05 - The Sacred Lands and the Nest of Eagles ("Emma...")
This bit is full of fsjkdfhkjsalhfksah sfjkfhsahlfsdjkfslkh!!!!!!
During the Luminecence, Rush and his group found themselves transported to the Sacred Lands above Elysion. After climbing up the stairs and leaving the door, they followed the path onto a great plateau in the clouds, they entered a great light and were taken to a place filled with hexagonal blocks and glyphs. Finally, following the only path available, they arrived at a pair of huge doors.
HQ version here
(The Sacred Lands is actually quite interesting in its design. You can see it here.)
There was a door in Temple of Elysion that was normally locked to the public, under the claim that it led to where the souls rested. But when the Qsiti guard saw that it was the Marquis of Athlum who demanded entrance, he unlocked the door and warned of the monsters inside.
The Catacombs underneath Elysion were no longer in use. The area crawled with monsters, including the Albic Qsitis, which looked like a pink, nude version of Pagus (XD srsly). It took the group some time to navigate the area and get to their destination.
HQ version here
Emma took Rush to the Numor Mines, east of Elysion.
HQ version here
Taking the manual-powered elevator down several levels of the disused mines, and getting rid of monsters along the way, they reached an undeveloped zone. Emma took Rush to a door.
Cutscene, short boss battle, then more cutscene:
HQ version here
Back to Athlum to report to David.
HQ version here
Everyone had something to say. "The Duke of Nagapur, Wilfred Hermeien, is a youthful and extremely capable ruler. However, he is rumoured to be as cruel as he is clever... If there is any hope for these negotiations to succeed, we will have to be at least fractionally as shewd as he is," Pagus said to Rush, as if expecting Rush to be able to have a hand in the politics.
Torgal was worried. "Any concession we attempt to get from Duke Hermeien will likely be paid for by Athlum being sent to fight to Conqueror. I wish Lord David success in his negotiations, yet..."
Emma had something quite different on her mind. "Lord David seems to be getting stronger by the day. I had no idea he'd thought so deeply on Athlum's independence. He's come quite a long way from the little boy who clung to my skirts after his mother passed."
That was interesting to know.
"If Athlum could get its independence, then... oh man. It'd be like a dream or something... I sure hope these talks with Duke Hermeien go well!" said Blocter, all Blocter-like.
They made preparations to travel and soon left Athlum. The dragon castle of Nagapur was to the northest of Elysion, past the Heroic Ramparts, which was a massive castle wall built by an ancient Lord of Nagapur. It was often referred to as the Ramparts of Shame by those opposed to its existence. As with most passage areas these days, the ramparts were overrun with monsters and Jhana thugs. To the north, a moat surrounded a walled area that was more recently used for the Tournament of Heroes.
Nagapur and its intimidating dragon - Gwayn, the Remnant. The castle Wyrmskeep, home of Lord Wilfred Hermeien, stood in front of Gwayn.
Flussbahn's great gate
The boats that went to Wyrmskeep were docked at Flussbahn. David, Torgal and Blocter boarded the boat, leaving the rest to wait in town. Not missing the chance, Rush paid a visit to Nordenalm, the biggest shopping district in Nagapur. From there, he could see the great gate at Flussbahn, and also the Gwayn - Nagapur's Remnant. It was an intimidating-looking thing, but the residents believed it protected the town all the same.
Talking to the locals at Pub Drachenbauch (information gathering was best where people's tongue were loose) Rush found out that Nagapur's previous lord was Lord Oswald Hermeien, who was a very generous and good man, but he suddenly disappeared several years ago. Lord Wilfred claimed the throne not long after. Rumour had it that Oswald was set and thrown out of Wyrmskeep by his own son.
Feelings for Wilfred Hermeien seemed to be mixed. There were those who said that although Oswald was a kind man, Wilfred was the one who led Nagapur to prosperity.
There were also other things. A mercenary thought Rush needed to know that the Duke of Ghor was a loyal aide to Nagapur's previous lord. That was why whenever Nagapur was in trouble the Duke of Ghor would come to the rescue.
In more mundane matters, a waitress had a bit of a grumble: "I see a lot of black-hooded fellas around the pub lately. They're all so rude and obnoxious! I mean, who brings a white jelly monster to a pub!? The other customers got scared and they all up and left! And here I am, cleaning up after it..."
Getting away from the hustle and bustle of Nordenalm, Rush arrived at Sudenalm, where the town square was richly green and folks gathered to relax.
Suddenly, next to a seating bench near the fountain, an amicable old man, who was dressed in simple clothes and had a hairline that had receded to the top of his head, spoke to Rush."You are Rush Sykes, I presume. I am Oswald. Marina was right - you have her eyes, filled with goodness and justice. You need not worry about her. She is about, gathering information to help you on your journey. She was here until just a moment ago."
Rush did not say a word. He observed the old man carefully.
"I realise it is hard to trust my words, but I know all about you, Marina, and your sister Irina. "When the time is right, I will tell you all there is to know."
The old man who called himself Oswald left Rush alone after that. And it was time to meet up with Pagus and Emma. But David and the others still weren't back. Walking around once more, Oswald had something else to tell Rush.
"Did you know that there is more than one way to enter Wyrmskeep? In addition to the boat, it can be infiltrated from the waterway beneath Sudenalm - the Aqueducts. Forget not this information, for it may come in handy someday."
Back to Flussbahn once more.
Video of David leaving by boat, followed by his return and the events after (Rush's town exploration and meeting with Oswald not shown):
HQ version here
They were all in a state of disbelief and anger - while they were in Nagapur, the Conqueror's army had advanced all the way to Celapaleis and dominated so easily. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before Celapaleis fell, and Athlum destroyed alongside it.
"Hmph. To be certain, at first I only thought you a silly, sheltered hayseed, but you've really grown a lot. I admit I'm a bit impressed. That said, don't get too full of yourself, Rush," Emma said before the main group left. She was to stay in Athlum.
Thus began what would be known in history as the Battle of the Nest of Eagles.
The Nest of Eagles war, where it was Rush & co vs many foes + Roeas + Castanea, was rather epic to play, though I'm not sure if it's fun to watch. You can find videos here: part 1, part 2. You might want to click the "high quality" version in order to actually see anything. If you can't be bothered to watch, well Rush & co won, of course. Roeas and Castanea were able to get away before they were killed.
Meanwhile, in Athlum (HQ version highly recommended for this):
HQ version here
=to be continued=
re: Emmy (Emma Honeywell II), she is the Warrior Woman Rush met before. I haven't described her much, but during sidequests, when Rush visited other cities, he ran into Emmy multiple times and these are the conversations.
BALTEROSSA
Warrior woman: You're looking well.
Rush: Heya, Ms. Young Maiden.
WM: ...Right. So, could you not call me that? It sounds ridiculous, to say the least.
Rush: Well, it's not like I know your name.
WM: Oh?
Rush: ...
WM: The name's Emmy.
Rush: Nice to meet you for real, finally. I'm -
Emmy: Rush Sykes, call you Rush, right?
Rush: Wha!? C-can you see into my brain?
Emmy: Perhaps! Of course, it wouldn't be very difficult...
Emmy: Take care, Rush.
BAALUK
Emmy: What's the purpose of my training? Well... a lot of things. But in general, training the mind and spirit, I'd imagine.
ROYOTIA
Emmy: You're still searching for your sister, aren't you? I wish there was something I could do to help...
MELPHINA, Cobalt Plaza, next to Silvia's Components.
Emmy: Of course I keep in touch with my family. That's how I know about you.
NAGAPUR Flussbahn
Emmy: I thought I'd done plenty of training, but I still can't even light a candle to Mother... But I can't give up.
That's all the convo I got.
Random notes: That was completely kick-ass but, OMG. DDDDDD:
Also, David gave Rush a flower! :D And Blocter glomping David will never stop being cute.
This part is full of videos... it may seem like there hadn't been a lot of gameplay, but I assure you, there was a lot of it. And inbetween events there were many sidequests. Some sidequests provided background knowledge to the world of The Last Remnant, the shifts of power throughout history, the rise and demises of familes etc. Some other quests are silly. But there are 66 of them in the whole game and if I try to write up even just half of those... I don't want to imagine. >>
During the Luminecence, Rush and his group found themselves transported to the Sacred Lands above Elysion. After climbing up the stairs and leaving the door, they followed the path onto a great plateau in the clouds, they entered a great light and were taken to a place filled with hexagonal blocks and glyphs. Finally, following the only path available, they arrived at a pair of huge doors.
Click to viewHQ version here
(The Sacred Lands is actually quite interesting in its design. You can see it here.)
There was a door in Temple of Elysion that was normally locked to the public, under the claim that it led to where the souls rested. But when the Qsiti guard saw that it was the Marquis of Athlum who demanded entrance, he unlocked the door and warned of the monsters inside.
The Catacombs underneath Elysion were no longer in use. The area crawled with monsters, including the Albic Qsitis, which looked like a pink, nude version of Pagus (XD srsly). It took the group some time to navigate the area and get to their destination.
HQ version here
Emma took Rush to the Numor Mines, east of Elysion.
HQ version here
Taking the manual-powered elevator down several levels of the disused mines, and getting rid of monsters along the way, they reached an undeveloped zone. Emma took Rush to a door.
Cutscene, short boss battle, then more cutscene:
HQ version here
Back to Athlum to report to David.
HQ version here
Everyone had something to say. "The Duke of Nagapur, Wilfred Hermeien, is a youthful and extremely capable ruler. However, he is rumoured to be as cruel as he is clever... If there is any hope for these negotiations to succeed, we will have to be at least fractionally as shewd as he is," Pagus said to Rush, as if expecting Rush to be able to have a hand in the politics.
Torgal was worried. "Any concession we attempt to get from Duke Hermeien will likely be paid for by Athlum being sent to fight to Conqueror. I wish Lord David success in his negotiations, yet..."
Emma had something quite different on her mind. "Lord David seems to be getting stronger by the day. I had no idea he'd thought so deeply on Athlum's independence. He's come quite a long way from the little boy who clung to my skirts after his mother passed."
That was interesting to know.
"If Athlum could get its independence, then... oh man. It'd be like a dream or something... I sure hope these talks with Duke Hermeien go well!" said Blocter, all Blocter-like.
They made preparations to travel and soon left Athlum. The dragon castle of Nagapur was to the northest of Elysion, past the Heroic Ramparts, which was a massive castle wall built by an ancient Lord of Nagapur. It was often referred to as the Ramparts of Shame by those opposed to its existence. As with most passage areas these days, the ramparts were overrun with monsters and Jhana thugs. To the north, a moat surrounded a walled area that was more recently used for the Tournament of Heroes.
Nagapur and its intimidating dragon - Gwayn, the Remnant. The castle Wyrmskeep, home of Lord Wilfred Hermeien, stood in front of Gwayn.
Flussbahn's great gate
The boats that went to Wyrmskeep were docked at Flussbahn. David, Torgal and Blocter boarded the boat, leaving the rest to wait in town. Not missing the chance, Rush paid a visit to Nordenalm, the biggest shopping district in Nagapur. From there, he could see the great gate at Flussbahn, and also the Gwayn - Nagapur's Remnant. It was an intimidating-looking thing, but the residents believed it protected the town all the same.
Talking to the locals at Pub Drachenbauch (information gathering was best where people's tongue were loose) Rush found out that Nagapur's previous lord was Lord Oswald Hermeien, who was a very generous and good man, but he suddenly disappeared several years ago. Lord Wilfred claimed the throne not long after. Rumour had it that Oswald was set and thrown out of Wyrmskeep by his own son.
Feelings for Wilfred Hermeien seemed to be mixed. There were those who said that although Oswald was a kind man, Wilfred was the one who led Nagapur to prosperity.
There were also other things. A mercenary thought Rush needed to know that the Duke of Ghor was a loyal aide to Nagapur's previous lord. That was why whenever Nagapur was in trouble the Duke of Ghor would come to the rescue.
In more mundane matters, a waitress had a bit of a grumble: "I see a lot of black-hooded fellas around the pub lately. They're all so rude and obnoxious! I mean, who brings a white jelly monster to a pub!? The other customers got scared and they all up and left! And here I am, cleaning up after it..."
Getting away from the hustle and bustle of Nordenalm, Rush arrived at Sudenalm, where the town square was richly green and folks gathered to relax.
Suddenly, next to a seating bench near the fountain, an amicable old man, who was dressed in simple clothes and had a hairline that had receded to the top of his head, spoke to Rush."You are Rush Sykes, I presume. I am Oswald. Marina was right - you have her eyes, filled with goodness and justice. You need not worry about her. She is about, gathering information to help you on your journey. She was here until just a moment ago."
Rush did not say a word. He observed the old man carefully.
"I realise it is hard to trust my words, but I know all about you, Marina, and your sister Irina. "When the time is right, I will tell you all there is to know."
The old man who called himself Oswald left Rush alone after that. And it was time to meet up with Pagus and Emma. But David and the others still weren't back. Walking around once more, Oswald had something else to tell Rush.
"Did you know that there is more than one way to enter Wyrmskeep? In addition to the boat, it can be infiltrated from the waterway beneath Sudenalm - the Aqueducts. Forget not this information, for it may come in handy someday."
Back to Flussbahn once more.
Video of David leaving by boat, followed by his return and the events after (Rush's town exploration and meeting with Oswald not shown):
HQ version here
They were all in a state of disbelief and anger - while they were in Nagapur, the Conqueror's army had advanced all the way to Celapaleis and dominated so easily. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before Celapaleis fell, and Athlum destroyed alongside it.
"Hmph. To be certain, at first I only thought you a silly, sheltered hayseed, but you've really grown a lot. I admit I'm a bit impressed. That said, don't get too full of yourself, Rush," Emma said before the main group left. She was to stay in Athlum.
Thus began what would be known in history as the Battle of the Nest of Eagles.
The Nest of Eagles war, where it was Rush & co vs many foes + Roeas + Castanea, was rather epic to play, though I'm not sure if it's fun to watch. You can find videos here: part 1, part 2. You might want to click the "high quality" version in order to actually see anything. If you can't be bothered to watch, well Rush & co won, of course. Roeas and Castanea were able to get away before they were killed.
Meanwhile, in Athlum (HQ version highly recommended for this):
HQ version here
=to be continued=
re: Emmy (Emma Honeywell II), she is the Warrior Woman Rush met before. I haven't described her much, but during sidequests, when Rush visited other cities, he ran into Emmy multiple times and these are the conversations.
BALTEROSSA
Warrior woman: You're looking well.
Rush: Heya, Ms. Young Maiden.
WM: ...Right. So, could you not call me that? It sounds ridiculous, to say the least.
Rush: Well, it's not like I know your name.
WM: Oh?
Rush: ...
WM: The name's Emmy.
Rush: Nice to meet you for real, finally. I'm -
Emmy: Rush Sykes, call you Rush, right?
Rush: Wha!? C-can you see into my brain?
Emmy: Perhaps! Of course, it wouldn't be very difficult...
Emmy: Take care, Rush.
BAALUK
Emmy: What's the purpose of my training? Well... a lot of things. But in general, training the mind and spirit, I'd imagine.
ROYOTIA
Emmy: You're still searching for your sister, aren't you? I wish there was something I could do to help...
MELPHINA, Cobalt Plaza, next to Silvia's Components.
Emmy: Of course I keep in touch with my family. That's how I know about you.
NAGAPUR Flussbahn
Emmy: I thought I'd done plenty of training, but I still can't even light a candle to Mother... But I can't give up.
That's all the convo I got.
Random notes: That was completely kick-ass but, OMG. DDDDDD:
Also, David gave Rush a flower! :D And Blocter glomping David will never stop being cute.
This part is full of videos... it may seem like there hadn't been a lot of gameplay, but I assure you, there was a lot of it. And inbetween events there were many sidequests. Some sidequests provided background knowledge to the world of The Last Remnant, the shifts of power throughout history, the rise and demises of familes etc. Some other quests are silly. But there are 66 of them in the whole game and if I try to write up even just half of those... I don't want to imagine. >>