PART III: AFTER THE UNSEALING OF THE BLACK MAGE

Chapter 2: Birth of an Alliance

(A/N: Pretty much every class storyline written so far converges at this point. Just for the record, these storylines include: Explorers, Cygnus Knights, Aran, Evan, Mercedes, Luminous, Resistance, Demon, Xenon, and all Grandis classes. The only exceptions are Shade, Zero, and Kinesis, who join some time after its formation. This was actually one of my favorite sections to write because it felt so satisfying to have each class’s Alliance quest fit seamlessly into the next. I complain a lot about how this game has a lot of plot holes, but I have to admit that the writers did a pretty decent job with this one.

Before the Explorer storyline revamp, the formation of the Alliance took place before the unsealing of the Black Mage. However, the revamp now places the Alliance’s formation to be set shortly after the return of the Black Mage. I’ve complained about this several times before, but I really hate this change, not only because I had to spend the better part of a week tediously reorganizing all the content and the several hundred hyperlinks on the site, but also because the only way that I was able to reconcile the conflicting changes was by separating out the level 75 Alliance prequests for all classes and moving them to this section.

What this means is that I had previously arranged this site such that the level 75 quests naturally converged for all classes before I covered future quests. What now happens is that I’ve covered quests like Luminous’ meeting with the Black Mage, which took place at level 130, in a previous section, and then placed this level 75 quest chronologically after that quest. While it doesn’t make sense from a gameplay point of view for a level 75 quest to take place after a level 130 quest, it does fit the chronology for the purposes of this site.

The Black Mage’s attack on Maple Island actually takes place somewhere in between this section. I initially thought about putting the first half of this section into the Saving Maple Island section, but I thought that it would break the narrative flow. Because of this, I’ll be keeping together all the Alliance quests in this section, but I’ll clearly note when the events of Saving Maple Island begin and end. At the start of this section, the Black Mage has just been freed and soon sets fire to Maple Island, which Cygnus feels in her heart.)

As her doubts began growing about whether she could lead the fight against the Black Mage’s forces, Cygnus called Mihile and asked him to return to Ereve. There, she told him that the Cygnus Knights had grown in strength, enough so that their next battle may be against the Black Mage’s dark army. Though she acknowledged that her Knights and her people deserved an Empress at the height of her confidence, she confessed that she had her doubts.

Mihile was reminded of her words, that they were stronger when together as one, and suggested that they join forces with others outside Ereve. Surprised at his suggestion, Cygnus noted that she had a responsibility to her people and that their well-being rested on her shoulders. She then wondered whether calling on others to ease that burden was prudence or indolence. Mihile told her that though he was no expert on the ethics of rulership, he promised that he would always follow her, no matter her decision. Cygnus thanked him and called his faith the foundation beneath her.

Soon after, the Cygnus Knight was contacted by Neinheart, who explained that the Empress was on the brink of making an important decision. Before she did, however, she wanted the counsel of each of her knights, and so all the Cygnus Knights had been ordered to return to Ereve immediately. The Knight reported to Cygnus, who thanked them for returning to see her. She told them she was afraid that, despite everything that they had done, the Black Wings continued to remain a threat, with rumors stating that the Wing Master, one of the Black Mage’s Commanders, had returned.

She confessed that there was a feeling inside her, as though a rumbling cloud had taken hold of her heart. (A/N: Here, Cygnus has just sensed the Black Mage’s attack on Maple Island.) She noted that the rift between Ereve and the Resistance was wider than ever, with even the Explorers beginning to lose their trust in her. She also noted how, hundreds of years ago, the Black Mage had brought Maple World to the brink of destruction, and how the Heroes - unable to defeat him - had only managed to seal him away with Freud's Seal Stones. She added that the power of a Transcendent who had fallen so far was quite formidable.

She then told the Knight that she was terrified about whether she could face the Black Mage and save Maple World, and whether she even deserved to be Empress in the first place. However, she apologized for her doubts and told them that her duty as Empress was to allay doubts, not to pile hers onto those of her people. She then asked them to go to Victoria Island and collect reports from Hersha and Matthias, two of Ereve’s informants, who had been dispatched to assess the state of Maple World.

(A/N: The events of Saving Maple Island take place concurrently with the Knight’s mission to gather the two reports.)

In Ellinia, the Knight collected Hersha's report and asked him about what he had seen across the different regions of Maple World. Hersha explained that monsters across the world were getting more powerful and that the Black Wings were expanding their power, creating new secret bases all across Maple World. He added that there had recently been a large abnormal fire on Maple Island, adding that the Empress had likely sensed it. The Knight quickly realized that the fire was why Cygnus had been so anxious. Hersha also added that Edelstein was under full control of the Black Wings and that Cygnus would likely need to send in all the Cygnus Knights in an all-out war to remove them.

The Knight then went to Kerning City and met with Matthias, who explained that he had been surveying southern Ossyria, where he had learned that Ariant was suffering under tyranny and Minar Forest was being plagued by monsters. He added that though the Cygnus Knights had been created to fight the Black Mage, there were other problems in Maple World that needed their attention. He then gave the Knight his report and asked them to deliver it to Cygnus.

After collecting both reports, the Knight returned to Cygnus and told her what both informants had explained. Cygnus thanked them and explained that the Black Mage’s Shadow had attacked Maple Island while the Knight had been away. She told them that she had sent the Cygnus Knights alone to stop the shadow, explaining that she had believed that it was their role to help those in need by themselves. However, she explained that she had come to realize that they needed allies, which would be a difficult task to accomplish. Nevertheless, she asked them to tell Neinheart that she had made up her mind about creating an alliance.

Neinheart thanked them for bringing Cygnus' decision and asked them to help arrange the First Continental Conference. He explained that they would need to invite the Explorers, the Resistance, and the Heroes. Though there was no single leader of the Explorers, he told the Knight that Athena Pierce was highly respected amongst the community. As she had personally lived through the tyranny of the Black Mage, Neinheart hoped that she would understand the need for the alliance.

Regarding the Resistance, he explained that Claudine led the movement, though he was unsure of whether the Resistance would accept the invitation. In regard to the Heroes, he explained that they had faced the Black Mage centuries ago, and though they were merely individuals, they represented far more than that, which would bring legitimacy to the alliance. Neinheart then told the Knight to meet with the Resistance, while others would invite Athena and the Heroes. Neinheart emphasized the importance of the mission and explained that he was entrusting it to them because of their ties to the Resistance.

(A/N: In the old Cygnus Knight storyline, you got the choice to pick between inviting the Resistance, the Explorers, and Aran. I ended up doing the Alliance prequest three times with three different Cygnus Knights in order to record all the different paths when I initially wrote this section.)

Soon after, Cygnus asked Neinheart to arrange a royal meeting between herself and Mercedes, as she wished to hear Mercedes' counsel as not only a fellow royal but also as someone who had once faced the Black Mage. At the meeting, Cygnus told Mercedes that the Black Wings were getting stronger, with the Commanders appearing one by one and the Cygnus Knights powerless to stop them. She feared that they might not be able to defeat the Black Mage with their strength alone, as even their many preparations still weren't enough. Mercedes noted to herself that even though Cygnus had done a lot, despite her young age, the Black Mage was still a corrupted Transcendent that even the Heroes had barely been able to seal away.

Cygnus told Mercedes that Maple World was strong, and that in addition to the Cygnus Knights, they had battle-hardened Explorers, the Resistance fighting in the shadows, the Heroes who had reawakened, and many other unknown warriors who, if brought together, would make them unbeatable. Mercedes confessed that it would be difficult to accomplish if the people of Maple World couldn’t look past their differences. However, she told Cygnus that despite it being difficult, it was what Maple World needed.

She explained that centuries ago, she had been forced to watch Maple World fall to ruin because its people couldn’t look past their own selfish desires. In the present day, however, she believed that Cygnus could bring about a new era of strength to defeat the Black Mage, and so she supported Cygnus’ decision. Cygnus thanked Mercedes for her insight and invited her to the upcoming conference that she was planning to host.

Meanwhile, in Edelstein, Claudine reached out to the Resistance member and told them that Vita had gone missing. As she doubted that someone in her frail condition could have destroyed the cell door, Claudine feared that the Black Wings might have discovered the Secret Plaza. She begged them to go to the Verne Mine in order to see whether Vita had gone there. She also asked them to convince Vita to come back, if possible, believing that Vita would listen to a close friend.

The Resistance member rushed to the Verne Mine, where they found Vita standing at the entrance with a dazed expression. Vita then monotonously declared that all enemies of the Black Wings must be destroyed and summoned Black Wings henchmen to attack the Resistance member. After defeating them, the Resistance member tried to snap Vita out of her daze, but nothing that they said seemed to work.

Just then, Gelimer arrived to see what was causing Vita’s delay. The Resistance member demanded to know what he had done to Vita, to which Gelimer replied that ‘the creature’ had completed its mission and was awaiting its next orders. The Resistance member snapped at Gelimer not to treat Vita like a robot, to which Gelimer clarified that she wasn’t a robot, but rather, a perfect brainwashed slave. He explained that he had called her back, as it had been some time since he had given her a check-up, but he was pleasantly surprised that she had brought the Resistance member along as well.

Though he yearned to use them as his new lab rat, he knew that Hiver wouldn’t allow it. However, he still decided to run one small experiment and told them to take the road behind the mine to his lab, promising to return Vita if they made it. He also warned that the guards would be dangerous and recommended that they bring as many friends as possible for backup.

The Resistance member rushed back to Claudine and explained that not only was Vita innocent, but Gelimer had also been using her for his schemes. Claudine apologized for suspecting Vita, but she told them that it was too dangerous to go after her, since she couldn’t spare any agents to back the Resistance member up. After arguing back and forth, Claudine finally agreed to let them go after Vita, but she warned that no one would be able to rescue them or Vita if things went wrong. Claudine then wondered to herself whether she should have accepted the Cygnus Knights’ help earlier.

Around the same time, the Knight arrived to meet with Claudine and attempted to give her Cygnus' letter, but Claudine refused and claimed that she wouldn’t accept any correspondence from Ereve. However, the Knight was persistent, and though Claudine acknowledged that they were strong and willing to do what was right, she claimed that she couldn’t trust the rest of Ereve, especially when Cygnus remained unwilling to come down from her perch of safety and fight for the cause.

The Knight protested that the Cygnus Knights had made sacrifices, but an annoyed Claudine asked whether they even knew the meaning of sacrifice. She then asked them to accept a dangerous mission without hesitation. After the Knight accepted, she told them to go into the Verne Mine and identify the location of a laboratory where a particular child was being held, as the Resistance had no idea of the mine's internal structure. (A/N: She’s asking us to look for Vita before the Resistance member goes in alone, although she doesn’t specify Vita’s name in the Cygnus Knight storyline. Based on the dialogue at the end of this quest, it seems like the Resistance member’s quest finishes before the Cygnus Knight’s quest.) Despite knowing that they were going into enemy territory alone with incomplete information, the Knight accepted and entered the mine.

Meanwhile, the Resistance member entered Gelimer’s lab, where they found Vita locked up, though they were glad to see that she had come back to her senses. Vita admonished them for having come after her, explaining that Gelimer had wanted as many Resistance members to arrive in order to finish them all off at once, which was why he had told them to bring friends. She reminded them that she was Gelimer’s test subject and that even if she were to escape with them, her presence would only cause more trouble for the Resistance.

The Resistance member told her that they didn’t care about any of that, as the only thing that mattered to them was that she was their friend. They told her not to blame herself for the situation, reminding her that it was all Gelimer’s fault. Vita was touched and called them a good friend, but she explained that she couldn’t go with them, as Gelimer had rigged a bomb in her cage, which would kill her and anyone around her once it detonated. However, she told them that she had a town return scroll that she had hoped to use in order to return to Edelstein, but as she didn’t want to cause any more trouble for them, she had resolved to stay in the lab and die alone.

Though seeing them made her miss Edelstein and all her friends in the Resistance, Vita knew that she was a danger to everyone around her as long as Gelimer controlled her. The Resistance member pleaded with her that they could undo the brainwashing, and though Vita conceded that they could try, she believed that it would be too dangerous. She told them that she would be happy as long as she could save them, and that she was counting on them to defeat the Black Wings. She then made the Resistance member promise not to let Gelimer do to anyone what he had done to her, after which she thrust the return scroll upon them, teleporting them away right before her cage exploded and killed her.

The Resistance member returned to the Secret Plaza and sadly told Claudine what had happened. Claudine immediately blamed herself, believing that she should have kept a closer eye on Vita and realized what Gelimer had been up to. She also regretted that she had been too prideful to accept the Cygnus Knights’ help, as she had believed that the Resistance could have taken down the Black Wings on its own, though in the end, Gelimer had still beaten them, and Vita had paid the price. She then asked the Resistance member for some time alone to reflect, adding that they likely needed the same.

While the Resistance member discovered Vita, the Knight navigated through the maze and soon encountered several children locked in a cell. Though the Knight freed them, they realized that they had entered a prison, not a laboratory, and the fact that there were multiple children when Claudine had specified only one meant that they were not the ones whom she had asked them to find. Nevertheless, the Knight escorted the children back to safety.

After Claudine treated them, she told the Knight that the children would be fine. She explained that the Black Wings had kidnapped the children from other regions of Maple World for experimentation. The Knight apologized for being unable to find the laboratory, but Claudine told them not to worry about it, explaining that they had done the right thing by helping the children. She sadly added that it hadn’t been too late for them, though she refused to elaborate on her cryptic words. She then agreed to read the letter and told them that she would discuss it with the other Resistance leaders first.

Some time later, Claudine called the Resistance member to a secret meeting with the other Resistance leaders. She explained that the reason why they were gathered was because the Resistance had been invited to a Continental Conference in Ereve in order to prepare for the Black Mage’s return. Though many of them were in favor of blowing off the Cygnus Knights, Claudine asked them to remember Vita, as well as the knowledge that the Black Wings founder was a Commander.

Elex reminded them that they had previously decided that the so-called founder didn’t exist, but Claudine assured him that Orchid definitely existed, and that she had been proven to be a Commander based on the Resistance member’s intel. She reminded them that the Black Mage was an evil Transcendent who had almost destroyed Maple World hundreds of years ago, and that various Heroes had made countless sacrifices, just to barely seal him away.

She then told the others that there were reports that the Black Mage had returned. Brighton asked whether it meant that Orchid was also working for the Black Mage, to which Claudine noted that it was highly likely, as the Black Wings had taken over Edelstein and conducted cruel human experiments to create something, which made her wonder whether the Black Mage might rule Maple World once again.

Brighton commented that it sounded like Claudine believed that they should join the alliance. Claudine told him that it was a difficult decision, though she added that if the Black Mage was involved, they needed all the help that they could get. Elex asked whether they could trust Cygnus, while Brighton asked if the Resistance was really so weak that they needed to ask their enemies for help.

Claudine reminded them that even the Heroes from centuries ago hadn't been strong enough to defeat the Black Mage, which was why they had needed to use the Seal Stones to seal him away. She noted that the Resistance was also too weak to face the Black Mage on their own, and though she admitted that she didn't fully trust the Cygnus Knights, she added that she didn’t want another tragedy like Vita’s to befall them again.

Belle took Claudine’s side and asked the others whether they hated the Cygnus Knights so much that they couldn’t look past their anger to fight the Black Mage. Elex agreed that though he didn’t like the Knights, they needed to defeat the Black Wings. Checky added that they could always leave the alliance if Ereve turned on them. Brighton begrudgingly agreed, and with a unanimous vote, they agreed to attend the conference. Claudine then asked the Resistance member to deliver their response to Ereve. Cygnus greeted them in earnest and told them that she was looking forward to their attendance.

Soon after, Claudine called the Demon to Edelstein and told him that while he had been away, the Resistance had received an invitation for a Continental Conference, which was intended to form an alliance between the Resistance, the Cygnus Knights, and the Explorers in order to fight the Black Mage. She explained that the Resistance had decided to attend the conference, for while she still didn't fully trust the Knights, she knew that the Black Mage was too dangerous for them to fight on their own.

She then asked the Demon's opinion on the alliance from the perspective of a former Commander, to which he explained that the Maple World from centuries ago was comprised of independent, insular nations who held strong hostility for each other. He added that by eliminating the Empress, the factions of resistance had devolved into ragtag groups that couldn't work with each other, making it easy to conquer them.

He noted that in comparison, the Black Mage had been a corrupted Transcendent with god-like abilities, and that his followers had also received a share of that power, which was why he believed it to be a wise choice for the Cygnus Knights to form an alliance against such a formidable foe. Upon hearing the Demon's words, Claudine realized that she had been correct in her decision to attend the conference and decided that it was time for their fight to truly begin.

Some time later, Claudine also reached out to Xenon and told him that the Resistance was standing at the crossroads of a major change. She explained that the Cygnus Knights had invited them to form an alliance between the Resistance, the Cygnus Knights, and the Explorers in order to fight the Black Mage.

She told Xenon that the Black Mage was a corrupted Transcendent who had driven Maple World to the brink of destruction hundreds of years ago, and that five brave Heroes had managed to seal him away with the Seal Stone of the great mage, Freud. However, she revealed that the Black Mage's seal had been broken, and so the Resistance had decided to join the alliance in order to band together and fight such a dangerous foe. She then asked Xenon to join the Alliance, adding that he would soon receive a call from the Cygnus Knights to attend the conference.

Meanwhile, Evan and Mir arrived in Edelstein in order to get revenge on Hiver. Mir suggested storming the Verne Mine and attacking all the Black Wings inside, but Evan told him that he didn’t want to attack random people just because they worked for the Black Wings, reminding Mir that they themselves used to be part of the Black Wings until recently. They decided to go undercover in order to learn Hiver’s location and asked a watchman named Bavan where Hiver was by making up a story that they owed him money. Bavan agreed to contact Hiver in exchange for Nependeath’s Honey from Orbis. After bringing him the honey, Bavan told Evan that he had arranged for Evan to meet Hiver in the Verne Mine.

Inside the mine, however, Black Wings henchmen ambushed them, and Evan realized that Bavan and Hiver had set up a trap. After defeating the henchmen, a strange woman arrived and had a stand-off with Evan, though she quickly realized that he was a civilian and disappeared. Though Evan wondered whether she was affiliated with the Black Wings, Mir recognized her as Claudine, the town doctor, claiming that his perception as an Onyx Dragon could be trusted.

In town, Evan confronted Claudine, who denied having met them in the mines. When Mir spoke aloud and insisted that he recognized her, Claudine was surprised to know that a lizard could talk. Evan explained that Mir was an Onyx Dragon, to which an intrigued Claudine asked them to meet her in Edelstein Park in order to speak surreptitiously.

At the park, Evan told Claudine that he held a grudge against the Black Wings. When Claudine asked Evan whether the Black Wings had taken over his town like they had with Edelstein, Evan explained that a Black Wings officer named Hiver had tricked him, and that he was trying to revive the Black Mage, the enemy of the Onyx Dragons.

Claudine noted that Hiver was quite high up in the Black Wings hierarchy and wondered how far the Black Wings' conspiracy extended. She then revealed to Evan that she was a member of the Resistance against the Black Wings, though she warned him not to speak on the matter any further, as she was hiding her identity. However, Evan pointed out that they were both on the same side and suggested that they could team up. However, Claudine told them that she couldn’t trust them yet, as they might be a spy or might be too weak.

In order to have them prove themselves, she told them to take the secret route to Gelimer’s laboratory and bring back Black Wings emblems from his henchmen. After they brought the emblems back, Claudine told them that even though they might have gotten them from their commanders, she felt as though she could trust them, not only because of their actions, but also because of the intelligence that the Resistance had stolen from the Black Wings, which detailed their dealings with the Onyx Dragons.

She told Evan that since he had proven his strength, it made sense for them to ally with each other. She noted that the Heroes had banded together centuries ago to fight the corrupted Transcendent, and that they had only been able to seal him away with Freud's Seal Stones. However, she added that things were different now, as all of Maple World was banding together to fight the Black Mage. After learning about the upcoming Continental Conference, Evan and Mir decided that they needed to attend in order to join the fight.

Some time later, Athena called the four Explorers to the Bowman Instructional School. (A/N: Pathfinder gets a slightly modified version of this quest, in which she gets introduced to Tess, Rondo, and Olive, as she doesn’t follow the main Explorer storyline and has never met them before.) She explained that she wanted them to meet the Heroes in order to consult with them, as the ones who had originally sealed the Black Mage might know what to do now that he had returned.

Olive immediately asked to speak with Mercedes, a fellow archer, while Rondo decided that he wanted to meet with Phantom, a fellow thief. Tess decided to speak with Aran, as he remembered how she had protected them until the very end when the Black Mage had invaded, even going so far as to leave the escape ship in order to find a missing kid who had fallen behind. The Explorer wondered how old Tess was for him to have recalled memories of Aran in the past, but they nevertheless agreed to go meet Luminous.

(A/N: This quest was actually adapted from the original storyline, which has the Explorers meet the Heroes shortly after the Black Mage destroys Maple Island in order to learn how they can use the Seal Stones to fix the ruined land. A feature of the original storyline was that the story path would often change slightly based on your job, meaning that each job got a different series of quests. For this quest, warriors met with Aran, magicians met with Evan, etc. Pirates met Luminous, since no one knows that Shade exists. That quest was set well after Phantom made his debut, and so there were no continuity errors at the time.)

The Explorer traveled to the forests of Ellinia and found a Sentrobo guarding the area. After defeating it, Luminous appeared and began questioning them. The Explorer explained why they had come and asked if the Heroes could reseal the Black Mage, since they had all been freed from the ice. However, Luminous told them that it would be impossible for two reasons.

He first explained that he had lost his powers after emerging from the ice and assumed that the same fate had befallen the other Heroes. He also explained that Freud had used the Seal Stones to bind the Black Mage to eternity, not for eternity, and that the Seal of Time had fractured the fabric of time in Maple World. He confessed that using the sealing spell again could have catastrophic consequences.

Disheartened that it was impossible to stand up to the Black Mage, even with the Heroes and the Seal Stones, the Explorer returned to Athena Pierce. There, the four summarized their findings and concluded that they had no means of defending Maple World from the Black Mage. Athena reassured them that they wouldn’t be defeated so easily and explained that she would call on them again when the time came. She then asked the Explorer to stay behind as the other Explorers left and explained that Empress Cygnus had sent a letter proposing to create an alliance between the major world powers of Maple World. She then asked the Explorer for their opinion on the alliance.

The Explorer told her that they felt responsible for the revival of the Black Mage and asked if they could really fight the Black Mage while they remained so weak. Athena reassured them that they could very well become a great hero who protected them all, but even if they couldn’t, every hero had people standing behind them who all worked together to protect what they loved. She declared that it was time to stand together in order to face the Black Mage and asked them to join her at the upcoming conference.

(A/N: The original Alliance prequest for Explorers had you deliver a piece of driftwood to Kyrin, who found that it contained Guwaru’s mark. You then brought the wood to Athena Pierce, who purified the relic and determined that it was a warning from Guwaru that the Black Mage was about to return.

A few days later, Athena tells you that she’s received a letter from Cygnus, and though she worries that the alliance would place restrictions on the freedom of all the Explorers, she believes that the alliance is necessary in order to prevent Maple World from falling into the Black Mage’s hands. The Alliance was formed before the Black Mage broke free of his seal in the original chronology, which is why it made sense for Guwaru to warn us about his impending return.)

Some time later, Agent N reached out to Luminous and told him that Empress Cygnus had found out that they were working together, and that she wanted to meet with him. Wondering whether Cygnus was a descendant of Empress Aria, Luminous traveled to Ereve to meet with her. Cygnus asked him if he had been surprised by her invitation, to which Luminous told her that he was surprised that she even knew him in the first place, as few seemed to remember the events of his time.

Cygnus explained that though the records about the Heroes had been erased thanks to the Commanders' schemes, not everyone had forgotten them. However, she added that it wasn’t the reason why she had asked him to meet. She explained that centuries ago, he and the other Heroes had sealed away the Black Mage with Freud's Seal Stones, though she noted that there were no such heroes anymore. She noted that though her Cygnus Knights would fight back, she remained unsure whether they could face the Black Mage on their own.

Because of this, she had found other heroes - the countless Explorers and Resistance members who would fight against the forces of darkness - and planned to form an alliance with them to face the Black Mage. Though there had only been five who had stood against the Black Mage centuries ago, she told him that there were hundreds who stood together in the present day. Luminous was impressed by Cygnus’ resolve and told her that she reminded him of Empress Aria. Believing that her cause was noble, he asked her to call upon him whenever she was in need of his power.

Some time later, Phantom decided to meet Cygnus, noting that he owed her that much after almost taking her life. In Ereve, Cygnus greeted Phantom and told him that she had wanted to meet him. She explained that she wouldn't ask why he had disappeared after saving her and why he hadn't spoken with her since that day, as she knew that he had his reasons. She then added that she knew how difficult it must have been for them to face a corrupted Transcendent, and how hard he and the other Heroes must have worked to seal him away.

However, she explained that centuries ago, only five people had been brave enough to stand up against the Black Mage, but in the present day, there were hundreds willing to fight alongside him. She asked him not to carry the burden of the fight on his own, reminding him that he had allies if he was willing to trust them. Phantom conceded that Cygnus had a compelling argument, as the Alliance could have helped him during his last few missions. He agreed to join the Alliance, adding that they could benefit from the greatest thief in the history of Maple World.

Soon after, Lilin contacted Aran and asked her to return to Rien. There, she excitedly showed Aran the invitation to the conference that the Empress had arranged and explained that it was proof that Ereve had recognized Aran as a true hero. Believing it best that Aran go with someone who recognized her as a hero, Lilin suggested that she ask Athena Pierce to accompany her, as she was a well-respected figure in Maple World.

Aran asked Lilin if she would also come to the conference, but Lilin was unsure about whether she ought to be there. While she debated about going, Athena agreed to accompany Aran, though Aran wondered whether she herself ought to be there without her memories. Athena reassured Aran that she was still a hero and that she had seen Aran’s bravery for herself when Aran had saved her from the Black Wings. She then added that Mercedes would also be there, suggesting that they could all go together.

On the day of the conference, Athena and Aran met with Mercedes at the Six Path Crossway. Upon seeing Mercedes, Aran recalled how Mercedes and Freud had seen her off as she had left to fight the Black Mage’s army. The pair began to catch up, with Mercedes revealing that the curse had affected the other elves as well, and that the other Heroes were roaming Maple World and trying to regain their power.

However, she then told Aran that Freud had likely already passed away, as Afrien had taken the curse in his place, which meant that Freud hadn’t been frozen like the other Heroes. As both of them remained solemn, Athena asked them to put aside their sorrow, as it was a happy day of reunion for them both. Mercedes and Aran realized that Athena was right, and so they decided to continue catching up on the way to Ereve. Though Aran was happy to be with her old friend again, she nevertheless felt a strange sense of loneliness.

After receiving unanimous confirmations, the First Continental Conference took place, and the Maple Alliance was officially created.

(A/N: The remainder of this section covers the Alliance quests for all Grandis classes. Originally, many of these took place after the Nova formally joined the Alliance, which happens after Heliseum is reclaimed, but the KMS Spring 2024 update revamped the Alliance quests so that the Grandis classes join individually before the Nova Council itself does. In addition, I’ve also included several quests that take place between 4th job and level 200. These extraneous quests were originally placed in a previous section, but the Angelic Buster story revamp created some timeline issues that required me to move these quests around in order to keep them in order.)

Soon after, Neinheart contacted Kaiser after noting that he was quite impressed by hearing about his accomplishments. He explained that they were gathering strong warriors for the Alliance against the Black Mage, for which he invited Kaiser to Ereve, adding that they needed all the information about Grandis and Magnus that they could get. Kaiser was curious to know what kind of enemy the Black Mage was that required all of Maple World to unite against him. He then noted that having an alliance against a common enemy would benefit them all, and he decided to accept.

Kaiser traveled to Ereve and met with Empress Cygnus, who thanked him for coming and introduced herself. She asked Kaiser whether he knew about the Black Mage and explained that he was an evil Transcendent who had tried to destroy the world long ago until he had been sealed away by several brave Heroes. However, Cygnus revealed that the Black Mage’s seal had been broken, and with the Cygnus Knights unable to handle the threat themselves, she had hoped to form a worldwide Alliance against him. Upon hearing this, Kaiser agreed to lend his support and officially joined the Maple Alliance.

Some time later, Neinheart contacted Angelic Buster after hearing about her reputation and explained that they were gathering strong warriors for the Alliance against the Black Mage, for which he invited her to Ereve. Angelic Buster was curious to know what kind of enemy the Black Mage was that required all of Maple World to unite against him. She then wondered whether the Nova would need to make a similar alliance in the future with the other races in order to fight both Magnus and Gerand Darmoor.

Believing that it would be a good idea to learn more about the Alliance, Angelic Buster traveled to Ereve and met with Empress Cygnus, who thanked her for coming and introduced herself. She asked Angelic Buster whether she knew about the Black Mage and explained that he was an evil Transcendent who had tried to destroy the world long ago until he had been sealed away by several brave Heroes. However, Cygnus revealed that the Black Mage’s seal had been broken, and with the Cygnus Knights unable to handle the threat themselves, she had hoped to form a worldwide Alliance against him. Upon hearing this, Angelic Buster agreed to lend her support and officially joined the Maple Alliance.

Soon after, Neinheart contacted Cadena after hearing about her reputation and explained that they were gathering strong warriors for the Alliance against the Black Mage, for which he invited her to Ereve. Cadena was curious to know what kind of enemy the Black Mage was that required all of Maple World to unite against him. She then wondered whether the Nova would need to make a similar alliance in the future with the other races in order to fight both Magnus and Gerand Darmoor.

Believing that it would be a good idea to learn more about the Alliance, Cadena traveled to Ereve and met with Empress Cygnus, who thanked her for coming and introduced herself. She asked Cadena whether she knew about the Black Mage and explained that he was an evil Transcendent who had tried to destroy the world long ago until he had been sealed away by several brave Heroes. However, Cygnus revealed that the Black Mage’s seal had been broken, and with the Cygnus Knights unable to handle the threat themselves, she had hoped to form a worldwide Alliance against him. Upon hearing this, Cadena agreed to lend her support and officially joined the Maple Alliance.

Some time later, Neinheart contacted Illium and his friends and explained that he had heard about them from his sister, Lilin, who had mentioned how they had been helping people around Maple World, and how they had even helped her with the problem in Riena Strait. He then asked if they would be interested in meeting him in Ereve. After Illium arrived in Ereve, Neinheart told him that the Empress wanted to meet him. Cygnus then greeted Illium and explained that she wanted to recruit him into the Maple Alliance. Illium was surprised by her request, as he was from another dimension and wondered what he could do for Maple World. He also felt that it was unwise to fight for a different world, rather than for the Verdant Flora.

Cygnus responded that she had heard from Kaiser that the people of Grandis were fighting against Gerand Darmoor. Illium told her that Darmoor was responsible for massacring his people and that he was the sworn enemy of the Verdant Flora. Cygnus then asked if he knew that Magnus, the Nova traitor and a follower of Darmoor, had served as a Commander of the Black Mage.

Illium was surprised to learn that Darmoor’s reach had extended even to Maple World. Cygnus told him that both Darmoor and the Black Mage were evil beings who threatened the peace of both Grandis and Maple World, and that they needed to be stopped. She added that in exchange for his support, the Alliance would fight alongside him to liberate Grandis as well. Illium told her that he needed to discuss it with his friends first and that he would give his answer soon.

Back at the hideout, Illium heard his friends’ opinions. Sinaria was against the arrangement, as she believed that they didn’t have time to meddle with outsiders’ affairs. However, Morian believed that the Alliance seemed powerful. Sinaria countered that they could become strong themselves and called him a coward for not believing in Illium.

Illium told Sinaria that she was being harsh and that with the Alliance’s resources, they could find the Sanctuary of the Ancient God faster. Upon hearing this, Sinaria immediately changed her stance and agreed to join the Alliance. (A/N: Sinaria really isn’t subtle at all.) Illium and the others then returned to Ereve and told Cygnus that they would join her. She was pleased by their decision and officially welcomed them into the Alliance.

Soon after, Sinaria reached out to Illium and told him that she had learned that the Crystal Gate had recently appeared in Ereve. She urged him to rush over before the others so that he could catch it before it vanished. Illium arrived alone in Ereve and found Sinaria communicating with someone through a receiver. He overheard her saying, “…there’s no problem… trust me… for the future… Verdant Floras…”

Just then, Sinaria spotted Illium and led him to where the Crystal Gate was rumored to be. Ex noted that there was unusual energy in the area, but Sinaria dismissed it as energy from the Crystal Gate. Illium arrived to find a horde of Specters that rushed to attack them. He defeated them and pressed forward, but Sinaria quickly rushed ahead and told him to follow.

Just then, more Specters surrounded him, and Illium realized that it was a trap. Suddenly, both Ex and Machina were forcibly powered off. Without the support of his machines, Illium fought off the Specters alone and barely managed to defeat them. After the Specters disappeared, Ex and Machina were both able to power on again. Sinaria then appeared and angrily asked Illium why he hadn’t followed her, explaining that the Crystal Gate had vanished. After he explained that the Specters had laid an ambush for him, Sinaria told him that the enemy had likely tried to lure them out by creating a fake Crystal Gate, which Illium found plausible.

(A/N: Illium can be a bit dumb sometimes, but then again, he’s also a middle-schooler fused with the consciousness of a several-thousand-year-old magical prodigy, so maybe his big brain and small brain energies collided against each other and turned him into an idiot savant.)

Some time later, Sinaria contacted Illium and reported that a Crystal Gate had been sighted in Minar Forest, and so the students all split up to search the area. Illium, Sinaria, and Morian searched the Burning Forest with Deus and Ex, but they were unable to find any trace of it. Suddenly, a horde of Specters arrived, and Sinaria rushed towards them. Illium warned that it was too dangerous, but he was shocked to see that the Specters obeyed her.

Just then, Darius arrived and stood beside Sinaria. He greeted Illium and told him that once he took the Elder Crystal and presented it to Gerand Darmoor, the Verdant Flora and the High Flora would reunite and achieve glory and power comparable to that of the ancient Flora, allowing them to rule all of Grandis. As Illium moved to attack, Darius used his magic to freeze him, Morian, Deus, and Ex in place.

Darius then revealed that he had allowed Illium and the other students to escape Sanctuary, as he needed the Elder Crystal’s power to mature while Illium trained in Maple World. Sinaria then told Illium that there was only one future - that which recognized the Flora as the superior race - and implored him to see that she and Darius were working for the future of the Flora. Darius added that he had underestimated Illium, as he could never have imagined that Illium was the heir to the God of the Verdant Flora’s power. He invited Illium to join them in creating a new future for the Verdant Flora, claiming that they would be unstoppable together.

However, Illium refused and told Darius that his vision of the future went against everything that Agate and the others had given their lives for. Realizing that he couldn’t convince Illium, Darius attempted to seize the Elder Crystal for himself. However, Illium broke free of Darius’ spell and defeated the entire Specter army with his full power.

Furious, Darius vowed that he would never give up and disappeared with Sinaria. Some time later, at the Aboris Royal Palace, a High Flora Priest reported to Gerand Darmoor that Darius had failed them and asked what could be done. Darmoor replied by saying, “The meaningless struggle of immature life… What a pathetic existence.”

(A/N: GMS actually has a completely different line that Darmoor uses: “The struggles of life can sometimes be difficult to see…” This is hands-down the worst translation in the entire game, not only because it’s completely different from the original translation, but also because it leaves absolutely none of the impact that the original line gives, and so I refuse to acknowledge that he ever says this. Fortunately, they have him use the actual line in the Cernium storyline.)

Meanwhile, as Ark grew stronger, Athena Pierce reached out to him and invited him to join the Maple Alliance. He then traveled to Ereve in order to meet with Neinheart and Cygnus, who formally welcomed him into the Alliance.

Elsewhere, as Hoyoung grew stronger, Athena Pierce reached out to him and invited him to join the Maple Alliance. Hoyoung traveled to Ereve in order to meet with Neinheart and Cygnus. Hoyoung felt as though Neinheart was gauging his skills, and so he attempted to prove himself by stealing Neinheart’s pocket watch and appearing behind him. Neinheart laughed, but warned that he would be less than amused if he did something like that to the Empress. With that, Cygnus formally welcomed him to the Alliance.

Hoyoung then continued to travel Maple World until Taotie sensed another monster in Ariant. In the town, they continued chasing rumors until they learned that a dried-up cactus had drained an entire oasis. In the desert, they encountered a warp in space created by the Sand Monster, which Taotie believed had possessed the cactus, Deo. After Hoyoung defeated it, Taotie emerged to consume the Sand Monster’s spirit.

In El Nath, Hoyoung captured a Wolf Monster, which had hidden inside a powerful creature called the Nyalmo, as it was afraid of conflict.

(A/N: Fun fact about the Nyalmo, he’s a field boss that looks like a giant Yeti wearing skis and a giant Hector on his head. The El Nath town quests reveal that the Nyalmo is the child of the Spirit of Snow and a human. The Nyalmo has the heart of a human, but the looks of a monster, which caused people to run away from him.

The Spirit of Snow felt sorry for her son and froze an entire mountain range for him, which was how El Nath was made. He’s normally a gentle creature, but during the El Nath town storyline, a statue of his mother, the Spirit of Snow, gets damaged, causing him to go on a rampage. We have to fight him and fix the statue in order to calm him down.)

After catching the fiend, Hoyoung and Taotie had a snowball fight, which ended in a draw when neither refused to yield. Next, they captured a Book Monster, which had possessed King Sage Cat. Taotie explained that the Book Monster was bad at making friends, and in order to avoid loneliness, it forced others to stay by having them solve challenging riddles. After answering countless riddles, Hoyoung convinced the Book Monster to emerge from within King Sage Cat, after which Taotie immediately consumed it.

In Wyvern Canyon, Hoyoung heard rumors that Leviathan, the master of the canyon, had disappeared. Believing it to be the work of a fiend, Hoyoung and Taotie tracked it to the Warped Path that it had created. Taotie explained that the fiend was a Lizard Monster, which could blend in with its surroundings. Hoyoung formulated a plan to feign ignorance when he entered the Warped Path in order to get the Lizard Monster to drop its guard and deactivate its camouflage to attack them. Sure enough, Hoyoung was able to force it to release Leviathan, allowing Taotie to consume it.

Some time later, Hoyoung heard stories about aliens in Omega Sector and convinced Taotie to visit under the pretense of hunting for fiends. Hoyoung was thrilled to find proof of aliens after being beamed up to their mothership, where they found the Magnet Monster possessing Chief Gray. He was surprised to know that the Magnet Monster made its hosts even weaker, as opposed to the other fiends. Even after consuming it, Taotie noted that Chief Gray’s body aches likely wouldn’t go away, as they came from old age. Hoyoung then asked how much body pain Taotie had because of his age, much to Taotie’s annoyance.

Soon after, Taotie sensed another fiend in Savage Terminal and teleported Hoyoung to the Scrapyard, where they found the Frog Monster bathed in toxic waste. Taotie explained that the Frog Monster sought the most disgusting place that it could find, which allowed it to become the very essence of filth over time. Having grown up near vegetation and clean water, Hoyoung nearly passed out from the stench and quickly defeated it before it became too much for him to bear.

Some time later, Taotie teleported Hoyoung to Fox Valley in Vulpes, where they encountered a Cocoon Monster. Taotie explained that it was in the process of maturing into an adult insect fiend. The Cocoon Monster noticed Taotie and told him that it almost hadn’t recognized him because of how small he had become, much to Hoyoung’s amusement and Taotie’s irritation.

Taotie then asked the fiend where its brothers were, explaining to Hoyoung that the Cocoon Monster had two brothers, and that the three siblings were seldom seen apart. The Cocoon Monster explained that it had lost them when they had fallen into Fox Valley, and that their timidity prevented them from searching for each other. Taotie told Hoyoung that because of the siblings’ bond, he needed all three spirits to be present before he could consume them. Hoyoung then found the fiend’s brothers and reunited the siblings.

As the siblings happily spoke with each other, Hoyoung recalled how he used to ramble to his Master as a child, who would always patiently listen whenever Hoyoung wanted to talk. Satisfied at being together again, the three Cocoon Monsters willingly allowed themselves to be consumed by Taotie once again. Taotie then told Hoyoung that there was just one more fiend left to find.

Meanwhile, Athena Pierce reached out to Adele and asked if she would be interested in joining the Maple Alliance. Adele traveled to Ereve and met with Neinheart and Cygnus, who officially welcomed her into the Alliance. Some time later, Brook and Laddie reached out to Adele and told her that they had recovered an old banner of the God-King, which a Shadowdealer would deliver. Adele went to Savage Terminal and met Coney and Cadena. Recognizing her as a High Flora, Cadena refused to deal with Adele and left Coney to complete the transaction himself.

Coney apologized for Cadena’s behavior, explaining that Darmoor had recently sent his henchman, Mr. Hazard, to turn the core of Savage Terminal into a bioweapon. Between the key to Ristonia’s Ancient God and the conspiracy at Savage Terminal, Adele wondered what Darmoor was up to. She then took the banner, triggering a hidden memory of her moral dilemma about following the God-King in an unjust war. After witnessing the memory, Adele wondered whether that was the reason why she had betrayed her liege.

Soon after, she decided to seek out Ark, the wingless High Flora boy whom Illium had mentioned. She met Ark at the Temple of Time and asked him why he had come to Maple World, to which Ark explained that he wanted to investigate why Gerand Darmoor wanted to link Maple World and Grandis, believing that Darmoor wanted something that he could only find in Maple World.

He then shared his experience as a High Flora soldier on Verdel and how his betrayal had resulted in the Specter ritual that had transformed his arm. Ark’s story of desertion helped Adele recall the memory of her own refusal to follow the God-King into battle, who had then thrown her into prison. She told Ark that she would like to visit Verdel, but Ark explained that the entire moon’s surface had been destroyed, though he would reach out to her if he found a way to return.

Some time later, Adele heard about Kaiser and believed that since he was a reincarnating entity, he might know something about the old God-King. She met with Kaiser in Minar Forest, where he told her about how Magnus had betrayed the former Kaiser. The conversation triggered a memory of Veronica visiting her in prison, where she had mocked Adele and had told her to expect company that night, adding that there was still time to change her mind.

Soon after, Ark contacted her and explained that he had obtained coordinates to Verdel from an old friend. (A/N: Even though the entire life energy of the moon was drained in Ark’s storyline, it somehow looks to be perfectly fine when they arrive.) Together, they arrived on the ruined surface of the moon and made their way to the High Flora military installation, where Adele recalled how some of the Knights of the Einherjar had freed her from her prison, just as Veronica had said, and had asked her to join them in their revolt against the God-King. She also remembered how she had refused to betray her liege and cut them down before rushing to his defense. Adele then realized that she had never betrayed her oath to the very end.

Meanwhile, Athena Pierce reached out to Kain and told him about the Maple Alliance, explaining that both the Shadowdealers and Fenelle had strongly recommended him as a candidate. Kain wondered whether she had run a background check on him and realized that it would be helpful to be in touch with people who had that kind of intel. At Athena’s recommendation, he went to Ereve and met with Neinheart and Cygnus, who formally welcomed him into the Alliance.

Soon after, Athena Pierce contacted Lara and told her that Fenelle and the Shadowdealers had recommended that she join the Maple Alliance. Lara traveled to Ereve, where she was officially welcomed into the Alliance by Neinheart and Cygnus.

Some time later, Athena Pierce reached out to Khali and suggested that she join the Maple Alliance. Khali traveled to Ereve and met with Neinheart, who greeted her and explained that Empress Cygnus wanted to invite her to the Alliance after hearing about her achievements. He told her that he had heard from Fenelle that though she was a High Flora, she wasn’t allied with Darmoor.

As she had her reasons for turning her back on the High Flora, and since she was working to protect Maple World, Neinheart explained that he had decided to trust her and invite her to the Alliance. Khali then spoke with Cygnus, who greeted her and explained that Maple World and Grandis were influencing one another, and that it might even be meaningless to distinguish between the two dimensions at this point.

She then asked Khali to lend her strength to aid Maple World, to which Khali explained that though she wanted to help, she couldn’t, as she had a bigger goal. Cygnus told Khali that she had heard about her situation from Fenelle and explained that the fact that she had lost her power and had left her hometown meant that her enemy must be powerful. She noted that if Khali faced them alone, then she might end up repeating what had happened. Cygnus then promised that the Alliance would aid Khali when the time came if Khali would help them in return. After considering it, Khali accepted and was officially welcomed into the Alliance.