PART IV: AFTER THE DEFEAT OF THE BLACK MAGE

Chapter 4: The Holy City

• Following the convergence of Maple World and Grandis, Prince Carlisle of Cernium crossed the forgotten sea and requested an audience with the Alliance and the Adversary. He revealed to the surprised Alliance that his friend in Cernium, who was well-versed in theology and history, had known about the absence of Transcendents, and that he had predicted the fusion of the two worlds.

• At an Alliance meeting, Carlisle requested the Alliance’s aid to protect his city from an imminent High Flora invasion in exchange for Cernium’s friendship and patronage.

• Hoping to learn more about the awakening Ancient Gods and use their power against Darmoor, Cygnus asked the Adversary, Edea, Checky, and Hawkeye to lead the Glory Guard to an expedition in Cernium.

• While en-route to Cernium, the Glory Guard was attacked by a band of terrorists called Ebonstar, who had vowed to erase the Ancient Gods and their memory from the world. The Adversary also learned that thanks to a strange, oppressive aura in Grandis, their abilities would be dampened without the use of Sacred Power, which Cernium had developed using Sacred Symbols.

• In Cernium, the Adversary learned that the city had been built on an unnatural landscape, which had been carved out by the sword of a god during the final battle that marked the end of the Ancient Gods and the beginning of the Transcendents. They also learned that Cernium and its royal family worshiped Mitra the Sun God, though Carlisle’s father had allowed other faiths that worshiped Nerota the Dawn God and Spisa the Flame God, though these sects often fought against each other.

• The Adversary also met Seren, a Celestial who had feathery wings on her back and in place of her ears. They learned that Seren was the guardian Azor, the holy sword of Mitra, which would only awaken in the hands of the Chosen One.

• Believing that the Adversary was the Chosen One, Carlisle asked them to take up the sword. Upon touching it, however, the Adversary felt immense hostility emanating from it. Hoping to learn more about the Chosen One, the Adversary and Edea were sent to the royal library in order to work with Aaron, a High Flora theologian and historian.

• Though Edea was immediately hostile towards him, Aaron proved his loyalty by demonstrating his wings, which he had torn out in disgust. Aaron claimed that despite being born a High Flora, he despised his own race just as much as anyone else on Grandis.

• With Aaron’s help, the Adversary began researching about the Chosen One and learned that Azor had historically been wielded by a Celestial, which were a race of demigods who had descended from the heavens with Mitra. After the fall of the Ancient Gods, however, the Celestials had lost their powers and had remained trapped on High Mountain in Grandis ever since, though Edea noted that High Mountain had fallen some time ago.

• Aaron also revealed that the Seal Stones had been created by the will of the world to seal the Ancient Gods away, which was likely the reason why Mitra had expressed hostility towards the Adversary when they had picked up the sword, as Mitra had sensed the power of the Seal Stone inside them.

• The Adversary began speaking with Seren and learned that her fellow Celestials had been killed when Darmoor’s Apostle of Lightning had attacked High Mountain. She revealed that her commanding officer, Gilmore, had ordered her and Roland to sacrifice her comrades to buy their escape, which had led to a fierce battle between Gilmore and Roland until the Apostle of Lightning had arrived and unleashed a storm of red lightning upon them all, leaving Seren as the sole survivor.

• Soon after, Edea and Carlisle discovered that Ebonstar had a Celestial in their ranks during an investigation into their activities. They also learned that Ebonstar planned to bomb Cernium and have the various sects blame each other, which would cause infighting that would destroy the city. Seren and the Adversary later encountered the Celestial, who revealed himself to be Roland.

• Roland explained that Azor held an inscription: “Alvationsay inway Andhay”, which meant “Salvation is in Cernium”. He then bitterly asked Seren whether she had found her salvation, to which Seren asked Roland to come back, believing him to be the Chosen One. However, Roland declared that he had no faith left in the gods, claiming that Mitra had done nothing when the Celestials had all been wiped out. He then warned Seren that Darmoor’s First Apostle - the Apostle of Lightning - was coming to destroy the city.

• Seren and the Adversary rushed back to Cernium, where they fought against Roland, Ebonstar, and the High Flora army. Realizing that Roland wasn’t the Chosen One, Seren began losing hope, though the Adversary and Edea helped encourage her to keep fighting. Together, Seren and the Adversary worked alongside the Alliance to repel Ebonstar and the High Flora army.

• Elsewhere, Havoc - the First Apostle of Lightning - met with Seren’s old commander, Gilmore, who was revealed to possess the emblem of the Chosen One.