Jump to content

Dakota's War Journal (Semiblind Fire Emblem Fates RP/LP) (Send me your castles!)


Alastor15243
 Share

LP direction  

35 members have voted

  1. 1. What should I do about covering the Paralogues?

    • Cover all of them
      12
    • Only cover the ones relevant to Dakota or that you feel you can do something interesting with
      23
    • Don't cover any of them
      0
  2. 2. What should I be able to edit about my character in Conquest/Revealtion?

    • Boon/Bane, but not Talent
      0
    • Talent, but not Boon/Bane
      4
    • Both
      4
    • Neither
      1
    • Do what you like
      22
  3. 3. Should I use the path bonus items?

    • Yes
      25
    • No
      6


Recommended Posts

I'll addmit this totaly happened to me.

That being said, i perdicted that something like this would happen, because more time travel would need to become necessary.

...Yeah, sorry if it was a bit predictable, there wasn't much I could do about that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 471
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

...Yeah, sorry if it was a bit predictable, there wasn't much I could do about that.

Actualy, i think that you did just around as well as you could, given the fact that this IS a playthrough of a game with a plot and structure that everyone knows already. Given that, you are actually doing a really good job of being surprising (i was unable to predict what catastrophic incident would occur, despite giving some thought to it).

Edited by sirmola
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So Alastor, how would you say your experience for Fates has been so far?

Do you have high hopes for Revelations or no?

Oh I could write an entire THESIS on the problems I have with Fates' story, don't get me wrong, but the gameplay is friggin' fantastic. With the exception of a few niggles (why are weapon ranks so slow to gain yet so many of the higher rank weapons are balanced to have crippling side effects that make iron and steel weapons more worthwhile? Why is Corrin's dragon form so atrociously underpowered? Also it would be nice if the unique skills were a bit less gimmicky and actually mattered more often), I absolutely adore the gameplay, it's the best game in the series.

As for the story... I was really into it until the ridiculous chain of cheap, pointless deaths started wearing thin. And as for Conquest... oh dear. At least I can say it's been really fun tweaking it. Oh, and if you manage to force yourself to look past the idiocy of the whole roundabout plan and accept it as somehow logical... there have been one or two moments that felt like the political thriller I had always hoped Conquest would be.

I'm not expecting to enjoy Revelation's story much at all, but I can't wait to assemble an army out of the star players from both runs, that's going to be so much fun.

...Oh, and I do have some fun stuff planned for Revelations beside that... but you'll just have to wait and see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On a positive note, here are some answers to some of your (possibly rhetorical) questions:

1. S-Rank/A-Rank weapons look cool, nothing else. [s-Rank Tome/Shuriken is good]

2. Because Corrin's dragon form is magic based, because headbutting somebody is a "magical experience".

3. Fates in a whole is like a gimmick, if you think about it.

4. Many plotholes are solved, (and created) in Revelations, but I won't say specifics.

5. To pair up with no. 2, magic weapon nerfs make things harder as well, so no more Astra Levin swords, axes, etc., making you use the strong/bad high rank weapons. And the Sorcerer nerf on their defense cap/growths from Awakening.

I think you will enjoy Rev., but that is just me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alright, just keeping you posted, there's an issue with my internet that's making miiverse difficult to use. It should be resolved within a day or so, though it might be 4 days.

In the meantime...

Has anyone ever tried a capture run where you're only allowed to use Corrin, Niles/Orochi and maybe a few others, and then the rest of your army is entirely shield-icon units, like captured units, amiibos and einherjars?

While waiting for the internet problem to be fixed I tried it out on birthright lunatic, for the hell of it and to finally give me an excuse to actually use my amiibo, and it's pretty fun so far. I'm allowing Corrin, Orochi (married her), Felicia and Azura.

Edited by Alastor15243
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alright, just keeping you posted, there's an issue with my internet that's making miiverse difficult to use. It should be resolved within a day or so, though it might be 4 days.

In the meantime...

Has anyone ever tried a capture run where you're only allowed to use Corrin, Niles/Orochi and maybe a few others, and then the rest of your army is entirely shield-icon units, like captured units, amiibos and einherjars?

While waiting for the internet problem to be fixed I tried it out on birthright lunatic, for the hell of it and to finally give me an excuse to actually use my amiibo, and it's pretty fun so far. I'm allowing Corrin, Orochi (married her), Felicia and Azura.

No, although i have considered it. I will admit that i own no amibos, and am unwilling to pay 10-20$ for one, given i only own one game that uses them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, after watching you finish Birthright and almost beat Conquest while demeaning the maid/butler units, I think I have some info you may want for Revelations. It's not a story spoiler at all(haven't played Rev), but sort of a "gameplay spoiler".

While Felicia and Jakob have the stats of an unpromoted unit, they benefit from being able to cap at level 40 rather than 20, essentially giving them all the time they need to level up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, after watching you finish Birthright and almost beat Conquest while demeaning the maid/butler units, I think I have some info you may want for Revelations. It's not a story spoiler at all(haven't played Rev), but sort of a "gameplay spoiler".

While Felicia and Jakob have the stats of an unpromoted unit, they benefit from being able to cap at level 40 rather than 20, essentially giving them all the time they need to level up.

I eventually figured this out after watching Melissa's streams, but refused to act on the knowledge because it would make no sense from a story perspective to suddenly change my mind about them without any actual in-game proof. I briefly considered trying to arrange a situation where they'd see Felicia or Jakob hit level 21 and then he'd figure it out, but... yeah that never happened because they both fell far behind, and Jakob had to wind up kinda shit in order to serve his real purpose: getting good skills onto Dwyer.

Frankly this annoys the hell out of me because it's basically a total violation of common sense and nobody with any experience with the series would look at that level and those growth rates and think the unit had any future. You basically have to either be completely new to the series or not know that butlers and maids are an advanced class.

Still, even with this in mind, I consider them to be kinda crap considering they'll never get the stat bonuses of promotion and their growth rates aren't really all that great, and honestly I consider their best use to be to get rallies and high level auras onto children early on.

Edited by Alastor15243
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alright, looks like the internet problem is going to persist until the 31st unless things change, just letting everyone know.

...This was a bit of a blessing in disguise as I've had a lot of characterization stuff to think about, I think this might have been for the best.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey everyone, thank you for being so patient, but unfortunately it's going to be a few more days. This is a crucial moment for Dakota's character, and I want to re-read the entire story thus far to be absolutely sure of how I want to go with this.

But in the meantime, since it's been so long since the last entry...

...How about a filler episode?

Somebody suggest a non-spoilery DLC map they think will be entertaining, and I'll do a runthrough of it out of character using my current team on my backup Conquest file.

Any requests?

Edited by Alastor15243
Link to comment
Share on other sites

...Actually, strike that... for reasons that will probably become clear when I do it, part of me is thinking that the story could greatly benefit from having one battle done on-screen that isn't the next battle. I have two more paralogues, but they're for children I haven't confirmed even exist in this story (Siegbert and Soleil). I could do DLC, maybe, but a lot of them give pretty major rewards I'd like to see if I can complete the game without. Any suggestions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...Actually, strike that... for reasons that will probably become clear when I do it, part of me is thinking that the story could greatly benefit from having one battle done on-screen that isn't the next battle. I have two more paralogues, but they're for children I haven't confirmed even exist in this story (Siegbert and Soleil). I could do DLC, maybe, but a lot of them give pretty major rewards I'd like to see if I can complete the game without. Any suggestions?

What about doing the vangaurd, awakening, balistician, or which DLC and then just not using the items you get, or only using some of them? The vanguard DLC does not contain any new classes on enemies during the actual content, and is a defence map (all others are route or defete boss). The balistician dllc is the only one of those that gives you a standard item as one of the rewards (from a village that you can opt not to visit.) All other rewards are eather dlc class items or skill schrols that allow you to learn a skill from the class that you get that map. I don't think anyone would mind if you reclassed someone into a vanguard or taught them aether something, is long as it worked per the story.

Edited by sirmola
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahhh, Vanguard.

...If I class changed Xander into vanguard, hypothetically, would he swing his sword to fire off the ranged attack on Siegfried like Ike does for Ragnell? ...Y'know, the objectively best animation for using a ranged sword that only his series has ever used for no discernable reason?

But whatever the case, I've come up with a story for that map, so I think I'm going to use that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Leo's Research Log


Entry 407




While I said in my previous entry that I would get to bed early, that turned out to not be an option for me. In light of everything we are going to have to do, and everything I must brace myself for, I thought sleep would be of paramount importance, but even had the memory of those horrible screams not rendered sleep impossible, the mysterious contents of that scroll still beckon to me and I could not stay away.



Indeed, how could I have? Two pieces of powerful magic, forged in pacifism and cast with the purest of intentions, only to both be undone by... something. Something. That word. That terrible, horrible, terrifying word. I don't understand what happened, and that kills me. It kills me that I don't understand something so powerful and potentially dangerous. And so here I am, three days later, having studied the scroll's contents with less than 10 combined hours of sleep, and I am no closer to understanding the nature of Queen Mikoto's spell than when I began.



I had assumed that, since Hoshidan scrolls are entirely usable by Nohrian mages, Hoshidan magic would be similar enough to grasp rather quickly. I was a fool. Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that Hoshidan spiritualism is so alien to and different from Nohrian sorcery that nearly all of my vast knowledge on the latter is useless in understanding the former. It's fueled by different catalysts and channels different forces through an entirely different ancient language of incantations, and the results are containable by wholly different materials.



Frankly, in hindsight, I'm astonished that my split-second concern that this botched spell would interfere with the Chamber of False Death turned out to be correct, the forces are so alien to each other. Alas, of all the similarities this could have had, that terrible one was the one we were left with. And now my research must continue. If there's even the slightest chance that I can determine for certain what caused the Chamber of False Death to fail so catastrophically, if there's even the slightest chance that I can figure out how to perfect it, get it up and running again for the next timeline, and send that information back with Dakota, then that's just about the only endeavor worth my attention. Now that we've officially condemned this timeline... not much else really matters.



Elise isn't holding up well, as is to be expected. Poor girl. I can barely imagine what she's going through, suddenly finding herself with blood indirectly on her hands. I know her well enough to know that the details mean nothing. As far as she's concerned, she's a murderer now, and she's violated everything she stands for. She's managed to keep her mind off of things to a degree by assisting me with my research (she's been surprisingly helpful despite the overall effort being fruitless)...



6xpxFnR.jpg



…but she threw her tome back in the convoy, and every once in a while I've seen her absentmindedly tossing a heart seal to herself.



As for the state of the rest of the army... it's not great, but miraculously there haven't been any deserters, and everyone's managed to keep up appearances around West Dakota's inhabitants that aren't in on the plan. The parents and children, of course, needed to be assured that the biological predestination phenomenon means the children who were born here will come back in the next timeline, but everyone is in agreement that this is what needs to be done. ...I've taken this as fairly ironclad proof that we all chose our retainers wisely.



...As for how well their resolve will continue to hold up in the face of the dark task ahead of us... that's ultimately up to how strong our leader can be.



...And therein lies the problem.



(Camilla knocks on Dakota's treehouse door)



Camilla: Dakota? Sweetie? Are you in there?



Dakota's locked herself in her treehouse for the past three days and has spoken to nobody but Keaton, Kana and Velouria.



Xander: Dakota, please, we need to talk about this.



...And apparently she hasn't said much even to them.



Camilla: ...Right. That does it.



(Camilla sparta-kicks the door down and walks in. Leo and Xander, stunned, walk in after her. Dakota is loosely curled up in bed on her side. Her expression is neutral and her eyes are dead)



Camilla: ...Dakota?



Dakota: …



Camilla: ...Dakota, listen... I know you're having a hard time... we all are.



Dakota: …



Camilla: ...But you can't let this stop you. We're almost there. We can make everything right, we just have to keep trying!



Dakota: Go away. What the hell have I done to deserve your sympathy?



Camilla: ...Oh dear...



Xander: Dakota, listen to me. You've made mistakes. That doesn't mean you can just give up. You're far from the only one here who's taken innocent lives-



Dakota: You have no idea what I've done. You don't even know who I am! Do you have any concept of how many people I've manipulated? How many secrets I've kept? How many people I've toyed with? How many lives I've taken!? All without a second thought!? We all grew up together! HOW CAN YOU ALL SERIOUSLY BE SO BLIND TO THE KIND OF MONSTER I AM!?



Leo: Dakota, please, shut up.



Camilla: Leo!



Leo: No, I mean it. This is completely unacceptable. I don't know what you might be talking about, and quite frankly I don't care. You simply do not have the luxury of wallowing in self-loathing and self-pity. We are quite literally the only thing that stands between this continent and certain doom, and you are our commander. Whatever demons you're struggling with, they have to wait. You have a duty to lead us to victory to get you back into the past and make things right. We need to be prepared to continue our deception of Father and make sure he gets on that throne at the right moment. What do you honestly think you're accomplishing by wallowing around here and doing nothing? You're the centerpiece to this entire operation. Without you it all falls apart. Surely you have to realize that. You're the only one who can ensure this doesn't end in disaster.



Dakota: ...I've had two tries so far, and look how well they've turned out. It seems to me like disasters are the only thing I'm capable of.



Leo: ...So that's how it's going to be. Very well. I can't say I'm not disappointed, Sister. ...Let me know if anything changes.



(Leo walks out. Camilla and Xander look at Dakota before following him)



Edited by Alastor15243
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Entry 408



I feared it would come to this. It seems that for the time being, Dakota is unwilling and/or unfit to lead the army of West Dakota in this final stretch.



For now, the royal family agreed that somebody must take up the mantle of commander of this army until we can figure something else out or work out some way to explain this to Father, and after much deliberation, it was decided that I was the most suited for the job. I cannot pretend I am a perfect match, as I am far more suited to sorcery and research than tactics, but I am the most generally knowledgeable of the royal family, and I am the most... capable... of making the sorts of difficult decisions a commander in this situation needs to make. And so I accepted the position. As such, my research log will for the time being double as a “war journal” of sorts, like the book I made for Dakota.



I cannot say I am not disappointed in Dakota, but I suspect I know what's going on with her. Dakota, while intelligent and cunning and quick to learn, had also always been exceptionally naive and ignorant, for just about as long as I have known her. And while she always had a remarkable capacity for kindness, she also had an astonishing ability to disregard empathy, dehumanize strangers, and act in exceptionally cold ways, traits that only became more pronounced the older she grew and the more Garon groomed her to be his successor. As I wrote in my entry when Dakota first returned to us from Hoshido, the tears I saw in her eyes that day on the Hoshidan plains were an almost alien sight from her, something I almost didn't expect to see from her at all.



Once she revealed she had come from an alternate future I immediately pieced together that the first war had fundamentally changed her to some degree, and I had assumed that was simply because she had been forced to watch all of us die. ...However, it would appear there was more to it than that. It would appear that witnessing the categorical, catastrophic failure of the Chamber of False Death, hearing those agonized screams, and knowing her blood little sister met that fate, has caused Dakota to look upon whatever exactly she did in the first timeline with newfound guilt and horror.



...In other words, her long-suppressed conscience has surfaced at the single worst conceivable time, right when we truly need her to keep up a cold front for Father and the world.



...This is very bad. We have no idea how much of her high tolerance for dirty work hinged on that emotional disconnect. For all we know she may no longer even be capable of violence, much less doing what needs to be done to bring the world back to normal.



...But such hypothetical concerns must wait. For now I must do what I can to keep the army strong and morale manageable. As such, I've gathered some of our limited supply of sorcerous reagents and put together a warp book for a training expedition. First I will have to talk to Lilith as to how to prevent time from freezing while Dakota's inside, but it should be doable. I will report the results when I return.





Results were adequate.



H4MpGGF.jpg



Most importantly, Laslow has mastered the art of replication and can now dance in two places at once, greatly improving our force dividing options.



QAN46Ab.jpg



I've had Camilla boost her luck with some goddess icons after noting Dakota's previous concerns about her being vulnerable to critical hits.



HmV4hbf.jpg


goMmY93.jpg



Kana informed me of Dakota's previous plans for him, so I authorized his reclass to basara.



uRYnfsQ.jpg


rF7ZJ56.jpg



Xander is also back in the paladin class.



XiYEMcn.jpg



As for me, well, as you can see I took this training opportunity to catch up with the rest of the team after spending a good deal of time lagging behind. Having no idea how long Dakota will be like this, I will need all the strength I can-



Azura: Leo?



Leo: Oh! Hello, Azura, you startled me.



Azura: Sorry if you were in the middle of something, but... I have something of an important question.



Leo: Very well. Ask.



Azura: You used that warp book to teleport us to a location and back, right?



Leo: ...Yes.



Azura: ...So... why can't we just teleport straight into Castle Shirasagi, take it over, and force the rest of Hoshido to surrender? It would be easier on everyone, physically and emotionally.



Leo: ...I would think you of all people would know the answer to that question.



Azura: Huh?



Leo: I can't do that because Hoshido has powerful magic barriers preventing teleportation anywhere in the country. That's why we had to teleport to that training ground from inside West Dakota. If we had done it from outside, we wouldn't have been able to teleport back.



Azura: …



Leo: ...What?



Azura: ...That's... not... true, actually. I never heard of any such thing. And even if there were such a spell, the only person in Hoshido who would be capable of casting magic that advanced would have been Lady Mikoto. And she's dead now. There should be nothing stopping us from teleporting directly into Castle Shirasagi.



Leo: What!? But then... why... but... I was...



Azura: ...Who exactly told you it was impossible?



Leo: …



Azura: It was Garon, wasn't it?



Leo: ...Iago, actually, but relaying information told to him by Garon. Very well. Let's say you're correct, and Garon lied to me about teleportation being worthless in Hoshido. That simply begs the question... Why would Father lie?



Azura: …



Leo: …



Azura: …



Leo: ...Right. Let me rephrase that: Why would Father lie about that? Why would he suppress knowledge that would allow him an easy victory against the Hoshidans?



Azura: ...I suppose the obvious answer would be...



Leo: That he doesn't want an easy victory against the Hoshidans. Or more specifically, that he doesn't want Dakota to have an easy victory against the Hoshidans. ...Yes, yes, this falls mostly in line with what we know about Garon's plans.



Azura: ...I don't know...



Leo: Hm?



Azura: I just have this sinking feeling... I... I don't think Garon was being completely upfront with Dakota at the opera house. ...I think he's hiding something else. I think there's some other reason he didn't want anybody teleporting into Hoshido.



Leo: ...(stands up) Very well.



Azura: What?



Leo: Suppose what you say is true. I see only one practical way to test it: try to teleport into Hoshido.



Azura: What!? Leo, no, that-



Leo: No, now that you brought it up, I agree, we need to test this. Too much is riding on this plan being successful. If there's something we're not seeing here, then that could be disastrous. We need to assemble a team to test this right away.







(Leo is standing in the middle of West Dakota's central square, addressing the West Dakota army. All are present except Dakota)



Leo: ...So that's the plan: we attempt to teleport to the remains of Mozu's hometown, a place highly unlikely to be observed, and we test if our hypothesis is correct that teleportation is indeed possible. Any questions?



Selena: Uh, yeah, I've got one... why?



Leo: Excuse me?



Selena: What's the point? What if it is possible? Garon obviously doesn't want us to win that way, so isn't this just a waste of resources? What could we possibly stand to gain?



Leo: Knowledge, Selena, that's what. The most valuable resource we have. The only thing that separates us from the common beasts.



Keaton: Hey!



Leo: I said common beasts, Keaton. Regardless, this mission we are on is of pivotal importance, Selena, the fate of the entire world depends on it. If there's something we're not seeing here... it could be disastrous. We need to know. Nevertheless, any number of things could go wrong depending on what Father is hiding. So we'll need somebody to test it first. And as this is my idea and thus my responsibility, I volunteer-



Camilla: Oh no you don't! What if we lose you!? Setting aside the fact that I would never forgive you if you died on me, what exactly are we supposed to do without Dakota or you? I'll do it.



Xander: Absolutely not! As the oldest, it's my responsibility to-



Leo: Poppycock! You know nothing about magic! If anything bad happens you could be stranded!



Lilith: Um... if I may... Why not just use West Dakota to open up a portal with the tome? It's much more stable, we'll know right away if it leads anywhere, and you'll get more mileage out of the magic.



Leo: ...Right. I suppose that would be the best course of action. Thank you, Lilith.



Lilith: Here, let me see that...



(Lilith drops her shiny ball and tries to grab the warp book with her tiny hands, struggling mightily with little success)



Leo: …



Lilith: Hnnng! Hnnnnng! HNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!



Leo: ...Do you... need a hand?



Lilith: Almost... got it... there!



(A circle of energy appears in the center of West Dakota)



Lilith: There... it should be turning blue any second-



(The circle of energy turns a deep purple and starts forming a spiral hole pattern)



Lilith: ...now. ...Uh... That's... uh... I'm not quite sure what that means, actually.



Azura: …



Leo: ...Well. I suppose that answers my question. Clearly there's something going on with teleportation in that area. The question is... how? And why?



Azura: …



Leo: ...It... does lead somewhere, right?



Lilith: ...I can guarantee that much, yes... but, uh... I... don't have any idea where this leads.



Leo: ...Very well. ...I believe it's for the best that we assemble a group to go through this gate at once. There's no telling what awaits us on the other side, so we need to balance between having a group large enough to fight off enemies, and having a group small enough to be reasonably stealthy. As such, I feel a group of eight would be ideal. Any volunteers?



Arthur: I volunteer.



Camilla: Me too.



Laslow: I volunteer.



Xander: I volunteer.



Selena: (Sighs) Fine, then I guess I'm coming to watch your back, Xander.



Dwyer: ...I'll go.



Felicia: I'll go too! I, uh... I make a good support partner for you, Leo!



Leo: ...Yes, I suppose that's true... but Azura would be far more-



Azura: I'm sorry, I can't go in there.



Leo: ...Let me guess. You can't explain why.



Azura: I'm... I'm really sorry, but no, I can't.



Leo: ...Very well. I guess that means Felicia's in. ...We'll keep you posted on what we find. ...Everyone ready? ...Let's go.



(Leo walks through the portal while the others move to follow. There is a blinding flash of purple light).



Leo: …



(The light clears. Leo comes out on the other side on a network of floating islands surrounded by vast expanses of cloudy-looking and yet still bright skies)



Leo: ...What the hell? Where are-



Felicia: AAAAAAAAH!



Leo: Felicia! What's wrong!?



(Felicia points over a ledge)



Felicia: B-below! There's nothing below us! We're floating in the sky!



Leo: ...What... what the hell is this place!? ...Let's keep moving, we need to explore the area!



What we have found on the other side... well I know enough about what lies above us that we are not floating high in the sky over the continent of Xelbus. And so this appears to be some sort of... bizarre alternate dimension made up of floating islands suspended in midair by... what I'm assuming to be some manner of magic, but I can't be certain... ...There are no signs of intelligent life... no, make that no signs of current intelligent life. We have traveled for about three miles now and have discovered plenty of structures that appear to be man-made, but for whatever reason they look like they've been abandoned for decades. We've seen no sign of any humans or, indeed, any animals at all.



There are, however, no shortage of plants, for whatever reason. And of course the immediate thing that comes to mind when I think of that is “I wonder what rain is like in a place this thickly covered in clouds close to the ground?”.



But back to the point... every sign indicates that there were people here, and then... suddenly... there weren't. It's... deeply unsettling. We've been careful to mark our path to ensure we don't get lost, and we are approaching a large castle-like structure. If we're going to find life anywhere, it will be in here. And if not... we will have to turn back, because we're approaching the edge of this particular floating island we found ourselves on, and we lack the means at the moment to travel across the expanse towards any of the other islands. I will update my notes when my team finishes investigating the castle.



...As we walked, the thought suddenly occurred to me... with so much of the area around us simply being a yawning abyss... it's very likely that our landing on solid ground was nothing short of luck. I could very well have gotten all of us killed with this plan. The very thought disgusts me to my very core. I simply hadn't considered that there would be any vertical issues with the teleportation, and that I should have sent a flier in first.



...We have finished searching the castle, and, bad news, once again the search for life has turned up a negative result.



...However, in a sort of morbid, unconventional “good” news, it turned up an entirely different kind of negative result. For you see... we did find a large amount of corpses.



The corpses appeared to be long dead and appeared to have been killed in a startlingly diverse and... imaginative... number of ways. I saw one that had been impaled through the neck, another who appeared to have been guillotined between two falling pieces of furniture, another with no visible cause of death whatsoever, three more who appear to have been half-eaten, yet the pieces that remain for each corpse are not consistent between them, as if eaten by a beast with an arbitrary and rapidly changing appetite...



...Needless to say I evacuated the castle shortly after discovering this. One look at what remained of their garb and internal architecture indicated that this was a wholly alien people who could easily have been carrying dangerous foreign diseases even if they had been alive. Never assume unknown foreigners are disease free. The Great Collision Plague five centuries ago taught us that lesson through far too harsh of an example.



...So obviously I'm having Dwyer and Felicia magically screen everyone for diseases, and thankfully the tests appear to be coming up negative. I also, however, took one artifact of interest out with me before evacuating. I immediately had it quarantined, of course, but it seemed far too important to leave behind. It appears to be some sort of diary or log of some kind, which would of course offer us great insight into what exactly this place is. Fantastic. ...Only one problem.



DnXn7vR.jpg



One look at the cover makes it obvious that this book is not written in Xelbus Common, nor even in Ancient Hoshidan or Elder Nohrian. I suppose this is to be expected, as whoever these people are, they clearly had no contact with the continent of Xelbus, or else we would have heard of them, and thus they clearly had no part in the creation of Xelbus Common. Understandable, yes, but infuriating all the same.



...I suppose it's time to stop and reflect on what we've learned so far.



...Well obviously we've confirmed that this place exists, though I have a sneaking suspicion that this may very well be... I will not say more in case this is in fact not the place, but let's simply say I suspect Dakota and Azura may have been here already.



We've also confirmed that whoever these people we saw in there were, they were native to this land, or at least got here from some other distant overseas continent we have never seen.



Next we have confirmed that something terrible happened at least on this specific island, though I am not optimistic about that being the full extent of the catastrophe we see here.



More relevantly to our goals, it would also appear that there is something going on in Hoshido that causes at least some kinds of magic to not behave in their proper ways when they are cast in such a way as to involve it somehow. Whether or not this is related to the catastrophic failure of Sakura's spell and is therefore by extension related to Sakura's tragic and untimely death... that I cannot say. But it is certainly one possibility.



...But most importantly of all, whatever this magic-distorting phenomenon in Hoshido is...



Father knows about it. And that is by far the most unsettling thing about this. What on earth could this possibly mean? I can't even pretend to guess, but I do know this: This does not remotely, in any conceivable iteration of reality whatsoever, bode well.



4ChONfT.jpg



...But whatever the case may be, I believe we are done here. It's time to set out back towards the portal and-



LX4OIuK.jpg



...Gods damn it.





Just like that, without any warning or fanfare, we're surrounded. I have no idea how these enemies got here, but... they appear to be more of the purple ones. They are quite obviously hostile, and are advancing on our position even as I record this.



...I will be honest, I was not expecting to be commanding a major battle so soon. I was hoping that Dakota would get out of her ridiculous slump before this, but it appears I have no choice.



Leo: ALL TROOPS, TO ARMS! SET UP A DEFENSIVE POSITION, EXPLOIT THE CASTLE'S DEFENSES SO WE CAN EVENTUALLY WEAR DOWN THEIR FORCES!





...Things are not going well. We are operating at half capacity even by the usual standards of our unnaturally small battallion, and the sheer number of forces descending upon us are unbelievable.



...Damn it. It would appear I underestimated the validity of Dakota's extreme cautiousness. ...My first real battle and already I've overstepped by capabilities.



...I...



...I'm at a total loss for what to do.



...I have nothing.



...We'll simply have to fight with everything we have... and pray.



Edited by Alastor15243
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vanguard Dawn.

It's based on the "elincia's gambit" chapter from RD. You either have to wait it out, or kill all 3 bosses. Each one has a skill book for one af a vanguard's skills (rally strength is the one not included). THere are also spawn points where geofry shows up in RD.

Edited by sirmola
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Entry 25

Dear...

...No. No, I've still got nothing.

...What the hell am I supposed to say? That I'm sorry?

The people I killed without a second thought...

The people I lied to and used for personal gain...

Hell, letting my own daughter eat people... encouraging it...

I can never take back what I've done, War Journal. Never. I pulled back the hands of time itself to undo that terrible past and it still doesn't change the fact that I did those things.

I did them. Me.

How can I just go on with my life and pretend like nothing's happened? Even if I succeed here, even if I manage to go back in time again, and even if, by some insane miracle, I actually manage to do something right next time...

My siblings, my husband, my children... how can I look them in the eyes and just live happily ever after, basking in their undeserved love and affection like I'm... like I'm...

...Suddenly my confusion over my siblings' adamant refusal to see Garon for what he is seems laughable. Of course they didn't see him for what he is.

...Did they ever see me for what I am?

(Lilith cautiously enters)

Lilith: ...Dakota? Can I talk to you for a second, I'm getting worried about-

Dakota: Lilith. You're still here?

Lilith: ...What? Of course I'm-

Dakota: Why? I have to ask... why? You of all people should have known better. You're the only one here who knows what I've done. You're the only person who knows everything I've done. You've known the truth about me even before I did.

Lilith: ...No, Dakota, you still don't know the truth about you. I know you've made yourself out to be some sort of irredeemable monster, but you're not! That... that thing you were for so long, that wasn't the real you!

Dakota: How can you possibly say that?

Lilith: Because... because the real you is the first thing I remember.

Dakota: ...What?

Lilith: ...Look, I never told you this, but... my memory is extremely foggy before the moment you found me. For the longest time I couldn't remember anything at all. Even now... all I can say for sure is that... I was on... an important mission... from somebody. I was supposed to find a ten-year-old boy named Dakota, somebody I was told was vitally important to the future of the world, and give him access to “The Time Castle”. ...The last thing I remember is being... chased... through the thick, snowy forest... by... something... and then I got hit by... something... ...And then it all goes black. My first... clear memory... is of waking up and seeing you tear up a blanket and drape it over me.

Dakota: ...You landed on the roof of the Northern Fortress. By the time I found you you were almost completely buried in snow. You got really lucky, I was still under house arrest back then, if you had landed anywhere else I wouldn't have been able to get to you. Garon had made it clear by that point that he didn't take kindly to me just taking in random strays and caring for them, so I hid you in the back of the stables behind a hole in a wall.

Lilith: ...You were so kind to me back then... I've never forgotten the warmth I saw in your eyes, Dakota. The second I laid eyes on you, I knew everything would be fine. ...By the time I got better and you released me... I still had no memories, no place to go... so I took human form and used my ability to talk to animals to get a job as a stablehand. I wanted to be able to see more of you.

Dakota: ...And then I suppose you got a rude awakening when you saw how much of a dick I was to you.

Lilith: ...I can't say I wasn't disappointed, no... but I didn't give up on you, Dakota. The kindness you showed me when I was in dragon form, I knew for a fact that that wasn't fake. I saw how you acted around your siblings, how you acted around animals... I knew that was the real you. I knew that you were a good person at heart who had been twisted by something. ...The first day I saw Garon, I knew immediately what that something was.

Dakota: ...So that's where this was going.

Lilith: Listen, Dakota, you can't blame yourself for how you grew up. You were raised in isolation by one of the worst parents ever!

Dakota: Bullshit! Garon raised the others and look how they turned out! A hell of a lot better than me!

Lilith: He didn't raise them like he raised you, Dakota! They were allowed to leave the castle! They were allowed to see the world for what it was! They learned things from other sources than Garon's propaganda machine! You didn't! Garon made sure of that! Don't you get it!? You were the result of Garon's concentrated effort to create somebody as rotten as he is! And guess what!? IT FAILED! What little progress he made with you didn't survive two months' contact with the real world! Face it, Dakota, you regretted your actions in the first timeline long before now, you've just been in denial about it! You're not the monster Garon raised you to be, and you never were!

Dakota: ...Suppose what you say is true... what difference does it make? Does that make anything I've done okay?

Lilith: …

(Lilith tosses her ball in the air and tail-spikes it directly into Dakota's face. She falls off her chair with a resounding crash)

Dakota: Ow! ...Right, I deserved that...

Lilith: OH SHUT UP! So you regret what you've done. Great. So you think you're beyond redemption. Fine. So you have to live with what you did no matter how many times you go back in time. Agreed. Now stop sitting here hating yourself and do something about it! Because you know what it is never too late to do? No matter how many people you hurt, no matter how many lies you tell, no matter how many bridges you burn, no matter how much blood you spill, it is never too late to do the right thing. So stop flopping around from bed to desk to floor to bed again, being useless to everyone you love, and do something about the fact that LEO HAS BEEN MISSING FOR THE PAST TWO HOURS!

Dakota: …

Lilith: ...Go back out there and get back to doing what you've been doing this whole time. The thing that never stopped being the right thing to do. Somebody sent me on a mission to find you. Somebody told me you were a great hero destined to save this world. And in spite of and because of all that I've seen, I believe him. Now go out there and do what we both know you're fucking amazing at! BEING BRILLIANT! Be the hero the world needs you to be! The hero you can be!

Dakota: …

Lilith: ...Please.

Dakota: Lilith... I'm sorry. It's far too late for me to be the hero the world needs me to be.

(Dakota gets up, picks up her cape and sword, and walks towards the door)

Dakota: ...But I can do what it needs me to do.

(Dakota leaps down from the top of the treehouse balcony to the ground, Basil the bond unit limply draped over her shoulder. Lilith floats down after her)

Dakota: Right, fill me in: What's Leo gotten himself into?

Lilith: Leo tried to test opening a portal into Hoshido and wound up opening a portal somewhere else. He took Felicia, Arthur, Laslow, Xander, Selena, Camilla and Dwyer on a scouting mission.

Dakota: And they've been gone for two hours? Oh dear. Right. Dakota family assemble!

(Keaton, Kana and Velouria all rush over to the treehouse)

Dakota: Excellent response time! Ready your gear, we're going on a mission!

Kana: Is it hero time again, Mama!?

Dakota: ...Yes, Kana. It's hero time.

(Elise gallops over)

Elise: I'm coming with you! You'll need a healer!

Dakota: Elise... are you sure you're ready to-

Elise: NO! I'M NOT! But if I can't save the Hoshidans, I'll do everything I can to save everyone else, and that's final!

Dakota: ...Right, glad to have you. Azura!

Azura: ...I'm sorry, Dakota, but I can't go through that portal.

Dakota: Why the hell no- (puts hands on head, forces smile) No, no, hypocrisy senses tingling, right, I trust your judgment. Fine then... Midori! Front and center!

(Midori pops out from behind the tree)

Midori: Hi, Dakota!

Dakota: You're coming with us. Follow Kana.

Midori: YAY!

I2sc1Oy.jpg

Excellent! Looks like we found them just in time!

Dakota: Elise! Stand by to heal! Velouria! Get ready to break through the enemy lines on my signal! Midori! You... just... keep looking for gold bars on the ground.

Midori: Okay!

Leo: Dakota!

Dakota: Leo! Xander! Camilla! Everyone! I brought reinforcements! Hold on, I'm coming!

Leo: ...Took you long enough.

Dakota: ...Yeah... sorry about being an idiot before.

Leo: Look, just get us out of this mess.

Dakota: Can do.

Leo: I have a teleportation spell set up to evacuate us, but we need to hold out long enough. If they get inside and disengage it, we're screwed.

Dakota: Are you positive it will work?

Leo: Here? No. But do you have any better ideas?

Dakota: Let me get back to you on that.

0DfiaI6.jpg

Begin.

KdEZrcB.jpgJItivxi.jpg

Right. The most clear and present danger I can see right now is this guy, a merchant with a gold bar and spendthrift. Not pretty. Worse still, his positioning makes it impossible to defend the crack in the central wall the enemy can climb through without taking a massive hit from him. This means he'll have to be the first to go.

Z9PqZ4z.jpg

Thankfully that's pretty straightforward to arrange.

t8KVDS4.jpg

This unfortunately means that the enemies other than the berserker, who can't put a scratch on Xander, will probably rush through the hole left, but he should be able to double back and take them out before they breach the central area, and even if he can't, the strike force up there should be able to deal with stragglers.

mw611r0.jpg

Next, upon seeing Laslow can replicate now, I have him do so, then I have Dwyer boost Leo's defense while he pre-emptively breaks down the wall and baits the upcoming enemies. We can't block all avenues of entry so we'll have to rely on calculated counter-attacks to minimize enemies that make a break for our rear line.

8Xu0mAb.jpg

Next it's time to try out Nohrian Trust with one of the friendship babies I've accumulated, one with Astra and Luna. I've also grabbed that Elderwinter forged fimbulvetr tome I commissioned a while back, as it seems I'm the only one fast enough to make any practical use of it.

Let the carnage begin.

ueBBPZU.jpg

That went reasonably well, only one miss on Leo's part went astray from the plan, but it was late in the round and everyone who hadn't yet attacked had ranged weapons, so it didn't have any ripple effects.

UKUW4HB.jpg

Goodness but Leo's been doing some heavy training since the last battle. And thanks to lifetaker, I didn't have to waste Dwyer's turn healing! That's definitely something to keep in mind.

xDjSY7H.jpg

Anyway, there's another merchant here with spendthrift, which is absolutely nasty, so I'm going to take care of this myself. All of the enemies seem to have Void Curse, so there's no harm in having me hog all of the nonexistent experience, especially considering the hurry we're in.

tD7WCU3.jpg

The reinforcements are dogpiling through the freshly-broken gate and just might be enough to overwhelm Xander (depending on the number of mages) and Leo (depending on the number of units in general).

UWjAzlk.jpgkRZJru2.jpg

And so I'm going to see if I can create a diversion over here, simultaneously taking out one of the three apparent leaders.

I successfully one-shotted the samurai without wasting my primed dual-guard thanks to a critical Luna strike, and-

PG0qusO.jpg

...Hello... what's this?

EbA6s2G.jpg

...No time. Let's focus on this for now, we'll investigate that thing back at West Dakota.

ezv7AT4.jpgulh2UPA.jpg

Anyway, while I bait the southern half of the eastern reinforcements, Leo deals with the three northernmost ones.

0DwGfCc.jpg

Sadly Xander is far too durable to be able to bait the western side, but he will help take care of that merchant at least, and he can plug up some holes.

5I3cjmW.jpg

Hm... now how to deal with this upcoming swarm...

ay9qfXJ.jpgc58Djlj.jpg

8qeGXn8.jpg7sA7qfH.jpg

That should do it.

bwNKy3O.jpg

And finally Laslow uses a sting shuriken in combination with his replica to take out this hand axe general.

ulsrfLZ.jpghi0xVUM.jpg

rYyq8qW.jpg

I've decided that my force, having pierced the rear lines, is going to gut the enemy's main force from the inside out. We're not waiting for that teleportation spell, it could go horribly wrong. Instead we're going to take out all three (now two) enemy leaders.

N9CwAjS.jpgOJOkpEW.jpg

ZF0luW9.jpgPRCyoex.jpg

Meanwhile, the team up in the main area of the castle starts drilling through the enemy reinforcements three at a time to get to the leader my team can't reach from where we are.

gmtl6OU.jpg

The second leader should fall shortly.

wMSOvkH.jpg

Everything goes according to plan.

QxmYJpf.jpg

...Until a bunch of reinforcements show up on both sides simultaneously. Maybe if I do it right I can take out both of the commanders at once-

F5SeRju.jpg

...Yeah, no, not happening. Wary fighter AND some synthetic Dragonskin skill substitute called Divine Shield.

gYc6h5d.jpg

Guess I have to settle for clearing out the reinforcements instead. Again. I hope these reinforcements don't keep coming.

5cpdEVr.jpg

Thankfully the western leader is far easier to dispatch, and we get another of these mysterious books.

FJhbvSD.jpg

I'll now be sending most of the main force over to support me in taking out this nasty general. I've also decided to have Kana back me up in taking out these reinforcements, as I need to take care of the northern ones as well and I needed one taken out while I healed.

HCxwP4j.jpg

With time running short, I get a bit more proactive, take out all the ranged enemies, and bring in Velouria and Kana for counter-routing. Those spy yumi snipers are nothing to worry about, they're too weak to damage either me or my children.

gyy7YcZ.jpg

There. Leo came in to add the tiny extra bit of firepower we needed to go from neutrally taking out the reinforcements to taking out the reinforcements and also dealing with the soldiers that were there. The general's healer is taken out, and now he will attack me and (hopefully, depending on how divine shield works) get hexed to be more vulnerable so we can take him out in one fell swoop next round.

DLa46fB.jpg

Reinforcements arrive... again...

Uhx0H6f.jpg

...But now I can take them out with ease and still damage the general. We only have one round left before the spell activates...

e3fdwV6.jpg

And I want that book he's carrying.

bZh8ifu.jpgSZkAFIG.jpg

...Game over, general.

tdFbSgg.jpg

...There. We've won. Now then... let's retreat and find our way out of here.

I spoke with Leo, Xander and Camilla. I expected them to be angrier that my inaction nearly got them killed, but they're all just grateful that I'm feeling better (though Leo is still a little angry, understandably).

...Yep. Best siblings ever.

I totally don't deserve them.

...Then I'll just have to work at it until I do. Because Lilith's right: I was being an idiot, wallowing in my own misery like that when there's work to be done. I got us into this mess, it's my job to get us out. And I'll stop at nothing to make sure that happens.

wd6kBuA.jpg

Arthur told me he found this while he was searching the castle earlier. Leo had quarantined it, but it seems to be perfectly safe. It looks like a class-changing seal, I'll have to work out what it does later.

Lilith: Um... Dakota?

Dakota: Yes, Lilith, I'm all better, or as close as I can be under the circumstances.

Lilith: ...That's great. ...Thank you. Listen... Morale's really low, and-

Dakota: Lemme guess: my behavior exacerbated it.

Lilith: ...Pretty much. ...I think you should talk to them all. Say something to them.

Dakota: Like what? An inspiring speech? That's not really... okay it's kind of my thing, but I need to be in a certain mood for that and-

Lilith: You can't make it any worse, Dakota, there's no reason not to try. Talk to them.

Dakota: ...Very well.

wZHYqQ7.jpg

Dakota: ...Ahem. Yes. Hi. Um... first off... thank you, all of you, for not deserting once the Chamber of False Death blew up. That would have been bad. Listen, uh...

(Dakota clears her throat)

Dakota: I will not lie. The road from here on out is going to be very messy. You will have to do things that go against your every instinct, and for that I am deeply sorry. But no matter how dark, bleak or terrifying it gets... Never forget the why. Never forget what we're fighting for. Never forget what we're fighting against. And above all else, never forget what we are standing between.

(Dakota begins pacing)

Dakota: All of us here want the same thing: an end to this meaningless war, freedom for all, and peace for all of Xelbus. None of these things can happen as long as Garon holds power. None of them. He is a megalomaniacal madman who has orchestrated atrocity after atrocity. He is beyond all reason. He answers to nothing but his own ego. He is the last person to be trusted with absolute power, and he has been given it. Before peace can even be conceivable, he must be torn from his seat of power through cunning and strength. The tragedy that happened earlier this week has changed none of that. And though we may mourn their deaths, and though I lament my role in their demise, I promise all of you this. The Hoshidans we have fought to get this far... all of them were willing to die to see Garon stopped. I will stop at nothing to see them get their dying wish! They will not die in vain, and they will not die for long. For the second Garon hits the floor, I am bringing every last one of them back!

(Dakota begins pointing into the crowd)

Dakota: Leo. You know as well as I that we can't do this without you. I trust I can count on your support. Xander. On all of the honor my soul can muster, I will see you put on the throne of Nohr where you belong. Camilla... I know I can always count on you. I want you to know how much I appreciate that. Dwyer... I know things haven't been great for you, and I know a lot of that is my fault, and for that I am sorry. You are family, Dwyer. I will never forget that, and I hope you won't either. ...Elise! They say the dead cannot be brought back. Lend me your staff and let us prove them wrong! Arthur! I know this goes against every instinct within you, but lend me your bow for just a little longer and I will make manifest the world that all true heroes dream of! Keaton, Velouria, Kana, my beloved family, let us show them the strength that rages inside each and every one of us! And finally, Laslow and Selena-

Laslow: You don't need to say anything more, milady.

Selena: We... kinda know the drill with this sort of thing. ...You're actually starting to remind me of somebody I once knew, for what it's worth.

Dakota: ...Thank you. Everyone! You all did great work today. Tomorrow the real challenge begins. And on the souls of my parents, I promise you, we will carve a bloody path to the gallows, we will help Garon as he digs his own grave, AND WE WILL STRIKE THAT MONSTER DOWN WITH THE RIGHTEOUS FURY OF A THOUSAND STORMS!

(Everyone roars with approval)

Dakota: ...How... how was that?

Lilith: Beautiful, Dakota. I knew you could do it.

...Right. That was a lot of big talk. Now all I have to do is make good on it. Shouldn't be too hard, War Journal. I've done it once with basically the same skillset as I have now, so defeating Garon should still be managable. But as for keeping his trust until then...

...Quite frankly, War Journal, I don't fully trust my own face anymore after everything that's happened. I don't know if I can look my Hoshidan siblings in the eyes and kill them without my face betraying me.

RB9uOqn.jpg

...One of the myterious travelers provided me with this mask... I think I'm going to use it.

(Elise opens the door to Dakota's treehouse and pokes her head in)

Elise: Dakota? Can... can I talk to you for a second?

Dakota: Sure, Elise. What about?

Elise: It's... it's about those Purple Ones we fought. ...You remember when you fought those two generals near the door we came in from, and you knocked one of their helmets off?

Dakota: ...Yes...

Elise: ...When he turned visible for a moment... I recognized his face.

Dakota: ...What?

Elise: ...His face... Dakota, I'm sure of it, I'll never forget that face... it was the face of one of the generals we fought in Izumo, the first one I... I... (starts crying)

Dakota: ...You're cert-... nevermind... I trust you, Elise. But... but if what you're saying is true...

...War Journal... what... what the hell could that possibly mean?

...I need to talk to Leo about what he found there. Immediately.

We need to know what we're dealing with.

Edited by Alastor15243
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm so sorry for the massive hiatus between the previous part and this one. It turned out that I wasn't as prepared as I thought I would be to write Dakota in the situation she wound up being in, it was new, extremely uncomfortable territory for me. Hopefully now we can go back to having an update every one to three days. Sorry again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Entry 26

(The royal family is gathered in Lilith's temple)

Xander: ...You're certain of this, Elise?

Elise: Yes. I... I could never forget that face.

Leo: Elise, please, I need you to think very hard about this. I'm not sure you understand the implications of what you are saying, you need to be absolutely sure-

Dakota: Kana saw one too, actually. One of the spear fighters he fought, just this morning he told me the spear fighter had the exact same face as the one back in the wind tribe castle, the one he killed with his first critical Dragon Vein.

Leo: ...Then... if that's true... that means... ...Well, to be honest I have no idea for certain what it means. But if the creation of Purple Ones is in some way tied to the people we killed... and the Purple Ones are the ones orchestrating this war... and the Purple Ones have been doing everything in their power to get as many people fighting and dying in the war as possible...

Dakota: Yes, it's fairly obvious that all of these things are connected. The question is how?

Leo: To that I have no answer.

Elise: So everyone we... killed... is coming back as a Purple One?

Leo: Not necessarily. We don't even know what the Purple Ones are. They could be enslaved souls, or they could simply be separate creatures created through a certain type of death that are just imprinted with the faces of whoever died to make them. Hell, to be honest we don't even know if the Purple Ones were even behind this. We've yet to see a Purple One resembling somebody who died normally, just ones that died in the explosion in the Chamber of False Death. We're working with very little information here.

Dakota: ...But I think it's safe to say that we now have yet another reason to reset time.

Leo: ...My thoughts exactly. Whatever they're up to, it can't possibly be good.

Dear War Journal,

UxEwNUz.jpg

For now I just need to buckle down and force myself onwards. Let's stick to talk of strategy and tactics. For example: these books here. They don't appear to actually have anything written in them, but are instead a one-time use magic tome to transfer ancient knowledge directly into the user's mind. Apparently that Ike fellow I recruited a while back knows all about these skills. This one, for instance, is a 50% skill rate special technique that unleashes sol and luna in succession. Nice.

ABa19KP.jpg

As I have plenty of combat skills at the moment, and as a 50% skill activation chance makes it largely useless to anyone without Hoshidan Unity or Quixotic no matter how good their skill is, I elected to give this one to Kana, which should speed up his transformation into another combat technique machine. Once he hits level 16 and then hits level 17 in Nohr Noble he'll be comparable in power to me.

The other two apparently boost strength by 3 while reducing speed by one, and grant +15 critical evade, respectively.

lIkBt8j.jpg

I could give the latter to Arthur, but let's face it, even with a skill that good at it, trying to neutralize his risk of getting hit by a critical is a lost cause, and a non-zero crit rate might as well be any non-zero crit rate for how acceptable of a risk I consider it to be. I'll focus on keeping him away from counter-attacks and focusing on pure offense, thanks. But in case I change my mind, I'll keep this around.

Frankly I haven't decided if I want to give anyone Heavy Blade yet.

5IEaRBR.jpg

As for the Vanguard Brand itself... it's apparently a male only class change seal that can make any man who uses it into a Vanguard, Ike's class, and grant him access to all three of these skills I got tomes for, as well as one other at level 35...

VmsnA0D.jpg

...Really the only candidate I can think of for this seal is Xander, since he can make the best of any sword-using class, but this tanks his resistance, which I've been trying to get as high as possible. I don't see much merit to putting him in this class. So for now I'll leave these things be.

pNZia4d.jpg

...Right. Let's keep moving, War Journal. Our next objective before making it into the final march to Castle Shirasagi is the Great Wall of Suzanoh. ...Intelligence reports say it's being guarded by Takumi.

...Bring it on.

h7BdOvb.jpg5GjIA5z.jpg

tq0cu9r.jpgvxiXvu9.jpg

Well isn't this a nasty piece of work? Looks like we'll have to wind our way around and through. To make matters worse, there are turrets everywhere, perpetually screwing with my dragon vision and making ranges harder to sort out.

ED86AJk.jpg

I see chests, and I'm tight for deployment space, so I have Laslow switch his one non-rally skill from Darting Blow to Locktouch. There, that should take care of this.

XfzoAwz.jpg

...And every single goddamned one of the snipers has counter. Damn it. I have to remember that or somebody could very well die.

nVQLnez.jpg

I see this place has stairwells, just like the Sevenfold Sanctuary. This should greatly simplify the task of assaulting the upper wall.

iIOUc0Y.jpg

Other than that the battle seems fairly straightforward. My only real worry is about those forts and what might come out of them.

...Oh, and killing my brother.

...But apart from that.

Lx5tuyE.jpg

...No sense delaying any further.

Begin.

DpGhdCh.jpg

jyldwpJ.jpg

...That's the idea, Takumi.

...I'm sorry.

VppUGfo.jpg

...There's really only one path to take here, so there's no reason to divide our forces. I keep everyone together so that there's as little risk as possible of any of the weaker units getting put in danger.

pgOmOm6.jpg

Takumi's army has a bunch of soldiers with various rally skills. These will have to be taken into account when setting up defense levels for baiting.

AEjnTsn.jpg

The first step is dealing with this group here. I decide to have Velouria play it safe with her high crit resistance and take out the spear masters while hexing the two basara. The snipers might approach for futile dual strikes, and if they do, I have the entirety of my army ready to bear down on them.

MUST REMEMBER THAT THEY HAVE COUNTER.

dI0MX7y.jpg

...That didn't go so great. One of them got a lucky dodge because of Darting Blow, another was confused by rally timing and didn't attack at all, thinking they couldn't hurt her, and then ALL of the northern snipers started moving in.

mOdnZej.jpg

...And then reinforcements showed up. Now if Takumi were smart, and I can't take the chance that he isn't, he would take advantage of the retreat this would usually force to summon the reinforcements no doubt hiding in those forts towards my starting point to start a pincer attack. As I can't allow that to happen...

KDYvpvu.jpg

I eventually solved the problem by retreating a bit, rallying up, and dancing up Kana, then taking out the spear master and the Rally Strength basara. Kana will be able to survive with a hefty buffer thanks to dual guards, and he should be safe from criticals thanks to the bonus he gets from being paired up.

I believe in you, Kana.

w0dW0X5.jpg

My faith is well-founded, because of course it is, and the strategy continues to hold for the rest of the reinforcements.

OtXmyRB.jpg

Right, that's been... taken care of.

PhtD41O.jpgLmNgHiQ.jpg

The next big hurdle is Hinata's group. He's got a nasty set of skills. Countermagic and Triple Threat are both quite scary, especially since I think Triple Threat activates when the user is attacking as well.

DAiJzFi.jpg

However, if Kana equips a tome and waits to be attacked from the one spot that only Hinata can reach, he'll be fine. And when the rest pounce, I'll be ready.

rw30aXG.jpg

And just in case we get more surprise reinforcements from right under our feet at these forts, I've prepared to counter-takedown some of these other forces myself to lighten the load.

XadPHUI.jpg

...And nothing happened. Right. This could be a problem. I may need to work out a way to take them all out in one round...

...While keeping in mind that Takumi's manning a ballista overhead.

pDcPr5G.jpg

...Right. It took a lot of testing and formation shifting, not to mention using Veteran's Intuition on Camilla and some skill books on Velouria, but I think I've got it now. First, Laslow and his replica rally everyone up...

vkMhrul.jpg

...then Xander takes out the first western sniper without triggering counter...

cC51gTD.jpg

...Arthur takes out the first eastern spear master...

AeFzYIW.jpg

...I team up with him to take out the eastern sniper...

2PkQa5o.jpg

...Velouria takes out Hinata...

XZLClhC.jpg

...Leo takes out the remaining western sniper, again at a distance so as not to trigger counter...

bizNYWs.jpg

...Kana sees if he can take out this spear master with the help of Leo's malefic aura and Dwyer's inspiration...

awhosJ1.jpg

...and when he fails, Camilla takes out the remaining eastern spear master with her Blooddrinker, knowing that ballistae can't kill...

YvW9OxF.jpg

...Azura reinvigorates Kana...

SxrppXF.jpg

...and Kana takes out the last spear master.

d3JzjJc.jpg

Takumi uses the ballista as expected, but it can only do chip damage, so we're fine.

2HiQpVJ.jpg

The ballista are set up to be a near-perpetual nuisance, but I think I have a way of taking them out quickly.

ZKNruBo.jpg

Kana is so close to getting Quixotic, so I chose to send him to bait these basara. Unfortunately they didn't take the bait, so I send him in to deal with these guys directly. He's too tough to be damaged by the ballistae.

sU8IQsh.jpg

...Unfortunately, the enemies along the far side of the canyon charge...

HKgdJtM.jpg

...And there are more reinforcements. Three sets of paired-up masters of arms, each armed with two of the three primary weapon-slaying weapons each.

m6PPa5B.jpg

...meaning this is a job for Xander.

d7tPALk.jpgjsBdg4n.jpg

lJLQjkG.jpg

The survivors go down pretty quickly.

9jSFdfk.jpg

As for the charging canyon units, Kana, now with Quixotic under his belt, can deal with them with relative ease.

Z7vxUax.jpgagiXewA.jpg

Having learned Quixotic, Kana now returns to the Nohr Noble class to learn Nohrian Trust.

MngTU8l.jpg

And Velouria learned Grisly Wound as she took out the ballista operator.

38HIjCl.jpg

This gives us some more breathing room, and from here I think this will be fairly straightforward. Stairwell exploitation will win the day.

4eNgonk.jpg

Xander, Kana and I breach the upper level of the wall without incident.

ymkAqpq.jpgZdgsCvc.jpg

...But now Oboro's on the move. She doesn't seem too dangerous. If she still had those nasty stat sealing skills from last time, that would be a different story, but mostly I want to make sure not to attack her from range.

DcAxEpb.jpg

I back away, have Kana retreat, and have Xander fight the incoming foes.

1DKj6cP.jpg

GSxveDN.jpgJ4PRJ4I.jpg

Top level secure, treasure retrieved.

HoZM78S.jpg

One final stretch.

gJDkVyX.jpg

Kana takes out the remaining soldiers...

Lkc7Arl.jpg

...gaining Nohrian Trust in the process, allowing him to use not only Aether but also his sister's Dragon Fang and Luna.

2YqGBJU.jpg

...Until finally only Takumi remains.

FJcTziI.jpg

...His combined critical and special skill rate is too high for it to be safe for me to attack him personally, however little I relish the thought of putting this job on somebody else.

vPrgljn.jpg

...Thankfully, Xander volunteers.

Innm3JC.jpg

...He makes it quick.

7pthDV8.jpg

QxYDTzM.jpg

...It's done.

Dakota: …

Xander: …

Dakota: ...Good job, Xander. One clean hit. Excellent form.

Xander: Dakota...

Dakota: We've secured the great wall. We should let Father know.

Xander: ...Very well. I'll send a messenger right-

(Takumi gasps for air and begins making raspy breaths)

Dakota: ...Still alive.

Xander: I'll-

Dakota: No, you go send the message. ...I'll do it.

Xander: ...Very well.

(Dakota walks over to Takumi. His breaths are getting raspier and fiercer)

Damn it. Takumi, I'm sorry.

(Dakota raises his sword over Takumi's heart)

...I'll make it up to you in the next timeline, I promise.

(A pulse of purple energy blasts Dakota back as Takumi floats to his feet)

Xander: Dakota! Are you alright!?

Dakota: Fine, fine, but what the hell is happening to-

(Takumi clutches his head in agony)

Takumi: Urghhhh.... Gaaa....

???: Uuuaaaa... HRG... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

LtTXVhW.jpg

???: ...

Dakota: What... what the hell?

???: …

(???'s eyes clear and the purple aura fades slightly, but it does not disappear. ??? is suddenly serene and calm.)

???: ...Hm? ...Oh! ...Well this is new.

Dakota: ...Takumi?

(??? turns to look at Dakota)

???: ...Takumi? Takumi, Takumi, Takumi... Am I a Takumi? ...Hm. You know, I don't think I feel like a Takumi. Sorry.

...Of course. I forgot.

Dakota: Whoever you are, can I assume this is the traitorous scoundrel who made Takumi shoot my little sister?

(??? tilts his head to the side and strokes his chin)

???: Is it...? I mean, I suppose that sounds like something I'd do. So sorry I don't have more to go on. (Smiles) But sure, let's go with that for the time being.

Perfect. That's all the excuse I need. Say goodbye to your child-shooting puppet, Iago. I really hope you feel this.

(Dakota draws her sword)

Dakota: Then in the name of the glorious Kingdom of Nohr, for the crime of assaulting a Nohrian royal, I hereby sentence you to death!

(Dakota charges. ??? casually draws his bow with lightning speed and strikes Dakota squarely in the right foot. Dakota roars in pain)

Xander: DAKOTA!

Dakota: GAAAAAAAAAH!

What the hell!? How did he do that!?

???: Oh dear. May I suggest shoes? Hm... Shoes... shooooooooooes... such a funny word.

(??? stares idly over the ledge as the wind blows)

???: ...Oh, and I've decided I feel like a Fuchsia today. Call me that.

Xander: I don't care who you are. You've shot two of my sisters now. If you think that-

???: I'm leaving now. Do not follow.

(Xander charges at ???, who promptly draws his bow again and shoots Elise from the other side of the wall. She promptly falls off her horse)

Xander: ELISE!

???: Do not disobey me again.

(Xander yanks the injured Dakota onto his horse and rushes over to check on Elise. Dwyer tends to her wounds as everyone panics and crowds around her)

(??? casually walks one foot in front of the other with his hands behind his back and steps off the ledge)

WHAT THE HELL!?

Dakota: Damn it...

Xander: Hang on. You'll live. ...I hope we can say the same for Elise.


OW!

...We can. The shot just grazed her, thank goodness. But the mere fact that he could shoot at her from so far away... and then just walk off the side of the wall like it was nothing...

OW! Damn it!

...I, on the other hand, have to heal for a few days. That fucking bow of his did serious damage to my foot. Not to the same degree as Velouria's injury before, but... damn is this testing the limits of my pain tolerance.

I need to get to sleep, War Journal, I can't think about everything that just happened right now.

But mark my words, War Journal... Iago is going to pay for this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is absolutely criminal that I haven't noticed this before. What can I say; I know the pain of not having anyone comment on your LP and I let it happen to another. Regardless, to say that this IMPROVES the story of Fates doesn't quite do it justice. Virtually anything would improve the story. No. This is a good story. I love the black comedy, I love the writing, I love the character of Dakota especially. Keep up the good work!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is absolutely criminal that I haven't noticed this before. What can I say; I know the pain of not having anyone comment on your LP and I let it happen to another. Regardless, to say that this IMPROVES the story of Fates doesn't quite do it justice. Virtually anything would improve the story. No. This is a good story. I love the black comedy, I love the writing, I love the character of Dakota especially. Keep up the good work!

Thank you so much, this kind of feedback is greatly appreciated! The next part should be out in the next day or two.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...