I quite like the theme naming of the Grado Generals, since it's a relatively unique choice for a group theme name, at least from what I've seen.
Chapter 15 - Scorched Sands
: Finished.
Base: A direct move straight from the last chapter to this one limits ant shopping we can do, but I hand Franz a Dragonspear, and make sure everyone is well equipped for the coming battle.
Eirika: Hid up north, keeping near Joshua and Natasha to avoid the pegasus knight reinforcements, and then heading through the desert to hand a dragon axe to Franz once all the main foes were dead.
Ephraim & Pals: Traveled north from where they started, completely ignoring all but the two foes in their way, and then relaxed near Jehanna hall while everything went down.
Rennac: Dug up all the fine treasures that the desert held, though he ran into some danger collecting the silver card, the first thing he went into, since the pegasus knights singled him out as the easiest target. Garcia and Neimi covered him as best they could, and he held his own fairly well, but he still needed to heal. He then got the warp (rescued and dropped by Natasha and Josh to prevent Caellach from murdering him) and silence, picked up the body ring (which he gave to Natasha, so she can now wield Shine's unhindered), and crossed the desert to get everything else. He ended up giving the Metis' Tome to Garcia, since he was the lowest in level, and could get the most use from it.
Garcia & Neimi: Took care of the eastern side of Jehanna hall, cleaning up the majority of the pegasus reinforcements and covering Rennac when he went for the silver card. After the pegasi and shamans stopped coming, they just chilled for the remainder of the chapter.
Franz & Amelia: Advanced unrelentingly through the desert, straight down toward Valter and his troops, slowly but surely crushing all opposition in their wake. After the reinforcements meant to hound Ephraim's group appeared, they dealt with them too, until none but Valter remained within the southern desert.
Joshua & Natasha: Took care of the western side of Jehanna hall, where they lured out and picked apart Caellach's soldiers, and dealt with a few of the reinforcements who appeared as well. Once those foes fell, they grabbed Rennac before Caellach could gut him with a tomahawk, and then waited until everything else had been covered.
Supports: One this chapter, Franz and Amelia (A)!
- Franz: Amelia. Can I ask you something?
- Amelia: What is it?
- Franz: Why did you become a soldier?
- Amelia: Hm? ...... ... Because I was alone.
- Franz: Alone?
- Amelia: When I was little, I lived in a remote village with my mother. One day...bandits raided our village and took my mother.
- Franz: Oh!
- Amelia: I had no father... My mother was my only family. She was so sick... and so very weak...
- Franz: ...
- Amelia: When the bandits came... I hid under the bed... I hid there...trembling...
- Franz: Amelia...
- Amelia: I wanted to protect her! I...wanted to be strong! Even if I couldn't win... I wanted to fight! To protect the only person dear to me...
- Franz: Oh... ...... ... I see now... Thank you for telling me your story. I want you to know this, Amelia. ...My parents are gone, too.
- Amelia: You...too...?
- Franz: Yes... Well, I do have a brother, though. But I don't remember my mother. But I swore that I would live my every moment to its fullest. I swore to my parents that I would live a long life for them and be happy. Amelia... You're living the same way, embracing each passing moment. You believe in yourself, and your faith burns in you, making you shine. I don't know what it is you plan to do with your life, but as long as we travel the same path, would you let me walk beside you? I have my own path to follow, I know, but... I believe we're both walking toward the same goal.
- Amelia: Franz...?
- Franz: You don't like that?
- Amelia: No! That's not it. I'm...very happy! Franz...!
- Franz: Amelia, I'll protect you.
- Amelia: Franz... Thank you... I'm really happy. But...I want to protect you, too. I am a soldier of sorts as well, you know. So...let me be your shield to protect you...
- Franz: And I will be your sword and fight for you. From now on. You're not alone anymore, Amelia.
- Amelia: Thank you, Franz.
Caellach: Fought Joshua and Natasha, who engaged him directly on player phase and finished him off with the collective effort, using shine and Audhulma respectively.
Vs Caellach: "Caellach."
Joshua stepped forward into the small oasis of stable earth that Caellach had based himself in, addressing his old comrade curtly.
"Hey! If it isn't Joshua. It's been a long time. Have you been well?"
"I've been all right. Still working as a mercenary. When did you get all proper and join the Grado army?"
"Didn't I tell you? I wasn't about to waste my life as a nameless soldier. Still, I think back on those days a lot lately... My axe and your sword... The two of us were a deadly pair, eh?"
"......"
"By the way... I know all about you, Joshua. Who you really are I mean. The prince of Jehanna, huh? When did you plan on sharing the wealth, you sneaky dog?"
"Listen... You can't reduce a nation to loot waiting to be divided. And more importantly, I made a vow to my mother. I'm going to succeed her as ruler of my homeland." Before he could do that, though, he had a more personal matter to handle.
"Hey Caellach... You're the one who killed my mother, aren't you?" He placed his hand on Audhulma's hilt, already aware of Caellach's response.
"Yeah... Sorry 'bout that. Things happen, you know? C'mon, Joshua, don't hate me. This is war. There's nothing you can do about it. Besides, grudges get in the way of work, right?"
"That's true. It's as you say." Joshua drew the cyan blade from its scabbard. "Listen Caellach... I've got to kill you now. Don't hold it against me.
"You arrogant... You haven't changed a bit! I've always wanted to show you who's better, Joshua. And I'm even stronger than I used to be. I'm gonna wipe that smug look off your face for good!"
Caellach drew his tomahawk and with a flick of the wrist sent it careening towards Joshua. A smooth sidestep avoided the projectile as it flew past, and Joshua closed the distance quickly. With a feint towards Caellach's left side, he created a small opening on the right, cutting a deep gash into his foe's shield arm, and rolling backwards to avoid another tomahawk thrown in retaliation. Joshua continued pressuring Caellach from the right, but the general had wised up to the feints, and began aiming to trap Joshua between shield strikes and tomahawk swings, cutting off any avenues for escape. Before Caellach could succeed in trapping Joshua however, a bright burst of light exploded in front of him, blinding him and forcing him backwards. Partially blinded, Caellach scanned for the attacker, and hazily made out a valkyrie in the distance on the sands. He launched a tomahawk at her, and with her mount restricted by the sands, Natasha was unable to avoid the axe entirely, and felt the blade dig deep into her shoulder. She quickly began applying a vulnerary to the wound after dislodging the axe, and Joshua used the opportunity to roll beneath Caellach's guard and tear open his stomach with a slice from Audhulma.
Valter: Fought Amelia and Franz. Funny thing is, Franz could, with support from Amelia, kill Valter in one hit with the Dragon Axe (48 damage to Valter's 47 health). Since I'm sporting, I had Amelia fight him first with the Dragonspear Franz gave her, and then had Franz swoop in for the kill with a critical from the dragon axe.
Vs Valter: As they approached the fort that the Moonstone made his perch, he and his enormous serpentine wyvern took flight to meet them. Amelia took the lead, dragonspear at the ready. Valter surveyed them from on high, and suddenly dove towards them, driving his spear at Amelia. She anticipated the attack, and turned to avoid the thrust, using the haft of her own lance to drive his further down, dislodging his positioning. She then turned and thrust her dragonspear at the serpentine creature's wings, tearing through the leathery skin with ease and grounding the beast. Valter launched another ineffectual thrust, too absorbed in the battle to worry for his mounts wounds, and she deflected the blow with sweep of her lances shaft, opening the way for Franz. The great knight charged in, low in preparation for a rising sweep which rent through both wyvern's scale and rider's armor, tearing the flesh beneath to ribbons and killing them both.
Afterwards: Eirika and Ephraim reunite, and he gives her Garm and Gleipner, the Sacred Twins of Grado. L'Arachel then suggest that we all trade information now that we are gathered together. Ephraim explains how the war against Grado went, and also divulges the knowledge of the Dark Stone that Knoll gave him. This explains the sudden change in Vigarde and Lyon's temperament, given that Lyon possesses the stone and is currently using its power. Eirika is doubtful of this information, given her past knowledge of Lyon's character and a recent meeting with him, but Ephraim notes that he saw Lyon as well, and that he had become almost inhuman in temperament. Ephraim doesn't feel this change is actually in Lyon, but through some outside source, and eventually they decide to rely on the Sacred Stones to deal with the contamination the Dark Stone has wrought upon the world. The group decides to head to Renais, to retrieve the Sacred Stone from their homeland in hopes of slaying whatever demon has manifested through the Dark Stone's might.
Up Next: Ruled by Madness, where we deal with the traitor Orson, and reclaim Renais from Grado's hands.
PS: So sorry this took so long to get up! School began to pick up, and I was unable to get enough free time to do a writeup that I thought would be of good quality. With summer now on us, updates will return to their usual relative frequency.
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