Plot:
Duran is a trainee Sage of Libra, goddess of wisdom. To achieve his final accreditation as a Sage, he is sent into some nearby ruins to recover a relic important to the Libran Sages (aka, Librarians) and take it to the Mother Temple. Drama and whackiness ensues.
Why is this relic so important?
Ages ago, the goddess Libra gifted mankind with a book of great power. No one really knows now what this book was. Some believe it was some sort of divine grimoire, containing spells of a cosmic scale. Some believe it contains the story of the universe, from its creation to its ultimate fate. Whatever it was, the book was imbued with great power by the goddess, power enough that it had a sort of awareness. When the world fell into a global war, the book knew it had to hide its power away, so it split itself into parts, each part changing itself into some other object which hid themselves across the globe. Since then, the Sages have been working to reassemble the book so it could be put to the goddess' purpose. Tracing clues have led the Sages to believe one of these artifacts is buried beneath the ruins near the shrine where Duran is training to be a Sage.
Characters:
Spoiler
PCs-
*Duran: An orphan raised by the Sages of a Libran shrine, Duran is a pleasant, literature-loving lad who devours any book which passes through the shrine. Even though he reads everything and loves to learn, it's story which holds a special place in his heart. In fact, in addition to helping teach the children of the local village reading, writing and arithmetic, he tells stories to the kids, too.
In the game, he is mostly a spell-caster with low physical stats. His spells are largely wind-based attacks, though he also uses a decent array of buffs, debuffs and state-spells. Most of them are also wind-based, like the HP regen spell Zephyr and the poison- and confusion-inducing Miasma. He also gets a lot of TP-based buffs, like Aura Chant, which reduces MP consumption and Aura Tempo which boosts speed. Weapon-wise, he fights with either staves or lightweight swords. For armor, he only equips clothes and robes. His academic skill is what makes him different from the other spell-slingers. He's the only one who can decipher some of the obscure texts which impart important information, and he can learn new spells from books hidden throughout the game.
*Cordelia Brighthammer: A childhood friend of Duran's from the nearby village of Hazelrock, Cordelia lost her mother as a little girl and was raised by her blacksmith father, Kelvan. Her mother, Lady Orchid Brighthammer, was a valient paladin warrior who sacrificed herself to defeat the evil Warlock King. Cordelia, brash, tomboyish and fearless to a fault, inherited her mother's powers, and jumped at the chance to accompany her friend on his quest.
In the game, Cordelia is the first tank of the party, though her magical defense is higher than her physical defense. She's got pretty good physical stats and picks up a few holy spells. She can do some limited healing and can throw some holy attacks at monsters, but her skillset leans more towards the physical than the magical. She can fight with spears or hammers, and equip pretty much any type of armor. Like any good Paladin, though, she is always ready to put herself in harm's way to save her allies with Cover and Provoke. Her Sanctuary ability ups her allies defense and magical defense and applies the ailment guard state.
*Tiko: Yet another orphaned character (I promise not everyone's parents are dead), Tiko was raised by the faeries and woodland beasties of Dananwood Forest. As such, he has a certain rapport with animals and doesn't function the best in human society. He is crude, brutally frank and fiercely protective of those he cares about. Duran and Cordelia encounter him as they make their way through the forest. Due to the recent murder of one of Tiko's surrogate family, the initial encounter isn't pleasant.
Tiko is a Ranger, able to pick off enemies from cover with either bows or boomerangs. Not exactly a heavy hitter, he can still get in some good hits while avoiding damage with his good evasion level. He learns a few plant-based spells, such as the Leaf Cutter attack, the sleep-inducing Pollen Haze and the HP-regen Gaia Bless. Most of his skillset, though, is made up of weapon skills and personal stat boosts.
*Olvanka Volkova: A knight of the winter-locked Kingdom of Borix, Olvanka's ferocity on the battlefield has earned her the nickname "Lioness of the North." She is loyal to the Crown, but she refuses to draw her sword against innocent civilians, no matter her orders. Duran and his allies meet her as they investigate the source of Borix's unnatural winter. Expect Russian phrases.
If Cordelia is the magical tank of the group, Olvanka is the physical tank. A completely unmagical character, her stats are geared entirely towards physical combat. She can equip all armor type except for robes, and her weaponry repetoire includes axes, heavy swords, light swords and hammers. Her skillset are mostly weapon-based, though she can also rally her allies to boost their stats.
*Jean-Luc Duquesne: An orphan (last one, i promise) who grew up in the slums of fairytale city-state of Galimond, Jean-Luc had to rely on crime to survive. He has no love for the upper classes and feels no guilt over robbing some wealthy merchant or noble blind. He isn't completely heartless and greedy, though, as much of what he steals goes to help the forgotten children of Galimond's slums. He crosses paths with Duran's party when the local Fairy Godmother gives them an offer they can't refuse. There will be French words in his dialogue. Just to warn you.
Thanks to Yanfly's Simple Steal Script, JL is a thief who can actually swipe goodies from monsters. He is fast, lucky and evasive, but not a beefy character. He can dual-wield knives and boomerangs and use light armor. He has no magic, all his skills based on weaponry, evasion or theft. He can also use his Lockpick ability in the field to get around certain doors.
*Xen Lunwu: Son of immigrants from Qinyin, Xen is a Special Investigator for the Lawkeepers of Ori. He has a firm belief in justice and the law's power to protect people. He and Duran's party meet when a series of murders hits the Grand Arcos Opera House. He is proficient with martial arts, quick-minded and perceptive, all of which help him in his assignments for the Lawkeepers, which usually send him undercover. (And don't worry, there will be no dialogue localizations for Xen. That would be too much.)
A Martial Artist (monk, if you prefer), Xen can only equip claws as weapons, but (again, thanks to Yanfly) he can also fight barehanded. A lot of his skills are "barehand" skills. Though not a magic-user, he can use TP to fuel elemental attacks like Fist of Fire, Storm Kick and Chi Blast. He also has several "meditation" techniques which up his stats. His armor options are limited to clothes and light armor. His stats are geared for speed and physical attack, with a deficit on defense and magic stats.
*Siobhan O'Carolan: A young lass from the village of Grump, in the marshy island kingdom of Mideran, Siobhan is the third and youngest witch of her coven. Clever and inquisitive, she has a mishievous streak a mile wide. Duran and his party help her coven out when there's an unfortunate regicide. When things are done and dusted, Siobhan decideds to accompany Duran and the others and see a bit of the world. Expect plenty o' Irishisms.
Siobhan is a Witch (obvs), which means she is almost pure magical attack. Most of her spells are thunder-based, though she can use a few state-inflicting spells, too. She also has the class-specific spells Jinx, Hex, Curse and Brew. She can equip clothes and robes and fight with staves and knives. She's physically weaker than even Duran, but her high luck and magical attack come in handy.
*Mira Zalia: A priestess of Amora, goddess of mercy, Mira was raised in the temples of the desert kingdom of Alana. Mira is gentle, compassionate and intelligent. She is very sheltered, though, and remains naive to many of the darker aspects of humanity, despite her many charitable missions. She joins Duran's party after they help her undo a catastrophe which has fallen on her kingdom.
As a Priestess, Mira is the primary healer of the group. She gets more recovery/remedy/revival spells than any of the other magic-users, and in a way, is the inverse of Cordelia. Cordelia is a very physical character with some Holy attacks and a few Holy healing spells, while Mira is physically frailer, with a plethora of Water healing spells and a few Water attack spells. She also has the TP-fueled "prayer" skills, which include Angel of Love and Angel of Justice. Some of these are attacks, some are buffs, etc. She can only equip clothes and robes, and fights with staves and bows, though her skillset is largely magical.
*Duran: An orphan raised by the Sages of a Libran shrine, Duran is a pleasant, literature-loving lad who devours any book which passes through the shrine. Even though he reads everything and loves to learn, it's story which holds a special place in his heart. In fact, in addition to helping teach the children of the local village reading, writing and arithmetic, he tells stories to the kids, too.
In the game, he is mostly a spell-caster with low physical stats. His spells are largely wind-based attacks, though he also uses a decent array of buffs, debuffs and state-spells. Most of them are also wind-based, like the HP regen spell Zephyr and the poison- and confusion-inducing Miasma. He also gets a lot of TP-based buffs, like Aura Chant, which reduces MP consumption and Aura Tempo which boosts speed. Weapon-wise, he fights with either staves or lightweight swords. For armor, he only equips clothes and robes. His academic skill is what makes him different from the other spell-slingers. He's the only one who can decipher some of the obscure texts which impart important information, and he can learn new spells from books hidden throughout the game.
*Cordelia Brighthammer: A childhood friend of Duran's from the nearby village of Hazelrock, Cordelia lost her mother as a little girl and was raised by her blacksmith father, Kelvan. Her mother, Lady Orchid Brighthammer, was a valient paladin warrior who sacrificed herself to defeat the evil Warlock King. Cordelia, brash, tomboyish and fearless to a fault, inherited her mother's powers, and jumped at the chance to accompany her friend on his quest.
In the game, Cordelia is the first tank of the party, though her magical defense is higher than her physical defense. She's got pretty good physical stats and picks up a few holy spells. She can do some limited healing and can throw some holy attacks at monsters, but her skillset leans more towards the physical than the magical. She can fight with spears or hammers, and equip pretty much any type of armor. Like any good Paladin, though, she is always ready to put herself in harm's way to save her allies with Cover and Provoke. Her Sanctuary ability ups her allies defense and magical defense and applies the ailment guard state.
*Tiko: Yet another orphaned character (I promise not everyone's parents are dead), Tiko was raised by the faeries and woodland beasties of Dananwood Forest. As such, he has a certain rapport with animals and doesn't function the best in human society. He is crude, brutally frank and fiercely protective of those he cares about. Duran and Cordelia encounter him as they make their way through the forest. Due to the recent murder of one of Tiko's surrogate family, the initial encounter isn't pleasant.
Tiko is a Ranger, able to pick off enemies from cover with either bows or boomerangs. Not exactly a heavy hitter, he can still get in some good hits while avoiding damage with his good evasion level. He learns a few plant-based spells, such as the Leaf Cutter attack, the sleep-inducing Pollen Haze and the HP-regen Gaia Bless. Most of his skillset, though, is made up of weapon skills and personal stat boosts.
*Olvanka Volkova: A knight of the winter-locked Kingdom of Borix, Olvanka's ferocity on the battlefield has earned her the nickname "Lioness of the North." She is loyal to the Crown, but she refuses to draw her sword against innocent civilians, no matter her orders. Duran and his allies meet her as they investigate the source of Borix's unnatural winter. Expect Russian phrases.
If Cordelia is the magical tank of the group, Olvanka is the physical tank. A completely unmagical character, her stats are geared entirely towards physical combat. She can equip all armor type except for robes, and her weaponry repetoire includes axes, heavy swords, light swords and hammers. Her skillset are mostly weapon-based, though she can also rally her allies to boost their stats.
*Jean-Luc Duquesne: An orphan (last one, i promise) who grew up in the slums of fairytale city-state of Galimond, Jean-Luc had to rely on crime to survive. He has no love for the upper classes and feels no guilt over robbing some wealthy merchant or noble blind. He isn't completely heartless and greedy, though, as much of what he steals goes to help the forgotten children of Galimond's slums. He crosses paths with Duran's party when the local Fairy Godmother gives them an offer they can't refuse. There will be French words in his dialogue. Just to warn you.
Thanks to Yanfly's Simple Steal Script, JL is a thief who can actually swipe goodies from monsters. He is fast, lucky and evasive, but not a beefy character. He can dual-wield knives and boomerangs and use light armor. He has no magic, all his skills based on weaponry, evasion or theft. He can also use his Lockpick ability in the field to get around certain doors.
*Xen Lunwu: Son of immigrants from Qinyin, Xen is a Special Investigator for the Lawkeepers of Ori. He has a firm belief in justice and the law's power to protect people. He and Duran's party meet when a series of murders hits the Grand Arcos Opera House. He is proficient with martial arts, quick-minded and perceptive, all of which help him in his assignments for the Lawkeepers, which usually send him undercover. (And don't worry, there will be no dialogue localizations for Xen. That would be too much.)
A Martial Artist (monk, if you prefer), Xen can only equip claws as weapons, but (again, thanks to Yanfly) he can also fight barehanded. A lot of his skills are "barehand" skills. Though not a magic-user, he can use TP to fuel elemental attacks like Fist of Fire, Storm Kick and Chi Blast. He also has several "meditation" techniques which up his stats. His armor options are limited to clothes and light armor. His stats are geared for speed and physical attack, with a deficit on defense and magic stats.
*Siobhan O'Carolan: A young lass from the village of Grump, in the marshy island kingdom of Mideran, Siobhan is the third and youngest witch of her coven. Clever and inquisitive, she has a mishievous streak a mile wide. Duran and his party help her coven out when there's an unfortunate regicide. When things are done and dusted, Siobhan decideds to accompany Duran and the others and see a bit of the world. Expect plenty o' Irishisms.
Siobhan is a Witch (obvs), which means she is almost pure magical attack. Most of her spells are thunder-based, though she can use a few state-inflicting spells, too. She also has the class-specific spells Jinx, Hex, Curse and Brew. She can equip clothes and robes and fight with staves and knives. She's physically weaker than even Duran, but her high luck and magical attack come in handy.
*Mira Zalia: A priestess of Amora, goddess of mercy, Mira was raised in the temples of the desert kingdom of Alana. Mira is gentle, compassionate and intelligent. She is very sheltered, though, and remains naive to many of the darker aspects of humanity, despite her many charitable missions. She joins Duran's party after they help her undo a catastrophe which has fallen on her kingdom.
As a Priestess, Mira is the primary healer of the group. She gets more recovery/remedy/revival spells than any of the other magic-users, and in a way, is the inverse of Cordelia. Cordelia is a very physical character with some Holy attacks and a few Holy healing spells, while Mira is physically frailer, with a plethora of Water healing spells and a few Water attack spells. She also has the TP-fueled "prayer" skills, which include Angel of Love and Angel of Justice. Some of these are attacks, some are buffs, etc. She can only equip clothes and robes, and fights with staves and bows, though her skillset is largely magical.
Spoiler
These are just a few of the NPC's who show up in the early game.
The Shrine
*Madam Crane - The senior Sage of the Shrine where Duran was raised, Crane is a kindly woman with a special fondness for poetry. She's an expert on restoring damaged texts, as well. She has faith that Duran can complete his quest, but that doesn't mean she likes him being in a position of danger.
*Master Goshawk - A Sage of the Shrine, Master Goshawk loves geology, meteorology, and history. He's pleasant enough, though a bit dry. He probably expects an essay when Duran gets back. With a bibliography. Double-spaced, punk.
*Madam Tigermoth - A Sage of the Shrine, Madam Tigermoth is an expert in biology, botany and baking. She's a sweet woman and will give you fruitpies, if you can list the scientific names of all the ingredients.
Hazelrock Village
*Kelvan Brighthammer - Cordelia's father, blacksmith of Hazelrock. He raised Cordelia by himself after the death of his wife. He knew his hopes for a quiet, happy life for her were over when she began displaying the same powers as her mother. He doesn't put up with much nonsense. Which sucks for Cordy, because she's about 60% nonsense.
*Orchid Brighthammer - Cordelia's mother, she sacrificed her life to defeat the Warlock King and end his reign of terror. Being dead hasn't really stopped her being an involved mom, though.
*Mayor Hazel - Hazelrock's mayor, Hazel is an amateur historian when he's not taking on the vast responsibilities of managing a village with a population of 12. Because of Orchid, he has a fondness for Cordelia.
Terendale
*Sir Wulfric - Master of Terendale's Guardian Guild, he organizes the warriors who help keep down the monster population.
*Callum Cork - Alchemist with the Terendale Guild. He teaches you how to make stuff from other stuff! And he's (fake) Scottish!
*Tanager - A Sage who is working with Terendale's Guild, trying to set up a teleportation system. Come back when you have the Saffron City Badge.
Dananwood Forest
*Lorcan & Henry - artisanal merchants who need help getting through the forest.
*Eora - called a "princess" by the Dananwood sprites, she is the ruler of the forest's magical denizens. Expect to see her again!
That's enough of those for now.
The Shrine
*Madam Crane - The senior Sage of the Shrine where Duran was raised, Crane is a kindly woman with a special fondness for poetry. She's an expert on restoring damaged texts, as well. She has faith that Duran can complete his quest, but that doesn't mean she likes him being in a position of danger.
*Master Goshawk - A Sage of the Shrine, Master Goshawk loves geology, meteorology, and history. He's pleasant enough, though a bit dry. He probably expects an essay when Duran gets back. With a bibliography. Double-spaced, punk.
*Madam Tigermoth - A Sage of the Shrine, Madam Tigermoth is an expert in biology, botany and baking. She's a sweet woman and will give you fruitpies, if you can list the scientific names of all the ingredients.
Hazelrock Village
*Kelvan Brighthammer - Cordelia's father, blacksmith of Hazelrock. He raised Cordelia by himself after the death of his wife. He knew his hopes for a quiet, happy life for her were over when she began displaying the same powers as her mother. He doesn't put up with much nonsense. Which sucks for Cordy, because she's about 60% nonsense.
*Orchid Brighthammer - Cordelia's mother, she sacrificed her life to defeat the Warlock King and end his reign of terror. Being dead hasn't really stopped her being an involved mom, though.
*Mayor Hazel - Hazelrock's mayor, Hazel is an amateur historian when he's not taking on the vast responsibilities of managing a village with a population of 12. Because of Orchid, he has a fondness for Cordelia.
Terendale
*Sir Wulfric - Master of Terendale's Guardian Guild, he organizes the warriors who help keep down the monster population.
*Callum Cork - Alchemist with the Terendale Guild. He teaches you how to make stuff from other stuff! And he's (fake) Scottish!
*Tanager - A Sage who is working with Terendale's Guild, trying to set up a teleportation system. Come back when you have the Saffron City Badge.
Dananwood Forest
*Lorcan & Henry - artisanal merchants who need help getting through the forest.
*Eora - called a "princess" by the Dananwood sprites, she is the ruler of the forest's magical denizens. Expect to see her again!
That's enough of those for now.
Spoiler
*Ori: A decent-sized kingdom, divided into four provinces, each under the authority of one of the four noble houses: Ilex in the west, Salyx in the south, Acer to the north and Malus to the east. Ori is the starting kingdom, and the early part of the game is spent schlepping across it's forests and hills. It is home to:
*Libra Shrine: Starting point of the game. Located outside Hazelrock Village, near the Ori/Borix border, in the northern province.
*Hazelrock Village: a nice little mountain village. This is where Cordelia and Kelvan live. I kinda cheated and made this from one of the RTP ready-made maps.
*Terendale: a larger market town, home to the Guardian Guild. Beware of mimes. Another ready-made map.
*Dananwood Forest: a dark, spooky, faerie-ridden forest.
*Hame: the hidden village of the Dananwood faeries. Speak with sprites! Haggle with raccoons! Find out what the fox says!
*Steelport: also known as the The Big Squash, it's a grimy, bustling port city. A real cobblestone jungle.
*The Old Palace: a centuries-old ruin, formerly the seat of power in the kingdom. What really happened all those years ago?
*More to come*
*Libra Shrine: Starting point of the game. Located outside Hazelrock Village, near the Ori/Borix border, in the northern province.
*Hazelrock Village: a nice little mountain village. This is where Cordelia and Kelvan live. I kinda cheated and made this from one of the RTP ready-made maps.
*Terendale: a larger market town, home to the Guardian Guild. Beware of mimes. Another ready-made map.
*Dananwood Forest: a dark, spooky, faerie-ridden forest.
*Hame: the hidden village of the Dananwood faeries. Speak with sprites! Haggle with raccoons! Find out what the fox says!
*Steelport: also known as the The Big Squash, it's a grimy, bustling port city. A real cobblestone jungle.
*The Old Palace: a centuries-old ruin, formerly the seat of power in the kingdom. What really happened all those years ago?
*More to come*