Writing Athena Plays Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword - Final Chapter & Epilogue

Fire Emblem definitely falls prey to the trope of "Ugly Men = Bad; Good-Looking Men = Good" a lot. In fact, one of my favourite Awkward Zombie comics pokes fun at that. Interestingly enough, it's mostly subverted/avoided when it comes to female enemies, who are almost always pretty hot. There usually aren't all too many non-generic female enemies, but a few off the top of my head are Ursula, Selena, Pheros, Kleine, and one of my personal favourites Ishtar.
 
Chapter 15: Nope, this is my castle :U​

After the long and plot-filled battle to capture Castle Laus, our small army enjoyed a nice night resting inside the castle instead of camping outside for a change. After all, who knew when we'd next be able to sleep in a real bed again? Some people, however, ended up sleeping in a bit too late...


<Athena> Green, wake your butt up! We've got trouble!
<Green> Huh? Whuzzah? o.o;
<Athena> Enemies are inside the castle!
<Green> Ohshi-
<NotJim> Is it Marquess Laus?
<Athena> Nope, these aren't regular army. Seems to be a mercenary group or something, but a skilled one.
<NotJim> I seem to recall my father talking about a mercenary band that was very loyal to Marquess Laus. They're led by a man named Eubans who calls himself the Hurricane.
<Athena> Thank you for that, uh, random fact there NotJim.
<Green> I don't give a crap who they are; they're not going to take this castle! Everyone, to arms!​


By the time we got everyone dressed and ready for combat, the mercenaries had us surrounded and trapped in the throne room. Thankfully, we happened to have a very talented and humble tactician (*cough*) and a plan was quickly formed. I kept Green and Oswin in the throne room to protect against people trying to sneak in the back, and sent Matthew to take care of any enemy thieves. Everyone else began cautiously making their way south to take care of the main force of the mercenaries.

The mercs themselves may have been clever in breaking in, but as fighters they were rash and foolish. Only the thief was smart enough to flee after his lockpicks were stolen; everyone else ran at us to attack haphazardly, including their nomad boss. NotJim deftly took out the leader with his Rapier and then the routing began. We had plenty of time left to seal off the exits, get everyone healed, and loot the chests, of course.


<Oswin> Yep, that's the last of 'em.
<Athena> I can see a few through the window running away.
<Green> Well, we'll remember them all right. I have a feeling we'll be seeing them again...
<Athena> Yeah, makes sense, after all, the plot went through such troubles to make sure we knew the leader's name was Eubans and that wasn't the boss that we killed.
<Oswin> Shall we secure the castle, my lord?
<Green> Nah, I'm kind of sick of defense chapters for now, and we still need to find NotJim's dad. So, uh... let's track down Laus, see what he knows.
<NotJim> It's as good a plan as any.​

Current Team!

Lord Green - Lv. 12 Lord
Lord NotJim - Lv. 12 Lord
Luis - Lv. 9 Mage
Skyleaf - Lv. 3 Troubadour

Player Notes

A nice short chapter to make up for yesterday's length. This chapter is a Hector Mode only Defense chapter, and it was almost disappointingly easy. There are lots of openings to the throne room, but small numbers of enemies and reinforcements make it a relatively simple matter to simple aggro yourself and kill everyone, rather than hunkering down like most defense chapters.

Things basically went down exactly as I said. Hector did the majority of the work actually protecting the throne room, though Oswin tanked a hit from the left when an enemy tried to break through the wall. The boss aggroed pretty hard and ended up riding right into the thick of my formation, and then NotJim ORKOed him with his Rapier during like round 3. That may or may not be why we didn't get that many reinforcements.

Matthew stole a set of lockpicks from another thief to make sure that he has enough available for the various door/chest opening he'll be doing throughout the game, then he proceeded to clean our Laus's chests for a Silver Axe (which Green is sooo cloooose to being able to use) and a Mend Staff.

Because the chapter was locked to 7 rounds, we didn't get a whole lot of healing in for Skyleaf yet, but hopefully we'll be able to pump her full of exp soon.

As mentioned previously, due to the coming holidays I may or may not update tomorrow (or the 31st/1st), since my husband is off work. Depends on my free time and how much he feels like using the computer, more or less. :p So if there's no chapter tomorrow, I'll see you next week.
 
Chapter 16: Yay, our friends are back! \o/​

5 days later...


<Green> Dammit, we've been sitting here for 5 days and we still have no idea where Darin went. >_< I'm so sick of this stupid castle I could kick it. *kicks castle*
<NotJim> I know we haven't sent word to him ourselves, but don't you think your brother's found out about what happened here yet?
<Green> Oh, yeah, for sure. Ostia's got spies out the wazoo, remember?
<NotJim> I guess so, but... why hasn't he done anything then?
<Green> What, you honestly expect Icarus to change his mind and start helping you out now after he stubbornly refused to do anything the last few months, even with me screaming at him everyday?
<NotJim> Well, I can understand him not giving a crap about my dad... but the rebellion...
<Green> *shrugs* My guess is he's just putting on a strong face for Bern's sake.
<NotJim> Bern? What do they have to do with anything?
<Green> King Desmond has apparently been... kind of odd lately, from reports that we've received. Icarus has reason to believe that he seeks to invade Lycia.
<NotJim> :O!
<Green> He's been probing our weaknesses... and the fact that my bro is the newly made Marquess Ostia and head of the Lycian League is one such weakness, so Icarus doesn't want to show any more. He's putting on a strong front so scare Bern away from attacking, and if Bern knew that there was a rebellion...
<NotJim> So, basically he's pretending everything is fine so that that's what Bern thinks.
<Green> Exactly. One bright side to my brother's recent ascension is that it means the majority of spies are in Ostia rather than spread out, so as long as he can keep Ostia under wraps, thing should stay good. The one bright side really is that everyone knows I'm a hothead so it's not that surprising that I've run off somewhere rather than hanging around court.
<Athena> Hey guys, I don't mean to interrupt your conversation, but we've received news of Darin!
<NotJim> :O!
<Green> What is it?
<Athena> He's attacked and conquered Castle Caelin.
<Green> Caelin, really?
<NotJim> Is the Marquess okay? And his granddaughter?
<Athena> *shrugs* We don't know. The spies came back as soon as they saw what was happening so we would hear the news asap.
<Green> Well, that's good, because knowing their fate wouldn't change my mind any way. Get everyone prepared. We leave for Caelin at once!​



Meanwhile, outside Castle Caelin, a familiar group of faces plans their next move...


<TGK> The scouts report that there are several dozen Laus soldiers between here and the castle.... are you really sure you want to do this, BB? I mean, we barely escaped with our lives...
<BB> I know we escaped the castle on Grandpa's orders, but... I just can't rest easy knowing he's in danger. We have to go rescue him!
<Robin> Making our way back through the soldiers to Lord Hausen.... it's not going to be easy.... I don't suppose we could send for help at all?
<TGK> Well... some of the Laus soldiers were mumbling about how Lord NotJim drove them out of Laus...
<BB> Wait, really? How is NotJim involved in this? Why would he invade Laus? o_o;
<TGK> *shrugs* We could try and send him a message, though. Laus isn't far.
<Robin> Let me go!
<BB> Robin, are you sure?
<Robin> Well... no. But I think I'm best suited for this task since I can move the fastest through the forest. And I'm a lot less timid than I used to be, I promise! :<
<BB> Alright, good luck. <3​


With a wave, Robin took to the skies, flying east and then north in the direction of Laus. It wasn't long before she spotted a small band of soldiers heading in their direction, their leader clunking along in a large set of armor with a giant axe gripped in his hands. Next to him was a familiar, red-haired fellow.


<Robin> NotJim! *waves* It's me, Robin!
<Green> *squints* Is that a Pegasus Knight in the sky?
<NotJim> Oh yeah, I think that's Robin, a friend of BB's. *waves back*
<Green> Ohshi- I think the Laus archers have spotted her.
<NotJim> *shouts* Robin! Fly lower! get down here quick!
<Robin> Ohshi--!!! *dives down*
*THUNK*
<Green> Oh gods, did you have to land right on me... x_x;
<Robin> Eeep! *hides behind NotJim*
<NotJim> Don't be afraid, Robin, it looks like Lord Green here saved you.
<Green> If that counts as "saving", I think a bale of hay would have done a better job at being a hero....
<Robin> I'm so sorry! ;~;
<Green> At least you were lighter than your pegasus...
<Robin> Ohgod, Huey landed on you too! D: I'm so so sososo--
<Green> Forget it. I'm winded, but fine. Now, care to tell us why you flew hellbent on reaching us here?
<Robin> I came to tell you... Lady BB and her personal soldiers are all hiding in the forest to the south. She's making plans to head back to the castle so she can save her grandfather!
<NotJim> It's good to hear BB is safe.
<Green> But from the sounds of it, Lord Hausen isn't?
<Robin> Nope, he's been captured. :<
<Green> Welp, I guess it sounds like we need to help out. Everyone, prepare to retake Castle Caelin!​


The first order of business was to bring our troops together, so I set about directly the flow of battle to lead Lord Green's forces east and south, all but a few troops who remained near Merlinus to keep a watch on him and his wares. BB, TGK, and their soldiers also began to work west towards us. As we converged, we beat back a few of the most aggressive Laus troops, and visited a few villages, but it wasn't all too long before we finally met up.


<BB> NotJim! Luis! Athena! It's so good to see you again! :D
<NotJim> You too, BB. :3
<Luis> Are you sure you want to retake the castle? It looks pretty dangerous...
<BB> I simply can't leave my grandfather behind.
<Green> Well, that's just fine by me, since I want to beat these Laus degenerates to a pulp anyway.
<BB> Oh, hey, are you helping us out too?
<Green> There will be time for chatting later. For now, let's fight!
<Athena> Don't mind him, BB, he's always like this. Come on, let's work together and save your grandpa.
<BB> Just like old times. :3​


Together as one fighting force, we beat our way through the trees on a northeastern path towards the castle. Laus tossed many foes at us, but not even the sneaky reinforcements that came from the northwest could trip us up. TGK and Luis worked together to take down the boss, and then we had recaptured the castle gates.


<NotJim> Alright, now just to sweep up the enemies in the castle, and your grandfather should be safe. I'm so sorry about all this, BB. It's all my fault. If we hadn't beaten Darin back in Laus...
<BB> I know you're just searching for your father, NotJim, it's okay. I'm grateful for you help now. And that blue-haired guy, too.
<NotJim> Oh, yeah, I should introduce you. Green, this is Lady bbninjas, Lord Hausen's granddaughter.
<Green> 'Sup?
<NotJim> BB, this is Lord Green, the younger brother of Lord Icarus, Marquess of Ostia.
<BB> He's a Lord, really? The way he fights, you'd think he's a barbarian!
<Green> Yeah, I don't really fight with the finesse of a properly-trained Lord like NotJim, here. I taught myself how to fight. >:3
<BB> Well, you should be a bit more careful. That reckless style of yours is as much a danger to your friends as it is your enemies!
<Green> Hey! >:U
<NotJim> Dude, BB, that's super not nice of you. :<
<BB> Sorry, I didn't mean it like that....
<NotJim> Green's kind of reckless, true, but there's no one I'd depend on more.
<Green> And that's a good thing, too, 'cause I'd whip your ass in battle, even with triangle disadvantage.
<BB> I'm sorry if I offended you, Lord Green, I'm happy to have your aid.
<Athena> Besides, we can chit-chat later, for now, we have a castle to conquer.​


Meanwhile, inside the castle....


<Darin> Oh, geez, all of my underlings are incompetent as hell. *facepalm*
<Hausen> Come on, Darin, give it up already. You're not in so deep that you can't be forgiven. If you just tell the Lords everything...
<Darin> No, it's too late, I've lost.
<Hausen> Let me speak for you, I'll help you--
<Ephidel> *stab*
<Hausen> Urk! x_x;
<Ephidel> Now, now, Lord Darin here doesn't need any troublesome advice from the likes of you...
<Darin> Ephidel? o_o;
<Ephidel> It's too late for you to turn back now. You know that. You've killed 2 Marquesses, Santaruz and now Caelin. Do you really think Icarus will forgive you?
<Darin> Dude, I didn't kill either of them, that was all you! I never asked for any of this...
<Ephidel> It may have been my hand that struck them down, but it was all for you, and you're the one who benefits from it. My only wish is to deliver your dreams to you. The crown of a united Lycia, and then the whole continent.... this is what you desire, yes?
<Darin> Well, yeah.... I guess that is worth a few sacrifices....
<Ephidel> Our plans may have gone a bit wrong, but with my master's help, we can still achieve everything. We cannot be defeated. Come, let's leave now before the lordlings arrives. We'll leave the rest of your men behind as a distraction.
<Darin> But... if all my soldiers are gone.... who will protect me?
<Ephidel> The Black Fang, of course. :3 We are all you need.
<Darin> Yes, of course....
<Ephidel> Now we must go to the Dragon's Gate. My master thinks our current hostage may be all we need, and if so, we can already begin the ceremony. Now, go ahead and get a move on. I have a few last things to take care of and I'll catch up with you.
<Darin> O-Of course. *departs*
<Ephidel> *sigh* That pathetic imbecile... Leila, are you here?
<Leila> Yes, of course milord. :3
<Ephidel> I want you to finish off Marquess Caelin and hide the body. The little lords will waste time looking for him giving us more time to escape.
<Leila> Happy to oblige, milord.
<Ephidel> I know you've only been with the Fang a short while now, but I've been very pleased with yoru progress. Keep up the good work.
<Leila> Happy to help, milord. *bows*​

Current Team!

Lord Green - Lv. 12 Lord
Lord NotJim - Lv. 12 Lord
Luis - Lv. 12 Mage
Skyleaf - Lv. 5 Troubadour
BB - Lv. 10 Lord
TGK - Lv. 10 Cavalier
Robin - Lv. 11 Pegasus Knight


Player Notes

Lots of dialogue this chapter, hurray~ Of course, everyone is happy to meet up again. We've got most of our old friends from Lyn's Mode back in action, which means we also have plenty more units to use and level up, and we're finally building up the core of our team.

This chapter is pretty long to play through, mostly because of the giant forest section that dominates the center of the map and makes it difficult for the majority of our units to move around and get in position. I focused primarily on giving levels to BB, TGK, and Robin to get them caught up to the others, and they performed admirably. I've also begun the process of building up support points with TGK/Skyleaf and Green/Robin.

Next chapter will see the return of another old friend, PP, and also a new unit, Jabber. After that, it'll be a good few chapters before we see anyone else, so I'll probably do a unit recap then.

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. <3
 
Chapter 17: Another chapter, another castle conquered and razed to the ground...​

<Athena> Alright everyone, all rested up and ready to retake Castle Caelin?
<Everyone> Yep! :3
<Green> BB, do you think we can expect any help from the Caelin Guard?
<BB> *shrugs* A bunch of them were killed when they stormed the castle. If there were any survivors, they've probably been taken prisoner.
<Green> Well, maybe we can save them, we could use the help. For now, let's go!​


Our first priority was saving the prisoners. Robin and Green stayed back at the entrance to keep an eye on Merlinus and look out for reinforcements, while the others progressed swiftly through the corridors towards the jails. Among the Laus soldiers was a red-haired Mercenary, and when Skyleaf saw him, her eyes flew open wide with recognition. Ignoring her own safety, she quickly rode ahead to confront him.


<Skyleaf> Jabberwock? Could it possibly be...?
<Jabber> Oh, hey Skyleaf. Love the little feather things in your hair. You've grown so much since I last saw you.
<Skyleaf> Oh, Jabberwock... ;~;
<Jabber> What are you doing here, anyway? Count Caerleon took you in as his foster daughter, right? So why are you hanging out with these losers?
<Skyleaf> Yes, my adopted father has treated me well, but I am still a daughter of Caelin's House Cornwell by birth, and I still hold allegiance to my people and my family, and that means you too. When I heard that House Cornwell had fallen... I was so worried for you... ;~;
<Jabber> Worried enough to leave Etruria and come all the way to see me? You're so sweet.
<Skyleaf> My friends in Etruria arranged for Luis, a great made, to be my escort, but then we fell into trouble in Laus, and I would still be trapped there by the Marquess if not for Lord Green and his companions.
<Jabber> You mean... you've become friends with him? >_<
<Skyleaf> Something wrong? >.>
<Jabber> *sigh* I guess that means I'm coming with you, then.
<Skyleaf> Hurray! :D
<Jabber> Just tell me one thing... do Green and his pals know about your noble lineage?
<Skyleaf> Nope. Not like it would matter anyway, it seems.
<Jabber> Well, it matters to me. Please keep it, and your relationship with me, a secret, okay?
<Skyleaf> Sure, I guess.
<Jabber> Just one last thing... I go by "Jabber" now. "Jabberwock" is a name I've... discarded.
<Skyleaf> I suppose you have your reasons, but as long as you get to travel with me, I'll be happy. <3​


Skyleaf told me the new guy would be working with us but didn't say anything else, so I shrugged. I wanted to give him some EXP to beef him up a bit, but he said he needed to go talk to a friend, so I let him go off with the cavs toward the jail while NotJim, BB, and Luis led the press towards the throne. While TGK, Marcus, and Lowen rescued the NPC soldiers to keep them safe, Jabber went into the cell to talk to the last remaining prinsoner.


<Jabber> Hey, PP!
<PP> 'Sup, Jabber. So, you decided to not kill Green after all?
<Jabber> Yeah, yeah, things have changed. For now, we're siding with Caelin.
<PP> Oh ho! What has caused this change of heart?
<Jabber> "Change of heart"? %$(# no. I'm still going to have my revenge against House Ostia.
<PP> o_o?
<Jabber> The closer you are to your enemies, the easier it is to strike them, amirite?
<PP> facepalm.jpg
<Jabber> Come on, PP, let's get out of here.
<PP> Coming, coming.​


I waved to PP as he and Jabber came up the fall from the jail cells and sent them to catch up to the others. BB, NotJim, and Luis had made quick work of the enemies in the northern-most corridor and were currently Matthew, who was pilfering one of the storage rooms.


<BB> PP! :D
<PP> BB! :D
<BB> What are you doing here, bro?
<PP> I've been working as a mercenary in Caelin recently, actually.
<BB> Dude, I had no idea! You should have come to say hi.
<PP> Yeah, well, I was traveling with someone, so it kind of slipped my mind. Sorry I wasn't able to better protect the castle.
<BB> Hey, no sweat. I was forced to flee myself. :\ If it weren't for Green and NotJim, we'd probably be toast by now. Good to see you again, though. <3
<PP> I'm happy to be of service! <3​


Meanwhile, back towards the front gates of the castle...


<Robin> ... ... um....
<Green> Hmmm?
<Robin> Umm.... I, umm....
<Green> You say something? o.o;
<Robin> ... ... ...
<Green> Guess not. >_>
<Robin> ^^;​


Eventually, reinforcements stopped flooding in and Robin and Green were able to begin the trek towards the throne. Both of them weakened the boss for Jabber to get the kill, then the throne was captured and the battle was over.


<BB> We've combed this whole castle looking for enemies, but there's no sign of my grandfather. :<
<Green> I don't mean to alarm you, but there was some blood on the throne...
<BB> D:!!!
<Green> I sat in it and now there's blood on my pants. >_<
<NotJim> It doesn't mean he's dead, he could just be injured. Come on, let's do a full sweep.
<BB> You're right, I'll try and stay calm and.... omigosh there's someone behind the curtains!!! T___T;;
<Leila> Chill out, it's just me.
<Green> Oh, hey Leila, 'sup?
<Leila> Lord Green. *curtsy* It's been a while.
<NotJim> Who's the pink-haired chick?
<Green> Her name is Leila; she's one of Ostia's spies.
<Leila> Pleased to meet you, Lord NotJim, Lady BB. Your grandfather is in a room back here, follow me.
<BB> He's safe! Thank the gods.
<Leila> Well... he's alive at least, but I won't promise you more than that for now.
<Green> Before we head back there... mind if I ask what you're doing here anyway?
<Leila> Following Lord Icarus's orders, of course. He wanted me to investigate Marquess Pherae's disappearance. Now come on back, I can give you the details in private.​


We all followed the spy Leila into a hidden back room where Lord Hausen was resting and presumably alive, but the plot is too important to actually talk about him or see him at all so we'll just assume everything is fine.


<Leila> First of all, I'm pretty sure the Marquess is alive.
<NotJim> :D!
<Green> Are you sure?
<Leila> I've been posing as a member of the Black Fang for a few months now and I've managed to get in pretty deep. I have no reason to believe the information shared with me is inaccurate.
<NotJim> The Black Fang... those are the assassins Erik mentioned, right? This plot is started to get kind of deep.
<Leila> *nods* Yeah, you're in for a lot of background information, so listen up. The Back Fangs were founded by a man called Brandon Reed in Bern about 10 years ago, and since then, they've traveled all over the continent. Originally, they were a kind of "Robin Hood" band of assassins, if you'll believe it; targeting nobles who abused their power and that kind of thing, so they were pretty popular among the common people.
<Green> *rolls eyes*
<Leila> Anyway, things changed about a year ago when Reed got married. Since then, they've changed their ways and will do just about any job for the right price.
<BB> And they're behind what happened here?
<Leila> Yep, though don't go thinking the Black Fang is doing this all on their own. There's some kind of "mystery man" behind Reed's wife, a man known only as Keeper.
<Everyone> :O!
<Leila> It seems like he's pulling strings behind the scenes, sending the Black Fang out on various nefarious tasks. His retainer, Ephidel, is traveling with Marquess Laus, and he's the one that manipulated him into the whole rebellion plot.
<Green> What all do you know about it?
<Leila> Well, I'm sure you've heard the basics by now, how Marquess Santaruz and then Marquess Pherae answered Laus's call.
<NotJim> Are you saying that my father really did want to participate in the rebellion?
<Leila> *shrugs* I can't tell you what he thinks, but I can tell you that he's currently with Marques Laus. There's at a place called the Dragon's Gate.
<NotJim> And, uh, where's the Dragon's Gate exactly? >_>
<Leila> It's on Valor Island, a small island off the southern coast of Lycia.
<Green> Oh, great, the ghost island. >_<
<BB> Ghost island?
<NotJim> Rumours say that no one who goes there ever comes back alive. The common people call it the Dread Isle.
<Green> Well, we'll show those rumour's who's boss. >:| We're going!
<BB> And I'm coming too!
<NotJim> Dude, BB, shouldn't you stay here with your grandpa?
<BB> Look, if we don't take these guys out, they're going to come back and finish the job. I won't protect him by hiding out here. I want to go with you and fight.
<Green> Good girl! :D
<Leila> If you don't mind, BB... it would probably be a good idea for the world to think that your grandfather really did die today. And not just to save my own skin since I was supposed to finish him off. >_>
<BB> Yeah, good plan.
<Leila> Anyway, I guess I should--
<Green> Before you leave, Leila...
<Leila> *sigh* Fine, but make it quick. This dialogue has gone on long enough.
<Green> Keeper and Ephidel... what are they like?
<Leila> Well, I've never met the boss man, but Ephidel at least is creepy as hell. He's got these weird glowing eyes... Anyway, I'm out, you guys have fun. *flees*
<Soldiers> Lady BB! Thank you for saving us! <3
<BB> You're welcome! :D Now stay here and keep an eye on my grandfather but make sure everyone thinks he's dead, kay?
<Soldiers> Kay! <3​

Current Team!

Lord Green - Lv. 13 Lord
Lord NotJim - Lv. 13 Lord
Luis - Lv. 14 Mage
Skyleaf - Lv. 7 Troubadour
BB - Lv. 12 Lord
TGK - Lv. 11 Cavalier
Robin - Lv. 12 Pegasus Knight
Jabber - Lv. 6 Mercenary
PP - Lv. 8 Monk


Player Notes

A pretty long chapter, mostly thanks to our recruits and the NPC soldiers, but a fun one. I like chapters where you have multiple objectives.

Jabber starts off as an enemy trapped in a cell with NPC PP and 3 NPC soldiers. At the end of round 1, the enemies let Jabber out to fight on their side, and he starts aggroing towards you. After another few rounds, the NPC soldiers obtain weapons and start moving forward to attack enemy units, including Jabber, and because they're NPCs they can't be controlled. PP stays in his cell. So, you really want to:

1) Move forward and recruit Jabber ASAP so he doesn't accidentally kill himself or any of the NPC soldiers. Thankfully Skyleaf has high Mov, so it's not too hard to manipulate him into range and then recruit him.
2) Move Jabber back to the cell to recruit PP.
3) Get people in place to Rescue to the NPC soldiers so they don't get in your way and/or kill themselves. You get a reward if they live, with a better reward for a higher amount of surviving, so I just Rescue them and leave them rescued the whole level so they don't get into trouble.

In addition to that, there's also 2 locked rooms with 4 total chests inside. Once again, you want to move quickly to stop an enemy thief from looting the chests before you. There's also a bunch of reinforcements, including ones that come from outside the castle near where Merlinus hangs out, so you need to be sure to keep good units protecting him, too. Green and Robin got this duty so they could chill out together and build up Support points.

In fact, it might not seem like it, but their in-battle conversation is indeed their first Support Convo. :U

Anyway, with that done, and 9 total recruits so far, it's time for our next unit recap!


Lord Green - Lv. 13 Lord

V8NWgmG.png

Green's certainly been quite the powerhouse so far. He's got the highest Str and by FAR the highest Def; enemy units practically don't even touch him. He's Skl/Spd are a bit on the low side, so he doesn't often double attack, but it's not uncommon for him to one-round things anyway. Mostly I've been focusing on keeping him by Robin to build their support since he doesn't really need EXP at this point anyway. He finally got A Axes this last level, though, so I can give him that Silver Axe.

Lord NotJim - Lv. 13 Lord

GHK9IpV.png

NotJim is pretty thoroughly average in every way. His stats are all pretty decent across the board, but there's nothing in particular that makes him stand out. His Rapier makes him useful against Horses and Armors, and he's got A Swords to wield all sorts of fancy weapons. Like Green, he's pretty good on EXP from all the early chapters of this version of the story, so he mostly hangs out on the sidelines to let the newer units get the most kills.

Luis - Lv. 14 Mage

BixUSAF.png

Luis is doing pretty well for himself, all things considered. His Mag and Skl could be higher, but he has nice Spd and still does a pretty bang-up job of killing everything in sight. The last few bosses have had really high Res for some reason so he hasn't really been excelling as a boss killer, but he's still the most consistent unit I have for basically always being able to kill an enemy in one round, and he's bulking up so I don't need to be super careful about keeping him off the front lines, either. He reached A Anima this level, as well.

Skyleaf - Lv. 7 Troubadour

HrCLLih.png

Healer/10. She's gained a decent amount of Skl/Spd/Lck which will be useful after we promote her, but for now she's nothing but a staff bot on a horse. I've been having her heal every single little paper cut and HP level up, but leveling via healing is just sooooo slooooow this game (she gets like 11 EXP or so per heal) makes me think I'm going to need to start some serious boss abuse to get her going (oh well, our tactics rank is horrible already). The horse is really her best feature since it means she can get around wherever she's needed.

BB - Lv. 12 Lord

8rTkjvn.png

Myrm/10. BB's got the best Skl/Spd of the bunch and she's a dodgetank, too. Her lower Str means she has to pick her enemies carefully, though, and she has trouble one-rounding beefier enemies like Cavs/Knights unless she uses her effective Mani Katti (though we want to keep that good as long as we can). She's got surprisingly good Res, though, so I've been using her as a Mage killer. Only B Swords so far, but she'll catch up soon.

TGK - Lv. 11 Cavalier

O8DuXeb.png

TGK is still doing pretty strong. His high Str and decent Spd means he can kill most things, and wielding both Lances and Swords gives him a lot of options, even if he's not as good in either of them as the more specialized units yet (C Lances, D Swords). His high Mov means that he can get in the action quickly, and he's my best EP unit for soaking up and giving damage. Low Skl is his biggest sticking point, but he's primarily using high-Hit weapons, so it's not been too big of a deal yet.

Robin - Lv. 12 Pegasus Knight

kYRuIDB.png

Robin definitely wins the award for "RNG Blessed Unit". She's gained Str 7 times in 11 level ups (approx. 50% more likely than her growth rate would indicate), and her Skl and Spd are good as well. Her Def is on the low side, but high Lck and HP (thank you, Angelic Robe) mean that she can still survive an onslaught, and even an archer or two don't hold her back too much. I've been keeping her next to Green to help build up their supports, though that will change when we got to parts where we'll need to use her flying.

Jabber - Lv. 6 Mercenary

4VgySI7.png

Jabber's brand new and he comes in at a pretty low level, 5, though he has very nice base stats, so that isn't too much of a concern. I managed to get him a single level with a boss kill, though since he had to go back and recruit PP I didn't get to give him as much love this chapter as I would have liked. Jabber is a very nice offensive unit and will likely end up with good Str/Skl/Spd, and he'll also gain axes upon promotion. I'll be feeding him and PP the majority of the kills for the next level or so to get them up to speed.

PP - Lv. 8 Monk

CtPLtFH.png

Hey look, it's our old friend PP again. :U He hasn't changed all that much since we last left him off, though he did gain a single level sometime since the last unit recap (I don't remember if it was in Lyn's Mode or this level...). Even 6 levels below Luis, he still has the higher Mag and only 1 point less in both Skl and Spd, but much more frail. We'll be feeding him more levels in the next few chapters, along with Jabber, to get him up to par.
 
Chapter 17x: Yarrr, this be a pirate gaiden chaptarrr​

<Athena> Alright, so, Dread Isle. How do we get there? Anyone got a boat?
<Green> We could probably charter a boat from the port of Badon in the south.
<Athena> You don't think it'll be a problem getting a crew to take us to an island that s rumoured to be cursed?
<Green> Nah, we got this.​


After 5 days and copious amounts of begging to sailors at dockside pubs...


<Green> Okay, so maybe I underestimated how afraid people would be to sail to an island where no one ever returns.
<NotJim> Well, sailors do tend to be superstitious folk...
<Athena> What about pirates?
<Green> What about them? o_o;
<Athena> Well, they're basically water mercs, so they'd be more likely to take on any job for the right price.
<Green> Huh, that's an option...
<BB> But working with pirates... that's unbelievable! They're more like water bandits, not water mercs. No way do I want any part of this. >:| *storms off*
<Greens> Geez, what's her problem? >_>
<NotJim> Well, her parents were killed by bandits, so...
<Athena> If I could think up a better solution, I would. :\
<Green> It doesn't look like we have much of a choice if we want to get to that island. Forget BB for now, let's see if we can go find us some pirates.​


A little ways further down the strip, we found a dingy looking building called the "PIRATE'S BARRRRR". Green, NotJim, and I looked at each other, shrugged, and headed in. Soon we found ourselves talking to a formidable pirate captain, Fargus.


<Fargus> So, I hear ye be wanting passage to the Dread Isle.
<Green> Yep. How much would you charge for such an excursion.
<Fargus> Oh, around 100,000G should cover it.
<Green> WHAT?! That's preposterous!
<Fargus> A little birrrrd told me ye were desperate, and I don't think ye'll get anyone else agreeing to help ye for any other price.
<Green> *sigh* Fine, we'll pay, but I don't exactly carry that much cash on me, you know. You'll have to wait for us to come back with the funds.
<Fargus> Ye know where to find me. *salacious wink*​


Soon, we were back outside discussing the issue with the rest of our little band of travelers, minus BB of course, who was still off stewing somewhere.


<NotJim> So, uh, when did you suddenly turn rich? I didn't know you had that kind of money lying around!
<Green> I don't, but if we can get back to Ostia, I have a whole bunch of crap I can sell on eBay. Some fancy rings, ceremonial swords, old books... Hey, do you think people would pay a premium for my smallclothes?
<Athena> Still, that seems like an awfully large amount of money...
<Green> We don't need to make ALL of it from selling my stuff. Once we get a good base, we can hit up the arena and win the rest of it by gambling!
<NotJim> The perfect plan!
<Pirate> Umm... hey guys, I don't mean to interrupt but...
<Green> Sorry, we don't have the money yet, you'll have to wait a bi--
<Pirate> Oh, no, this isn't about that. I have a message from Fargus.
<Green> Oh? :O
<Pirate> Ye see... the captain's a bit, well.... crazy.
<NotJim> >_>
<Pirate> He decided he would rather have some fun with you instead of taking all your gold, so he decided to propose as alternate payment method.
<Green> We're listening.
<Pirate> In about 5 minutes, all of Fargus's pirates are going to attack you. If you can make it past us and all the way to his boat alive, he'll offer you passage.
<Green> Sweet deal, and I get to keep my underwear! Let's do it. :3​


I quickly rounded up the rest of our soldiers and prepared for battle. NotJim ran off to talk to BB and eventually convinced her to come with us. Honestly, I think she just wanted the chance to beat up some pirates, but I'm certainly not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

It seemed like the main force of the pirates was directly west between us and the port. I could have easily led our forces around the north and made it to the ship without any trouble... but we'd be missing out on so much exp! I did send NotJim to the south to clear up those few pirates on his own, but the majority of our forces headed into the town to draw the pirates out for easy pickings. I also stopped by a local house and picked up a sweet, monocle-wearing Shaman to travel along with us.

Before we could get too far, however, a band of Black Fang assassins ran in from the southeast! They were all on horseback and quickly rushed our forces, but we were able to take them down without too much hassle, TGK and Green working together to remove their leader while others picked off the followers. The pirates saw our distraction and chose that moment to rush in as a group, but we did manage to take care of them all, aside from one non-attacking pirate off to the side, and Fargus, of course, who was standing on the desk of the ship waiting for us.

Realizing that there were no more enemies but that we also hadn't had any time to shop this whole trip, I decided to not rush towards Fargus ASAP, but instead spent a few rounds shopping and healing. Robin and Luis spent some time at the Arena while Jabber and PP sat down to have a chat.


<Jabber> 'Sup, PP? Are you still feeling bad?
<PP> I seem to be improving, thanks. But, I confess that I am still... troubled.
<Jabber> It's about my revenge on Ostia, isn't it?
<PP> Yes. >_>
<Jabber> *sigh*
<PP> Are you sure you want to go through with this? Killing Lord Green and punishing Ostia will not bring your parents, or House Cornwall, back.
<Jabber> I know that. But I can't just forget that it happened either. They are my enemies, and I will not forgive them.
<PP> Jabber...
<Jabber> Look, if you don't agree with this, you don't have to stick around with me. Just go off and do your own thing.
<PP> ... :\​


When we finally had all our affairs in order, I gave Green the go-ahead to go up to the deck and speak to Fargus.


<Green> Well, we made it. Are you going to give us passage then?
<Fargus> Of course! I be a man of my worrrrd.
<NotJim> Now just to hope my dad is okay....
<BB> I still don't like this. >_<​

Current Team!

Lord Green - Lv. 15 Lord
Lord NotJim - Lv. 14 Lord
Luis - Lv. 16 Mage
Skyleaf - Lv. 8 Troubadour
BB - Lv. 13 Lord
TGK - Lv. 13 Cavalier
Robin - Lv. 13 Pegasus Knight
Jabber - Lv. 7 Mercenary
PP - Lv. 9 Monk


Player Notes

Alternative chapter title: ITC: Lord Green sells his smallclothes on eBay.

This chapter tries really really hard to convince you to go around the north and not kill the pirates, but who doesn't want that EXP? Dealing with the pirates is a bit tricky because they come as one giant clump if you trigger them, but it's not all that hard. The BF Assassins are more of a wildcard because of how fast and hard they aggro if you're not expecting it, but we managed to take care of both rather splendidly.

In addition to getting a bunch of free crap from the houses, there's also a shop (magic, yay) and an arena. I tossed both Robin and Luis at the arena, not because we need either the exp or the money, but mostly because I had time to kill while Skyleaf was healing everyone. Luis had some really nice streaks and gained a few levels just from the arena. In fact, he may get our first Guiding Ring.

Speaking of Guiding Rings, we did get a few promotion items last chapter that I forgot to mention, a Hero Crest and a Knight Crest. For those not familiar with GBA FE, these items are functionally the same as Master Seals from later FEs, except that each item can only be used by certain classes. The Hero Crest is for Fighters, Mercs, and Myrms (so we'll be saving it for Jabber), and the Knight Crest is for Knights (lol) and Cavaliers (so we'll be saving it for TGK). Other classes have their own items (like the Guiding Ring I mentioned, which is used for Magic classes), except for Lord Green who will promote as part of the story. There's also an Earth Seal that functions the same as a Master Seal mostly and can promote almost everyone (except for Lords, Pirates, and Thieves for some reason).

It's still a bit too soon to begin discussing promotion, though.

As I hinted at in the plot, this is also the chapter where we recruit Canas, but since we're not using him, I mostly glossed over it. Poor Canas. :<

Anyway, thanks for reading along! As a result of the holidays, I may or may not be updating on Thursday and/or Friday, so see you Monday at the latest!
 
Athena said:
(except for Lords, Pirates, and Thieves for some reason).
Click to expand...
I'm fairly sure it's because the former uses a Heaven Seal and the latter two use an Ocean Seal to promote, both of which are different 'realms' than earth. :p
 
Lords makes sense but pirates and thieves don't really. The only thing I can think of is because thieves couldn't promote in FE6 and pirates are weird.
 
Haha... underwear problems... (*facepalm) :p

After learning about the different things in GBA FE games (pirates, thieves, classes, magic-triangle, reclassing ad promoting, etc. I must say they totally feel like a whole different game from Awakening. It's like FE:A has been too "simplified." :3
 
The FE games have all drastically evolved throughout the years, it's true. FE1 and 3 are rather similar with some minor changes, though 2 is definitely its own thing, and 4 is pretty different from all of its predecessors (I haven't played 5). The GBA era games (6, 7, and 8) are all pretty similar in the same way 1/3 are, and the same for 9/10, and 11/12. Awakening went in another different direction, and it seems like Fates will be similar to that.

In some cases, because of these differences I really have a hard time picking a favourite in the series, because in many ways it's like comparing apples to oranges.

FE7 certainly has some things that are more complicated than Awakening, and some of those things are good, some bad. For example, having different promotion items for different classes is really fiddly, so I'm glad that dropped out. On the other hand, I really love the Magic Triangle and wish that stayed around (though I think the double triangle of FE9/10 era magic was a bit too complicated for its own good). Having the convoy as a separate unit is also kind of fiddly, but it's also something I kind of like because it gives you another map objective (multiple undeclared map objectives is a much bigger aspect in GBA era FE than Awakening).

Awakening simplifies some of these things (automatic convoy (though that started in 8), master seals, simple objectives), but it also adds its on things too, like class changing, and skills, and magic/melee use in the same class (my favourite update <3). We'll be getting another weapon triangle update in Fates which I'm excited for, too. And so many other things have been improved, mainly in the UI.

Basically what it comes down to is that FE is a growing and changing series, and it's not afraid to evolve and adapt. I do miss some aspects of the GBA and older games, but I continue to enjoy the series for what it is (even as it becomes more and more appley compared to my old favourite oranges).
 
Athena said:
<Merlinus> Oh, thank heavens. These people are robbing me and threatening to kill me?
Click to expand...
You sound so unsure about it.

Athena said:
<Skyleaf> My friends in Etruria arranged for Luis, a great made, to be my escort...
Click to expand...
He is a great "made." Yes, "made." Mages are overrated.

Athena said:
<Jabber> "Change of heart"? %$(# no. I'm still going to have my revenge against House Ostia.
Click to expand...
Not if I have anything to say about it! Icarus be epic style!

Athena said:
The horse is really her best feature since it means she can get around wherever she's needed.
Click to expand...
I have a horse? : D

Athena said:
<Jabber> I know that. But I can't just forget that it happened either. They are my enemies, and I will not forgive them.
Click to expand...
Not even if I ask you nicely? :<
 
Chapter 18: Good Pirates, Bad Pirates, and Smelly Pirates​

With passage arranged, we all boarded Fargus's ship and made our way south west towards the Dread Isle.


<BB> *pouts*
<Green> Oh, geez, will you stop it already?
<BB> Stop what? *pout*
<Green> That stupid pouting.
<BB> I am not pouting! *pouts some more*
<Athena> At this point, I've seen the word "pout" so much that it has lost all meaning.
<Green> Look, we all know you don't like the pirates, but this is the only way we can get to the Dread Isle so can you just calm your tits?
<BB> Why do you give a crap about how I feel anyway? >_<
<Green> Look, I know your parents were killed by bandits or whatever, but that has nothing to do with this. In fact, these pirates seem like pretty decent fellows.
<BB> It wasn't just my parents they killed, it was everyone! They poisoned our water and slaughtered us like cattle. I only survived because my father loaded me on his horse and... with his last breath, he sent me away... I didn't even know what happened until I woke up with another tribe 10 days later. My people were already dead and buried. I couldn't even say goodbye. My last memory of my father was his broken, dying body shoving me up onto that horse....
CG35.png

<BB> Hey, what are you doing! Stop ignoring me and get your ass back here while I relive these stupid painful memories for you! >_<
<Green> Oh, I just didn't think you'd want me to see you cry.
<BB> You're such a bloody fool. >:|
<Green> I lost my parents too, you know. It was just illness... nothing has horrific as what happened to you and your parents, but I still wanted to cry like a little baby. Yet, I couldn't, not in front of my brother and everyone. I thought when I was alone... but I still couldn't cry, even then. So, I thought... I dunno...
<BB> You really are a fool. That’s no way to… You can’t just…
<Green> ...
<BB> ...
<Green> ...
<BB> ...
<Pirate> Hey, uh, not to barge in on this awkward moment and all, but we've spotted a small boat adrift to the side of the ship. So, uh, so if you guys wouldn't mind staring at each other in silence maybe over on the other side...?​


Green and BB quickly moved to the side as the pirates hauled up the boat and rescued its lone occupant, a rather familiar looking young woman in a blue dress either asleep or unconscious.


<BB> Hey, that's SM! SM, wake up!
<NotJim> Huh, what are the odds.
<Green> You guys know this chick?
<NotJim> Yeah, I kind of ended up rescuing her and she and her brother traveled with BB for a bit.
<SM> Ohhh.... I, uh... my head....
<BB> SM! :D How are you feeling? Why were you on that boat? Where's Celever?
<SM> .... ah.... ...
<NotJim> Something's not quite right here...
<BB> Yeah, it looks like "Scattered Mind" is living up to her name. :\
<SM> Who.... who.... ...
<Pirate> Ohshi- pirates!
<Green> Yeah, we know.
<Pirate> No, not us! Other pirates! Attacking us!
<Fargus> Arrrgh! Who be these mad beasts that dare to think they can get away with attacking Fargus?! These be my seas!
<Pirate> *shrug* I have no idea who they are. I don't recognize their flag at all.
<Fargus> Well, they'll be no match for--
<Pirate> Arrgh, they rammed us! The ship is taking on water!
<Fargus> ^&*)&^*(&^*%^$^%&$(%^(&*^*()*(&(&^&*%*
<Pirate> We need all hands belowdeck immediately or we'll sink!
<Fargus> Fine, fine. You guys have weapons and crap, fight these guys while the rest of us take care of not sinking.
<Athena> Aye aye, cap'n!
<Fargus> That was the worst pirate impression I've ever heard. Don't quit your day job. -_-;​


As the pirates all rushed down below to take care of the leak, I formed up our league of soldiers on the forecastle of the ship as two opposing ships from the enemies forces surrounded us on both sides and began to board. There were lots of flyers and shamans ready to attack us, but I was quickly able to determine their leader was on the western ship. I sent Jabber, PP, and Skyleaf in that direction, while TGK and BB went to the eastern ship. Green and Robin helped with the enemies that already boarded our ship, and NotJim and Luis stayed behind to protect Merlinus and also do a bit of shopping.

We had demolished there numbers when I saw that Jabber and PP were going to need some help with the boss, so I sent BB over in their direction and also called NotJim and Luis to the main deck. The reinforcements weren't going to be coming to the north, but from the south, in the form of another ship preparing to board us. NotJim, Robin, Green, and TGK took them head on while BB and Jabber took down the boss. By the time Cap'n Fargus and the other pirates were finished holding and repairing the hull, we were sweeping up the remains and giving them a burial at sea.


<SM> ...
<BB> Oh, SM, don't come out quite yet. There's blood all over the deck still. >_>
<SM> Oh... whoops...
<NotJim> Are you feeling better now, SM?
<SM> SM...? Is that my name?
<NotJim> Well, more of a nickname really...
<BB> Poor SM... what's happened to you? :<
<SM> I don't know... my mind feels so... scattered.... are we at sea?
<BB> Yes, we found you adrift on a small boat.
<Fargus> Heh. Seems like those bad guys were after this girl.
<NotJim> Really? How did you discover that?
<Fargus> *shrugs* Pirates intuition. Anyway, you better take her with you. Me boys are a mite bit superstitious and they think she's cursed.
<Green> Cursed? Oh, boy, just what we need, a cursed amnesiac girl following us around.
<BB> Are you suggesting we leave her behind?
<Green> Well, we can’t take her with us, can we? We’re heading for the Dread Isle. It’s dread for a reason, you know!
<BB> I don't care! She's coming with us and that's final! >:|
<NotJim> BB....
<BB> When SM was with us before, her and Celever... they were being chased by these evil men. I think it was the Black Fang.
<NotJim> The same people who have my dad? That's quite a coincidence.
<BB> It's a video game, what do you expect? *shrugs*
<NotJim> Well, if she really is involved, she might be important to the plot, so I guess we really shouldn't just leave her behind....
<BB> There, Green. All the Lords have spoken and it's 2 to 1; you've been outvoted.
<SM> Yes, please, take me with you....
<Green> *sigh* Fiiiiiine~
<BB> Thank you. <3
<Green> Now that you mention it... I was attacked by some similar fellows when I left Ostia. I wonder if that was the Black Fang, too.
<NotJim> Really? Why didn't you say anything before?
<Green> *shrugs* It was just a prologue chapter; I didn't think it was anything important. But now I'm pretty sure the whole thing is related.
<NotJim> Maaaaan, what the &*(^$ is going on...​


Shortly after, around sunset, we reached the shores of Valor Island, otherwise known as the Dread Isle. Fargus dropped us off, gave us 2 weeks to finish our business before they left without us, and then dropped a Pirate from his crew off to come with us ("He feels like some sightseeing."). We waved goodbye and he went back to the ship to wait while we regrouped on the island.


<BB> I guess there are some good pirates after all.
<Green> Something tells me these people are a bit more than your average pirates anyway...
<NotJim> Somewhere on this island is the Dragon Gate, and that's where we'll find my dad...
<BB> Don't worry, NotJim, we'll save him. :3
<SM> Dragon's... Gate....
<TGK> Did you say something, cutie?
<SM> No, nothing...​

Current Team!

Lord Green - Lv. 15 Lord
Lord NotJim - Lv. 14 Lord
Luis - Lv. 16 Mage
Skyleaf - Lv. 9 Troubadour
BB - Lv. 14 Lord
TGK - Lv. 14 Cavalier
Robin - Lv. 14 Pegasus Knight
Jabber - Lv. 10 Mercenary
PP - Lv. 10 Monk


Player Notes

The [bird] to "apple juice" censor is still my favourite sensor on this site. I only wish I had occasion to use it more often.

Sorry for the delay on getting the next chapter up. Honestly... I just forgot to do one yesterday. xD I guess it was too long without my standard schedule. We should be back on track now, though.

This chapter is a lot tougher in my memory, but I found it surprisingly easy this time around. Maybe I'm remembering HHM... Anyway, basically you start out defending one ship from 2 other ships on either side. After ~7 turns, another ship boards you from the bottom, too. In that respect, it's rather similar to Chapter 14 from Awakening, though many other things are different.

In this case, it's a Defend chapter. You need to last 11 turns and after that the Pirates will come up and help you finish things off if you haven't made it yet. Alternatively, you can kill the boss to end the level. There are also some shops on the ship where you can purchase goods, and the boss has a Speedwings that will not drop if you kill him, but you can steal with Matthew. Almost every round, reinforcements come in from any of the three ships.

My main goal was to steal the Speedwings (they're way too useful), give Jabber as much EXP as I could, and milk reinforcements for extra EXP and healing rounds for Skyleaf. We still haven't had a good abusable boss for her to really rack up the Heal EXP, but hopefully we will within a couple levels. She did gain 1 level, at least, and Jabber got 3. We did manage to kill all the reinforcements and took care of the boss during the very last round, so I consider it great success.

In addition to the Speedwings (which will probably be going to Green), we also got our first Guiding Ring, the promotion item for magic classes. It'll probably end up going to Luis soon, but I plan on getting him to 20 first.

Hope you enjoy! <3

PS: For the record, we're about halfway through the game. There are 43 total playable chapters including the Prologue and all of the Gaidens, and this was the 22nd.
 
So many modes on this game, it makes me "hyper" for Fates Nohr... :p

Nonetheless, it's good for team Green/Notjim to be back! :D
 
Chapter 19: The plot thickens, as does the fog, because this is a spoooooooky island​

At the Dragon's Gate...


<Keeper> Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You freed BOTH the children my little Marquess? What a pity.
<Elbert> What, you honestly expect me to just go along with your evil plan? Of course I freed them. And I'll do anything else I can to stop you, too.
<Darin> Damnit. What do we do now? If we don't have those kids, we can't do the ceremony...
<Elbert> Are you really still going along with this, Darin? If we bring dragons back...
<Darin> What, are you afraid that it will be the downfall of mankind or some crap? Don't make me laugh. With Lord Keeper at our side, we'll have complete control over the dragons and we can do whatever the hell we want!
<Elbert> *sigh*
<Keeper> I was hoping to start a war in Lycia to generate the force that I need, but I guess I'll have to move onto Plan B.
<Elbert> Oh you jus--
<Keeper> Oh, hold your tongue. I'd kill you now, but I still have a use for you. Probably anyway. I don't really know how hostage situations are supposed to work. Anyway, just shut up for a bit so I can think. Ephidel? Limstella? You guys around?
<Ephidel> Yo?
<Limstella? Sup?
<Keeper> My beloved morphs... you always do everything I say. <3
<E&L> <3
<Keeper> Limmy, I want you to head over to Bern to get in touch with Sonia and arrange a meeting with the king. Ephidel, take Darin and go kill the stupid meddlers who have landed on the island.
<E&L> Understood, my lord. <3 *depart*
<Keeper> Now, my dear Marquess Pherae... it may amuse you to know that your son is one of the ones causing me so much trouble.
<Elbert> NotJim? :O
<Keeper> Yep, that's the squirt. Not only have he and his friends stopped my rebellion in Lycia, but they're the ones who recently landed on the island here.
<Elbert> !!
<Keeper> I suppose they found out you were here and have come to free you... and amusingly enough, they brought SM with them.
<Elbert> !
<Keeper> Unfortunately for them, I shall kill them all right here on this island, including your son, and take SM back so that I can complete the ritual. Isn't that nice?
<Elbert> Oh, NotJim... take that girl and get out of here... please.... :<
... ... ...
<Leila> Ohshi- I have to let Lord Hect--
<Ephidel> Oh, hello Leila. Have you been dropping some eaves?
<Leila> My lord, I--
<Ephidel> Tsk tsk. And I had such high hopes for you too. Jaffar?
<Jaffar> ... ... ...
<Ephidel> You know what to do.
<Jaffar> *lots of stabs*
<Leila> Oh... Matthew... x_x;;
<Ephidel> Thank you. Such efficient work as always. Dump her body in the woods as a warning to the little Lordlings.
<Jaffar> ... ... ...​


Meanwhile, back with our heroes...


<BB> Alright, so, this entire island appears to be woods.
<Green> And foggy woods at that, fun.
<Athena> (I smell a fog of war map coming up...)
<Green> Did you say something?
<Athena> Nope, nothing.
<Jabber> Man, it really is foggy... I wonder if the people who disappeared here just got lost in this stupid fog. >_<
<Luis> If I disappear and none of you ever see me again... well, uh, I was going to think of some famous last words, but I'm out of ideas.
<Skyleaf> Oh, don't be so dour, Luis.
<TGK> That's right, Skyleaf, so long as I have you by my side, your radiance shines through the darkness. <3
<NotJim> How are you holding up, SM?
<SM> I'm okay...
<PP> Hold up! I spy someone ahead.
<TGK> Ohshi- A scout? A spy? A heavy?
<Green> It appears to be.... Leila! Hey girl, 'sup?
<Luis> Ummm... I hate to break it to you, but she's dead, Jim.
<SM> Ohno... :<
<Green> Dammit! She was one of our best spies, too. :<
<Athena> They probably put her body out here on purpose. They know we're here. Everyone, stay on your guard.
<SM> Something.... bad is coming...
<BB> That's right! When we were traveling together, SM and Celever were able to sense danger nea---WHOA!​


Without warning, an enemy Nomad rushed at us through the fog (how he could see that many squares ahead, I'll never know; stupid cheating enemies) and grabbed BB by her collar, hauling her up onto his horse.


<Nomad> If you don't want this woman to die, give me the girl.
<SM> Oh... no.... :<
<BB> Wait a minute, you're Sacaen!
<Uhai> How nice of you to notice. My name is Uhai, and I work for the Black Fang. I was sent here to take the girl and kill you all, but I'd be willing to spare your lives if you simply hand her over to me know and leave the island at once.
<Green> Oh, you just expect us to agree to that?
<Uhai> Strut about all you like, but you don't know Lord Keeper's terrible power like I do. Compared to him, you're like a child trying to blow away a tornado. There's nothing you can do to stop him.
<Green> Okay, you're right, we really don't know what the hell we're doing. But I do know that we'll automatically lose if we walk away now, so we're going to keep pressing on, if that's alright with you. Who knows, we might win. After all, we are video game protagonists, so I think we've got a pretty good shot at coming out ahead.
<Uhai> *sigh* Fine. *dumps BB out of his horse*
<BB> Hey, what are you doing?
<Uhai> If you want to die, I respect you enough to let you die with a sword in your hands. You all desire death by battle... so be it. I will kill you all here. *rides off*​


The fog put us at a severe disadvantage against the enemy, but I've had a bit of practice with fog-of-war maps by now and I was ready for it. I sent Marcus towards the center of the map as much as possible with a torch, and Green and Robin next to him for backup. BB, TGK, and Skyleaf headed around northeast while Jabber, NotJim, and Luis went down southwest and the others stayed behind to watch over Merlinus.

On the way, Robin managed to hook up with an old friend from Ilia who happened to be in the neighborhood when her entire squadron of Pegasus Knights (aside from her) was decimated by a group of Black Fang. They must have been archers. The friend, Fiora, decided to come along with us and help out because aynaut.

The enemies weren't particularly strong, but thanks to the blinding fog, they were very unpredictable and made up in numbers what they lacked in individual strength. Eventually we worked together towards the southeast corner where Uhai was probably holed up, since that was directly opposite where we started. Despite being on a horse and having a definite advantage in the fog, Uhai refused to move and so Luis and Jabber went up and killed him.


<Uhai> Man.... you guys are super... strong... Before I die... I want you to know... Go south... at the rotted tree... turn west... This will take you to the... Dragon's Gate...
<Athena> Why are you helping us? o_o;
<Uhai> I dunno... maybe so you guys feel bad about killing me or something... x_x;
<Green> Welp, I guess that's that. Do we trust his info?
<Athena> Well, we don't exactly have any better leads on how to find this Dragon's Gate place, so I don't see why not.​

Current Team!

Lord Green - Lv. 15 Lord
Lord NotJim - Lv. 15 Lord
Luis - Lv. 16 Mage
Skyleaf - Lv. 10 Troubadour
BB - Lv. 15 Lord
TGK - Lv. 15 Cavalier
Robin - Lv. 15 Pegasus Knight
Jabber - Lv. 12 Mercenary
PP - Lv. 11 Monk


Player Notes

Another fog of war battle and a decently large one, too. The top half of the map is a bunch of medium-sized islands connected by bridges (and some stumps you can attack to make more bridges), and the bottom of the map is dominated by far, hindering movement. The AI isn't affected by the fog like we are, and the majority of the enemies were Cavaliers and Nomads, so we really were on the defensive for most of the map, then finishing up enemies and pushing forth slightly during PP.

FoW maps are usually pretty long, and we had a turn-limit for this one in order to unlock the coming Gaiden chapter, but it didn't end up being as difficult to hit as I feared. Even moving slowly and derping a bit, we managed to finish up in 11 turns. The only thing I missed was killing a Thief whose only purpose is to run away while holding a dropable Torch Staff, but that's not really important anyway.

Like most recent chapters, I made a priority of giving EXP to Jabber, PP, and Skyleaf, though due to the split nature of the map and the turn limit, Skyleaf wasn't able to get all too much healing in, just a level's worth. Jabber and PP are close to catching up, though.

Next chapter is a Gaiden chapter, and one of the more interesting ones, mostly because it has another "hidden" Gaiden chapter inside of it, only accessible during Hector's Mode, and also a secondary, optional boss that's difficult to kill. Will we succeed? Of course we will. :U Might take me a couple tries, though; it's been a while since I've done this. Wish me luck!
 
Athena said:
<TGK> That's right, Skyleaf, so long as I have you by my side, your radiance shines through the darkness. <3
Click to expand...
.///. Oh...um.... Glad to be of assistance!..
(Please tell me Jabber didn't hear that, he'll have poor TGK's head...)
 
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