Dark Ambitions

Campaign: Entwining Flames

Chapter 8 / 3-1

Dark Ambitions

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Summary

Crown Prince Leonidas suddenly appears in command of Alex and her soldiers and reveals that he was leading the oppression of Valkaheim all along. Seeking Morsayati's power, he heads deeper into the Forsaken Way with the prince in hot pursuit.

Dialogue

Uuungh... Save us... Save...us... Hmph. Were I to keep you alive, church doctrine would be eroded. At the very least, there will be no suffering, for I shall send you to stand in the presence of the goddess Ilia! Haaah! Alex, stop! Elisanne! That's enough! We've already rescued all of the other believers. We got ya surrounded, ya damn assassin! There's nowhere to hide, so give it up! Tsk! That was careless. Now surrender and come quietly! All living creatures return to the dust. If I cannot reclaim paradise, at least I meet my end in the way of my choosing. Do not rush to your demise, Alex. You need not die in this place—and I would not permit you to throw your life away so easily. Ugh, that voice! I can just hear the bloodlust drippin' off it... ...... Your Highness, it's the Imperial Army! And that man leading them... Poor fools. Did you not realize that this forsaken place is under my control? You chose to leap into the fires of hell without even a passing glance, and now the flames will feed on your judgment. ...Brother? Is that you? Who dares call me brother? Er, it's me. Euden. I know we haven't seen a lot of each other, but we met a few times in the— I know you not. Uh, so you guys AREN'T brothers? ...I am so confused right now. My siblings are numerous as grains of dust in the wind. You truly think I can remember each and every one of them? There is but one among us who can climb the ladder and inherit the throne. The rest are naught but useless rabble. I've never heard a man speak with such arrogance and disregard! Still, that name... Euden. Now that I think of it, I may have once heard it whispered on the wind. Tongues wag about a once-nameless prince who set out from the capital and— much as the Founder King before him— became pactbound with multiple dragons. That's me, Brother. We've heard that a large-scale disturbance has broken out in Valkaheim, and that innocent people are suffering. We're here to lend you whatever help you may need to see this right. I know of no such disturbance. No such suffering. The acts of which you speak are merely a purge of those who dissatisfy me. A purge?! Just so! For you see, Morsayati's power is nothing to be abhorred—rather, it connects us to the goddess, and will bring about a glorious new providence. Those who do not accept this truth must be purged from the world. Wait a sec. YOU started all the problems in Valkaheim?! Times have changed. Aurelius has fallen, and one of the great ancient demons has constructed a glorious new Empire. The Dyrenell Empire is not my enemy. It is merely the forerunner of the new era I seek—an era that will surpass that of dragon worship. The Empire...isn't your enemy...? This man will be no ally of ours, Euden. ...... Having said that, I am not so obsessed as to run about seeking out and exterminating believers one by one. It was simply their misfortune that I was coming to this place on this day. The fact they sought refuge here was mere happenstance—nothing more. If you came all the way out to this place there must be something that you're seeking in the depths. Is that not obvious? I have a most singular desire: Morsayati's power. To be more specific, in this place sleeps a piece of the body of the Other—a part of Morasayati! This place is yet another Binding Ruin, and the power within shall be mine! I can't believe what I'm hearin' right now! Believe it. I fear nothing—not dragon nor goddess or even that which was responsible for laying waste to the old world. I will seize this power for myself and master it so I might open broader horizons for all humanity. Yet great advancements require sacrifice, and the aftermath could demand lives in the tens of thousands. Brother, if you're serious about this— And what if I am? What shall you do? Call forth your pathetic dragons to do battle with my own? I am pactbound to the Blazewyrm—the most powerful dragon in history! He alone reduced a hundredfold kingdoms to ash! Blazewyrm? No. It can't be... What's going on, Mym? There was once a young male fire dragon who had powers equal to my own. His name was Mars. And if your brother has formed a pact with him... Right then! Let's take this fool out before he calls in the calvary. Draw your weapon, punk! Hraaagh! Your Excellency, watch out! Huh?! Wait, YOU'RE still here?! I'll not allow you to put even one scratch on His Excellency! He stands in support of our Church! He has promised to return it to the glorious ways of old! If you follow this man, we will be able to— Damn your eyes or open them, Alex! You have become blind to Ilia's will! I've done no such thing! I do this to reclaim safe refuge! I do this to— This grows tiresome; I have weightier matters to attend to than this bunch. Come, Alex. I must obtain Morsayati's power as soon as I am able. By your will, Excellency. Okay. THAT was a deal. So what do we do now, Euden? Who knows what carnage could be unleashed if my brother got his hands on a piece of Morsayati's body? We need to put a stop to his ambitions by any means necessary! And if we can do that, I'm certain Alex will see reason as well.