of information about them as I helped them deal with the Girgashiy threat to the Uladh... They even let me receive the blessing of this divine energy they call Divine Light, back in that Cave of Remorse, to allow myself to counter that corrupted divine energy they call Unholy Light the Prophets threw at me. I still don't know if I should be worried about it, but so far it seems to be fine. Talvish eventually invited me to join their Order, and they even knighted me back in Emain Macha, and I was given the role of the Girgashiy Raid Squad. Now they request my aid with this new case, and it's good to be back with them.

Still lost in thought, I stop by a fence by the river, when I see a shiny metal object going down the stream... it's a beautiful object... I jump to the stream to pick it up; it's a necklace, a very beautiful necklace, unlike any I've ever seen... and it gives me a strange sensation....

Altam calls me, but it takes me a bit to realize that. He questions why I just jumped into the river like that, and suggests I put on some dry clothes. He then tells me Avelin should be back soon, but as we wait he decides to set up a campfire, and looks very excited about sharing a campfire with me. I direct my attention back to the necklace. I never seen or worn anything like it, and the more I look at it, the hazier my vision gets... and... I suddenly see a familiar place... a desert in Iria... I'm with three Alban Elved Unit knights... wait- HE is with three knights... I've interacted with memories before, but this time feels different... I can't even identify him... all I can see judging by his armor, which has all of the four Alban crests combined into one, is that he's the Elder among these knights. They are facing a group of robed people.

- "Sir..." one of the Elved knights calls, but the Elder seems to be distracted for some reason; "Sir...?"
- "Forgive me. Now, where were we?" the Elder finally responds.
- "We were waiting for your orders on what to do with these Heretics." the knight says and continues, "We thought about forcing them to surrender... But as you can see, that doesn't seem likely."
- "It appears we've once again failed to find their base of operations... ...Very well, kill them all."
- "Yes, sir!" all the knights shout at once.

- "You are unwise to come here! Do you not dread the end of days?" the Heretics reply, "By Ladeca's grace, we fear no man!"
- The Elder loses his temper and shouts "You, who have committed countless sins against humanity... You, who have murdered the righteous and sacrificed the innocent..." he takes a moment to calm down, and I notice he's the one wearing the necklace I picked up in the river... "In the name of Aton Cimeni, you shall face divine wrath!"
- "Your god is pathetic! Mother Ladeca is the true ruler of this world! Oh, Ladeca... Grant us your power!" the Heretic say that prayer and they turn spectral.

The Heretics run around in the desert and the 4 knights hunt them all. As they are slain, more appear in their place... a LOT more, but the knights manage to defeat them all... actually, it's more like The Elder managed to defeat them all, and the knights just follow up... this guy, the damage he does with his greatsword... I have never seen such power... his crusader skills are ridiculously strong... everything about him is ridiculous... his speed, his damage, his endurance... I probably couldn't survive two hits from him... No one should be this strong... I guess that's what being blessed by Aton Cimeni looks like... the memory ends in the middle of that heavily one sided battle.

I can't get over how ridiculously strong that Elder is... so I ask Altam about him.

- "Ah, Uh, the Elder? Well, he's... He's... Sorry, Wanga! I just don't know anything about him! Try asking the generals about him! Just don't ask Avelin. I asked her about him once, and she was NOT happy about it! I doubt anyone will give you a straight answer. Sorry if that wasn't helpful..."

Avelin arrives and she mentions a sighting of "golden aura" in Iria, and we travel there to investigate. We set up Camp in Qilla and we find a small army of zombies, with red shards on their backs like the ones in Uladh, but they seem stronger! I take my staff and blast them with hailstorm and with the help of the knights, we defeat them all. Altam is very excited after seeing me fight, but Avelin warns us about a coming danger. A new Apostle appears, and unlike Girgashiy, this one walks on 4 legs... it seems to be made of sand and rock, it is full of big candles on the front legs and there are some golden chains and decorations made of bricks... I cast Shield of Trust as it tries to strike us but it easily breaks it! Altam tries to bind it with Celestial Spike and Avelin strikes it with Judgment Blade, but nothing happens to it... Avelin encourages us to not give up, or the people from Qilla will be in danger, and so we try all different strategies to see if we can damage it. We split in different directions but not long after they both stop to look at something... I go to Altam and he points at the invisible barrier that prevents him to move further... I'm also unable to move past that point, so I go back and talk to Avelin on the other side, and she also found a barrier... having no other choice we go back toward the Apostle and throw everything we have at it... I even try to stack my Judgment Blade on top of Avelin's and nothing happens to this monster... Altam starts to panic as it seems that we can't do anything to the Apostle and we can't even run away from this due to that barrier... at this point we just try to survive by avoiding direct hits from the Apostle as we try to think or anything. Avelin notices a hole in the barrier right behind the Apostle and tells me to escape through that and take Altam with me as she tries to distract the Apostle. Altam denies that and doesn't want to leave Avelin behind... she compliments Altam's growth, but points out how sometimes that attitude can be dangerous. Altam is still in denial and they argue about it but in the end we stay with Avelin, but she asks me to protect him. Not long after, the Apostle vanishes and we hear a familiar voice... it is Talvish, and he found the Prophet controlling that Apostle, Marcan. Seems like Marcan was controlling the Apostle and when Talvish attacked him he lost control over it and it vanished. Talvish taunts Marcan to see if he can reveal anything but Marcan somehow vanishes as well.

Altam is very excited after seeing Talvish, calls him the "strongest Alban Knight" but Talvish is embarrassed by it. He points out that we now know we can stop an Apostle by stopping the Prophet controling it, but it's not always easy to find them in the first place, and we don't even have enough information to be sure of that anyway. Talvish says we should spread the word about these events, and argues playfully with Avelin about my involvement on these matters, as she is against it. He then tells us he's going to check with the commanders for an authorization to proceed with this case.

Images of the Elder flash through my mind, and I focus on the necklace again. I see the Elder and the generals of the 4 units, Elved, Heruin, Arthuan and Eiler. They are standing at a strong old bridge which seems to be the entrance to a Castle. There is a group of Heretics facing them, seemingly trying to get inside the Castle, but the knights are guarding the bridge.

- "We come in the name of salvation! The end is upon us. It is our duty to rid the land of the depraved!" says the first Heretic, and another continues, "Cleanse the wicked by delivering swift and holy death! Spare not a single unbeliever! Destroy all you see!", then everyone says at the same time "May Ladeca's grace shine upon you!"

- "The Heretics have returned..." says the Heruin General, and the Eiler General adds, "Their dogma is to spread 'salvation' through violence and destruction. They've wreaked havoc upon several villages already. We should've taken care of them sooner...", and the Elved General adds, "Easier said than done. Too many new Heretics groups have been appearing as of late. Last time, it was the Gairech Church. Before that, it was the Red Rock Priests. And the World Congregations before that... They're causing damage at a faster rate than we can repair."

- "Then let's wipe them out with our Crusader Skills! We're the Alban Knights! We must fight!" adds the Arthuan General, and the Elder agrees, "...Yes. We must bring light to that which casts darkness. It is the will of Aton Cimeni."

They fight, but the Elder and the Generals quickly defeat the Heretics, using Crusader Skills, and then gather together to regroup. Eiler, Elved, Arthuan and Heruin Knights arrive and they take positions at the edges of the bridge, Arthuan and Heruin Knights at the left side and Eiler and Elved Knights at the right side. They cast 4 magic circles on the bridge floor, each with the crest of one of the 4 units. The Elder is in the center and takes command.

- "We are not destined to fall just yet... Move into defensive formations! In the name of Avalon... Protect the gate with your lives! None may enter the holy land! Hold your ground!" the Elder loudly speaks.

Everyone takes position as a ridiculous number of Heretics rushes to invade the Castle, but the Knights protect the entrance. Each one of Generals cast Judgment Blade non-stop and land the blades on the crowds of Heretics. The other Knights cast Celestial Spike to slowdown the ones that manage to dodge the Judgment Blades, and the Elder finishes them. When the numbers overwhelm them, the Elder goes to one of the circles on the floor and divine power erases all of the Heretics around the bridge. I never imagined Crusader Skills could be used to this extent. And... the Elder... his power is another thing that shocks me... So many powerful foes have I fought, and none of them can compare in any way to the power this guy has to his blade. The memory ends...

I tell Talvish and Avelin about what I experienced... they seem at a loss of words, but Avelin requests that she takes the necklace away from me, but I reject her kindly and she insists on it, but Talvish tells her to stop it. He then asks me to just let them try to use it and see if they can also access these memories, but they seem unable to. Talvish says he want to ask the Commanders what they think of the necklace, but then I ask him about their Commander, and he refuses to tell me anything, saying he has "nothing but respect" for me, but unfortunately some things he just can't reveal to me yet. He then mentions the old fortress that I've seen in my visions, and says that it it an old fortress that belonged to the Alban Knights, and Avelin knows the place. He suggests we go there with Avelin, as the Divine Light should protect us on the way. Avelin rejects it as we still have to deal with the Prophets, but Talvish tells us the Prophets are heading to Belvast. He also says that I may think that I found the necklace by chance, but maybe it was not really by chance...

On our way to Belvast, I ask Altam about the Crusader Skills...

- "The three types of skills are Defense, Binding, and Smiting. There might be other types, but I'm not sure." Altam says and continues, "When you use a Crusader Skill, your Divine Light takes on the physical form of a sphere. Depending on the type of skill, that sphere can change into a shield, a spike, or a greatsword. The shield represents Defense, the spike is Binding, and the greatsword is tied to Smiting.

We arrive at the Scathach Beach, on an area next to the springs. I see a narrow canyon pathway, but when I peek into it, Avelin and Altam remain on a distance, looking at me. So I go back to them. Avelin says 'she knew I could pull it off, even if I'm different than them'. I have no idea what she's talking about, but she then explains that the ruins of that old fortress are on the other side of that path. And the reason why no one knows about this place, is because that path is protected by Divine Light, which tricks anyone passing by into thinking nothing is here. Even those who somehow manage to get into this path, as they walk they eventually find themselves back where they started, and this applies to the Prophets as well. Even I could have never found this path before, but now my Divine Light will guide my way through the path to the other side safely.

We travel through the canyon, and arrive at the ruins. It is exactly like I saw in the memories, and Altam tells me this place is the Alban Knight's ruins, and the Castle on top of the cliff is Avalon Gate. He then talks about there's no way the Prophets can get to this place... Then I describe those memories where Heretics managed to invade here. Altam can't accept that, and Avelin adds that we can't just "make assumptions yet", but suddenly she senses traces of unholy light, and she can't believe it... as we go towards the bridge, we find wolves, bears and boars with crystals on their backs... they've been corrupted by unholy light. We fight throughout the way to the bridge, and after fighting so many monsters, we find Brilluen and Pennar... Avelin still fails to understand how they got into this place, but we end up fighting, and not long after, they just vanish. Avelin seems extremely confused, so we get in the Castle and find a place to rest. TBA