MONAD: Omen: Crimson Snow and Shadow

Chapter 1: Refugees

(A/N: Until its removal in November 2022, MONAD was the primary connective tissue between the different storylines of GMS-verse, incorporating Stellar Detectives, Masteria, and the Sengoku storylines together into an interconnected universe. Alongside MONAD’s removal, many other overseas storylines and classes, such as Beast Tamer, Zen, Jett, Captain Vaga, and Stellar Detectives (in all regions but GMS), have also been removed from the game, making it very unlikely that the concept of GMS-verse will ever continue in the future. However, MONAD in itself - aside from its many bugs - was a very well-written story that introduced many different kinds of interactive features in its story presentation that made it one of my personal favorites.)

The traveler received a letter from an old woman, who wrote that they were her last hope. She explained that she and her granddaughter lived in the deep forest of Abrup Basin, beyond the El Nath Mountains, where people were disappearing from the valley and the creatures of the forest were growing strange and vicious, with her granddaughter being one of the many who had vanished.

As the people of the valley had turned their backs on her, and even each other, and with a terrible force looming in the distance, the old woman explained that she had sent a message out, hoping that a hero would answer the call. The traveler decided to help the old woman and began their trek through the El Nath Mountains. As sunset drew near, the traveler discovered an abandoned test and wondered whether it was a temporary base camp for hunters. As the cold of nightfall was approaching, they decided to rest there for the night.

After clearing away the snow and starting a campfire, the traveler decided that they would explore the valley after making it down the mountain in order to meet the woman who had sent the letter. Warmed by the fire, the traveler soon fell soundly asleep. Elsewhere, a girl named Alika had a dream of another girl with blue skin and white facial marks being chased through a forest, as well as a girl with pink hair lying in the snow. The girl with blue skin soon encountered an old man, while a stranger watched them in the shadows. Meanwhile, red snow began falling around the girl with pink hair as the snow around her grew red as well. Alika then awoke with a start and opened her windows to see that the village was on fire.

(A/N: Okay, so I know that I wrote the snow is red, since that’s what they keep insisting on during this storyline (with the subtitle of MONAD: First Omen even being “Crimson Snow and Shadow”), but I can swear to you that it looks pink in the game and I’m convinced that it’s a censorship thing. Just to clarify, since it’s hard to piece together all these new characters just from a text writeup, Alika is one of the primary protagonists of the story, the blue girl in her dream is Blanche (the old woman’s granddaughter), the pink girl is Julieta (the boss of the blockbuster) and the old man is Rookhowell (Alika’s father). All of this gets revealed in Act 2, but I wanted to mention it here for context.)

Soon after, the traveler was awoken by the sound of a drunk man shouting from the edge of the cliff. As the traveler attempted to get him to move back from the edge of the cliff, the man pointed at the flaming village while speaking incoherently. The traveler immediately began to scale down the mountain, where they encountered wild wolves. Surprised at how the man had managed to climb all the way up the mountain, the traveler realized that he would likely get eaten if he followed them down, and so they decided to clear out the monsters along the way for his sake.

(A/N: It’s extremely obvious that the guy is an alcoholic, but once again, I’m convinced that censorship strikes again because they bend over backwards constantly in this blockbuster to find creative ways to say the words ‘alcohol’ and ‘alcoholic’ without actually saying them.)

As they fought past the monsters, they noticed a large, tentacled monster at the outskirts of the village, as well as the cries of a girl screaming in fear. The traveler discovered the girl surrounded by monsters on the path down the mountain. After they defeated the monsters, the girl thanked them for rescuing her and explained that monsters had swarmed the village, which were larger and more terrifying than the ones on the mountain.

The traveler escorted the girl to the base of the mountain, where they saved a village archer from a large wolf. The archer explained that Fembris, one of the wolves of legend, had arrived to burn their village to the ground, and that it was calling more monsters to help. The girl explained that the Fembris of legend was a massive wolf that devoured the sky, fated to end the world in flame and misery. She noted that though the Fembris attacking the village wasn’t as large as the Fembris of legend, it was still able to breathe fire.

The traveler then entered the battle, helping several knights and villagers defeat the monsters in the village. Along the way, they helped several villagers who were trapped underneath rubble before encountering Fembris. Just then, a knight arrived and introduced himself as Cayne before aiding the traveler, using his magic to create a golden shield that blocked Fembris’ flames. Together, the traveler and Cayne were able to successfully defeat Fembris, just as the traveler noticed several people - including Alika - trapped on top of a burning guard tower. The traveler bravely scaled atop the fiery tower and brought the trapped people to safety.

As the knights began putting the fires out, Cayne rushed over to Alika, while another villager rushed to grab her son. Just then, Butler, the Vice Captain of the knights, demanded Alika to explain herself, demanding to know what use a scholar was atop a burning tower, and reminding her that he had told her countless times to stay safe.

(A/N: Butler’s official rank is Vice Captain, but the title written beneath his NPC is Afinas Dispatch Commander. Although this could be a discrepancy, I think what they meant was that Butler is the one who’s commanding the mission, hence the NPC description of ‘commander’, but his actual rank itself is Vice Captain.)

Alika retorted by asking where she could have gone to stay safe, to which Butler replied that she could have found a safer place than an inferno, asking what the knights would do if she was injured, or worse. Cayne then attempted to diffuse the situation, pointing out that Alika was just fine. Butler immediately turned on Cayne, berating him for failing in his duties to protect Alika. He then ordered the knights to follow him in repairing the village, though he told Cayne to first take some time to ponder his failure.

As Butler and the other knights walked away, Cayne told Alika that he had thought that she had still been inside the house, reminding her of her promise to him that she would stay safe. He then apologized, realizing that he never should have left her side. However, Alika told him not to apologize, as she had been the one who had told him to leave her side and help the villagers. She then turned to the traveler and thanked them for their help as Cayne asked them for their name, recognizing that they weren’t part of Afinas.

The traveler introduced themselves and thanked Cayne for his help as well, to which Cayne then introduced himself and thanked them for saving Alika, whom he called his goddess and muse. He declared that he was forever in their debt, to which the traveler told them that they were even, as he had helped them in the fight against Fembris as well. Cayne agreed to their praise and immediately began to marvel at his own prowess, though Alika quickly pulled him out of his bravado and pointed out that the villagers still needed help.

(A/N: Here, you get a choice to either help the villagers or look for the old woman who sent the letter. If you choose the second option, Cayne pauses and calls you over, prompting another choice between the same two options. Even if you choose the second option again, Cayne takes you with him anyways. Although your choices don’t change the overall story, it’s nice that we get the option to choose between helping others and acting in self-interest, especially since it’s such a big theme in this story.)

The three then encountered a woman named Shulla, who was lamenting over her missing daughter’s photo and hat. Cayne told the traveler that Shulla’s daughter had gone missing some time ago, and that Shulla had been carrying her daughter’s photo and hat ever since. (A/N: Shulla also has a son who we rescued from the burning guard tower alongside Alika.)

Upon hearing about Shulla’s missing daughter, the traveler recalled that the old woman in the letter had mentioned that her granddaughter was missing as well. Because of this, they decided to help recover Shulla’s belongings before asking her about her daughter’s disappearance. The traveler found the missing items in the rubble and returned them to Shulla, but before they could question her, the chief of the village, Kan, arrived and thanked everyone who had come together to help the town, though Cayne told him to hold his thanks, claiming that it was the sworn duty of Afinas to serve as protectors. He then introduced the traveler, whom Kan thanked on behalf of their village, Kaptafel.

As Kan began to leave to check on the wounded, he noticed Shulla clutching her daughter’s belongings and reminded her that though he knew that she was in pain, she could not afford to lose herself to despair, as many others were managing their suffering and coming together for the good of the village. Cayne was immediately annoyed by Kan’s callousness, to which Alika gently suggested that they give Shulla some space.

As they began walking away, Cayne noted that it was freezing and asked the traveler whether they agreed. When the traveler told him that it wasn’t too uncomfortable for them, Cayne believed that they must be native to Abrup, though was surprised when he learned that it was their first time there. Cayne then began asking them what their reason for coming to Abrup was, as he doubted that it was merely for sightseeing. Though Alika attempted to get him to drop the subject, Cayne merely laughed that the traveler must be just as curious about Afinas’ mission as he was of theirs.

The traveler then asked why the knights had come, to which Cayne explained that he himself had been given few details, as the knights had only been dispatched to Abrup recently in order to investigate the unusual monster activity, and to address the situation before it went out of hand, though he noted that the latter hadn’t panned out as he had hoped.

He told the traveler that the investigation was being handled by Alika, whom he explained was the youngest and most talented Scholar of Afinas, though Alika dismissed his praise and told the traveler that she was merely an apprentice. However, Cayne expressed great confidence in her abilities and reassured her that she would soon have the title to match.

Turning back to the subject at hand, Cayne told the traveler that the knights had been completely unprepared for how dire the situation was, and that they were ill-equipped to deal with the kind of full-scale invasion which they had faced last night. However, he explained that even in spite of explaining the situation to their commanders, they had been ordered to continue aiding the residents as best as they could.

Alika told Cayne that he was being too cavalier, reminding him that the reputation of Afinas was at stake. Cayne admitted that she was right, but pointed out that even she couldn’t call their last battle ideal. He then told the traveler that when they had first arrived in town, he had noticed that the villagers were tense. Upon looking into it, they had learned that dozens of people had gone missing all at once about six months ago.

The traveler then asked what had happened to the giant tentacled monster which had been attacking the village. A confused Cayne told them that the largest monster which he had seen during the attack was Fembris. Upon hearing Cayne’s words, the traveler wondered whether they had been mistaken, or whether they really had seen something huge moving in the smoke. Nevertheless, they noted to themselves that it was fortunate that it hadn’t attacked the village in any case.

Wondering whether anyone else had seen the monster, the traveler decided to ask around the village. Alika then waved at a large man with an axe named Peytour, who greeted them and asked the traveler to introduce themselves. He was surprised when the traveler explained that they had come at the behest of a letter, wondering who could have sent it amidst the chaos. However, he put aside his curiosity and asked them if they were willing to help with the repairs. (A/N: You can either agree to help or say that you have other matters to attend to, but Alika makes you help anyways.)

Cayne explained that he couldn’t afford to leave Alika’s side, but Alika insisted that he help Peytour, claiming that she would be safer when the village was in a better state. Cayne then ordered a knight to stay by Alika’s side until he returned, after which he followed Peytour and the traveler into the forest. Cayne and the traveler then hunted the Petreefied Eyeful monsters and began collecting their wood. As they fought, Peytour grew fatigued and decided to take a break, to which Cayne insisted that he and the traveler could wrap up while Peytour rested, so that he could return to Alika faster.

The traveler noted that Cayne cared deeply for Alika, to which he explained that he was like her Prince Charming. Dismissing his lovesick musings, the traveler asked how important an Apprentice Scholar was to warrant such protection. Cayne explained that Alika was special, as she was a prodigy and the youngest of the Afinas Scholars. Peytour then spoke up and mentioned that he had heard that Alika was the daughter of a high-ranking Scholar as well. Cayne attempted to wave away the comment, but at the traveler’s insistence, he admitted that he owed a great debt to her father, Rookhowell, though he insisted that he was doing it all for Alika’s sake.

Soon after, they finished collecting enough wood and began heading back to the village. On their way back, Cayne realized that his brooch was missing and wondered whether he had dropped it in the forest. Peytour laughed and explained that there was a creature in the forest which was notorious for thieving, which was why the villagers usually didn’t take their valuables with them while going into the forest.

The traveler then noticed the drunk man from the base camp and was relieved that he had made it back to the village safely. The man, who was still drunk, greeted Peytour as the village’s wise advisor and jokingly asked whether he could advise on where to find something to drink. He then began incoherently rambling about a giant shadow, which had he explained had been behind the snowstorms and the attack on the village.

This intrigued the traveler, who noted that they had seen the shadow as well. The man was relieved to know that the traveler had also seen the shadow, drunkenly rambling on in excitement about it. Peytour looked on the man in pity and introduced him to the others as Aruhi before telling them that they could go on ahead while he got Aruhi settled. Though the traveler wanted to question Aruhi about the shadow, they decided to wait until he sobered up.

Just then, Ullan, the chief’s daughter and the girl whom the traveler had saved at the mountain near the base camp, arrived and thanked the traveler for rescuing her. She then revealed that Aruhi hadn’t always been a mess, explaining that she believed that the monsters and disappearances had made him break down and lose his mind, drinking his troubles away and putting on a jovial act. She added that though Aruhi had tried to clean up a few times, he would always go back to drinking. However, she noted that Peytour was nice enough to continue looking after him.

The traveler asked Ullan whether Aruhi had lost his family, to which Ullan told them that it would be difficult to find anyone in the village who hadn’t lost a family member. Realizing that she had gotten side-tracked, Ullan then asked the traveler whether they had seen Pete and Elle, whom she explained were her two pet Shrelephants, whom she explained were both tame. The traveler and Cayne told Ullan that they had only seen wild Shrelephants in the forest, to which Ullan decided to head out in search of them.

The traveler and Cayne then went on to meet Alika and Peytour, who had laid Aruhi on the ground for him to rest and sober up. Peytour thanked the pair for bringing him the remaining wood before asking the traveler to bring him rope from Slaka the archer. On their way, the traveler was stopped by Butler, who noted that the traveler wasn’t native to the Abrup Basin before asking why someone so powerful would come to Abrup.

Upon learning that they had received a letter asking for help, Butler asked them to show it to him. After reading through the letter, Butler told them that the letter hadn’t been sent by a resident, though the traveler merely ignored his provocations and replied that they had other matters to attend to. Before they left, however, Butler asked the traveler whether they intended to stay any longer, which the traveler confirmed, explaining that they had a duty to ensure that the sender of the letter was safe.

The traveler then began walking away, to which an irritated Butler retorted that that he hadn’t finished speaking to them yet. He then told the traveler that if they intended to stay, they would need to follow his orders for the duration of their time in Abrup. However, the traveler merely replied that it wouldn’t be a problem, so long as his orders lined up with their plans. Before an angry Butler could retort, Slaka rushed over and warned the villagers of an incoming snowstorm.

As the villagers gathered at the town square, Butler demanded to know why there was so much panic about a simple snowstorm. Slaka rebuffed Butler for his ignorance and explained that it seemed to be the biggest snowstorm in recent memory. Peytour reminded him that they didn’t need a panic, while Butler declared that they needed to repair as many buildings and set up as many tents as possible before it arrived.

However, Slaka pointed out that Butler’s plan would kill them all, as none of their buildings were in any shape to weather a storm of such magnitude. Peytour agreed, explaining that they couldn’t set up a shelter in the few hours before the storm hit. Alika then suggested evacuating to another town, to which Peytour asked Chief Kan for his decision. Kan agreed and ordered everyone to pack up and head out immediately.

As they had good relations with the town across the river, Kan was hopeful that they would take the people of Kaptafel in. Shulla worriedly asked if they were abandoning the village, but both Kan and Peytour reassured her that they would return after the storm and rebuild the village so that their missing loved ones could return to see it just the way they remembered.

Meanwhile, Butler asked one of his soldiers whether Afinas headquarters had responded to their request for reinforcements, to which the soldier replied that headquarters had told them to await their response, which had not yet arrived. The traveler then began heading over to speak with Peytour when they overheard an argument between him and Chief Kan. Noticing the traveler, the two immediately stopped arguing and broke up.

When the traveler asked what was wrong, Peytour reluctantly admitted that they had been discussing how to carry the injured, as all the wagons in town had been destroyed in the monster attack. Kan noted that the wagon outside of town had likely been missed in the attack, though Peytour believed that it was too small. The traveler then suggested that they gather wood to enlarge the wagon and offered to help collect some.

While the traveler collected wood, an Afinas Knight named Gillie and several other soldiers arrived to aid them. The traveler then brought the wood to Peytour, who asked them to check on preparations while he worked on the wagon. While walking through the village, the traveler overheard several villagers talking about an unfavorable decision that Kan had made, with some noting that he was behaving like a dictator.

When the traveler approached the group and asked if they could help with anything, one of the villagers noted with resentment how Kan was forcing the traveler to run around town doing his work for him. When the traveler pointed out that Kan was preparing a wagon for the injured, the villager told them that he was sure that it was Peytour who was preparing the wagon, not Kan.

The traveler soon encountered Kan scolding a villager for working on his house instead of packing. The villager began explaining that he was fixing his house because Kan had mention that they would soon come back, but Kan told him that he could repair the house after returning, as they had to leave before the snowstorm arrived. The villager grew upset and explained that he had nothing to pack and no family to tend to, to which Kan told him to help the others. The villager confessed that he didn’t want to leave, though Kan merely replied that all Kaptafel villagers were mandated to leave.

The chagrined villager told Kan that he had merely wanted to explain himself, adding that he would comply, despite disagreeing with Kan’s decision. He told Kan that he had been fixing his house to cope with having to abandon his home, but Kan explained that he couldn’t risk others following his example and waste time, adding that the villager ought to rest if he didn’t want to help the others. Irritated with Kan’s behavior, the villager replied that he hadn’t realized that Kan was so cold.

After the villager stormed off, Kan noticed the traveler. Feeling ashamed, he told the traveler that he could tell that they were probably thinking that he was being too harsh. He defended himself by explaining that he was responsible for all the villagers, and that everything would fall apart if even one of them were to ignore his orders. The traveler noted that it must pain Kan as well, but Kan sadly replied that he had no time to feel.

(A/N: This next quest to help Ullan actually becomes inaccessible if you don’t do it before helping Shulla.)

The traveler then ran into Ullan, who told them that her Shrelephants, Pete and Elle, were still missing. The traveler agreed to help and promised not to tell her father, Chief Kan, as he would be mad at her for wasting their time. The two then headed to the outskirts of Kaptafel and began calling out for the Shrelephants. Ullan believed that Elle had gotten scared and run off, with Peter chasing after her. The traveler noted that the Shrelephants seemed intelligent, to which Ullan explained that they were different from other Shrelephants, and that Pete, especially, seemed as though he could read her mind. She also added that Pete was the fastest Shrelephant in Abrup, while Elle’s immense strength would allow her to pull the wagon.

As they prepared to go further out, Chief Kan appeared and stopped Ullan, scolding her for being so obsessed over her pets instead of preparing to leave. Furious at the way her father was dismissing Pete and Elle, whom she regarded as family, Ullan ran off. Kan apologized to the traveler for Ullan’s behavior, though the traveler merely told him that it was alright and decided to chase after her.

The traveler caught up with Ullan, who told them that she was upset at her father’s dismissive attitude towards Pete and Elle. She explained that she had found the two Shrelephants during her first expedition with the hunters when she was ten. She revealed that the pair had lost their mother to werewolves, and that she had discovered them hiding between the rocks. Though Kan had been against her adopting Shrelephants, her mother had sided with her and had taught her how to take care of them, even helping her name them.

Ullan then began tearing up, explaining that she couldn’t afford to lose Pete and Elle after having lost her mother. However, she realized that her father was right about helping the village and decided to go back, hoping that the Shrelephants, with their intelligence, would catch up. The pair returned back to the village, where the traveler encountered Shulla looking for something. The traveler asked her what she was doing, to which she explained that Kan was right, and that she couldn’t afford to give in to despair. She told the traveler that she was trying to prepare food for the journey, as she knew that the weak and wounded would have difficulties with the trek to the next village.

The traveler decided to help Shulla look for food, though they were only able to find bread which had been charred by the fires. They then decided to speak with Peytour in order to find another means of obtaining food. Just then, the wind began picking up as the snowstorm started approaching. Kan decided that they would have to make do, believing that they could go without food for one day. However, Peytour pointed out that the sick and injured couldn’t survive without food, rebuffing Kan when he declared that they would have to tolerate it.

After a pause, Kan decided to lead the hunters, with the traveler agreeing to go with them. As the party headed towards the village gates, Slaka found them heading out and refused to join, believing that they couldn’t outrun the storm if they delayed any further. Alika and Cayne then appeared to see what the commotion was about. When the traveler explained the situation, Alika replied that she could see both sides and noted that Kan hadn’t explained the situation properly to Slaka. She then offered Cayne to help them, ignoring his protests.

Slaka then reluctantly agreed to join the group, though he noted that he would only stay for ten minutes. With so many people, the party was easily able to obtain Shrelephant meat and quickly returned back to the village, where the villagers were ready to head out. Ullan then told the hunters to stand down, as they were scaring Elle, who had recently returned with Pete. The caravan then headed out on their journey to the other town.

(A/N: The vast majority of the remainder of this section involves the player making decision after decision as we lead the caravan to the other town. Since there are way too many moments that involve us choosing different options with different consequences, and since this act takes around an hour and thirty minutes to complete, I decided not to experiment with each and every option by replaying this story a few dozen times for the sake of my own sanity. Instead, I’ll just list which options we have available to us.)

Right at the start of their travels, Butler told Chief Kan that he would take command, as the Afinas Knights were protecting the caravan. However, Kan retorted that since the villagers formed the majority of the group, he would remain in charge, explaining that Butler ought to keep his focus on matters of defense, since he was unfamiliar with the land and the weather. Butler countered by asking Kan whether he had ever led so many people, though Kan swung back by asking if Butler had ever led his dispatch through a snowstorm as strong as the one that that they were facing.

Just then, Slaka appeared from the rear guard and chided them both for arguing when there were monsters chasing after the caravan. Believing that they couldn’t outrun the monsters, Slaka explained that they could either fight or dump some of their food as a distraction. The traveler immediately voted to fight them off, though Butler believed that they ought to dump their food in order to hasten their pace. Annoyed at Butler wanting to throw away their hard-earned food, Kan told him that they would send the hunters and the Afinas Knights to face the monsters. As they continued arguing, the traveler realized that they would have to make a decision.

(A/N: Here, the player can either choose to send the knights to defeat the monsters, dump some of the food, or volunteer to lead their combined forces in order to defeat the monsters.)

After dealing with the situation, Alika, Peytour, and the others explained that they had been deciding who would lead the caravan, and that they had reached a consensus that it ought to be the traveler. Though the traveler was hesitant, as they knew little about Abrup or Afinas, Alika reassured them that Chief Kan would help them manage the people while Vice Captain Butler would help them manage their enemies, adding that they were the best choice specifically because they were an outsider, and thus had no personal attachments to any group.

Realizing that everyone unanimously agreed, the traveler agreed to take on the role of leadership. Kan then began telling the traveler about their mission, explaining that the distance between Kaptafel and the next town required nearly a full day’s travel and involved crossing the Frozen River. He told them that food was their primary concern, as their weaker members might not survive without it. He also pointed out that every decision that the traveler made would have consequences and affect others’ opinions, which might cause them to leave.

(A/N: There are four separate factions that the player has to manage: the Authoritarians, the Egoists, the Defenders, and the Residents. Because the situation is completely dependent on the choices we make, there’s no set canon way of completing the rest of this act. Because of this, I’ll just make a mention of which choice I made in the author notes instead.)

As the caravan continued, Butler confronted the traveler and angrily noted that they hadn’t mentioned that people had gotten injured in the battle.

(A/N: Here, the player can either say that they’ll treat the wounded immediately, which reduces the Authoritarian Morale, ask Butler for advice on how he would handle the situation, which increases Authoritarian Morale, or say that the situation isn’t serious and decide to carry on, which reduces both Authoritarian and Defender Morale.)

In order to treat the wounded, Butler called upon an Afinas Devata named Janyt, who had remarkable healing abilities. Janyt told the traveler to have no fear, claiming that the protection of Afinas was upon them. The traveler thanked Janyt for her help, to which Janyt replied that she was but a humble servant who shared the blessings that she had received from Afinas. The traveler noted that it was still impressive for someone as young as her to have such powers, though Janyt merely told them that it was all thanks to Afinas.

(A/N: It’s explained in future storylines that Devatas are like saints of Afinas, who wield a holy power that they simply call ‘the divine protection of Afinas’ in order to heal others. Because of this, Devatas are highly respected within Afinas’ ranks. In Hindu mythology, the devas are gods, while devatas are a type of smaller, more focused devas. For instances, they might be village deities, family deities, or even deities of rivers, caves, mountains, etc.)

Cayne then approached the traveler and asked them what Butler wanted. The traveler explained that they had asked him for advice on how to handle the injured, to which Cayne told them not to rely too much on him, warning the traveler that he might use them to accomplish his mission.

(A/N: Here, the player can either ask him what he means, or claim that they don’t trust anyone, which reduces Defender Morale. I think that either way, we end up hearing the explanation no matter what.)

Cayne explained that Butler’s mission was on the verge of failure, with his dispatch being left in shambles, meaning that he couldn’t report back to Afinas headquarters in such a state. He added that Butler likely felt that Abrup was a massive trap with no way out, and that the traveler’s sudden appearance and capable leadership skills was a way for him to salvage the situation by using them.

The caravan then continued onward, with the traveler soon being approached by Slaka, who noted that the snowstorm was letting up. He then told the traveler that since the caravan was keeping ahead of the storm, the traveler could relax for a bit, adding that they ought to take it easy when they could, especially since they were the one in charge.

(A/N: Here, the player can either tell him that they can take care of themselves, or tell him to keep his eyes on the snowstorm, both of which reduce Egoist Morale. They can also thank him for the tip and say that they might take his advice, which increases Egoist Morale. I picked the last option, which make Slaka tell us that we’re a better leader than Kan and Butler.)

Soon after, Chief Kan told the traveler that it had been half a day since the caravan had left Kaptafel and suggested that they stop and give everyone a break in order to eat.

(A/N: Here, the player can either choose to stop and let everyone eat, which increases everyone’s Morale and reduces the caravan’s food supply, ask him why everyone needs to eat now, or decide to push on, which reduces Resident Morale.)

After the caravan stopped for a meal break, Alika asked the traveler whether they could make sure that the children and the wounded got their portions first. However, Kan warned the traveler not to let their emotions sway their judgement, as they might end up losing everyone’s trust that way. He explained that it was tradition in Kaptafel to allow the hunters to eat first, which guaranteed their strength to continue hunting, and that it was a tradition which had kept their village alive through many harsh winters. To this, Alika asked that the children at least be allowed to eat first.

(A/N: Here, the player sees a screen with four people, each representing the four factions, and three pieces of meat of varying sizes. We have to drag the meat to the group that we want to feed, although some groups will obviously get a smaller portion of meat, and one group won’t get anything at all. I chose to prioritize giving the larger pieces of meat to the groups with the lowest Morales. In this case, I gave the biggest meat to the Residents, the second biggest to the Defenders, and the smallest to the Egoists, leaving the Authoritarians with nothing.)

After the meal break, the caravan began moving ahead when a loud noise rang from the rear, with Slaka and Peytour rushing to check what had happened. The traveler caught up and found the pair arguing, with Slaka demanding to get more food, claiming that he had risked his life to get their food supplies before the caravan had headed out Chief Kan angrily noted that even Slaka couldn’t ignore how cold and hungry everyone was.

Just then, Slaka noticed the traveler and asked them whether they were the one who had decided upon the food distribution. Peytour defended the traveler’s decisions by telling Slaka that they had been making difficult decisions as leader. He then urged Slaka to sacrifice just a little for the good of everyone, to which Slaka demanded to know why he needed to be chained down to everyone else, adding that he would rather take his chances on his own than being dragged down by everyone else.

(A/N: Here, the player has the choice to either tell Slaka that he can have more food, or tell him to stop arguing and remind him that they to conserve their supplies. If we give more food to Slaka, he tells us that we should’ve done it from the beginning. Kan then tells us that we’ll regret our decision, as we’ve undermined their values. If we tell him to back down, Kan backs us up and reminds Slaka that we all need to rely on rules, not emotions. Slaka then asks whether we really think the caravan stands any chance without his help.)

Soon after, Peytour came up to the traveler and apologetically explained that Chief Kan used to be a great chief, but that he had been overwhelmed by the situation, which was why he had fallen back on discipline and rules as a result. He told the traveler that he didn’t expect them to understand or agree with him, and that he simply thought that they ought to know. Upon hearing Peytour’s words, the traveler noticed that he appeared very sad about Kan’s change.

(A/N: Here, the player can either say that they understand how Peytour feels, or they can say that they understand how Kan feels, both of which increase Defender Morale. They can also say that they don’t have time to worry about it, which reduces Defender and Resident Morale.)

The traveler then realized that Peytour might know about the old woman who had written the letter, as he was a lumberjack and the old woman had written that she lived in a cabin in the forest. They showed the old woman’s letter to Peytour, who read through it and smiled, noting that he had known that she was strong, and that he was glad to hear that she hadn’t given up. The traveler asked him to tell them about the old woman, to which Peytour explained that her name was Sanaan, and that she lived alone in the forest with her granddaughter.

He revealed that six months ago, people had begun disappearing all over Abrup, and that soon after that, Sanaan had visited Kaptafel in search of her granddaughter. Because Sanaan had mentioned the monster attacks in her letter, Peytour believed that it had been written recently. The traveler asked Peytour whether he knew where she was, to which he admitted that he didn’t, though he added that from the last he’d heard, she had been planning to go to another village in order to look for her granddaughter. However, he noted that she had been planning to go months ago, and that she might have returned back home to her cabin in Windsleep Forest by now.

The caravan then continued moving ahead until an Afinas Knight rushed up to the traveler in fear, explaining that monsters had come out the fog, and that they were covering everything they touched in frost.

(A/N: Here, the player can either help the knights hunt the monsters together, which increases everyone’s Morale, or they can send the knights to hunt the monsters alone, which reduces the number of people in the caravan. I’m not sure whether you’re forced to help no matter what, but the appearance of a mini-boss in this battle makes me believe that you are.)

The traveler fought the monsters alongside the knights and soon discovered an enormous Yeti chasing several villagers, which the traveler realized was responsible for creating the snowstorm that was chasing after them. The traveler fought and defeated the mysterious Yeti, allowing the caravan to continue on. After the battle, Butler approached them and explained that he had been watching their actions throughout the journey. He then admitted that he had misjudged them and compared the traveler to the finest Afinas Knights.

(A/N: Here, the player can either tell Butler that his words mean a lot, or they can ask him about Afinas, which increases Authoritarian Morale. I’m not sure whether the first option leads into a different dialogue tree, but I’m gonna assume that we get the information about Afinas one way or another, since it’s fairly important to know about.)

The traveler asked Butler more about Afinas, to which he explained that Afinas was a gathering of great Scholars, who were protected by an accomplished cadres of knights. As Butler described Afinas, the traveler noted to themselves that it was clear that Butler was proud of his role and allegiance, to which they replied that Afinas sounded impressive.

(A/N: Telling Butler that Afinas sounds impressive is the only dialogue option, and it further increases Authoritarian Morale.)

After Butler left, Slaka approached the traveler, who quickly surmised that he had been eavesdropping on their conversation. Slaka then told the traveler that the monster which they had fought earlier was a Yeti, and that he had seen it at the monster raid on Kaptafel. He noted that the Yeti seemed to avoid fire, adding that because of its ice powers, he had decided to name it ‘Frostflail Yeti’.

(A/N: Here, the player can either tell him to keep his eyes on the snowstorm, or to say that it all seems obvious, both of which reduce Egoist Morale. We can also thank him for the information and add that it’ll be sure to help, which increases Egoist Morale. I decided to pick the last option, which causes Slaka to give us a secret tip that he’s never given anyone else before, which is to always fight a Yeti up close because its thick fur and hide is a natural defense against ranged attacks, which he’s learned the hard way as an archer.)

As the caravan continued on, Alika approached the traveler and worriedly asked them if they were tired.

(A/N: Here, the player can either tell her that they’re okay, but that they’re trying to act tough in order to keep everyone happy, which increases Defender and Resident Morale, or they can dismiss her by saying that they’re busy, which reduces everyone’s Morale. I chose the first option, although I suspect that Alika replies the same way no matter what we choose.)

Upon hearing the traveler’s words, she reminded them that they didn’t need to carry the burden alone, as there were many people around them who were ready to help. She also admitted that she herself struggled with leadership, and that she suspected that Kan and Butler did as well. The player thanked Alika for her honesty and her reassurance, after which the caravan continued moving ahead.

(A/N: Thanking Alika is the only option we have, and it increases Defender Morale.)

Soon after, a knight reported that there were monsters on the path ahead and advised the traveler to clear them out.

(A/N: Here, the player can either go with the knights to hunt them, which increases everyone’s Morale, say that they’ll take the monsters out when after the caravan gets closer, which reduces Authoritarian and Egoist Morale, or decide to take a detour around them, which reduces Resident Morale. I chose to go with the Knights in order to hunt them, and based on the way that the story plays out, it’s likely that you’ll be forced to fight the monsters, even if you try to take a detour around them.)

The traveler decided to move ahead with the knights and fought alongside them to dispatch the monsters. As the knights finished clearing out the monsters, Alika watched disapprovingly as Cayne began showing off his flashy moves. As Alika confronted him, Gillie attempted to defend him by claiming that he had merely been trying to light up the mood, noting that he was quite considerate and amazing.

After the battle, Cayne rushed back to Alika, while Gillie turned to the player and complimented them, noting that Cayne must like them a lot if he had left Alika’s side in order to help them. The traveler gave her a questioning look, to which Gillie revealed that she had been the founder and first member of Cayne’s fan club, and she then began gushing over Cayne for a long time until another knight called her over. As she turned to leave, Gillie gave the traveler a questioning look of her own, silently asking them whether they understood Cayne better now.

(A/N: Here, the player can either say that Cayne seems cool, say that they’re not sure whether they’ll ever understand Cayne, or note that he’s cheerful, but that he sometimes takes things too far. None of these options affect Morale so I just went with saying that Cayne seems cool. Regardless of your choice, Cayne comes over and overhears what we think of him, after which he’ll tell us that he’ll remember what we’ve said, although I kind of doubt it.)

Soon after, Peyton told the caravan that they were soon arriving at their destination, which brought everyone relief.

(A/N: Here, the player can either tell Kan that it was thanks to him that everyone made the journey safely, which increases everyone’s Morale, or they can say that they’re finally done with this awful job, which reduces everyone’s Morale. I went with the first option, which makes Kan tell us that everyone is indebted to us, and that he’s even fine with everyone placing their faith in us, a newcomer, over him, their long-standing chief.)

Upon arriving, however, the caravan was shocked to find that the town which they had been traveling to had been destroyed. Butler quickly advised the traveler that they ought to make a brief stop and then head out again. However, Gillie worriedly told Butler that many of the knights had been injured along the way. She advised that the caravan ought to make a stop so that the wounded could be treated, which Peytour also concurred with, pointing out that the villagers were exhausted from the hunger and cold.

However, Butler disagreed and noted that their priority was to reach a safe place as soon as possible, which Kan agreed with. Butler asked the traveler what they ought to do, to which Alika reminded them that if they pushed everyone to set out again, they would be sure to have injuries, especially since night had fallen. She also noted that they had some time before the snowstorm caught up, which would allow them to rest for a while. She then added that they needed to build a fire for warmth and cooking first.

(A/N: Here, the player can either choose to rest first or set out immediately. Even if we choose the second option, Shulla will collapse and force us to set up camp no matter what.)

As everyone prepared to make camp, Butler approached the traveler and told them that even though they were a brave warrior, they lacked the experience needed to command. He assuaged them by saying that it wasn’t their fault, as they merely needed a trusted advisor, just as Peytour was to Chief Kan. He then asked the traveler whether they really thought it wise to spend time resting before moving out.

The traveler explained that they were aware that there were certain risks, such as the snowstorm and the monsters, but they pointed out that they were sure to lose people if they were pushed without rest. However, Butler accused them of allowing their emotions to cloud their judgement, explaining that the correct decision was clearly to push onward, as giving tired and disappointed people time to think would only lead to further despair. He explained that they needed to give the people a goal, as they would be too busy to complain if they were too busy to think.

The traveler countered by pointing out that such tactics would work for trained knights, not for ordinary people. After a pause, Butler revealed that, much like the traveler, he had been a wandering mercenary for years before becoming a knight. As a result, he explained that he had spent more of his life with the commoners than with trained knights, and thus, he entreated the traveler not to discount the wisdom that he had gained about how ordinary people thought and what they were capable of.

The traveler thanked Butler, who then told them that he would be happy to take over if the pressures of leadership became too much. Though the traveler believed that Butler had made some strong points, they decided that they would make their stop an opportunity to rest, rather than to despair. They then approached Slaka to ask for help in collecting wood and meat, though Slaka refused to help and told them to ask the knights. He then noticed Cayne and Alika and asked the traveler why Cayne always followed her around.

To the traveler’s surprise, he called out to Cayne and told him that the traveler needed him to go hunting. However, Cayne replied that he was already on another mission, though Alika immediately overheard him and shouted across that he could leave her side. Now free to help, Cayne asked Slaka to come with them, believing that more people would allow the task to be completed faster. Knowing that Slaka would protest, the traveler declared that they would go alone to avoid any hassle, to which Slaka felt a twinge of guilt and declared that it would be the last time he helped.

The three then collected firewood and meat, which they distributed to the people. On their way to distribute the rations, the traveler gave some to Alika and suggested that she make soup with it, which they hoped could feed everyone. Alika, suddenly unsure, turned to Janyt and asked whether she had made soup before. Realizing that neither of them knew how to make soup, the traveler began to explain that they just needed to boil water and pour the meat and spices inside when it boiled.

Alika laughed sheepishly and told them that the culinary book which she had been referring to had made it seem much more complicated. As they began waiting for the soup to finish, Aruhi approached the traveler, who noted that he seemed to be more sober. Aruhi swore that he had been sober since the expedition and explained that he had come because he had heard that the traveler had received a letter from Sanaan.

Realizing that he had likely overheard their discussion with Butler, the traveler confirmed that they had received the letter, to which Aruhi exclaimed that he had seen the ones who had stolen the missing people. Just then, however, Kan approached them and told Aruhi not to waste his energy on useless prattle before telling the traveler that Aruhi was merely a broken man rambling because he couldn’t cope with the loss of his family.

However, Aruhi swore that he had cleaned up, though Kan pointed out that he reeked of his vices. Despite being caught, Aruhi claimed that Kan had never had faith in him, even before everything had all fallen apart. The traveler then asked Aruhi to describe what he had seen, but Aruhi refused, declaring that nothing he said would bring back his wife and daughter.

As Aruhi stormed off, Ullan confronted her father and demanded to know how he could be so callous by kicking people while they were down. As Kan walked away, the traveler asked Ullan why they couldn’t trust Aruhi. Ullan explained that even though there may be some truth in his words, it was hidden underneath a mountain of ramblings. Despite his unreliability, Ullan told the traveler that she had picked out bits that were similar each time he told his story, with the most notable being a dozen people in white, rock-hard armor taking everyone to a giant dish in the forest and disappearing.

(A/N: Although this is more or less the only hint that we get, it’s very clear that PULSAR is the group for kidnapping the Abrup villagers, similar to how they were kidnapping animals for their clone army in Stellar Detectives.)

The traveler noted that stranger things had happened in Maple World, to which Ullan explained that she and the other villagers had lived in Abrup their entire lives, and though they had heard about strange people and contraptions from time to time, she wondered why they would appear in the woods out in Abrup, of all places, and why Aruhi would be the only one to see any of it.

She explained that the adults believed that he had made up the whole story in order to give himself a reason for losing his family, as believing that they had been kidnapped by those strange people would would mean that it wouldn’t have been his fault for not saving them. She then added that Aruhi had likely gone to drown his sorrows again. She sadly told the traveler that Aruhi never got better, despite however much she wished he would, and that her father never got better, either. Realizing that she had said enough, Ullan decided to turn in for the night.

As Ullan walked away, Alika noted that trying to change oneself was perhaps the hardest task of all, adding that it took a great deal of maturity for Ullan to keep smiling as she did. The traveler noted that she was still a child, which meant that it fell upon them to ease her burdens, to which Alika agreed and made a promise to help spare Ullan as much sorrow as possible. With that, the two headed to bed and went to sleep.

Late into the night, however, Cayne awoke the traveler for their turn on night watch and told them to take the east line. There, the traveler defeated the monsters wandering into the area. After finishing up, they were surprised to see that Alika had woken up, and that she had come over to where they were standing watch. Alika explained that she had woken up from a nightmare, and that she had accidentally wandered too far while walking around to clear her head.

She then asked the traveler whether they were alright, reminding them that they could assign guard duty to the knights instead. The traveler explained that they wanted to give the Afinas dispatch a chance to rest, as they had been working non-stop. Alika then asked the traveler if they had learned who had sent the letter, to which they told her that it wasn’t anyone from Kaptafel.

As the traveler had done so much for them, Alika offered to help them find the sender. However, the traveler told her that they didn’t need anything in return for their help, as they were doing it merely because it was the right thing to do. Alika acknowledged them, but explained that that was precisely why she wanted to help, as they deserved the gratitude. The traveler then asked what her nightmare had been about, but Alika uncomfortably asked them whether they could discuss it another time.

As morning came, the villagers and the knights began packing up and embarked upon their caravan towards the next town. As they began to head out, Chief Kan approached the traveler and informed them that Slaka had deserted, and that he had taken what little food they had left. Just then, Butler came over and smugly told the traveler that he had been right about it being a mistake to waste time resting, as Slaka wouldn’t have been able to steal their food if they hadn’t stopped for the night. Several people began overhearing the conversation, with some regretting stopping, and others feeling betrayed by what Slaka had done.

(A/N: Here, the player can either say that Slaka will be back, since he won’t last long on his own, which reduces Authoritarian Morale, or they can say that they can all gather more food, which also reduces Authoritarian Morale, but raises Resident Morale. I chose the latter option, to which Butler asks when we’ll have time to hunt and what we’ll do if someone gets injured, pointing out that it all could’ve been avoided.)

As the caravan continued on, Shulla’s son, Hawalu, offered to sing a song as thanks for the dinner and rest.

(A/N: Here, the player can either tell him that they’re busy, which reduces everyone’s Morale, or allow him to sing, which increases everyone’s Morale. If you tell him no, he’ll run back crying to his mom, which brings down everyone’s mood. Feeling guilty, we decide to let him sing anyways.)

Soon after, Butler informed the traveler that the scouts had found a group of monsters and added that it was a chance for them to correct their previous mistake.

(A/N: Here, the player can either lead the knights, which increases Authoritarian Morale and the food supply, send the knights out without helping, which reduces Authoritarian Morale and increases the food supply, or declare that they don’t have time and push ahead instead, which reduces both Authoritarian and Resident Morale. I chose to lead the knights, after which Butler gives you three minutes to bring back as much food as possible. I actually capped out on how much food you can get during this stage, and so I got to end it early.)

After defeating the monsters and gathering more food, Aruhi - who had been watching the tail in Slaka’s absence - approached the traveler. Despite appearing quite drunk, he assured the traveler that he had been watching the storm, and that it was still far away.

(A/N: Here, the player can either ask him what he’s really been up to, thank him for his help but assign someone else to the rear, or tell him good work and keep it up. None of these options affect Morale, and all of them eventually transition into the same dialogue, although each option has a few set of different dialogue paths that play out before getting us there.)

Aruhi then asked the traveler whether they were the one who had asked about the big shadow in Kaptafel.

(A/N: Here, the player can either say that it was them, lie and say that it wasn’t them, or ask him if he’s sure that he’s okay. I picked the first option, but I’m assuming that all of these dialogue paths eventually lead into the same thing.)

The traveler told Aruhi that they had seen the shadow as well, but that none of the other villagers did. They admitted that they had been putting off asking people about it, since they hadn’t wanted to stress anyone out by talking about giant monsters. However, they noted that they would likely have to start asking around in order to learn as much as they could about what they were up against.

Soon after, Chief Kan told the traveler that it was time to distribute food again. However, he added that despite the recent hunt, it would still need to be rationed such that one group would have to go hungry.

(A/N: This is the same minigame as before where you have to drag the different sized meats to one of four people, each representing a faction. Once again, I prioritized the groups with the lowest Morale, and so I gave the biggest piece to the Authoritarians, the next biggest to the Egoist, and the smallest to the Defenders, while the Residents got nothing.)

After dinner, Ullan approached the traveler and gave them two small pieces of meat. The traveler immediately tried to give them back, though Ullan insisted and explained that Shulla had asked her to give them to the traveler, as she had nothing else to offer them. Ullan then awkwardly handed off Shulla’s gift to them before walking away.

(A/N: Here, the player can either decide to eat it, claiming that they don’t want to let it go to waste, which reduces Resident Morale, or they can give it to Shulla by lying and claiming that they’re leftovers after handing out meals, which increases both Defender and Resident Morale. I chose the second option, which causes Shulla to thank you and say that Ullan hasn’t eaten since we left Kaptafel, and so it’ll help feed her, since the portion that Shulla had shared with her hadn’t been enough.)

With the caravan proceeding ahead, the traveler began to reflect on their time as a leader, realizing that decisions came more easily to them now, especially after learning about the importance of compassion. Peytour then came up to the traveler in order to thank them for their leadership, as well as for taking input from both Chief Kan and Butler. He apologized for their behavior, though he promised that they were only doing what they believed was right for everyone.

(A/N: Here, the player can either tell him that they understand, which increases everyone’s Morale, or say that they don’t understand why they’re both so difficult, which reduces Authoritarian Morale.)

Some time later, Gillie reported that there were poison clouds up ahead. As she spoke, several villagers began to fall as they breathed in the gas. Gillie immediately shot a fire arrow at the gas, causing it to burn away before it could infect anyone else.

(A/N: Here, the player can either decide to go in themselves and save the fallen people, which increases Egoist and Defender Morale, or they can order the knights to speed away and leave them behind, which reduces the number of people in the caravan. I chose the first option and saved Shulla and Aruhi by tanking the poison gas and dragging them to safety.)

Gillie then reported that the caravan was under attack. Just as she spoke, a glob of poison got stuck onto her arm, causing her to fall. However, she steeled herself before rushing in to fight the monster responsible for the poison gas.

(A/N: Here, the player can either help her, which increases everyone’s Morale, or they can cover the other villagers in the caravan, which increases Egoist Morale, but reduces the number of people in the caravan. I chose the first option, but I think that either choice ultimately leads into the same thing.)

The traveler and the Afinas Knights faced off against a strange pink creature that spewed poisonous gas. After defeating it, Gillie thanked the traveler for saving her and the villagers. With the road safe again, the caravan continued on ahead, with Butler soon approaching the traveler and asking them what they planned to do once they found the old woman who had sent the letter. The traveler reminded Butler that the letter had asked them to help Abrup as a whole, rather than just Sanaan herself. Butler was satisfied by their answer and asked them whether it meant that they would continue sticking around until everyone was safe again.

(A/N: Here, the player can either say that they can’t say for sure, which reduces Authoritarian Morale, or say that they’ll see things through, which increases everyone’s Morale. I chose the second option, which has Butler remind you that everyone’s depending on you, and that you have the full support of Afinas, assuming that they can trust your judgement.)

After Butler left, Alika and Cayne walked up to the traveler and offered them fresh water. The pair then attempted to casually ask what Butler had wanted from them.

(A/N: Here, the player can either say that they had told him that they would see things through, which increases everyone’s Morale, or they can say that they haven’t decided anything yet, which reduces Egoist Morale. I chose the first option, which pleases Alika and Cayne, who tell us that there’s an air of hope about with everyone united together. They also promise to help us find the old woman.)

Soon after, Kan spotted a group of people being chased by monsters, causing Alika to shout out that they needed to save them.

(A/N: Here, the player can either tell Kan not to signal the group to come aboard, which reduces Defender Morale and increases the number of people in the caravan, likely because they’ll probably hop on anyways, or they can clear out the monsters, which increases Defender Morale and increases the number of people in the caravan.)

After the villagers were rescued, the caravan continued on, with Kan informing the traveler that everyone was waiting for food to be distributed, though he noted that they once again didn’t have enough food for everyone.

(A/N: This is the same minigame as before where you have to drag the different sized meats to one of four people, each representing a faction. At this point, I’d already capped out on Morale from all groups, and so I just distributed the food randomly.)

After dinner, Alika told the traveler that they had done the right thing by taking in the refugees. She explained that the refugees’ town had also been destroyed by monsters, and that they had encountered more monsters the closer that they got to the forest, which was why they were taking a detour to the nearby town of Svarti. She then asked the traveler whether they had any food to spare for the newcomers, though Kan interrupted and told them that they barely had enough food for their own people, and that he didn’t believe it fair to make their own people suffer for the sake of strangers.

(A/N: Here, the player can either give the newcomers what the caravan has left, which reduces Egoist Morale and the total amount of food, say that they can’t spare anything for the newcomers, which reduces Defender Morale, or tell everyone that they don’t have any food left for anyone at all, which reduces everyone’s Morale.)

Suddenly, Aruhi reported that the ice which they were crossing hadn’t been able to hold the weight of the caravan, and that it had cracked as a result. He also explained that someone had fallen into the icy river and begun drowning while helping the others escape. Kan reluctantly noted that the snowstorm had almost caught up with them, and that they couldn’t risk everyone just to save a single person.

(A/N: Here, the player can either decide to save them yourself, send a group to rescue them, or say that we can’t afford to stop. None of these choices affect Morale, but I think that it doesn’t matter which choice we make, since it likely leads into the same dialogue anyways.)

Aruhi immediately confronted Kan and informed him that Peytour was the one drowning, demanding to know how Kan could throw his friend’s life away so callously before calling him a monster. Upon hearing this, even Butler - who had originally sided with Kan - changed his mind and suggested that they send a small group, to which the traveler offered to themselves.

(A/N: Offering to go ourselves is the only option we have, and it doesn’t affect Morale. We then save Peytour off-screen.)

After the traveler saved Peytour, the lumberjack soon began to recover from the shock. The traveler asked him how he was feeling, to which he thanked them for saving his life. Upon seeing Kan nearby, he informed Kan that he was doing well, adding that he had mentioned it just in case Kan had been wondering. When Kan remained silent, Peytour asked him whether he had nothing to say, to which Kan uncomfortably replied that he had made the choice that he had to. Peytour acknowledged that he had, and that he couldn’t change it, adding that he feared that Kan would come to regret it.

Kan then awkwardly walked away, after which Peytour told the traveler that Kan had lost his wife six months ago. He explained that at the time, everyone in the village had been out hunting. He noted that though their tradition was to never leave the town unguarded for any reason, it hadn’t been possible in that case. He explained that those had been strange days, as there had been nothing to hunt, even though it hadn’t been winter. Though Kan had known that it would leave the town vulnerable, he had nevertheless believed that everyone would be able to survive the winter if all the hunters had gone together.

(A/N: Although it’s not explicitly stated, it’s suggested that the reason why all the creatures in the forest have gone missing is because PULSAR had captured them in order to experiment on them and turn them into the mutated monsters that we’re fighting in this storyline.)

Peytour explained that since game had been scarce, it had taken the hunters a long time to return, and that when they had, they had been shocked to see that monsters had attacked the village in their absence. Because of this, Kan had grown obsessed with rules after having broken one, which had resulted in the death of his wife. Having had no time to process his emotions, Kan had grown stringent in his attempts to protect the town, though even that had not been able to prevent the monster attack and the snowstorm.

After Peytour finished telling his story, Butler informed the traveler that he was planning to request for reinforcements from Afinas headquarters once again after they arrived in Svarti. He then added that he would take command from them after he did, though he admitted that their leadership had been adequate.

(A/N: Here, the player can either ignore him, which reduces Authoritarian Morale, or remind him that they had taken on leadership because it had been the will of the group, and so they’ll continue doing so as long as the majority wants them to do it, which reduces Authoritarian Morale, but increases Egoist, Defender, and Resident Morale.)

After the traveler rebuffed Butler, Hawalu approached them once again and asked them whether he could sing a song.

(A/N: Here, the player can either say yes, which increases everyone’s Morale, or tell him maybe later, which doesn’t affect Morale, although it might have potentially led to another dialogue tree.)

Soon after, the caravan spotted the next town in the distance, which was enclosed by wooden walls. Alika told the traveler that the town was Svarti, and that Ullan had told her that Kaptafel and Svarti hadn’t always been on good terms, causing the traveler to note that Alika had gotten very close with Ullan. Alika then asked the traveler whether they believed that Svarti would turn them away.

(A/N: Here, the player can either ask Alika what she means by the two towns not being on good terms, or they can tell her that it will be okay. I chose the first option, which has Alika explain that there had been a misunderstanding some time ago, and that it had never been cleared up.)

As the caravan finally arrived at the entrance to Svarti, Kan called out to see if there were any people in the village. Butler noted that the walls were intact, and there had been no sign of a struggle, which led him to wonder whether everyone had simply taken shelter. As they waited for someone to respond, Gurnardson, the chief of Svarti, opened a peephole in the wooden door and noted that he had never expected Kaptafel to suffer so greatly from the monster attacks throughout Abrup.

However, he explained that he couldn’t take in the villagers, as Svarti didn’t have the resources to support them. As he shut the peephole, Butler announced that he was part of the Afinas dispatch tasked with protecting Kaptafel and promised to assist in the defense of Svarti if Gurnardson took them in. Gurnardson then returned and, after considering it, agreed to help, though he warned them that he expected them to abide by his rules, namely that they were responsible for their own food, as Svarti would provide shelter and nothing else.

Noting several sour faces in the crowd, Gurnardson declared that his rule was law in Svarti, and that those who complained were unwelcome. Alika attempted to tell Gurnardson that it was a lot to ask of the villagers, but Butler snapped at Alika to hold her tongue, reminding her that the negotiations didn’t concern her. He then addressed the villagers and told them that the hunters and knights ought to depart as soon as possible, ordering every able-bodied adult to step forward and help.

He then ordered Cayne to come with them as well, reminding both him and Alika that he would punish them if they attempted to undermine his authority again. As they hunted, Cayne began complaining about Butler, explaining that he was not qualified to be a commander because of his attitude and the way that he looked down on Alika because of her age.

Cayne and the traveler then began hunting with the others and brought back Hellfang meat, to which Gurnardson told them that they couldn’t possibly expect the people of Svarti to eat such tough, tasteless meat, for which he relegated it to the caravanners. He then asked them to hunt better meat for the people of Svarti, and though everyone was irritated by Gurnardson’s unreasonable demands, they held their tongues as Kan asked Gurnardson whether Shrelephant meat would do.

The group then went into the forest to hunt the Shrelephants, but just as they were finishing up, they heard Shulla crying out in fear and discovered her being attacked by a Grimgaze Werebeast. After Kan fired an arrow at it, freeing Shulla from its clutches, Cayne and the traveler chased it off. Kan then yelled at Shulla, reminding her that he had told the villagers to stay away from the forest. As he continued berating her, Peytour intervened and told Kan that Shulla didn’t deserve such treatment.

Defeated, Kan told Peytour that he was tired, and that he wanted an end to losing people and sacrificing everything. He explained that he wanted to protect people, but that he couldn’t do it if they couldn’t help themselves. Peytour then attempted to lift Kan’s spirits by explaining that all the people of the village trusted him and cared about him, as none of them would be there without his leadership.

As Kan walked away, Shulla called out after him and apologized for being so weak, though she expressed her commitment in persisting on the hard journey ahead. However, she noted that he was still stuck in the past, explaining that she knew first-hand how that felt, and urged him to overcome his guilt for the monster attack that had led to his wife’s death.

The other hunters agreed and told him that everyone was waiting for him to be his old self again, as the chief who led with his heart. Kan then broke down crying as Shulla, Peytour, and the hunters huddled around him in unison. Seeing the vulnerable moment, Cayne suggested to the traveler that they finish hunting.

After hunting, the pair returned to the entrance to Svarti, where they met up with Kan and the others. Chief Gurnardson then accepted their offering of meat, but declared that there were other matters to discuss first. He explained that they didn’t have enough sleeping quarters for them and told them that they would need something to keep themselves warm, promising to let them in after gathering Werebeast Fur.

A furious Kan then demanded to know how Gurnardson could abandon common decency and use suffering refugees to do his chores. Alika then gently dissuaded Kan, explaining that even though she agreed, they couldn’t afford to lose their tempers, instead suggesting that they prove their differences through their actions. Peytour then told the knights that they should rest, and that he and Kan would finish the task with the traveler. They then brought the furs back, after which Gurnardson haughtily left to find a space for them.

Butler wondered in disgust how someone could treat their neighbors so callously, to which Kan explained that Kaptafel had few dealings with Svarti in the past, as they had merely traded goods, but Svarti had grown suspicious of them, especially when their livestock went missing. As the gate continued remaining shut, Butler suggested forcing their way inside before the snowstorm hit, with Kan noting that he would almost prefer breaking the door down and letting Svarti be attacked by monsters at that point.

Suddenly a loud rumbling shook the ground as Gurnardson and several warriors emerged from the gate. In fear, Gurnardson explained that poison gas was spreading, causing the traveler to realize that it may have come from the same monster they had encountered during their expedition. Knowing that fire arrows was its weakness, the archers shot covering fire while Cayne and the traveler finished it off. Grateful for their intervention, Gurnardson opened the gate and allowed the refugees inside at last.