Let's Play Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem!

[Yoh]

Sept 18, 2013 19:40:23 GMT -8 ┌༼ຈل͜ຈ༽┘ said:

Sept 18, 2013 14:40:18 GMT -8 Yoh said:

And I'm sensing the knight class would be better against Ogma on harder difficulties?

The Knight class is the only class you can play as on Lunatic Reverse. In fact, you need to gain a Strength + Defence Level up within your first 2 levels to even have a chance of completing Prologue 2 without losing a character.


Take a look at this. The author had to resatrt the entire game because his first 2 level ups didn't contain strength and it became impossible for him to beat Prologue 2.

Sweet Naga that's a horrifying afterthought.

[┌༼ຈل͜ຈ༽┘]

Welcome to Fire Emblem: Lunatic Reverse

Lunatic Reverse is an exercise in S&M. Want to know why? Try playing a Mage class Avatar. Or better yet, I’ll show you!

In Lunatic Reverse, the enemy always attacks first, if it can. This is the only thing different about it from Lunatic mode.



So here we Prologue 1. I have a Mage Avatar. On my turn, I attacked the soldier. He doesn’t have range so he can only attack me on Player Phase. I need 3 hits to kill him and he needs only 2 to kill me so I already have to use up one Vulnerary.



I deal with the soldier but I need to use 2 Vulneraries to survive Jagen’s attacks. I have 3 Vulneraries left.



Jagen does a flat 14 damage. That is insane. AND he has a range a weapon.



I need to use 2 more vulneraries just survive another attack.



I need only one more attack to defeat Jagen.



But I have only 1 Vulnerary left and I need 2 to survive Jagen’s attack.



Again, we need to remember that the enemy will always attack first, if it can. As you can see here, I have no way of defeating Jagen since he’ll attack first and kill me and I have nothing to heal myself with.



Game Over then…

One thing to note that in Lunatic and Lunatic Reverse, the enemy’s stats are a bit randomized and you get some variation. The Jagen I got was impossible to defeat. I could reset and roll a Jagen with 1 less strength and that would be enough to scrape a win. Even then the next chapter is impossible to beat regardless of how many resets you do, if you’re playing as a mage.

[Yoh]

Well. FU game. F, freaking, u.

[┌༼ຈل͜ຈ༽┘]

Kris's 7th Platoon! You have fought valiantly thus far. It has been a joy being your instructor!
Frey, Cain; I have heard reports from both of them. Though your individual strengths vary, there exists no doubt of your excellence. Thus, today we will hold your final practical exam. Make sure that you are thoroughly prepared.
Following from the last lecture, I'll explain more about the preparations you should make before a battle. Once you've selected who will march onto the battlefield, it's never a bad idea to check and manage your inventories. By adequately organizing your party members' items, their prowess on the battlefield will be much smoother.
Understood. I'll try to organize everything according to the conditions.



We do a bit of item management. Rody has an E rank in Swords and a D rank in Lances so he takes an Iron Sword and a Steel Lance. Luke has a D rank in Swords and an E rank in Lance so he takes a Steel Sword and an Iron Lance.



We have more Talks to see. Let’s see.

Kingdom of Archanea

Continuing from the previous lecture, today’s lecture is about the Kingdom of Archanea. Today is an exceptional day for Prince Marth will speak to you. If you would, sire.
Archanea, was it? The Kingdom of Archanea is technically Altea’s suzerain nation. Princess Nyna is the last of royal line and there was some debate as to decide who would rule Archanea but I hear Hardin was crowned Emperor of Archanea soon after.
… What kind of person is Emperor Hardin?
He’s a wonderful person. In the previous war, Hardin was a precious ally of ours. As King Aurelis’s younger brother, he fought to protect Princess Nyna, who had escaped to the Lea of Aurelis.

(flashback)

Tsk, Princess Nyna would not be pleased nitpicking over who will be listed in the history books. Take command, so we can outs this Macedonian scum and be done with it.
Lord Hardin, thank you. That is an honour. If you don’t mind me saying so, I feel as though I’ve made a good friend. We share the same ideals, I think.

(end flashback)

Hardin is well qualified to be Emperor. If he puts Archanea back into order, I’m sure everything will go well.
…

I feel like this conversations is foreshadowing something…

Cecille

Let me introduce myself again. I am Cecille, junior knight of the former 9th platoon. I’d like to make it clear that I’ll show no mercy for those who underestimate me because I’m a woman.
Sigh. I wish our female knight was a sexy, big sister type… When we finally get another girl… Why is it Cecille-the 9th platoon’s infamous violent girl-of all people?
You little… Who’s the violent girl? Take this! And this!
Yikes, w-wait! Please don’t hit me! B-be gentle…
Sorry. I apologize for Luke’s rudeness. He can be such a troublesome guy…
Commander Kris, I think you and I are going to get along very well. Since I’ve joined this platoon, I’ll fight under you. My life is in your hands.

Katarina

… …
Katarina, what are you doing here?
Oh, Kris…!
I was looking for you. Let’s go. It’s almost time for the final test… Huh?! Katarina, are you crying?
Oh… err… this is… It’s nothing…
What happened? You can tell me. Did someone do anything to you? We’re friends. I won’t let anyone who made you cry get away with it.
Kris… No, that wasn’t it. I’m… just sad… I’ll tell you the reason later… So, let’s hurry to the test. I’m alright now.
Are you really alright?
Yes… Your feelings alone are enough for me. Thank you, Kris…

This also seems to be foreshadowing something.

Marth

Hello, Kris. It’s rare for us to meet at a place like this.
Yes, it is, sire. Are you going somewhere?
Yes. Beyond here… are the graves where sleep the soldiers who fell during the previous war
I see…
My father was among them… Many Alteans sacrificed their lives in the previous war. I couldn’t save them. That’s something I must never forget.
Sire… From the day I decided that being a knight was my goal, I was prepared to die fighting. Those who fought in the previous war… Weren’t they, too, prepared to give their lives for the kingdom? It’s painful, I know, but it isn’t something you should brood over alone, sire…
… Thank you. I’m happy to hear that. But I… still feel pain. When my comrades get hurt and fall, I can’t help but to feel pain… Even if I’m deluding myself… I don’t want to let even a single one of my comrades die.
Sire…
…Jagen often tells me that, too. “He who leads people must see the big picture.” If one sacrifices few to save many, that was the correct decision to take. I understand that, too. But… I don’t want that. Having to sacrifice someone… Maybe I’m unfit to be king. Perhaps it’s a naïve way to think… But that’s how I really feel. And I can’t betray my feelings.
Sire…
Ah, sorry… I must have confused you by suddenly talking about all this.
… No, I understand. I do understand your feeling, sire…
Kris…?
I don’t want any of my comrades to fall. I want everyone to be all right... I want that, too. Sire, I want to help you accomplish that.
Kris… Thank you, Kris.

More naiveness from Marth. *sigh*. FE11 Marth understood when a sacrifices was necessary.

And we begin the battle.

This map has 2 choke points that you should make use of. This map also introduces Reinforcements.

The final preparations have been made! We are now ready to begin! Your opponent in the final exam shall be... Myself: Cain, knight of Altea! I'll show you the sort of battle that real knights face!



Cain is our boss. If we answered ‘no’ to the question at the end of the last chapter, our starting position would have been the bottom left corner and our boss would have been Est instead.




We deal with the enemies over the course of a couple of turns.



On the next turn, reinforcements will spawn and Cain will also move.



Yikes!



WRYYYYYS!





Cain will now move if we are in his range.



Like so.



On our phase, we retreat back a bit.



Be wary of this Pegasus Knight. She’ll go after your healers or squishy units if given the opportunity.



We deal some damage to Cain and take out the Pegasus Knight. Ryan gets a weird level. Not bad but not good either.



And Cain is defeated too.




Hm. Well then, Kris's 7th Platoon; I will announce the results of the second half of your training right here, right now. As before, your score depends on the amount of companions who were forced to make an early exit. Listen carefully. Your performance has been... Most impressive! Even amongst the past Altean knights, there has not been a group with such high credentials as yours! Therefore...

Are we really the best Altea’s ever seen? That says a lot about Altea more than it does about us.

Kris's 7th Platoon, I have decided that you have passed your final test!
We passed...So that means we're...
Alright, we did it! We can become knights!
We did it. After this, I'm going to buy myself a nice sword, and a hefty lance... Oooh, it's getting me excited just thinking about it! Heh heh heh heh...
...Cecille, you're scaring me. But you're not alone in excitement. My lifelong dream has at last been realized.
Everyone looks so happy. I guess it's because we're all to be knights! We really did it, Kris.
Yeah. It was my grandfather's and my own dearest wish to become an Altean knight. I can now work for Altea and serve Prince Marth. So I've all the reason to be happy.
Indeed. I'm happy too...

(…)

...... Ah, Kris. What are you doing up so late at night?
I can't seem to sleep. What about you, Katarina?
I... well... There's a lot on my mind, I suppose. ...Kris, have I ever told you about the town I was born in?
Now that you mention it, you've never told me anything about your hometown. It wasn't Altea?
I was born in a town called Knorda. Have you ever heard of it? I... know it all too well. In Knorda, I was treated like an animal, beaten for fun. Whenever I couldn't stand the pain, I'd just close my eyes and think of nothing, taking refuge within my heart's confines...
Katarina...
...But someone was there to save me. She showed me the meaning of life. I felt that I would do anything for her. Kris, do you have someone like that in your life?
Yes. To remain loyal to a lord: that's the sort of knight I aim to be.
Yes, that's right. You're also doing it for someone else... Not long now, is it...? It won't be long until we become Altean knights. When that happens... ......... Good night, Kris.
Well then, time to get some rest...

Knorda again. The same place where Ogma and other gladiators stages a revolt after years of oppression. The same place where Linde was nearly sold to a life of slavery and prostitution. The same place that is within walking distance of Archanea Castle yet all of this took place openly without any action from the late Archanean King who was extremely negligent.

U-um, Kris! I'm sorry, I forgot one thing... Please take this, if you would.
What's this? A headband?
It's from Cecille. "Give this to the new platoon commander," she said. Supposedly if you wear this, you'll be more... "psyched". Cecille really wants you to wear it.
So once I put this on, I'll have a hairstyle like Cecille's? But will being like Cecille really suit me?
I'm sure it would. Oh, I know! How about you just try it on? If you try it and it feels a little strange, you can just go back to your original hairstyle.
Oh, good point...
Well, how about it? Want to change your hairstyle?

Sure, why not? We can change it back later one we if wish. Throughout the game, we’ll be offered different styles by some characters. There is one I’m planning on keeping but this one isn’t it.

Alright, let's give it a try. It'll be fun becoming like Cecille.
Wonderful! Cecille is sure to be stoked. I look forward to seeing your new look. See you tomorrow then, Kris.

Character Spotlight:

Ogma





Ogma is badass. Incredibly badass. His base stats are great and his growths are amazing. He leaves after the prologue but rejoins pretty early, making him very useful. I don’t have much else to say other than I’ll be using him because he’s my favourite character in the Archanea games.

Cain





Cain is another great Cavalier. Unfortunately, he too leaves and rejoins at a point when our 7th Platoon members have surpasses him. Still, he’s good for what he is and is certainly a lot better than many late game characters.

Artwork:

Ogma in the OVA. Dat mullet.



Cain in the OVA.

[Yoh]

Hello, Kris. It’s rare for us to meet at a place like this. Yes, it is, sire. Are you going somewhere? Yes. Beyond here… are the graves where sleep the soldiers who fell during the previous war

Marth really likes talking to himself.

Speaking of Marth portraits...did Kris undergo an operation that changed herself into Marth for one line of dialogue?

[┌༼ຈل͜ຈ༽┘]

That doesn’t sound good…



Hairstyle is okay. I do have one hairstyle that we get later that I plan to keep so this one will be change back at the end of the chapter.

Y-you think so?
Ah, Kris! Well, isn't your hair just awesome! Man, you look so psyched! Are you going to have it like that all the time from now?
Let me think about it a little more... I might want to change it back again. Well then, let's leave it at hairstyles and assemble. Today is a big day after all.
Captain Kris, today's the day we've been waiting for! The day we accept our knighthood! It's thanks to Kris the Ordinary that we've come this far. Aren't you all glad that I conceded commandership to her?!
Oh, Luke... Boisterous 'til the end. But he does have a point. We made it this far because you were here, Kris...
It wasn't just me alone. It was the strength of us as a team.
But, it was because you, Commander, led us that we were able to succeed. I'm honestly grateful. [LIAN enters]
Y-yes. Me too... Kris, thank you so much...
...Um... I'm not very good at accepting praise, but, er…
What, are you embarrassed? You're such a cutie! Right, Katarina?
Indeed, Cecille... Kris, the time since we met sure has gone in the blink of an eye, hasn't it? I won't ever forget... The time that we spent together...
Hey, is something wrong? I wouldn't expect you of all people to suddenly get nostalgic...
Ah, indeed... I'm just being strange, aren't I? I'm sorry. It's time, everyone. We should head to the ceremony room. Our induction will be held there.

(…)

Kris, to the front.
Yes sir.
In the name of Altea's great ancestor, Anri, and by my name... Kris, I appoint you a knight. ...And nowyou are Altean knights. You've done well up until now.
I'm a knight... To think this day has finally come.
Sigh... I almost didn't think we would make it.
I-I'm so happy... I think I'm gonna cry...
W-well, I'm not going to cry o-or do anything silly like that!
......



What’s this?

What in the world has happened that's important enough for you to interrupt this sacred induction?

Soldier: I-it's an attack! Altea Castle is under attack by an enemy force!

What?! How... What are their numbers?!

Soldier: I-I don't know. I just know they're in the castle...


Oh not this again. The security here is terrible.


I will assume command. You lot stay here and protect the prince!
Yes, sir!

(…)

...... Hey, aren't things getting dangerous? Shouldn't we go and help, too?
There's no need to be worried. There are plenty of soldiers protecting the castle. If it really is an attack, then...


It won't kill them, but they won't be able to move well for a few days...

DUN DUN DUUUUUN!

Katarina, what are you saying...?
"If there is someone who can move freely within the castle, they can easily drug the guards, or act as a guide for their accomplices... So until you can be trusted, you will spend every day waiting for such an opportunity." Those were my orders.
What?! I don't believe this...!
Katarina! Wait, where are you going?! You can't just go outside...
I am not Katarina.
Excuse me?
Forgive me, everyone... My real name is Eine. My reason for coming here was to kill Prince Marth.

So how many of you saw this coming? I was surprised when I first played it. Remember that masked man and that woman in Prologue 5? They mentioned a person called Eine. They’ve been plotting this for a while now.

And with that, we get thrown into the battle preparations screen.



Marth becomes available to us and is forced deployed. The rest our team is shown in the screenshot.

We also have only one Talk.

The Enemy

H-hey! What the hell is this? Why is Katarina…!?
I don’t know either. But when I think about it… there were signs. Although I never imagined it would come to this…
Err, Kris… What are we going to do? Are we... going to fight Katarina?
… We are knights. Protecting Prince Marth is our foremost duty.

And we begin


Weeheehee! I can see you, Prince Marth. Everything is going exactly as planned. And all I had to do was create a situation where they'd risk their lives to protect some poor Altean villagers from bandits... Marth's trust can be bought so easily. Eine, I brought help. I'll leave Marth to you. I'll be watching very carefully, so do make sure you kill him.
......

The assassins even take advantage of Marth’s naïve nature.

Katarina is our boss. When you get within her range, she’ll move. She’s actually fairly difficult since she has an Elfire Tome and only Kris and Merric have resistance and they get murdered by the thieves that are all over this map.

So did you guys see this twist coming? I sure didn’t but maybe some of you did. Do tell me in the comments. Overall, the twist is done pretty well. It happens early enough that it doesn’t become painfully obvious (to me, anyway) and Katarina gets enough development for it to become a shock.



That’s pretty much a perfect level.



But this level is pretty amazing too.



We kill a couple of thieves and then bunch our units together.




This map is small enough that the enemy can easily gang up on you. None of our units are that strong si be careful.



Both Rody and Ryan get great level ups.



When some hard hitting power is needed, Ogma is there to do the job.



You know Cecille, that certainly isn’t convincing me to use a character I’m not too fond of.



WRYYYYYYYS!



Yay, Marth!



We place a couple of our units within Katarina’s range.

......


Ouch that hurts.



This thief attacks Ogma and dies. Ogma’s first level is disappointing.



...Kris... Yes, it was all a lie. I deceived you. Forgive me, Kris...



Legion... I'm going to retreat. I cannot win against Kris's forces...
Huh? Is that so? No matter, we'll just have to find another opportunity to kill him, then. Well, time to run, run!



I see, so you let her escape... But, what in the world...? The girl was working as an assassin...? Sire. This is all my fault. I am prepared to receive any kind of punishment.
No, it's not your fault, Jagen. Who among us could possibly have known, anyway? Kris, Katarina looked at you with such gentle eyes. Perhaps there was some sort of unavoidable circumstance for her. Perhaps she was being forced...
......
Sire... My goodness... To think you would be concerned for the very assassin who made an attempt on your life... With the Shadow Dragongone, and the world supposedly heading towards a path of peace and prosperity... Who in the world would try to assassinate you, sire...? At this rate, you will likely be targeted by assassins time and time again. We must prepare a guard who will defend you, sire, with his or her life...
Then I'd like to delegate that role to Kris. As we discussed before, if Kris were to follow me as a Royal Guard, I would rest assured.
Then I'd like to delegate that role to Kris. As we discussed before, if Kris were to follow me as a Royal Guard, I would rest assured.
Kris... This won't be the last we've seen of Katarina. When the time comes,I want you to guard me. And, if possible... I want you to help her. Because I believe thatis something only you can do...
Kris, I still can't believe it... How did Katarina wind up as our enemy...? Only this morning... We were laughing together, us three...
............
...I'm sorry. Getting upset about it won't solve anything... Us knights, we'lljust have to adapt... Oh yeah, Kris, what about that headband of yours? Are you going to change it back?
Yes, that's right. I was trying to be more like you, but it doesn't suit me like it does you.
I see. That's a little disappointing, but I'll forgive you this time. Kris, all of us in the 7th Platoon, we're partners. That will never change. Let's... all of us, together... Let's get Katarina back. Someday, definitely...
Kris! You defended Prince Marth most admirably today. Even a veteran like me must admit it was an impressive first job!
Thank you for your kind words, Sir Cain.
Kris, I bid you farewell here. I received a new request fromPrincess Caeda's father--King Talys. It seems I must venture to Grust.
That's too bad. I wanted to learn more about fighting from you, Sir Ogma.
Don't worry. I'm sure our paths will cross again, some day. Until then, don't you dare die.
Kris, I'm heading back to Khadein, the city of magic. There's something I have to do for Marth. He's a very important person to me, so...
I understand. I will guard him well, Sir Merric.
We have to do our best, too, to protect Prince Marth. Kris, my best regards from here on.
Yes, mine too.
Sir Kris, I'm going on a journey for a while. Thank you for having me here.
No, Wrys, thank YOU for helping us.
Knowing fate, if two people are tied together, they will meet again, sooner or later. Please, take care...
Kris, thank you... for keeping Marth safe. But, I... I still feel uneasy. I just can't shake the feeling that Marth will only be in more danger from now on... I want to protect Marth, but I can't do even that, and it troubles me greatly...
Please don't worry, Princess. I'm certain Prince Marth will be safe. I will protect the prince in my lady's stead, without fail.
Thank you, Kris. Yes, if you are there, then surely... My apologies, Kris. Marth and I only ever ask favors of you. But if you are with him,then I know... Yes, Marth and I believe that you'll manage. Kris, from this moment I ask that you always stay by Marth's side... and help him...

Boy, that was a lot of dialogue. But so ends the Prologue. Next time, we tackle the main game and all the twists that it throws at us.

Character Spotlight:

Marth





Marth is far superior to his FE11 self. And he wasn’t bad at all in that game so he’s even better here. He’ll easily max out his luck stat and will be a great all rounder unit with high stats across the board. Since he’s forced deployed from now on, may as well use him a lot. People often call Marth weak but the thing is, he's always been one of the best lords in the series whether it is by circumstance (Falchion being OP in FE1 and the Rapier being effective on pretty much every unit the enemy uses) to just having fantastic growths (like in this game). If you ever see anyone calling Marth a weak unit, call bullshit on their claims.

Marth's artwork:

[Yoh]

Well that just freaking came out of nowhere.

So I guess this explains Katriana's Bolt...for some reason. I don't know how.

[┌༼ຈل͜ຈ༽┘]

Also, she's the unloackable character for beating the hardest DLC, Apotheosis, where she's a level 20 Grandmaster.

You have Anna with these stats to get her though.

[Yoh]

Sept 26, 2013 12:42:19 GMT -8 ┌༼ຈل͜ຈ༽┘ said:

Also, she's the unloackable character for beating the hardest DLC, Apotheosis, where she's a level 20 Grandmaster.

You have Anna with these stats to get her though.

Btw, what's the difference between the normal and secret path on that map?

[┌༼ຈل͜ຈ༽┘]

If you complete the first wave within 2 turns, you can restart the map on the secret path. To see how tough the enemies are in each path, go here.

[Yoh]

That's...a little entirely balls to the wall hard.

[┌༼ຈل͜ຈ༽┘]

Once, there was a war known as the "War of Shadows."



An epic battle between Prince Marth's heroes and the Dolhrian Empire, which ended with the defeat of the Earth Dragon King, Medeus.



The warriors who had united under the Fire Emblem returned to their own lands, devoting themselves to the reconstruction of their homelands.

Among the nations that made up the "Seven Kingdoms of Archanea", Gra and Grust were devastated. Altea, Aurelis, Macedon and Talys were left deeply scarred, and even the mighty Kingdom of Archanea was undergoing restoration.



However, in the palace still shaken by war, one important event took place. Hardin, the younger brother of King Aurelis, was married to Princess Nyna, becoming the twenty-fourth king of House Archanea.

After ascending the throne, Hardin aggressively restored the country in the twinkling of an eye, and formed a powerful army by gathering many soldiers. He then proclaimed the restoration of the Holy Archanean Empire, and himself Emperor.



One year has passed since the war with Dolhr. The world seemed to be moving towards an era of peace. However, unbeknownst to man, the cogs of destiny had started spiralling out of order.

Hardin sounds like a genuinely good emperor. Good thing too.






It has been a year since the War of Shadows ended. The war-ravaged kingdom of Altea was finally starting to regain stability thanks to Prince Marth's efforts. Prince Marth's engagement to Princess Caeda was announced, and the people of Altea rejoiced, sharing their happiness. However... Nearing the day of their wedding, an unexpected letter arrived from the imperial palace, containing an imperial edict.

"Dear Prince Marth of Altea,
In the kingdom of Grust, now under imperial rule, a large-scale rebellion has broken out. I request your kingdom's assistance in its subjugation. Your Highness is to lead the entire army of Altea and sortie at once, supressing the Grustian rebellion.

--The Emperor of Archanea”

The Kingdom of Archanea was Altea's suzerain, so its orders were absolute. Forced to comply, Marth ordered the knight Cain to protect his homeland, and together with Jagen, the paladin Arran, and the young, newly appointed knights left Altea on the Grustian expedition.

A rebellion? Welp.

Battles will be different from here on out. Defeat on the battlefield means death. Any allies you lose will never return... That is the harsh reality of war. You must take the utmost care not to get yourself killed.
Of course, sire.
You, and everyone else...It would be wonderful if we could end this battle without losing anyone...

Ugh, stop it Marth. I don’t like this version of you.

Sire...
Sire, we have made arrangements for a transport convoy. We will also have merchants accompanying us, who will sell us weapons and items. I daresay they will be invaluable during battle preparations.
Thank you, Jagen. Then let's begin our preparations at once.

Now we have a couple of Talks.

Kingdom of Grust

Kris, this is the first time you’ve been ouside of Altea, isn’t it?
Yes. Sire, did you come to Grust in the previous war?
Indeed. In the War of Shadows, Grust was our enemy. However, the General and the people were not to blame. There were many admirable people I did not want to fight. General Lorenz comes to mind… Fortunately, he fought as our ally.

(flashback)

So, I will stand by you instead, Prince- and hope that the future is a bit easier to spot from there.

(end flashback)

Thanks to the War, Grust was devasted and it now follows Archanea’s rule, but, by Archanea’s grace, General Lorenz was allowed to govern it. He’s an excellent leader who thinks of his people. It is because of him that the people of Grust can live in peace.
I understand. But then, I wonder why did a rebellion occur?
That, I don’t know. Just what is going on in this country?

That is a very good question.

Expeditionary Forces

Kris, how are the new knights?
Sir! Everyone is brimming with energy!
Good to hear. About our expeditionary forces… I am already old, and would be of no use on the frontlines. Our main forces will consist of you rookies, Gordin, Draug and the Paladin Arran. The strongest among us is Sir Arran. Let me introduce you.
Royal Guard Kirs, this is the first time we talk face-to-face. I am Arran.
It is an honour to fight alongside you, sir.
Sir Arran, as far as our reports go, our enemies are bandits. There are no match for a Paladin like you.
Of course. However, Sir Jagen, if possible, please give a chance to Kris and the other new knights. I can’t become much stronger than I already am. However, they are young, and have potential. As Kris and the others experience , they should grow enough to surpass me.
Ah! Sir Arran…
Kris, gain strength in the battlefield, and surpass me as soon as possible. The one who will support the future of Altea isn’t me; it is you.
Sir… I shall engrave the importance of being an Altean Knight on my soul.

A not so subtle hint that Arran is our ‘Jagen’, complete with good base stats but shittiest growths.





We also have access to the reclass system. It works just like it did in Shadow Dragon. I reclass Ryan to Hunter. This gives him more movement, more attack, more HP, more skill and more speed and only at the ost 3 measly Defence. This is winning trade and you would be a fool not to make it. Do know that you can only do this if you unlocked merged male class sets.

Arran gets reclassed to Dracoknight as it gives him more strength, defence and more importantly, more movement at the cost of resistance. I’m not using it but who knows? It might come in handy.

Draug gets reclassed to Cavalier. I’m not using him either but as a cavalier, he can visit homes and such to make things quicker.



One bonus of having completed Lunatic mode on classic difficulty is this. Buyable statboosters. We can buy 3 of each and that’s it. I’m buyig any right now because we don’t have that much money right now.



Since you've come all this way, I suppose I'll let you have the glory of capturing the rebel leader, General Lorenz.
What?! General Lorenz leads the rebels?! What would possess him to rebel of all things?!
Who knows? I haven't the foggiest idea, and frankly I don't care. Prince. You are to kill General Lorenz,and reclaim the children of the Grustian royal family that he's hiding. While you do that... We will slaughter the families of those who participated in this rebellion and raze their homes to the ground.

P.S. I’m eviiiiiil.

Are you insane?! They're innocent civilians!
"I-insane"!? Young man, are you questioning my orders?! Perhaps Altea, too, plans to rebel against Archanea...?
Of course not! That's not...
Prince Marth, your tiny country means absolutely nothing to me. Your rude behaviour is merely an irritation. Do not forget that I have the power of the empire behind me: I can crush weak, pesky insects like you any time I wish.

Wow, what an evil asshole.



Jagen... What in the world is going on here? How could Hardin have entrusted this country to such a vile man?
Sire, I understand how you feel. However, Lorenz has begun a rebellion. That much seems to be true, so we ought to do something about that first. Sire, why don't you try speaking to General Lorenz personally? Allow me to stay by your side and serve as your tactician.

One minor thing I like about this game is that Jagen has lots of dialogue. The world needs more Jagen.

Royal Guard Kris! When Prince Marth is in danger on the battlefield, protect him at all costs. That is an order!
Acknowledged.
Kris, I have no need to worry if you're here. Let's clean up the bandits,and head to General Lorenz's position!
Yes sir! Well then, sire; let us march onwards!

Anyone who’s played Awakening may recognize this map. This is the same map as Paralogue 18: The Dead King’s Lament, i.e. the paralogue where you recruit Gangrel. Our goal is to get to the boss, which as Lang said, is indeed Lorenz.



He’s not tough at all. That cave tile will eventually spawn a thief that will try to destroy the village. However, we’ll be far closer to the village then him when he does spawn.




Our team is easily able to kill the initial wave.



Oh yeah!

We visit a nearby house.



“However, as soon as Hardin became emperor, General Lorenz was banished and Lang's troops came crawling in. Lang stole everything from us. He stole our gold, of course, but he even stole our food and our loved ones... Ah... If only General Camus were here! Then we wouldn't have to live in fear ofbpeople like Lang!”

Oh dear, just what the hell is going on here?



NOPE!



Strength and speed. We’re good, people.


“Princess Yumina and Prince Yubello. They're still young. Maybe thirteen, or fourteen; cute little twins, both of them. In the last war, Gharnef, the Dark Pontifex,kidnapped the twins to blackmail the king. They were taken to Khadein, the city of magic, and locked away in a pitch-black room. At great personal risk, Pontifex Wendell saved them. He took them to a monastery to protect them.”


“The empire demanded their extradition, but Lorenz was afraid they would be killed, and hid them. The empire branded Lorenz a traitor, and sent General Lang here. Lang did horrible things to find the royal children. That's why we rose up. But, we lost. And now Lang is going to kill everyone in this entire country!”


“Talys wasn't unified at the time, so there were a number of noble houses contending for control. Lorenz lent his power to the young patriarch of one house, and together they unified Talys into one country. Lorenz and that patriarch--Now the king of Talys--remain close friends to this day.”


They were all taken away by the imperial troops. They say General Lang keeps the really pretty ones to himself. What a dark, insane chapter in Grust's history...

P.S. I’m eviiiiiiiil.

So yeah, things have really gone to shit in Grust.

Marth visits the village…



Ma'am, please calm yourself. I am not here to take any children.

Old woman: What...You're not imperial soldiers?

No... We're not. We didn't come to fight. If there's anything you need, please ask. It's not much, but we can give you food.



Huh...? You're... Are you really ten?
No... I'm a grown woman, but Granny lied so that I wouldn't be taken away by the soldiers. Lang's soldiers are all monstrous. But you're different. You have very sweet eyes. Please, take me with you. I want you to take me away from this country, and take me to yours.

Old woman: It's not safe for her to stay here. Please take her with you, and protect her. You can marry her, too, if you like. Mallesia is a beautiful, good-natured lady, just like me! I'm sure she'll make a fine wife.

No-no-no! Granny, it's far too early for that! Now you've made Malicia all flustered!

Marth’s harem is slowly growing.



Here’s Malicia. She’s a healer with a great staff rank. That’s pretty much it. She’s a great character and unit.

When our units get close enough…



I am here on King Talys's orders. As such, I will do everything in my power to help.

So this is what he meant at the end of the prologue.

I see... Then I have a favor to ask of you. I want you to escort these children to Macedon. These children... Prince Yubello and Princess Yumina,are King Grust's orphans. Please. Take them safely to Lord Wendell in Macedon.
Understood... I will guard these two with my life.
Thank you, Sir Ogma... Now, Prince Yubello, Princess Yumina, you will be leaving with Sir Ogma.
No! I'm not going! I won't leave you behind!
Princess... I cannot go. With this wound, I can barely even walk. It saddens me, but you two must go on without me.
You took that grievous wound to protect us... How can you tell us to just leave you behind now?! I will never leave. We will never leave your side, Lorenz!!
What shall I do, General?
Hmm... this is most troublesome. Princess Yumina is not one to change her mind easily... We will remain here.
In that case, I will find some other way to help you. I will find Lang and bring him down... I will bury him with this sword, I swear on it. General Lorenz, you must hold out until then...!



We draw out the remaining bandits one by one.



There’s only that one Hunter left.


“You know, he's probably hit the wall, so to speak. I doubt he'll get any stronger, no matter how much he fights...”

They might as well say “Don’t use Arran!” In fact, I believe that in Book 1 of Mystery of the Emblem, one villager flat out says “Don’t use Jagen!” Well, if this was Lunatic mode, Arran would be essential.



No magic? Lena’s curse lives on!



We don’t have to fight Lorenz. Marth can simply talk to him.


How unfortunate, that I must fight... the Altean Army and its prince...
Please, wait. I do not wish to fight with you. I heard about everything from the villagers. I've heard of all the atrocities Archanea has committed. I promise, I will inform Emperor Hardin of the truth and rescue Grust. So please, lower your weapons.
Prince... I am grateful for the offer. But, I am afraid that I cannot comply. Prince, you know nothing. Do you think that a man of Emperor Hardin's caliber would make a general out of a man as worthless as Lang without good reason? He called for an invasion: to crush the kingdom of Grust and make it a territory of the Empire.

Whaaaaat.

No, it can't be! Hardin would never do something like that.
I know it's hard to believe. But I'm afraid that, ever since he became emperor, he has changed a great deal. He is no longer the Hardin you once knew. Prince, I have one final request of you. In this stronghold, I am protecting the young prince and princess of Grust. Please, find a way to help them. If you can do just that, I will have no regrets.
What... General Lorenz, what are you saying...?!
Prince Marth... My life in exchange for theirs... By any means necessary, please help them... This is the last thing I will ask...

Holy shit, did Lorenz just commit suicide? Yes, yes he did. His injuries were so great that he’d rather take his own life than die slowly. Damn!

Also, in the original Mystery of the Emblem, the game had no way to tell you that a character died so instead of this picture, it showed Lorenz fucking EXPLODING complete with huge sound effects.




“You spared his life, and even heard him out. We, the people of Grust, thank you. Please, let me offer you a token of our gratitude. Here. We're protecting Prince Yubello and Princess Yumina in this stronghold. I beg you, do what you must to protect our last fragments of hope...”

You, you're... Grust's royal heirs... Prince Yubello and Princess Yumina?!
Sniff... Lorenz... He's gone. How can we live on without him? [
You monsters!! Stay away! You're going to murder us just like you murdered Lorenz!!
No, you have it all wrong!! We just...



Ah... Prince Marth. You finally caught these filthy traitors.
General Lang! Wait, please! These children have done nothing wrong. Allow me to take custody of them.
Don't make me laugh. These brats are coming with me to my castle. Besides, my dear prince, you have other, more important, priorities. I have received reports that there has been a military revolt in Macedon, and Princess Minerva has been imprisoned.
What...?! How could that happen to Macedon?! I understand my obligations, General Lang. Still, these children... Let them stay with me, please.
Prince, do not try my patience! Listen up you two! You're coming with me!
No, let me go!! Yubello... help me!!
Yumina... Yumina...!!



Wait!! Lang! Release them at once!
Sire! Give me the order, and I'll get them safely back at once!
Sire, don't do it!! You too, Kris! If we oppose Lang right here, right now,we run the risk of being branded traitors by Archanea.
But Jagen, are you telling me to simply allow Lang to take them?! I cannot stand for that...
I understand how you feel, sire... But please remain patient for a little longer. If we head to Macedon... then rescue Princess Minerva, Macedon will surely lendus its strength.

So it’s still the very first chapter and already, so much has gone wrong. Lang rules Grust as a brutal tyrant and kills entire families and villages at the slightest hint of a rebellion, kidnaps women and female children and keeps them as his personal rape slaves. Hardin orders an invasion of Grust and Lorenz commits suicide because of his injuries. Lang then takes away the Grustian Royal children. And Minerva’s rule has fallen apart and there’s huge revolt in Macedon.

Talk about mood whiplash after the happy ending of Shadow Dragon.

Character Spotlight:

Arran





Arran is your ‘Jagen’ character. He comes with great base stats that allow him to act as a crutch for your weaker units but he has zero potential as his growths SUCK! In Maniac and Lunatic mode, Arran is essential if you want to survive the early chapters but in Normal and Hard, you can ignore him since he’s useless in these modes. Still, he’s got a great backstory and it’s a shame that he sucks as a unit because I would enjoy using him.

Draug





Unlike the last game, Draug is pretty great. His speed is low but reclassing him to class with higher speed growths and then switching back to whatever class you want does wonders for him. His defence is actually really good unlike Shadow Dragon where his growth was only 30% for class that’s all about defence. Low movement will hurt him but again, reclassing him solves that. As you saw, reclassing him to Cavalier brings him on par with our other cavaliers.

Malicia





Malicia is your healer and she’s pretty great, too. Her luck stat is amazing for her level and her magic growth is also high enough. She also already has a C rank in staves making her able to use the more useful staves right away.

[Yoh]

BULL. I CALL BULL! This can NOT be happening right now.

[┌༼ຈل͜ຈ༽┘]

Coming in from the happy ending of Shadow Dragon and the rather goofy prologue, this is quite the gut punch.

You'll have plenty time to get used to them. The gut punches just keep coming.

[Yoh]

Oct 3, 2013 11:38:12 GMT -8 ┌༼ຈل͜ຈ༽┘ said:

Coming in from the happy ending of Shadow Dragon and the rather goofy prologue, this is quite the gut punch.

You'll have plenty time to get used to them. The gut punches just keep coming.

So basically, this game likes kicking puppies.