Nisha's Story: Chapter 1

VS Hyperion: Obligations

| Prologue/Introduction | | Table of Contents | Profiles | Non-Gamer Primer |

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Open on Grand Festival Hub

Nisha and Walakea are on screen. With them is Tetlacatl. He’s a talpman carrying a staff, with a metal headdress adorned with flowers. He wears a long green skirt with a red cape flowing behind him. Symbols are drawn on his scales.

Nisha: I suppose I should make my way to the arena soon.

Walakea: You could at least try to sound excited. The two of you have been so busy writing things down you’re barely part of the festival.

Tetlacatl: It’s important to make records for those in the future.

Walakea: We’ll be there to tell the future generations what happened here. But at this rate you two will remember writing more than anything else. 

Nisha: The act of writing itself helps me remember. And as for my lack of enthusiasm, I’ll maintain a polite level around others. But I shouldn’t have to conceal from you two that I’m only taking part because of obligations.

Nisha: Our school is what matters most. And this is where we can establish the precise sort of connections we want to foster there. The tournament isn’t relevant to that, a tool for promotion at best.

Tetlacatl: Combat can be a way to learn more of someone, to see their soul. It’s why martial prowess is so valued in a leader, both here and in my homeland. A good performance in the tournament will draw people towards us.

Nisha: I trust in your judgement, but it makes little sense to me, even if I recognize it as the logic that governs most people. We offer knowledge, a different sort of power from the one displayed in contests such as this.

Tetlacatl: Power is power. And at the very least, Quiahuitl is sure to become a problem for us, making sure she doesn’t win has its own advantages. 

Walakea: Just don’t get so caught up booing Quiahuitl that you forget to cheer for us.

Tetlacatl: I’ll cheer for Nisha. I guess if you fight Quiahuitl I could spare you a few cheers, if you earn it. 

Walakea: That’s not how you speak to the favored husband.

Tetlacatl: Oh my, it appears you’ve become delusional, that’s my title.

Nisha: Neither of you are my favorite when you subject me to these feigned arguments. I’ll be going to the arena now.

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Exploration Start

It’s a simple straight line to the next scene, but along the way you have space to get used to Nisha’s moveset, so do that. 

Nisha is a technical character who needs to set up traps in the form of floating chandeliers, which will fall on opponents but can be used as platforms beforehand. She also has a projectile that comes out and moves slowly, but that big metal cube is good at forcing reactions. 

Her two super moves are Metal Rain and Armory Assault. Metal Rain will summon weapons to slowly fall from the top of the screen in one of three patterns, telegraphed by reticles on the ground. It’s easy to dodge on its own, to actually hit you’ll need to box opponents into it. 

Armory Assault is a good source of damage for Nisha, summoning a bunch of weapons a short distance from her to attack the opponent. It has a bit of windup, but that’s why you have so many tools for controlling the opponents movement.

While you get a feel for the range of attacks, try talking to the various NPCs on your way for more information.

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Observant Dravalan Noble: I’m surprised Princess Purnia isn’t here, she and Nisha always seem close.

Gossiping Dravalan Noble: I hear she stayed behind to look after the Forest Library. They’re both protective of it. I also heard Nisha told the emperor to his face that she’ll never trust him with it.

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Reserved Druid: It’s good to see Tetlacatl again. Life under the empire hasn’t been too different really, but we need someone to preserve the true history. And I can’t imagine him putting up with prayers to some xenophobic mountain range. 

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Eager Mondragean Villager: Seeing the dragons fight is going to be exciting. Normally I’d never want to see their powers.

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The next scene starts when you approach Hyperion.

Exploration End

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Nisha: How have you been finding the festival Hyperion?

Hyperion: It’s fun. Here there’s so much taking place that we’re not the center of attention, exactly how I like it. And how has it been for you and the husbands?

Nisha: I’ve been enjoying observing it. Though Walakea and Tetlacatl each have their own agendas, we’re less aligned here than we usually are. I’m sure I don’t need to describe the differences to you.

Hyperion: Well I am surprised Tetlacatl didn’t sign up just for the chance to fight Quiahuitl, and that you’re fighting instead.

Nisha: Hákon asked me to compete, and I know how much this event means to him. I’m treating this as a way to gather more information.

Hyperion: And to spread word about your school, right?

Nisha: That as well. What is your reason for competing? I wouldn’t have expected you to fight either given your distaste for draconic powers.

Hyperion: I won’t be relying on them. I’m not as into fighting as Hákon, but events like this can be fun, puts us on somewhat even ground with everyone else.

Nisha: I see. Then shall we begin?

Hyperion: It’d be rude to keep everyone waiting.

Transition to Layered Forest

The stage has two layers to it, the forest floor and the cavern below it. A massive tree rises from the cavern and pierces through the ground, bisecting the top level of the stage.

In the cavern there is a long main platform where the fighters start, there are no walls, so ring outs can happen.

A few platforms on each side help players ascend through holes in the ground (one on each side) to the top layer.

There is a platform just above each hole in the ground. Trees serve as walls on the sides of the top layer of the stage.

Thanks to the tree in the middle, the top left and top right are cut off from each other, the only way in or out of either is through the lower layer.

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Battle Start

Don’t let Hyperion get close, he’s a grappler, that’s what he wants, and you’re no good at close combat anyway. Get used to setting up your traps and working with your projectiles instead, they’ll need a bit of practice anyway. If Hyperion does get close do your best to create space.

The stage is large, so you have the advantage here. You don’t even need to use the upper layer, but the platforms leading up to it can help with slipping past Hyperion if he corners you. It won’t work in later battles with more advance opponents, but simply running from end to end and setting up traps can clear this one easily.

Hyperion will always jump over your cube projectile in this battle, so try to time things so that he jumps into an Armory Assault once you get the meter. If you use Metal Rain he’ll move to a safe spot, either hit him into the falling weapons or take the free projectile/trap use.

You won’t need to be quite that calculated to win per se, but the whole point of this fight is to give you the groundwork for later. Do whatever you need to reach a practical understanding of Nisha’s abilities.

Battle End

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Nisha and Hyperion are back at round start positions.

Nisha: (I won? But that was draining. My heart is still racing.)

Hyperion: That was a good fight, you had some clever tricks.

Nisha: I’m thankful you’re taking it well.

Hyperion: I would have liked to win, but everyone does. Good luck in the rest of the tournament.

Hyperion walks off-screen.

Nisha: (Hmm. Hyperion should have won, it would have been better for both of us, he enjoys this and I don’t. It’d be a relief if I lost, but I won’t do so on purpose, that’d be disrespectful.)

Nisha: (Still, I’d prefer being free of this obligation before the petty political power plays take hold.)

Nisha walks off-screen.

Chapter END

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Note from the Author: Nisha has been a popular character amongst my friends, dragon librarian with multiple husbands is a powerful niche apparently, so I’ve been worried about doing her justice here. It’s interesting to have a character who sees the tournament as more of a burden.

Optional Discussion Prompt: Which other characters do you think will appear as opponents?

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| Prologue/Introduction | Table of Contents | Profiles | Non-Gamer Primer |