PART II: AFTER THE SEALING OF THE BLACK MAGE

Chapter 6: The Black Witch

(A/N: This section covers the Black Witch chapter of the Grand Athenaeum, as well as some background stuff set before it that establishes the formation of the Resistance. The Black Witch storyline is actually an adaptation of the 4th job advancement for the original Cygnus Knight storyline, back when the class was first released. With the Cygnus Knight storyline being completely overhauled in the Cygnus Awakens update, the parts involving the Black Witch were added back into canon with the Grand Athenaeum, with the slight alteration that it now ties into the feud between the Resistance and the Cygnus Knights.)

In Edelstein, a Resistance was forming against the Black Wings. Many townspeople mobilized to fight the Black Wings in secrecy while masquerading as ordinary citizens with ordinary jobs. The leader of the Resistance was Headmaster Ferdi, whose public guise was the headmaster of the local school. After losing their childhood friend, Claudine, Elex, Belle, and Brighton became key figures in the Resistance and were later joined by another man named Checky. Masquerading as a doctor, a kindergarten teacher, a police officer, a street sweeper, and the town mascot respectively, they secretly recruited and trained citizens to become soldiers who could serve as support, spies, and assassins in the fight against the Black Wings.

Elex trained Blasters, powerful warriors who used Arm Cannons; Belle trained Wild Hunters, bowmen who rode on wild Jaguars; Brighton trained Battle Mages, unconventional magicians who used their staffs to attack enemies at close range; and Checky trained Mechanics who attacked from powerful mecha-suits. Claudine did not lead any branch of the Resistance, as it was the Resistance’s policy not to train thieves, and instead served as the head of operations while Headmaster Ferdi managed the Resistance’s special training program. (A/N: Even after all these years, I’m still hoping for a thief Resistance class. Xenon is great but he still doesn’t count in that way.)

(A/N: This is where the Black Witch chapter officially begins.)

With the formation of the Resistance, yet another major power had appeared at the precipice of the looming conflict ahead. Over time, the Resistance grew in numbers and soon decided that it was time to take back their city. They reached out to the Cygnus Knights, proposing a joint operation to remove the Black Wings from power. However, the Cygnus Knights soon learned that the Black Wings were once again plotting to assassinate the Empress. A veteran knight named Dunamis was sent to infiltrate the Black Wings’ base in Edelstein, where he discovered the mastermind of the plot: a high-ranking officer of the Black Wings named Eleanor the Black Witch.

Although he couldn’t finish her off, Dunamis took a black scale from her that she was carrying and returned to Ereve. Unsatisfied with his failure to capture her, Dunamis went back to Edelstein against Neinheart’s counsel in order to defeat the Black Witch. However, Eleanor lured him into a trap and captured him. To rescue Dunamis, Neinheart dispatched a second Knight.

(A/N: This Knight is technically supposed to be the protagonist of the original Cygnus Knight storyline, rather than the Cygnus Knight that we play as in the current version of the story. We just happen to be roleplaying as that Knight through the Grand Athenaeum.)

Sneaking past the defenses, the Knight made their way into the mine. There, they met a ghost named Big Daddy, who offered to help locate Dunamis in exchange for recovering a photo of his daughter from the Ore Munchers. After finding the photo, Big Daddy led the Knight to Gelimer’s secret prison. There, the Knight met a researcher named Allen, who agreed to help free Dunamis, as he himself had been kidnapped and forced to work for Gelimer. After taking androids apart for their parts, the Knight brought the necessary components for Allen to unlock the prison cell. 

Dunamis thanked the Knight for rescuing him, explaining that he had almost captured Eleanor when she had trapped him. He was confused about why she had gone easy on him the first time, even allowing him to bring back the black scale to Ereve. They decided to investigate and went deeper into the mine before entering Eleanor’s room. Inside, they found her secret plans and were horrified to learn that the black scale was part of a spell that she was planning to cast. They fought their way out of the mine and returned to Ereve.

Upon arriving, they were shocked to find that the entirety of Ereve had lost its color. At the Empress’ Resting Spot, they found Cygnus, Neinheart, Shinsoo, and all the Chief Knights turned to stone. Eleanor then appeared and explained that Shinsoo’s power prevented any curse from befalling Ereve, but a resident of Ereve could inadvertently bring it inside the borders, which was why she had allowed Dunamis to take the black scale with him. The Knight then defeated Eleanor, causing her to retreat and break the spell.

Though the Black Witch had been defeated, they realized that Eleanor’s true plan had been to prevent the Cygnus Knights from aiding the Resistance. As a result, the Resistance had gone into battle expecting reinforcements that never arrived. The failed attack resulted in heavy casualties, and the Resistance was forced underground once again. Believing that the Cygnus Knights had betrayed them by going back on their word, the Resistance vowed that they would take back their city alone, and this event sparked heavy animosity between the two.

(A/N: For the longest time, the feud between the Resistance and the Cygnus Knights was one of the stupidest plot points in the game. I didn’t know what the Resistance expected the Cygnus Knights to do when the whole island was petrified, and I thought that it was dumb that the Cygnus Knights took the accusation of them betraying the Resistance without any argument. As of the Ignition update, the revamped Cygnus Knight storyline reveals that the Black Wings had been cutting off communication between both sides, making it so that the Resistance thought that the Cygnus Knights had abandoned them without explanation, while the Cygnus Knights thought that the Resistance just hated them.

This new piece of lore made me change my mind on it a little, but it doesn’t change the fact that the writers drag this feud out throughout the course of the Black Mage arc painfully and unnecessarily. Even when it seemed like they would have buried the hatchet after Black Heaven, they still managed to force it into the story one last time during Limina. Fortunately, it seems like they’re done with it now, and I’m really hoping that it doesn’t pop up again during the Darmoor arc.)