Masteria Through Time

Chapter 4: The Man From Versal

Having enhanced her compound, Dr. Jang traveled to Crimsonwood Keep and corrupted the warriors guarding the gate, transforming them into monsters. Meanwhile, Naricain forced his way into the Keep amidst the chaos and seized the Antellion.

(A/N: When Masteria Through Time was first released, these corrupted Keep warriors had the same design as the twisted Versalian army from the original Masteria storyline. During the Glory update, the New Leaf City and Phantom Forest storylines were revamped, which also revamped the map and mob design of those areas.

The names of the original corrupted soldiers - the Stormbreakers, the Firebrands, the Windraiders, and the Nightshadows - were removed from canon, and instead, the corrupted soldiers retained the names of their original guilds - the Stormcasters, the Flamekeepers, the WIndreavers, and the Shadowknights. A fifth mob - the Corrupted Master - was also added as a generic corrupted Keep soldier.)

In the Krakian Jungle, the traveler and the Grandmasters rushed to stop Naricain when the corrupted Krakian warriors caught up to them. As the Krakians began attacking, Lukan realized that something was amiss, as the people of the Krakian Empire were peaceful. Delgrund sensed an evil power within them and warned Lukan that the Krakians were no longer the people that he once knew.

Realizing that it would take time to defeat them, the traveler decided to hold them off and told the Grandmasters to go on ahead. As the traveler held the Krakians at bay, the Grandmasters entered the Keep, where they were shocked to discover that the corrupted soldiers and Krakians were overwhelming the remaining warriors.

Terrified at the sight, Lireni attempted to flee, but was stopped by Numenal, who refused to allow her to abandon her duties, reminding her that they held a portion of the Antellion’s power because they had been sworn to protect it at all costs. However, Lireni told Numenal that she had something that she needed to do, and so she couldn’t afford to die so soon.

Numenal told Lireni that he hadn’t initially believed Lukan and the traveler when they had spoken of her betrayal, entreating her to fight alongside the Grandmasters for the Antellion and Crimsonheart. However, Lireni merely apologized and brushed past him. Numenal then reminded Lireni that Crimsonheart had ordered traitors to be punished, to which she turned around and invited him to try, claiming that if she were to die, then it was better to die at his hands. Just as she had expected, Numenal was unable to strike her down, allowing her to leave unimpeded.

Meanwhile, the traveler continued fighting past the Krakians as they slowly pushed forward towards the Keep. Crimsonheart then arrived to reinforce them, lamenting that even Krakia had fallen to Naricain. He turned to the traveler and told them that all of the destruction around them had stemmed from his own failure, adding that he had paid the price for it in the original timeline, while Subani had in their current one.

Though the traveler attempted to console him, Crimsonheart sadly told them that he had never imagined that Naricain would ever harm his own family. Resolving to focus himself, Crimsonheart led the traveler onward to the Keep, hoping to stop Naricain’s machinations if they arrived in time. At the entrance to the Keep, they discovered a ferocious battle ongoing between the remaining warriors and the corrupted forces of Krakia and the Keep. One soldier told Crimsonheart that they would hold the line and urged him to stop Naricain, adding that there was a woman aiding him.

The traveler explained that she was Dr. Krakia, to which the soldier told them that she was the one who had corrupted the people and the animals against the Keep, and that she needed to be stopped. As they moved deeper into the Keep, the corrupted Krakians continued pursuing them. Realizing that they needed to block the entrance, the traveler decided to hold them off while Crimsonheart went after Naricain.

Crimsonheart confessed that he had feared that people would grow more foolish as time went on, but the traveler had given him hope for the future. With that, Crimsonheart pushed ahead while the traveler held the line. As the traveler continued defeating the Krakian reinforcements, Dr. Jang arrived and confronted the traveler, mistaking them as a Grandmaster because of their strength.

Recognizing her as Dr. Jang, the traveler told her that they weren’t a Grandmaster, revealing that they had come from the future in her Time Portal. However, Dr. Jang was unconcerned and explained that Naricain had already taken the Antellion, and that he was now unstoppable. When the traveler told her that Crimsonheart would stop him, she simply asked why they even bothered, claiming that Naricain was right in his belief that people were free to be as corrupt and evil as they wanted.

She explained that a single leader ruling everyone would remove suffering, asking why the traveler would stand in the way of achieving peace. The traveler pointed out that people would naturally try to resist being controlled and asked how many people Naricain would have to destroy in order to achieve the so-called peace that she spoke of.

Dr. Jang vehemently replied that such people were fools who deserved their fate. She then confessed that she wanted simplicity, explaining that Naricain was the only one who had needed her when neither her parents nor her peers wanted her. The dumbstruck traveler realized that Dr. Jang was in love with Naricain and asked how she could possibly love someone who was asking her to help kill his own family. Dr. Jang retorted that Naricain’s family was standing in his way, adding that such a family was meaningless if they didn’t support him. She then claimed that Naricain had every right to kill his family if they were trying to deny his dream.

(A/N: As much as I hate Dr. Jang, I did notice that some of her behavior lined up a little with some traits of borderline personality disorder. Her talk about how no one needed her except Naricain made me wonder whether that lined up with a fear of abandonment. She also seems to demonstrate instances of splitting, which is basically categorizing things in absolute terms, such as love/hate, good/evil, etc.

Another trait that she exhibits is a dramatic change of personality, going from wanting to do everything she could to stop the Black Mage to being willing to subjugate the entire world for Naricain, a man whom she met literally two days ago. One of the symptoms of BPD is also having a volatile sense of self-image that includes shifting goals and values.

There’s also some behavior that I thought lined up with some other symptoms, such as outbursts of anger and reckless behavior, although that might not necessarily be indicative of BPD itself. I also want to give a disclaimer that I have no psychiatric education and I could very well be completely off. These are just a few things that I picked up from the things I already know about it, which I though was worth noting.)

When the traveler continued protesting, Dr. Jang realized that she would never convince them, instead vowing to defeat them and ensure that Naricain would succeed. She then summoned a horde of Krakian warriors and corrupted Keep soldiers, explaining that she had simplified things by making them fully obedient to her and Naricain. When the traveler asked how she could do something so evil, Dr. Jang snapped at them to stop with their moralizing and vowed to crush anyone who got in her way in order to ensure the everlasting peace that she and Naricain had sought their entire lives.

She then retreated, leaving the traveler to fight through the waves of enemies. Eventually, they caught up with Dr. Jang, who demanded to know why they even cared about stopping Naricain, as it had nothing to do with them. The traveler retorted that anything that threatened Maple World was their business, and that it was she who was interfering where she didn’t belong. However, Dr. Jang then revealed that they had walked into a trap and sent them into a different space.

As the traveler wondered where they had been sent, Dr. Jang appeared to them in a hologram and explained that she had trapped them inside a virtual world created in the image of Versal, the original home of Crimsonheart, Naricain, and the Grandmasters, in order to help them understand Naricain’s pain. The traveler then noticed an enormous crystal, which Dr. Jang revealed was the whole Antellion, much larger than the one in Crimsonwood Keep, explaining that the stable Antellion had allowed the Versalians to create portals similar to her Time Portal that led to other points across space and time.

(A/N: This is just my personal theory, but I feel like the Versalians had used the Antellion and visited all the other universes within GMS-verse, which would be the entry point for the stories of Jett, the Sengoku Warriors, and the rest to be connected.)

Just then, the traveler noticed two thieves attempting to steal the Antellion, hoping to claim its power for themselves. Suddenly, Crimsonheart appeared and effortlessly defeated then. He then noticed that his wife, Glona, had appeared and told her that more and more people were coming to claim the Antellion for themselves, wondering whether he was strong enough to protect it.

Glona reminded him that the Antellion did not care for good or evil. Though they couldn’t stop others from becoming stronger, she told Crimsonheart that he could become stronger than any, adding that his limitless potential was why he had been appointed as the protector of the Antellion. Crimsonheart then told Glona that he was to depart for another world tomorrow, where a great darkness loomed, and asked what could be done if someone were to attempt to claim the Antellion in his absence, to which Glona told him that the children they had raised to be strong and wise would protect it in his stead.

However, Crimsonheart told Glona not to joke, claiming that the children were still too young. He then confessed that he worried about her, as she had been put in danger many times because of his responsibilities as the Antellion’s protector. Glona reassured him that it ought not to concern him as long as she was alive, adding that she trusted him to do what was right by fulfilling his duty to protect others from the darkness.

When Crimsonheart asked what to do with those who sought to take the Antellion for themselves, she told him to show them the error of their ways as a father would do with his children, reminding him that they would never turn away a child in need. Crimsonheart confessed that he couldn’t understand her compulsion to take in such children, noble as it was, and asked whether the two more she now had with Subani’s adoption was enough for her. (A/N: This is a continuity error, as Subani was said to be the first child that they adopted.)

Glona merely laughed and reminded Crimsonheart that there was no end to their love. As she and Crimsonheart walked away, the traveler noted that people like Glona were rare. Dr. Jang also admitted that Glona was a wonderful person, and that Crimsonheart loved her without question because of it. She also added that she had come to understand families more after learning about her. Suddenly, a horde of Krakian warriors from the real world arrived to attack the surprised traveler, with Dr. Jang explaining that even though she hoped to convince them, it would still be better if they were to simply die.

After the traveler defeated them, the scene changed to show a young Naricain and Subani. Naricain told Subani to stop crying, reminding him that Crimsonheart would scold him. He added that their father was right to do so, as one of them would one day become the new protector of the Antellion, and so they ought to train twice as hard in order to be ready for that day.

Subani, who continued crying, told Naricain that Millard was the oldest amongst them, and so there would be no need for him to become the protector. However, Naricain reminded him that only the strongest warrior in Versal became the protector, regardless of age, adding that he doubted that Millard would ever earn the position. (A/N: Millard is only seen once in this storyline as these flashback sequences progress, and he’s pretty irrelevant in the overall lore.)

Subani then told Naricain not to say such things, calling him Naric, as someone could overhear him. However, Naricain merely asked why he ought to be ashamed for speaking the truth. Subani, who slowly stopped crying, asked whether Naricain thought that he could become the protector, to which Naricain reassured his brother that he could if he studied and trained hard. (A/N: Subani’s asking whether Naricain thinks that he, Subani, could be the protector.)

Subani then asked whether the reason that Naricain was working hard and gaining their father’s trust was to become the new protector, though Naricain denied it and told Subani that Crimsonheart trusted them all equally. When Subani asked why Naricain worked so hard, Naricain told him that he wanted to be strong enough to protect their mother, citing the time when he had been unable to stop the intruders who had come to steal the Antellion, with only Crimsonheart’s timely arrival saving their mother from harm.

As the two brothers vowed to become strong enough to protect their mother, Glona herself appeared and told Naricain that he was very noble. She then told Subani that she had heard that Crimsonheart had scolded him, which was why he had been crying, and asked what had happened. When Subani admitted that it had been because he hadn’t been training hard enough, Glona asked him whether he knew why the people of Versal had been blessed by the Antellion.

She explained that the Versalians had a duty to protect not just Versal, but anyone who was being threatened by darkness. Though she appreciated their desire to protect her, Glona reminded them that she also had a duty to protect others. She then told the two brothers that the power they gained from training came with a duty to others, reminding Naricain that he needed to use his great power for good.

Suddenly, the scene changed to show a horde of thieves circling around an injured Lukan, who was attempting to protect Glona and Subani. Glona stepped forward and declared that she could not allow them to pass, as the Antellion could not fall into the wrong hands. As the traveler watched the scene unfold, Dr. Jang explained that Crimsonheart fought a never-ending battle with those who would misuse the Antellion’s powers.

When the traveler asked where Crimsonheart was, Dr. Jang explained that Crimsonheart could not always be there for his family, as much of his time was spent helping other worlds across space and time, at the cost of his own. The traveler asked why people would want to take the Antellion when its power was shared, to which Dr. Jang explained that the power was only shared amongst the people of Versal, though it was diluted by being spread so thin.

The traveler then turned to watch the scene as Lukan told Glona to take Subani and escape while he held the thieves off. However, Glona noted that Lukan was injured and told him that the responsibility to protect the Antellion fell to her. Glona then prepared to cast a powerful spell, just as Naricain rushed to the scene. Realizing what his mother was doing, Naricain begged her to stop, to which she merely apologized for not being able to see him grow up.

The traveler suddenly felt a shake as Dr. Jang amusedly explained that her virtual reality channeled portions of what it played out, adding that Glona’s spell had been so powerful that its very simulation might kill the traveler. The traveler then shook off the effects of the spell and turned to see that Glona had created an immensely powerful barrier, though she had expended so much of her magic that the effort ultimately killed her.

As the frantic thieves wondered how they could get past the barrier to steal the Antellion, a furious Naricain unleashed a devastating dark spell, one that even affected the traveler through the virtual space, and brutally struck down the thieves. Naricain then angrily confronted a crying Subani and berated him for being too afraid to stop their mother from dying.

Suddenly, Crimsonheart rushed in and discovered Glona dead on the floor. As Lukan began explaining what had happened, a furious Naricain demanded to know why Crimsonheart had taken so long to appear, blaming him for Glona’s death, and for never being around when they needed him. Declaring that he hated Crimsonheart, Naricain stormed off.

The traveler then watched as the scene changed to one set decades later, with Lukan and Delgrund telling Crimsonheart that they were receiving new reports about Naricain’s illicit activities daily and asked what could be done. Delgrund noted that Naricain was a fool, as he coveted the power of the Antellion, despite knowing first-hand the tragedy of seeking it.

Lukan reminded Delgrund that Naricain was merely a boy who had lost his mother, and that his actions were how he was dealing with the loss. He then suggested giving Naricain time and then appealing to his wisdom, hopeful that he would come to his senses by then. However, Delgrund countered that it had been decades since he had run off, claiming that any senses he would have come to were long gone.

He then told Lukan that Naricain wasn’t merely a troubled boy any longer, but a deeply disturbed man, one whose insidious plots had allowed him to be the first to seize a fragment of the Antellion in all the history of Versal. He then turned to Crimsonheart and asked what he would do as the protector of the Antellion. Lukan then began arguing with Delgrund, asking how he could expect Crimsonheart to take up arms against his own son.

As the two continued bickering, Crimsonheart broke up their fight and explained that Naricain sought the Antellion to end the cycle of greed and destruction that had cost him his mother. He then ordered the two to resume their duties, promising to have a decision ready soon. As they walked away, Dr. Jang noted that in the span of a moment, Naricain had become branded as a villain to everyone, even those who had once considered him family.

The exasperated traveler then reminded her that Naricain was a villain, as he threatened everyone around him. However, Dr. Jang pointed out that they themselves had seen that Naricain had a reason, adding that he could have set everything right with the power of the Antellion, and that he deserved it after everything he had been through. (A/N: This woman has officially lost it. I don’t think I’ve hated a character this much since Orchid.)

Suddenly, Subani appeared and Delgrund immediately asked him to convince Crimsonheart to listen to reason. After the two Grandmasters left, Subani asked his father whether it was about Naricain again. He also noted that Crimsonheart hadn’t come to Glona’s grave with the rest of them for the anniversary of her death. Crimsonheart claimed that he had forgotten, but Subani told him that he didn’t need to lie, noting that he counted each day since her passing.

Knowing that Naricain also missed Glona, Subani suggested that they could use it as common ground to speak with him. However, Crimsonheart told him not to humor such notions, as he knew from the countless times that he had met Naricain that his heart was a stone. Subani reminded Crimsonheart that tolerance over Naricain’s actions was wearing thin amidst the people, and that someone might take arms against him before long.

Crimsonheart then confided that Naricain held a special place in his heart, even as he loved all his children, and explained that he had always planned to make either Subani or Naricain the next protector of the Antellion, adding that he would have had to choose between a guardian of kindness or power. Knowing that even Naricain wouldn’t be the end of those who sought the power of the Antellion, Crimsonheart explained that he had made arrangements with the council to move the Antellion to a remote world, where he and those he trusted the most would relocate.

When Subani pointed out that Naricain could use the Antellion fragment that he had taken to follow them, Crimsonheart vowed that if the time came, he would use the Antellion’s power to send Naricain away forever, asking Subani to tell others that Naricain had fallen in battle if such an event came to pass. Against Subani’s protests that Naricain would never hurt his family, Crimsonheart told him that they needed to be prepared for it, as Naricain wasn’t holding back.

As the scene ended, more Krakian warriors appeared that the traveler defeated before turning back to the new scene that was unfolding. Naricain approached his siblings, Millard and Henne, and demanded to know where the Antellion was. Henne ordered him to stop his quest, claiming that they didn’t want to harm him, even though Crimsonheart had left it to them to stop him.

As the traveler lamented how the power of the Antellion had torn such strong bonds between family apart, Dr. Jang dismissed their comment by saying that the pair had chosen to ignore Naricain’s dream. The traveler then demanded to know why Naricain was always the victim to her, reminding her that he had a choice too. However, Dr. Jang merely told them that they would never understand him.

Meanwhile, Naricain laughed that neither Millard nor Henne could defeat him and promised to end things if they told him where the Antellion was. When they refused, Naricain unleashed powerful dark magic that the traveler struggled to resist through the simulation. Realizing that Millard would never tell him willingly, Naricain threatened to kill Henne, causing Millard to begrudgingly reveal that the Antellion was on Maple World. Satisfied, Naricain allowed his two siblings to live as he set off for to Maple World.

As the simulation ended, the traveler realized that Naricain would eventually kill Crimsonheart and take the Antellion, though the Grandmasters would destroy it while Subani sacrificed his life to seal Naricain. A surprised Dr. Jang asked them how they knew that, to which they explained that they had seen Lukan’s memories.

Dr. Jang explained that she had seen Naricain’s memories and felt his pain and isolation, with his suffering becoming hers. She then noted that the traveler, a hero of Maple World who had risked their lives countless time for what they had believed in, was the same as Naricain, who sought the Antellion, not for personal gain, but to achieve peace. She explained that the only difference was that no one bothered to see his side of the story.

(A/N: Here, you can either choose to say that Naricain’s pain doesn’t justify all the suffering he’s caused while pursuing his dream, or you can say that you understand why Naricain did what he did, and that you don’t think he’s evil. Neither choice affects the story at all, as choosing the second option has you say that despite sympathizing with Naricain, his actions are unforgivable and you still intend to stop him, effectively making it the same as the first choice.

As most people know, the only thing that changes based on your decision are the rewards that you get at the end of your first playthrough, with the first choice giving you the Crimsonwood Warrior chair and the Subani-Roid, while the second choice gives you the Dark Follower chair and the Dr. Jang-Roid.)

The traveler then returned to the real world, where Dr. Jang told them that hearing their opinion on Naricain had cemented her belief that she needed to completely and utterly destroy them. She then appeared before them while riding her ultimate weapon, a large panther-like robot. (A/N: I know it was unreleased, but this was a missed opportunity for them to call it the Krakiatoa, the ultimate weapon which had destroyed the Keep in the old lore.)