Aris's Story: Chapter 1

VS Metrophanes: A Bloodstained Dream

Dec 01, 2022

Open on Grand Festival Hub

Metrophanes has two puppets out, Vulture Shah and a puppet version of Aris. He’s performing for a crowd of children. The real Aris walks on-screen.

Aris: (Oh, Metrophanes is doing one of his performances. Can’t hurt to watch for a bit.)

Aris: (Wait, that other puppet is…)

Vulture Shah: In the city state of Guingos they had a dark lord, which is what they call their shah, named Cyrus. Cyrus wanted to conquer all of Mondragnes, and he became cruel to his own people.

Vulture Shah: Eventually his general, Aris, saw through his lord’s madness.

Puppet Aris: Cyrus is my best friend, but I need to stop him. I can’t do it on my own though, or even with prince Chrysanthos on my side. They say a dragon like Hyperion is the strongest there is, I need to get his help.

Aris: (You could have stopped him on your own if you spoke up sooner, idiot.)

Aris: (Cyrus, no matter how people remember you, I’ll continue to pursue our dream.)

Aris turns and walks off-screen.

Exploration Start

The most important thing here is to get used to Aris’s moveset, which isn’t the most conventional. This section is basically a free form tutorial, with various spots have pop up texts explaining the game and Aris himself.

Aris is all about using his power over light to make little siege engines to take control of the stage. His mini siege tower gets in the way of approaches and serves as an extra platform, it can also be pushed forward and ram into enemies. It has a cooldown between uses and takes time to deploy, so it’s not the most spammable.

For direct projectiles you have the ballista and catapult, which fire in a straight line and an arc respectively after a short delay. You can’t have two ballista up at the same time, but you can have a ballista and a catapult both up to harass your opponent. Like the mini siege tower they have a bit of start up, but proper use of them pays off.

Aris’s close range attacks with his curved sword are nothing to write home about. They get the job done in terms of damage and combos, but their real role is to earn you enough space to use your siege engines.

Fittingly, Aris’s super moves are also focused on long range. Solar Bombardment has him unleash three large pillars of light in front of him in a row. Bright Ballista unleashes a rapid fire stream of arrows, and Aris can move around while enemies are being pelted with arrows, just try not to put it under a platform where people can walk over it.

While you’re getting used to him, there are some NPCs to eavesdrop on.

Xilian Noble 1: Still feels weird thinking of ourselves as being one with the other altepetl. I still say I’m from Huacali, not the Xilaman Empire, out of habit.

Xilian Noble 2: And we’re the ones at its center. I’ve heard people in the other altepetl are more than unhappy about the empire, though none of my relatives there seem to be among them.

Mondragean Commoner: The general that sieged Gaiapolis for years versus the traitor shaman. I know both have made amends, but I’m not eager to see either of them win.

Revolving Sea Noble: I heard Aris spent some time on the isles studying our form of warfare. Wonder if that will come out in his fighting style here?

Approach Metrophanes to start the first battle.

Exploration End

Metrophanes: I saw you watching my play earlier, you didn’t seem too pleased.

Aris: I don’t like how you glossed over the years I spent as Cyrus’s best general. You make me seem more heroic than I actually was.

Metrophanes: You were a key figure in the rebellion, without you it wouldn’t have happened. And with all the help you gave me for the play the least I can do is avoid assaulting your character.

Aris: I made it clear I was fine with you not concealing my faults.

Metrophanes: If anyone gets off easy in my retelling, it’s me. If I went into detail on your long war with Gaiapolis, I’d have to also bring up my failed insurrection. And I’m the last person who should tell that story.

Aris: I suppose that’s true. That reminds me, guess what form those sorcerers are giving the arena for our fight? I’ll give you a hint, neither of us are welcome in the real thing.

Metrophanes: At least I’ll finally see my home again. Someone should have told the people running the tournament we’re trying to escape our pasts, not remind everyone of it.

Aris: I tried to tell Hákon, but apparently since he’s competing he doesn’t have any say over these things. Let’s get it over with.

Transition to Gaiapolis (Residential District)

A city located within a mountain, this stage is set within its residential district about half way up the mountain. There’s a bridge connecting two sides of the city, beneath it is the harbor. Buildings function as walls for the stage.

Battle Start

In case you couldn’t guess from him being a literal puppeteer, Metrophanes fits into the puppet master archetype of fighting game characters. Many of Metrophanes’s moves revolve around manipulating Vulture Shah or having it attack alongside him, and he can even enter a state of meditation to assume direct control of it.

Keep an eye on both of them so you don’t get caught off guard. You want to focus most of your aggression on Metrophanes himself, but directing a few hits to Vulture Shah can keep you from being interrupted.

Normally this stage has you move to different parts of the city, but for this fight it’s locked to a single location. With flat terrain and two parallel platforms to jump onto, you’ll have an easy time setting up your siege engines in good spots. Try positioning the catapult in spots where its projectile will go through one of the platforms.

Since this is only the first battle Metrophanes won’t get too devious. Make sure you employ your full moveset so you can get a feel for how your moves work on opponents who fight back as opposed to training dummies. Getting pecked by Vulture Shah now will help teach you when it’s safe to set up the siege engines.

Battle End

Aris and Metrophanes are back at their round start positions.

Metrophanes: Good fight. It appears my puppetry wasn’t enough.

Aris: Maybe not in battle, but the plays you make with it bring people together. They’re more unifying than anything I ever thought of.

Metrophanes: The kind of unity you’re getting at takes more than drink and song. My plays can’t even write away my own reputation.

Aris: They have more influence than you know. How about writing one to promote all the city states coming together?

Metrophanes: Write your own propaganda Aris.

Aris: Saw that coming. I’ll see you later.

Aris walks away.

Transition to Grand Festival Hub

Hyperion and Aris are walking across the screen, then stop to converse.

Hyperion: Looks like we both made it through the first round of the tournament. Anyone you’re keeping an eye on?

Aris: Quiahuitl. Anyone who can put an empire together isn’t to be underestimated, she’s made Xilaman into a force to be reckoned with. Though I think there’s room for kinder monarchs and empires.

Hyperion: By which you mean you still want me to become padishah. I don’t know how you have more faith in me than yourself to be a good ruler. You’ve seen what happens when I get angry.

Aris: You’re someone common people look to and trust. You wouldn’t be a perfect leader, but an immortal ruler can grow and learn endlessly. Besides, as padishah you could have a massive harem.

Hyperion: When I said I wanted to get married someday I meant waiting for the right woman, not having trouble picking between women.

Chrysanthos walks in. He’s a yellow skinned orc in an outfit that’s similar to Aris’s. He stands next to Aris.

Chrysanthos: Uncle Aris, are you going on about how Hyperion should become padishah again?

Hyperion: He thought saying that I could have a harem would be enough to change my mind.

Aris: It would work on most men, though maybe not any of us.

Chrysanthos: If it works on someone they don’t deserve the throne. Besides, with his reputation Hyperion could put together a harem right now if he felt like it.

Hyperion: Which I don’t. One wife would be enough for me.

Aris: (Well so much for making my case in this conversation.)

Aris: Anyway, it’s great to see people from all the different city states in one place, and the rest of the world too. From what I’ve seen everyone from Mondragnes is rooting for Hyperion at least a little bit.

Aris: (And people from Gaiapolis are hoping I lose next round.)

Chrysanthos: You can count on me to cheer for both of you no matter what the crowds say.

Chapter END

Note from the Author: Aris and his friends all come from an earlier story I’ve been working on, so once again there’s a lot of backstory to convey. Good thing one of the characters ended up becoming a puppeteer/playwright.

If this ever becomes a real fighting game, Aris is one of the characters I’d be most interested to see with his siege engine gimmick.

As always feedback is appreciated.

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