Let's Play: Faxanadu! THE FINALE
Hooray, we're at the last part of the game! Let's get it ON!
Departing from Conflate, I ventured left at the fork that had lead me into town and
continued through the branch until I encountered another gigantic head-creature.
This one fell as had its brethren, leaving behind a strange helmet.
I attempted to wear it, but it would neither fit my head nor open, so I put it in my pack and
returned to Conflate.
The people of town had much to say about the helmet, some of it even useful.
With no clues beyond those, I continued on through town and beyond, and soon encountered a new
enemy:
The wizard did little but appear directly before me in an attempt to impede my progress, so I
simply stabbed it and continued forward, to yet another town, almost at the top of the World
Tree.
Although the woman called it Daydreak, the other residents assured me that its name was
actually Daybreak.
I was quite aware of and apologetic about my state, having not effectively washed since the
Fountain in the World Tree's roots. She understood and arranged for a brief respite in a
private bathing room that evening...
The next morning, I set about gathering more information.
The Battle Suit... I had heard vaguely of it as a valued treasure of the elves, loaned to the
king of the Dwarves centuries ago. I wondered if I would in fact discover it...
Clearly, the bath had done wonders.
Within the shop, I found a scroll, upon which was written they words of the most powerful spell
in the world:
Hastily paying for it, I studied it until I could use it with barely a thought, then left town
in search of the Battle Suit.
Almost immediately, I found something else which would prove essential to my quest:
Gripping the rod, I could feel the power of my magic increasing, but knew that I should still
be cautious in using it...
Onward I journeyed, until I met yet another giant head-beast.
The spell of Tilte channeled through the Magical Rod felled the creature with little effort.
The suit would not open, so I could not wear it, but when I placed it near the Battle Helmet,
the two seemed to hum and shake very slightly, as if tuned to the same note...
I quickly returned to Daybreak, and the nurse who had been so kind to me earlier gave me some
news.
But before returning to Conflate, I talked to the others in town to learn if they had any
further information for me.
Dartmoor... I had never heard of this place in all of my travels...
I made haste for Conflate and sought an audience with the Guru. He had a great deal to say, and
we talked long into the night.
The Dragon Slayer... the legendary weapon said to have once been used to kill Byorine, the
great dragon from whose body the World Tree is believed to have grown...
Just the thought that I might even catch a glimpse of such a treasure was quite exciting; the
idea that I would actually hold it, let alone use it in battle hadn't even entered my mind.
I returned to Daybreak and passed through it, eager to find the town of Dartmoor.
I soon became lost, but found a house in which lived a couple who told me of my goal beyond
Dartmoor:
They also gave me directions and sent me on my way.
The town of Dartmoor was virtually deserted. The only person I met apart from the guru and
shopkeepers was the tavern's barkeep, who swore he'd remain there until the day he died.
I happened upon a castle which had a strangely evil feeling around it, but whose door was
secured by a means I could not discern.
Beyond it was a much larger castle, whose door opened without any key...
The castles interior was gloomy, and filled with many of the great monsters I had defeated
before...
A new threat loomed before me in the form of an enormous, disgusting fungus that produced a
number of flying creatures that sought to get between me and my goal. I walked past it and
entered the door.
Within was an enormous dragon; it very nearly bested me, but after a great struggle, I drove my
blade deep into its heart. As it died, it let out a soul-wrenching cry, and yet within that
cry I could almost hear words spoken with the voice of one who had been relieved of a great
suffering...
I could not believe my eyes...
The Dragon Slayer!
From the tip of its blade to the jewel in the pommel of its hilt, every inch of the sword spoke
of great battles won thanks to its power; even its scabbard had images of the dragon Byorine
etched into it:
As I held the sword in my hand, the humming from my backpack grew louder; I opened it, and my
armor and shield fell from my body. For a moment, I was as nearly naked as I had been when I'd
returned to Eolis, but then, the Battle Suit and Battle Helmet opened themselves and flew onto
my body, fitting me perfectly. I felt an immensity of power flowing through my veins such as I
had never experienced in my life, and knew that I now had what was necessary to stop the
threat to the World Tree and all that lived within it.
Remembering what I had been told, I continued to search the castle until I came upon a modest
temple within its walls:
The guru immediately took notice of me, calling me forward. His voice quivered with excitement
mingled with sadness as he spoke.
I felt sick to my stomach. I had comitted regicide, and hadn't even known until just then...
The guru reassured me that I'd had no choice, and that the king's soul was at peace at long
last...
I made one last foray into the town of Dartmoor to rest, and spoke again to the barkeep.
He told me of a score of wizards who had gone to face the Evil One and never returned. I felt
my throat tighten for a moment as I set out for the final time.
The air within the castle was thick with dust and an intense foreboding that made me wish to
turn back. I shook my head to clear it of such thoughts and pressed on.
Virtually every step was guarded by the masters of the towers I had conquered, resurrected by
the Evil One to keep me from my righteous goal, all still bearing the hastily-closed wounds
inflicted during their prior defeats.
This was it. Beyond this door waited the Evil One. I steeled myself; I knew not what hideous
form he would take on, only that I must slay him with my own hands, or else the World Tree
would fall, and after it, the entire world...
I could hardly bear to gaze upon the skeletal features of the Evil One. As we fought, I could
feel it seeking entrance into my mind; knowing that if it posessed the Dragon Slayer, I shut
myself to its influence and struck decisively.
As the final blow hit it, its form melted away and my ears rung with a scream that continues to
haunt my dreams to this day...
With the Evil One dead, its minions also perished, and I was able to return to Eolis and the
king unimpeded.
He spoke, but I barely heard him, still shaken from the Evil One's deathcry.
He was right. Everywhere I looked reminded me of the horrors I had seen...
I surrendered the Dragon Slayer and the armor it came with, knowing they would be needed again
someday should the Evil One ever return to the World Tree, and left on another journey, hoping
to free myself of the shadow of what I'd done...
As time wears on, I'm sure the name of Droule Warzen Drasle will pass into obscurity, and
people will only remember the legend of the man who saved the World Tree...
Perhaps someday I'll return to Eolis, when time has passed and I desire to raise a family. Until then, I shall wander, seeing what else I can learn of this world... and possibly finding
that goblin and putting my blade into his throat.
Whew!
I hope everyone enjoyed reading this; certainly writing it was far more enjoyable than actually
playing the game. :b
As you might already know, Faxanadu is the NES psuedo-sequel to a Japanese computer game called
Xanadu, itself a sequel to the early action RPG Dragon Slayer. A further sequel to Dragon
Slayer and Xanadu also reached the US in the form of the NES game Legacy of the Wizard, which
I'm NOT going to LP so don't ask.
Anyway, I reckon I'll wait a while before I do another LP. I've got a couple other games I want
to finish first. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions for games you think I should LP,
drop 'em off in the comment box! :)
Departing from Conflate, I ventured left at the fork that had lead me into town and
continued through the branch until I encountered another gigantic head-creature.
This one fell as had its brethren, leaving behind a strange helmet.
I attempted to wear it, but it would neither fit my head nor open, so I put it in my pack and
returned to Conflate.
The people of town had much to say about the helmet, some of it even useful.
With no clues beyond those, I continued on through town and beyond, and soon encountered a new
enemy:
The wizard did little but appear directly before me in an attempt to impede my progress, so I
simply stabbed it and continued forward, to yet another town, almost at the top of the World
Tree.
Although the woman called it Daydreak, the other residents assured me that its name was
actually Daybreak.
I was quite aware of and apologetic about my state, having not effectively washed since the
Fountain in the World Tree's roots. She understood and arranged for a brief respite in a
private bathing room that evening...
The next morning, I set about gathering more information.
The Battle Suit... I had heard vaguely of it as a valued treasure of the elves, loaned to the
king of the Dwarves centuries ago. I wondered if I would in fact discover it...
Clearly, the bath had done wonders.
Within the shop, I found a scroll, upon which was written they words of the most powerful spell
in the world:
Hastily paying for it, I studied it until I could use it with barely a thought, then left town
in search of the Battle Suit.
Almost immediately, I found something else which would prove essential to my quest:
Gripping the rod, I could feel the power of my magic increasing, but knew that I should still
be cautious in using it...
Onward I journeyed, until I met yet another giant head-beast.
The spell of Tilte channeled through the Magical Rod felled the creature with little effort.
The suit would not open, so I could not wear it, but when I placed it near the Battle Helmet,
the two seemed to hum and shake very slightly, as if tuned to the same note...
I quickly returned to Daybreak, and the nurse who had been so kind to me earlier gave me some
news.
But before returning to Conflate, I talked to the others in town to learn if they had any
further information for me.
Dartmoor... I had never heard of this place in all of my travels...
I made haste for Conflate and sought an audience with the Guru. He had a great deal to say, and
we talked long into the night.
The Dragon Slayer... the legendary weapon said to have once been used to kill Byorine, the
great dragon from whose body the World Tree is believed to have grown...
Just the thought that I might even catch a glimpse of such a treasure was quite exciting; the
idea that I would actually hold it, let alone use it in battle hadn't even entered my mind.
I returned to Daybreak and passed through it, eager to find the town of Dartmoor.
I soon became lost, but found a house in which lived a couple who told me of my goal beyond
Dartmoor:
They also gave me directions and sent me on my way.
The town of Dartmoor was virtually deserted. The only person I met apart from the guru and
shopkeepers was the tavern's barkeep, who swore he'd remain there until the day he died.
I happened upon a castle which had a strangely evil feeling around it, but whose door was
secured by a means I could not discern.
Beyond it was a much larger castle, whose door opened without any key...
The castles interior was gloomy, and filled with many of the great monsters I had defeated
before...
A new threat loomed before me in the form of an enormous, disgusting fungus that produced a
number of flying creatures that sought to get between me and my goal. I walked past it and
entered the door.
Within was an enormous dragon; it very nearly bested me, but after a great struggle, I drove my
blade deep into its heart. As it died, it let out a soul-wrenching cry, and yet within that
cry I could almost hear words spoken with the voice of one who had been relieved of a great
suffering...
I could not believe my eyes...
The Dragon Slayer!
From the tip of its blade to the jewel in the pommel of its hilt, every inch of the sword spoke
of great battles won thanks to its power; even its scabbard had images of the dragon Byorine
etched into it:
As I held the sword in my hand, the humming from my backpack grew louder; I opened it, and my
armor and shield fell from my body. For a moment, I was as nearly naked as I had been when I'd
returned to Eolis, but then, the Battle Suit and Battle Helmet opened themselves and flew onto
my body, fitting me perfectly. I felt an immensity of power flowing through my veins such as I
had never experienced in my life, and knew that I now had what was necessary to stop the
threat to the World Tree and all that lived within it.
Remembering what I had been told, I continued to search the castle until I came upon a modest
temple within its walls:
The guru immediately took notice of me, calling me forward. His voice quivered with excitement
mingled with sadness as he spoke.
I felt sick to my stomach. I had comitted regicide, and hadn't even known until just then...
The guru reassured me that I'd had no choice, and that the king's soul was at peace at long
last...
I made one last foray into the town of Dartmoor to rest, and spoke again to the barkeep.
He told me of a score of wizards who had gone to face the Evil One and never returned. I felt
my throat tighten for a moment as I set out for the final time.
The air within the castle was thick with dust and an intense foreboding that made me wish to
turn back. I shook my head to clear it of such thoughts and pressed on.
Virtually every step was guarded by the masters of the towers I had conquered, resurrected by
the Evil One to keep me from my righteous goal, all still bearing the hastily-closed wounds
inflicted during their prior defeats.
This was it. Beyond this door waited the Evil One. I steeled myself; I knew not what hideous
form he would take on, only that I must slay him with my own hands, or else the World Tree
would fall, and after it, the entire world...
I could hardly bear to gaze upon the skeletal features of the Evil One. As we fought, I could
feel it seeking entrance into my mind; knowing that if it posessed the Dragon Slayer, I shut
myself to its influence and struck decisively.
As the final blow hit it, its form melted away and my ears rung with a scream that continues to
haunt my dreams to this day...
With the Evil One dead, its minions also perished, and I was able to return to Eolis and the
king unimpeded.
He spoke, but I barely heard him, still shaken from the Evil One's deathcry.
He was right. Everywhere I looked reminded me of the horrors I had seen...
I surrendered the Dragon Slayer and the armor it came with, knowing they would be needed again
someday should the Evil One ever return to the World Tree, and left on another journey, hoping
to free myself of the shadow of what I'd done...
As time wears on, I'm sure the name of Droule Warzen Drasle will pass into obscurity, and
people will only remember the legend of the man who saved the World Tree...
Perhaps someday I'll return to Eolis, when time has passed and I desire to raise a family. Until then, I shall wander, seeing what else I can learn of this world... and possibly finding
that goblin and putting my blade into his throat.
Whew!
I hope everyone enjoyed reading this; certainly writing it was far more enjoyable than actually
playing the game. :b
As you might already know, Faxanadu is the NES psuedo-sequel to a Japanese computer game called
Xanadu, itself a sequel to the early action RPG Dragon Slayer. A further sequel to Dragon
Slayer and Xanadu also reached the US in the form of the NES game Legacy of the Wizard, which
I'm NOT going to LP so don't ask.
Anyway, I reckon I'll wait a while before I do another LP. I've got a couple other games I want
to finish first. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions for games you think I should LP,
drop 'em off in the comment box! :)