Welcome to Battles Beneath the Stars, a webserial styled like the guide and script of a non existent fighting game. If you’re new to this story, be sure to start at the prologue, from there each character’s story branches into its own version of events, so you won’t need to read anyone else’s story to follow this one. And if you just want other parts of the newsletter you can adjust which segments you receive here.
Last time Eamon listened to the appeal of Séaghdha, who requested that Eamon spare the assassin pursuing him on account of their history. By the arena Eamon got into an argument with Fintan, and now it’s time for them to fight in the grand finals of the tournament.
| Prologue/Introduction | | Table of Contents | Profiles | Non-Gamer Primer |
Open on Séaghdha’s Room
Eamon and Séaghdha are standing in a small simple impersonal room.
Eamon: Do you think the assassin will try to strike again during the grand finals.
Séaghdha: Probably not, but if she does she’ll likely be impersonating someone tasked with keeping her out.
Séaghdha: It’s strange, when I was wandering after the fall of the Phantom Constellation it was hearing the people speak of Fintan, the just and kind king, that inspired me. I wanted to become a man like him. But Fintan as he is here…
Eamon: He’s changed, but he’s still Fintan. He’s more than the story they tell now, but that story isn’t a lie.
Eamon: I just hope I can make him remember that.
Eamon leaves
Transition to Grand Festival Hub
Exploration Start
It’s a straight line to the next battle. Instead of eavesdropping you can actually talk to people.
Quiahuitl: I have to admit that I underestimated you. You’re no dragon dependent weakling, and you shouldn’t let yourself fall into the trap of relying on a dragon.
Quiahuitl: Us mortals have no need for the likes of them.
Eamon: I wouldn’t go that far. Still I appreciate the compliment.
Quiahuitl: We’ll never be friends, but we can respect each other. I’ve done all the conquering I need to, and I can tell you feel the same, so we can stay out of each other’s way.
Eamon: That’s preferable to war, but I’m not sure I can call that peace between us.
Ciara: I haven’t had a chance to tell you with everything else, but I heard of your reforms to the Royal Recorders. They sound completely different from how they were when I was one of them, you went even further than Fintan did.
Eamon: It helped that I finally got the excuse Fintan had been looking for to get rid of the Head Recorders. You would have loved to see their reactions. And made a perfect replacement for them. Though you could always come and join them again.
Ciara: Thank you, but even though it may as well be a new organization, I have no intent to become a record keeper again.
Ciara: The Royal Recorders and Phantom Constellation don’t seem to have been too different, both were built on teaching people to think of themselves as tools. Now one is destroyed and the other completely transformed.
Ciara: Lunis is better off without them.
Eamon: I just hope the Royal Recorders as they are now can be a good legacy to leave behind.
Nevan: It must be difficult to focus on the next battle knowing an assassin is around. Even your dragon uncle isn’t my greatest cause for concern now.
Eamon: I’ll put my trust in you and everyone else to let the grand finals go smoothly. But don’t forget to stay safe yourself.
Nevan: Thank you. King Eamon. I have full faith you’ll surpass King Fintan, both in and out of the arena.
Keep walking until you go off-screen, it’s time for the finale.
Exploration End
Transition to Lunan Throne Room
A chandelier hangs over the fighters, while an empty throne looks on from the background. Banners decorate the white walls of the throne room. Eamon and Fintan stand at the center.
Eamon: Uncle…
Fintan: Let’s speak through our swords. Show me you can overcome the rage I’ve tended to all these years. If you can’t, you’ll just repeat my mistakes.
Eamon: Being strong doesn’t make you right, you always told me that. You could have already seen how I’ve done more than just follow your example if you were looking.
Battle Start
Fintan has essentially the same moveset as you with a few key differences, most important being that he gets more damage when hitting with the tip of his blade. His projectile is also faster yet weaker. This makes getting in fairly hard.
If you thought this stage had no hazards look again, that chandelier in the center causes damage on contact, thus restricting your movement in the air. Keep your jumps low when around it.
Fintan’s supers look similar to yours but have different uses. Solar Sword is an especially fast projectile that can exploit an opening in your defense from the other end of the stage. Blazing Bulwark is a close range move that will throw you away from Fintan, forcing you to close the gap once more.
To get through this you’ll need a patient and steady approach, keep moving forward and blocking or dodging Fintan’s attacks until he’s up against the wall, where you’ll have an easier time getting in. If you get greedy the tables can turn quickly.
You might get overwhelmed on your first attempt or so, but keep at it with a cool head and you’ll walk away as the winner of the whole tournament.
Battle End
Eamon and Fintan have returned to round start position. Fintan’s sword extinguishes.
Fintan: Looking at you has been… painful. You’re your father’s son and my successor. I haven’t been able to look at you and not see the past, everything I’ve lost. I’ve been a phantom ever since that day.
Fintan: Yet you’re not either of us, you’re still alive. I wasn’t able to truly recognize that.
Eamon: You’re alive too.
Fintan: It hasn’t felt like that. But you’re right. It’s time I stop living in the past and keeping the dead for company. Even if I failed as king, I can find something else to be.
Eamon: You didn’t fail, not with me here to continue your work. The people know that, it was the stories they told of you that convinced Séaghdha to reform.
Fintan: It was? And I told you to kill him… Maybe I shouldn’t discard all of how I used to be.
Fintan: Enjoy your victory, but stay safe. The real battle isn’t over yet.
Eamon and Fintan walk off in separate directions.
Transition to Grand Festival Hub
Nevan is waiting for Eamon as he walks on-screen.
Nevan: King Eamon, congratulations on your triumph. Defeating the likes of Aodh and King Fintan will certainly silence anyone opposed to you now.
Eamon: …
Eamon slashes at ‘Nevan,’ who jumps back to dodge it. A dark aura forms around them as they return to their true form, an orc woman armed with a dagger.
Eamon: The real Nevan is too scared of Aodh to speak his name. You must be desperate to get so clumsy.
The assassin rushes at Eamon with a dagger, Eamon parries it.
Séaghdha and the real Nevan run on-screen.
Nevan: Oh good, he saw through it.
Séaghdha: Moira, please stop. You’ve lost. It’s time we let this constellation vanish from the night sky, without anymore bloodshed.
Moira: A dagger that won’t kill has no use. Before I return to my sheath, I will accomplish my mission.
Moira: As I slew the father, so shall I slay the son.
Fintan: I’ve heard enough.
Fintan, Aodh, and Ciara walk on-screen from the other side.
Fintan: Eamon, it’s your right to exact revenge, but permit us to help.
The trio rise their hands in sync, a wall of flames appears in the background. The fire on Eamon’s sword intensifies, transforming it. His new sword has a double helix shape with symbols of the sun and moon between the strands.
Eamon: Let’s finally put an end to this.
Battle Start
Special Conditions: Start the battle damaged. You have infinite meter and new super moves.
Hope you closed out last battle with a good amount of HP, because you only get a bit of recovery from the end of the last fight. If you lose and restart you’ll be at the start of this fight with 80% health regardless of how you ended the last one.
Your super moves are different for this fight. Sunset Sword will instead call Aodh to use his Condensed Inferno move for you, Infernal Vortex does the same for Fintan and Blazing Bulwark. You’re free to move as they’re using these moves, like an assist call in a team game.
Moira is a close range combatant who much like you needs to stay close to her opponent. Where you have a projectile she instead has a teleport move and dive kicks.
The super that will cause you the most grief is Phantom Bait, a counter move that does heavy damage, so try to combo into your hard hitting moves. Phantom Pincer will look a little familiar with how it sends out daggers from both ends of the screen.
This is the actual final battle of this story, so once you clear it you can really sit back and watch what comes next, then enjoy the unlocks.
Battle End
Moira is on her knees. Eamon sheathes his sword.
Eamon: Despite everything, I’ll give you a chance to surrender. There’s no need to die as the tool of a dead man.
Moira: Fool.
Moira throws a dagger at Eamon, who sidesteps it. Moira stands back up.
Moira: You don’t even know that ‘he’ also-
Eamon unsheathes and sheathes his sword. A pillar of flame consumes Moira, leaving no trace.
Eamon: You made your choice. May there never be someone like you again.
Eamon turns and approaches Séaghdha.
Eamon: She was the one who assassinated my father, but you had some part to play in it too, didn’t you?
Séaghdha: Only as a distraction. But I accept your judgement. My only regret for placing myself at your mercy is that I failed to save her.
Séaghdha kneels.
Eamon: I don’t need to bring my revenge to the point of extinction. Not against someone with no intent to fight, or someone whose request I failed to honor.
Eamon: As king of Lunis, I pardon you. Live out the rest of your days in peace here, and try to leave behind more than you took.
Séaghdha: Thank you.
Séaghdha rises and leaves.
Nevan: I’ll go inform our allies that the assassin has been slain, I wouldn’t want to intrude here.
Nevan turns to leave.
Aodh: Hey, uh Nevan. I know I already apologized back when it happened, but sorry about attacking you. I really regret that I acted like that to you and everyone else.
Nevan: …Thank you… Aodh.
Nevan leaves.
Fintan: Would you have actually spared her if she backed down?
Eamon: I don’t know, and now we never will. As satisfying as completing my revenge is, I know it’s not the best example to set with the kingdom as it is now.
Eamon: It feels less like we have peace in Lunis because people want it, and more that there’s simply nobody left to take revenge on. That isn’t the kind of peace you wanted to create at all. But when it came to those assassins, and the remnants of the rebels, I had to act.
Fintan: At least it’s something like peace. Maybe without all those feuding factions and insane organizations you can make Lunis into the sort of kingdom where the likes of the Bloody Day will never happen again.
Fintan: You also spared Séaghdha, that’s something for people to look to as an example.
Aodh: About that, not to undermine the point, but does anyone else feel like there’s still something Séaghdha wasn’t telling us?
Eamon: I’ve deduced what it is. It’s not something we need to know, in fact it’s better he doesn’t know that I know.
Ciara: Now I’m even more curious what it is.
Fintan: We should trust him enough to let him have secrets.
Ciara laughs.
Fintan: What’s so funny?
Ciara: You sound more like your old self than the vengeful ghost who’s been haunting this tournament. It just makes me happy to finally recognize your voice.
Aodh: Yeah, it’s nice for all of us to really be together again. It feels weird to say this after what just happened, but we should enjoy the rest of this festival while we can.
Eamon: I agree. Come on, I have a victory to celebrate.
Eamon leads the way forward.
Story END
The Last Phantom Star, Moira, is ready for battle!
The Side Story ‘Two Phantoms’ has been unlocked!
Note from the Author: Please forgive the delay in this chapter being released, I hope it was to your liking after all this time. While Aodh and Fintan were two sides of the same coin, Eamon brought a whole new perspective on them and Lunis that was fun to explore.
Up next we have the beginning of the final story, Walakea’s story, though unfortunately I can make no promises of when to expect it with how things are now for me.
| Prologue/Introduction | Table of Contents | Profiles | Non-Gamer Primer |