The base camp is not accessible this chapter.
Opening
kyra
Pericles!
Make sure the royal district
is completely surrounded!
pericles
Leave it to me. I know this city like the
back of my hand.
I am aware of every tiny crevice through
which they may attempt to flee.
Not one soul shall get in or out without
our notice!
kyra
Good. Margrave Barlowe!
What can you tell me?
barlowe
The district is covered in canals, but there
are plentiful bridges to cross.
It appears our enemies are spread about
the streets with no rhyme or reason.
This implies desperation. Losing the walls
was a crippling blow.
Their resistance will likely be fierce, but
disorganized and panicked.
On that note, we must not forget that
we are in the middle of the capital.
It would behoove us not to allow any
innocent bystanders to come to harm.
We would be blamed for any casualties,
whether we were responsible or not...
kyra
That shouldn't be too difficult.
It looks like everyone's locked
up in their houses.
apate
Indeed, the streets are quiet...
Not one soul to jeer and heckle at us.
I find that strange. The capital's denizens
are supposed to be the most devoted.
kyra
Maybe the hierophant isn't as popular
among the citizenry as it seemed.
apate
I do not like it.
Let us hurry.
kyra
That's just as well.
I fully intended to do that.
Redbeard!
Are the troops ready?
edward
Think if we keep 'em waiting any longer,
they'll start marching on their own!
Everyone's antsy to get this over with.
Wanna give the signal now?
kyra
Every minute we wait is a chance we
give them to scheme something.
Everything's in place.
Let's sweep this city clean!
Battle Start
(Dolus V stands outside the citadel.)
dolus v
Alastor! What is happening?
Has the garrison fallen?!
alastor
I'm afraid so, Scion.
We're rats in a barrel now.
dolus v
Curses...
Where is my father?!
The knights told me he
was with you!
alastor
He returned to the citadel to look
for you, actually.
You must've barely missed him.
dolus v
Urgh... We might need to flee
Tartaros entirely...
Perhaps we could hide away
at the northern peaks, but...
alastor
Your dear old papa has made enemies of
all our neighbors.
And now Sandraudiga has turned Amnisos
itself into another one.
Soon nowhere in the world will be safe for
you and your family.
You'll be drawn, quartered and beheaded,
if they're merciful.
Your heads will decorate the gates of the
castle you once lorded over.
dolus v
I-It doesn't have to end
that way!
Perhaps if I try parleying
with the rebels...?
alastor
Oh yeah?
And what will you offer them?
The corpse of the rebel commander's
brother? You don't even have that!
Heck, they're probably looking to give
you a particularly creative ending.
An eye for an eye.
A child for a child...
Face it, Scion. We are screwed, each
and every one of us.
dolus v
......
There has to be something...
Some way out of this...
alastor
Yeah.
We can kill everyone who tries to kill us.
All the forces that still listen to me are
posted throughout the city.
Streets, plazas, alleyways, you name it.
The city's crawling with 'em.
I'm giving this my very best shot, Scion.
If it's not enough to protect you...
Then nothing will be.
(Dolus V trembles.)
dolus v
Blast... Blast! No!
This isn't what I...
I-I never wanted any
of this!
alastor
Tough luck. Shouldn't have been
born the son of the hierophant.
dolus v
......
You're right.
This may be what we deserve.
My father and I... Our legacy...
A history steeped in blood, war and
innocent suffering...
But I need to find my mother.
I have to get her out of here...
She is blameless in all of this.
She, at least, deserves to live!
(Dolus V enters the citadel.)
alastor
......
(smirks) Bahahahaha!
Look at him play the tragic hero!
As if we aren't all doomed!
(closes eyes) Ahh... Marina... Nestor... Ziying...
Today I'll finally pay for my sins.
I'd always dreaded this moment, but now
that it's here...
It doesn't feel so bad.
In fact, I'm quite excited!
I get to hold nothing back and go out
in a blaze of glory!
(Alastor readies himself.)
alastor
Bring it, rebels!
Let me have the fight of my life!
When Glaucus approaches the arena
(Assassins and bounty hunters spill out of the arena.)
criminal
Well, well, well... Look who was dumb
enough to show his face here again.
(Glaucus starts.)
glaucus
Ah!
W-Wait! Not here.
Not now!
criminal
And why not? You've made us
wait long enough.
Do you want to hear how much
interest you've accumulated, or shall we skip straight to the
ugly part?
glaucus
Dammit, listen to me! This is
neither the time nor the place!
Bigger things than you and me
are happening here!
criminal
What I'm hearing is that you came
back without our money.
That simply won't do. We'll have to
make an example out of you.
Boys, it's time to teach that bum
the price of cheating us.
mercenary
What about the rest of 'em?
criminal
If they get in your way,
they will sorely regret it.
mercenary
Very well, boss.
Get ready, lowlife. You're about
to pay your dues with blood!
glaucus
(closes eyes) C-Curses...
Kyra, I'm so sorry...
Ending
If Nicaea is alive and Cybele survived the battle
kyra
This is it...
Citadel Alétheia...
cybele
...Yes! The rebel commander!
I have caught you!
If I can kill you here, this terrible
tragedy can still be averted!
kyra
Wait, what? Don't be a fool!
The battle is over!
Your leader is dead and almost
everyone else has surrendered.
You cannot win on your own.
Stand down, now!
cybele
......
Only death will make me
give up.
Prepare yourself, rebel!
(Cybele prepares to attack, but someone stabs her from behind.)
kyra
...!
cybele
Ggh... Gh...
(Cybele dies. Nicaea reveals herself as the killer.)
nicaea
......
I trust you are unharmed,
Commander.
kyra
Nicaea...
You didn't have to do that.
I could've taken her myself.
nicaea
...I refused to take that chance.
kyra
And for that reason you've
done... this, again?
nicaea
......
I am not worth corcerning yourself
with, Commander.
Keep going.
The gates still need be secured.
kyra
......
edward
Kyra! We've got the citadel surrounded,
but we may've hit a wee snag.
kyra
What kind of a snag?
edward
Well, the gate's locked tight, and it looks
to be sturdier than we expected.
The folks are having a bit of trouble
getting it open...
apate
We are not going to be stopped
by a gate at this stage.
edward
'Course not. Just sit tight.
We'll be inside in no time.
(Edward leaves.)
kyra
...Had you ever been so close
before, Apate?
apate
Once. At the time, he was Dionysus II.
kyra
I remember falling asleep through a lecture
about the guy when I was a kid.
It's said he was a tyrant, even worse than...
Well, the rest of him.
The people rose up in revolt, and he died
over the course of the insurrection.
As he had no children, that was the end of
Dolus I's direct bloodline... So it seemed.
apate
The group assisting me at the time was not
nearly as mighty and capable as ours.
It was a struggle reaching the citadel.
Seizing it, even more so.
By the time we arrived at the throne room,
he had seemingly taken his own life.
My peers were content with that result.
Do you know what they did next?
kyra
The symbol of the revolt was a member
of the hierophant's branch family.
A cousin, I believe. They installed him
as the new hierophant...
apate
He was a decent lad. Ambitious and
conniving, but decent.
...I will never know when exactly he
ceased to be.
But soon enough, I noticed the signs
that once again, I had failed.
kyra
That's not going to happen now.
I will take every precaution.
I'll shoot my entire quiver into
his carcass if I have to.
It ends today.
apate
...Yes.
I believe that it well could.
Thank you... Soon I will owe
you a debt I cannot repay.
kyra
......
I'll go help with the gate
now.
(Kyra leaves.)
apate
...Kyra...
(As Thyone searches the halls, she runs into Dolus.)
thyone
My husband...
The knights have scarcely
told me anything.
What is happening outside?
dolus
Everything is under control.
Fret not, Thyone.
thyone
Where is our son?
I am looking everywhere, but
he is nowhere to be found...
dolus
I am wondering that myself.
In fact, I was hoping you
would know...
thyone
The last time I saw him, he said he would
check on the state of the battle.
You... You don't think he's been captured,
or...?
dolus
Hmm...
Ah, no. He makes his way
back as we speak.
thyone
Truly? Oh, thank the Mother...!
dolus
Look out the window. Down
there, in the courtyard.
Do you see him there,
Thyone?
(As Thyone looks out the window, Dolus steps behind her. Dolus V suddenly emerges from a corridor.)
dolus v
Mother! At last, I--
(Dolus V starts.)
Father! Is that a dagger
in your hand?!
thyone
Dolus?!
dolus
...Hmph!
dolus v
Mother!!
(Dolus V attacks Dolus, badly wounding him.)
dolus
Irritating nuisance...
How dare you--
(Dolus staggers.)
Urgh!
dolus v
I don't know what's come
over you, Father...
But I will never allow you
to harm my mother!
dolus
...Fool!
(Dolus attacks with Nosferatu, inflicting mortal damage.)
dolus v
Hrrk...!
(smiles, closes eyes) Mother... I'm so... glad...
I could... protect... y...
(Dolus V dies.)
thyone
Dolus!!
You... H-How could you...
What have you done?!
dolus
Hmph...
Meddlesome little roach...
thyone
......
Why, Dolus? What has possessed
you to do something so horrible?
He was... He was your own son,
Dolus! Why would you... Why...?!
dolus
No matter. Everything is
still under control.
His life will suffice for
the time being.
thyone
You have gone mad, haven't you?!
dolus
Not mad enough to duel you
here, Thyone.
But make no mistake.
There is no escape.
Before the day is through...
The cycle shall start anew.
Cherish what moments you
have left before then...
(Dolus leaves.)
thyone
...Dolus...
(closes eyes) M...My sweet, loving child...
...I...
(Thyone sobs.)
dolus
Very well... With my son's energy,
I will regain the power I need.
You have played an excellent
game this time, Apate.
But that is all it ever was, and
all it ever will be. A game.
...Eh?!
(Dolus enters the throne room to find Sandraudiga sitting on the throne.)
sandraudiga
Ah, Your Holiness!
I was wondering when you'd swing by.
Come in, come in.
It's your throne room, after all.
dolus
Sandraudiga...
What insolence is this?!
sandraudiga
Insolence? Perish the thought!
I am following your orders!
You bade me do as I please, and
I please to try out this chair.
It is rather comfortable. Bit too...
exuberant, for my tastes, but...
dolus
You will remove yourself
from the throne at once!
sandraudiga
Or what? You'll steal my lifeforce
and throw it onto the pile?
(Dolus starts.)
dolus
...!
sandraudiga
Since you ordered me to do as I please,
I took to studying.
I knew records of the ancient healing magics
would be impossible to find...
So I looked into articles I thought nobody
would've deemed too dangerous to exist.
Old maps of Amnisos, landmark guides...
Architectural records of the citadel.
What do you know? Therein I stumbled upon
the most fascinating discrepancy...
dolus
...You found the secret chamber...
sandraudiga
Hidden right here, under this beautiful chair,
locked behind a convoluted mechanism.
Of course, thanks to this very special cane
I took from the hag, that was a trifle.
I suppose when one plans on living as many
lives as you have, one must keep records.
Lest one forgets their own name, or the
trick to their neverending life...
Let me tell you, it was a very comprehensive
read. You could've been a writer, my liege.
dolus
What do you want, Sandraudiga?
My life? My throne?
sandraudiga
Oh, I have but one small request.
Then I shall leave in peace, and you may
defend your crumbling house to the end.
I'll even let you keep your holy guards.
The few that remain loyal to you, anyway.
Shocking how many immediately turned on
you when I told them everything...
(Dolus starts.)
dolus
W-What?!
sandraudiga
Tsk tsk... All those years of absolute rule,
only to lose it all in a matter of hours.
And all it took was telling a number of
uncomfortable truths to the people.
dolus
You... You revealed everything
to the public?!
sandraudiga
I am now the champion of righteous truth,
standing against the dark lord's lies.
That would be you. A far more fitting role
for you to play, is it not... Your Holiness?
dolus
......
Sandraudiga--!
(Soter enters and restrains Dolus. He struggles.)
dolus
U-Unhand me!
How dare you lay your hands on me?!
I am the hierophant of Tartaros!
This is unacceptable!
Traitors! I name you traitors all!
Your heads will roll for this!
sandraudiga
Mmhmm.
Now, as for my humble plea...
Your precious healing trinkets.
Hand them over to me.
dolus
N-No...!
Character Descriptions
Alastor
First colonel of the Tartaran holy army. A former mercenary who was handpicked by Grand Inquisitor Sandraudiga.
Legendary Weapon: Envy
Hallowed weapon that expunges sin.
Dolus V
Son of the hierophant and scion of Tartaros. A far cry from his father, he is a compassionate, selfless youth.
Scion
Scion to the theocracy.
Still learning the way of the sword.
Cybele
A Tartaran commander and eldest of
three triplets. Serene, caring, and as
loyal to the theocracy as they come.
Inquisition
Knights of Tartaros, standing tall against heresy and insurrection.
Sellsword
Blades-for-hire looking for monetary opportunities.