Aran/Story

JobSkillsStoryNPC

Story (Post-Remaster)

Note: Aran's storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the Milestone Update.

The Six Heroes

Aran was a powerful warrior who possessed a polearm with a spirit, Maha, which she obtained from a legendary blacksmith in Mu Lung. As weapons with spirits were extremely rare, and even rarer still was it to be deemed worthy to wield one, it spoke immensely of Aran's strength as a legendary warrior. Having grown up with a stoic grandfather, Aran developed a quiet, serious personality. She also rode a powerful Silver Wolf named Ryko into battle. Aran was one of the many people who gathered at the Dragon Master's Tower, which was lit by Ryude and his band of soldiers in order to warn Maple World that the end of the world was approaching. She joined Freud and four others to become the Heroes of Maple who fought against the tyranny of the Black Mage. During the last days of the war, Aran and the other Heroes received a letter from the Demon, who planned to betray the Black Mage. Using the information from the Demon's letter, the Heroes began formulating their strategy to invade the Temple of Time. However, Aran was soon wounded while protecting the survivors of the Commanders' attack on Ossyria, leaving the remaining Heroes to plan their attack on the Temple of Time without her. With the Black Mage's enormous army of dark creatures quickly closing in on their location, the Heroes decided to evacuate the refugees to Victoria Island before facing the Black Mage. While Freud and Mercedes oversaw the evacuation, Phantom, Luminous, and the pirate hero pushed ahead to first deal with the Commanders. Soon after, Aran awoke and found Freud and Mercedes finalizing the details of their plan. After hearing about the situation, Aran decided that she would stay behind and hold off the Black Mage's army on her own, despite Freud and Mercedes' protest that it would be nearly impossible for her to do so on her own. Nevertheless, Aran insisted that she would be able to handle it and promised to catch up to the others once the refugees had evacuated. The Heroes then met with Athena Pierce and informed her about the plan, though a worried Athena noted that Aran was already injured. After Freud reassured Athena, he turned to Aran and told her that he had initially planned to send Aran to safety aboard the refugee ship, knowing how stubborn she was, though he told her that he trusted her to handle things on her own. Mercedes then asked Aran to keep Athena and the others safe before Freud teleported them to the Temple of Time.

Aran then single-handedly held off the Black Mage's army, allowing Athena and the others to escape. After seeing that Aran had no intention of fleeing with them, Athena asked her to keep Mercedes and the other Heroes safe. Aran then rushed to the Temple of Time, where she began covering the other Heroes by holding the line, while Freud and Mercedes began facing the Black Mage. The other Heroes successfully managed to seal the Black Mage, though he managed to unleash a curse upon the Heroes before he was sealed. Aran and the other Heroes were expelled from the Temple of Time and fell back down to the burning forests of Leafre. Soon after, a member of the Silent Crusade, having traveled back centuries from the present, appeared and ran into an unconscious Aran. Maha explained that he was planning to transport Aran to the frozen island of Rien in order to slow down the Black Mage's curse. However, he had been damaged during the fight and lost much of his strength. After the Crusader helped repair Maha, the spirit used the last of his power to take his master to Rien, where she eventually succumbed to the Black Mage's curse and froze in ice. As Aran had been gravely wounded in the battle, Maha suspected that she had not been able to shield her mind alongside her body, which would impair her memory. Because of this, Maha cast a spell to create a special mirror in Rien that could reflect one's past, though only one with no darkness in their heart would be able to use it. After Aran was brought to Rien, the effects of her curse froze the entire island. Eventually, a small clan who still remembered the legend of the Heroes held faith that the Heroes would return. After finding Maha at the center of Rien, the clan settled on the icy island and awaited the return of the polearm hero. Over the centuries, the clan - known as the Rien Clan - continued passing down the prophecy of the Heroes' return, though many slowly began to lose faith. One by one, the clan began to leave Rien until only two siblings, Lilin and Neinheart von Rubistein, remained. Eventually, even Neinheart lost faith in the prophecy and decided that he would rather take fate into his own hands by finding the lost descendant of Empress Aria in order to have them become the next ruler of Maple World. Lilin and Neinheart got into an argument, and when Lilin refused to abandon her faith, Neinheart left her behind.

Main Story

Awakening on Rien

On Rien, Aran awoke from the ice to the sight of Lilin, who was thrilled to have finally found the lost hero. Aran quickly realized that she had no memories, which Lilin suspected was the result of the Black Mage's curse. She explained that the Black Mage was an evil Transcendent who had attacked Maple World hundreds of years ago until Aran and the other Heroes had stopped him, though she added that the Heroes had all been cursed by the Black Mage and frozen in ice. Lilin admitted that she had no idea why Aran had woken up in Rien, though she noted that the curse had changed the island's climate. She then introduced herself to Aran and explained that she was a member of the Rien Clan, which had awaited the lost hero's return for centuries. With Aran still unable to remember anything, Lilin escorted the hero to town and introduced her to the native penguins of Rien along the way. The penguins were awestruck to meet Aran and presented her with gifts to help her grow stronger after learning that her memories and strength had been taken by the curse. In town, Aran began feeling a strange sensation that something was calling to her as Lilin began telling her more about her past. She explained that after the Heroes and the Black Mage had disappeared, their legend had faded into obscurity, though the Rien Clan had passed down the stories and a prophecy of the Heroes' return, with Lilin being the last member of her clan who still believed in it. She added that now that Aran had finally returned, just as she had believed, it meant that the Heroes would finally stop the Black Mage once and for all, as rumors of his return were spreading across Maple World.

Having explained more about Aran's past, Lilin asked the hero whether she felt anything different. Aran explained that she had felt someone calling to her, to which Lilin wondered whether it was related to the large polearm in the middle of town. She explained that the polearm had been at the center of the island for centuries, and that the Rien Clan had settled around the polearm after learning that it had once belonged to one of the Heroes. Because Aran had awakened on Rien, Lilin suspected that Aran was the polearm hero and explained that the polearm hero was named ‘Aran'. After learning her name, Aran decided to train and recover some of her skills by fighting the native monsters on Rien. Though she felt a sense of familiarity while swinging her polearm, Aran was unable to recall more of her memories. Because of this, Lilin suggested that she touch the giant polearm at the center of town, believing that the weapon would recognize its owner if the stories were true. Upon touching the polearm, the spirit of Maha appeared before her, relieved to know that she could finally hear his voice. However, Maha was shocked to find that Aran had lost her memories and strength, which he realized was because of the Black Mage's curse. In order to help her return to her old self, Maha used his power to awaken some of Aran's dormant abilities and told her to keep training, as only regaining her strength would allow her to recover all of her missing memories. Maha then gave Aran a new polearm to wield, causing Aran to wonder whether it meant that he wasn't coming with her. Maha laughed that she was in no fit condition to be wielding him, though he then then added that she ought to hurry to regain her power, as something had happened to him as well, just like how she had lost her strength.

Information Dealer's Request

After speaking with Maha, Aran began to regain some of her confidence that she was indeed the polearm hero Aran, for which she resolved to regain her strength as fast as she could by training. She then spoke with Lilin, who was pleased to hear that Aran had regained some of her old strength. Though she noted that the road ahead would be difficult, she added that it was one that Aran had already walked before. She then told Aran that the only way to return to her old self was by training hard and diligently, which could only be done by leaving Rien and exploring Maple World. She explained that there was an information broker named Mr. Truth, better known as Tru, who could help her get stronger, and suggested that Aran meet with him in Lith Harbor. Aran arrived at Lith Harbor and went to to Tru's shop, where she gave him a letter of introduction from Lilin. After reading the letter, Tru was amazed by Aran's return and explained that he was also part of the Rien Clan, although he had left long ago after losing faith in the Heroes' return. He told Aran that Lilin had stubbornly refused to leave Rien, even when her brother had left, though he added that Lilin's faith had now been rewarded, for which he promised to help Aran in any way that he could. To help her get stronger, Tru suggested that she work as an informant for him, as it would help her get stronger and learn more about Maple World. He explained that there were all sorts of rumors circulating, such as a descendant of the Empress' bloodline – long thought to have been ended – appearing and forming an order of knights, as well as some concerns that the Black Mage may soon be coming back.

Tru then sent Aran on her first mission, which was to investigate the recent behavior of Orange Mushrooms in Henesys. There, Aran spoke to a mushroom researcher named Scarrs, who asked her to defeat Cynical Orange Mushrooms for him. After defeating them, Aran returned and brought him an Orange Mushroom puppet, which she had found inside one of the monsters. Scarrs hypothesized that the puppets were responsible for the strange behavior of the monsters. In order to confirm his theory, he asked Aran to defeat Crying Blue Mushrooms and check if they had puppets inside them as well. Aran brought back a puppet from inside the monsters, with which Scarrs determined that the puppets produced a noise on a frequency that only monsters could hear. He then promised that he would research more on the nature of the puppets. Aran returned back to Tru after helping Scarrs and reported her findings to him. Tru was pleased by her discovery and noted that he would be able to sell the information for a decent price. He then explained that while she had been investigating the puppets, someone had been kidnapped by Golems in Henesys, with a puppet being responsible for the Golems' violent behavior. He then sent Aran to Henesys and asked her to learn more from Camila. Camila explained that she was the one who had been kidnapped by the Golem, to which Aran asked her whether she had seen anyone suspicious near the Golem Temple. Camila replied that there were always Explorers around the temple, though there hadn't been anyone suspicious at the time. Aran then asked if she had seen anyone who could have been putting the puppets inside the monsters around town. Camila suddenly remembered that a strange boy had recently arrived holding a puppet, which had also been around the time that strange activities had begun occurring in Henesys.

Traces of the Puppeteer

Realizing that this boy was the cause of the puppet activity, Aran warned Chief Stan about him. Stan realized that they needed to prepare themselves, and so he asked Aran to help them by thinning out the Golems before the strange boy arrived. After Aran cleared out the monsters, she returned to Chief Stan, who thanked her and explained that she had acted just in time, as the strange boy had been sighted near the Golem Temple. As she wondered what the boy could be up to, Aran heard a mysterious voice in her head, which she immediately realized belonged to the boy responsible for the puppets. The boy teleported Aran to his cave, where he introduced himself as Francis the Puppeteer from the Black Wings. He told Aran that she had annoyed him by getting rid of his puppets and threatened her with the wrath of the Black Mage if she didn't stay out of his way. Aran then returned back to Tru's shop and explained what had happened. Tru explained that he had heard of the Black Wings and told her that he had thought that they were merely a hoax. He began to grow concerned that the Black Mage truly was on the verge of resurrection and resolved to look into the Black Wings. He then told Aran to inform Lilin about this latest development, adding that the return of the Heroes, the followers of the Black Mage, and the prophecy were all connected. Given how much Lilin had researched and believed in the Heroes, Tru told Aran that Lilin had a right to know as much as anyone, especially since she might be able to help them with her knowledge.

Aran returned to Rien and explained the situation to Lilin, who noted that the rise of the Black Wings seemed to confirm that the Black Mage was still alive. When Aran asked Lilin if she was afraid, she replied that she had no fears, as she was certain that Aran would defeat the Black Mage. She reassured Aran that it was clear that her strength was returning since coming out of the ice, and that there was no way that Aran had endured so much suffering only to lose to the Black Mage. Lilin then told Aran to return back to Tru, who asked her to investigate the strange monster activity in Perion, citing the similarities with the events in Henesys. At his request, Aran met with 10 Boogies, a Cygnus Knights informant, who told her that a puppet was the likely cause for the strange behavior in the Smirking Ghost Stumps. She showed Aran a monitor that could detect puppet activity, which confirmed that there was a puppet in the area. She explained that if a puppet were inside a monster, the puppet energy on the monitor would have been moving, but the monitor indicated that the puppet energy was still. 10 Boogies suspected that the puppet was hidden in the area and asked Aran to investigate. Aran then discovered several puppets hidden beneath piles of old relics. With this information, 10 Boogies concluded that firstly, aberrant monster behavior always stemmed from a puppet; secondly, the puppets didn't have to be inside the monsters, merely in the area; finally, the Puppeteer had the power to control all of Victoria Island, not just a specific town. With her investigation complete, 10 Boogies asked Aran to deliver her research report to Neinheart, as she was unable to leave her post. In Ereve, Neinheart was surprised to see Aran arriving with 10 Boogies' report, wondering why a stranger had come in her place. Though he thanked Aran for delivering the report, he politely asked her to leave, as Ereve was closed to anyone who was not seeking to become a Cygnus Knight. Aran asked Neinheart who the Cygnus Knights were, to which he bemusedly asked whether she had really done a favor for 10 Boogies without even knowing who the Knights were. He then explained that the Knights had been formed by Empress Cygnus before asking her to leave him to his work.

The Seal Stone of Victoria Island

After speaking with Neinheart, Aran recalled a vague memory of Ereve and a sense that she had been there before, as well as a realization that there had been an Empress before Cygnus. Nevertheless, she decided to return to Tru and reported what had happened in Perion. Tru then told Aran that the Puppeteer had been sighted in Ellinia, for which he asked her to speak with Rowen the Fairy, who was the one who had seen him. Rowen told Aran that she had seen a robed boy earlier, and that she believed him to be the Puppeteer because the monsters of Ellinia had become much more violent shortly after his appearance. She explained that she had followed the boy to the northern forests, where she had found his secret hideout, which had been decorated with puppets. As she hadn't been able to properly hear the password to the hideout, she suggested that Aran visit Fanzy, a magical cat who lived near the Great Tree, who might have overheard it. Fanzy offered to give Aran the password in exchange for Evil Eye tails, after which he told her that the password was “******* is a genius Puppeteer!”, explaining that he hadn't caught the first word, though he added that it sounded like a name. Aran deduced that the missing word was ‘Francis' and used the password to enter the cave. There, she confronted Francis, who was shocked that Aran had managed to infiltrate his hideout. Aran demanded to know why Francis was controlling the monsters of Victoria Island, though Francis refused to tell her and began to attack. Aran proceeded to soundly defeat Francis, though the Puppeteer nevertheless managed to escape. Aran then took a document from his cave and brought it to Tru. He realized that the document was written in code and told Aran to bring it to Lilin, who was a master codebreaker since her youth, as many of the legends about the Heroes had been written in code that she had meticulously deciphered. Aran brought the document to Lilin, who solved the code and learned that Francis' mission was to recover the Seal Stone of Victoria Island, and that he had been using his puppets to control the monsters of Victoria Island in order to find it. The report also showed that due to unforeseen complications from external forces, the mission had been delayed and Francis had requested reinforcements. Lilin noted that the report had been written by Francis to his superior, and that he had been extremely obsequious in his wording, causing her to wonder who Francis was reporting to.

Though Lilin was unsure what the Seal Stone was, she told Aran that since it seemed to be something that the Black Wings were searching desperately for, she believed that it had to be closely related to the Black Mage. Knowing that Aran was likely the external complication that Francis was referring to, Lilin advised Aran to exercise caution. Aran confidently replied that she would be able to handle the Black Wings, to which Lilin replied that though Aran was talking like a hero again, she still had a long way to go, for which she ordered Aran to start training again. Aran was then contacted by the voice of Tru in her head, who asked her to come see him at his shop, though Aran noted that Tru's manner of speaking was uncharacteristic of him. She arrived at his shop and found him tied unconscious to a chair, with Francis and a second Tru awaiting her. Francis thanked the second Tru, who revealed himself to be a shapeshifted Baroq. After Baroq left, Francis told Aran that the reason she had beaten him last time was because he had just come back from a battle with the Cygnus Knights, promising that he would be a much stronger foe this time around. Despite his boasting, Aran was once again able to defeat him with ease, forcing Francis to retreat. She then freed Tru, who thanked her for saving him. He was surprised that Francis would have gone so far, though he waved away Aran's apology and explained that she had come at the optimal time.

Aran was confused by what he meant, and so Tru explained that Francis' drastic measures meant that the document which she had obtained from his cave was real, which confirmed that the Black Wings' goal was to recover the Seal Stone of Victoria Island. He then presented the Seal Stone to a surprised Aran, revealing that he had already managed to acquire it. He explained that one of his business partners had been one step faster than us, and that their employer had managed to steal the Seal Stone first and deliver it to him, though the Black Wings had attacked his shop before he had gotten the chance to tell her and Lilin. Aran noted that his business partner's employer was quite impressive, to which Tru replied that it was rumored that he was a great thief, causing Aran to suddenly recall Phantom's name. As the Seal Stone wasn't safe with him, Tru asked Aran to bring it to Lilin for safekeeping, as Rien was home only to the Rien Clan, with many spells having been placed on it to keep it inaccessible to foreigners. He then told Aran that he would no longer assign her missions, as she had already made too big of a reputation for herself with the Black Wings to covertly gather information. He added that she had gained enough experience about Maple World to gather information for herself, and that she should focus on regaining her strength while he sent another informant to investigate Francis' hideout. He then told her that he would keep investigating the Black Wings, and that he would contact her immediately if she learned more about the Seal Stone. Aran then brought the Seal Stone of Victoria Island to Lilin, who promised to keep it safe on Rien.

Second Job Advancement

Soon after, Maha called to Aran through their mental link and told her that he could feel that she had grown much stronger. He called her back to Rien, where he asked her whether she had regained any more of her memories. Aran replied that she could only remember his name and a memory of fighting in a great battle, as well as the fact that she had fought beside her comrades. Maha explained that the reason why she had lost her memory was because she had been greatly weakened when the Black Mage had cursed her, and while she had instinctively protected herself against the physical shock, she had been unable to defend against the mental shock. Because of this, Maha believed that the fastest way for her to regain her strength was by regaining her memories. He explained that he had suspected that Aran wouldn't be the same after waking up from the curse, which was why he had made provisions long ago by bringing her to Rien, as the Black Mage's influence there was considerably weaker, making it the perfect place for him to cast a protective spell on. He revealed that he had used his magic to create a special place on Rien where she could regain her memories, though he couldn't remember exactly where it was after hundreds of years. Aran then met with Lilin, who explained that her clan had discovered an ice cave long ago, where they had discovered a special mirror which could reflect moments from one's past. Lilin realized that Maha must have created it for Aran in order to regain her memories and asked her to visit the Mirror Cave.

Using the mirror, Aran witnessed a memory of her past self in Mu Lung, where she had met with the greatest blacksmith in Maple World. There, she watched as her past self requested the blacksmith for his greatest weapon, though the blacksmith refused, claiming that the weapon was so sharp that it could even hurt its owner. He also added that the weapon was inhabited by a spirit, which very few people could handle. Upon seeing Aran's insistence that such a weapon would be perfect for her, the blacksmith asked her why she wanted to wield it. Aran explained that she wished to use it to protect others, not to harm them. The blacksmith decided to test her and tasked her with defeating the master of the nearby mountain. Believing that she might regain more of her memories by retaking the test, the Aran of the present traveled to the mountain and defeated its master, King Centipede. She then returned to the blacksmith's shop and watched the blacksmith express his amazement at her past self's prowess. He then presented Maha to Aran, who watched in surprise as the spirit of Maha emerged and surveyed Aran with little impressment. Maha demanded to know how Aran planned to satisfy him as his owner, to which Aran promised to make him the most famous weapon in Maple World. Seeing that Aran was serious, Maha reluctantly relented to becoming her weapon. Back in the present, Aran returned to Maha and told him that she remembered her promise that she would defeat the Black Mage and make him famous. Having recalled more of her past, Maha awakened more of her power and asked her to use it to continue growing stronger.

The Seal Stone of Orbis

Soon after, Tru contacted Aran and told her that he had expanded his intelligence network outside Victoria Island, allowing him to learn that something had happened in Orbis, which possibly involved the Black Wings. In Orbis, Aran spoke with a half-Nymph named Lisa, who told her that she had been unable to sleep last night because of a thumping noise that kept all the fairies in Orbis awake. After investigating the source, Lisa had learned that there were Giant Nependeaths growing in the Neglected Strolling Path. As Nependeaths didn't grow so abnormally large, she asked Aran to investigate the source of what was causing such a drastic growth. After defeating the Giant Nependeaths, Aran found bottles of Rapid Growth Accelerants. She brought them to Lisa, who told her that Orbis had been slowly sinking from the sky year by year, explaining that the heavier the mass on Orbis, the faster they would sink. She then asked Aran to consult with a seer named Spiruna about whether Orbis was going to sink because of the Giant Nependeaths. Though she normally hated strangers, Spiruna was shocked upon sensing that a great fate hung over Aran, which was to overcome a terrible curse that had persisted for countless centuries. She explained that her fortune telling had allowed her to see that the Giant Nependeaths were being used to access the Sealed Garden. Though she didn't know much about the Sealed Garden, Spiruna told Aran that the Seal Stone of Orbis had been kept there long ago at the request of a magician named Freud, whose name felt strangely familiar to Aran. Spiruna explained that the only way to get to the Sealed Garden was to make the Nependeaths in the Neglected Strolling Path grow large enough to reach the vines growing down from the Sealed Garden and asked Aran to stop the people trying to steal the Seal Stone, though she admitted that she had no idea what the Seal Stone was, with very few even remembering its existence.

In the Sealed Garden, Aran encountered Dargoth the Giant of the Black Wings. Dargoth realized that Aran was the one who had defeated Francis and laughed that he would take the Seal Stone and defeat Aran all at once, thereby beating Francis. Though Aran was able to defeat Dargoth, a dark power suddenly froze her in a gravity sphere, with a portal opening for Hiver to emerge and claim the Seal Stone. Hiver realized that Aran was the one who had defeated Dargoth and Francis, just as Orchid appeared from another portal, recognizing Aran as the polearm hero. Orchid was amused to learn that Aran had lost her memories and strength due to the Black Mage's curse, laughing that it was ridiculous that she was still trying to be a hero in spite of it. Hiver then presented the Seal Stone to Orchid, who noted that he and the others had been so useless that she had been forced to come herself in order to ensure their success. Though she declared that she didn't have time to play with Aran, she vowed that she would get rid of her the next time they met before retreating with Hiver through the portals and disappearing. After Orchid disappeared, Aran was released from the gravity sphere, leaving her to wonder who Orchid was and how they knew each other. Frustrated, she returned to Tru and told him what had happened in Orbis. Tru reassured Aran that it hadn't been her fault, as the Black Wings had been prepared, especially with their leader having special powers as well. He then suggested that she report to Lilin back in Rien. Just like Tru, Lilin told Aran not to feel bad, as they had managed to learn that there were multiple Seal Stones. She also noted that the Black Wings had been planning the operation for a long time, meaning that it was all the more impressive that Aran had managed to save the Seal Stone of Victoria Island. She then told Aran to keep focusing on getting stronger, promising that she and Tru would keep the Seal Stone of Victoria Island safe in the meantime.

The Seal Stone of Mu Lung

As Aran continued to train, Tru reached out to her and explained that he had gotten reports of Black Wings activity in Mu Lung. He then asked her to investigate Mr. Do, who had been in contact with one of the Black Wings. Mr. Do told Aran that a member of the Black Wings had given him a Hanging Scroll to pass on to Mu Gong, the master of Mu Lung Dojo. However, he revealed that he had accidentally boiled the scroll while making medicine, and that the contents of the scroll had been lost. He then asked Aran to visit Jin Jin, the best painter in Mu Lung, in order to see if he could restore it. Jin Jin had Aran gather ingredients to create a Special Ink, which he then used to restore the Hanging Scroll. Aran read the scroll and found out that it was a warning from the Shadow Knight that he was going to steal the Seal Stone of Mu Lung. She showed the scroll to Mr. Do, who realized that the Shadow Knight had written it as a challenge to Mu Gong and asked Aran to warn him. Though one would have to normally fight to the top floor of the dojo in order to reach Mu Gong, Mr. Do told her that Mu Gong's apprentice, So Gong, could be bribed into showing her the back route to Mu Gong. In order to help Aran, Mr. Do bribed So Gong, allowing her to use to secret path to Mu Gong. At the top of the dojo, Aran gave the Hanging Scroll to Mu Gong, who grew worried that the Shadow Knight would steal the Seal Stone. He told Aran that the Seal Stone was a valuable item guarded by the warriors of Mu Lung for centuries. When Aran asked for more details on the Seal Stone, Mu Gong tested her to see if she was worthy of receiving the knowledge. Aran successfully fought Mu Gong's shadow and Mu Gong immediately recognized her fighting style, which he said had been used centuries ago and was rumored to have even been used by one of the Heroes. Because of this, he mistook Aran to be a disciple of the Heroes, but nevertheless told her the location of the Seal Stone, as well as the password to enter. Though he knew that the Shadow Knight's challenge had been meant for him, he felt that it would be better for the hero's successor to face him.

Aran then entered the Sealed Temple, where the Shadow Knight was waiting. Just like Mu Gong, he mistook her for the hero's successor rather than one of the Heroes herself. Aran was able to defeat the Shadow Knight, but just like in Orbis, a portal opened for Hiver to appear from the shadows. Aran quickly dodged an incoming gravity attack, allowing Hiver to take the Seal Stone of Mu Lung. Aran demanded to know where his leader was, to which Hiver replied that his master was busy, and that he had no intention of wasting time fighting her either. Though Aran attempted to stop him, Hiver fell back into the portal and disappeared. Frustrated, she returned to Mu Gong to report her failure. To Aran's surprise, Mu Gong revealed that the Heroes had entrusted the Seal Stone with the chief of Mu Lung, who had constructed the Sealed Temple in order to safeguard it. He then told Aran that the loss of the Seal Stone may not have been significant, as he had believed that the reason the Sealed Temple was so heavily protected was because it was the legacy of the Heroes, adding that he didn't know the purpose of the Seal Stone. Aran was intrigued to learn that the Heroes had entrusted the Seal Stones, causing her to wonder whether Freud, whom Spiruna had mentioned, was one of her comrades as well. She then returned to Tru and told him about the events in Mu Lung. Tru reassured Aran that she was growing stronger, and that she would stop the Black Wings next time. He then told her to speak with Lilin about what she had learned in Mu Lung. Lilin was excited to learn that the Heroes had left behind the Seal Stones and told Aran that the information made up for losing the Seal Stone of Mu Lung. Aran was confused by how she had reached that conclusion, to which Lilin explained that by piecing together information on the Heroes, she could predict which places were likely to have the Seal Stones before the Black Wings found out. As always, she told Aran to focus on training while she researched the Heroes and Tru looked into the Black Wings.

Just then, Maha reached out to Aran and asked her whether by ‘Seal Stone', she was referring to a little gemstone, adding that he remembered the Heroes distributing them. Surprised, Aran asked Maha why he hadn't told her before, to which he told her that their mental link wasn't strong enough for him to speak to her at a moment's notice. He revealed that the Heroes had hidden several Seal Stones across Maple World, though he couldn't remember where they were after so many centuries. As Aran had no memories about the Seal Stones, Maha suggested that she try searching for the other Heroes in order to ask them where the Seal Stones were, adding that Freud was the most knowledgeable of the Heroes, having formed a Spirit Pact with an Onyx Dragon. He pointed out that since Aran had been freed from the ice, the other Heroes would likely also be in the same boat. Aran asked Maha whether they would have also lost their memories, to which he replied that though he couldn't be sure about that, they would undoubtedly have lost their strength.

Aran decided that she would first search for Freud, but with no information on him other than his name, she met with Tru in order to learn more about him. After searching through his records, however, Tru was unable to find any information about Freud. He explained that since Freud had formed a Spirit Pact with an Onyx Dragon, there was no way that he would have missed Freud if he had returned to Maple World. However, he added that there was another magician in Maple World who appeared similar to Freud, for which he asked Aran whether it could be Freud using an alias. Despite having little memory about Freud, Aran instinctively knew that it wasn't like Freud to use an alias, causing her to conclude that his lookalike wasn't really him. Tru then suggested that the other Heroes may not have woken up yet, promising to let her know if he heard anything. Aran then left, wondering whether she would ever regain her memories. Maha then reached out to her through their link and reassured her that she was remembering more and more, pointing out that she had come a long way from not even being able to remember her own name. He noted that the fact that she was missing Freud, without even knowing him, was proof that her memories were still dormant in her head. Aran thanked Maha, who then asked whether she was planning to continue her search for Freud. However, Aran told him that she had decided that the quickest way of finding him was to regain her memories by becoming stronger. She added that since they were friends, she had a feeling that she and the other Heroes would be reunited again someday. Maha accepted her decision and told her to grow stronger quickly, adding that he had waited for hundreds of years already.

The Seal Stone of Ellin Forest

Soon after, Tru contacted Aran and asked her whether she had ever heard of Ludibrium. He explained that it was a land full of toys, which had been frozen in time so that the toys would always be needed by the children who didn't grow up there. However, he revealed that one of the two clocktowers that managed the flow of time in Ludibrium had broken down, causing a portal to appear that led centuries in the past. He explained that Lilin had analyzed reports of the time period, which had caused her to conclude that it was a time when the Heroes had still been active. Hoping to find clues about the Seal Stones and her own past, Aran entered the crack in time at the Time Control Room of Ludibrium and emerged in Ellin Forest. Proceeding deeper into the forest, she arrived at Altaire Camp and met Loha, who assumed that she was a lost refugee and sent her to Athena Pierce. At the Camp Conference Room, Aran met with Athena and began to explain who she was, but Athena remained unconvinced of her identity, as Aran looked different and she was unable to remember Athena. Aran began explaining everything that had happened to her since awakening from the ice, and though Athena found it unbelievable, she could not deny that Aran's eyes and her manner of speaking suggested that she was telling the truth. Choosing to believe her, Athena introduced herself and told Aran about how the refugees of Leafre had crash-landed on Victoria Island and established Altaire Camp while searching for fertile lands in order to relocate to. She then asked Aran why she looked different, causing them both to realize that coming through the crack in time had likely changed her appearance.

Athena then asked Aran whether she had come in search of her lost memories, but when Aran explained that she was looking for Seal Stones, Athena told her that she had been given a Seal Stone by the Heroes, which she was keeping locked in the library. After obtaining the storage key from Loha, Aran entered the library and encountered Hiver, who revealed that he had been tailing her the entire time. Before she could stop him, Hiver disappeared with the Seal Stone of Ellin Forest, hoping to keep it as a reserve, as it was a Seal Stone which couldn't be obtained in their current time period. Aran then returned dejectedly to Athena Pierce, who apologized for not having better secured the Seal Stone, though Aran reassured her that it wasn't her fault. Athena then recalled that Aran of the past had written a letter, in which she had mentioned something about the Seal Stones. Suspecting that Aran had forgotten to send it before fighting the Black Mage, Athena attempted to give it to Aran of the present, though the letter merely fell through Aran's hands. Athena found it strange, as Aran had been able to take the storage key from Loha without any problems. Aran replied that though she couldn't be sure of why, the fact that they were from separate time periods made her believe that she could no longer interact with the past. However, Athena suggested that since she was an elf, and thus had a long lifespan, she could keep the letter and instructed Aran to find her in the present day.

After returning to her own time, Aran told Tru what had happened in Ellin Forest and asked him who Athena Pierce was. She was surprised to learn that Athena was one of the most famous people in Maple World, both as the instructor for bowmen and as an influential leader of Victoria Island. Aran then went to the Bowman Instructional School, where she found that Hiver and Baroq had already gotten there first after eavesdropping on her conversation with Athena in Ellin Forest. Athena, who had been knocked onto the floor, weakly told Aran to stop Hiver, who had already read the letter, while Baroq quickly teleported away. Hiver laughed that he had already gotten what he needed, though he decided that Aran had become enough of a threat that he needed to eliminate her. However, Aran managed to defeat him and forced him to retreat. After Hiver was driven away, Athena gave Aran the letter that she had kept for hundreds of years. She then told Aran that though she wanted to talk more, she needed to strengthen the town's defenses, as well as to let Mercedes know that Aran was alive, causing Aran to vaguely recall that Mercedes was one of the Heroes. Aran then took the letter to Tru, who found that it was completely unreadable. He realized that it was written in code, and that since Hiver had already read it, the Black Wings likely already knew the contents of the letter. Tru told Aran that Lilin would be able to decipher it, and so Aran went to Rien and showed the letter to her. Lilin realized that the code was extremely complicated, with several layers of encryption. After deciphering the letter, Lilin learned that it had been written by Aran to the former Empress, and that the letter simply said to take care of the Seal Stone of Ereve. As the Black Wings had read the letter, Lilin realized that they likely knew of the Seal Stone's existence, and so she asked Aran to warn the people of Ereve and told her to bring the letter as proof. Aran went to Ereve and met with Neinheart, who recognized her from when she had brought 10 Boogies' report on the Puppeteer. He was surprised to know that Aran knew about the Seal Stone of Ereve, also known as Shinsoo's Teardrop. Nevertheless, he told Aran to leave, as not only was Ereve closed to foreigners, but he also didn't trust that Aran wasn't one of the Black Wings herself.

The Wolf Pup

Some time later, Aran was summoned to Rien by a penguin named Pucci, who explained that while taking care of his huskies, he had realized that one of them was actually a wolf. As wolves weren't native to Rien, he wondered where it might have come from. Though he didn't know much about wolves, he felt that it would be cruel to abandon it, and so he had resolved to raise the wolf until it could take care of itself. In order to find out more about raising wolves, he asked Aran to go to Snowy Whale's Island in Aqua Road in order to visit Nanuke, who was experienced in raising wolves. Nanuke told Aran that she had raised wolves before and offered to make a Wolf Pup Formula in order to help it grow stronger. For the formula, she asked Aran to bring Seahorse Tails and Wolf Cub Vitamins from Kenta in the Aquarium. Aran brought the ingredients to Nanuke, who made the formula for her. She took it to Rien and fed the wolf, who instantly grew attached to her. Pucci told her that he had named the wolf Werewolf, and that Aran would soon be able to ride it. Some time later, Aran encountered Scadur in El Nath, who was impressed to see Werewolf, as he hadn't seen anyone with a wolf in ages. He told her that he could teach her to ride the wolf and explained that she would need a Wolf Saddle. He offered to make her one in exchange for bringing Jr. Yeti Skins for the raw materials. With the skins, Scadur made her the saddle and taught her how to ride Werewolf.

Neinheart's Thanks

Soon after, Lilin contacted Aran and told her that the Knights wanted to thank her personally for warning them about the Black Wings' plot. In Ereve, Neinheart thanked Aran and explained that her warning had allowed the Cygnus Knights to stop the Black Wings from taking Shinsoo's Teardrop. He explained that he had initially mistrusted Aran because of her strange aura, and because the letter had been so realistic that he had suspicions about her. However, after thoroughly investigating her, he explained that there was no need to doubt her, adding that he could now understand, to some extent, the feelings of ‘that child' who had waited for her, though he quickly dismissed his words as him merely talking to himself.

Attack on Rien

Some time later, Tru contacted Aran and warned her that a suspicious ship was sailing towards Rien, and that he suspected the Black Wings were behind it. He asked Aran to quickly head to Rien in order to defend the island, promising to send reinforcements to help. Aran rushed back to Rien, where she found that the town was in flames, with Maha trapped in a gravity cage and the Black Wings attempting to break down the barrier to the Rien Library, where Lilin had kept the Seal Stone of Victoria Island. Aran rushed to the scene and confronted Orchid, ordering her to stop at once. She then turned to Maha and asked her where Lilin was, to which Maha replied that he didn't know, and that Orchid had somehow been able to perceive him and suppress his power. Orchid then laughed that she would play with Aran slowly in order to pay her back for what Mercedes had done to her. Realizing that Rien was a precious place to Aran, Orchid summoned hordes of Black Wings henchmen to raze it down, to which Aran stood her ground and defeated them all. just as Orchid decided to fight Aran personally, she suddenly stopped in surprise before declaring that she couldn't handle two of them in her current state. She then decided to retreat without the Seal Stone, though she declared that she would soon return and face Aran with her full power. As she disappeared, the gravity cage on Maha dissipated, freeing him once again.

Lilin met with Aran, who had been wondering which second person Orchid had been referring to, with Maha also noting that Aran's other ‘friend' had arrived as well. Lilin explained that thanks to Aran, she had been able to flee to safety, and that someone else had come to help Rien as well, causing Aran to wonder whether they were the ‘friend' that Maha had been talking about. Lilin revealed that Phantom had arrived on Rien just before Aran had, explaining that he was one of the Heroes who had fought the Black Mage. Hearing Phantom's name caused Aran to vaguely remember him, and to realize that he was the reinforcements that Tru had mentioned, as well as the employer of Tru's business partner. Lilin confirmed Aran's suspicions and explained that she had spoken with Phantom because she had been curious to know something that only he could answer as someone who hadn't lost his memories. She told Aran that despite the Heroes being known by the common people, there were almost no records of their battle against the Black Mage, even though it ought to have been an extremely important historical event. She suspected that someone was deliberately erasing records of the Heroes and the Black Mage, adding that Phantom had decided to investigate the matter personally. She then told Aran that Phantom had confirmed that Wing Master Orchid was the leader of the Black Wings, and a Commander of the Black Mage centuries ago. Aran immediately realized that the person whom she had been fighting was Orchid, though she regretted being unable to defeat her. However, Lilin reassured her that she would get another chance, especially if Orchid was a Commander. Aran asked Lilin whether she would be okay, to which Lilin told her that she would strengthen the protective spells around Rien, and that she would give the Seal Stone to someone trusted in order to keep it safe.

Third Job Advancement

Soon after, Maha reached out to Aran and called her to Rien, where he told her that it was time for her to regain more of her memories. However, he explained that she wouldn't simply be using the Mirror Cave again, as she needed to undergo special training there. He asked Aran whether she remembered the Red Jade and explained that it was a special gemstone created when their combined powers resonated, allowing it to amplify the power of her spirit weapon. As the Red Jade had been destroyed by the Black Mage's curse, Maha tasked Aran with using the Mirror Cave to learn how to create the Red Jade, noting that she had first created it during an intense training session in El Nath. He explained that since they had been so fatigued – to the point of fading in and out of consciousness – he had little memory of that time, which meant that she would need to relive that moment in order to learn how to create the Red Jade herself. Using the Mirror Cave, Aran witnessed her past self pushing past her limits in order to prepare for the battle against the Black Mage, believing that the essence of Maha was still incomplete. Suddenly, Aran found herself surrounded with Lycanthropes in the valley. Aran of the present then recalled that the Red Jade had been formed with her past self had been pushed past her limits, both in body and mind. Hoping to replicate that moment, Aran fought the Lycanthropes, pushing past her exhaustion, causing her and Maha to become one and create the Red Jade. She then brought the jewel to Maha in the present, whose amplified power allowed him to awaken more of her old strength as well.

Birth of an Alliance

Some time later, Lilin contacted Aran and asked her to return to Rien. There, she excitedly showed Aran the invitation to the conference that the Empress had arranged and explained that it was proof that Ereve had recognized Aran as a true hero. Believing it best that Aran went with someone who recognized her as a hero, Lilin suggested that she ask Athena Pierce to accompany her, as she was a well-respected figure in Maple World. Aran asked Lilin if she would also come to the conference, but Lilin was unsure about whether she ought to be there. While she debated about going, Athena agreed to accompany Aran, though Aran wondered whether she herself ought to be there without her memories. Athena reassured Aran that she was still a hero, and that she had seen Aran's bravery for herself when Aran had saved her from the Black Wings. She then added that Mercedes would also be there, suggesting that they could all go together.

On the day of the conference, Athena and Aran met with Mercedes at the Six Path Crossway. Upon seeing Mercedes, Aran recalled how Mercedes and Freud had seen her off as she had left to fight the Black Mage's army. The pair began to catch up, with Mercedes revealing that the curse had affected the other elves as well, and that the other Heroes were roaming Maple World and trying to regain their power. However, she then told Aran that Freud had likely already passed away, as Afrien had taken the curse in his place, which meant that Freud hadn't been frozen like the other Heroes. As both of them remained solemn, Athena asked them to put aside their sorrow, as it was a happy day of reunion for them both. Mercedes and Aran realized that Athena was right, and so they decided to continue catching up on the way to Ereve. Though Aran was happy to be with her old friend again, she nevertheless felt a strange sense of loneliness.

After receiving unanimous confirmations, the First Continental Conference took place and the Maple Alliance was officially created.

Fourth Job Advancement

As Aran continued her training, Lilin reached out and asked her to return to Rien, as Maha was behaving strangely. Realizing that she couldn't hear Maha's voice in her head either, Aran rushed back to Rien and found that Maha was emanating dark energy. He explained that he had been frozen over the centuries, just as she had been, and that that the absence from his master had been too much for him, which had caused seeds of darkness to be planted in his heart. Though he had initially believed that the darkness would have gone away after Aran returned, Maha realized that its hold was too strong on him. He then begged Aran to defeat him and return him back to normal before he went berserk. Aran then fought Maha and managed to return him back to his senses. Maha thanked her for her help and explained that their connection had now strengthened even further, enough so that she could now use his full power without having to wield him directly. He then bestowed all her old skills and explained that she would return to full power once she fully mastered them. Just then, Lilin rushed over worriedly and asked Aran what had happened. Aran and Maha both laughed as they realized that Lilin hadn't been able to see Maha, prompting Aran to recount everything that had happened.

The Adolescent Wolf

Soon after, Pucci reached out to her and asked if her wolf, Werewolf, which Aran had renamed Ryko, had been acting rebellious lately. He explained that wolves went through a type of puberty during their adolescent years, and that the ones who didn't go through puberty failed to grow properly. In order to get advice about how to help Ryko through his adolescence, Aran first visited Nanuke at Snowy Whale's Island, who offered to make a special formula for adolescent wolves. After bringing her Lime Powder Bottles, Ink Bottles, Butter-Toasted Squids, and special Puberty Wolf Vitamins from Kenta, Nanuke prepared the formula for her, which she then fed to Ryko. Aran then went to see Scadur, who told her that she needed to let Ryko run wild in order to get the rebellion out of his system. After bonding with Ryko by riding with him through the cold fields of El Nath, Ryko soon grew to become an adolescent wolf.

Temple of Time

While exploring the Temple of Time, Aran's memories were drained by Dodo. After being told by the Memory Keeper to return to where her adventure began, Aran decided to return to Rien and spoke with Lilin, who explained that the whole process of seeing Aran having lost her memories, but still keeping her spirit as a hero, as well as her gradually regaining her abilities, was a memory for her.

The Silver Wolf

Some time later, Pucci told Aran that a pack of wolves had shown up in Rien, having followed the rumors that she had picked up a lost wolf pup. Aran went to see the Head Wolf, who thanked her for taking care of Ryko, but asked that she return him back. Aran told him that Ryko was her friend, and so she couldn't give him up. In order to determine whether Aran was worthy of keeping Ryko, the Head Wolf administered a test to have Aran fight his Wolf Underlings. After she defeated them all, the Head Wolf was impressed by her power and allowed her to keep Ryko. However, he told her that they were Silver Wolves, who possessed Silver Blood. He explained that before becoming adults, Silver Wolves strengthened their hearts by drinking Life Water for Wolves, which was only found in their homeland. He warned that forgoing the ritual would result in serious consequences, and so Aran traveled to Leafre, the homeland of the Silver Wolves, and collected the Life Water for Wolves from the Skelegons, which Ryko then drank in order to evolve into an adult.

The Wolf's Evolution

Maha reached out to Aran and told her that he could sense an incredible force trailing her and asked if there was someone extremely powerful with her. Aran returned to Rien and Maha immediately recognized that the energy was coming from Ryko, who had grown strong as a Silver Wolf alongside its master. He told her that the wolf was ready for its awakening, but when Aran told him that she didn't remember how to do it, Maha used his powers to awaken the wolf for her. He then told her that Ryko was the strongest wolf in history, even stronger than the one that she had ridden centuries ago. He explained that the wolf that she had ridden in the past was also called Ryko, and that he had thought that she had given him the same name deliberately.

Final Quest

Maha reached out to Aran and told her that it was time to get back the rest of her memories and a final skill. He instructed her to come to Rien, as it would require her to make physical contact with the polearm directly. There, Maha reminisced that despite having lost her old memories and power, watching her train diligently to get them back had made him convinced that no matter how much had changed, she was still her old self. He noted that she had grown even stronger than before, with her ability to use his power without directly wielding him being proof. However, he told Aran that in order to unlock her final skill, she would need to touch the polearm. Upon doing so, Aran had a recollection of the day of the final battle, when she had gotten injured just before the Heroes had left for the Temple of Time. In her memory, she witnessed all the Heroes – including the empty shape of someone whom she knew had been there, despite being unable to remember him, supporting her weight on his shoulders. She recalled how the Heroes had urged Aran to keep herself safe after she had thrown herself into danger to protect the refugees. Aran had apologized to them, to which they had told her not to, instead telling her to remember that they all had each other's backs, rather than Aran always being the one to put others behind her as she protected them. Having internalized that final lesson, Aran was given one final skill by Maha, who asked her to use it to defeat the Black Mage once and for all.

Fifth Job Advancement

Upon entering the Erda Flow and meeting with the Goddess of Maple World, the Goddess asks the player what it is that they cherish most in the world. Aran gets to choose between the other Heroes or Lilin.

Mirror World

While Alpha and Beta were undertaking a monk examination while searching for the Goddess Teardrops, So Gong told them that the Aran of Mirror World had finished their training course in half the time it had taken the twins.

Riena Strait

Aran gets exclusive dialogue when she first meets Putan, in which Putan recognizes her and expresses his relief that such a reputable warrior has come to help them.

After completing Riena Strait, Aran gets exclusive dialogue with Lilin in place of the regular dialogue. Lilin notes that she's heard that Aran had done a great job with the mission, just as she'd believed. She then notes that the fact that the people behind the melting glaciers had been dangerous enough to cause the sea levels to rise means that they can't just ignore it. She decides that she'll write a letter to someone who can help investigate, even though she doesn't want to speak to him. She then tells Aran that in order to help people come together and protect what they love, they need a hero like Aran. She explains that heroes are symbols of hope who have the power to bring people together, and that with Aran on their side, they all have that hope. Lilin then jokingly asks Aran if she's scared before laughing that there's no way that it could be true with she's Aran. Upon Aran pointing out that she had just smiled, Lilin asks in confusion why she's so surprised, noting that all humans laughed sometimes. She then asks Aran whether she's going to get back to training before adding that she won't disturb her as she gets to it.

Ellin Forest

When Wiz explains that Ellin Forest had existed centuries ago, Aran gets some exclusive dialogue, in which she notes that she hadn't been able to do a thorough search when she had first visited because she had been looking for the Seal Stone of Ellin Forest, but she wonders whether returning there will help her regain her memories.

When Karen initially refuses to allow the player through the Temporal Gate, Aran gets exclusive dialogue, in which she tells Karen that she's from that time period, and that she's lost her memories of it, which is why she wants to go back there and see what kind of a person she really was.

Upon meeting Yuris, Aran will introduce herself by name. However, Yuris dismisses her as a follower of the Heroes who's impersonating the real Aran.

When Perzen doesn't recognize Aran as one of the Heroes, she will wonder whether she might have been erased from history, but she notes that Perzen clearly still remembers the existence of the Heroes themselves.

When the player meets Athena Pierce in Ellin Forest, Aran will express her surprise that even Athena doesn't recognize her, despite having met before. However, Athena will later tell Perzen that she's met Aran before, and that she recognizes Aran, despite her appearance being completely different from last time.

After returning back to Wiz, Aran will explain how she had been perceived differently, to which Wiz speculates that the will of the world might have altered their appearances in order to prevent paradoxes.

Heliseum Reclamation HQ

Aran gets some exclusive dialogue when confronting Magnus during the Heliseum Reclamation HQ storyline. When Aran arrives at the throne room, Magnus is surprised to see a hero of Maple World fighting in Grandis for the Nova. He then adds that seeing an old enemy after so long brings back memories and declares that he'll finish them off, which transitions into their battle.

FriendStory

In the special scene for Chapter 4: Cassandra's Tales of Totally Shocking Stuff, accessible only through a replay of the story, the player will encounter Lilin. Aran gets exclusive dialogue when she meets Lilin, in which she notes that the girl, whose name she doesn't know, looks a lot like Lilin from Maple World.

Silent Crusade

When the player is confronted by Arkarium's snake minions, Aran gets exclusive dialogue, in which the snake minions call her directly by her name and thank her for buying Arkarium time.

Aran gets an exclusive script when she encounters Maha in the past. After encountering Maha floating over her unconscious past self, she expresses her shock at seeing him, while Maha is shocked to see two Arans and wonders whether it's another trap of the Black Mage. Aran tells him that she's come from the future after traveling back through the crack in time created by Arkarium. Maha is relieved to hear that she's from the future, as it means that she won't die from her injuries in the present. Though Aran is surprised that Arkarium hasn't gone back further, she decides to help Maha first. Maha tells her about his plan to seal her past self on Rien and asks her to collect the broken polearm pieces. After Aran collects them, he thanks her and jokes that it seems as though his master really can be useful once in a while. Aran retorts by asking him whether she needs to remind him who the boss is around here, to which Maha tells her not to get grumpy with him, adding that she's just not seeing things from every angle. After he asks her to find Afrien, Aran notes that what had been a brief moment in time for her must have been centuries to him. She then apologizes to him, regretting that things could have been different if she had been stronger. Maha then blesses Aran with one of her old skills, “Regained Memory”, and bestows her with a chair called “Chair of Aran the Guardian”.

Aran also gets an exclusive script when she encounters Afrien in the past. Afrien recognizes her and notes that she looks well. Aran greets Afrien and replies that it's been a while. Afrien agrees with her, adding that it's been several centuries in her case, revealing that he knows that she's come from the future. He asks her how she managed to go back in time, as he had believed that such a feat would be impossible. Aran tells him that she had come through a crack in time created by Arkarium, and that she hadn't expected to see him while working to stop Arkarium's plot, which she explains is to eliminate the Heroes in the past. Afrien notes that it made sense, given that Arkarium was a Guardian of Time, though he adds that he hasn't seen Arkarium around. After he casts a protective barrier around them, he asks for a favor and explains that while she may already know, there was a young Onyx Dragon who had survived the Black Mage's curse while inside its egg. As the egg had been lost during the battle, and as Leafre was filled with dangerous monsters, he asks Aran to find it and return it back to him. After Aran brings the egg back, Afrien thanks her and explains that her courage provides a powerful shield. He adds that even after centuries, he finds himself in admiration of her, explaining that the Onyx Dragons owe her a debt that they can never repay. Aran tells him that there's no need for such a sappy thanks, as friends naturally help one another. Afrien then tells her that the child was meant to be protected by Freud, though he fears that she and Freud may never meet again, as such events simply aren't to be. However, Aran replies that it's enough that she got to see him one more time. He then tells her that they need to see to Mercedes' safety, whose energy is fading. Aran offers to lend her strength to Mercedes, to which Afrien calls her noble as always. After Aran heals Mercedes with the crystal, Afrien thanks her and explains that the Heroes will awaken one day. He then asks her to investigate a dark presence at the Temple of Time.

Black Heaven

The morning of the operation, Lilin was overseeing Aran's training exercises. She told Aran not to stop, noting that the battle was the perfect opportunity to see how well her training had paid off, as well as to impress others by her heroic character. Though Aran agreed with Lilin, she added that she was just planning to do what she had to do, as she had no intention of being a hero alone. Lilin then allowed Aran to stop practicing before adding that it was a shame that she couldn't come with Aran and watch her fight. She then told Aran not to wear herself out, as it was her first aerial fight. Aran asked Lilin why she was worried, to which Lilin admitted that she would hate it if Aran got hurt. Aran teasingly asked Lilin what she had said, joking that she hadn't been able to hear her. Lilin replied that it was nothing, and that she merely wanted to tell Aran to go slow before heading towards the farewell crowd. After Lilin headed off, Maha appeared and asked Aran whether she was nervous, pointing out that Lilin had been right about her not having any experience in aerial combat. Aran told Maha that it had been a long time since she had been in such a big battle, though she added that she wasn't nervous, as she had many friends around her, including him. Maha warned her not to make any mistakes, as he would hate for her to be embarrassed in front of so many people, to which Aran laughed and told him not to worry so much before suggesting that they head off.

After Athena Pierce and the player fight their way to the main deck, Athena gives a word of encouragement to the player as they charge into battle, which depends on their class. For Aran, Athena tells her to show the enemies the power of a hero.

Heroes of Maple

Main article: Heroes of Maple

After Afrien's death, Evan met with Aran on Rien, where he found Aran furiously attacking a block of ice in frustration of not having done anything to stop the demon army. After learning that Evan was reuniting the Heroes to follow Freud's message and find Abraxas, Aran joined the others in Ereve. Together, they deduced from Freud's message that one of their comrades had been erased by the sealing spell. Having felt a strange sense of kinship with Shade during Black Heaven, the Heroes met with Shade and reunited with him once again. While Evan, Mercedes, and Luminous sought out Abraxas, Aran traveled to Turtle Island with Phantom and Shade in order to confront Damien. However, Damien and his demon army headed for the ruins of Abraxas just as they arrived.

Just then, the Demon arrived and revealed to Aran and the others about his relationship Damien and his intention to stop his brother. The Heroes then rushed to the ruins of Abraxas in order to reinforce the others, claiming the airship and fleeing before learning about the Abyss Crystal from a message left behind by Freud, who revealed that it was a dark substance created from the Black Mage's awakening as the dark Transcendent of Light, capable of stealing the power of higher beings. Having used the crystal to take the power of time from Rhinne, the Black Mage had sealed it away in a subspace between Maple World and a parallel world within their dimension called Friends World. With the barrier between worlds having been broken by Elwin, the Heroes traveled to Friends World in order to claim the Abyss Crystal first, though Damien and his demon army followed them and claimed the crystal first, Damien then absorbed the crystal into his Sword of Destruction and used it to take Alicia's power for himself. Together, Aran and the other Heroes defeated Damien with the help of the Demon, putting an end to his ambitions. In order to restore back the world's vitality stolen by Damien, the Heroes shattered the Abyss Crystal, scattering Alicia's life force in order to save Maple World.

In the credits, Aran is shown laughing at the missing section of the mural depicting the Heroes sealing the Black Mage, much to Shade's embarrassment.

Vanishing Journey

After the player defeats Arma, Kao will speak to the player while being carried through the cave. Aran asks where Kao has left Maha. Kao explains that thought she can't be sure, she believes that Maha has ceased to exist. She recalls how Maha was there with her for her entire life, but after losing him and seeing how she's fallen after losing her memories and her power, she believes that she no longer has the right to fight anymore.

Yum Yum Island

Upon encountering the Afrien fusion, Aran will recognize that the creature is made from Afrien's Erdas. While fighting it, she notes to herself that despite the fusion's power, it's still nowhere near Afrien's strength.

Esfera (Post-Remaster)

Note: The Esfera storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the NEXT Update.

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Esfera (Pre-Remaster)

Upon seeing the memory of Will capturing Tana, Aran gets some exclusive dialogue, in which she notes that the closer they get to the Black Mage, the more Commanders they find that hadn't been there centuries ago. She wonders how long the Black Mage has been laying the groundwork for all this and notes that they need Freud now more than ever.

After Will tells the player about the Black Mage's words that "the ultimate light can only be found in the ultimate darkness", Aran wonders whether Luminous might know anything about it.

Upon learning that the power of creation is mastery over Erda, Aran wonders whether the light that Tana uses is different from that which Luminous uses.

Labyrinth of Suffering (Post-Remaster)

Note: The Labyrinth of Suffering storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the NEXT Update.

Under construction

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Labyrinth of Suffering (Pre-Remaster)

After Cygnus tells Neinheart that she will lead the fleet into Tenebris in the Adversary's place, Aran gets exclusive dialogue, in which she senses the Empress' resolve and notes that though it's been a long journey, she'll finally meet the Black Mage soon.

As darkness begins to fall around the fleet as they approach Tenebris, Aran will wish that Luminous was there with them. She then realizes that if Luminous had cast a light, then it would be visible ahead, making her realize that something might have happened on his end.

When the player first meets with Azalin - Hilla disguised as a Night Walker - she notes how incredible it is that all the legendary Heroes who had once sealed the Black Mage away have returned, adding that she's honored to be with them as they make history. She tells Aran that she seems as energetic as ever, despite how much time has passed, which surprises her, as she would've imagined that the long fight would be exhausting for Aran. She then jokingly asks Aran if she's feeling rested because she's been sealed away for so long. Aran demands to know what she means by that, to which Azalin interrupts and asks if she's touched a nerve before saying that she had merely been thinking out loud. Aran then angrily wonders to herself whether Azalin had really had the audacity to cut her off.

After the Adversary collapses into despair as a result of Hilla's machinations, they pass out in a void of darkness within their own mind. As their morale and strength threaten to diminish completely, the mysterious divine light speaks to them in the form of someone close to them and provides them motivation to continue. For Aran, the voice of Freud asks her why she risks her life to save others. Aran tells Freud that it's because everyone is that precious to her, to which Freud asks her why she cares so much for Maple World, which is nothing like her home, and what her purpose is. Aran replies that Maple World is the home where her loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Freud asks her if she can remember what she needs to do now, to which Aran begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that she couldn't protect anyone. She adds that there's nothing that she can do, and that she's completely helpless, as even before, she had barely managed to seal the Black Mage, who had still come back in the end. She then asks what else she can do now, to which Freud tells her to open her eyes and see for herself, explaining that even if Hilla covers her eyes, she can never cover the truth. Freud asks her to open her eyes, get up, and do what she has to do, telling her to keep moving forward, just as she had done before. He then tells her that all roads exist inside her heart, and to never forget that. He adds that the memories of them all will live on forever, and that he'll always be with her. As the voice fades away, Aran recognizes the voice as belonging to Freud.

Limina (Post-Remaster)

Note: The Limina storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the NEXT Update.

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Limina (Pre-Remaster)

When the Adversary faces the Black Mage, he tells them that their path has always been preordained. In response to his words, Aran vows that she'll transcend the destiny that he's created to put an end to their long history.

After the Adversary scatters into Erda after killing the Black Mage, they awaken in the Erda Flow, where the White Mage thanks them for putting an end to the battle and helping him liberate the world from the influence of the Overseers. After the conversation, the Adversary will return back to the real world. As they do, the White Mage will give them a unique title based on their class; the title he gives to Aran is "Undying Warrior".

After the final battle, the Adversary will return back to the Outpost and speak with Neinheart and the other leaders of the Alliance. For Aran, Neinheart tells her that everyone in Maple World is grateful to her. Cygnus notes that Aran has been keeping Maple World safe for so long, and now, she's saved the world from the greatest threat that they've ever faced. She then thanks Aran and vows that the Alliance will continue protecting the world that Aran has given everything to save.

Aftermath

After a large celebration party, Evan unexpectedly decided to visit Freud's birthplace, where he found that the other Heroes were also there. Evan was surprised, as they had told him that they had ‘other stuff' to do and had sent him off like a child. Aran laughed and explained that she had changed her mind, but that it had been worth the trip to see the baffled look on his face. Mercedes told Aran not to make fun of Evan, reminding her that he had helped them save the world. Luminous noted that it appeared as though they all had the same ‘stuff' to do. Just then, Phantom appeared in a flash and saw that they had beaten him, though he declared that the star of the show always appeared last. Mercedes snapped that he was meant to be at another extravagant party, but Evan broke up the fight and told them that with Phantom, all the Heroes were there. As Phantom began smiling, Mercedes asked him what he was smiling about, to which he noted the irony of the grand Heroes who had defeated the Black Mage celebrating in an abandoned shack to mope about their long-lost companion. Mercedes then suggested watching the moon and stars, which were visible from the broken roof. They wondered whether Freud had ever watched the sky as they had, but Phantom pointed out that there likely hadn't been a hole in the roof while Freud had still lived there. Aran mentioned that she recalled how Freud had many holes in his roof, and that he had been too lazy to fix them. Shade countered that Freud wasn't so much lazy as he was content with the feeling of a rundown cottage. The Heroes then looked back fondly on Freud and his eccentric ways. Soon after, they all prepared to leave when Evan asked when they would see each other again. The Heroes reassured him that they were like family, and that they would see each other again at the next crisis, as they were Maple World's greatest heroes.

Later in Rien, Aran arrived to visit Lilin, who was surprised to see her, since Aran was supposed to be at a party. Aran told Lilin that she'd already had her fill of fun and had figured that Lilin could use the company, as Lilin didn't have a cat or any other pet. Lilin told Aran that she wasn't a lonely, doddering old woman and told Aran that just because she had helped defeat the Black Mage, it didn't mean that she could get lazy and fall out of shape, to which Aran laughed that she couldn't let her gorgeously sculpted muscles go to waste. Lilin asked if that meant that she had come to train, which Aran confirmed, adding that she wanted to thank Lilin as well, which took Lilin aback. Aran explained that even though everyone was giving her credit for defeating the Black Mage, her friends were the real reason why she had won, as their determination had given her the strength that she had needed. She told Lilin that she had always been her biggest supporter and explained that she couldn't have done any of it without her. Lilin was left speechless as she blinked back tears before telling Aran to get to training. Aran laughed and told Lilin not to pretend as though she wasn't touched, as she could plainly see her tears. However, Lilin told Aran that she was mistaken, claiming that the wind had merely blown a snowflake on her face. Aran smiled before heading out to train alone. After Aran left, Lilin spoke aloud that she would always need Aran, who had appeared to save the day just when she had been about to give up hope. She then added that she was grateful for every day that she got to spend with Aran.

Soon after, Aran brought Maha to the snowy mountains, where they stopped at a grave marked by a polearm. Aran told Maha that the grave belonged to her grandfather, recalling how she had once told Maha about him. Maha noted that it wasn't like her to visit and wondered whether defeating the Black Mage had made her emotional. Aran admitted that she had wanted to go with him and show him her grandfather's grave, noting how her grandfather had always told her to fight for what she believed in. She explained that because of his words, she had kept fighting to protect those she loved, and that she was grateful to Maha for being by her side all the while. Maha replied that she had merely been fulfilling her promise to him by defeating the Black Mage and making him a famous weapon, and that he had merely been helping her keep that promise. Aran teased him for being so humble, to which Maha noted that it was only thanks to her being his master that they had been able to defeat a corrupted Transcendent. He then asked Aran whether she now planned to become a wanderer again after defeating the Black Mage, to which Aran laughed that though it sounded great, she had a feeling that the fighting wasn't over, which meant that Maha would have a chance of becoming even more famous. At Maha's confusion, Aran explained that another fallen Transcendent had appeared, and that she wouldn't back down from him, which Maha agreed with.

Cernium

Upon reading about how the Overseers had originally created the Seal Stones as the Godspheres, Aran gets some exclusive dialogue, in which she realizes that Freud hadn't created the Seal Stones out of nothing. She then wonders whether he had drawn out the divine power that had permeated into the land after the end of the war.

Arteria

Before the Adversary leaves to rescue Cygnus, Shinsoo calls to the Adversary and addresses them with a unique title based on their class; the title she gives to Aran is "Hero of Maple World".

Black Sea

When Edea gives her report on the Ancient Gods, she explains that the Ancient Gods had been born from the creation of the universe itself, and that their numbers were said to be in the hundreds. Aran gets exclusive dialogue, in which she recalls how, according to the ruins of Abraxas, it was said that the Ancient Gods had originated from 365 creations.

Geardrak

When Ailene notes that there aren't many Ancient Gods left, Aran gets exclusive dialogue, in which she notes that according to the records in Abraxas, the Ancient Gods were the embodiments of the 365 laws dwelling within 365 creations. She then realizes that the fact that there aren't many Ancient Gods left in the world means that Darmoor must have already secured most of their power.

Story (Pre-Remaster)

The Six Heroes

Aran was a powerful warrior who possessed a polearm with a spirit, Maha, which she obtained from a legendary blacksmith in Mu Lung. As weapons with spirits were extremely rare, and even rarer still was it to be deemed worthy to wield one, it spoke immensely of Aran's strength as a legendary warrior. Having grown up with a stoic grandfather, Aran developed a quiet, serious personality. She also rode a powerful Silver Wolf named Ryko into battle. Aran was one of the many people who gathered at the Dragon Master's Tower, which was lit by Ryude and his band of soldiers in order to warn Maple World that the end of the world was approaching. She joined Freud and four others to become the Heroes of Maple who fought against the tyranny of the Black Mage. During the last days of the war, Aran and the other Heroes received a letter from the Demon, who planned to betray the Black Mage. Soon after, Arkarium arrived to battle the Heroes. Aran was injured in the fight and was left behind by the other Heroes to evacuate with Athena Pierce. Aran soon regained consciousness and helped Athena with the rest of the evacuation by rescuing a lost child in the burning forest, after which she rushed to meet up with the other Heroes at the Temple of Time. She single-handedly held off the Black Mage's ground forces while Freud, Afrien, Mercedes, Luminous, and the pirate hero went ahead to fight the Black Mage. The other Heroes were successful in sealing the Black Mage, though he managed to unleash a curse upon the Heroes before he was sealed. Aran and the other Heroes were expelled from the Temple of Time and fell back down to the burning forests of Leafre.

Soon after, a member of the Silent Crusade, having traveled back centuries from the present, appeared and ran into an unconscious Aran. Maha explained that he was planning to transport Aran to the frozen island of Rien in order to slow down the Black Mage's curse. However, he had been damaged during the fight and lost much of his strength. After the Crusader helped repair Maha, the spirit used the last of his power to take his master to Rien, where she eventually succumbed to the Black Mage's curse and froze in ice. Over the centuries, a small clan who still remembered the legend of the Heroes held faith that the lost hero Aran, who remained frozen on the island, would one day awaken. Over the centuries, the Rien Clan continued passing down the prophecy of the Heroes' return, though many slowly began to lose faith. One by one, the clan began to leave Rien until only two siblings, Lilin and Neinheart von Rubistein, remained. Eventually, even Neinheart lost faith in the prophecy and decided that he would rather take fate into his own hands by finding the lost descendant of Empress Aria in order to have them become the next ruler of Maple World. Lilin and Neinheart got into an argument, and when Lilin refused to abandon her faith, Neinheart left her behind.

Main Story

Awakening on Rien

On Rien, Aran finally awoke from the ice, where she found Lilin waiting for her. Aran discovered that she had no memories, which Lilin explained was the result of the Black Mage's curse. Lilin explained that the curse on Aran had caused the island of Rien to become permanently frozen, even though it hardly ever snowed naturally. She took Aran into town, where the penguins who lived there were amazed at the prophesized return of the hero. Lilin explained that her clan possessed a Book of Prophecy that foretold the Heroes' return, and that she was the last member of her clan still living on Rien. As Aran had lost her abilities from the curse, Lilin decided to help train Aran and return her to full strength, as the Black Mage was fated to return as well. After some basic training, Lilin showed Aran the giant polearm that they had excavated. Upon touching the polearm, some of Aran's old strength flowed into her.

Information Dealer's Request

As she had grown stronger than the monsters of Rien, Aran was advised by Lilin to go train in Victoria Island. She told Aran that an information broker named Mr. Truth, better known as Tru, could help her get stronger. Aran arrived at Lith Harbor and went to Tru's shop. After reading a letter of introduction from Lilin, Tru was amazed by Aran's return and explained that he was also part of the Rien Clan, although he had left long ago after losing faith in the Heroes' return. In order to validate Lilin's faith, he promised to help Aran in any way that he could. To help her get stronger, Tru suggested that she work as an informant for him, as it would help her get stronger and learn more about Maple World. He sent Aran on a test mission to get the latest news from the crewmen who worked in Lith Harbor. Aran questioned Teo, who offered to exchange the information for Snail Shells, which he believed could help ease his arthritis. After bringing him the shells, Teo told her that the crewmen were mainly talking about the formation of the Cygnus Knights, as well as some concerns that the Black Mage may soon be coming back. Tru then sent Aran on her first real mission, which was to investigate the recent behavior of Orange Mushrooms in Henesys. There, Aran spoke to a mushroom researcher named Scarrs, who asked her to defeat Cynical Orange Mushrooms for him. After defeating them, Aran returned and brought him an Orange Mushroom puppet, which she had found inside one of the monsters. Scarrs then asked her to defeat Berserk Horny Mushrooms in order to check if they had puppets inside them as well. Aran confirmed this by bringing him back a puppet from inside the monsters. Scarrs hypothesized that the puppets were responsible for the strange behavior of the monsters. To confirm his theory, he asked Aran to investigate Crying Blue Mushrooms, where Aran found yet another puppet. Scarrs told her that the puppets produced a noise on a frequency that only monsters could hear, and promised that he would research more on the nature of the puppets.

Soon after, Tru asked Aran to visit him at his store, where he told her the news about the kidnapping incident in Henesys and asked her to learn more from Chief Stan. Stan told her about how an Enraged Golem had kidnapped Camila several days ago, and that it was likely due to a puppet. Aran went to the Golem Temple and found a Golem puppet in the monsters. Stan then asked her to question Camila about what she had seen. When Aran asked Camila if she had seen anyone suspicious near the Golem Temple, Camila replied that there were always Explorers around the temple, though there hadn't been anyone suspicious at the time. Aran then asked if she had seen anyone who could have been putting the puppets inside the monsters around town. Camila suddenly remembered that a strange boy had arrived holding a puppet a few days ago, which had also been around the time that strange activities had begun occurring in Henesys. Realizing that this boy was the cause of the puppet activity, Aran warned Chief Stan about him before returning to Tru. Tru thanked Aran for the information, but added that he was worried for the people of Henesys. He suggested that she return to help the townspeople in the meantime. Upon arriving, Chief Stan informed her that the strange boy had been sighted near the Golem Temple and asked her to check if the Golems had any strange puppets inside them. Aran investigated the temple and told Stan that she hadn't seen anything suspicious. Stan told her to stay on standby, and that he would contact her again if anything suspicious came up.

Traces of the Puppeteer

Chief Stan called Aran and told her that the strange boy had once again been sighted near the Golem Temple. Though Aran took down many more Golems, she was unable to find any traces of the strange boy. After reporting back to Stan, Aran heard a mysterious voice inviting her to his cave. Aran was teleported to the cave, where the strange boy introduced himself as Francis the Puppeteer from the Black Wings. He told Aran that she had annoyed him by getting rid of his puppets and threatened her with the wrath of the Black Mage if she didn't stay out of his way. Aran returned to Tru's shop and explained what had happened. Tru explained that he had heard of the Black Wings and told her that he had thought that they were merely a hoax. He began to grow concerned that the old prophecies were coming true, which would mean that the Black Mage was fated to return soon. He resolved to look into the Black Wings and told Aran to inform Lilin about this latest development, adding that the return of the Heroes, the followers of the Black Mage, and the prophecy were all connected. Given how much Lilin had researched and believed in the Heroes, Tru told Aran that Lilin had a right to know as much as anyone. Aran returned to Rien and explained the situation to Lilin. She replied that the Book of Prophecy stated that the Heroes would return and destroy the Black Mage for good, and that the rise of the Black Wings seemed to confirm that the Black Mage was still alive. When Aran asked if Lilin was afraid, she responded that she had no fears, as she was certain that Aran would defeat the Black Mage. She reassured Aran that it was clear that her strength was returning since coming out of the ice, and that there was no way that Aran had endured so much suffering only to lose to the Black Mage.

Just then, Tru got back to Aran and asked her to investigate the Smirking Ghost Stumps in Perion, citing the similarities between their appearance and the events in Henesys, and suggested finding 10 Boogies for more details. Upon arriving, 10 Boogies told Aran that a puppet was the likely cause for the strange behavior, but after defeating the Smirking Ghost Stumps, Aran was unable to find any puppets inside them. 10 Boogies then showed her a monitor that could detect puppet activity, which confirmed that there was a puppet in the area. She explained that if a puppet were inside a monster, the puppet energy on the monitor would have been moving, but the monitor indicated that the puppet energy was still. 10 Boogies suspected that the puppet was hidden in the area and asked Aran to investigate. Aran then discovered several puppets hidden beneath piles of old relics. With this information, 10 Boogies concluded that firstly, aberrant monster behavior always stemmed from a puppet; secondly, the puppets didn't have to be inside the monsters, merely in the area; finally, the Puppeteer had the power to control all of Victoria Island, not just a specific town. With her investigation complete, Aran reported back to Tru, who told her that he would look into the Puppeteer's activity in order to pinpoint his location. He also warned Aran that since she had disrupted the Puppeteer's plans several times, he might try to get revenge. 10 Boogies then contacted Aran and asked her to deliver her research report to Neinheart, as she was unable to leave her post. In Ereve, Neinheart thanked Aran for delivering the report, but curtly asked her to leave as soon as possible, as Ereve was closed to strangers.

Some time later, Tru told Aran that Francis had been sighted in Ellinia and asked her to speak with Rowen the Fairy, who was the one who had seen him. Rowen told Aran that she had seen a robed boy earlier, and that she believed him to be the Puppeteer because the Evil Eyes had become much more violent shortly after his appearance. She asked Aran to defeat Evil Eyes to stop their noise pollution of the forest, after which she told Aran to go to the northern forests, where she would find a cave decorated with puppets. Aran went to the cave and heard a voice that demanded a password to enter. She returned to Rowan, who suggested that Fanzy, a magical cat who lived near the Great Tree, might have overheard the password. Fanzy offered to give Aran the password in exchange for Evil Eye tails. He then told her that the password was “******* is a genius Puppeteer!”, explaining that he hadn't caught the first word, though he added that it sounded like a name. Aran returned to see Tru, where they deduced that the missing word was ‘Francis'. With the password, Aran entered the cave and confronted Francis, who was shocked that Aran had managed to infiltrate his cave. Aran then proceeded to soundly defeat Francis, although he managed to escape. Aran then took a document from his cave and brought it to Tru. He realized that the document was written in code and told Aran to bring it to Lilin, who was a master codebreaker. Lilin solved the code and learned that Francis' mission was to recover the Seal Stone of Victoria Island, and that he had been using his puppets to control the monsters of Victoria Island in order to find it. The report also showed that due to unforeseen complications from external forces, the mission had been delayed and Francis had requested reinforcements. Lilin was unsure what the Seal Stone was, but as it seemed to be something that the Black Wings were searching desperately for, she believed that it had to be closely related to the Black Mage. Knowing that Aran was likely the external complication that Francis was referring to, Lilin advised Aran to exercise caution and to continue training.

Second Job Advancement

Soon after, Lilin called Aran back to Rien because of the strange behavior of her polearm. Aran returned to Rien and found the polearm vibrating, as well as a spirit floating next to it. The spirit told Aran that he had been trying to call her for some time and introduced himself as Maha, the spirit of her polearm. Having lost her memories, Aran was unable to recognize him and instead asked Lilin, who told her that the Heroes' weapons were said to have personalities of their own. In order to help Aran remember Maha, Lilin told her to visit the Mirror Cave and look into the Mirror of Desire, which had the power to show whatever the user desired. Through the mirror, Aran witnessed her past self going to Mu Lung in order to obtain the greatest weapon ever made by the Master Blacksmith. After completing a trial to prove her strength, the Blacksmith had presented her with his finest creation, Maha. Aran then returned to Maha and told him that she remembered him. Maha was overjoyed and explained that since her body had gone through intense training in the past, her powers could be jogged through muscle memory. He then used his powers to restore part of Aran's old strength.

The Seal Stone of Victoria Island

Aran was contacted by Tru, who asked her to come see him at his shop, though Aran noted that Tru's mannerisms were uncharacteristic of him. She arrived at his shop and found him tied unconscious to a chair, with Francis and a second Tru awaiting her. Francis thanked the second Tru, who revealed himself to be a shapeshifted Baroq. After Baroq left, Francis told Aran that the reason she had beaten him last time was because he had just come back from a battle with the Cygnus Knights, promising that he would be a much stronger foe this time around. Despite his boasting, Aran was once again able to defeat him with ease, forcing Francis to retreat. She then freed Tru, who thanked her for saving him. He was surprised that Francis would have gone so far, but he was content with having learned the Puppetmaster's weaknesses. Aran was confused by what he meant, and so Tru explained that Francis' drastic measures meant that the document which she had obtained from his cave was real, which confirmed that the Black Wings' goal was to recover the Seal Stone of Victoria Island. He then urged Aran to keep training while he investigated further.

Soon after, Tru learned that the cave in Ellinia was empty, meaning that Francis had changed his headquarters. After investigating, he found that Francis was hiding in the Golem Temple and sent Aran to deal with him. After defeating Francis, Aran returned to Tru, who asked her why she seemed downcast. Aran told him that her mission had been a failure, as she had failed to learn anything about the Seal Stone of Victoria Island in Francis' hideout. To her surprise, Tru revealed that he had already found it. As the Black Wings knew where his shop was, Tru felt that it would be unwise to keep the Seal Stone, and so he asked Aran to give it to Lilin for safekeeping, explaining that Rien was normally only populated by the native races of the island, and so many spells had been placed on it to keep it inaccessible to foreigners. He then told Aran that he would no longer assign her missions, as she had gained enough experience about Maple World to gather information for herself. He told her to keep investigating the Black Wings and asked her to let him know immediately if she learned more about the Seal Stone.

The Seal Stone of Orbis

Soon after, Tru contacted Aran and told her that he had expanded his intelligence network outside Victoria Island, allowing him to learn that something had happened in Orbis, which possibly involved the Black Wings. In Orbis, Aran spoke with a half-Nymph named Lisa, who told her that she had been unable to sleep last night because of a thumping noise that kept all the fairies in Orbis awake. After investigating the source, Lisa had learned that there were Giant Nependeaths growing in the Neglected Strolling Path. As Nependeaths didn't grow so abnormally large, she asked Aran to investigate the source of what was causing such a drastic growth. After defeating the Giant Nependeaths, Aran found bottles of Rapid Growth Accelerants. She brought them to Lisa, who told her that Orbis had been slowly sinking from the sky year by year, explaining that the heavier the mass on Orbis, the faster they would sink. She asked Aran to consult with a seer named Spiruna about whether Orbis was going to sink because of the Giant Nependeaths. Though she normally hated strangers, Spiruna sensed that Aran had a strange aura and allowed her to speak. Aran explained the situation with the Giant Nependeaths and asked whether they would cause Orbis to sink.

Peering into the future, Spiruna foresaw that Orbis would be safe, though she asked Aran where the Giant Nependeaths had been growing. After learning that they had been growing in the Neglected Strolling Path, Spiruna wondered whether someone had been trying to get into the Sealed Garden. Aran began asking what the Sealed Garden was, but Spiruna snapped at her and asked who she was and why she was asking such questions. Before Aran could respond, Spiruna looked into her crystal ball and was shocked by what she saw. She told Aran that a great fate hung over her, which was to overcome a terrible curse that had persisted for countless centuries. Though she didn't know much about the Sealed Garden, Spiruna told Aran that the Empress had ordered it off-limits, as it was where the Seal Stone of Orbis was hidden. Spiruna explained that the only way to get to the Sealed Garden was to make the Nependeaths in the Neglected Strolling Path grow large enough to reach the vines growing down from the Sealed Garden and asked Aran to stop the people trying to steal the Seal Stone.

In the Sealed Garden, Aran encountered Dargoth the Giant of the Black Wings. Dargoth realized that Aran was the one who had defeated Francis and laughed that he would take the Seal Stone and defeat Aran all at once. Aran was able to defeat Dargoth, but Hiver took the Seal Stone and disappeared before Aran could stop him. Frustrated, Aran returned to Tru and told him what had happened in Orbis. Though Tru was disappointed that the Black Wings had stolen the Seal Stone of Orbis, he was intrigued to know that there were multiple Seal Stones. He told Aran to cheer up and let Lilin know about what had happened, reminding her about the importance of keeping Lilin in the loop. Lilin agreed with Tru that the confirmation of the existence of multiple Seal Stones was a major discovery and reminded Aran that their acquisition of the Seal Stone of Victoria Island was an even bigger success. She told Aran to keep focusing on her training while she and Tru kept looking into the locations of the Seal Stones.

The Wolf Pup

Some time later, Aran was summoned to Rien by a penguin named Pucci, who explained that while taking care of his huskies, he had realized that one of them was actually a wolf. As wolves weren't native to Rien, he wondered where it might have come from. Though he didn't know much about wolves, he felt that it would be cruel to abandon it, and so he had resolved to raise the wolf until it could take care of itself. In order to find out more about raising wolves, he asked Aran to go to Snowy Whale Island in Aqua Road in order to visit Nanuke, who was experienced in raising wolves. Nanuke told Aran that she had raised wolves before and offered to make a Wolf Pup Formula in order to help it grow stronger. For the formula, she asked Aran to bring Seahorse Tails and Wolf Cub Vitamins from Kenta in the Aquarium. Aran brought the ingredients to Nanuke, who made the formula for her. She took it to Rien and fed the wolf, who instantly grew attached to her. Pucci told her that he had named the wolf Werewolf, and that Aran would soon be able to ride it. Some time later, Aran encountered Scadur in El Nath, who was impressed to see Werewolf, as he hadn't seen anyone with a wolf in ages. He told her that he could teach her to ride the wolf and explained that she would need a Wolf Saddle. He offered to make her one in exchange for bringing Jr. Yeti Skins for the raw materials. With the skins, Scadur made her the saddle and taught her how to ride Werewolf.

The Seal Stone of Mu Lung

Back in Lith Harbor, Tru reached out to Aran and told her that he had learned of Black Wings activity in Mu Lung. He told her to investigate Mr. Do, who had been in contact with one of the Black Wings. Mr. Do told Aran that the Black Wings member was known as the Shadow Knight, and that the Shadow Knight had given him a Hanging Scroll to pass on to Mu Gong, the master of Mu Lung Dojo. However, Mr. Do had accidentally boiled the scroll while making medicine and the contents of the scroll had been lost. He asked Aran to visit Jin Jin, the best painter in Mu Lung, in order to see if he could restore it. Jin Jin had Aran gather ingredients to create a Special Ink, which he then used to restore the Hanging Scroll. Aran read the scroll and found out that it was a warning from the Shadow Knight that he was going to steal the Seal Stone of Mu Lung. She showed the scroll to Mr. Do, who realized that the Shadow Knight had written it as a challenge to Mu Gong and asked Aran to warn him. Though one would have to normally fight to the top floor of the dojo in order to reach Mu Gong, Mr. Do told her that Mu Gong's apprentice, So Gong, could be bribed into showing her the back route to Mu Gong. As So Gong was obsessed with becoming the strongest warrior, Mr. Do told Aran that if she brought him Bellflowers, which were said to be good for one's health, he might let her pass. Sure enough, when Aran brought the Bellflowers, So Gong showed her the secret path to reach his master.

At the top of the dojo, Aran gave the Hanging Scroll to Mu Gong, who grew worried that the Shadow Knight would steal the Seal Stone. He told Aran that the Seal Stone was a valuable item guarded by the warriors of Mu Lung for centuries. When Aran asked for more details on the Seal Stone, Mu Gong tested her to see if she was worthy of receiving the knowledge. Aran successfully fought Mu Gong's shadow and Mu Gong immediately recognized her fighting style, which he said had been used centuries ago and was rumored to have even been used by one of the Heroes. Because of this, he mistook Aran to be a disciple of the Heroes, but nevertheless told her the location of the Seal Stone, as well as the password to enter. Though he knew that the Shadow Knight's challenge had been meant for him, he felt that it would be better for the hero's successor to face him. Aran then entered the Sealed Temple, where the Shadow Knight was waiting. Just like Mu Gong, he mistook her for the hero's successor rather than one of the Heroes herself. Aran was able to defeat the Shadow Knight, but just like in Orbis, the Gentleman appeared from the shadows and took the Seal Stone of Mu Lung. Frustrated, Aran returned to Mu Gong to report her failure. To Aran's surprise, Mu Gong revealed that the Heroes had entrusted the Seal Stone with the chief of Mu Lung, who had constructed the Sealed Temple in order to safeguard it. He then told Aran that the loss of the Seal Stone may not have been significant, as he had believed that the reason the Sealed Temple was so heavily protected was because it was the legacy of the Heroes, adding that he didn't know the purpose of the Seal Stone.

Dejected, Aran returned to Tru and told him about the events in Mu Lung. Tru reassured Aran that she was growing stronger, and that she would stop the Black Wings next time. He told her to speak with Lilin about what she had learned in Mu Lung. Lilin was excited to learn that the Heroes had left behind the Seal Stones and said that the information made up for losing the Seal Stone. Aran was confused by how she had reached that conclusion, to which Lilin explained that by piecing together information on the Heroes, she could predict which places were likely to have the Seal Stones before the Black Wings found out. As always, she told Aran to focus on training while she researched the Heroes and Tru looked into the Black Wings.

Third Job Advancement

Lilin called Aran to Rien once again. She explained that Maha had been acting strangely and suspected that he wanted to speak with her. In Rien, Maha told Aran that a thief had stolen a Red Jade that decorated the polearm. He believed that the thief had disguised themselves as a penguin in order to avoid detection, and that they were likely fleeing Rien as he spoke. Aran chased after the thief, which she discovered was a Thief Crow, and managed to defeat it. However, she forgot to recover the Red Jade and returned back to town. As Maha succumbed to hysterics, Aran asked Lilin what to do, as the Thief Crow had likely recovered from the battle and escaped with the jewel. Lilin believed that the Red Jade likely amplified Maha's powers, and so they needed to quickly make a replacement. She suggested that Aran visit the Mirror of Desire once again in order to find out how to craft the jewel. Through the mirror, Aran saw one of her memories, in which she encountered a Yeti named Tititi in El Nath. Tititi was crying, as a Thief Crow had stolen his Red Jade. After Aran recovered the jewel, Tititi gave it to her as a reward. Through the mirror, the present-day Aran was able to extract the Red Jade from her memories and affixed it back on the polearm. Maha was overjoyed by the return of his jewel and, with his powers amplified once again, he was able to bestow more of Aran's old power upon her.

The Seal Stone of Ellin Forest

Tru contacted Aran and told her that a crack in time had appeared in the Time Control Room of Ludibrium, which was rumored to lead centuries into the past when the Heroes were still active. Aran entered through the crack in time and arrived in Ellin Forest. Proceeding deeper into the forest, she arrived at Altaire Camp and met Loha, who assumed that she was a lost refugee and sent her to Athena Pierce. At the Camp Conference Room, Aran met with Athena and began to explain who she was, but Athena remained unconvinced of her identity, as Aran looked different and she was unable to remember Athena. Aran began explaining everything that had happened to her since awakening from the ice, and though Athena found it unbelievable, she could not deny that Aran's eyes and her manner of speaking suggested that she was telling the truth. Choosing to believe her, Athena introduced herself and told Aran about how the refugees of Leafre had crash-landed on Victoria Island and established Altaire Camp while searching for fertile lands in order to relocate to. She then asked Aran why she looked different, causing them both to realize that coming through the crack in time had likely changed her appearance. Athena then asked Aran whether she had come in search of her lost memories, but when Aran explained that she was looking for Seal Stones, Athena told her that she had been given a Seal Stone by the Heroes, which she was keeping locked in the library. After obtaining the storage key from Loha, Aran entered the library and encountered Hiver, who had also entered the crack of time. Before she could stop him, Hiver disappeared with the Seal Stone of Ellin Forest.

Athena apologized to Aran for not having better secured the Seal Stone, but Aran reassured her that it wasn't her fault. Athena then told her that she had also been given a letter by Aran of the past, which she recalled had mentioned something about the Seal Stones. However, when Aran tried to take the letter, it merely fell through her hands, which Athena found strange, as Aran had been able to take the storage key from Loha without any problems. Since she was an elf, and thus had a long lifespan, Athena suggested that she could keep the letter and instructed Aran to find her in the present day. After returning to her own time, Aran told Tru what had happened in Ellin Forest and asked him who Athena Pierce was. She was surprised to learn that Athena was one of the most famous people in Maple World, both as the instructor for bowmen and as an influential leader of Victoria Island. Aran went to the Bowman Instructional School, where she found that Baroq the Master of Disguise had knocked out Athena and was reading the letter. After Aran defeated him and saved Athena, she took the letter to Tru, who found that it was completely unreadable. They realized that it was written in code, and that since Baroq had already read it, the Black Wings likely already knew the contents of the letter. Tru told Aran that Lilin would be able to decipher it, and so Aran went to Rien and showed the letter to her. Lilin realized that the code was extremely complicated, with several layers of encryption. She asked Aran for some time to decipher it and told her to focus on training in the meantime.

The Seal Stone of Ereve

Soon after, Lilin told Aran that she had successfully deciphered the letter, which she learned had been written by the Heroes and given to Athena Pierce in order to pass on to the new Empress of Maple World. She told Aran that the letter simply said to take care of the Seal Stone of Ereve. As the Black Wings had read the letter, they likely knew of the Seal Stone's existence, and so Lilin asked Aran to warn the people of Ereve and told her to bring the letter as proof. Aran went to Ereve and met with Neinheart, who was surprised that Aran knew about the Seal Stone of Ereve, which was also known as Shinsoo's Teardrop. Nevertheless, he told Aran to leave, as not only was Ereve closed to foreigners, but he also didn't trust that Aran wasn't one of the Black Wings herself. Some time later, the Black Wings conducted an operation to try to steal the Seal Stone of Ereve. Baroq used his powers to disguise himself and infiltrate the island, but thanks to Aran's timely warning, Neinheart was prepared and mobilized the Cygnus Knights, who forced Baroq to retreat. Soon after, Neinheart asked Aran to come to Ereve. There, he personally thanked her for her actions and explained that he had initially mistrusted Aran because of her strange aura, but after thoroughly investigating her, he now understood her dynamic past.

Birth of an Alliance

Lilin contacted Aran and asked her to return to Rien. There, she excitedly showed Aran the invitation that the Cygnus Knights had given her and explained that it was proof that Ereve had recognized Aran as a true hero. Believing it best that Aran went with someone who recognized her as a hero, Lilin suggested that she ask Athena Pierce to accompany her, as she was a well-respected figure in Maple World. Aran asked Lilin if she would also come to the conference, but Lilin was unsure about whether she ought to be there. While she debated about going, Athena agreed to accompany Aran and told her that Mercedes would also be there. As Aran had lost her memories, she asked Athena who Mercedes was, to which she merely told Aran that Mercedes was a friend. Soon after, Lilin told Aran that she would come with them as well.

After receiving unanimous confirmations, the First Continental Conference took place and the Maple Alliance was officially created.

Fourth Job Advancement

As Aran continued her training, Lilin reached out and asked her to return to Rien, as Maha was behaving strangely. Aran rushed back to Rien and found that Maha was emanating dark energy. He explained that he had been frozen over the centuries, just as she had been, and that that the absence from his master had been too much for him, which had caused seeds of darkness to be planted in his heart. Though he had initially believed that the darkness would have gone away after Aran returned, Maha realized that its hold was too strong on him. He begged Aran to defeat him and return him back to normal before he went berserk. Aran then fought Maha and managed to subdue him. Maha thanked her for her help and explained that since she had proven herself to be strong enough to contain him, it was an indication that he could safely restore her full power. He then bestowed all her old skills and explained that she would return to full power once she fully mastered them.

The Adolescent Wolf

Soon after, Pucci reached out to her and asked if her wolf, Werewolf, which Aran had renamed Ryko, had been acting rebellious lately. He explained that wolves went through a type of puberty during their adolescent years, and that the ones who didn't go through puberty failed to grow properly. In order to get advice about how to help Ryko through his adolescence, Aran first visited Nanuke at Snowy Whale's Island, who offered to make a special formula for adolescent wolves. After bringing her Lime Powder Bottles, Ink Bottles, Butter-Toasted Squids, and special Puberty Wolf Vitamins from Kenta, Nanuke prepared the formula for her, which she then fed to Ryko. Aran then went to see Scadur, who told her that she needed to let Ryko run wild in order to get the rebellion out of his system. After bonding with Ryko by riding with him through the cold fields of El Nath, Ryko soon grew to become an adolescent wolf.

Temple of Time

While exploring the Temple of Time, Aran's memories were drained by Dodo. After being told by the Memory Keeper to return to where her adventure began, Aran decided to return to Rien and spoke with Lilin, who explained that the whole process of seeing Aran having lost her memories, but still keeping her spirit as a hero, as well as her gradually regaining her abilities, was a memory for her.

The Silver Wolf

After a long time, Pucci told Aran that a pack of wolves had shown up in Rien, having followed the rumors that she had picked up a lost wolf pup. Aran went to see the Head Wolf, who thanked her for taking care of Ryko, but asked that she return him back. Aran told him that Ryko was her friend, and so she couldn't give him up. In order to determine whether Aran was worthy of keeping Ryko, the Head Wolf administered a test to have Aran fight his Wolf Underlings. After she defeated them all, the Head Wolf was impressed by her power and allowed her to keep Ryko. However, he told her that they were Silver Wolves, who possessed Silver Blood. He explained that before becoming adults, Silver Wolves strengthened their hearts by drinking Life Water for Wolves, which was only found in their homeland. He warned that forgoing the ritual would result in serious consequences, and so Aran traveled to Leafre, the homeland of the Silver Wolves, and collected the Life Water for Wolves from the Skelegons, which Ryko then drank in order to evolve into an adult.

The Wolf's Evolution

Maha told her that he could sense an incredible force trailing her and asked if there was someone extremely powerful with her. Aran returned to Rien and Maha immediately recognized that the energy was coming from Ryko, who had grown strong as a Silver Wolf alongside its master. He told her that the wolf was ready for its awakening, but when Aran told him that she didn't remember how to do it, Maha used his powers to awaken the wolf for her. He then told her that Ryko was the strongest wolf in history, even stronger than the one that she had ridden centuries ago. He explained that the wolf that she had ridden in the past was also called Ryko, and that he had thought that she had given him the same name deliberately.

Final Quest

Maha reached out to Aran through their mental link and asked her to return to Rien. There, he told her that though she still didn't have all her memories, she was worthy of receiving his blessing, which signified the full return of her powers.

Fifth Job Advancement

Upon entering the Erda Flow and meeting with the Goddess of Maple World, the Goddess asks the player what it is that they cherish most in the world. Aran gets to choose between the other Heroes or Lilin.

Riena Strait

After completing Riena Strait, Aran gets exclusive dialogue that follows Lilin's dialogue for regular classes. Lilin tells Aran that in order to help people come together and protect what they love, they need a hero like Aran. She explains that heroes are symbols of hope who have the power to bring people together, and that with Aran on their side, they all have that hope. Lilin then jokingly asks Aran if she's scared before laughing that there's no way that it could be true with she's Aran. She then gets flustered when Aran points out that she had just smiled. She tells Aran not to look at her like that and orders her to get back to training.

Attack on Rien

Soon after Phantom's return, the Black Wings discovered that the Seal Stone of Victoria Island was being guarded in Rien and launched an attack. Thanks to the efforts of Aran, Phantom, and the penguin warriors, the Black Wings were successfully repelled.

Meeting Shade

Aran was informed by Athena Pierce that an old friend wanted to meet her. At Riena Strait, Aran met Shade, who asked whether she remembered him. Aran apologized and explained that she had lost her memories, though she was trying hard to get them back. Shade told her about the last time that they had seen each other in the Temple of Time, when she had told him to go on to fight the Black Mage while she covered him. Aran realized that they must have entrusted each other to watch their backs, and as warriors only showed their backs to their friends, she asked if they had been friends in the past. Shade told her that they were, but Aran apologized and explained that she still couldn't remember him. However, she promised that she would come find him once her memories returned, to which Shade told her that he would be waiting. He also shared one of his memories of her and Mercedes making lots of food. Though most of it hadn't been good, he promised that he would eat her cooking again if they ever got the chance, though he asked her to use less sugar next time.

Mirror World

While Alpha and Beta were undertaking a monk examination while searching for the Goddess Teardrops, So Gong told them that the Aran of Mirror World had finished their training course in half the time it had taken the twins.

Ellin Forest

When Wiz explains that Ellin Forest had existed centuries ago, Aran gets some exclusive dialogue, in which she notes that she hadn't been able to do a thorough search when she had first visited because she had been looking for the Seal Stone of Ellin Forest, but she wonders whether returning there will help her regain her memories.

When Karen initially refuses to allow the player through the Temporal Gate, Aran gets exclusive dialogue, in which she tells Karen that she's from that time period, and that she's lost her memories of it, which is why she wants to go back there and see what kind of a person she really was.

Upon meeting Yuris, Aran will introduce herself by name. However, Yuris dismisses her as a follower of the Heroes who's impersonating the real Aran.

When Perzen doesn't recognize Aran as one of the Heroes, she will wonder whether she might have been erased from history, but she notes that Perzen clearly still remembers the existence of the Heroes themselves.

When the player meets Athena Pierce in Ellin Forest, Aran will express her surprise that even Athena doesn't recognize her, despite having met before. However, Athena will later tell Perzen that she's met Aran before, and that she recognizes Aran, despite her appearance being completely different from last time.

After returning back to Wiz, Aran will explain how she had been perceived differently, to which Wiz speculates that the will of the world might have altered their appearances in order to prevent paradoxes.

Heliseum Reclamation HQ

Aran gets some exclusive dialogue when confronting Magnus during the Heliseum Reclamation HQ storyline. When Aran arrives at the throne room, Magnus is surprised to see a hero of Maple World fighting in Grandis for the Nova. He then adds that seeing an old enemy after so long brings back memories and declares that he'll finish them off, which transitions into their battle.

Friend Story

In the special scene for Chapter 4: Cassandra's Tales of Totally Shocking Stuff, accessible only through a replay of the story, the player will encounter Lilin. Aran gets exclusive dialogue when she meets Lilin, in which she notes that the girl, whose name she doesn't know, looks a lot like Lilin from Maple World.

Silent Crusade (Post-Remaster)

Note: The Silent Crusade storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the KMS Spring 2023 Update.

When the player is confronted by Arkarium's snake minions, Aran gets exclusive dialogue, in which the snake minions call her directly by her name and thank her for buying Arkarium time.

Aran gets an exclusive script when she encounters Maha in the past. After encountering Maha floating over her unconscious past self, she expresses her shock at seeing him, while Maha is shocked to see two Arans and wonders whether it's another trap of the Black Mage. Aran tells him that she's come from the future after traveling back through the crack in time created by Arkarium. Maha is relieved to hear that she's from the future, as it means that she won't die from her injuries in the present. Though Aran is surprised that Arkarium hasn't gone back further, she decides to help Maha first. Maha tells her about his plan to seal her past self on Rien and asks her to collect the broken polearm pieces. After Aran collects them, he thanks her and jokes that it seems as though his master really can be useful once in a while. Aran retorts by asking him whether she needs to remind him who the boss is around here, to which Maha tells her not to get grumpy with him, adding that she's just not seeing things from every angle. After he asks her to find Afrien, Aran notes that what had been a brief moment in time for her must have been centuries to him. She then apologizes to him, regretting that things could have been different if she had been stronger. Maha then blesses Aran with one of her old skills, “Regained Memory”, and bestows her with a chair called “Chair of Aran the Guardian”.

Aran also gets an exclusive script when she encounters Afrien in the past. Afrien recognizes her and notes that she looks well. Aran greets Afrien and replies that it's been a while. Afrien agrees with her, adding that it's been several centuries in her case, revealing that he knows that she's come from the future. He asks her how she managed to go back in time, as he had believed that such a feat would be impossible. Aran tells him that she had come through a crack in time created by Arkarium, and that she hadn't expected to see him while working to stop Arkarium's plot, which she explains is to eliminate the Heroes in the past. Afrien notes that it made sense, given that Arkarium was a Guardian of Time, though he adds that he hasn't seen Arkarium around. After he casts a protective barrier around them, he asks for a favor and explains that while she may already know, there was a young Onyx Dragon who had survived the Black Mage's curse while inside its egg. As the egg had been lost during the battle, and as Leafre was filled with dangerous monsters, he asks Aran to find it and return it back to him. After Aran brings the egg back, Afrien thanks her and explains that her courage provides a powerful shield. He adds that even after centuries, he finds himself in admiration of her, explaining that the Onyx Dragons owe her a debt that they can never repay. Aran tells him that there's no need for such a sappy thanks, as friends naturally help one another. Afrien then tells her that the child was meant to be protected by Freud, though he fears that she and Freud may never meet again, as such events simply aren't to be. However, Aran replies that it's enough that she got to see him one more time. He then tells her that they need to see to Mercedes' safety, whose energy is fading. Aran offers to lend her strength to Mercedes, to which Afrien calls her noble as always. After Aran heals Mercedes with the crystal, Afrien thanks her and explains that the Heroes will awaken one day. He then asks her to investigate a dark presence at the Temple of Time.

Silent Crusade (Pre-Remaster)

Aran gets an exclusive script when she encounters Maha in the past. After encountering Maha floating over her unconscious past self, she expresses her shock at seeing him, while Maha is shocked to see two Arans and wonders whether it's another trap of the Black Mage. Aran tells him that she's come from the future after traveling back through the crack in time created by Arkarium. Maha is relieved to hear that Aran came from the future, as it means that she won't die from her injuries in the present. He then tells her about his plan to seal her past self on Rien and asks her to collect the broken polearm pieces. After Aran collects them, he thanks her and jokes that it seems as though his master really can be useful once in a while. Aran retorts by asking him whether she needs to remind him who the boss is around here, to which Maha tells her not to get grumpy with him, adding that she's just not seeing things from every angle. After he asks her to find Afrien, Aran notes that what had been a brief moment in time for her must have been centuries to him. She then apologizes to him, regretting that things could have been different if she had been stronger. Maha then blesses Aran with one of her old skills, “Regained Memory”, and bestows her with a chair called “Chair of Aran the Guardian”.

Aran also gets an exclusive script when she encounters Afrien in the past. Afrien recognizes her and notes that she looks well. Aran greets Afrien and replies that it's been a while. Afrien agrees with her, adding that it's been several centuries in her case, revealing that he knows that she's come from the future. He asks her how she managed to go back in time, as he had believed that such a feat would be impossible. Aran explains that she had come through a crack in time created by Arkarium, and that she hadn't expected to see him while working to stop Arkarium's plot. Afrien then tells her that while she may already know, there was a young Onyx Dragon who had survived the Black Mage's curse while inside its egg. As the egg had been lost during the battle, and as Leafre was filled with dangerous monsters, he asked Aran to find it and return it back to him. After Aran brings the egg back, Afrien thanks her and explains that her courage provides a powerful shield. He adds that even after centuries, he finds himself in admiration of her, explaining that the Onyx Dragons owe her a debt that they can never repay. Aran tells him that there's no need for such a sappy thanks, as friends help one another. Afrien then tells her that the child was meant to be protected by Freud, though he fears that she and Freud may never meet again, as such events were simply not to be. However, Aran replies that it's enough that she got to see him one more time. He then tells her that they need to see to Mercedes' safety, whose energy is fading. Aran offers to lend her strength to Mercedes, to which Afrien calls her noble as always. After Aran heals Mercedes with the crystal, Afrien thanks her and explains that the Heroes will awaken one day. He then asks her to investigate a dark presence at the Temple of Time.

Black Heaven

The morning of the operation, Lilin was overseeing Aran's training exercises. She told Aran that the battle was the perfect opportunity to see how well her training had paid off. When Aran stopped to agree, Lilin told Aran that she hadn't been told to stop. Aran continued practicing her polearm swings until she hit 835 before Lilin finally told her that it was good enough. As Aran collapsed in fatigue, Lilin told Aran that she expected her to reach 1000 after boarding the Lumiere, though she added that it was a shame that she couldn't come with Aran and watch her fight. She then told Aran not to wear herself out, as it was her first aerial fight. Aran laughed and asked Lilin whether she was worried about her, to which Lilin reminded Aran that she sometimes got overeager and told her to hurt the enemies, not herself. She then warned Aran that if she hurt herself, her training regime would be increased to 10,000 polearm swings a day.

After Athena Pierce and the player fight their way to the main deck, Athena gives a word of encouragement to the player as they charge into battle, which depends on their class. For Aran, Athena tells her to show the enemies the power of a hero.

Heroes of Maple (Post-Remaster)

Main article: Heroes of Maple

Note: The Heroes of Maple storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the Dreamer Update.

After Afrien's death, Evan met with Aran on Rien, where he found Aran furiously attacking a block of ice in frustration of not having done anything to stop the demon army. After learning that Evan was reuniting the Heroes to follow Freud's message and find Abraxas, Aran joined the others in Ereve. Together, they deduced from Freud's message that one of their comrades had been erased by the sealing spell. Having felt a strange sense of kinship with Shade during Black Heaven, the Heroes met with Shade and reunited with him once again. While Evan, Mercedes, and Luminous sought out Abraxas, Aran traveled to Turtle Island with Phantom and Shade in order to confront Damien. However, Damien and his demon army headed for the ruins of Abraxas just as they arrived.

Just then, the Demon arrived and revealed to Aran and the others about his relationship Damien and his intention to stop his brother. The Heroes then rushed to the ruins of Abraxas in order to reinforce the others, claiming the airship and fleeing before learning about the Abyss Crystal from a message left behind by Freud, who revealed that it was a dark substance created from the Black Mage's awakening as the dark Transcendent of Light, capable of stealing the power of higher beings. Having used the crystal to take the power of time from Rhinne, the Black Mage had sealed it away in a subspace between Maple World and a parallel world within their dimension called Friends World. With the barrier between worlds having been broken by Elwin, the Heroes traveled to Friends World in order to claim the Abyss Crystal first, though Damien and his demon army followed them and claimed the crystal first, Damien then absorbed the crystal into his Sword of Destruction and used it to take Alicia's power for himself. Together, Aran and the other Heroes defeated Damien with the help of the Demon, putting an end to his ambitions. In order to restore back the world's vitality stolen by Damien, the Heroes shattered the Abyss Crystal, scattering Alicia's life force in order to save Maple World.

In the credits, Aran is shown laughing at the missing section of the mural depicting the Heroes sealing the Black Mage, much to Shade's embarrassment.

Heroes of Maple (Pre-Remaster)

Main article: Heroes of Maple

During the events of Black Heaven, Aran and Shade grew close and became sparring partners. When Aran and Shade were training, they received news of Lilin being kidnapped by the demon army. Aran brought Shade to Turtle Island and met up with Evan and Mir. Aran broke a large ice wall and fought several troops in the demon army, with Shade as a backup, in order to save Lilin. The group soon found Afrien being corrupted by Damien. Aran briefly fought against Damien, who branded Maha with his mark. With Maha's power disrupted from Damien's attack, Aran promised to meet Evan at the Sanctum of Abraxas later on after repairing her polearm. After Maha was healed, Aran and Shade fought the demon army from the other side of the sanctum, which took them a long time to reach the other Heroes. The group eventually escaped the demon army when Evan activated the Eye of Abraxas, an ancient airship left behind at the ruins. Aboard the ship, the Heroes found a message left behind by Freud, who revealed the existence of the Transcendence Stone, a primordial substance capable of controlling or destroying a Transcendent, which existed somewhere in Friends World. Hoping to claim it before the Black Mage, the Heroes traveled to Friends World - with the barrier between worlds broken by Elwin - and attempted to recover it. While Phantom, Mercedes, and Luminous carried out the operation, Aran, Evan, and Mir stayed behind in the airship and discussed Shade's curse, which prevented him from crossing dimensions to Friends World with them.

However, the Heroes soon came under attack by Damien's forces, who were aiming to delay the Heroes by destroying the airship. Aran and Evan managed to escape the crashing airship and met up with the other Heroes, with Shade using a inter-dimensional communication system to contact them from Maple World. With Damien having taken the Transcendence Stone and claimed Alicia's power for himself, Aran and the other Heroes returned to Maple World and stopped him with the help of the Demon. In order to restore back the world's vitality stolen by Damien, the Heroes shattered the Transcendence Stone, scattering Alicia's life force in order to save Maple World.

In the credits, Aran is shown laughing at the missing section of the mural depicting the Heroes sealing the Black Mage, much to Shade's embarrassment.

Vanishing Journey

After the player defeats Arma, Kao will speak to the player while being carried through the cave. Aran asks where Kao has left Maha. Kao explains that thought she can't be sure, she believes that Maha has ceased to exist. She recalls how Maha was there with her for her entire life, but after losing him and seeing how she's fallen after losing her memories and her power, she believes that she no longer has the right to fight anymore.

Yum Yum Island

Upon encountering the Afrien fusion, Aran will recognize that the creature is made from Afrien's Erdas. While fighting it, she notes to herself that despite the fusion's power, it's still nowhere near Afrien's strength.

Esfera

Upon seeing the memory of Will capturing Tana, Aran gets some exclusive dialogue, in which she notes that the closer they get to the Black Mage, the more Commanders they find that hadn't been there centuries ago. She wonders how long the Black Mage has been laying the groundwork for all this and notes that they need Freud now more than ever.

After Will tells the player about the Black Mage's words that "the ultimate light can only be found in the ultimate darkness", Aran wonders whether Luminous might know anything about it.

Upon learning that the power of creation is mastery over Erda, Aran wonders whether the light that Tana uses is different from that which Luminous uses.

Labyrinth of Suffering

After Cygnus tells Neinheart that she will lead the fleet into Tenebris in the Adversary's place, Aran gets exclusive dialogue, in which she senses the Empress' resolve and notes that though it's been a long journey, she'll finally meet the Black Mage soon.

As darkness begins to fall around the fleet as they approach Tenebris, Aran will wish that Luminous was there with them. She then realizes that if Luminous had cast a light, then it would be visible ahead, making her realize that something might have happened on his end.

When the player first meets with Azalin - Hilla disguised as a Night Walker - she notes how incredible it is that all the legendary Heroes who had once sealed the Black Mage away have returned, adding that she's honored to be with them as they make history. She tells Aran that she seems as energetic as ever, despite how much time has passed, which surprises her, as she would've imagined that the long fight would be exhausting for Aran. She then jokingly asks Aran if she's feeling rested because she's been sealed away for so long. Aran demands to know what she means by that, to which Azalin interrupts and asks if she's touched a nerve before saying that she had merely been thinking out loud. Aran then angrily wonders to herself whether Azalin had really had the audacity to cut her off.

After the Adversary collapses into despair as a result of Hilla's machinations, they pass out in a void of darkness within their own mind. As their morale and strength threaten to diminish completely, the mysterious divine light speaks to them in the form of someone close to them and provides them motivation to continue. For Aran, the voice of Freud asks her why she risks her life to save others. Aran tells Freud that it's because everyone is that precious to her, to which Freud asks her why she cares so much for Maple World, which is nothing like her home, and what her purpose is. Aran replies that Maple World is the home where her loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Freud asks her if she can remember what she needs to do now, to which Aran begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that she couldn't protect anyone. She adds that there's nothing that she can do, and that she's completely helpless, as even before, she had barely managed to seal the Black Mage, who had still come back in the end. She then asks what else she can do now, to which Freud tells her to open her eyes and see for herself, explaining that even if Hilla covers her eyes, she can never cover the truth. Freud asks her to open her eyes, get up, and do what she has to do, telling her to keep moving forward, just as she had done before. He then tells her that all roads exist inside her heart, and to never forget that. He adds that the memories of them all will live on forever, and that he'll always be with her. As the voice fades away, Aran recognizes the voice as belonging to Freud.

Limina

When the Adversary faces the Black Mage, he tells them that their path has always been preordained. In response to his words, Aran vows that she'll transcend the destiny that he's created to put an end to their long history.

After the Adversary scatters into Erda after killing the Black Mage, they awaken in the Erda Flow, where the White Mage thanks them for putting an end to the battle and helping him liberate the world from the influence of the Overseers. After the conversation, the Adversary will return back to the real world. As they do, the White Mage will give them a unique title based on their class; the title he gives to Aran is "Undying Warrior".

After the final battle, the Adversary will return back to the Outpost and speak with Neinheart and the other leaders of the Alliance. For Aran, Neinheart tells her that everyone in Maple World is grateful to her. Cygnus notes that Aran has been keeping Maple World safe for so long, and now, she's saved the world from the greatest threat that they've ever faced. She then thanks Aran and vows that the Alliance will continue protecting the world that Aran has given everything to save.

Aftermath

After a large celebration party, Evan unexpectedly decided to visit Freud's birthplace, where he found that the other Heroes were also there. Evan was surprised, as they had told him that they had ‘other stuff' to do and had sent him off like a child. Aran laughed and explained that she had changed her mind, but that it had been worth the trip to see the baffled look on his face. Mercedes told Aran not to make fun of Evan, reminding her that he had helped them save the world. Luminous noted that it appeared as though they all had the same ‘stuff' to do. Just then, Phantom appeared in a flash and saw that they had beaten him, though he declared that the star of the show always appeared last. Mercedes snapped that he was meant to be at another extravagant party, but Evan broke up the fight and told them that with Phantom, all the Heroes were there. As Phantom began smiling, Mercedes asked him what he was smiling about, to which he noted the irony of the grand Heroes who had defeated the Black Mage celebrating in an abandoned shack to mope about their long-lost companion. Mercedes then suggested watching the moon and stars, which were visible from the broken roof. They wondered whether Freud had ever watched the sky as they had, but Phantom pointed out that there likely hadn't been a hole in the roof while Freud had still lived there. Aran mentioned that she recalled how Freud had many holes in his roof, and that he had been too lazy to fix them. Shade countered that Freud wasn't so much lazy as he was content with the feeling of a rundown cottage. The Heroes then looked back fondly on Freud and his eccentric ways. Soon after, they all prepared to leave when Evan asked when they would see each other again. The Heroes reassured him that they were like family, and that they would see each other again at the next crisis, as they were Maple World's greatest heroes.

Later in Rien, Aran arrived to visit Lilin, who was surprised to see her, since Aran was supposed to be at a party. Aran told Lilin that she'd already had her fill of fun and had figured that Lilin could use the company, as Lilin didn't have a cat or any other pet. Lilin told Aran that she wasn't a lonely, doddering old woman and told Aran that just because she had helped defeat the Black Mage, it didn't mean that she could get lazy and fall out of shape, to which Aran laughed that she couldn't let her gorgeously sculpted muscles go to waste. Lilin asked if that meant that she had come to train, which Aran confirmed, adding that she wanted to thank Lilin as well, which took Lilin aback. Aran explained that even though everyone was giving her credit for defeating the Black Mage, her friends were the real reason why she had won, as their determination had given her the strength that she had needed. She told Lilin that she had always been her biggest supporter and explained that she couldn't have done any of it without her. Lilin was left speechless as she blinked back tears before telling Aran to get to training. Aran laughed and told Lilin not to pretend as though she wasn't touched, as she could plainly see her tears. However, Lilin told Aran that she was mistaken, claiming that the wind had merely blown a snowflake on her face. Aran smiled before heading out to train alone. After Aran left, Lilin spoke aloud that she would always need Aran, who had appeared to save the day just when she had been about to give up hope. She then added that she was grateful for every day that she got to spend with Aran.

Cernium

Upon reading about how the Overseers had originally created the Seal Stones as the Godspheres, Aran gets some exclusive dialogue, in which she realizes that Freud hadn't created the Seal Stones out of nothing. She then wonders whether he had drawn out the divine power that had permeated into the land after the end of the war.

Arteria

Before the Adversary leaves to rescue Cygnus, Shinsoo calls to the Adversary and addresses them with a unique title based on their class; the title she gives to Aran is "Hero of Maple World".

Trivia

• Aran was depicted male in the class's initial release. Aran was later shown as female in the Age of Battle trailer, which became canon.
  • Both the male and female version of Aran could originally be found in-game throughout the years until her story revamp in the Milestone Update standardized her appearances as female throughout the game. Nevertheless, a male version of Aran can still be seen in an animated cutscene that plays during Phantom's tutorial.
  • In the original Explorer storyline, if the player is a warrior, they talk to Lilin about Aran, who asks about Aran's gender. This choice determines the gender of Aran that appears in the same quest. As a joke to Aran's constantly switching gender, one of the three options is simply "Aran".
• An interesting dynamic between her and Shade's stories is that while Aran lost her memories of everyone she knew, everyone Shade knew lost their memories of him.