Masteria Through Time

Chapter 2: Forgotten Battles

Some time after their visit to Masteria, the traveler telepathically heard a desperate plea for help coming from the Phantom Forest and rushed to help. After fighting through a horde of Typhons, they encountered an injured warrior named Lukan and defended him from waves of monsters before asking whether he was the one who had sent the distress call. Lukan thanked them for answering his plea and asked where he was.

When the traveler told him that he was in Masteria, Lukan explained that he had never heard of such a land, adding that he had awoken in the forest with no memories of how he had gotten there. However, he realized that his comrades may need him and asked the traveler how to escape. The traveler decided to take him to New Leaf City in order to help him regain his memories.

On their way out of the Phantom Forest, they ran into Professor Foxwit, who had come in search of the one who had projected the call for help across Masteria. Lukan asked how Foxwit could have picked up his call, as he had projected it to only those who possessed great inner strength. Foxwit explained that he kept tabs on all transmissions across Masteria, and that he had picked up Lukan’s message on his sensors, which had led him to find them.

Realizing that Lukan had amnesia, Foxwit took the pair back to his laboratory, where Lukan was shocked at the unnatural lights and machinery. Foxwit then showed them one of his machines, which could read and analyze brain signals in order to decipher memories. Lukan then asked Foxwit why he wanted to help them, to which the traveler concurred and asked why he was analyzing transmissions across the continent to begin with, if not to spy on everyone.

Foxwit defended his actions by claiming that he was only acting under the mayor’s orders, explaining that Icebyrd had ordered him to help Lukan after he had reported the signal. Though Lukan was hesitant, he trusted the traveler’s judgement and agreed to follow Foxwit’s orders. The two then each stood in a pod, after which Foxwit explained that the pods would allow the traveler to enter Lukan’s memories and learn what he had forgotten.

Meanwhile, a researcher at the Masteria Research Laboratory brought Dr. Jang the Masteria soil analysis reports that she had requested. (A/N: This is a continuation of the plot thread that was introduced in the Masteria prequel quests, in which Dr. Jang had asked them to create the reports in order to secure funding for their research.)

When the researcher and several others stood in place after she dismissed them, she asked whether they had anything else to say. The research hesitantly asked Dr. Jang whether there was any point in researching Naricain, as their purpose in coming to Masteria was to learn what had caused it to return from the ocean.

He pointed out that the only records of Naricain and the Antellion came from a few writings in the Phantom Forest, and that Dr. Jang’s obsession with Naricain had limited their knowledge of Masteria to having only learned that the continent had once been called the Krakian Jungle. (A/N: This is a small error, as the continent itself was called Krakia, though a large part of it was covered by the Krakian Jungle.)

However, Dr. Jang told them that they were all ignoring what the writings had revealed to them, which was that the Antellion was an infinite power source, with Naricain’s search for it having implications of leading to a link with the Black Mage.

(A/N: Something weird in the storyline that was later fixed is that Naricain is sometimes spelled as Naricaine. This is so inconsistent that at one point, Naricain introduces himself as Naricain while his NPC name is misspelled as Naricaine.)

When the researcher implied that her research was pointless, Dr. Jang asked him to assume, for the purposes of her argument, that Naricain was evil like the Black Mage, and that both he and Subani, who had sealed him away, were real. She explained that the existence of such powers could be critical in their struggle against the Black Mage, declaring that it was their responsibility to uncover any weapon that they could in their fight against such great darkness.

However, the researcher pointed out that they still had no proof of anything, and that their role as scientists was to uncover facts and answer the questions posed to them, not to chase fairy tales. Dr. Jang countered that the duty of a scientist was to create a brighter future for all, and that the best way to do so was to look into the hidden past of Masteria.

Unwilling to entertain her policies any longer, all the researchers in her lab immediately quit. Though left alone, Dr. Jang remained convinced that Naricain had to be real and decided to return to Crimsonwood Keep in order to search for traces of him. Dr. Jang traveled to the Phantom Forest and headed for the Keep, once the home of the Grandmasters, the greatest warriors of all time. As her research indicated that they had ties to Naricain, she believed that she would find clues about him with a thorough search.

While looking around the Keep, she was surprised to discover a glowing stone floating in the air and wondered what could be so bright in such a dark, abandoned place. (A/N: This is a fragment of the Antellion that Naricain had severed from the main body.) Suddenly, she heard the voice of a man, who was intrigued to learn that she was the sole person who believed in his existence.

Surprised to hear the voice, Dr. Jang continued forward and found a statue of a man bound in chains. The voice spoke to her again, telling her that her belief in his existence was what had awakened him. Dr. Jang was unnerved at the statue speaking to her, just as the voice offered to show her what it was that she really believed in.

Suddenly, she was transported into a dreamscape, where she found herself face-to-face with the man from the statue. When she asked the man who he was, he simply laughed and told her that she already knew. Immediately recognizing him, Dr. Jang spoke aloud that she could couldn’t believe it, but the man then told her to say his name aloud, to which she finally called him by his name, Naricain.

(A/N: Dr. Jang: “I know what you are.”
Naricain: “Say it. Out loud. Say it!”
Dr. Jang: “…Vampire.”
Naricain: “Are you afrai- wait, what?”)

Naricain then told her that he was neither the figment of imagination that her peers thought him to be, nor the master of evil that she assumed that he was. Rather, he claimed to be a simple magician who had searched for knowledge and sacrificed everything for what he had believed in, adding that he was much like her in that regard.

Dr. Jang realized that he was referring to the Antellion and asked why it was so important to him, whether it was to gain ultimate power or rule the world. Naricain replied that she knew of him, but nothing of his goals, as he had never told anyone what he had gone through centuries ago. He then told her that he wanted to share his experiences with her and used his powers to transfer his memories.

As a shocked Dr. Jang processed the truth about Naricain, he told her that she now knew that he wasn’t merely obsessed with the Antellion as the legends claimed. He explained that in the end, he had been trapped in Crimsonwood Keep, in a limbo somewhere between life and death, and that it had been her voice which had pulled him from the darkness and brought him back.

Dr. Jang confessed that she hadn’t planned to free him, to which Naricain told her that it had to have been fate. She then told him that while she sympathized with his situation, his actions had scared many people, and that from their perspective, he had been trying to take the Antellion for himself. She then attempted to reason with him by pointing out that the Versalians likely saw him in the same way that he saw them.

Naricain merely replied that the Antellion needed to be controlled, and that someone needed to bear that burden, as sharing the power would only reveal the weaknesses of everyone. However, Dr. Jang interrupted him and claimed that it didn’t matter to her, as the only thing she cared about was his story and what had happened, as it might be what they needed to fix the present.

Naricain then offered to help her in exchange for her helping him escape his prison and claim the Antellion, adding that she could figure out how to do so with the help of the Antellion fragment that she had found in Crimsonwood Keep. He then beseeched her to help him right his past wrongs, to which Dr. Jang asked why she ought to take such a risk.

Naricain pointed out that she needed him as much as she needed her, as she could finally let Maple World know of his existence and prove herself to those who had ignored her faith. He then promised to give her unlimited knowledge and everlasting peace after getting the Antellion back. As Dr. Jang began to waver, Naricain added that he was currently weak and had nothing, and that he needed someone with her wisdom to help him find the Antellion.

An appeased Dr. Jang laughed and called him a poor thing, explaining that he must be truly desperate to need someone like her. Naricain then corrected her and replied that he needed her, not someone like her. Though Dr. Jang warned that she couldn’t promise anything, she told him that she liked what he offered and agreed to help on the sole condition that he stay out of Maple World after obtaining the Antellion, as she couldn’t risk such a threat being brought into the world. Naricain agreed, though he added that it pained him that they would never truly meet. (A/N: And this is the beginning of their cringe romance.) Dr. Jang then returned to Crimsonwood Keep, where she resolved to help Naricain change the past.

Meanwhile, the traveler entered Lukan’s memories and found themselves in the Krakian Jungle of ancient Masteria. Suddenly, they heard the voice of Professor Foxwit, who explained that they had arrived in Masteria from a thousand years ago, which meant that Lukan had come from the past. He then warned the traveler that Memory Motes had appeared, which had been created by Lukan’s unconscious mind, adding that he had never managed to work out that kink while building his subconscious reading device.

(A/N: This is similar to when we go inside Orchid’s memories during Black Heaven and fight past the Pop Jelly monsters that her mind had created to protect herself from unwanted intruders. At the time, we had a bunny doll that served as her memory guide, but in this case, I guess we have Professor Foxwit.)

After fighting past the Motes, the traveler encountered Naricain and his foster father, Christopher Crimsonheart, who was guarding the Antellion. Foxwit spoke to the traveler and explained that the memory sequence was just like watching a movie, with the traveler being an invisible spectator to the unchangeable events of the past.

(A/N: These are supposed to be Lukan’s memories, and so it doesn’t make sense for us to be able to witness the confrontation between Naricain and Crimsonheart when he wasn’t there. Even though this is probably in the name of artistic license, it still technically counts as a plot hole.)

Naricain cursed his father, claiming that Crimsonheart had been responsible for his mother’s death. He then accused Crimsonheart of being unable to control the Antellion, leaving it to rot in Masteria instead, and asked how anyone could trust him with such power. He then spat out that he detested Crimsonheart, who merely told Naricain that taking the Antellion would not ease the hatred in his heart. He pleaded that they could heal Naricain’s soul together, but Naricain claimed that no one could heal his soul, least of all Crimsonheart, and that all he wanted now was the Antellion, with which he would control the world and eradicate evil.

However, Crimsonheart told Naricain that he would be stealing people’s lives from them, as a world dominated by a single ruler was one driven by evil, no matter their intentions. He added that Naricain would make Versal his plaything, and its people his pawns, calling Naricain by his nickname, Naric, to which Naricain snapped at Crimsonheart not to call him that. He then told Crimsonheart that his mother and siblings had loved Crimsonheart, because of which he hadn’t wanted to fight his father, but he warned that he would do what he must if Crimsonheart stood in his way. He then used dark magic to attack Crimsonheart, who refused to defend himself.

Surprised, Naricain mockingly asked if Crimsonheart had been stuck in Maple World for so long that that he had forgotten how to pick up his sword. When Crimsonheart remained silent, Naricain demanded him to speak, to which Crimsonheart claimed that he had nothing to say, adding that if a child grew into a monster, then it was the fault of the father.

He then added that what had happened was not his intention, but Naricain interrupted and said that his intentions didn’t matter, as his legacy lay in ruins. He then vowed to give Crimsonwood Keep to his minions to lord over the place, laughing that he knew that Crimsonheart had locked away some poor soul to serve his purposes. (A/N: I have no idea what he means by this, but based on the rest of the conversation, I’d assume that he’s likely referring to the warriors which he brought over from Versal and ‘tricked’ into protecting the Antellion.)

When Crimsonheart claimed that it wasn’t true, Naricain told him to deny that he had used the Antellion to lure warriors out of Versal. He then asked if doing so had been to protect the Antellion from some threat, and whether Crimsonheart believed that threat to be him. Naricain then laughed and asked if Crimsonheart had really thought that he was the only one who desired the Antellion’s power, adding that Crimsonheart could never keep it away from those who wanted it, even if he hid it at the very ends of the world. (A/N: This line about many people wanting the Antellion’s power gets referenced in MONAD, and it plays a role in future Masteria content.)

He then shared his belief that the reason why Crimsonheart had adopted his children was to hide his pathetic self behind them. When Crimsonheart remained silent, Naricain demanded him once again to speak, asking who he planned to sacrifice this time, noting that he had already gone through so many. Crimsonheart then told Naricain to end him if it would ease his fury, though he asked Naricain to let it end with his death, and to go no further.

He added that he now knew that he was a failure of a father, but nevertheless, he beseeched Naricain to leave the Antellion alone, claiming that he spoke not as the protector of the Antellion, but as Naricain’s father, adding that such power should not even exist. However, Naricain snapped that Crimsonheart had no right to dictate what to do. He then claimed the title of the Antellion’s protector before unleashing a powerful dark spell that mortally wounded Crimsonheart. As Crimsonheart fell, Naricain seized the Antellion before walking away.

As the traveler attempted to follow Naricain, Memory Motes appeared to stop them. After defeating them, the traveler saw that Crimsonheart’s other foster son, Subani, had rushed to the scene with the four Grandmasters: Lukan, Lireni, Numenal, and Delgrund.

(A/N: In the original Masteria storyline, Lukan was a high-ranking member of the Stormcasters, though he’s now the Warrior Grandmaster in the revamp. Lireni was mentioned in the original Phantom Forest storyline as a hero of the Shadowknights, with no mention of whether she was a Grandmaster, although she’s now the Thief Grandmaster. Delgrund was mentioned as a former Magician Grandmaster who preceded Rafael. I believe that Numenal is a new character, as I couldn’t find any records of him in the old Masteria lore.)

The five huddled around Crimsonheart and worriedly asked what had happened. As the Grandmasters expressed their shock, Subani attempted to take his father back to the Keep, though Crimsonheart stopped him and explained that his end was coming. As Delgrund sobbed and asked who could have defeated the most powerful warrior of Versal, Crimsonheart asked Delgrund not to cry and told him that his soft heart was his greatest weakness. He then asked Subani and the Grandmasters to do everything in their power to keep the Antellion out of Naricain’s hands.

Subani then asked if Naricain was the one who had bested him, while Delgrund vowed to destroy him and avenge Crimsonheart. Crimsonheart told them that Naricain already had the Antellion, and so he couldn’t follow through with his original plan to send Naricain away, lamenting that he never should have revealed its location. He explained that however powerful Naricain had been before, he was now unstoppable, adding that with both the fragment and the full Antellion, not even the combined powers of the Grandmasters stood a chance against him.

Lireni then asked how Naricain could have mortally wounded him, as Crimsonheart could have easily stopped anyone with his martial prowess. Crimsonheart replied that his own son had challenged him and asked them how a father could ever fight his own son. He then gave his final order to the Grandmasters and told them to destroy the Antellion, as it was too dangerous to exist.

Though Delgrund refused to leave Crimsonheart’s side, Crimsonheart ordered them to depart immediately, as Naricain was likely heading to the Keep in order to amplify the Antellion’s powers. He also beseeched Subani to forgive Naricain, reminding him that his brother had suffered much. Lireni was surprised that Crimsonheart didn’t want revenge, to which he replied that he hoped that there could be peace between the two siblings, even if there could never be peace between himself and Naricain, reminding Lireni that revenge would solve nothing.

With his last words, he entrusted the task of destroying the Antellion to Lukan, knowing that Subani could not think rationally in his grief, and passed away soon after. As the Grandmasters mourned the death of their leader, Subani declared that Naricain was no longer his brother and took off for the Keep, with the others following behind him.

The traveler, having learned Lukan’s identity, attempted to follow them and fought past the Memory Motes before seeing that Lireni, Numenal, and Lukan had stopped. Lukan and Numenal realized that Lireni was shaking with fear at the prospect of facing someone as powerful as Naricain. Lukan acknowledged her fear, though he reminded her that they needed to work together. Numenal then promised that he would protect her from harm. Lireni confessed that all she had ever wanted was to see new worlds, as she had only ever known Versal as home, adding that perhaps the Antellion could have been her excuse to leave Crimsonwood Keep and Krakia and simply go. (A/N: Krakia is what Masteria was called during this time period.)

Lukan pointed out that as long as they remained in Maple World, they were bound to protect the Antellion, reminding her that their purpose in borrowing its power was to protect it. However, when he told Lireni that she ought to know that more than anyone, she replied that she also knew that her heart was not in it, as she was unable to bear the weight of an entire world. As she ran off, Numenal called after her, while Lukan told him that there would be a reckoning for her betrayal.

(A/N: This is another instance of character assassination, as Lireni is retconned from being the brave hero of the Shadowknights who continued fighting after the Keep’s fall to being a deserter and a coward.)

Numenal and Lukan then continued on, leaving the traveler to wonder whether Lireni was truly a coward. The traveler then fought past the Memory Motes through a cavern before arriving at the entrance of Crimsonwood Keep. Both the traveler and Foxwit marveled at how grand it was in its prime before heading inside.

To their surprise, the traveler found that the Keep was starting to collapse. Making their way past the falling rubble, they found the Grandmasters confronting Naricain. However, Naricain merely laughed that they could not hope to stop him, as he possessed the full power of the Antellion. Suddenly, he realized that Subani was missing and asked whether his older brother was cowering behind someone’s cape, just as he had done so often with their father.

To his surprise, however, Subani teleported behind him and used his light magic to bind Naricain in chains. As Lukan began charging up his attack, Naricain told Subani that he could not claim the Antellion, as he would have no idea of how to wield it. However, Subani revealed that he had no plans to wield the Antellion, explaining that his goal was much different than Naricain’s selfish plot. At Lukan’s command, the Grandmasters then combined their powers and attacked the Antellion.

A shocked Naricain commanded them to stop, warning that destroying the Antellion would destroy them all. However, Subani merely told him that they were prepared to give their lives to right Naricain’s wrongs. The traveler then decided that they wanted to help as well, but Foxwit told them that they were merely an observer, and that the memory was of events which had already happened. Nevertheless, the traveler attempted to help destroy the Antellion, which shattered under the combined power of the Grandmasters.

(A/N: Our character is an idiot. Even though we have an action prompt to button mash in the actual game, I have no idea whether our actions actually made any difference at all. Given how ridiculous it would be for us to directly affect the memory, I’m guessing that all we did was punch thin air since this is all happening within our own mind.)

Though the Grandmasters succeeded, the power of the Antellion, which had been expelled with its destruction, inadvertently warped spacetime, causing the three Grandmasters to be scattered across time. The traveler and Foxwit then realized that Lukan had been sent to the present because of the power leak.

Having understood everything that he needed to, Foxwit ordered the traveler to return to the present. However, the traveler refused, as they wanted to see the fates of Naricain and Subani. Foxwit told them that the memory gate was about to collapse, as Lukan had not witnessed it, but the traveler explained that Lukan was a faithful follower of Crimsonheart, and so he deserved to know what happened. Exasperated, Foxwit allowed the traveler to remain, though he warned them to leave before the gate collapsed, which would leave the traveler trapped for all eternity.

(A/N: Foxwit even mentions that we shouldn’t be able to see anything when Lukan isn’t there, but I guess being self-aware about its own plot holes is a classic tradition of the game.)

A furious Naricain demanded to know what had compelled Subani to resort to such madness, as the destruction of the Antellion had doomed the entire continent, claiming that the resulting chaos would spread first across Maple World before reaching Versal. As Naricain continued shouting, Subani merely declared that they were no longer brothers, and that he now only sought revenge for Naricain’s unforgivable actions.

Naricain then mocked Subani as the same sad, pathetic weakling he had been on Versal. However, Subani ignored him and used his light magic to seal Subani away in a limbo between life and death, with his physical body turned into a statue. Having seen how the story ended, the traveler barely managed to escape Lukan’s memories before the dimensional gate collapsed with the sinking of Masteria.

(A/N: In the current Masteria storyline, the continent actually sank into the ocean. However, the old Masteria lore stated that the continent was transported to Versal.)

Though Foxwit admonished the traveler for their recklessness, the traveler excitedly pointed out that they had learned that the Antellion’s destruction was what had sunk Masteria. Lukan then awoke, his memories restored, and thanked the traveler and Foxwit for their help. The traveler then asked if he knew about the Antellion and Naricain.

Lukan explained that the Antellion was a stone of infinite power, one that could shape space and time at will. He told them that Crimsonheart and the Grandmasters hailed from Versal, the holy land of warriors and magicians, and that the Antellion had been created out of the sacrifice of the most powerful heroes of Versal from long ago, in the hope of protecting their world from the chaos that threatened it. With its infinite power, it had become the ender of all conflicts.

As every person in Versal was tapped into it, all Versalians had gained great power and a responsibility to others. He explained that Crimsonheart, the greatest warrior of Versal, had been selected to be its chief guardian, ensuring that peace reigned across the realm for ages. However, Naricain had lusted for greater power than what he had received from the Antellion, and so he had stolen a fragment of the Antellion for himself. In order to prevent Naricain from claiming the rest of the Antellion, Crimsonheart had crossed over to Maple World with the Antellion and the Grandmasters, building Crimsonwood Keep in order to keep it safe.

Lukan then explained that the Grandmasters were the four strongest warriors of Versal who had come to Maple World: Delgrund the Magician Grandmaster, Numenal the Bowman Grandmaster, Lireni the Thief Grandmaster, and himself, the Warrior Grandmaster. He revealed that many Grandmasters had preceded them, and that many more should have followed.

When the traveler asked about Lireni, Lukan vehemently denounced her as a traitor who had betrayed both Crimsonheart’s faith and the Grandmasters’ pride. As it had been a thousand years since his time, Lukan hoped that any descendants of Lireni would be saddled with guilt for her betrayal. (A/N: As a matter of fact, the Raven Ninjas of the current storyline are descendants of Lireni and are hoping to atone for her cowardice.)

When the traveler asked if Subani and Naricain were brothers, Lukan explained that Crimsonheart had taken in many children who had nowhere to go and had raised them as his own, with Subani being his first foster son and Naricain being brought in soon after. Lukan explained that Naricain had insisted that he needed to control everyone with the power of the Antellion, demanding complete obedience and turning into a tyrant after falling from his original goal to stop the wicked.

Troubled by the return of Masteria, Lukan asked if Crimsonwood Keep still stood, as he wanted to check if Naricain was still trapped, and so the traveler began to lead Lukan to the Keep. After they left, Foxwit contacted Icebyrd and explained that he had helped Lukan regain his memories at the mayor’s command. Icebyrd was pleased and called Lukan the key to everything. Foxwit then asked what it was that Icebyrd was planning, to which the mayor laughed and explained that Foxwit didn’t need to know, as all he needed to do was to continue following orders.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jang met with Naricain in his dreamscape prison, where she reported that she had finished her work. She then asked Naricain if he was sure that he wouldn’t regret his decision, as they still might not be able to change the future. Naricain replied that it was entirely up to her, as she had already made a discovery that could change the world, adding that it was why he held her in such high regard.

Dr. Jang turned away in embarrassment and claimed that it was unnecessary flattery, to which Naricain told her that he truly did have great respect for her. Dr. Jang then told Naricain that she wouldn’t have been able to build her Time Portal without his Antellion fragment in the first place. Naricain smiled and countered that if it hadn’t been for her, he would still be trapped as a statue.

He then declared that they would return to a thousand years ago, back to the day he had failed, and correct history together. Though he acknowledged that she might be scared or hesitant, he beseeched her not to stop, not for his sake, but for hers, and for her desire to learn the true history of the Krakian Empire. He then reminded her of his promise to bestow infinite knowledge and help the people of Maple World prosper as good and wise beings.

Dr. Jang noted how heavy-handedly he was attempting to convince her, adding that he really couldn’t do anything without being manipulative, to which he told her that he otherwise would never have met her. However, Dr. Jang rebuffed his advances and claimed that she had her own reasons for helping him. Naricain then bid her farewell and asked her to say hello to his past self, after which she returned to the real world and entered her Time Portal in order to travel back to the past.