PART III: AFTER THE UNSEALING OF THE BLACK MAGE

Chapter 11: Nova Alliance

(A/N: This section covers all the Alliance quests for Grandis classes, as well as any 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.)

Kaiser:
Following the siege of Heliseum and the Nova officially joining the Maple Alliance, 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, for which 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.

Soon after, Neinheart reached out to Kaiser and told him that the Alliance had discovered the Black Mage’s laboratory in Magatia.

(A/N: The Black Mage’s laboratory is the same laboratory that you enter at the end of the Magatia town storyline. In the town quests, the laboratory was said to have belonged to the Black Magician, which is the original GMS localization of the Black Mage’s name. Shortly after the Magatia town quests were released, the Black Mage was brought into greater focus with the release of pirates and Aran.)

Neinheart explained that the Alliance had found several interesting documents, and though he had already sent copies to the Nova, he wanted to show one particular document to Kaiser directly. After receiving the documents, Kaiser reviewed them and found new information on the Transcendents. He read that the Black Mage had cut off a part of himself that was imbued with light, and that he had embraced the darkness, putting him at odds with Rhinne and the World Tree. Kaiser was pleased to note that according to the documents, the Black Mage didn’t know the location or the identity of the World Tree. However, he realized that the Black Mage’s attempt to steal the Transcendent of Time’s powers was similar to how Darmoor had stolen the powers of Chronica.

(A/N: Most likely, these documents were written very soon after he awakened as the Transcendent of Light, probably while he was formulating his plan to destroy the Transcendents. At the time of writing these documents, he probably didn’t know who or where Alicia was. Later on, we learn that Neinheart ordered a more thorough investigation of the laboratory after the events of Black Heaven, which is when the Alliance found dozens of prophecies that foretold the events of major incidents like Black Heaven, Heroes of Maple, Esfera, and Tenebris. It’s highly likely that the laboratory was where the Black Mage mapped out the Path of Destiny.

His ability to see the future is somewhat distinct from most characters in the game. Characters like Cygnus or the Shamanesses of Azwan receive symbolic visions that they have to interpret, such as how Cygnus’ vision of Black Heaven was birds of light that fought against a giant of darkness. In contrast, from the way that the game describes the Black Mage’s abilities, it seems like he has little to no real precognitive skills. It’s more likely that he instead used complex mathematical formulas, his innate genius-level intelligence, and his enhanced powers as a Transcendent to manually chart out every single possible future based on every single relevant variable.

In Limina, Grendel mentions that the future is so incomprehensibly vast that mortals are physically incapable of perceiving it, aside from small fragments. However, it would make sense that a Transcendent - and particularly only someone with an IQ as high as the Black Mage - would have the ability to perceive an infinite number of futures and manipulate them. Because of this, the Black Mage’s prophecies are less his interpretations of future visions, and more just the events that he had already decided would happen.

On top of that, his prophecies themselves were also part of his plan, as he had purposefully left them behind so that the Alliance would discover them and know that their destiny was predetermined. He also left behind one particular sentence that would clue Cygnus and Neinheart in on realizing the importance of the Adversary at the time of Esfera, which would be the basis of their entire operation strategy in Tenebris: “Only the Adversary can counter immortality’s fate with the strength of a Seal Stone.”)

Kaiser returned to Pantheon and discussed the document with Fenelle. She noted that the main takeaway was how something strange seemed to happen when Transcendents used each other’s powers, as Darmoor’s use of Chronica’s powers had resulted in several Interdimensional Portals appearing all across Grandis. She also noted that Magnus had disappeared from Maple World after the Black Mage had taken Rhinne’s power.

Kaiser asked if it meant that the Interdimensional Portals appeared when other Transcendents used the power of the Transcendent of Time. Fenelle replied that it seemed to be the case and conjectured that Magnus had returned to Grandis when the Black Mage had used Rhinne’s power, which may have accounted for the time gap between him leaving Maple World and arriving on Grandis.

(A/N: Kaiser and Angelic Buster’s storylines laid the groundwork for the lore on Transcendents and suggested that Interdimensional Portals only appear when a Transcendent of Time’s power is stolen. However, all future mentions of the topic state that it’s the result of taking any Transcendent’s power, not necessarily the Transcendent of Time’s.)

Kaiser then pointed out that the Interdimensional Portal on Maple World had just been discovered recently. Fenelle reasoned that the power of time had likely been sealed away along with the Black Mage, but just then, she realized that the Interdimensional Portal reappearing meant that the seal on the Black Mage must have been broken, allowing for the power of time to form the Interdimensional Portal once again. Fenelle told Kaiser that the Alliance needed to be informed immediately and warned him that with Maple World facing the return of their biggest threat, and with the Nova preparing to launch their attack on Magnus, the situation had gotten much more serious. 

(A/N: The Interdimensional Portal was introduced in the game during the Tempest patch, which also released Luminous, Kaiser, and Angelic Buster. These three class storylines were written with the intention that they interconnect, as Luminous’ final quest involves him meeting the Black Mage shortly after the seal breaks, which is meant to coincide with the Nova realizing the significance of the portal appearing.

Because of the constant retcons and continuity errors that get introduced in later updates, the chronology has gotten all jumbled up into a huge mess. In the case of the Interdimensional Portal’s appearance, the Explorer storyline and Xenon’s storyline are both set before the Black Mage’s seal is broken, but the portal already exists at that time. Now, rather than the portal’s appearance meaning that the seal has been broken, it’s essentially been retconned to mean that the seal has seriously weakened. Because of this, it now feels odd for the Nova to act like they’ve stumbled onto some sort of revelation when the Black Mage has already been freed for a long time now.)

Angelic Buster:
Following the siege of Heliseum and the Nova officially joining the Maple Alliance, 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.

Cadena:
Beldar contacted Cadena and explained that the Council had recently approved of a union between the Nova and the Maple Alliance. He then asked if she would be willing to join the Alliance, explaining that if she did, then the Alliance would be able to contact her directly with new information, rather than her constantly needing to check-in with him.

Though Cadena had a feeling that joining the Alliance would be bothersome, she nevertheless accepted the offer, as she believed that it would be beneficial to be informed about important developments more promptly. After agreeing to join, Beldar sent her to Ereve in order to finalize the paperwork. There, Neinheart greeted her as the Hero of Justice, and though he expressed his surprise that Cadena didn’t appear to be a Nova, he nevertheless welcomed her into the Alliance.

Illium:
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.)

Ark:
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.

Soon after, he received a letter from Francis, who invited him to join the Black Wings. Ark went to meet him at the Verne Mine and asked him how many others he had sent the invitation to. Francis explained that he had only asked him and another girl with pink pigtails, though he regretted that the Alliance had gotten to her first. Ark then hit Francis, explaining that something had instinctively made him do so, and refused Francis’ offer. As he left the Verne Mine, Ark noted to himself that Francis didn’t seem truly evil and hoped that he would one day change.

(A/N: Ark gets a medal for being the last class to canonically hit Francis in a class storyline. Francis attempting to recruit a girl with pink pigtails is a reference to Angelic Buster, who originally had a small quest in her old storyline, in which she punched Francis after he tried to have her join the Black Wings. Although that quest has been removed from the game, the events of that quest still canonically happen according to Ark’s story. And just like with Ark’s quest here, it was also only said in the dialogue of the original Angelic Buster quest that she hits Francis, rather than us actually fighting him.)

Just then, he met Angelic Buster, whom he recognized as the same girl that Francis had described. After exchanging greetings, she gave him a report from Kaiser that detailed Maple World’s Transcendents. Ark read through the report and learned that the Black Mage had stolen the Transcendent of Time’s powers, resulting in the creation of the Interdimensional Portal. Ark realized that the portal’s appearance meant that the Black Mage’s seal was weakening. (A/N: This is a continuity error. Grandis class storylines were initially set before the seal breaking, but the Explorer revamp ruined everything.)

He also read that Transcendents who stole another’s power were weakened. He realized that Darmoor must have known the risks, which made his decision to steal Chronica’s powers even more confusing. He then wondered if Darmoor was planning to invade Maple World during a time of peace with the stolen power of time.

(A/N: This also happened to the Black Mage, who spent years recovering his full power while trapped in the seal. It says a lot about the Black Mage’s strength when the Heroes couldn’t even beat him centuries ago when he was at a fraction of his full power. In contrast, it says a lot about how strong we are to beat the Black Mage at twice his original strength in Limina.)

Hoyoung:
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. At 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 its 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.

Adele:
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 may 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: Despite the fact that 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.

Kain:
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.

Lara:
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.

Khali:
Athena Pierce reached out to Khali and suggested that she join the Maple Alliance, which had recently formed a partnership with the Nova. 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.