So I figure I'd reopen my gallery and general workplace. I've had a great deal of "stuff" in the past, so I'm only going to reupload/relink things as I go back to work on them or rediscover them.
First and foremost of those things will be my ongoing project, FE6.5 aka Fire Emblem: Lost Ages (FELA).
That having been said, it's important that you know that this is not the same project that Dr. Sholes is working on. It is based on the same premise of following Zephiel as the main lord unit and Murdock as his Oifey, but other than that, diverge quite significantly. To convince you that I am not committing theft:
-Dr. Sholes began his project on 14 March 2011, 18:53 PM according to the timestamp on his hack thread.
-I began mine just after FESS closed up shop in...2008, I think that was. The first timestamped proof I have of it on a public board was on FEU, and was partially preserved here. The timestamp there is 19 July 2010, 16:42 PM—still long before Sholes began is project.
I have settled the curious similarity with Sholes via PM, and we will be working completely separately on these two similarly endowed projects. My FE6.5 is very much a Gaiden sort of game, and merely attempts to bridge the gap between FE7 and FE6 that shows Zephiel's transformation. It is a short game. As I understand it, Sholes' is much more...large in scope.
In any case, sprites and story segments will be posted in my gallery here. ShinyCharmander/uMad has worked on this project with me before, and said he'd like to again, so you'll probably be seeing some sprites bounce between our galleries. He in fact contributed two outright to the following, incomplete roster, which I have highlighted in yellow, and are entirely his originality. The green are of my originality, and the green/yellow are co-operative efforts.
Almost none of these are in their final form.
I'm revising the plot a bit, so some of these characters (Erik and Vaida in particular) are liable to be dropped/replaced.
As for the plot, here are first few chapter summaries. And don't worry, the canonical story at the end of Zephiel's ascension to the throne and Desmond's FE7 will be honoured/reconciled—I despise plot holes—it's just going to become more obscure before it becomes clearer.
[spoiler=Prologue]The story begins with another attempted assassination of Zephiel; this time with Murdock and Hellene also targetted. On the night of the would-be assassination, Hellene and Zephiel are together at the Manse. Brunnya is visiting. Murdock successfully alerts the Princeand the Queen before the brute squad arrives, and the four of them flee. Brunnya, not being a target, is separated from the group to follow a safer route and remain in Bern. Murdock, Zephiel and Hellene begin to make for the isolated countryside, but Hellene is killed in the escape.
Play consists of Murdock and Zephiel breaking through the backline blocking their escape and who have killed Hellene. Route the enemy.
(Boss: Possibly none/Generic/Undecided)
[spoiler=Chapter One]Chapter opens on an isolated fortress that has been out of service for many years and that Murdock and Zephiel have taken to hiding in. A depressed Zephiel is alone. A sullen Murdock enters and stiffly informs the prince that he has discreetly contacted some of his sub-ordinates of undoubtable loyalty. Apparently the fact that something has occurred at the manse is spreading like wildfire among the populace due to the bumbling escape made by the group. One of Murdock's fellow generals whom Murdock considers more more loyal tothe King than to Bern, Tallus, has been put in charge of"investigating" the matter, and has reassured the people that while a rebellious group of some sort seem to have made an assassination attempt on the Prince and his mother, the prince is injured but safe. No specific mention was made of the Queen's fateor of Murdock or Brunnya being present at all. Zephiel is confused by what could be gained by claiming that he is unharmed, since eventually proof will be required, and he can easily make proof of what actually occurred. Murdock has no further answers.
Meanwhile, search parties have been sent out. We see two Bern soldier talking. Apparently the Bern military is carrying out a search for the assassins, but the soldiers are complaining about new officers that have been brought into the effort with little to know explanation.One such being their lieutenant, Barq, who abruptly barges into the conversation (chapter boss). He tells the soldiers rather crudely to quit their complaining, because he and the others in his group of "hired specialists" were only brought in because the King deigned that the military was too inept to perform a proper reconnaissance for such a clever group of assassins. Another man, identified simply as Gray, interupts with the report that nearby villagers have reported comings and goings to an abandoned fortress.Barq inquires as to more specifics. Gray merely reports that there are two or three figures of suspision by the villagers' word, but that they were supposedly finely armed. Barq seems pleased and tells the soldiers that he'll choose who will go with him to apprehend the suspects, then leaves the scene.
In an aside, Barq tells Gray that he should deliver word to their employer that their own people need to be "pursuaded" that their prey may visibly throw them off-guard if they're going to be of more use than hinderance. Gray quietly accepts the direction and leaves. Barq moves out toward the fortress.
Onwatch, Murdock becomes aware that a small force is encroaching on the fortress, and again alerts Zephiel.
Playconsists of routing the enemy.
(Boss: Barq)
Afterward,Murdock--with Zephiel present but quiet--questions the defeated Barq as to the manner of the search amongst other things. They learn that search parties are canvasing the western half of Bern, especially in the areas typically used to cross into Sacae and Lycia. When asked why Bern soldiers would be helping to hunt their own prince, whom they were told was unharmed, Barq dies before being able to answer, if he was prepared to answer at all.
Knowing they can no longer stay at the fortress, and understanding that the whole of Bern is searching them out, Murdock urges Zephiel to flee the country. Not wanting to risk Bern becoming hostile towards a neighbouring country, Zephiel informs Murdock they will follow the river to the lake in the south of Bern, and then travel west and cross the mountains where a small river originates should help the undeniably difficult journey. The sheer ridiculousness of actually crossing the mountains and the obscurity of the route should allow them to avoid the heavily guarded border checkpoints and they will emerge in the south of Pherae. Murdock states he will make one finalarrangement in Bern before their flight.
[spoiler=Chapter Two]Chapter opens as Murdock and Zephiel enter a heavily thicketed area followingthe river. The are south of the Shrine of Seals, and nearing the largest lake in Elibe. There are several villages (though only one seen on this map to the extreme south and east) in the area. Zephiel and Murdock mean to pass by on the path running past the nearest village and on to the narrow road at the bottom of the mountain cliffs. They contemplate how they will evade the small company of soldiers in and around the village without being detected, when they see a group of bandits come in from the narrow cliffside road. The bandits take the soldiers by surprise and defeat those outside the village.
Those in the village mull about in confusion. A man named Gurasu and young woman named Ruby step to the fore. Gurasu takes charge, saying he'll take the lead against the bandits, as this group of bandits are who he was here to search out anyway. Gurasu tells the soldiers to stay and protect the villagers, and Ruby to stay in the village in case there are injuries (implying she's a healer).
Zephiel sees Gurasu exit the village to face down the 10 (or so) bandits.Zephiel notes that the man taking point is not a Bern soldier and tells Murdock that they should aid and protect him, since they need to pass through anyway, he doesn't want the village to come to harm, and they may be able to obtain helpful information from the man after rendering aid.
Play consists of seizing the farthest southwest point of the map. Gurasu[Lvl 2 Mercenary; Iron Sword; NPC, talk with Zephiel] and Ruby [Lvl 1Cleric; Heal; In Village, talk with Gurasu] recruitable.Reinforcements arrive turns 3-5 from the southwest. If Gurasu is not spoken with during the chapter, he will join automatically at the end of the chapter. Not true for Ruby.
If Gurasu dies, the game is over for this chapter only.
Visiting the village with Murdock or Zephiel merely has them meet with Ruby, but to no effect.
(Boss:Undecided; a bandit)
Afterward, Murdock notes to Zephiel that this is the direction from which the bandits were coming, and where the survivors fled, and that they may havea stronghold somewhere in the mountains along their intended route. Gurasu enters the conversation, stating that he is sure of this. Zephiel asks Gurasu who he is. Gurasu explains that he is a swordsman from far northern Bern, near Sacae, and that he is looking for the murderer of his brother, Glass. Gurasu has come here understanding that this group of bandits, who were formerly based farther north themselves (i.e. remnants of the Ganelon Bandits wipedout by Lyndis' Legin and Taliver Bandits wiped out by Wallace inFE7), may have some understanding of who the perpetrator is, whom he has learned was a striking Sacaen woman who travelled west. He then asks who Zephiel is, noticing the fine armament and dress. Zephiel is momentarily surprised, but realises that, as a commoner far from the capital, Gurasu has no particular reason to know what the Prince of Bern looks like.
Ruby enters the conversation and identifies him as Prince Zephiel (whether you recruit her as a playable unit or not, Ruby follows Gurasu in the plot). Zephiel is relieved at having to not face the challenge of deciding to identify himself or not. Gurasu sceptically asks why the Prince of Bern would be travelling with only one bodyguard to such a remote area and fighting bandits, when supposedly he was recovering from injuries sustained in an assassination attempt at the capital. Zephiel responds that he survived unscathed from the assassination, but knows that his father had it ordered, and that Bern's military have now been searching for him and not the assassins, so he is fleeing the country until he knows what to do. Gurasu states that while he is not a politically inclined man, he has reason to travel in the same direction Zephiel and Murdock are headed, and would happily support the true heir of Bern over whomever the current, apparently mentally ill King would supplant him with. He has heard stories of the king. Zephiel does not push his luck.
[spoiler=Chapter Three]Chapter opens on a very narrow road through high mountains. A stronghold filled with bandits has literally been cut into the mountainside. Zephiel is stopped by Murdock for an aside. Murdock tells the Prince that he should slow his pace. At this point they've left the search parties far behind, and it's unhealthy for Zephiel to push himself so hard when they have no particular course of action in mind once they've reached Pherae in Lycia. He also states that he is concerned about the Prince on a deeper level. He has not pressed the issue, but Zephiel has not even once mentioned the death of his mother. Zephiel tells Murdock that there is nothing to say on thematter. His father hated him and his mother, despite her attempts to reconcile the family, and he had her killed, very simply. His only question is why Desmond hates them. Some people have reason to hate other people, he admits, because they or their family have been wronged. And then it is their choice to hate or not to hate. If they chose to, then they would, in all liklihood, wrong the person who wronged them. But that process had to start somewhere, didn't it? They had to start with people like Desmond. Why did people like Desmond hate? Murdock states that some people must only know hate, for the sake of having never known love. Zephiel bluntly refutes this bysaying that he had loved his father at one time. His sister,Guiniveire loves their father. His mother Hellene had found it in her heart to love Desmond despite having feuded with him for years, for the sake of Guiniveire and himself if nothing else. Murdock instead poses to Zephiel: "Who can know what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" Zephiel is quiet for a while before abruptly changing the subject.
Zephielstates that he does have a plan in mind once they reach Pherae. Hellene had told him once, in confidence, of what happened following the first attempt on his life a few years past, and her experience with Marquess Eliwood of Pherae. He plans on seeking an audience withMarquess Pherae and requesting his favour and advices. It is not aperfect plan, but his options are limited, and he at least has ahistory with Marquess Pherae. Murdock says he will support his liege in any endeavour, so long as Zephiel is aware of the consequences of his actions.
Zephieldoes not respond to the final note, instead stating that the bandit stronghold ahead is blocking the only feasible path to crossing over these mountains, and they will need to seize it to continue.
Play consists of seizing the throne of the bandit stronghold.
If Gurasufaces the boss, special text will be shown, expounding on his personal quest, and a reason for him to continue with Zephiel and Murdock.
(Boss: Undecided)
Afterward, Zephiel & Co. waste no time in moving on out of the mountains. Gray is shown on the far side of the map opposite where they depart. Gray returns in the direction of Bern.
A new scene opens in Bern, where we see General Tallus and King Desmond. Tallus informs the King that people are beginning to ask more intelligent questions, especially the troops who serve directly under General Murdock. Desmond realises his error in ordering that the people be told Zephiel survived, and now being unable to show them or able to find the Prince, who may be planning on Desmond's own demise—which he could easily realise by showing up and revealing what happened. Tallus states he believes the King should step away fromthe situation and try to view it with a leveller head, but Desmonddismisses the notion. Instead he says that they will play off therumours of the people, since people are always more willing tocontemplate rumours than accept truth, even if the truth were totheir benefit. He tells Tallus to discreetly assert that the group ofassassins was led by an imposter Prince (similar to Lyn's trouble byLundgren in FE7). This should make the tracking of Zephiel and his killing much simpler, and solve the problems that had earlier been reported to Tallus and then the King by Gray from Barq. In the meantime, Desmond would find a suitable look-alike to present to the people, "Zephiel" having survived, but not without a disfiguring injury. Perhaps, muses the King, this handicapped "Prince" willsuffer an unfortunate accident or simply won't survive his "wounds" for an extended period of time, which would conveniently provide a much better story than a third assassination, which would indubitably seal the King's own fate. At this moment, a soldier enters and announces that Gray has arrived. Tallus tells the King that he willdeal with the matter.
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