Erlingr: Focus
Chapter 2: VS Aodh
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.
Last time we got our first look at Erlingr’s story, stuck as thrall to a master who wants him as a marketable product when all Erlingr wants is a straight forward fight. But Erlingr isn’t one to easily admit to being dissatisfied with life.
| Prologue/Introduction | | Table of Contents | Profiles | Non-Gamer Primer |
Open on ???
Erlingr is standing in an area filled with thick fog that obscures everything around him.
Erlingr: What dream is this?
?: Come to me.
Erlingr looks around but can’t find a source for the voice.
Erlingr: Who are you?
?: If your mind was stronger, you would know. But you are chained in all things, lacking in mana.
Erlingr: I’m a thrall, I have none. Whatever mana my actions earn belongs to the household and my master.
?: I declare otherwise, and your master wouldn’t dare to be contrary to me of all people. Seek me in the Forest of Fog before the conclusion of this festival.
Erlingr: That would mean losing in the tournament. And I am in no place to ask of something like that of my master.
?: Don’t ask. Leave.
Transition to Oddr’s Ship
Oddr: If you win this next match against Aodh you’ll be quite the catch. And we can’t let someone who hates our entire culture show us up at our own event. This isn’t even the Radakali’s reputation at stake, it’s the whole isles.
Erlingr: Even if I lose despite all my efforts, Hákon is sure to beat that idiot.
Erlingr: (And in the event of a loss I won’t be granted leave to visit the Forest of Fog because of a dream. That voice should have asked for something possible.)
Oddr: Normally you’re not supposed to badmouth opponents, but hating enemies of our people is in character. Don’t make a habit of speaking ill of others.
Erlingr: Yes.
Erlingr: (Please forget to make me fight a certain way, I can’t afford to act while fighting a dragon. I might lose if I need to waste time taunting or something.)
Oddr: Be sure to finish the battle while using your four armed technique. That will help show the power of our people’s magic.
Erlingr: As you command.
Exploration Start
You’re still on a timer, so don’t dally too long, but now is a good time to practice special and super moves since you’re finally allowed to use them. Though you may have trouble grasping their nuances outside a real fight.
Also, take note of the slanted platforms you’ll cross on your way and how your attack ranges interact with them. And don’t forget to engage in classic video game protagonist behavior by eavesdropping on random people.
Curious Mercenary: Where do you Radakali get your magic from anyway?
Proud Sorcerer: It comes from our ancestor, Brynjarr. If you’ve seen any statues of a man who has something from every race, that’s him. His people were the first creations of the atua, so our power is closest to theirs.
Singer Thrall: I can’t help but envy the thralls of a supposedly lower rank. They don’t need to put up a show of loving their work, or have such an uncertain future. Please, Atdan, don’t let me be sold as little more than a trophy.
Lunan Noble: Aodh seemed far more reserved than I’d expect in the first round. Could his temper have finally cooled? I hope nothing sets him off again.
Keep going to the right and eventually you’ll walk off-screen and to the next stage.
Exploration End
Transition to Hollow Mountains
The stage is set high up in a mountain range at night, with flowers growing on the mountainside. A full moon hangs in the background. The ground is sloped, there’s no flat terrain to stand on. Aodh stands on the high ground, Erlingr on the lower.
Aodh: Hey, while everyone is too far away to hear, if you want to escape I can help.
Erlingr: I don’t. Keep out of our business foreigner, you’re just a visitor. Besides, from what I hear, your ‘help’ tends to end with the capital in flames.
Aodh: What the fuck? Well now I don’t feel any doubts about fighting you. Bring it.
Battle Start
Special Condition: Finish the fight while in four armed mode.
Now we’re finally able to get into the real interesting stuff about Erlingr’s moveset. You have a special ‘focus gauge’ filled up by both attacking and being hit, once it fills up Erlingr uses his magic to manifest two new tentacle arms that enhance the strength of every attack.
However, it fills up slowly if you just let it happen naturally. So you want to create openings for Erlingr to meditate, which fills up the meter but leaves him vulnerable. If Aodh gets low on health and your focus is also low, go all in on meditating so you don’t fail the special condition.
Your other special has two versions that look the same, where Erlingr stands in place and an illusion of him runs forward to attack. Or rather that’s one version, in the other Erlingr runs forward while leaving an illusion of himself behind. Each has their uses, like using the illusion to eat a fireball hit for you.
This stage does not have much room to run, its gimmick is simply that the whole stage is on sloped terrain. This doesn’t impact your moveset much, but it will be harder to jump over Aodh’s fireball projectiles if you’re on lower ground or easier on higher ground.
Aodh’s other attacks are fairly straightforward, once you get closer you’ll start to trade medium range attacks. But there’s another meter to watch now, the super meter. The main one to watch out for from Aodh is Condensed Inferno, a massive slow moving fireball he can walk behind to get past your defenses.
As for your own supers, Phantom Combination is an anti-air where you do an uppercut and have an illusion slam the opponent down, naturally save this for if Aodh jumps towards you. A Thousand Punches is a risky move with a long start up, but if it lands Erlingr will create many extra arms for himself and unleash a barrage of punches.
Of course, if Aodh’s health gets to a certain percentage and you’re in your four armed mode, using them is risky due to how powerful they are. You can easily snatch defeat from the jaws of victory if you do too much damage outside of four armed mode.
Winning this fight will take not just maintaining control of the fight, but control of your meters as well. You don’t want to do too well outside four armed mode.
Battle End
Aodh and Erlingr are back at their round start positions.
Erlingr: I don’t need your help. Or your pity, I can tell you were still holding back.
Erlingr walks off-screen.
Transition to Grand Festival Hub
Erlingr walks on-screen, Hákon is waiting for him.
Hákon: Nice fight Erlingr.
Hákon approaches, Erlingr steps back.
Erlingr: Sorry, still thinking in terms of battle.
Hákon: You never used to have that problem.
Erlingr: Things have changed since I became a thrall.
Hákon: Only for the worse it seems. I’m starting to get worried for you.
Erlingr: A councilor should worry about things more important than a thrall like myself. I’m fine.
Hákon: I still remember when you applauded me for doing things my way, even though you hated my way. And when you taught me that I needed to rely on others even with my power.
Erlingr: Yes I did teach you quite a bit. And now you don’t need me and I have other roles to fill.
Hákon: Erlingr, let me help you. You were pretty clear back in the day that you’d rather never fight again then be a gladiator. And I can tell you’re not being treated well. What happened to your warrior’s pride?
Erlingr: (Wait, I did believe that. How did I forget? That mental training took more than I thought.)
Hákon: Brynjarr worked for his freedom, you can too.
Erlingr: Don’t lecture one of the Radakali about our revered ancestor.
Hákon: You said everyone should strive to be like him, not just your tribe. That it was foolish to claim the inventor of the arenas as only yours. And that he’d hate the sight of what the arenas are now.
Erlingr: Well I changed my mind.
Hákon: That’s not the only thing that changed. You never let things be easy, do you?
Hákon walks away.
Chapter END
Note from the Author: Many things in my personal life appear to have been timed specifically with the goal of leaving me unable to get this chapter out in time, but I succeeded in getting it out on the usual date. As usual I hope you enjoyed it and the little mystery with Erlingr’s dream.
| Prologue/Introduction | Table of Contents | Profiles | Non-Gamer Primer |