Funny you should mention, I'm almost done sorting through the images for the next update. I can't guarantee I'll get it posted tonight, but tomorrow at the very latest. Also, I'd like to upload the overworld BGM for Tristan Empire for sake of listening to during the posts, because it is really awesome, but I'm at a lack for ideas of where to upload it to. Any suggestions? I'm trying a website that might do the trick. If it works, I'll update with the link here and/or with the next update. Problem solved: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq9YbzLjLJQ It makes for good background music. Probably my favorite, next to Izumo's and Tradnor's.

This came up on a quick search: http://www.nowupload.com/ Tried uploading a short lecture .mp3 to the site and it seems to work fine. (Streaming audio) No sign ups either.

Okay, give this a shot: [link removed, uploaded to youtube instead] It isn't at all what you would expect an empire's theme music to sound like. Very ambient.

In case it was missed above, for your listening pleasure, the background music for the Tristan campaign. Part 17: Playing Hard To Get Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler Year 1, Month 8, Week 2 So from our suicidal strike against Presto, and some zombie slaying, there's still some awards to give out. First for Ruix, for wisely letting the enemy slay some faceless priest instead of someone important. Next time kill some Spirit Users. Too many of them running around. Next, our Elven Sorceress-turned-Dragon Warrior. And lastly, Vlad. Wasn't getting the Dark Orb and his undead girlfriend enough? Well, since he was so nice about it. Since we only have one captive(Presto), we're not likely to get any recruiting done. Still, we can at least hear what the prisoner has to say for himself. Not very classy. Searching went fairly well. Bastion - Astea's Herb - Highland Ogredd & Duran - Spirit Crests - Magicka Astea's Herb is an instant recover for a hospitalized ruler, so it's good to have. We'll save it for a special occasion. Moving on to fortification, let's make Vlad earn his award. Words to live by. Fab. This brings Crystal Castle from Level 9 to 11, so not bad for a week's work. Where were we? Right, Tradnor. Turns out Gongos' crew are fickle, leaving their newfound territory open for the taking. Well, excluding these two. We'll make the best of it. They're way outnumbered, and Katt's other general is probably the more dangerous of the two, since she's packing Cavalry. Only fitting we send a knight. At least, one in appearances. Rudger is quite possibly the most flavored general in the entire game. Whenever he's up against a woman, he hits on her. He has a unique comment for every single female. I've never seen them all. They rarely take kindly to his advances, so he just beats them up like a true gentleman would. Rudger has the inferior Soldier class, but it should still be enough to at least slow down Rykker's forces while some Sonic interference tears them apart. We'll keep on the defensive until then. It's not Sonic Blast, but it'll do. Didn't take out as many as I'd like, but it's a start. And now the advantage is ours. Rudger can easily handle the last of them. "Open up and say 'ahh'!" Copycat. It's down to just her now. I've seen a lot of Sonic Booms, and I do agree that Rudger's is the best. She won't hold out much longer. She's stubborn, I'll give her that. Very. Fortunately, she's also stupid. Turn down a knight, will you? It always has to be done the hard way with these people. One down. I should give Rudger a respite, but since the other general's a lady, we're morally obligated to see what he has to say. Aside from the whole foot-long claws of death thing. You can't please some people. This would be a pretty easy battle if Rudger was at full strength, but he's decidedly lacking in troop count at the moment. ""Just the pill I need to sober up. I'll take you all on!" Don't drink and command. I was thinking he could at least bring down her numbers somewhat, but I underestimated Katt a little. To Rudger's downfall. I'd forgotten how powerful that stupid attack is. Well, shoot. He'll be back. This'll be enough to finish her off. Hopefully this won't come down to a duel. Which ones? This won't be so much a fight, as much as a massive crossfire. Fortunately, Laine's got most of the firepower on her side. This should purge well enough. This keeps the numbers in our favor, but Katt's taking this more personal. Beasts are so much easier to conquer when they aren't throwing out sorcery. Her troops are done for, so Laine's can finish the job. With a little extra support. What the?... You've got to be kidding. The Reaper takes both Generals' HP to 1. Very dangerous. And to be casted by a leader surrounded by mages, very stupid. That was way too close. I'd forgotten all about that evil spell, and I had no idea Katt knew it. All's well that ends well, Rudger's hospitalization aside. Omelette, broken eggs, etc. Shame Rudger doesn't get one, since he was sent to the hospital before he could get a reward. We've still got enough to hold the fort. Still, we will need backup. These four should do. And once our backup's arrived, we go to smite Reinhart. Unless of course, they come to us first. In force. Mage x 40 Samurai x 40 Dragon x 30 Calvary x 30 Samurai x 10 Yeah, they're not playing around. Why now? Madruk's followers have the worst timing. We don't have as much time to prepare as I'd like, either. But there's no way I'm giving up the castle. So it's on. I'm pretty sure they brought enough. They're starting off with their weakest general, for some odd reason, so we'll get this over with quick. Anything other than Defense would be a bad idea in that position. Not that it'll help. Shame that isn't going to do any damage. Ninjas, no backbone. And now we're on to Reinhart's dragon general, Uryll. I'd wish I'd brought Rudger for this one. The fireworks would've been hilarious. One of her kin will have to do. No unique opening, unfortunately. She's going for Breach, which isn't too bad a strategy. Shame she's way outnumbered. Who's going to be the first serving? Like fuel for the blender. Uryll: "You're not leaving here alive...." I don't like the sound of that. Okay, so retreat's not an option. That just means we'll have to finish this quick. No turning back now. This is why I need to remember to look into what spells these people know before fighting them. That complicates matters. Odds just went from 'slaughter' to 'stalemate'. They almost make it there, except... She's not close to being done. We'd better level the playing field a little. Still a ways to go. And they keep growing, and growing. Since they're in Melee mode, they're too interested in chasing down her endless dragon horde to worry about her. For some reason, she's casting Ensnare again. It only works once, but I guess the AI doesn't realize that. So now it's just him versus them, and no retreat. Unless that happens. Two down, sort of. The Harpy brigade'll make short work of Ardor's cavalry. They're coming in force, but that's no concern of Scar's. We'll have a squad on him before the Calvary even come close. They won't even notice. Pay no mind to the winged assassins passing by. Yes indeed. So much for them. Now it's all us. Weather interference aside. Still not enough to save him. Or her. I've never been sure which Ardor was. Either way, it flees just like the rest. Probably the strongest one of the bunch, so we'll respond in kind. We'll keep that in mind. Everyone up in front, just to greet the main force. Protect, figures. So this means we have to go to them. I'm okay with that. Protect is for the weak. And he's toast. Nice try. At least he was willing to let us kill him. Capture works too. Last and definitely least, the second of Reinhart's commanders. Not the nicest wizard in town. They've got the troop and number advantage, but Scar should at least be able to finish off Bardal's posse. Maybe they can get some hits in before they're gunned down. That also helps. Unfortunately, their majority wins out. But not for long. Scar's all for it. Bardal, not so much. We held them off, but it's not a victory in my book until they're all dead or imprisoned. So, we're finishing this right here. They're all hurting for troops, but full MP goes a long way. The party's just beginning. Where did you think you were going? First, the dragon. This won't take long. As if that wasn't imposing enough: We'll bury them in fire. Not old enough. This isn't even a question. Stand against this. I thought not. This'll be another giveaway victory. At least, it thanks to the Mages' unbeatable wait and shoot tactic. And we're back to the commander. Why not settle this in style? Because Bardal's a chicken. What he forgets is that retreating in this case... Will just bring him right back to us. Now everyone wants a piece of the action. Circumstance requires Junon to be stingy. This situation asks for a personal touch. You too? Cry about it. Will that be before or after the retreat? Your aim's a little off. Maybe if he'd waited, that would've worked. And now the castle's really ours, and Reinhart's lost over half of his last brigade. I hope they attack us now. Somehow, I don't think that's a concern. We have some guests on the way, and once we dispose of them, Reinhart's done for. Next time: Tradnor's Last Stand

It's been a while, hasn't it? Thanks to some outside support from a lurker or two, I guess I don't when to quit. So without further adieu, let's get this global domination back on the road. Part 18: Weapons of Mage Destruction Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler I can't entirely remember who earned all these awards, so I kind of dispersed them around at random. In all, these were the recipients: Gulen +10 Cavalry Scar + 10 Harpies Ogredd +10 Cavalry Vangal +10 Dragons Laine +10 Mages Lone +10 Cavalry Also, some recruitment and searching went down, as per usual. No new generals, unfortunately. But Gasparl Castle did get some bonus soldiers, assuming it needed them(unlikely), and two extra levels from fortification. Search Results: Virtuous Runes Cleric Crest Honor Crest Faith Coin Dragon Crest x2 () How about those captives? +1 No such luck. On the bright side, Leon and Sierra returned from the hospital, and ex-captive Zatai joined up. Well then, back to current affairs. The other territories are closing in, so now's the time to finish Reinhart while we have a chance. And his remaining skeleton crew. Our base of operations for striking at Tradnor has gotten a little crowded what with all the new arrivals, however. So we'll do some adjusting. Most of them get shipped off to the northeast, while we'll use these guys: To go axe us a Bozack commander. They do love taking this castle. And leaving it unguarded. As Junon would say, we've got some bulking up to do before moving on Reinhart. And there's still a lot of conflict to the southwest. Bozack and Izumo never get along. Still, they're both losing steam fast. Gongos is pretty much down to just his commanders, and Mikhal isn't faring much better. Once those two armies are taken out, both kingdoms are pretty much ours for the taking. But, first things first. We've got some company that just will. not. stay. dead. Messenger: Ryskim has appeared! (Command?) Now, this is an interesting turn of events. As mentioned earlier, in every campaign, Ryskim eventually comes back from the dead to kidnap a major female character from the kingdom. With Wein, it's usually Nina. Mikhal, Sophie; Reinhart, Uryll; etc. Not entirely sure why, but in this instance, Ryskim tried to kidnap Junon. Right, good luck with that. Ryskim: You shall come with me! Did you think that you could capture the Black Knight? I will not be captured and used as bait for your trap! Messing with the wrong girl. If I interfere now, my help may not be welcome. I'd better watch and wait for the outcome. That explains the whole bedroom crashing ordeal. We were busy! Junon: You are such a snake. Ryskim: I am immensely strong. I won't let a mere human defeat me! No, but it would've helped. So, not too much to worry about. Still running on less than a full battalion, but it's only one general and a legion of undead. Also, Junon's required to handle this personally. Should make a good start. Guess he's not wasting time. Why should we? While they take the front, Junon can do what she does best. Bring the pain. (No birds were harmed in the making of this special attack) (The undead, not so lucky) I'd forgotten at the time, Ryskim is quick to rebuild. I hate necromancers. This makes the odds decidedly more difficult. Also, he isn't stopping. Not liking the odds here. A change in strategy might be in order. They're fighting valiantly, but odds are not on their side. In the meantime, I have Junon do as much damage as she can. There's only so much she can do. Time for some righteous fury to finish the job. (Monks >>> Zombies) Nothing new on that front. The quicker we do damage to Ryskim, less likely he'll be reviving his zombie legions en masse. Fists of god. And magic of the devil. Still, they hold up better than the Harpies did. Before long, RK's out of luck. He still gets his bites in here and there. Kung fu still gets the last laugh. Ryskim: This is unbelievable. One day, I promise you, I shall send you to hell. Keep practicing. I like it. Catchy, easy to remember. Even better. Now with that idiot taken care of, again, we can focus on more important matters. Like getting our forces repaired. Also, Goldark's got a squad moving in, so we have to move up the schedule. I'd rather not have to fend them off while dealing with Reinhart's remnants. But first, an interlude. This won't be long. Yuni's a fun character, but that's a benefit Bozack gets to make use of. We're just tasked with shutting her down. Soldiers have a slight benefit above her Beasts. It won't quite be a pushover, but close enough. She is a fighter, but nothing we can't endure. Before long, the threat's dealt with. Bye bye kitty. We're not quite up to full strength, but there's no time for perfection. The Mad Lion's on the move, and so we'll have to be too. Nothing wrong with calling in some reinforcements, meanwhile. They won't be there anytime soon, but we'll need them more than Palemoon does. Another of Reinhart's commanders, but we've already taken out the most dangerous(Bardal & Presto). We haven't given the merc some use in a while. So many missed opportunities for Rudger. Still, Gustav'll have an easier time than he would have. Just a matter of watching the fireworks. Another one down. Not bad for someone who almost got decapitated. Now all that's left is Tradnor HQ. And they're coming to us! How nice of them. The last battalion. Let's not be rude. It's not like Sophie did any real damage, so this won't be much trouble. Not the best match-up in the world, but he can handle it. Narrak retreated maybe 20 seconds into that fight. Lame. Hopefully Tsugal, the last Tradnor commander, will have more backbone. Tsugal: Protect Formation. Pummel them into submission! So I'm sending a professional to make sure this gets done right. (And messy) More fuel for the fire. (Adds a bonus to troop strength.) That's to make sure they can't fight back. Feast on their flesh This is getting old. There won't be a repeat of the Ryskim fiasco. Not by a long shot. Bad news: he escaped. Good news: new skill get. Best news: no escape. Why not try it out? Just his way of saying hi. Cowards are delicious. That's that. Monk against monk. Well, ours is slightly more powerful. Apocalyptic beatdown. You're lucky it wasn't the dragons consuming your bones. That does it for Reinhart's army, commanders and all. And then there was one. It's just him, but he's got quite a lot of flamethrowers waiting for us. And there's no time to rest. Time to end it. Not very imposing, is he? Reinhart: I have heard much of your ways. Junon: We are not fighting for our own profit and advantage. Won't you listen to me, please? Reinhart: Wait! I can imagine what you have to say. But no talk. I will put you to a test instead. Let us see if you are worthy to take on the world... or not. And with that, it's on. Not like he's got much in comparison. Even with a full force, this would be a bad idea. Like most long range soldiers, Mages tear Harpies apart. Still, Junon has the benefit of a Sonic Blast on her side, and besides, it's tradition to let the rulers settle their differences first. Reinhart has the benefit of speaking the best intro of any ruler in Legendra: Why argue that? Color-coordinated, no less. We sent out a welcoming committee, but I don't expect them to get far. This should do the trick. This is how a long range attack is done, charlatans. It does a lot of damage, but not quite enough to level the playing field. It doesn't take them long to finish off Junon's remaining Harpies. And Reinhart sends them off to die. Junon's way outnumbered, but it won't stop her from getting off a parting shot. As much as I'd love to let Junon finish off most of them by hand, Reinhart's full MP makes me nervous. So there's some risks we can't take. Nothing wrong with letting another DFer finish the job. That should finish this quickly. Or a corpse. They get the first hits, but we'll make up for that in spades. Leon's not afraid of a few candlelights. Another beatdown for the boy wizard. Either Reinhart's soldiers or his life, neither will last long. And with the interference wiped out, the soldiers can handle the rest. Well, one more for the heck of it. Was that too much? I never know. The wizard kingdom is finished. We'll get rid of the lions occupying our new territory before long. In the meantime, the others can help clean house to the south. They can handle pretty much anything the map throws at them. And if we wipe out this castle, Bozack is pretty much done for. I also want them out of the way so we can capture Zanon's castle(the neutral territory) to the southeast ASAP. Well, look at that, they're sending visitors. Guess we'll have to back up Highland again. Alas, business before pleasure. Ever the bearer of bad news. Why do we keep him around? Messenger: Three High Mages from Tradnor have blown out the prison wall and rescued King Reinhart! Presto: That spell was stronger than I thought! Sophie: Presto! That really was quite excessive, I must say! Didn't Lord Reinhart say he could handle it himself? Reinhart: Well, I am the one who should apologize, I suppose. I'm afraid I've caused a lot of trouble and fuss. Junon: What does all this mean, Lord Reinhart? Speak up! Reinhart: <sigh> Well... okay. Junon: Behold! The crest is shining! It calls to the other dragon crests! Reinhart: Ah! You are also a member of the Dragon Force. I am sorry. I really am. I have been testing you. Junon: Testing me? Reinhart: To defeat 'Mad Lion' Goldark, we needed to be united by a leader who could at least match Goldark's skill. I've had my eye on you, Junon. I had to make sure of your ability in an actual battle. That's why I fought you. Junon: You're a strange, weird, little man of fire, Reinhart. Reinhart: Sure. But I bet you didn't know that my family carries the blood of Valhart in our veins. Muriko: You're speaking of Valhart, the god of battle!? Like Madruk, he is one of the six male gods, right? Reinhart: Yes. Because of that blood, I am a powerful magic user. I would like to use my ability for the good of Legendra. Would you let me do combat as a member of your company? Junon: We would welcome you as one of our own! Your power and lineage make you invaluable! And with that, the mages are ours. Naturally, Junon's public support is on the rise. I'll be saving a few of those awards to put that Dragon Crest to use. Junon will need them before long. A reminder for next week's awarding. Not a bad addition at all. Only a few shades of grey remain. Shame that there's a lot of darkness on the horizon. Next time: The Lion's Roar Also, if you want any key members of the Dragon Force to always be around, now's the time to let me know, because I won't be keeping them all handy.

I had hoped to get around to introducing a certain other Dark Knight in this update, but there were some complications... Before we resume, a little bonus I just uploaded for your listening pleasure in honor of the last conquest: Dragon Force BGM: Tradnor Kingdom Feel free to tune in along the way. It's a good track. Part 19: The Fandaria Offensive Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler First things first, there's some recruitment to do. There aren't many captives waiting in the dungeons, but there's enough to try and strike a conversation with. First, trying to get another ninja. That worked out. (I'm not quite sure why that's considered a positive response) And so did that. Even though we've captured their kingdom, Ardor and Uryll still refuse to join. Hopefully they'll change their minds soon. No sense keeping the best NPC in the hospital, is there? This should do the trick. Maybe later. As for those Dragon Crests... Harpies will do for Junon for a while, but Laine's Mages won't cut it, so the other one goes to her. Also, some equipment distribution: One for Laine and one for Teiris, as they're my foremost magic users. Goes without saying. As for award distribution, the following upgrades took place: Dayn: 80 Monks Gustav: 80 Cavalry Laine: 30 Dragons Leon: 90 Monks Myria: 50 Mages Vangal: 70 Dragons And some choice discoveries/upgrades: Spirit Crest, Dragon Crest(Crystal) Ancient Runes, Faith Coin(Tradnor) Gasparl Castle: +3 Levels And back to the field, Stalwart is once again ripe for the taking. The castle we're after in Bozack territory won't be such a pushover. Quite a crew waiting there. Gives us some time to recover from taking out Tradnor. But not that much. I think the gifting has gone to her head. Fortunately, they're somewhat lacking in truth strength, but this will still take a while. First, the warm-up. Gorudias did some serious damage with Hyper Tornado, so for once, Resurrect can work for us. Finally, a welcome sight. Doesn't take long for the undying horde to take care of the rest. One down. No contest, since Zakk's running off a skeleton crew. (Thanks in no small part to Izumo's constant attacks from the west.) Two down. Now, more of a challenge. Even though he had almost no troops, Santana insisted on casting Stone Pedastal over and over again. Which really slowed the progress. By the time the troops finally get back to work... Santana manages to survive in the only way possible. We'll finish him soon enough. Next? Another severly outclassed general. Should've done what the lady said. Last, and not least, one of Gongos' main generals: Teiris has Dragons on her side, so this still shouldn't take too long. Her Dark Vortex spell is a big help in clearing the field. Unfortunately, Gunner's attacks are a bit more personal. Also painful. But Teiris manages to endure. And running isn't enough. Another promotion. And Laine proves she's an apt pupil. Oh, as for the retreating Santana... Problem solved. I don't expect he'll be too eager to join, being one of the evil incarnate demon generals and all, but it's worth a shot. Meanwhile, another Gongos brigade is on their way to return the favor to our Highland squatters. Sending some extra generals to Crystal Castle in the meantime, since it's a Dragon Crest goldmine. Can never have too many of those. Will our reinforcements arrive in time? Just barely. And what would've been a tough fight turns into a slaughter waiting to happen. Myria: For you, my friend, I have prepared the ultimate torture... Horrifying. We've got this. A lot of crossfire results in a sudden duel... Between twins, no less. And the better sister wins. Zombies against beasts, this should end well. Assuming she keeps those claws far away. The wind magic is a good start. But not enough. Here she comes... Ow. As if that weren't bad enough, She makes short work of the remaining corpses. Odds seem good, why not? That should do it. Or not. That's a relief. Piper's not a general I want to wind up dead. This should be less difficult. All too easy. Close, but no sashimi. Next, taking out Piper's captor: Easily done. No death penalty, just a capture. And another ninja for the collection. Cavalry win the day, like usual. Now Bozack is a long way towards being broken. (And yes, we saved Piper from a lengthy hospitalization as well.) Back to the center of Legendra... Still a long way to go before we recover, but no time for that, we've got company coming. Laine & co. aren't quite ready for another assault yet, either. Bozack's not going down without a fight. Our crew could win, but the battle would be a little too close for my tastes. But first, taking out Fandaria's viceroy up north. Let's celebrate Rudger's return in the only way worthwhile. Hopefully this won't get his face torn off. I guess he has a way with beasts. Not that good a one. It'll be a close fight, but nothing a defensive strategy can't handle. One of the few things generic soldiers are good for. Doesn't stop Silva from taking a few slices of her own. Rudger lays down his trademark boom in response. And Silva high-tails it. The best just got better. Can't wait to try out his version. But first, we'll let our resident gentleman deal with the coward. What I didn't realize at the time, is that Presto is just as big a player as Rudger is. He just tries to be classier about it, to mixed results. He's got it where it counts. Bringing the toastyness. Feisty to the last. Afraid so. Well, it is for her at least. (Just another hostage.) And now we can deal with other matters to the s-... Wait, what's this? If it involves zombies, ghosts, or mad lions, I don't want to hear it. Messenger: Goldark's army is making an all-out assault on us! What did I just say? Junon: Alas, the storm clouds blacken... and soon the lightning shall strike. Muriko: This must be the maximum power of his army! Junon: Yes, but though our ability has increased, we should never find ourselves complacent. With an enemy like Goldark, there is no certain victory. Muriko: Your words are wise, Junon. The manner of ordering the divisions will be critical. I hope so too. Next time: Delaying The Inevitable

yayyyy updates

Oh man. I know the perfect soundtrack for this game...! Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler Why, what were you expecting?

Good, because if I had seen one more joke about them, I would have lost it.

So for the handful of you who still follow this thing(your patience is a wondrous thing), I am still at it. My Saturn's been acting up as of late. I blame the Action Replay, but maybe it's the disc. Either way, I managed to pull off an update. It should be up sometime tomorrow. Until then, here's a preview. Some of you likely know what that means. For the rest, well, then.

I've started using a new means of relating the dialogue segments, so feedback is welcome. Part 20: The Path of Fools and Zealots Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler Before we instigate the War of the Lion, we've got preparations to do. Well, mostly awarding. Wise choice. All in all, the Award upgrades were as follows: Code: Ayrios - 80 Harpy Gilette - 50 Soldiers Kidd - 60 Soldiers Laine - 40 Dragons Lone - 60 Cavalry Myria - 60 Mages Presto - 50 Cavalry Rudger - 50 Soldiers Rufas - 50 Beasts Scar - 80 Harpies Teiris -  80 Dragons Vlad - 80 Zombies Now, to the jail cells. Why can't all the ladies be this reasonable? I don't think the black armor would fit you, but thanks for asking. They can't all be reasonable. Executioner! The results of the recruitment drive: Code: Ardor, Fyffer, Katt, Santana, Uryll, Yuni- no join Erin, Farilis, Gekai, Gorudias, Gunner, Silva, Sliver, Zakk- get By all rights, Ardor and Uryll should join, since I conquered Tradnor, but they won't. Ah well, let them rot then. On a lighter note, let's do some searching. Shiny. Code: Search Results Dark Axe Sage's Bracelet Cleric Crest Code: Fortify Results Highland + 2 Danyan + 3 Crystal + 3 Maryware + 3 I believe Cleric Crest does Monks, but I could be wrong. The Axe went to Scar, and I gave his sword to Rudger. On the Dragon warfront... Wein's soldiers won't cut it, either. Not against the likes of what we'll be facing. And we're good to go. As you can see, Tradnor's about to become a lot more popular. I have help on the way, but they'll be some time in the arriving. Not to mention the squad of new recruits, making it a little overcrowded. Between all them, I think they can manage. Junon's main squad have another task ahead of them. Taking out the mystery castle before Goldark does. On a test run, I took out Goldark first, and then this castle's army was gone. That's bad, because they're crucial. It doesn't take long for Fandaria's first messenger to arrive. This must be the warm up. He's not much of a threat, so Galam can do the honors. He adjusts to new leadership quickly. Raid Formation. Pain in the neck. It's best to dash in headlong. Only three waves? Amateur. .... Well, Galam's has more heart behind it. The raid posse arrives, but nothing we can't handle. He high tails it, but Galam doesn't play that, so the Highlander is set right after him. Bagrid made some spiel about the strength of an experienced fox, not that it made any difference. That's more like it. Next? More Fandarian appetizers. Scar proceeds to devour them. Or, you know, brought help. Got to send the beginners off to preschool. (Re: away from the brewing chaos) They can contribute to the hunt for more Dragon Crests. Next up, we're finally coming to the big guns. One of Fandaria's commanders. She could always use the extra experience. It was close, but she managed. In between rounds, one quick change I forgot to make. If Laine's coming along for the long run, the mages have got to go. And another commander follows in Kharhaz's wake. Why don't you give up now? You WILL lose. Not one to give any regard to taunts, Scar volunteered, and Talon went down. Meanwhile, I decided to send Leon, Reinhart, and some Tradnorians to attack from the west, and take some heat away from Galam's crew. They aren't as well equipped, but nothing they can't handle. Some mages and some cavalry, trifles. And the usual cowardice. We'll take care of that soon enough. There's company to the south. Bozack, will you never learn? At this rate, I'll have all their generals before it's even time to conquer them. At least they're taking us more seriously than Fandaria is. Eyepatch fashion is for the Caribbean, Viper. Piper's undead union has the look-alike beast covered. And Ayrios just plain slaughters the soldier brigade. Piper settles some unfinished business, since she ran off. The winds of fate weren't blowing in her favor. Meanwhile, Reinhart's finishing off Aisha. In style. He gets all the best lines. (You should see his campaign.) Don't mess with a pyromancer. Now then, that's most of Goldark's assault brigade dealt with. Problem is, we can't have them taking him out. I always use a personal touch when dealing with monarchs. So, we've got to clear the way for Junon to deal with him. That's a good spot for them to chill at. Unfortunately, one of Goldark's other squads did some damage. But he'll get better. On the bright side, we get to take out another one of Fandaria's commanders; Lyria. Nice person as Goldark followers go, but she's still got to go. You're out of your jurisdiction, sister. A brief interlude. I just do some awards and move on. Code: Ayrios, Bardal, Dayn,  Galam, Leon, Lone, Narrak, Piper, Teiris, Vlad 90, 50, 90, 50, 100, 70, 40, 50, 90 Lots of heavy hitters now. Oh, and more recruits. Code: Fyffer, Gunter, Sylphia, Viper They saw the light awfully fast. Now then, where were we? Right, them. Not the Batman, that's for bloody sure. Litonia? I don't believe I've ever heard of it. I'm not surprised. Litonia is but a small fiefdom now. But soon it will be on everyone's lips... as the power that brought the end to Tristan! Why do you want to conquer Tristan of all places? I have chosen this land to establish a base, from which I will take over the rest of the continent. By the sudden demise of Tristan, the world will know that a new age has dawned! Are you ready to take your place in history, Junon? Behold... Eclisis! I hold no contempt for you in my heart, but your death is necessary to fuel my advance. And with that, it's on. Charming fellow. Zanon has a balanced force. Mages, Archers, Cavalry, and Soldiers. Nothing hard hitting, but not really pushovers either. Yuri's first up, so Rudger goes to meet... Those of you expecting more Rudger flirt techniques might find yourself disappointed. That's a guy. (It gets weirder than that, believe me.) His soldiers are more than enough to take out the mage brigade, so I let him take care of Valtarna as well. (No customized intro with her, for some odd reason.) It was close, but his attack and HP won out in the end. Cavalry against Soldiers. No contest. Who? Seriously, I have no idea who he's referring to. Ah, the 90's. And last but not least, As I said, I like a personal touch for the epic battles. And this is going to be one. A proper greeting from Junon to get us started. It's a good start for the troops, but we're nowhere near done with Zanon. He's got plenty tricks of his own. And he can take a lot of hits. It's not really his health, it's the influence of Eclisis. It gives him enough durability to take out Junon's entire army single-handed, and then some. A Thunder Fall casting also helps him along there. So it comes to this. She'll certainly try her best. This could hurt. But this will hurt more. Way, way too close. That's a relief. Wait, what? But the power of Eclisis is immortal! It is forever! That's cheap. Well, that was an epic waste of time. Zanon's forces all escape. Wounded, but not in our jails, that's for sure. We could wait and fight them again, but it's a waste of time while he still has Eclisis, so we move on. Next time, Goldark... [ Why, Muriko, what's the matter? You look positively green! I found the passage concerning the evil sword Eclisis in one of the ancient tomes in the library. According to the book, Eclisis is the soul of a fiend bound and forged into a sword. The Sword of Darkness. Once made, it was trained to serve an evil high-mage. It will eventually control the will and spirit of its owner. It will continue killing for blood without consideration for the character of its victims. It kills friend and foe alike once it has consumed the soul of its master. Once, the great wise man, Frest, tried to destroy it. But Eclisis was so full of evil and hatred that it eluded all attempts to break, bend, or melt it. Instead, Frest sealed it underground, away from men. That is all the book relates. Such evil. It's unthinkable! Then, we can see why Zanon is so proud of his strength, like the Ogre god of old. But how does Zanon, a human, retain control of Eclisis? He is spiritually strong and has a will of iron. But Eclisis WILL eat away at his soul, little by little. And soon, his character will change to match the sword's. It gives me chills. It's frightening, but true. It presents a danger to us all, Majesty. We must follow Frest's example, Muriko. We must seal that evil thing away, somehow. We've got a heavy burden ahead of us, that's for sure. Next time: Dousing The Darkness

I still wonder what the mechanics behind a captured general joining you or not are. I was sad when I first got rejected by Uryll after using her extensively my first game.

My best guess is that Ardor and Uryll are still refusing like typical commanders, but without the auto-joining of Reinhart's main four. I hope they'll come around eventually, but if not, I have Vangal. And I'm planning on doing a Tradnor campaign after this, anyway. (But not by taking the easy way out.)

Despite never having had a Saturn, I find this game intriguing. How much do your choices in combat affect the outcome of the battle? Is it mostly decided by who you send in to fight?

It's all about troop types and strategy. If I use the right strategy, I could beat an army of 100 soldiers with 30 harpies. There's a lengthy troop alignment scheme similar to Fire Emblem's triangle, only more complex. It's in the instruction book, fortunately, but basically: Dragons: excellent against everything but Samurai Archers: only effective against Harpies(they suck) Mages: effective against Harpies, not so much against everything else, but they're stronger. Both are great for dealing damage to commanders without fear of retaliation, since you can set them to wait right out of a general's attack range, and fire away. Soldiers: average. Cavalry: above average, good for just about everything except Harpies and Dragons. Archers are supposedly good for taking them out, not that I'd try. Harpies: second only to Dragons, only Mages, Archers, and Dragons give them a hard time, and I can still beat Dragons with Harpies. Samurai: above average, like soldiers but better. A Dragon's worst nightmare. Monks: above average. I could beat Dragons with them, but it'd be tough. Still better than soldiers. Beasts: above average, also capable Dragon slayers. Great against Cavalry. Formation is also crucial, and that's how I usually beat high odds. The AI only goes on the offense with certain strategies, so if they take a certain formation, I usually know exactly what they're about to do. If they go into Protect, for example(the crossbow shaped one), I know they won't be moving. So I'd use the General to take out a bunch of them with a spell, ideally Sonic Blast, then send the troops in right after it hits. It gets frustrating when a general knows Resurrect magic, because that can really wreck a strategy. Unless you're absolutely sure they won't get a soldier across the field, it's a good idea to use offense(70% go after the general, 30% stay behind) rather than special formation(all the army moves at once). Soldier types are why some kingdoms are easier than others. Tradnor, Palemoon, and Highland all have it rough. Mages, Archers, Soldiers. Fandaria, Tristan, and Izumo are among the best, since they have above average troops that can take out most anything. Bozack and Topaz are somewhere in the middle. No kingdom starts with dragons, but there's a few generals who use them. Mostly demons. There's a reason I'm gearing all the Dragon Force's weaker links up with Dragons. I will need them.

Are you going to do all of the campaigns, or just Junon's? It would be nice if Sega could send the whole Sega Ages line through SCEA now while they are approve happy for the PS2

Doing all eight would take me forever. The main story events are mostly the same, each one just has different individual encounters along the way. I might be playing Tradnor's campaign after I clear Tristan's, but that'd be more for myself than the LP, since I cleared it the boring way the first time around. Reinhart pretty much sits back and lets Wein conquer Legendra, then Wein shows up and hands rule of everything over to him, so everyone is wildly underleveled. And I'm not sure I'd want Dragon Force Ages to get localized without Working Designs in charge of it.

So hey, we're not done yet. Just finished Part 21. Having it up tonight would be nice, but tomorrow is more likely. Shouldn't be long. Lots of story, light on combat. Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler I hope you all didn't get too attached to Zanon. Also, comparison request: VS I assume the smaller version looks better. I'll reveal the art image I got these from once this is done, since it's full of spoilers. I've updated part 20 to include the new images. Also, since my photobucket apparently crashed under the weight of this LP, I now have a new one, so this should be good to go from here on out.

Part 21: The Tides of Darkness Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler Year 1 | Month 10 | Week 1 Plenty of awards to give out this week. Code: Ayrios: 90 Harpies Gilette: 60 Soldiers Junon: 20 Dragons Laine: 50 Dragons Leon: 100 Monks Lone: 70 Cavalry Myria: 70 Mages Presto: 60 Cavalry Reinhart: 40 Dragons Rudger: 60 Soldiers Rufas: 60 Beasts Scar: 90 Harpies Teiris: 90 Dragons Vlad: 90 Zombies Presto's always appreciative. Some good finds on the searching front, but mostly a lot of nothing. Code: Magicka: Spirit Crest Gasparl: Astea's Ring Orvue: Virtuous Runes Palemoon, Topaz, Tradnor, Crystal: Nothing :( Highland: Strategy Runes (found by Bastion, of all people I distributed the items as follows: Code: Virtuous Runes brought Laine's INT from 82 to 88. Strategy Runes brought Piper's INT from 42 to 46 Astea's Ring broughtVlad's Command from 88 to 96 As for the traditional prison recruitment: Code: Get: Barret, Fyffer, Sylphia, Viper Not: Ardor, Gunter, Katt, Kharhaz, Lyria, Santana, Talon, Uryll, Yuni Right, that's what they all say. A bit of fortification brought Galfiel's levels up by 3, and Ogrekeep's by 1. Every bit helps. On that note, back to the field. So we're in a little bind. Junon's army is still reeling from the fight with Zanon, and Goldark's forces are all over the place. Also, some new arrivals, and Reinhart's back from the hospital. So we'll have to do some cautious rearrangements. Fortunately, the first Fandarian herald isn't much to worry about. I send the new recruits and Reinhart away. Even wounded, nothing Junon's squadron can't handle. And the resident player volunteers. I love the smell of sweat in the morning. To battle! Vigilance isn't quite the right word here. Seeing how the man has no soldiers. Maybe suicidal. I can still put him to use. Should put a dent in Bagril's forces. Copy cat. Not that it matters, since it's only going to hurt Rudger. Sonic Blast is no more powerful damage-wise than a vanilla Sonic Boom. Rudger manages to bring the squad down a few notches by himself, but rather than risk hospitalization... We'll need every able general we can get, so, off with you now. Gustav can handle the clean-up. Not much of a contest. And one less follower for Goldark. More new recruits, so I send them to Highland and Bastion's isolation ward to get some soldiers. I'll be regretting that later. For the time being, getting Junon's squad back up to speed is priority one. That's a good start. The reprieve is a short-lived one at best. Fandaria's army is back on the move. And this herald is a familiar one. Goldark's coming in person. (With a squad of captives from Izumo, who didn't realize that taking on a monarch was a bad idea.) The rest of his forces are approaching from the northeast, so I send over a few generals to keep them away from the Highland region. They're all skeleton crews, so it's nothing a solid foundation can't handle. No one I've used that often, but they're capable enough. Junon & co. have recovered enough, so it's time for a second go at Lightan Castle and Zanon's brigade. The musical chairs strategy should keep Goldark distracted long enough for Junon to make it to the west unfazed. Meanwhile, the remnants of Fandaria's army finally start arriving. Just another soloist. Separated at birth? I haven't used him in a while. Ah, Raiders. Breach wins every time. (Well, unless they're dragons or something.) Some support fire couldn't hurt. The defenders can take care of the Raid squad with minimal effort. The commander manages to put up a fight, for all the good it'll do him. This is something I thought a commander would be smart enough to run from. I thought wrong. Never even got a hit through. A little late for low-tier magic like that. Time's flying, isn't it? I kept this one brief. Just two awards to distribute, bringing Duran to 50 Soldiers and Gustav to 90 Cavalry. As for captives, If you can out-drink me, I may consider your request. Junon's non-alcoholic, so Gunter joins, and that's it. It turns out Goldark is a far more effective persuader. All three of the captives from Izumo joined him overnight, and now they're headed our way. The northeast crew manage to get visitors first. More single-faction squads. Nothing a war god-mage can't handle. Can't blame her for trying. Odds aren't in your favor, paladin. And this time they're using Breach against my Raid formation. I know how to deal with Breachers. Through purging. Crawford realizes his folly, but a bit too late. The Izumo-Fandarians arrive at Highland, but before the battle, I realized my error. That's it, I'm shipping him to Palemoon. Ideally in a pine box. We can get him back later, hopefully dead. ...you'll be walking like an eviscerated duckling. There's a colorful image. Except Ms. Ninja forgot one little thing. To bring soldiers. Guess Fandaria's been stingy with the recruitment budget. I'll spare most of the details. This is pretty much a slaughter waiting to happen. Sayaka's not an Izumo commander to my knowledge(otherwise what is she doing with Fandaria?), but she's still got one of the few unique sprites. Total domination. Back to more pressing manners, it's time to put Eclisis to rest. I have no mercy left in my heart for chaff like you. I beg for nothing. You have become a simple servant of Eclisis, anxious to feed it the blood of innocents. Lay down the sword, Zanon! I do not serve Eclisis! Eclisis has made me aware of Ultimate Truth. It is that power alone is the only thing worth having, and that power is the justice in this world. The weak perish to feed the ambition of the strong. It is the way from the beginning. I have merely decided to stake my claim for power. And Eclisis enables me to have anything I desire. Except freedom. For though you have power, you are a slave to Eclisis. Face it, Zanon. You are wrong. Turn back now, it's not too late! Your words will not confuse me, Junon. I have tasted power, and I shall not surrender it. It is you who must face the truth. And that truth is that your blood shall feed Eclisis next. What is the matter, Yuri? Zanon, I... I agree with Junon... you've changed. Eclisis has enslaved you in darkness. You must cast it aside now, while you still can! This is simply beyond belief! My own servant now rises to betray me? It is not betrayal. As a priest, I feel the dark power within the sword. It is growing, Zanon. Soon it shall consume your entire being. Have you forgotten our original dream? It was to establish a FREE country. Not a land serving the power of a dark sword... sacrificing citizens to keep the dream alive. But the sword is the only means we have to rule. Without it, we have not the means to control Legendra. Yes, but with it, Legendra will be enslaved. Enslaved to the ways of darkness and pain. It is no better than Madruk's foul plan. Can't you see that? Or has Eclisis blinded you to the truth? Yuri... There is nothing more to discuss. Zanon... cast aside the sword. Lay down Eclisis. Stop it, Yuri. I'm warning you! Do not come any closer! Please, Zanon, abandon Eclisis... Stop it, I'm warning you! Don't come any closer! Yuri! Ungh... abandon Eclisis before... Yuri... it will be all right... Yuri! Answer me! Open your eyes! Oh, Yuri... don't leave me! What about our promise to build this world together? I AM enslaved to the dark sword! That's IT! I shall break this miserable blade in two! Who... who are you? Give that back to me! My name is Faust, knight of darkness. Eclisis is mine. It is my business what I do with it. So... you are the one that let Zanon find the sword? Ha ha ha! Don't rust your armor, Junon. I have no business here except to recover this. The time has come for me to go... so long! Zanon... are you all right? I have done many wicked things while under the sword's spell. The time has come for me to atone for my sins. What are you talking about, Zanon? Do not come near to me, Junon! This is the path I am destined to walk... Faust has taken Eclisis, but my soul remains cursed. I must pay for my foolish course with my very life. Know that I am sorry for all the pain I've caused... Zanon!!! Yuri, we shall create a free country in the next world. I pray that you will yet remain my friend... Oh, Zanon... in the end, you died with the pride of a human. Zanon, why?!? The Zanon situation ends badly in almost every campaign. One of the campaigns actually has Zanon survive, but that's a very rare occurrence. Sometimes Yuri survives, but that's pretty rare as well. (The Faust thing is unusual; I really don't recall this happening in any other campaign, but it has an important meaning in Tristan's.) Veltarna and Gunter, the last survivors, are now our captives. I don't suspect they'll want to stay in jail for long, but I guess we'll see. There was a brief Paine & Agonni interlude at Topaz Castle, from which Vlad & Teiris gained some levels. Vlad also learned Ensnare, which should be helpful before long. After that lengthy display of bloodshed, the last neutral territory is ours. And guess who wants a piece of it. That's change we can all believe in. Once I defeat you, it'll be one continent under my rule. There's only one way for this conflict to go down. Dramatically. As you can see, we're robbed of an epic battle because Goldark is an idiot and came with no troops. Or maybe he's just that brave. He certainly doesn't seem fazed. Either way, he won't go down easy. The Harpies were sent out in full force, so Junon can bring the rain in the meantime. Doesn't take long to bury Goldark in fire. And bird feathers. He didn't even use his signature attack(Sword Rush). Almost makes me think he's doing this on purpose... Goldark puts up a fight, but numbers eventually win out. Only natural to finish him in style. And so he will. All too easy. Kill me now... go ahead! Be quick about it. ..... Goldark, I won't kill you. You'll have to live with the disgrace of being defeated, by yours truly! I hear both cruelty and sympathy in your words, Junon. Long live Junon! Long live Tristan! You are truly great, Lord Junon. I pledge my loyalty to you forever and always. There would be more words from the peanut gallery, but Ayrios was the only commander I brought along, and it's pure luck that even he was there. Now, what are we to do with Lord Goldark? I doubt he will cooperate with us like the other kingdoms. Confine him. But don't be disrespectful. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. And all was well. Or is it? Huh? Who are you? I am a knight of darkness... I am Faust... What the devil do you want!? It is the magic sword Eclisis. Take this and you will be infinitely stronger. Or are you a weak human who cannot cope with power...? I don't need any tricks to get what I want from life. But, if I see a power I can take, then I take it. That is a goood ansswer... In taking thiss, you may well be master of Legendra! ...Ahhh... this is the power of the dark side. I can feel its cold evil... and unlimited power... If the blade can't nullify the restless ghost of a knight, then it's not good enough for me to use! Welll... very goood... If you did not have this much spirit to begin with.. you could never use the powers of daarknessss.... ......He's gone. If I use this unholy power, I may even be able to defeat Madruk himself! Ha! Junon!! Goldark has blown the door off his cell and escaped! Somehow I want to hold him accountable. Nonsense! That door was reinforced with magic! One cannot so easily overcome th... AHHHRR! That Goldark! He's at it again! It isn't over that easily. Goldark's on the loose, and Eclisis is his. Taking the rest of Legendra won't be easy. So now, some input. Cast a !vote for what Tristan should deal with next. -!gold for the Fandaria Kingdom -!lime for the Bozack Nation -!plum for the Izumo Nation They'll all have to fall eventually, and they're all on their last legs, but feel free to suggest whatever order you prefer. Be warned, I'm not entirely sure what Goldark's up to... Next time: The Last Remnants

Sayaka and Kumomn are kind of like Ogredd and Lone, Talon and his merry band, Ardor and Uryll, Laine's crew, and a number of others: Characters that factor into the mini plot of one nation but aren't a part of the ruler's inner circle. Sayaka herself doesn't really do much even in the Izumo side plot other than show up in an image with Kyoem though.

That explains it. I always get the commanders and the mini plot generals mixed up. I thought Lone was one of Wein's inner circle generals. (I really hate playing as Wein, since he has the most boring campaign of all eight.) Also, now I know why Goldark appeared at Zanon's castle when I defeated him first in a test run: so Faust could give him Eclisis. I assume that conversation happens whether or not Zanon dies.

Knowing nothing of what that map represents, I suggest going in a clockwise manner to shorten the borders exposed to attack.

The clear portions are untaken castles, mostly abandoned Fandaria territory, since Goldark had his entire army on the move. Black is Tristan, Gold is Fandaria, Green is Bozack, and Violet is Izumo.

That explains it. I always get the commanders and the mini plot generals mixed up. I thought Lone was one of Wein's inner circle generals. (I really hate playing as Wein, since he has the most boring campaign of all eight.) My very first game was as Mikhal. After dealing with every damn army trying to cross my borders in an attempt to get a piece of Goldark, I took a peak at Wein's campaign and was annoyed at how much easier it was. I'm not even sure Sayaka and Kumomn are even recruitable in the Izumo campaign, they may just vanish when that side story is done.

That explains it. I always get the commanders and the mini plot generals mixed up. I thought Lone was one of Wein's inner circle generals. (I really hate playing as Wein, since he has the most boring campaign of all eight.) My very first game was as Mikhal. After dealing with every damn army trying to cross my borders in an attempt to get a piece of Goldark, I took a peak at Wein's campaign and was annoyed at how much easier it was. I'm not even sure Sayaka and Kumomn are even recruitable in the Izumo campaign, they may just vanish when that side story is done. Izumo was the second-to-last campaign I did(the final being Bozack's, which is the funniest by far). I enjoyed it a lot, but I'm pretty sure I stayed away from Goldark until I had Bozack, Tristan, and maybe Topaz under control. Though going after him early on when he just has a few generals and Gaul and Scythe is tempting.