Aodh's Story: Chapter 1

VS Lingering Guilt: Red Like Regret

May 14, 2022

Open on Hollow Mountains

The screen is in the classic flashback filter. Aodh, Fintan, Ciara, and Doran are on screen. Fintan’s hair is longer now than it is in the present.

Ciara is a human woman in plain light grey clothing, her short hair mostly covered by her hat.

Doran looks similar to Eamon, right down to the armor. Doran has a more serious look and less ornate armor.

Text on screen: Hollow Mountains, the past.

Fintan: Lunis looks so small from up here. It puts things into perspective.

Aodh: Like how much of the world you still need to see. Let’s go somewhere else, I can fly us across the whole world, only going here is a waste.

Fintan: I can’t be gone from the capital for that long. Even being here is a privilege, one that I’m thankful for.

Ciara: Aodh, we could go traveling together. I can write up reports for Fintan and Doran.

Fintan: I’d be willing to sign off on that. It’s not typical record keeper work, but keeping me informed on other lands is a good cause.

Aodh: I want all of us to go, together. You’re the one who wants to travel Fintan. It’s not fair that you and Doran have to stay in the capital all the time.

Fintan: It’s the price of my privilege. My people need me, I can’t do things only because I want to.

Doran: And someone needs to protect Fintan. Besides, we have kids now, threatening nobles won’t change that I need to look after my son.

Doran: And I think we should get back to the children soon. But first…

Doran: Aodh, I know you hate this kind of talk, so I’ll make it blunt. You’ll watch over Eamon when I’m gone, right?

Aodh: Of course. And Fintan’s sons too.

Doran: Heh, I don’t know why I even asked. Fatherhood is making me anxious I guess. But with you around I’m sure Lunis has a good future waiting for it.

Transition to Grand Festival Hub

Text on screen: Grand Festival, Present.

Aodh is standing alone.

Aodh: (Things were as good as they could be, but I didn’t appreciate it, and I destroyed it all. The least I can do is learn to use more than brute force.)

Exploration Start

Now you’re free to move around and try out Aodh’s moves. Stepping in the rings of light will give you tool tips explaining how his moveset works, read them.

Also, you can eavesdrop on various NPCs for some gossip.

Lunan Noble: It’s him. Quick, look away. I’m not getting my hair burnt again.

Pheonan Knight: The Lunan King has some nerve using that fire sword when his people were the ones to drive the dragon of fire away.

Pheonan Knight: We would have treated him better.

Lunan Merchant: Okay think, what basic common thing back in Lunis would be exotic to everyone else?

Lunan Merchant: Only a loser would fail to turn a profit here, I can’t afford to be a loser.

When you’re done fooling around and have a handle on the basic mechanics, walk over to Hákon and continue the story.

Exploration End

Hákon: I’m glad you decided to come. Are you going to meet up with your friends? I could lead you to Eamon right now.

Aodh: No, it’s better that I stay far away from him.

Hákon: Aodh, we haven’t always gotten along well, but please, you aren’t fixing anything this way. Just talk to them already.

Aodh: I used the brand, that can’t be forgiven. Not like you’d understand that, slaver.

Hákon: Actually, I do. You’ve already suppressed your power over your friends, and all of us have our own ways to keep it from being an issue with our own drakes.

Aodh: It’s different. And I don’t want to be like you anyway. The only reason I came here was to stop you from winning.

Aodh starts to walk away.

Hákon: You’re not protecting anyone’s freedom by obsessing over your own regrets. You should at least listen to what they have to say.

Aodh stops, then resumes walking off-screen.

Transition to Lunan Throne Room (Infernal Nightmare)

Flames rage and cackle in the background, even the throne is on fire. The walls are stained with blood, the banners that hang on it are torn.

Aodh: Huh? No! Not this dream! Not this memory!

Camera pan to show Fintan. Two shadowy copies of him are on either side.

Fintan: Has it truly come to this? You’d kill each other and your own father in pursuit of power?

Both shadowy figures attack Fintan, he blocks.

Fintan: I’ve failed you as a king and father. But, I can’t allow you to ruin our kingdom with your selfishness.

Aodh jumps over the rightmost shadowy figure and lands next to Fintan.

Aodh: You brats are truly rotten. I don’t know which one of you dipped your hand into assassination and had Doran killed, but you’re paying regardless.

Battle Start

As the first real battle this is fairly uncomplicated. The stage is simple, with flat ground and a solid wall on each side.

The Lingering Guilt is just a worse version of Fintan, one that doesn’t have a full moveset.

While aggressive, it doesn’t block or jump, so fireball spam can shut it down easily.

Battle End

Aodh snaps his fingers. The Lingering Guilt is consumed by a pillar of flame.

Lingering Guilt: Uncle Aodh…

Pillar of flame vanishes, leaving behind a pile of ashes.

Aodh: (How many times have I relived murdering these children? They were the ones pushing me to lethal force, but if I had only disarmed them…)

Fintan walks onscreen.

Fintan: Aodh.

Fintan attacks Aodh.

Fintan: This is all your fault. You robbed me of my sons and Eamon of his father. You even stole my humanity, the little freedom that I had.

Fintan attacks Aodh.

Fintan: We should never have met.

Aodh: (You never said those words, but it’s alright. I know they’re true. I’ll let you hate me any way you want to. That’s the only way I can love you now.)

Fintan charges up an attack. Aodh stands still and takes it.

Chapter End

The Warthog Report

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