PART IV: AFTER THE DEFEAT OF THE BLACK MAGE

Chapter 16: Extradimensional Visitors

(A/N: Extradimensional Visitors is an event story that takes place between the events of Carcion and Tallahart. This storyline is our first official introduction to the Primacy, which was first teased at the end of the Carcion storyline as a new resistance group formed against Darmoor. It also ties together a couple of plot points introduced way back in Hotel Arcus, such as Archelon’s friend, who built his robot body, as well as Rusty’s childhood friend, Kelly.

Although event stories aren’t typically treated as canon, Nexon has been making most of their events from the NEW AGE update onwards canon, with these events being incorporated into the Grand Athenaeum following the Assemble update.)

Some time after the battle at Carcion, Edea contacted the Adversary and explained that she had new information that may pertain to Darmoor’s goals. She revealed that while looking for traces of the High Flora, she had come across a small dimensional crack, whose minuscule size had made it difficult to detect. As the cause of the crack was unknown, Edea asked the Adversary to join the Alliance investigation team alongside Grendel’s apprentices, Elwin and Lily. The Adversary met with Elwin and Lily, who quickly determined that the crack led to a foreign dimension and that it had likely been artificially created by someone else.

(A/N: Kinesis gets exclusive dialogue here, in which he notes that the portal doesn’t seem to be connected to Friends World.)

Though Lily was unsure of who could have made it, she noted that it was certain that it had not been created by the magic of the Flora.

(A/N: Flora classes get exclusive dialogue here.

Adele notes that the magic which created the portal is clearly different from that of the Flora.

Ark notes that the magic which created the portal isn’t related to Specters.

Illium notes that the magic which created the portal is definitely not from the High Flora, and that the Verdant Flora use different shapes for their portals.

Khali notes that the magic which created the portal isn’t related to Ypsilon’s power.)

Elwin added that the crack appeared so faint that it could disappear at any moment, and that it would have likely been larger and more foreboding if Darmoor had truly had a hand in it. However, Lily warned her brother not to jump to conclusions too quickly and resolved to put up a barrier around it. Despite her warning, however, Elwin declared that there was no need for a barrier, as the crack didn’t appear to be active. As he approached it to prove his point, however, the dimensional crack pulled Elwin in, much to the Adversary and Lily’s shock. With no other choice, the pair rushed in after Elwin through the dimensional crack, just as it disappeared within the mouth of a yellow toad, which swallowed the portal altogether.

The group then found themselves in a strange, jungle-like dimension filled with lily pad flora and frog-like machinery. They began marveling at how the dimension seemed quite unlike Maple World or Grandis, though the Adversary noted to themselves that it seemed vaguely familiar. As Elwin began talking about the creature which had swallowed them, describing it as a frog, a young woman approached them and laughed that frogs weren’t reptiles, and that even a desert native like herself knew as much. Alongside her, a toad in a hover suit noted that it appeared as though the mages of the present day didn’t seem to study biology much. He added that not just anyone could become a mage back in his day, and that the outside world appeared to have changed quite a bit since then.

Elwin was quite shocked to see the toad, to which the girl laughed and asked whether Maple World didn’t have talking animals. Lily then demanded to know who they were and why they had created the dimensional crack, to which the toad assured her that they weren’t her enemies. He asked them to hear him out, after which he instructed his robotic butler, Cledd, to take them back. Though suspicious, the group decided that the strangers didn’t appear hostile, and so they followed the toad and his allies to a nearby dimensional machine. The toad explained that the machine was a gateway and a coordinate device that held the location of the dimension that he had created.

A surprised Elwin asked the toad how he had created a dimension of his own, pointing out that the machine appeared to be broken and emitting smoke. The toad explained that, to be more precise, the dimension existed within the stomach of the dimensional toad, which he had created, whom he had named Tirnog. However, he added that things hadn’t been going very well because of Darmoor. At the group’s surprise, the toad introduced himself as Gob and revealed himself to be an Ancient God, though he added that his friends sometimes called him by his nickname: the Hand of God.

(A/N: If the player has completed the Hotel Arcus side quests, they will recall their earlier conversation with Archelon about his friend having the ‘hand of a god’, causing them to realize that Gob is Archelon’s friend who had built his robot body.

Gob initially made his debut appearance in the Angler Company epic dungeon, where he repaired Cosim in the Arcus desert after Cosim was wounded by the Primacy. However, technically speaking, Gob made his debut concurrently with Extradimensional Visitors, as the event was released simultaneously with the epic dungeon.)

Though Elwin couldn’t believe that such a small toad could be a god, Lily admonished her brother and reminded him that, according to the Alliance’s reports, not all gods were large beings. She then hesitantly asked the girl next to Gob whether she was also an Ancient God, to which the girl laughed and explained that she was just an ordinary human named Kelly who hailed from the deserts of Grandis, though she added that she and her allies currently resided inside Tirnog.

(A/N: If the player has completed the Hotel Arcus side quests, they recognize Kelly as Rusty’s childhood friend and wonder why she’s hanging around with an Ancient God.

If the player has completed Hotel Arcus but not the side quests, they’ll simply say “Kelly?”, with the name sounding vaguely familiar.)

Lily then asked Kelly which allies she had been referring to, to which Kelly replied that while Grandis was using all sorts of titles to refer to them, they were a militia who had come together with one purpose, though she added that she would introduce them later, as she was the only member currently at the hideout. Elwin asked Kelly whether her militia was fighting alongside the Ancient Gods, though Gob clarified that the militia was merely in an alliance with him, as they were serving as his bodyguards in exchange for him allowing them to use his dimension as a hideout.

Gob explained that he was currently quite weak, and that he would easily be attacked by Darmoor - who was seeking the power of the Ancient Gods - if he were to leave his dimension, for which he needed the militia’s protection. The Adversary noted to themselves that they didn’t sense much power within Gob, which seemed to line up with his story. However, Lily asked Gob why he had created the portal in Maple World if he was secluding himself within Tirnog, to which Gob revealed that his dimensional machine was broken, resulting in portals randomly appearing in the outside world.

Kelly added that they had been able to contain the location of the portals’ appearances to within a certain radius, and that they had attempted to limit that radius to a location where they could find allies to ask for assistance in repairing the broken machine. Though the Adversary and the others were hesitant, Lily realized that they had no choice, as the dimensional collapse of Tirnog would cause adverse effects in Maple World as well. Gob then promised that he would help the Alliance make it worth their while in addition to keeping Maple World safe by helping them with their mission to obtain the power of the Ancient Gods.

After they agreed to help, Lily asked Gob why the machine had broken down in the first place. Gob explained that there were two reasons for it – the first being that the convergence of Maple World and Grandis had disrupted the coordinates of his dimension, which existed between the two worlds, and the second being that the High Flora army had invaded and broken the machine some time ago. Elwin and Lily were both surprised and asked where the militia had been during the attack, as they were meant to have been serving as Gob’s bodyguards. Kelly explained that most of the militia was currently out on missions in Grandis, though she then hesitated and trailed off while explaining what had happened during the High Flora attack.

Gob then noted that it was because Kelly’s militia had picked a fight too aggressively and had been pursued back to the hideout as a result, to which Elwin fearfully realized that the Apostles could appear at any moment if they knew about the location of the dimension. However, Gob assured him that he wasn’t as careless as that, as it was only the militia that made such mistakes, to which Kelly laughed embarrassedly before leaving to continue on repairs. Lily then asked Gob what the purpose of Kelly’s militia was if they were picking fights with the High Flora. Gob explained that the militia had vowed to destroy Darmoor in order to regain their freedom, and that they were known as the Primacy - the usurpers of freedom - all across Grandis.

Though the group was shocked to learn that they were at the Primacy’s hideout, Gob decided that the time for questions was over and suggested that they speak with the Primacy directly later on if they still had more. As the group followed Gob and Cledd to begin repairs on the machine, several members of the Primacy, under the leadership of Captain Iker, arrived and noted that the Adversary had come to the hideout after all. The Primacy sniper, Ailene, watched the Adversary from afar and noted that they seemed far more ordinary than the rumors suggested. The masked soldier, Khafdi, agreed and added that he had heard that the Adversary was a giant who wielded a blade the size of a house.

(A/N: Here, there are three exclusive dialogues that play out, depending on the player’s class.

If the player is a non-Grandis class, Ailene notes that they can’t trust the Adversary, as they’re merely a hero from another world.

If the player is a non-Flora Grandis class, Ailene notes that they can’t trust the Adversary, as they left Grandis behind to go fight for another world.

If the player is a Flora class, Ailene notes that they can’t trust the Adversary, as they were still a Flora, no matter what else they had done.)

Ailene declared that they should just leave the repairs to Kelly instead of getting the Adversary’s help, though Khafdi reminded her that the machine was Gob’s specialty, and that Kelly didn’t have the specialization to fix it on her own. Iker then interrupted and decided that they would simply observe for the time being, as they didn’t need to get involved if they all had a common enemy.

(A/N: Here, within the context of the event, you would help repair the dimensional machine by completing the various tasks for the event, although I’m not sure how they plan to incorporate this into the permanent version after the event is over.)

Soon after, as repairs on the dimensional machine proceeded, Gob approached the Adversary and asked them for a favor, explaining that he wished to analyze their body. At the Adversary’s hesitancy, Gob promised them that he wasn’t intending to use them for an experiment, though he added that he wouldn’t mind taking them apart to study them.

He then quickly promised that he was joking, noting that they must be cautious around him because of the Ancient Gods’ reputation as selfish and strange beings. However, he proclaimed that he wasn’t just an Ancient God, but a scholar as well, and that he was quite serious about his research. Gob then took the Adversary to a check-up machine, where he analyzed their body and noted with interest the status of the World Heart, which contained the power of the Ancient Gods.

(A/N: Zero gets exclusive dialogue here, in which Gob notes that the World Heart has merged with the Transcendent of Time.

Luminous also gets exclusive dialogue here, in which Gob notes that the World Heart has been fused with the power of the Transcendent of Light.

Ark also gets exclusive dialogue here, in which Gob senses the power of the Specter inside Ark and notes that it’s quite a dangerous force. Upon learning that the force is called a Specter, Gob adds that it’s quite alien.

It’s interesting that Cygnus Knights and Mihile, who use the power of Shinsoo, don’t get any dialogue about their power assimilating with the World Heart, or even classes like Kain and Pathfinder, who wield the power of the Ancient Gods. It might be that their power isn’t as inherent to them as Luminous or Zero, who are beings literally created from the power of the Transcendents, whereas the others merely wield it externally.)

He then explained that their body was in perfect condition, laughing that he would have been in trouble during the Ancient War if he had been forced to fight an Adversary like them. Upon seeing the Adversary’s interest in his story, Gob revealed that he had survived the Ancient War by creating Tirnog and hiding away inside him during the onset of the war, as intellectuals such as himself were unsuited for combat. However, he revealed that he had gotten careless and left the dimension momentarily while returning something to an old friend, which was when he had been attacked by Gerand Darmoor and had much of his power stolen.

(A/N: If the player has completed the Hotel Arcus side quests, they will ask Gob about his friend, to which Gob reveals that he’s talking about Archelon. He notes that the player has already met Archelon and that Archelon’s original body must have woken up by now, though he adds that Archelon must have taken a liking to his robot form. The player then tells Gob that Archelon had asked them to find him. Gob is surprised and notes that Archelon has changed quite a bit, though he adds that it takes a special sort to want to live with humans. He then tells the player that he’ll have to visit Archelon whenever he gets a chance, thanking them for letting him know.)

Having finished his story and his analysis, Gob told the Adversary that both their body and the World Heart were stable, and that there was little chance of any adverse effects to using the divine power which they had taken. However, Gob explained that it was normally impossible for one to handle the power of the gods without being a god themselves. Though he admitted that it was possible to use the power of the Ancient Gods without side effects if one were a Transcendent, he noted that the Adversary wasn’t one.

(A/N: Once again, RIP Zero with Nexon adding yet another explicit-but-also-not-explicit confirmation that they don’t count as a real Transcendent.)

Nevertheless, he admitted that they weren’t simply an ordinary mortal, as they were an Adversary who wielded a Godsphere in the form of the World Heart, which was why they were in a stable state even after absorbing the power of the gods. Despite this, he warned them to keep looking within and maintain caution, as he believed that something dangerous could happen otherwise. Gob then explained that the Alliance’s goal to take the power of the Ancient Gods would invariably place them in conflict with the Primacy, which was why Iker was on such high alert, though he admitted that it would be beneficial if the Primacy and the Alliance could unite.

The Adversary asked Gob whether he knew much about the Primacy, to which he replied that they had been through a lot together. He then began explaining the story of how they had first met, revealing that it hadn’t been that long since they had first joined forces. He explained that after Darmoor had attacked him, he had gone into hiding to recover, though Darmoor’s influence had continued to grow over that time, with the convergence of Maple World and Grandis occurring soon afterwards, as well as the Ancient Gods reawakening.

Realizing that he was not safe operating alone, Gob had gone in search of allies who could stand against Darmoor, despite there being very few capable of doing so. When the Adversary asked why he hadn’t approached the Maple Alliance, Gob explained that it had been too risky for an Ancient God such as himself to seek out an unknown organization with a godslayer as their weapon. Instead, he explained that he had found the Primacy after a long and difficult search, where he had discovered them fighting against the High Flora army.

Despite not being united by race, weaponry, or physical condition, the Primacy had fought with great strength, making them both wild and unique. At that moment, he had revealed himself to them and made a deal to give them access to his hideout in exchange for their protection, adding that an alliance between mortals and an Ancient God was quite something. However, Gob explained that the Primacy was quite unruly and often disregarded his words, despite him being the owner of the hideout. He then told the Adversary to speak with the Primacy directly if they had further questions, adding that Kelly had been looking for them.

The Adversary then sought out Kelly, who greeted them and explained that she hadn’t yet formally introduced herself. She revealed that she was her team’s mechanic, and that all their equipment passed through her hands. The Adversary noted that she was part of the Primacy, surprising Kelly that Gob had revealed the militia’s identity to them.

Nevertheless, she confirmed that they were indeed the Primacy, though she added that they were nothing special besides simply being a militia fighting for freedom. She then asked the Adversary whether they had met the other members yet, though when they replied that they hadn’t, she apologized for her team’s rudeness, explaining that Iker had asked them to keep their distance, as he didn’t want them to needlessly engage with outsiders. However, she added that the members of her team were all good people and that they treated her like family, even with her having just recently joined.

(A/N: If the player completed the Hotel Arcus side quests, they ask Kelly whether she’s from Arcus, explaining that Rusty had told them about her. Kelly is pleasantly surprised to know that they know Rusty, noting that she hadn’t expected them to be part of the commotion that she had heard had taken place there some time ago. She asks them how Rusty and Archelon are, adding that she hopes that Rusty has been keeping up with Archelon’s repairs.

The player replies that though there had been some incidents, both of them are doing well, adding that Archelon’s tea is the same as always. Kelly is relieved to hear that both of them are doing well, explaining that it had been on her mind after leaving Arcus. She adds that she worries that Rusty will be lost without her before asking whether the hotel is doing okay. The player confirms that the hotel is doing fine before revealing that Rusty had asked them to tell her that he can’t leave Arcus, as it’s her home, and that he needs to make sure that she has a place to get back to someday. Kelly notes that it sounds just like Rusty and thanks them for taking on his message.

If the player completed Hotel Arcus without the side quests, upon hearing that Kelly had recently joined, they think back about how Kelly had seemed familiar, to which they then realize that they had seen her goggles somewhere before. Kelly is pleasantly surprised to know that they had been at Arcus, noting that she hadn’t expected them to be part of the commotion that she had heard had taken place there some time ago. She then reveals that she was from Arcus and that she had grown up with Rusty since childhood.

The player replies that Rusty might have told them about her, to which she notes that it’s quite a coincidence for the player to have met them all before asking them how Rusty and Archelon are doing. Kelly is relieved to hear that both of them are doing well, explaining that it had been on her mind after leaving Arcus. She notes that it seems as though Rusty never found the letter which she had left for him, though she supposes that it doesn’t matter, as she’s just glad to know that he’s okay. The letter in question is found during one of the side quests, in which Kelly writes to Rusty that she plans on finding the Primacy after the High Flora’s war of genocide caused his father’s illness and eventual death.)

Kelly then changed the subject and noted that Cledd had mentioned that they were quite efficient, as everyone had been surprised that the Adversary had been able to make the repairs faster than expected. Because of this, she asked them for a personal favor to help her with creating better equipment for her team. To explain more clearly, she told the Adversary that the Primacy’s sole objective was to regain Grandis’ freedom from Gerand Darmoor, though they were struggling to face the might of the High Flora army, which had seized control of Grandis, for which the Primacy had been engaging in guerilla warfare by attacking outposts and military bases, rather than the central Flora strongholds.

She explained that thanks to their alliance with Gob, their efficiency had increased remarkably, as they now had the ability to open portals across Grandis, quickly moving in and striking before retreating once again. However, she added that things hadn’t been going according to plan lately, as they had recently suffered a crippling defeat at the hands of the enemy.

Kelly began explaining that some time ago, the Primacy had been conducting a routine strike on a High Flora base on the outskirts of Grandis when an Apostle of Darmoor, engulfed in blue flames and riding on horseback with a large flaming axe, had unexpectedly appeared and unleashed powerful magic which had nearly annihilated them all.

(A/N: The Tallahart storyline reveals that this Apostle is named Baldrix, and that he’s the Captain of the Knights of the Einherjar - the same order of knights that Adele and Veronica belong to, which serves to protect the God-King.)

Though the Primacy had no choice but to retreat, Kelly revealed that she had opened the portal to return inside Tirnog when the Apostle had used his magic to open his own portal and pursue them inside the hideout, despite Gob having created the dimension to be accessible only to the Primacy. As a result, the High Flora army had managed to invade through the Apostle’s portal, though the Apostle had fortunately not entered, resulting in the casualties being minimized to only machines being damaged.

The Adversary began recalling what Gob had said about the Primacy making a fatal mistake and wondered whether he had been referring to the Apostle’s attack. Kelly explained that it was the first time that the Primacy had suffered such a crushing defeat, and that they had decided that they needed to rebuild their strength afterwards. She added that since she was a non-combatant, she could only operate within her skillset and better equip her comrades, for which she asked them for advice as a warrior on what to build. The Adversary suggested that she ask her allies directly to see what they would like best, to which Kelly replied that she wanted it to be a surprise for them in order to cheer them up after their defeat.

To keep her gifts a surprise, Kelly asked the Adversary to speak with the others on her behalf, promising that even though Iker might not want to speak with them, Ailene and Khafdi could be convinced into it. She then told the Adversary that they could get through to Ailene with compliments and that they should be careful while speaking with Khafdi, who was rather sensitive. However, she added that she had no advice for Iker and that they may simply have to trick him into speaking with them. Sure enough, Ailene – despite being initially hostile – quickly softened after the Adversary complimented her rifle. From speaking with her, they determined that Ailene was hoping to find a more reliable way of sniping the enemy.

Next, they spoke with Khafdi, who, despite his reticence, was coaxed into speaking with them. Khafdi revealed his belief that their last defeat hadn’t been from a lack of information or ability, but rather, an information leak, as the Apostle had known the Primacy’s location and objectives in advance. Having determined Khafdi’s concerns, the Adversary met with Iker, who refused to engage with them and warned them that just because they had the same destination, it didn’t mean that they were in the same boat. After speaking with the Primacy members, the Adversary returned to Kelly and reported their findings to her.

Upon hearing their concerns, Kelly noted to the Adversary that they were all frustrated about the battle in their own ways. She explained that Ailene, who normally protected the rear, was frustrated that she couldn’t do more to keep the others safe, and that Khafdi, who had excellent insider information, even to the point of having access to the Flora army’s intelligence, was frustrated about not being able to prevent information leaks. After resolving to work on helping her comrades, Kelly soon called the Adversary after finishing her gifts and revealed her final products: a sniper scope for Ailene, which could distinguish the magical power of Flora by color, an interplanetary communication device for Khafdi, which had powerful encryption algorithms to prevent information leaks, and a sealed box for Iker.

At Kelly’s request, the Adversary agreed to give the presents to the others. They first gave the scope to Ailene, who was touched by Kelly’s thoughtfulness and recalled how strong-willed Kelly was to have combed through the desert alone to find the Primacy by using only rumors as her sole leads. Next, they gave the communication device to Khafdi, who thanked them and apologized for his earlier rudeness. Finally, they gave the sealed box to Iker, who opened it and looked at it for a moment before telling the Adversary to inform Kelly that he couldn’t accept it, after which he returned back into deep thought.

The Adversary returned to Kelly and informed her about what Iker had told them. Kelly explained that she hadn’t given Iker a weapon, but rather, a picture of the four of them, which had been taken after she had become an official member. She pointed out the moons of Grandis in the photo and explained that since Iker was always looking at the sky, she believed that he was looking at his homeworld, for which she had wanted to give him a picture with the Primacy and Grandis’ moons to remind him of home, as the sky was completely empty within Gob’s dimension. Despite Iker having refused the picture, Kelly decided to keep it for now until she could finally give it to him once the war was over.

(A/N: Within the Primacy hideout, while helping with repairs, the player can interact with several different NPCs, with certain classes being able to trigger exclusive dialogue.

If the player speaks with Cledd, he begins to tell the player about how to repair the dimensional machine, adding that it won’t be difficult, since the player appears to have a talent for mechanical engineering. He explains that the machine is extremely delicate, and that even the slightest error could ruin the entire thing, for which reverse engineering is absolutely necessary before beginning the repairs. This confuses the player, Lily, and Elwin, to which Cledd realizes that he had been speaking to them as he would with other machines, and so he simplifies his explanation by telling them that they need to figure out the structural design of the machine first, as if that’s somehow simpler than what he said before.

For Mechanics, after Cledd notes that the player has a talent for mechanical engineering, Mechanics will note that they’re not mechanical experts. After Cledd’s explanation, only Lily and Elwin will be confused, while Mechanics will note how Cledd had simplified his explanation for them. Cledd will then note that the Mechanic is indeed a professional engineer, and that he’s glad that he can trust them with the repair work.

For Xenon, after Cledd notes that the player has a talent for mechanical engineering, Xenon will think to himself that he somewhat counts as a type of machine, for which he will hesitantly agree. After Cledd’s explanation, only Lily and Elwin will be confused, while Xenon will note how Cledd had simplified his explanation for them. Cledd will then note that Xenon is indeed a professional engineer, and that he’s glad that he can trust him with the repair work.

For Illium, after Cledd notes that the player has a talent for mechanical engineering, Illium will reply that he’s worked with many machines before, such as robots. After Cledd’s explanation, only Lily and Elwin will be confused, while Illium will note how Cledd had simplified his explanation for them. Cledd will then note that Illium is indeed a professional engineer, and that he’s glad that he can trust him with the repair work.

If the player speaks with Ailene, she will simply demand to know why they’re staring at her and tell them to mind their own business.

For Resistance classes, the player will note to themselves that the Primacy, which fights to regain Grandis’ freedom from Gerand Darmoor, sounds very similar to the Resistance. Ailene then demands to know why they’re staring at her, to which the Resistance member will ask her whether she knows that there are people like her on Maple World. Ailene is surprised to hear this and asks to know more about those people. The Resistance member then explains that the Resistance had sought to liberate their hometown from the minions of the Black Mage.

Ailene notes that their goals sound similar, though she adds that the Primacy goes beyond freedom to survive. She then adds that she had heard that the Black Mage had been defeated and asks the Resistance member how it feels to have achieved their goal. The Resistance member replies that they were happy, though after such a long fight, they still can’t believe that it’s real. They then ask Ailene whether it feels more real for her after seeing the faces of those who are happy that they don’t need to hide anymore. Ailene is moved by the Resistance member’s conviction and hopes to find happiness again, just as they and those who have regained their freedom have.

If the player speaks with Khafdi, he’ll ask them what they want, to which the player asks him why he wears his helmet. However, Khafdi will simply reply that he has no reason to tell them before ending the conversation. However, Flora classes will get exclusive dialogue with him.

For Illium, Khafdi notices his mechanical wings and realizes that Illium is a Verdant Flora. Illium is surprised that Khafdi knows about the Verdant Flora, to which Khafdi explains that it’s his first time meeting one in person before asking Illium where he’s been hiding all this time. When Illium replies that he has no reason to share that information, Khafdi approvingly states that Illium has a good attitude, adding that the Primacy doesn’t trust him yet either.

For Khali, she notes to herself that though she’s heard of the Primacy before, she never thought that she would ever meet them in person. She then decides not to speak with Khafdi, as she believes that it’s better not to be identified as a Flora and make a scene needlessly.

For Adele, Khafdi expresses his surprise at seeing a Flora in such a place, as well as the fact that the Adversary of the Alliance is also a Flora. Adele replies that fate sometimes leads people in strange directions before asking him whether he’s planning to fight her. However, Khafdi replies that he has no intention of fighting her, adding that she’s not the only person who’s been led here by fate.

For Ark, Khafdi notes with interest that Ark is a Flora fused with a Specter. A surprised Ark asks Khafdi whether he knows him, to which Khafdi replies that he knows Ark fairly well. He then reveals that he knows that Ark was a soldier who had once been deployed to the Western Front. Ark is shocked to know that Khafdi has such information about him and demands to know who he is. However, Khafdi replies that it doesn’t matter who he is, as the only thing that matters to him is the Primacy’s purpose to bring down Darmoor and regain their freedom.

He then asks Ark who he is, and whether he’s a Flora or a Specter now. Ark tells Khafdi to believe what he likes, as it doesn’t matter what he thinks about him, adding that his reason for fighting will never change. He explains that his purpose is to protect those who are fighting for their lives, to which Khafdi pauses before apologizing, explaining that though there’s more that he wants to say, he believes that it’s better for them to stop here for now.

Khafdi was confirmed to be a High Flora turncoat in the Morning Star Banquet event, but it was pretty obvious ever since his initial appearance in this storyline - hiding his face, having insider knowledge about the High Flora military, recognizing Ark from the Western Front campaign centuries ago, and even his cryptic words to Adele about their destinies as High Flora leading them to the same place. In particular, his appearing to know Ark personally makes me wonder whether he was inspired by Ark to betray the High Flora. I’ve been hoping for a proper turncoat High Flora for a long time, especially since Aaron being Darmoor in Cernium sort of killed the idea pretty early on in the Grandis storyline.

The remainder of this storyline assumes that we continue working on the repairs by taking part in the Extradimensional Visitors event. The ending to this storyline was released alongside the release of Tallahart during the Milestone update, which coincides with the Primacy setting out for it.)

Soon after, Gob contacted the Adversary and informed them that repairs on the broken machine were nearly complete. The Adversary returned inside Tirnog, where Elwin and Lily were overseeing the final touches on the machine with Gob, who thanked them for speeding up the process with their help. As Elwin began rejoicing that Maple World would no longer face dimensional collapse, Gob admitted that he had actually exaggerated the truth in order to get their help, as Maple World had never truly been in danger of being destroyed. Lily then noted that the Primacy seemed to be quite busy and asked whether they were planning to embark on another mission. As Gob hesitantly attempted to avoid answering, a hologram of Tirnog appeared and began to holographically lick them, with Gob explaining that Tirnog wanted to thank them for their help.

Gob then told the Adversary that while he could confirm that the Primacy was about to go on a new mission, he couldn’t talk about the details much, for which he suggested that they speak with Kelly instead. The Adversary met with Kelly, who was pleased to hear that repairs had been completed. Upon being asked about the new mission, Kelly decided that since they were allies, and since Iker hadn’t explicitly forbidden her from sharing, she could tell them more about it. She revealed that some time ago, the Primacy had unexpectedly found a place where the power of the Ancient Gods remained dormant, and that they were preparing to visit it. Though the Adversary noted that it was dangerous for them to move out, Kelly explained that though it was likely that the Apostle who had attacked them was there, they couldn’t simply sit by and do nothing.

As she was a non-combatant, Kelly added that she couldn’t accompany the others on their mission, though she asked the Adversary to walk with her as she finished checking on their equipment first. The pair then caught the Primacy just as they were preparing to head out, with Kelly explaining that she wanted to both check their gear and say something to Iker before they left. She told Iker that the mission would be quite dangerous with the Apostle likely about to stand in their way, and that it would be beneficial for them to rely on other allies instead of just the Primacy alone.

Though Khafdi noted that it was true that the Primacy had been operating in quite an insular manner, Ailene pointed out that it couldn’t be helped, as it was difficult for them to find allies as long as Darmoor and the High Flora controlled Grandis. Nevertheless, Kelly entreated them to consider joining forces with those who had a common enemy as they did. Iker replied that he understood what she was trying to say and assured her that the day may come when they would fight alongside others, looking towards the Adversary as he spoke. He then turned away before explaining that they were heading to the Grave of the Gods, telling the Adversary that perhaps they may meet again in the not-so-distant future.