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In Progress Let's play Berwick Saga (PS2 Strategy-RPG from the director of Fire Emblem 1-5)
- Thread starter Endemic
- Start date
Endemic
Arcane
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 4,451
Keep Sherpa glued to her and use Guard at appropriate times. You get a small support bonus as well.
Mages are situational, but they do have their place. Training them in side missions and using accessories / Reese's commander skill to buff them is pretty much required.
That said, Vestaria Saga is a lot more magic oriented.
Endemic
Arcane
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 4,451
Update 175: Paralogue 3 - Stolen Sword (part 1)
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYbA6zfPSrw
Tianna: What a sad time we live in, that even our sacred grounds are being defiled...
Quescria: I have no doubt that these looters are after the temples' holy artifacts. Our vaults often store all manner of ancient swords, orbs, holy texts, and other sacred items...
Tianna: What a disaster... I will consult Lord Reese to ask what he may able to do to help. I am certain that he will sympathize with you and assist in resolving the matter.
Later, she discusses the situation with Reese:
Reese: Tianna, do you know of any vulnerable temples that have yet to be raided?
Tianna: Madam Quescria told me of a small one called the Shrine of the Forest, which is still safe.
Reese: Ward, I have an idea. Let's dispatch a team to defend this shrine and drive any thieves away. Hopefully, rumours will spread indicating that the temples are now being guarded. I imagine it would be fitting to send our swifter cavalry to catch these slippery thieves.
Ward: I agree, Lord Reese. I will make it so!
That evening, a surprise guest appears...
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxnnUFvRtmw
Kramer: I have a favour to ask!
Ward: You are in no position to be asking favours of Lord Reese! Leave us!
Reese: That's enough, Ward... What's this favour, Kramer?
Kramer: I want to help you get rid of the thieves attacking the shrine!
Ward: We have no need for you. We have chosen to dispatch cavalry for this mission.
Kramer: As I'm sure you know, Lord Reese, I'm rather fond of swords. Even just once, I want to be able to see that sword for myself...
Reese: This "legendary sword"... What exactly is special about it?
Ward: I believe I've heard of it, milord. It is called Balmung. It hails from the time when the Berwick League was first founded by King Gistair the Great. Balmung was the favourite sword of Gistair's right hand, the swordmaster Alcyone. The Shrine of the Forest was built to honour Alcyone and her sword.
More mythology nods here, Alcyone being of Greek origin (also a star in the Pleiades cluster): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcyone_and_Ceyx
Balmung is another name for Gram, which primarily appears in the Volsunga Saga.
Kramer: Gistair was great, as they say, but my favourite stories were always the songs of Alcyone... With Balmung in hand, she slew countless myriads of the king's foes! Just think of all the history that her sword must have seen over the years!
Reese raises an eyebrow, but says nothing.
Kramer: ...I was born on a poor farm. Ever since I was a boy, I've wanted to be a great hero like Alcyone. So about three years ago, after I turned 14, I ran away from home and joined the mercenary guild here in Navaron. And now, I have to the chance to see a relic of a legendary hero...
Ward: Hmph, now I understand. You're just a child chasing after foolish dreams...
:D
Kramer: Hah, like you could ever understand... What's important right now is that the sword of Alcyone is about to fall into the hands of thieves! That's something that I can't allow!
Reese: So what you're saying is, you want to protect this sword Balmung yourself?
Kramer: Yes, Lord Reese! Please...!
Reese: ...Very well. Ward, add him to the mission.
Ward: Yes, milord...
Kramer: Thanks. I'm really grateful, Lord Reese.
Kramer: I promise to protect Balmung from any and all harm! I swear my own life upon it!
Ward: Now, now... That's hardly necessary. It might be a legendary artifact, but it's still just an old sword. It's certainly nothing worth risking life and limb over.
Kramer: You simply don't understand... General Ward, what could be more worth risking my life than love?
Ward: Love... for swords... You're quite right. I don't understand at all...
Heh, maybe Ward is on to something. Well, with that introduction done, it's time to prepare.
Only 5 deployment slots available after Kramer is accounted for. To deal with thieves in forested terrain, both speed and accuracy will be needed.
Fortunately, there is a lot of equipment and money to work with:
I purchase some sniper arrows and give them to Sherlock.
Since there will be loot to grab from enemies, Thaddy can come along.
I'll also deploy Larentia for the added mobility, Elbert to use provoke as usual, and Sylvis for more ranged support.
Kramer can stick to longswords for now, and the eagle brace will help patch up his hitrate. Arrowbane could also help his survivability against archers, but I won't be leaning on it much.
With an apollyon and sniper arrows, Sylvis should have no problem taking out thieves.
Larentia will start with an estoc, since accuracy is the name of the game here.
Sherlock gets to keep Rossweisse as a backup for his generic bow; he's only a few skill points off Sylvis now.
Thaddy is set up for injuring\disabling, since only unequipped items can be stolen.
Elbert is the muscle for this operation, but I'm saving good shields for later. The used estoc is there in case he needs to help with thief-class enemies.
Arriving near the shrine, there are very few marauders visible:
It's highly likely that some are well-camouflaged in the trees.
This swordfighter has the albatross, which is an item Erzheimer is after. I'll be aiming to retrieve it.
Only enough ammunition for two bursts, but this crossbow could be deadly nonetheless.
The mage has a couple of troublesome spells. He can also use the mace if attacked in melee.
A quick switching of deployment spots, and it's time to begin the mission.
Uriad: Hey Shagaal, what happened to that big thing, you got? It looked pretty valuable.
Shagaal: I've got it right here. The plaque said it was the holy sword of Alcyone, you believe that?! With a haul like this, we'll be able to live easy for the rest of our lives! We barely even need the rest of this other junk we picked up...
Morax: Save the chatter for later! Right now, let's bring all this loot back to the hideout!
Kramer: Even if it costs us our lives, we must rescue the sword of Alcyone!
The primary objective isn't quite correct here, but I'll come back to that later. Let's see what these thieves are carrying:
Conveniently, all of the good stuff will drop when they're killed.
Sherlock takes aim at Shagaal:
He is fatally wounded by a direct hit.
Sylvis is reliable as always, and takes out Uriad.
A decent level-up.
Larentia attacks Morax, though he deftly avoids one of the two estoc hits, surviving for now.
An archer shuffles out from behind the trees and takes aim, although the arrow sails past harmlessly.
Thaddy brandishes his knife.
Hmm, this archer is still a threat. I'll need to eliminate him soon.
Next turn, Elbert takes care of that issue with provoke:
Now the objective has changed to reflect two options for ending the mission.
Sherlock puts an arrow into Morax, who expires a short time later.
Not a very interesting level for him.
Sylvis snipes the last of the four thieves.
Some swordsmen have come into view. Larentia keeps this one occupied.
Another enemy archer is revealed as she scouts ahead with canto:
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYbA6zfPSrw
Tianna: What a sad time we live in, that even our sacred grounds are being defiled...
Quescria: I have no doubt that these looters are after the temples' holy artifacts. Our vaults often store all manner of ancient swords, orbs, holy texts, and other sacred items...
Tianna: What a disaster... I will consult Lord Reese to ask what he may able to do to help. I am certain that he will sympathize with you and assist in resolving the matter.
Later, she discusses the situation with Reese:
Reese: Tianna, do you know of any vulnerable temples that have yet to be raided?
Tianna: Madam Quescria told me of a small one called the Shrine of the Forest, which is still safe.
Reese: Ward, I have an idea. Let's dispatch a team to defend this shrine and drive any thieves away. Hopefully, rumours will spread indicating that the temples are now being guarded. I imagine it would be fitting to send our swifter cavalry to catch these slippery thieves.
Ward: I agree, Lord Reese. I will make it so!
That evening, a surprise guest appears...
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxnnUFvRtmw
Kramer: I have a favour to ask!
Ward: You are in no position to be asking favours of Lord Reese! Leave us!
Reese: That's enough, Ward... What's this favour, Kramer?
Kramer: I want to help you get rid of the thieves attacking the shrine!
Ward: We have no need for you. We have chosen to dispatch cavalry for this mission.
Kramer: As I'm sure you know, Lord Reese, I'm rather fond of swords. Even just once, I want to be able to see that sword for myself...
Reese: This "legendary sword"... What exactly is special about it?
Ward: I believe I've heard of it, milord. It is called Balmung. It hails from the time when the Berwick League was first founded by King Gistair the Great. Balmung was the favourite sword of Gistair's right hand, the swordmaster Alcyone. The Shrine of the Forest was built to honour Alcyone and her sword.
More mythology nods here, Alcyone being of Greek origin (also a star in the Pleiades cluster): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcyone_and_Ceyx
Balmung is another name for Gram, which primarily appears in the Volsunga Saga.
Kramer: Gistair was great, as they say, but my favourite stories were always the songs of Alcyone... With Balmung in hand, she slew countless myriads of the king's foes! Just think of all the history that her sword must have seen over the years!
Reese raises an eyebrow, but says nothing.
Kramer: ...I was born on a poor farm. Ever since I was a boy, I've wanted to be a great hero like Alcyone. So about three years ago, after I turned 14, I ran away from home and joined the mercenary guild here in Navaron. And now, I have to the chance to see a relic of a legendary hero...
Ward: Hmph, now I understand. You're just a child chasing after foolish dreams...
:D
Kramer: Hah, like you could ever understand... What's important right now is that the sword of Alcyone is about to fall into the hands of thieves! That's something that I can't allow!
Reese: So what you're saying is, you want to protect this sword Balmung yourself?
Kramer: Yes, Lord Reese! Please...!
Reese: ...Very well. Ward, add him to the mission.
Ward: Yes, milord...
Kramer: Thanks. I'm really grateful, Lord Reese.
Kramer: I promise to protect Balmung from any and all harm! I swear my own life upon it!
Ward: Now, now... That's hardly necessary. It might be a legendary artifact, but it's still just an old sword. It's certainly nothing worth risking life and limb over.
Kramer: You simply don't understand... General Ward, what could be more worth risking my life than love?
Ward: Love... for swords... You're quite right. I don't understand at all...
Heh, maybe Ward is on to something. Well, with that introduction done, it's time to prepare.
Only 5 deployment slots available after Kramer is accounted for. To deal with thieves in forested terrain, both speed and accuracy will be needed.
Fortunately, there is a lot of equipment and money to work with:
I purchase some sniper arrows and give them to Sherlock.
Since there will be loot to grab from enemies, Thaddy can come along.
I'll also deploy Larentia for the added mobility, Elbert to use provoke as usual, and Sylvis for more ranged support.
Kramer can stick to longswords for now, and the eagle brace will help patch up his hitrate. Arrowbane could also help his survivability against archers, but I won't be leaning on it much.
With an apollyon and sniper arrows, Sylvis should have no problem taking out thieves.
Larentia will start with an estoc, since accuracy is the name of the game here.
Sherlock gets to keep Rossweisse as a backup for his generic bow; he's only a few skill points off Sylvis now.
Thaddy is set up for injuring\disabling, since only unequipped items can be stolen.
Elbert is the muscle for this operation, but I'm saving good shields for later. The used estoc is there in case he needs to help with thief-class enemies.
Arriving near the shrine, there are very few marauders visible:
It's highly likely that some are well-camouflaged in the trees.
This swordfighter has the albatross, which is an item Erzheimer is after. I'll be aiming to retrieve it.
Only enough ammunition for two bursts, but this crossbow could be deadly nonetheless.
The mage has a couple of troublesome spells. He can also use the mace if attacked in melee.
A quick switching of deployment spots, and it's time to begin the mission.
Uriad: Hey Shagaal, what happened to that big thing, you got? It looked pretty valuable.
Shagaal: I've got it right here. The plaque said it was the holy sword of Alcyone, you believe that?! With a haul like this, we'll be able to live easy for the rest of our lives! We barely even need the rest of this other junk we picked up...
Morax: Save the chatter for later! Right now, let's bring all this loot back to the hideout!
Kramer: Even if it costs us our lives, we must rescue the sword of Alcyone!
The primary objective isn't quite correct here, but I'll come back to that later. Let's see what these thieves are carrying:
Conveniently, all of the good stuff will drop when they're killed.
Sherlock takes aim at Shagaal:
He is fatally wounded by a direct hit.
Sylvis is reliable as always, and takes out Uriad.
A decent level-up.
Larentia attacks Morax, though he deftly avoids one of the two estoc hits, surviving for now.
An archer shuffles out from behind the trees and takes aim, although the arrow sails past harmlessly.
Thaddy brandishes his knife.
Hmm, this archer is still a threat. I'll need to eliminate him soon.
Next turn, Elbert takes care of that issue with provoke:
Now the objective has changed to reflect two options for ending the mission.
Sherlock puts an arrow into Morax, who expires a short time later.
Not a very interesting level for him.
Sylvis snipes the last of the four thieves.
Some swordsmen have come into view. Larentia keeps this one occupied.
Another enemy archer is revealed as she scouts ahead with canto:
Last edited:
Endemic
Arcane
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 4,451
Update 176: Paralogue 3 - Stolen Sword (part 2)
An axeman that was hit earlier retreats to use a vulnerary:
On turn 3, I start by having Thaddy provoke the albatross swordfighter, so I can steal the sword from him next turn.
Elbert keeps an archer busy.
Sherlock's bow gives out after one more attack.
Which is a problem, because now he can't counter the archers targeting him:
Sylvis steps in to help.
Larentia rejoins the fray, swooping in with her spear.
On turn 4, Sherlock equips another bow and continues the attack, while another enemy disengages to heal.
Seems I neglected the flank, resulting in Sylvis being struck by a killer arrow.
As usual, Elbert is tasked to occupy the threat:
Thaddy pilfers the albatross, and dodges two attacks from the swordfighter.
Larentia throws a spear at the axeman, finally removing him from the fight.
Kramer avoids an attack, then injures the enemy upon countering.
Sylvis is unable to hit the swordfighter, so Kramer moves in to inflict damage instead. On the following turn, Larentia uses her mercy skill to cripple the nearby injured merc.
Elbert duels another enemy off to the east, while Sylvis makes up for last turn:
Thaddy moves in to capture, acquiring some more loot.
Kramer heads northeast, while Sherlock and Elbert use vulneraries.
Time to clear out these scum. Larentia switches to an estoc to remove the archer that's been plaguing us.
I don't want to risk Sylvis being killed, so I have her fall back and heal.
Kramer continues to demonstrate his swordsmanship:
Triple shot is available now, so Sherlock unleashes an arrow barrage on the crossbowman.
Thanks to adept, Larentia is able to wipe out the monk without any help.
The temple and stolen artifacts are now secured; the group returns to Navaron.
Kramer seems to be having fun with Balmung, practicing several swings:
Kramer: Such a smooth sensation... Like a warm breeze... A tenderness enveloping my very soul...! ...Aaah...... If you would be mine, Balmung, I would never part from your side...
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw7KfOAEnsA
On the other side of the temple, Tianna is discussing the mission with Quescria.
Quescria: These treasures of the Church will be much safer being in your hands than scattered at various shrines.
Tianna: But what of the sword Balmung? Surely he wishes to keep that?
Quescria: It is certainly a valuable relic, but it is ultimately an ordinary sword. We have no immediate need of it. The Archbishop said Dame Alcyone would no doubt be pleased to see her sword fight for Veria once more.
Tianna: I am glad to hear it. On behalf of Lord Reese, I thank you, Madam Quescria.
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUg6_qVHfqE
Back at the office...
Reese: I must be sure to thank the two of them later...
Tianna: One more thing, Lord Reese... I have a suggestion to offer.
Reese: A suggestion?
Tianna: Regarding who should wield the sword Balmung...
Ward: Ah, that is a pressing issue... Such a sword as that of the hero Alcyone deserves a fitting wielder! Upon whom should such an honour be bestowed, I wonder? Naturally, I believe you should be the one to carry it, Lord Reese.
Reese: Me? That sword is so massive, I can barely lift it, even with both arms...
Hah. That and you lack the blade skill
Tianna: I think the sword should be entrusted to Mr. Kramer.
Tianna: I think he may have an affection for swords far beyond what we imagined...
Ward: Ha ha ha! The thought of him caressing a sword like that... What a character, that boy!
Tianna: In addition, he has certainly proven his worth in the battles thus far. I also have no doubts he will take excellent care of Alycone's sword. To give the sword to him would only benefit your forces, milord.
Ward: Hmm... But still, Lord Reese... To give it to that boy Kramer... Is that really all right with you?
Since I want to recruit him permanently, he can keep it
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxnnUFvRtmw
The next day...
Kramer: Whoa, this place is looking fancy... What's the occasion?
Ward: Kramer!
Kramer: Yeah...? What do you want?
Ward: Step forward!
Kramer: Okay...
Kramer: What?!
Kramer: ...Lord Reese, is this real...? This isn't a joke, is it...? Are you... Are you really giving this sword to me?!
Ward: Enough, Kramer! This is neither the time nor place to be speaking such nonsense!
Kramer: Lord... Lord Reese...! I will repay this honour with my own body and soul! I vow to be your loyal servant! Let all the annals of history show that I fought for Reese of Sinon!
Ward: The Goddess's blessings be upon this young man!
Tianna: Sir Kramer, the second coming of the hero Alcyone!
The assembled soldiers applaud him.
Well that was fun.
Let's take another look at Balmung:
You'll notice it is now locked to Kramer, at least until other blade users reach level 30.
Now for some end-of-chapter inventory management. First, I'll repair Rossweisse:
After that, selling off unneeded items and hiring Owen (for happiness points) leaves us with over 43,000 denarii.
On turn 3, I start by having Thaddy provoke the albatross swordfighter, so I can steal the sword from him next turn.
Elbert keeps an archer busy.
Sherlock's bow gives out after one more attack.
Which is a problem, because now he can't counter the archers targeting him:
Sylvis steps in to help.
Larentia rejoins the fray, swooping in with her spear.
On turn 4, Sherlock equips another bow and continues the attack, while another enemy disengages to heal.
Seems I neglected the flank, resulting in Sylvis being struck by a killer arrow.
As usual, Elbert is tasked to occupy the threat:
Thaddy pilfers the albatross, and dodges two attacks from the swordfighter.
Larentia throws a spear at the axeman, finally removing him from the fight.
Kramer avoids an attack, then injures the enemy upon countering.
Sylvis is unable to hit the swordfighter, so Kramer moves in to inflict damage instead. On the following turn, Larentia uses her mercy skill to cripple the nearby injured merc.
Elbert duels another enemy off to the east, while Sylvis makes up for last turn:
Thaddy moves in to capture, acquiring some more loot.
Kramer heads northeast, while Sherlock and Elbert use vulneraries.
Time to clear out these scum. Larentia switches to an estoc to remove the archer that's been plaguing us.
I don't want to risk Sylvis being killed, so I have her fall back and heal.
Kramer continues to demonstrate his swordsmanship:
Triple shot is available now, so Sherlock unleashes an arrow barrage on the crossbowman.
Thanks to adept, Larentia is able to wipe out the monk without any help.
The temple and stolen artifacts are now secured; the group returns to Navaron.
Kramer seems to be having fun with Balmung, practicing several swings:
Kramer: Such a smooth sensation... Like a warm breeze... A tenderness enveloping my very soul...! ...Aaah...... If you would be mine, Balmung, I would never part from your side...
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw7KfOAEnsA
On the other side of the temple, Tianna is discussing the mission with Quescria.
Quescria: These treasures of the Church will be much safer being in your hands than scattered at various shrines.
Tianna: But what of the sword Balmung? Surely he wishes to keep that?
Quescria: It is certainly a valuable relic, but it is ultimately an ordinary sword. We have no immediate need of it. The Archbishop said Dame Alcyone would no doubt be pleased to see her sword fight for Veria once more.
Tianna: I am glad to hear it. On behalf of Lord Reese, I thank you, Madam Quescria.
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUg6_qVHfqE
Back at the office...
Reese: I must be sure to thank the two of them later...
Tianna: One more thing, Lord Reese... I have a suggestion to offer.
Reese: A suggestion?
Tianna: Regarding who should wield the sword Balmung...
Ward: Ah, that is a pressing issue... Such a sword as that of the hero Alcyone deserves a fitting wielder! Upon whom should such an honour be bestowed, I wonder? Naturally, I believe you should be the one to carry it, Lord Reese.
Reese: Me? That sword is so massive, I can barely lift it, even with both arms...
Hah. That and you lack the blade skill
Tianna: I think the sword should be entrusted to Mr. Kramer.
Tianna: I think he may have an affection for swords far beyond what we imagined...
Ward: Ha ha ha! The thought of him caressing a sword like that... What a character, that boy!
Tianna: In addition, he has certainly proven his worth in the battles thus far. I also have no doubts he will take excellent care of Alycone's sword. To give the sword to him would only benefit your forces, milord.
Ward: Hmm... But still, Lord Reese... To give it to that boy Kramer... Is that really all right with you?
Since I want to recruit him permanently, he can keep it
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxnnUFvRtmw
The next day...
Kramer: Whoa, this place is looking fancy... What's the occasion?
Ward: Kramer!
Kramer: Yeah...? What do you want?
Ward: Step forward!
Kramer: Okay...
Kramer: What?!
Kramer: ...Lord Reese, is this real...? This isn't a joke, is it...? Are you... Are you really giving this sword to me?!
Ward: Enough, Kramer! This is neither the time nor place to be speaking such nonsense!
Kramer: Lord... Lord Reese...! I will repay this honour with my own body and soul! I vow to be your loyal servant! Let all the annals of history show that I fought for Reese of Sinon!
Ward: The Goddess's blessings be upon this young man!
Tianna: Sir Kramer, the second coming of the hero Alcyone!
The assembled soldiers applaud him.
Well that was fun.
Let's take another look at Balmung:
You'll notice it is now locked to Kramer, at least until other blade users reach level 30.
Now for some end-of-chapter inventory management. First, I'll repair Rossweisse:
After that, selling off unneeded items and hiring Owen (for happiness points) leaves us with over 43,000 denarii.
Endemic
Arcane
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 4,451
Update 177: Chapter 10 - A Paladin's Duty (Introduction)
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnVMK1UeqGA
Vanmilion: Now, Narvia is all that remains.
Vanmilion: Frankly, the situation could hardly be worse for us.
Vester: Quite the contrary. It is entirely ordinary, defended by ordinary men...
I think you're underselling your opponent there, Vester.
Vanmilion: ...and yet these men will not fall even to your knights, Lord Vester?
Vester: The men are not the problem. It is the woman who leads them: General Alvina.
Vanmilion: Dame Alvina?! She is leading the defense of Ruan?
Vester: Sadly, yes... I'd wanted to avoid fighting her, if at all possible... I've sent messengers to her several times asking her to stand down. But as you know, she is a remarkably stubborn woman. I believe she feels bound by her loyalty to my Lord Father.
Vanmilion: What can be done about her?
A siege, perhaps?
Vester: If I could just meet with her face-to-face, I could try to persuade her. The problem, of course, would be getting that close to begin with.
Vester: The only way would be during battle, which as I've said, is proving difficult.
Reese: Lord Vester, does this fortress at Ruan have a rear gate?
Vester: Yes, naturally...
Reese: Hm...
Vester: Lord Reese, if you have some sort of plan, please share it with us. Right now, I'm desperate enough to try just about anything.
Reese: It may not be the most sophisticated of plans, but consider this strategy: My knights attack the fort from the front, causing the defenders to focus on us. Then, during the battle, you sneak through the rear gate and use the chaos to reach General Alvina. What happens after that would depend on whether you can convince her.
Vester: I see... If you're willing to take the risk, I'll gladly accept, Lord Reese!
Heh, judging by last chapter, a head-on assault against a fortified position will be rough... and Vester needs to get through the fight as well, since we're trying to persuade Alvina to defect back to the Berwick League. Closing off this second front as soon as possible, and obtaining more loyalist Bornian troops to reinforce with at Remagen will be vital.
Vanmilion: Now, Narvia is all that remains.
Vanmilion: Frankly, the situation could hardly be worse for us.
Vester: Quite the contrary. It is entirely ordinary, defended by ordinary men...
I think you're underselling your opponent there, Vester.
Vanmilion: ...and yet these men will not fall even to your knights, Lord Vester?
Vester: The men are not the problem. It is the woman who leads them: General Alvina.
Vanmilion: Dame Alvina?! She is leading the defense of Ruan?
Vester: Sadly, yes... I'd wanted to avoid fighting her, if at all possible... I've sent messengers to her several times asking her to stand down. But as you know, she is a remarkably stubborn woman. I believe she feels bound by her loyalty to my Lord Father.
Vanmilion: What can be done about her?
A siege, perhaps?
Vester: If I could just meet with her face-to-face, I could try to persuade her. The problem, of course, would be getting that close to begin with.
Vester: The only way would be during battle, which as I've said, is proving difficult.
Reese: Lord Vester, does this fortress at Ruan have a rear gate?
Vester: Yes, naturally...
Reese: Hm...
Vester: Lord Reese, if you have some sort of plan, please share it with us. Right now, I'm desperate enough to try just about anything.
Reese: It may not be the most sophisticated of plans, but consider this strategy: My knights attack the fort from the front, causing the defenders to focus on us. Then, during the battle, you sneak through the rear gate and use the chaos to reach General Alvina. What happens after that would depend on whether you can convince her.
Vester: I see... If you're willing to take the risk, I'll gladly accept, Lord Reese!
Heh, judging by last chapter, a head-on assault against a fortified position will be rough... and Vester needs to get through the fight as well, since we're trying to persuade Alvina to defect back to the Berwick League. Closing off this second front as soon as possible, and obtaining more loyalist Bornian troops to reinforce with at Remagen will be vital.
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Between blowing up the Remagen bridge, being attacked on all sides and former allies turning on us, it feels like Germany circa 1944-1945
Endemic
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Kind of, but the terrain is in the defenders' favour here, between lakes (blue), mountains (red) and a desert (orange) preventing a flank attack.
The Imperials will also have to leave garrisons behind to pacify the conquered western territories, unlike the Allies in WW2 who were liberating Europe.
Endemic
Arcane
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 4,451
Update 178: Chapter 10 - A Paladin's Duty (Battle preparations)
As usual, there are three citizen requests for this chapter.
Looks like Christine is a senior officer now, considering she's discussing high-level logistics.
Christine: And at the current rate, the funds for the soldiers' pay will also run low...
Reese: It's been more than a year since we left our homeland, as well... I wonder if the Imperial soldiers are feeling the same way...If we took aside time right now, it might be enough to let everyone be fully rested again. After that, we'll need to be back at full strength for the foreseeable future. Do you think that's feasible, Tianna?
No reply is forthcoming.
Reese: ...Tianna?
Tianna: O-Oh! Forgive me, Lord Reese... We haven't received word of any prisoner exchanges this month...
Reese: We already finished talking about exchanging prisoners earlier... Is something wrong, Tianna? Are you feeling all right?
Tianna: Huh?
Christine: If you're feeling unwell, Lady Tianna, you should also take a rest.
Tianna: No, I'm completely fine! I was only distracted, forgive me...
Reese: Tianna... If there's something serious going on, you know you can consult with me at any time. You've been so consistent and diligent that I hadn't given it any thought... But if you became too exhausted, then that would hurt all of us. We need you to be well-rested so we can continue performing at our best.
Tianna: Y-Yes, Lord Reese...But there really is nothing wrong. Please do not worry about me... Now, then, let us... ...My apologies, but I seem to have forgotten a document in my office...
She leaves.
Reese: If so, she hasn't said anything to me about it. Perhaps she's the kind of person who prefers to bear her troubles alone...
Christine: Lord Reese, if you like, I could try to ask her myself, woman to woman.
Reese: ...That's a good idea. She may be hiding her feelings to prevent us from worrying about it while on our mission... Perhaps she would be more likely to open up to another woman. Please try to talk to her.
Christine: Understood, sir.
A short while later...
Tianna: Oh, it's you, Dame Christine... You surprised me...
There is a brief silence, followed by the pair inadvertently talking over each other.
Christine: Is there something...
Tianna: I was just...
Christine: Ah, you go first...
Tianna: After you... You were saying?
Christine: No, please, go ahead. I want to hear what you have to say.
Tianna seems to be ill-at-ease and doesn't respond.
Christine: ...Lady Tianna, Lord Reese and I are both worried about you. If there's anything on your mind, please feel free to confide in me.
Tianna: Huh...?
Christine: Is it perhaps something related to working with us Sinon Knights? Is it our fault? Are we the ones causing you grief?
Tianna: P-Please wait, Dame Christine... That's not the case at all, so please don't think that... However, I do have a favour to ask of you. But I need you to keep it completely secret from anyone else.
Tianna: Please give him this parcel and bring back whatever he gives you in return. Could you do that for me?
Christine: Of course. What is inside the package?
Tianna: Confidential documents and other things necessary for our transaction. Please do not look inside.
Christine: A "transaction"? All right...
Tianna: Once the matter is over, I will tell you everything, so please, don't ask me any more questions.
Christine: I understand. I'll do that for you, and hear your explanations after.
Tianna: I'm sorry for being so secretive, I truly am... and I apologize for troubling you like this, Dame Christine...
Christine: (I need to keep this a secret...)
Heh, women and their strange proclivities
Moving on...
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mql0aH4iBVY
The man turns around, surprised.
Lazlow: ...! Y-Yeah... My wife...
Tianna: Your wife... I see...
Lazlow: ...Although really, this grave is empty. She's actually buried in Ruan. My name's Lazlow. I'm from Bornia, but I came here when the war broke out, since it wasn't safe anymore...
Tianna: Oh, I see... Do you work near here?
Lazlow: Yeah, I do the occasional odd job. Though when I was younger, I dreamed of being a painter...
Tianna: That sounds like a nice dream to have.
Lazlow: Back in those days, she still lived in the house next door. She was six years my junior, but... I suppose you could say we were close childhood friends. When I was practicing my painting, she often sat with me. I lost my parents when I was very young, so my grandfather raised me by himself.
A common occurrence in Lazberia, unfortunately...
Lazlow: Yeah, he was... But then he got older and his health started to decline. That's when I decided to give up on becoming a painter. Although my grandfather said I should continue doing what I enjoyed... He was declining day by day, so I wanted to focus on making his last days as happy as possible.
Tianna: Do you regret giving up painting?
Lazlow: ...Of course. I'd be lying if I said I didn't... My wife and I... We weren't together yet back then. But I was so disappointed in myself for abandoning my dream. I decided that to make things right, I would create one last painting... A painting of my childhood friend who had stood by my side. I put all my feeling and passion into that painting.
Tianna: It must have been quite a work of art when you were finished.
Lazlow: I wonder about that... At least, my friend loved it. She said she would treasure it forever. Some time after that, my grandfather passed away. I'd worked so hard to try and make his days comfortable, but I just didn't think it was good enough...
Lazlow: Even after I'd given up painting and my grandfather had died, my friend still stayed right beside me. She told me, "I think your grandfather was happy just having you there with him. Seeing you grow up into the man you are today was the best gift you could have ever given him."
Tianna: She must have known you well. It sounds like even at that time, the two of you were very close.
Lazlow: That's true... Not long after, we were married, and then we had our only child... An adorable little girl.
Tianna: How old is she now?
Lazlow: ...She passed away as well. An illness got to her... My wife died two years ago, and after the war spread to Ruan, I came here to Narvia. Even though it's an empty grave, I thought I would feel better if I had it made anyway, but...
Tianna: But...?
Lazlow: When I fled Ruan, I left the portrait I'd made of my wife behind. Even now, I still miss it... I thought that surely, the war would be over soon, and I could go back...
Tianna: Mr. Lazlow... Is your house in Ruan still standing?
Lazlow: I think it would be. The soldiers have been pretty decent about that sort of thing.
Tianna: ...I am the secretary to Lord Reese of Sinon, who will soon go on a mission to attack Fort Ruan. If you tell us how to find your house, it's possible one of his knights may be able to make a stop there.
Not sure what to make of Lazlow's story. Guess we'll find out more once the painting is back in his hands.
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clbnSFFFXSI
Seems too triumphant a theme for what is about to happen, but hey...
Leon's horse strikes the woman's leg, causing her to yell in pain.
Leon: Oh crap, are you okay?
Gina: Honestly, young'ins these days -- Ah, ow-ow-ow...! ...All right, listen boy. I can't walk like this, and if I can't go get food, I'll starve to death. You say you're sorry, right? Then why don't you prove it to me? I've got expenses and debts that need paying. Ten thousand should cover it.
Leon: T-Ten thousand?! That's, uh... a lot of money. Look, if you're hurt, why don't I just take you to the abbey?
Gina: Those nuns can't cure everything. What about the pain you've caused to this poor old woman's heart? [coughs]
Leon: (Why are "pains in your heart" making you cough?) ...Look, I'm not a miracle-worker. Hey, old lady... Sorry to let you down, but you're just asking the impossible.
Gina: Hmph... I've never met a knight so awfully destitute in my life...
Hah, that's a bit harsh, lady. Leon isn't all that bad
Gina: [coughing] Ah, it hurts...
Leon: ...Oh, give it a rest, would you? I can't get you money, but I'll make it up to you some other way, all right? What do you want me to do? Put me to work.
Gina: What's that, now...? You're not trying to swindle me, are you? You'll do anything I say?
Leon: Yeah, if I can.
Gina: Heh... Well, we'll see if your word is as good as it sounds... Let's see, anything I want... For starters, go buy me a potion. Chop chop!
A quick trip to the temple later, Leon returns:
Leon: What are you, blind? It's a potion, like you asked.
Gina: You must be joking. You really think this is what I was asking for? I expected something better than the cheapest, filthiest-looking one you could find.
Leon looks back at her, clearly unamused.
Gina: Go back and get a good one! Ooh, my back... [coughs]
Leon: (This bitch...)
I think we can all relate.
Gina: And when that's done, weed the garden for me!
Leon: ...Fine, I'm going!
Some time later...
Gina: Or were you worn out by just a few weeds?
Leon: (What do you mean, "just a few weeds"? Your garden didn't have anything but weeds, you crazy old bat...)
Gina: Well, at least it's done now. I think that's nearly all the chores I have for you...
Leon: Finally...
Gina: ...Wipe that awful smirk off your face, boy.
Leon: My face always looks like this.
Gina: ...Sure, sure. I've got one last job for you.
Leon: ...What is it this time?
Gina: My husband's grave is in Ruan. Go there and clean it up for me. Then, you're off the hook.
Gina: Just come back and let me know once you're finished.
Well, she was quite the crotchety, mean-spirited hag. The menu doesn't track her husband's name, so you'll need to remember it yourself
Equipment and preparations
Not as many deployment slots as I'd like, but it's workable.
There is one new crafting material available:
Since he needs 5000 denarii to be permanently recruited, I'll go ahead and hire Thaddy.
For the mission itself, I'll swap out Izerna for Owen (440) as healer.
Next, let's see what bonuses are available at the Kingfisher. Since I only want to buff specific characters for now, I'll temporarily remove everyone except Christine, Larentia, Aegina and Enid from the active party.
Turns out there is something useful:
Raquel Omelette gives up to +12 on all weapon and equipment skills. Aegina and Reese can get the full benefit from it, so I lay down the 1600.
Enid, Christine and Larentia would only get +6, so I go with a much cheaper option:
Roast Flounder will confer +5 to hit for them, in this case it's much more cost-effective.
Throw in Reese's commander skill, and they will both be at 103% which is very nice. Given that Christine will be doing a lot of weapon switching, in the interest of brevity I omitted additional screenshots.
On to equipment purchases. I'm being frugal this time, so it'll be just one shield for Elbert, some arrows for Sherlock and Christine, plus five more vulneraries to equip the party with at least one each.
Battle party
Reese keeps Gram as his primary weapon, although I threw some longswords and an estoc on him for backup since durability will be an issue. Two high-end shields should be enough to last the mission.
I'm expecting a lot of enemies with shields, so Elbert has a rapier in hand; together with the square shield he will be formidable in single combat.
As Christine needs to come along for the citizen request, I may as well take the opportunity to raise her bow skill to the promotion threshold. She can switch over to crossbows once that's done.
Ranged support is vital in a castle assault, so Sherlock gets that duty. Between the apollyon (accuracy), strongbow (damage) and apeiron (capturing), he has a weapon for pretty much any situation.
Czene remains the reliable and stalwart thief for dealing with locks and miscellaneous tasks.
Aegina (who is finally accurate, counting the Reese support) and Enid will be on anti-armour duties. Keeping them safe will be tricky, but it's worth the hassle.
Larentia will take care of scouting and general support, with a wide array of spears and swords at her disposal.
Owen has all the light magic required for healing duty, though he has fallen behind a bit in skill since I've been deploying Izerna a lot more.
Leon is just here for the citizen request, and will avoid combat entirely.
Looks like Christine is a senior officer now, considering she's discussing high-level logistics.
Christine: And at the current rate, the funds for the soldiers' pay will also run low...
Reese: It's been more than a year since we left our homeland, as well... I wonder if the Imperial soldiers are feeling the same way...If we took aside time right now, it might be enough to let everyone be fully rested again. After that, we'll need to be back at full strength for the foreseeable future. Do you think that's feasible, Tianna?
No reply is forthcoming.
Reese: ...Tianna?
Tianna: O-Oh! Forgive me, Lord Reese... We haven't received word of any prisoner exchanges this month...
Reese: We already finished talking about exchanging prisoners earlier... Is something wrong, Tianna? Are you feeling all right?
Tianna: Huh?
Christine: If you're feeling unwell, Lady Tianna, you should also take a rest.
Tianna: No, I'm completely fine! I was only distracted, forgive me...
Reese: Tianna... If there's something serious going on, you know you can consult with me at any time. You've been so consistent and diligent that I hadn't given it any thought... But if you became too exhausted, then that would hurt all of us. We need you to be well-rested so we can continue performing at our best.
Tianna: Y-Yes, Lord Reese...But there really is nothing wrong. Please do not worry about me... Now, then, let us... ...My apologies, but I seem to have forgotten a document in my office...
She leaves.
Reese: If so, she hasn't said anything to me about it. Perhaps she's the kind of person who prefers to bear her troubles alone...
Christine: Lord Reese, if you like, I could try to ask her myself, woman to woman.
Reese: ...That's a good idea. She may be hiding her feelings to prevent us from worrying about it while on our mission... Perhaps she would be more likely to open up to another woman. Please try to talk to her.
Christine: Understood, sir.
A short while later...
Tianna: Oh, it's you, Dame Christine... You surprised me...
There is a brief silence, followed by the pair inadvertently talking over each other.
Christine: Is there something...
Tianna: I was just...
Christine: Ah, you go first...
Tianna: After you... You were saying?
Christine: No, please, go ahead. I want to hear what you have to say.
Tianna seems to be ill-at-ease and doesn't respond.
Christine: ...Lady Tianna, Lord Reese and I are both worried about you. If there's anything on your mind, please feel free to confide in me.
Tianna: Huh...?
Christine: Is it perhaps something related to working with us Sinon Knights? Is it our fault? Are we the ones causing you grief?
Tianna: P-Please wait, Dame Christine... That's not the case at all, so please don't think that... However, I do have a favour to ask of you. But I need you to keep it completely secret from anyone else.
Tianna: Please give him this parcel and bring back whatever he gives you in return. Could you do that for me?
Christine: Of course. What is inside the package?
Tianna: Confidential documents and other things necessary for our transaction. Please do not look inside.
Christine: A "transaction"? All right...
Tianna: Once the matter is over, I will tell you everything, so please, don't ask me any more questions.
Christine: I understand. I'll do that for you, and hear your explanations after.
Tianna: I'm sorry for being so secretive, I truly am... and I apologize for troubling you like this, Dame Christine...
Christine: (I need to keep this a secret...)
Heh, women and their strange proclivities
Moving on...
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mql0aH4iBVY
The man turns around, surprised.
Lazlow: ...! Y-Yeah... My wife...
Tianna: Your wife... I see...
Lazlow: ...Although really, this grave is empty. She's actually buried in Ruan. My name's Lazlow. I'm from Bornia, but I came here when the war broke out, since it wasn't safe anymore...
Tianna: Oh, I see... Do you work near here?
Lazlow: Yeah, I do the occasional odd job. Though when I was younger, I dreamed of being a painter...
Tianna: That sounds like a nice dream to have.
Lazlow: Back in those days, she still lived in the house next door. She was six years my junior, but... I suppose you could say we were close childhood friends. When I was practicing my painting, she often sat with me. I lost my parents when I was very young, so my grandfather raised me by himself.
A common occurrence in Lazberia, unfortunately...
Lazlow: Yeah, he was... But then he got older and his health started to decline. That's when I decided to give up on becoming a painter. Although my grandfather said I should continue doing what I enjoyed... He was declining day by day, so I wanted to focus on making his last days as happy as possible.
Tianna: Do you regret giving up painting?
Lazlow: ...Of course. I'd be lying if I said I didn't... My wife and I... We weren't together yet back then. But I was so disappointed in myself for abandoning my dream. I decided that to make things right, I would create one last painting... A painting of my childhood friend who had stood by my side. I put all my feeling and passion into that painting.
Tianna: It must have been quite a work of art when you were finished.
Lazlow: I wonder about that... At least, my friend loved it. She said she would treasure it forever. Some time after that, my grandfather passed away. I'd worked so hard to try and make his days comfortable, but I just didn't think it was good enough...
Lazlow: Even after I'd given up painting and my grandfather had died, my friend still stayed right beside me. She told me, "I think your grandfather was happy just having you there with him. Seeing you grow up into the man you are today was the best gift you could have ever given him."
Tianna: She must have known you well. It sounds like even at that time, the two of you were very close.
Lazlow: That's true... Not long after, we were married, and then we had our only child... An adorable little girl.
Tianna: How old is she now?
Lazlow: ...She passed away as well. An illness got to her... My wife died two years ago, and after the war spread to Ruan, I came here to Narvia. Even though it's an empty grave, I thought I would feel better if I had it made anyway, but...
Tianna: But...?
Lazlow: When I fled Ruan, I left the portrait I'd made of my wife behind. Even now, I still miss it... I thought that surely, the war would be over soon, and I could go back...
Tianna: Mr. Lazlow... Is your house in Ruan still standing?
Lazlow: I think it would be. The soldiers have been pretty decent about that sort of thing.
Tianna: ...I am the secretary to Lord Reese of Sinon, who will soon go on a mission to attack Fort Ruan. If you tell us how to find your house, it's possible one of his knights may be able to make a stop there.
Not sure what to make of Lazlow's story. Guess we'll find out more once the painting is back in his hands.
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clbnSFFFXSI
Seems too triumphant a theme for what is about to happen, but hey...
Leon's horse strikes the woman's leg, causing her to yell in pain.
Leon: Oh crap, are you okay?
Gina: Honestly, young'ins these days -- Ah, ow-ow-ow...! ...All right, listen boy. I can't walk like this, and if I can't go get food, I'll starve to death. You say you're sorry, right? Then why don't you prove it to me? I've got expenses and debts that need paying. Ten thousand should cover it.
Leon: T-Ten thousand?! That's, uh... a lot of money. Look, if you're hurt, why don't I just take you to the abbey?
Gina: Those nuns can't cure everything. What about the pain you've caused to this poor old woman's heart? [coughs]
Leon: (Why are "pains in your heart" making you cough?) ...Look, I'm not a miracle-worker. Hey, old lady... Sorry to let you down, but you're just asking the impossible.
Gina: Hmph... I've never met a knight so awfully destitute in my life...
Hah, that's a bit harsh, lady. Leon isn't all that bad
Gina: [coughing] Ah, it hurts...
Leon: ...Oh, give it a rest, would you? I can't get you money, but I'll make it up to you some other way, all right? What do you want me to do? Put me to work.
Gina: What's that, now...? You're not trying to swindle me, are you? You'll do anything I say?
Leon: Yeah, if I can.
Gina: Heh... Well, we'll see if your word is as good as it sounds... Let's see, anything I want... For starters, go buy me a potion. Chop chop!
A quick trip to the temple later, Leon returns:
Leon: What are you, blind? It's a potion, like you asked.
Gina: You must be joking. You really think this is what I was asking for? I expected something better than the cheapest, filthiest-looking one you could find.
Leon looks back at her, clearly unamused.
Gina: Go back and get a good one! Ooh, my back... [coughs]
Leon: (This bitch...)
I think we can all relate.Gina: And when that's done, weed the garden for me!
Leon: ...Fine, I'm going!
Some time later...
Gina: Or were you worn out by just a few weeds?
Leon: (What do you mean, "just a few weeds"? Your garden didn't have anything but weeds, you crazy old bat...)
Gina: Well, at least it's done now. I think that's nearly all the chores I have for you...
Leon: Finally...
Gina: ...Wipe that awful smirk off your face, boy.
Leon: My face always looks like this.
Gina: ...Sure, sure. I've got one last job for you.
Leon: ...What is it this time?
Gina: My husband's grave is in Ruan. Go there and clean it up for me. Then, you're off the hook.
Gina: Just come back and let me know once you're finished.
Well, she was quite the crotchety, mean-spirited hag. The menu doesn't track her husband's name, so you'll need to remember it yourself
Equipment and preparations
Not as many deployment slots as I'd like, but it's workable.
There is one new crafting material available:
Since he needs 5000 denarii to be permanently recruited, I'll go ahead and hire Thaddy.
For the mission itself, I'll swap out Izerna for Owen (440) as healer.
Next, let's see what bonuses are available at the Kingfisher. Since I only want to buff specific characters for now, I'll temporarily remove everyone except Christine, Larentia, Aegina and Enid from the active party.
Turns out there is something useful:
Raquel Omelette gives up to +12 on all weapon and equipment skills. Aegina and Reese can get the full benefit from it, so I lay down the 1600.
Enid, Christine and Larentia would only get +6, so I go with a much cheaper option:
Roast Flounder will confer +5 to hit for them, in this case it's much more cost-effective.
Throw in Reese's commander skill, and they will both be at 103% which is very nice. Given that Christine will be doing a lot of weapon switching, in the interest of brevity I omitted additional screenshots.
On to equipment purchases. I'm being frugal this time, so it'll be just one shield for Elbert, some arrows for Sherlock and Christine, plus five more vulneraries to equip the party with at least one each.
Battle party
Reese keeps Gram as his primary weapon, although I threw some longswords and an estoc on him for backup since durability will be an issue. Two high-end shields should be enough to last the mission.
I'm expecting a lot of enemies with shields, so Elbert has a rapier in hand; together with the square shield he will be formidable in single combat.
As Christine needs to come along for the citizen request, I may as well take the opportunity to raise her bow skill to the promotion threshold. She can switch over to crossbows once that's done.
Ranged support is vital in a castle assault, so Sherlock gets that duty. Between the apollyon (accuracy), strongbow (damage) and apeiron (capturing), he has a weapon for pretty much any situation.
Czene remains the reliable and stalwart thief for dealing with locks and miscellaneous tasks.
Aegina (who is finally accurate, counting the Reese support) and Enid will be on anti-armour duties. Keeping them safe will be tricky, but it's worth the hassle.
Larentia will take care of scouting and general support, with a wide array of spears and swords at her disposal.
Owen has all the light magic required for healing duty, though he has fallen behind a bit in skill since I've been deploying Izerna a lot more.
Leon is just here for the citizen request, and will avoid combat entirely.
that hag.
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Thorakitai
Learned
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- Messages
- 305
In most Fire Emblem games, this would be the late-game where they managed to secure successful victories against the Empire and are poised to march over the enemy capital for the final battle or the last phase of the war.
In Berwick Saga though, the Empire has essentially won at this point. Suppose that Reese manages to turn Bornia back to the League and somehow manages perform an action that repels the Empire's force of 30,000 men?
Bornia still suffers from the civil war and the Empire would merely muster even more men from it's large territories and that's not even counting forces from the other defected Berwick League states. The only thing that may save the league the hints of a power struggle between General Zephyrus and Prince Faisal but will the League even hold out if that event ever occurs? I'm curious about the game's conclusion since it's looking more unlikely we will even set foot on Imperial soil.
Small note but it looks like Reese, Vanmillion and Vester are forming a power trio bond.
In Berwick Saga though, the Empire has essentially won at this point. Suppose that Reese manages to turn Bornia back to the League and somehow manages perform an action that repels the Empire's force of 30,000 men?
Bornia still suffers from the civil war and the Empire would merely muster even more men from it's large territories and that's not even counting forces from the other defected Berwick League states. The only thing that may save the league the hints of a power struggle between General Zephyrus and Prince Faisal but will the League even hold out if that event ever occurs? I'm curious about the game's conclusion since it's looking more unlikely we will even set foot on Imperial soil.
Small note but it looks like Reese, Vanmillion and Vester are forming a power trio bond.
Endemic
Arcane
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 4,451
A conventional victory seems unlikely, indeed.
Zephyrus seemed to think the Emperor would be dead before the war's conclusion. Then again, Faisal is nominally in command since Anastasia's child is not of age yet. Also, the Raze Church's rather brutal occupation policies could backfire and cause a rebellion, that's not out of the question either.
Endemic
Arcane
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 4,451
Update 179: Chapter 10 - A Paladin's Duty (part 1)
Before I start the mission, there is one last minute equipment update:
I'll hand the angon to Larentia, since it will synergize well with her throwing skill.
On to the battle at Ruan, and immediately there is a well defended bottleneck apparent:
To the north, behind a second wall and gates, is the castle where Alvina is positioned along with more defenders.
The town itself doesn't seem to be well protected (ballistae aside), but I suspect looks are deceiving here.
Further south, we can see the citizen request objectives indicated by question marks.
This trio of cavalry has overlapping ranges with the bridge guards:
Speaking of which, let's look at those enemies in more detail:
His friends are equally dangerous:
The raze monk behind the wall can reach them with darkmend, too.
The lance knights are pretty average, but the horse archer behind them is well equipped.
In the centre, the spearmen are quite accurate for generic soldiers (thanks to their support skill), and one has battle cry.
There is a second mage with more offensive spells at the back:
The ballista guarding the inner walls is very accurate and also has the aim skill on top of that.
Pretty much of all of the soldiers at the castle are elite units.
Almachus (the Imperial agent we saw back in chapter 5) is here as well.
I reposition units and begin the battle.
Reese: Then let us go over the strategy one last time. Our mission is to provide support and a diversion for Lord Vester and his platoon of knights. Firstly, we will send our shock troops directly into the fort to clear out as many of the enemy as we can. After Vester's platoon enters the fort, we are to cover them as they advance into the castle itself.
Reese: The key to success will be properly coordinating ourselves to get him into that castle.
Ward: Yes, Lord Reese!
Meanwhile, the Bornians have spotted us approaching:
Alvina: ...I understand. Give the order for all soldiers to hold their general positions.
Barnhardt: Including the ones hidden in the town's houses, milady?
Alvina: Yes, they should use the element of surprise to their advantage. Have them take up optimal points for ambushing the enemy.
Barnhardt: Yes, Dame Alvina. I shall spread the word at once.
Alvina: It is the best I can do right now, and I will ensure that I can make it work. After all, it is the will of Mother Veria that I defend this fortress.
Almachus: ...Was that meant to be ironic, Dame Alvina?
Alvina: Not at all. I just spoke what was in my heart. Are you uncomfortable with that?
Almachus: ...It is unwise to speak in such a way when we are allied with the Raze Empire.
Alvina: I am a knight of Bornia. I will fight alongside Razites, yes, but I will not abandon Mother Veria.
Almachus: Be careful, Dame Alvina. In the Empire, they would burn you at the stake for saying that.
Alvina: Let them do as they like to me. But as long as I draw breath, I will never sell my soul to a god of evil.
We'll see about that...
Since I'm outnumbered, I'll move Leon to the side first to see what the defenders do.
Aegina moves forward to cast Pallas Riana:
Not enough... and then the raze monk immediately steps in.
Enid fares better.
However, that leaves her open to attack from the enemy cavalry. Reese sweeps in to provide support.
Arrow hits from Sherlock and then Christine still aren't sufficient against Danfar:
Larentia is instructed to attempt capture, but that fails.
A lance knight strikes at Reese, who blocks with his shield. Unfortunately, his horse still dies.
The second lance knight also hits, and this time Reese doesn't get a shield block in. Gram breaks to prevent his death.
Finally, Elbert is able to clear the bridge.
Owen steps in to heal, making use of physic's range:
That gives him enough exp for level 17.
At the start of turn 2, Elbert takes the first move and provokes the lance knight by the gate.
More bad news, as Enid is struck by an arrow and crippled.
I'll hand the angon to Larentia, since it will synergize well with her throwing skill.
On to the battle at Ruan, and immediately there is a well defended bottleneck apparent:
To the north, behind a second wall and gates, is the castle where Alvina is positioned along with more defenders.
The town itself doesn't seem to be well protected (ballistae aside), but I suspect looks are deceiving here.
Further south, we can see the citizen request objectives indicated by question marks.
This trio of cavalry has overlapping ranges with the bridge guards:
Speaking of which, let's look at those enemies in more detail:
His friends are equally dangerous:
The raze monk behind the wall can reach them with darkmend, too.
The lance knights are pretty average, but the horse archer behind them is well equipped.
In the centre, the spearmen are quite accurate for generic soldiers (thanks to their support skill), and one has battle cry.
There is a second mage with more offensive spells at the back:
The ballista guarding the inner walls is very accurate and also has the aim skill on top of that.
Pretty much of all of the soldiers at the castle are elite units.
Almachus (the Imperial agent we saw back in chapter 5) is here as well.
I reposition units and begin the battle.
Reese: Then let us go over the strategy one last time. Our mission is to provide support and a diversion for Lord Vester and his platoon of knights. Firstly, we will send our shock troops directly into the fort to clear out as many of the enemy as we can. After Vester's platoon enters the fort, we are to cover them as they advance into the castle itself.
Reese: The key to success will be properly coordinating ourselves to get him into that castle.
Ward: Yes, Lord Reese!
Meanwhile, the Bornians have spotted us approaching:
Alvina: ...I understand. Give the order for all soldiers to hold their general positions.
Barnhardt: Including the ones hidden in the town's houses, milady?
Alvina: Yes, they should use the element of surprise to their advantage. Have them take up optimal points for ambushing the enemy.
Barnhardt: Yes, Dame Alvina. I shall spread the word at once.
Alvina: It is the best I can do right now, and I will ensure that I can make it work. After all, it is the will of Mother Veria that I defend this fortress.
Almachus: ...Was that meant to be ironic, Dame Alvina?
Alvina: Not at all. I just spoke what was in my heart. Are you uncomfortable with that?
Almachus: ...It is unwise to speak in such a way when we are allied with the Raze Empire.
Alvina: I am a knight of Bornia. I will fight alongside Razites, yes, but I will not abandon Mother Veria.
Almachus: Be careful, Dame Alvina. In the Empire, they would burn you at the stake for saying that.
Alvina: Let them do as they like to me. But as long as I draw breath, I will never sell my soul to a god of evil.
We'll see about that...
Since I'm outnumbered, I'll move Leon to the side first to see what the defenders do.
Aegina moves forward to cast Pallas Riana:
Not enough... and then the raze monk immediately steps in.
Enid fares better.
However, that leaves her open to attack from the enemy cavalry. Reese sweeps in to provide support.
Arrow hits from Sherlock and then Christine still aren't sufficient against Danfar:
Larentia is instructed to attempt capture, but that fails.
A lance knight strikes at Reese, who blocks with his shield. Unfortunately, his horse still dies.
The second lance knight also hits, and this time Reese doesn't get a shield block in. Gram breaks to prevent his death.
Finally, Elbert is able to clear the bridge.
Owen steps in to heal, making use of physic's range:
That gives him enough exp for level 17.
At the start of turn 2, Elbert takes the first move and provokes the lance knight by the gate.
More bad news, as Enid is struck by an arrow and crippled.
Endemic
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Update 180: Chapter 10 - A Paladin's Duty (part 2)
Elbert holds off the lance knights:
Aegina strikes back at one of them, but he is swiftly healed.
Owen steps in to help Enid.
Christine and Sherlock combine to dispatch the archer, while Reese turns his sword on the nearest knight.
Several attacks later, one lance knight down:
Well shit.
Next turn, and I have several units vulnerable to attack... guess I'll have Elbert use provoke first.
Larentia is fatally wounded by a ballista bolt.
You definitely can't afford any mistakes at this stage in the campaign. Back to the drawing board for a new strategy in the next part.
Aegina strikes back at one of them, but he is swiftly healed.
Owen steps in to help Enid.
Christine and Sherlock combine to dispatch the archer, while Reese turns his sword on the nearest knight.
Several attacks later, one lance knight down:
Well shit.
Next turn, and I have several units vulnerable to attack... guess I'll have Elbert use provoke first.
Larentia is fatally wounded by a ballista bolt.
You definitely can't afford any mistakes at this stage in the campaign. Back to the drawing board for a new strategy in the next part.
Thorakitai
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This will be a shameless promotion but I'm doing this to further increase awareness for this game.
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/BerwickSaga
I've made a Tv Tropes page for this game several months ago in honor of the completion of the English patch and hoping to have both it's story, characters and gameplay mechanics to be presented in an accessible form. While I and various other contributors managed to properly filled the page with enough info, there is still much work to be done.
If anyone here has enough free time and interest to obsessively catalog and add tropes for such a niche game, then go for it.
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/BerwickSaga
I've made a Tv Tropes page for this game several months ago in honor of the completion of the English patch and hoping to have both it's story, characters and gameplay mechanics to be presented in an accessible form. While I and various other contributors managed to properly filled the page with enough info, there is still much work to be done.
If anyone here has enough free time and interest to obsessively catalog and add tropes for such a niche game, then go for it.
Endemic
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Update 181: Chapter 10 - A Paladin's Duty (part 3)
Time to swap around some equipment. I gave Owen the health charm so that Aegina can have the blessed brace for more damage:
Czene takes the eagle brace, which brings her up to a very respective 95% to hit.
Finally, Christine's armoury is reinforced with some raijin arrows.
On to deployment.
I move Leon to the side first, since I want the AI to burn some units' actions before attacking.
Aegina falls just short of KO'ing Danfar:
Christine swaps horses with Reese, since his one is low on health.
Enid steps up to fry Murin with Pallas Leia.
Reese takes out Yalong and positions to block the lance knights from crossing the bridge.
Elbert equips his estoc to take care of Danfar.
Now I have a screen against the lance knights. Larentia heads southeast, prompting the knights to charge:
The rest of my force advances, and Owen heals Reese.
A rare point in elemental magic from this level-up.
At the start of turn 2, the enemy cavalry is still a threat.
Their archer moves first and strikes at Sherlock:
Lance charges at reduced range are not very effective.
However, they retreat behind the gate, which is going to be a problem...
Owen moves up to heal.
Reese eliminates the lone hostile unit in range.
Level 15 turns out decently for him:
Now, we smash the gate open.
Christine hands over Rossweisse to Sherlock.
Who then uses it to take a chunk out of the Raze monk.
I keep everyone out of ballista range while advancing.
Next turn, the monk is gone:
Christine takes back Rossweisse to use against the gate with a raijin arrow.
Aegina hits it with Pallas Riana, and it's almost forced open. Elbert does the rest.
Reese equips Gram and rides forth to attack one of the lance knights. It isn't quite enough to kill, so Larentia throws a pilum to remove him:
A hidden swordsman emerges from a nearby house and runs at Elbert, but the latter is prepared and blocks the attack.
It's already turn 4 and we're still outside the perimeter wall... not good progress so far.
Christine and Elbert team up to clear out the merc blocking our path.
Not bad, 13 strength is solid for this point in the campaign.
The second lance knight is proving more difficult to dislodge; Reese doesn't inflict much damage, and Larentia breaks a spear attempting to do so.
Aegina's magic does the trick though.
Vester and his group of knights arrive in the northeast on turn 5:
Vester: Go! Show them why you're the bravest knights in all of Bornia!
Keeping all of his knights alive is worth 3 tactics points, but I doubt I'll manage that.
Now we're into urban warfare against entrenched defenders with supporting artillery, so it'll get ugly:
Elbert dismounts and volunteers to take point.
Vester's men start hammering at the northeastern gate, but it's reinforced so they're not having much effect.
This spearman's been using battle cry since the fight began; fortunately Elbert blocks with his shield.
Sherlock has triple-shot available now, so he targets the above spearman.
Two more spearmen charge at Elbert. Time to heal him.
The ballista in the town is slowly being turned to attack Vester's group:
This leaves a gap for us to exploit; Larentia advances to scout for enemies.
She spots three of them waiting to ambush from nearby houses. They're not to be taken lightly:
Czene takes the eagle brace, which brings her up to a very respective 95% to hit.
Finally, Christine's armoury is reinforced with some raijin arrows.
On to deployment.
I move Leon to the side first, since I want the AI to burn some units' actions before attacking.
Aegina falls just short of KO'ing Danfar:
Christine swaps horses with Reese, since his one is low on health.
Enid steps up to fry Murin with Pallas Leia.
Reese takes out Yalong and positions to block the lance knights from crossing the bridge.
Elbert equips his estoc to take care of Danfar.
Now I have a screen against the lance knights. Larentia heads southeast, prompting the knights to charge:
The rest of my force advances, and Owen heals Reese.
A rare point in elemental magic from this level-up.
At the start of turn 2, the enemy cavalry is still a threat.
Their archer moves first and strikes at Sherlock:
Lance charges at reduced range are not very effective.
However, they retreat behind the gate, which is going to be a problem...
Owen moves up to heal.
Reese eliminates the lone hostile unit in range.
Level 15 turns out decently for him:
Now, we smash the gate open.
Christine hands over Rossweisse to Sherlock.
Who then uses it to take a chunk out of the Raze monk.
I keep everyone out of ballista range while advancing.
Next turn, the monk is gone:
Christine takes back Rossweisse to use against the gate with a raijin arrow.
Aegina hits it with Pallas Riana, and it's almost forced open. Elbert does the rest.
Reese equips Gram and rides forth to attack one of the lance knights. It isn't quite enough to kill, so Larentia throws a pilum to remove him:
A hidden swordsman emerges from a nearby house and runs at Elbert, but the latter is prepared and blocks the attack.
It's already turn 4 and we're still outside the perimeter wall... not good progress so far.
Christine and Elbert team up to clear out the merc blocking our path.
Not bad, 13 strength is solid for this point in the campaign.
The second lance knight is proving more difficult to dislodge; Reese doesn't inflict much damage, and Larentia breaks a spear attempting to do so.
Aegina's magic does the trick though.
Vester and his group of knights arrive in the northeast on turn 5:
Vester: Go! Show them why you're the bravest knights in all of Bornia!
Keeping all of his knights alive is worth 3 tactics points, but I doubt I'll manage that.
Now we're into urban warfare against entrenched defenders with supporting artillery, so it'll get ugly:
Elbert dismounts and volunteers to take point.
Vester's men start hammering at the northeastern gate, but it's reinforced so they're not having much effect.
This spearman's been using battle cry since the fight began; fortunately Elbert blocks with his shield.
Sherlock has triple-shot available now, so he targets the above spearman.
Two more spearmen charge at Elbert. Time to heal him.
The ballista in the town is slowly being turned to attack Vester's group:
This leaves a gap for us to exploit; Larentia advances to scout for enemies.
She spots three of them waiting to ambush from nearby houses. They're not to be taken lightly:
Thorakitai
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I finally managed to emulate this game on my laptop and I'm loving how it drastically changes the usual Fire Emblem formula for the better.
Heck, even the things like how low the hitrates are (basically FE6 tier) and the weapon breakage by RNG aren't really that bothersome as I dreaded based on the complaints by word-of-mouth.
I'm at Chapter 3 now, wiped all enemies and reinforcements and currently scouring the map for Ward's sidequest regarding that hunter and I fear that I've have failed since I can't find him even with Czene's help.
Heck, even the things like how low the hitrates are (basically FE6 tier) and the weapon breakage by RNG aren't really that bothersome as I dreaded based on the complaints by word-of-mouth.
I'm at Chapter 3 now, wiped all enemies and reinforcements and currently scouring the map for Ward's sidequest regarding that hunter and I fear that I've have failed since I can't find him even with Czene's help.
Endemic
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He should be just south of the building where Chaos appears, but he does move around a bit.
Chaos doesn't stick around if Faye is dead\captured
I'll have an update for the LP ready later tonight, just need to write commentary for the screenshots
Last edited:
Endemic
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Sorry about the long gap in updates, RL got a bit hectic for me recently. I also wasted a bit too much time trying to get the new Vulkan build of PCSX2 to work with this game.
Thorakitai
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I've finally completed Ch.4 but unfortunately Sylvis got captured at the last minute due to being 1 hex away from the exit (how sadistic to place the very last shield and the swarm orb at very end of the map filled with reinforcements.)
Forced to pay for her ransom and got her contract annuled, does it also lower her happiness gauge?
Forced to pay for her ransom and got her contract annuled, does it also lower her happiness gauge?
Endemic
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Larentia and Faramir are better choices to send up there. But you can also try injuring the first group of spearmen with Arthur's skill, some of them have the same shield that in theory can be captured.
No, to my knowledge only these affect happiness (aside from buying the porcelain vase, which doubles the hiring bonus for women):
I've had a lot of players tell me that the 0.1 from leveling up only applies if the experience was from capturing an enemy. It's hard to test that because only whole numbers matter for recruitment\personal quests\story scenes.
Thorakitai
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Barely finished Ch.5 and damn this is where the strengths of game really shine through in both gameplay and story. You really feel the Sinon Knights struggle to fight against an enemy superior in numbers and equipment and happy to succeed through tactics and luck.
Also, is it just me or Armored enemies are far more tanky when compared to the Fire Emblem ones? Shit, Lyarc tanked Faramir's arrows, Dean's Axe and it took Reese hammering him with Gram to break his shield and bring him down.
Shame I couldn't get some of the dropped items nor grind for levels but I was in a close battle and I don't want Faye's stat gains (point in strength and speed) to be lost.
Also, is it just me or Armored enemies are far more tanky when compared to the Fire Emblem ones? Shit, Lyarc tanked Faramir's arrows, Dean's Axe and it took Reese hammering him with Gram to break his shield and bring him down.
Shame I couldn't get some of the dropped items nor grind for levels but I was in a close battle and I don't want Faye's stat gains (point in strength and speed) to be lost.
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