Aris's Story: Chapter 2

VS Feriel: Loyalty

Dec 08, 2022

Open on Grand Festival Hub

Aris is on screen.

Epcoatl approaches from off screen. He’s a green scaled lizal. A white cloak hangs off his shoulders and covers his arms, he wears a yellow loincloth. On his head is a yellow headdress with antlers.

Aris: Greetings Lord Epcoatl. What does a mere retired general like myself owe your attention to?

Epcoatl: Is there anything ‘mere’ about you? Your feats and status as a drake distinguish you. I know about your desire to unify your homeland, similar to how my wife Lady Quiahuitl unified ours.

Epcoatl: I’m sure looking at the inner workings of my revered lady and wife’s empire would be of use to you in your endeavor. And you have experience helping stabilize new regimes, like with King Eamon of Lunis.

Epcoatl: We would like your assistance in securing the stability of the empire.

Aris: If you want my help you need to be more specific.

Epcoatl: Not everyone can see the greater picture of why the empire is needed, there are selfish people who fail to understand the greater good their loss of power serves. Or those who stubbornly refuse to embrace the empire, remaining fixated on borders that no longer exist.

Epcoatl: As an outsider, you are capable of assessing threats and dissidents with clearer eyes than mine. And you clearly understand the importance of maintaining our unity, since you seek it amongst your own people.

Aris: (Is this what I sounded like back in the day? Quiahuitl and him did succeed where Cyrus and I failed, and they didn’t entirely rely on war. Watching these two up close could be useful.)

Aris: Your empire seems stable enough for a fairly new political entity. Or perhaps there are whispers of rebellion you’d like me to silence?

Epcoatl: This is preventive, not a reaction. You’d come to us as a representative, and those who have spent years practicing how to deceive me will lack the experience needed to deceive you.

Epcoatl: I’d also be interested in learning of your strategies. You seem to excel in waging war from the shadows. Despite his later fate, I admired the story of how you ensured Dark Lord Cyrus took his rightful place. As well as your purge of those rebellious Lunan factions.

Aris: (The time I put my fellow would be conqueror into power and when I finished off groups that already failed their mission. Not the best things to admire me for.)

Aris: (And I’ve heard people say Epcoatl executed his own uncle. He might not be someone I want to be around.)

Aris: Only one of us managed to succeed in bringing about their lord’s, in your case lady’s, dream of unity. I’ll take the time to contemplate your offer, and make my decision by the end of the festival.

Epcoatl: I’ll patiently await your response.

Aris: Before you go, I have a word of advice. Try not to get so caught up in your lady’s dreams that you forget to look at the path you’re actually walking.

Exploration Start

To make it through to the battle there’s one point where you’ll have to make a mini siege tower to get up over an obstacle. As usual there are NPCs to eavesdrop on.

Lunan Noble: That general from Mondragnes, Aris, came and helped put the kingdom back in order after the Bloody Day. Hard to think that such chaotic times weren’t too long ago.

Hirzeni Noble: Long ago the people of Brytholm conquered the coast of our homeland, eventually it was liberated. My people have a long memory, and we don’t recall any apology, or any other reason to be forgiving.

Lunan Peasant: I heard some people say Nisha’s library was built by some long gone race of people, that true?

Dravalan Peasant: Not all dead, but they got purged out of the empire. That library of Nisha’s comes from before the purge, and apparently those people don’t read or write anymore, so they didn’t want it when she tried to give it to them.

Approach Feriel to start the next battle.

Exploration End

Feriel: Hello, my name is Feriel of the knights of Pheona. I look forward to doing battle with you.

Aris: Aris, former general of Dark Lord Cyrus and a drake of Hyperion.

Aris: (Hmm, she seems more inexperienced than I expected. But this is round two, even getting that far requires more than luck with the skilled fighters here.)

Aris: (Better to overestimate an enemy than pay the price of underestimation. And I don’t remember the Knight Commander being fool enough to send a weakling to something like this.)

Feriel: Good luck, and may we have an honorable battle.

Transition to Lava Lake

Battle Start

See that lava on the side of the stage, if you hit you’ll be damaged and thrown back onto the stage. It’s better than getting ringed out, but still something you want to avoid. When a character is shooting out of the lava they do damage on impact, so try not to get hit by that either. Assuming they don’t ram into you, it’s easy to land a follow up on someone who fell in the lava.

Feriel is going to try to back you towards the lava. Her spear has a long range so be mindful of it. Being projectiles, your ballista and catapult can outrange her if you get the time to set it up.

If you want to be cautious you can retreat to the other end of the stage and start setting up the siege engines before Feriel enters hitting you with a spear range. Though naturally you place yourself at the edge of the stage doing this, so if you mess it up you might get thrown to the lava.

Neither of you benefit from staying on the single platform floating above the stage, but it can help you approach Feriel if she starts to feel oppressive on the ground. There’s no reason to set up siege engines there, but setting up a catapult to strike the platform can help if Feriel ever does go to it.

While Feriel’s attacks have long range, they take time to start and have some end lag. If you block or dodge an attack that gives you an opening to set up your siege engines and get your momentum going. It also lets you get close enough to use your normal attacks, and enter the range where Feriel is at her weakest.

Since it’s only the second battle you don’t need to deal with super moves from the enemy just yet. If you haven’t already, take this time to get practical experience with them. Bright Ballista basically shuts down Feriel’s offense for the full duration if used well, while Solar Bombardment can punish any attempts to go to the platform.

Battle End

Aris: Now I see why they sent such a young knight to this tournament. Well fought.

Feriel: Thank you.

Feriel: Is it alright if I ask you something? I was wondering if you had any advice on how to be a better knight. I don’t want to let Chief Amezwar or the other knights down, but I’m still inexperienced.

Aris: I’ll leave combat itself to your fellow knights. Instead, let me advise you on how to work with others.

Aris: You should be willing to challenge your allies in order to keep them on the right path. Don’t be insubordinate, but when you have the chance, make any concerns of yours clear. Blindly going along with things will lead to disaster.

Feriel: Oh, that wasn’t what I expected. I’m still new to the order, so I’m not sure I know enough to question how we do things yet.

Aris: You’ll find out how things work and why sooner if you ask. More importantly, you shouldn’t take it for granted that you’re in the right. I did, and I paid the price for it. Why did you become a knight?

Feriel: Because the knights saved my family’s farm from bandits, and I want to help other people the same way they helped my family.

Aris: That’s a good reason. Make sure you don’t lose sight of it, or use it as an excuse.

Aris walks away.

Chapter End

Note from the Author: At last, every ‘playable’ character has made at least one appearance in a story. The prologue had the whole roster, but I thought it was important to show everyone in a fight.

Which character is your favorite so far? And how are you liking Aris’s story? Let me know in the comments below.

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