Azwan/Story

AreaStory

Story (Post-Remaster)

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

Entering the City

Following the formation of the Alliance, Neinheart summoned an Alliance member in order to assign them their first official mission. He explained that though they might be wondering whether it was too early for the Alliance to begin undertaking missions so soon after its formation, the war against the Black Mage was just beginning, and that they needed to prepare immediately. He explained that amongst the Black Mage's forces, the Commanders were those with the greatest power, and that the Alliance was tracking their movements. As the Commanders were formidable and dangerous, with the possibility of there being even more new Commanders in the future, Neinheart asked the Alliance member to lend their strength to the Alliance's investigation, as he believed that only someone as strong as them could handle any unexpected situations that may arise.After giving them a report on the known Commanders, Neinheart told the Alliance member that he expected a great deal from them, as they were one of the strongest members of the Alliance.

He then began explaining that the lost city of Azwan had recently reappeared. He revealed that Azwan was the hometown of Hilla, who was said to have destroyed Azwan and offered it to the Black Mage after she had become a Commander. Because of this, he believed that there may be clues about Hilla in the lost city, for which he tasked the Alliance member with their first mission to assist the Cygnus Knights with their investigation of Azwan. The Alliance member traveled to Ariant, where they encountered a group of citizens listening to the song of a wandering dancer. The dancer told them that her song was quite popular in Ariant and revealed that it spoke of an elixir of everlasting youth hidden somewhere amongst the ruins of Azwan, adding that Queen Areda of Ariant had already sent people on a mission to obtain it.

Wondering whether the rumors were true, the Alliance member traveled to the ruins of Azwan, where they met a Cygnus Knight named Gardin. Gardin told the Alliance member that the Knights had set up a base camp near an obelisk that led into the underground city, though progress had been halted by a magical barrier that prevented anyone from entering. He explained that the rumors of the elixir had caused droves of grave robbers to swarm the city, and that he worried that they would make the situation worse. Suspecting that they were using a secret passageway, Gardin asked the Alliance member to investigate where the grave robbers were coming from. The Alliance member began exploring the nearby area and soon came across a secret passageway that led underground into the city. After entering Azwan, they came across a pair of grave robbers and hid behind several boxes in order to eavesdrop. They then overheard the two soldiers, who had been sent by Queen Areda, discussing whether the elixir of everlasting youth was actually real. The pair agreed that it hardly mattered when Areda would claim it for herself after using them to do her dirty work. Then then shuddered at the thought of having to serve an immortal Areda for all eternity.

One of the soldiers suggested that he ought to drink the elixir instead, claiming that he was much better looking than Areda. However, the other soldier claimed that he himself was more handsome. The two then began to bicker as the bewildered Alliance member wondered why the two guards were arguing about who looked better when they were identical twins. Just then, a third identical guard appeared and claimed that his face was the one that was truly handsome, causing the Alliance member to realize that they were triplets. The third soldier then reported that just as he had thought, the barrier only prevented access to the upper parts of the city, while the underground passageways allowed them entry through the lower parts, meaning that they only needed to drill a hole and climb up to the upper city. Realizing that they couldn't allow the grave robbers to find the elixir, the Alliance member revealed themselves and quickly defeated the grave robbers before using their equipment to climb into the upper city.

Hilla's Tower

The Alliance member soon reached a refuge, where the ghosts of King Iason, Prime Minister Longorias, and Shamaness Medina were shocked to find that someone from the outside world had managed to circumvent the barrier and invade the city. The Alliance member quickly reassured them that they hadn't come to harm them, to which a surprised Medina noted that she couldn't sense Hilla's energy in them. As Longorias wondered whether another faction which they didn't know about had appeared, Medina decided to speak properly with the Alliance member in order to learn their intentions.

Medina asked the Alliance member why they had come to Azwan, noting that the city had already fallen, leaving only souls with nowhere to go. She then introduced herself as a Shamaness of Azwan and explained that she was responsible for maintaining that barrier that prevented their souls from being taken by the Black Mage. She revealed that when Hilla had offered Azwan to the Black Mage, the people of the city had had their souls stolen and turned into monsters, while the survivors had hidden behind the barrier, unable to leave its boundaries without their souls being taken as well.

The Alliance member then revealed that they had entered the city through the underground passageway, causing Medina to wonder how they had survived the monsters which were attacking the kingdom. The Alliance member replied that there were no monsters currently attacking, likely because the Black Mage had already been sealed centuries ago. This news stunned Medina, who was shocked to learn that hundreds of years had already passed, and that the Black Mage had already been sealed and unsealed in that time. After processing the Alliance member's story, Medina realized that she and the other souls of Azwan must not have realized just how much time had passed, as the passage of time meant little to ghosts.

Realizing that they had a common enemy, Medina offered to help the Alliance member gather information about Hilla. She explained that Hilla was living in a large tower to the east, as the people of Azwan had constructed it for her with the belief that the great Shamaness should pray to the heavens from high up. However, she warned them that Hilla was quite dangerous, as she had already been the most powerful Shamaness in Azwan history before receiving even more power from the Black Mage. Fearing that even a scouting mission would prove too dangerous, Medina decided to accompany the Alliance member and protect them with her own power as a Shamaness of Azwan. Immediately upon entering the tower, however, the Alliance member found themselves in total darkness, unable to see anything around them, including Medina. Worried that Hilla may have done something to her, the Alliance member attempted to look for her, though they soon realized that they appeared to be walking endlessly through the darkness of the tower.

As they continued onward, they soon saw a shape in the distance, but upon coming close to it, the darkness in the room lifted, revealing Hilla standing before them. The Alliance member immediately demanded to know what she had done with Medina, to which Hilla revealed that she had already eliminated her, noting that Medina had grow quite arrogant to enter her tower so brazenly, despite her having once been Hilla's favorite. Upon seeing the Alliance member's expression, Hilla laughed and told them not to look at her like that, pointing out that Medina had already been dead anyways. She then declared that the Alliance member would soon be dead as well, as there could be no living people in the city of the dead. She then used her powers to paralyze the Alliance member, who collapsed on the ground in pain. As Hilla told them to close their eyes and become another ghost of Azwan, the voice of Medina broke through as the Shamaness appeared before them and helped them back up to their feet.

The surprised Alliance member asked Medina how she had survived, as Hilla had claimed that she had already eliminated her. However, a confused Medina asked them what they were talking about, as she hadn't even met Hilla, who wasn't in the tower at all. Medina revealed that the Hilla standing near them was just an illusion, and that the Alliance member had fallen under her spell from the moment they had entered the tower. In order to prove her words, Medina used a spell of truth upon the illusion of Hilla, which quickly scattered away and disappeared. She then noted that it was fortunate that the Alliance member hadn't lost their will, as she wouldn't have been able to break the illusion otherwise.

The pair then returned back to the refuge, where Medina told them that Hilla's specialty had always been illusion magic, and that she had cast a spell to create an illusion of herself inside the tower. She noted that Hilla's powers were quite terrifying, as her illusions – strengthened even further with the Black Mage's power – were capable of deceiving her victims, eroding their will, and even taking their lives. However, she then realized that the fact that Hilla had created an illusion of herself in the tower meant that the real Hilla was likely somewhere else in Maple World. She noted that Hilla wouldn't be easy to stop, for while she had once been beloved by all of Azwan, she had ruthlessly sacrificed them all for her own selfish desires.

She then told the Alliance member that without Hilla in the tower, there was no point in maintaining the barrier. However, she explained that she was worried about what Hilla might do in the outside world. Recalling how the Alliance member had mentioned that they were part of an alliance against the Black Mage, Medina noted that it was fortunate that such a group had appeared over the centuries, as many had lost their lives in the past because nobody could come together against a common foe. Though she admitted that there was little that they could do as ghosts, Medina promised that the souls of Azwan would do whatever they could to help, and that she would lift the barrier to allow the Alliance entry for their investigation.

The Elixir of Youth

The Alliance member told Medina that they were grateful, though they wondered whether lifting the barrier was safe with so many grave robbers around. Medina was surprised to learn that there were many in search of the Elixir of Youth, revealing that there was no such treasure in Azwan, as Hilla would never have betrayed Azwan for eternal youth if such a thing already existed in the city. The Alliance member then decided to speak with Gardin, who was shocked to learn that they had found themselves in such a situation and noted that they should have requested for assistance. Nevertheless, he was relieved to know that the Alliance had such a powerful ally, adding that the Alliance member was quite amazing. He then told the Alliance member that the Cygnus Knights had been investigating the Elixir of Youth in order to curb the number of grave robbers entering the city, and that they had discovered that a small number of elixirs were in circulation. As the Alliance member had determined that there was no real Elixir of Youth, Gardin asked them to figure out what exactly was being sold in Ariant.

Back in town, the Alliance member defeated several grave robbers and obtained an elixir, which they brought back to Gardin. Though he wondered whether they ought to send it to Ereve for analysis, Gardin realized that it would be more helpful to have a Shamaness like Medina look at it. The Alliance member brought the elixir to Medina, who noted that there was an inscription upon the elixir: “The loss of beauty across this fair world so saddens me. I have in my possession the power of immortality, which I shall grant to only the most beautiful souls,” noting that it had also been signed by Hilla herself. Though she wondered whether Hilla had really obtained eternal youth from the Black Mage, Medina analyzed the elixir and learned that it had been created from Hilla's powerful illusion magic, which actually extracted obsession and insanity that hid inside the drinker's heart. Medina suspected that the rumors about the elixir had been started by Hilla herself in order to spread the effects of the elixir and urged the Alliance member to inform the Alliance about Hilla's conspiracy. She warned them that Hilla's power of illusion was deadly, and that her Shamaness' intuition told her that they would someday have to face Hilla and her dark magic.

The Alliance member then spoke with Gardin, who thanked them for the information and explained that the Alliance would work to confiscate the elixirs and warn Areda, who was obsessed with finding everlasting youth. After reporting to Gardin, the Alliance member returned to Ereve and told him about what had happened in Azwan. Neinheart was disturbed to know that his suspicions about Hilla being active in Maple World had been confirmed, though he nevertheless thanked the Alliance member for their help. He told them that the Alliance would continue their investigation, and he they would call upon them when they were next needed, though he asked them to share any new information about the Black Mage that they uncovered in the meantime.

Soon after, Gardin visited Areda at her palace and heavily emphasized to her that there was no such thing as an Elixir of Youth. However, Areda merely waved away his concerns and dismissively told him that she understood before ordering him to leave, claiming that the silk merchants for her new slippers were about to arrive. After Gardin took his leave, Hilla – disguised as the wandering dancer – entered the palace and asked her whether she really believed Gardin's words. Areda replied that it was clear to her that the Alliance was merely attempting to monopolize all the elixirs for themselves. As she fumed in annoyance at the thought of the Alliance having confiscated so many, Hilla placated her by assuring the queen that she was at her service.

Areda noted that it was fortunate that Hilla was there, lambasting her grave robbers for being useless compared to a wandering dancer. Hilla then presented an elixir to Areda, who greedily drank it and noted that she could already feel the power of everlasting youth flowing into her. In exchange, she promised to give Hilla enough gold to set her for life, to which Hilla thanked her before leaving the palace. As she did, she lifted the illusion on her form, changing her brown hair back to red, laughing at the chaos and confusion that she had just created.

Story (Pre-Remaster)

Fight for Azwan

At the behest of the deceased citizens of Azwan, the Alliance launched its forces in order to liberate the city from Hilla. They succeeded in taking back Azwan and driving Hilla out, thus gaining access to the lost city's countless treasures. After Hilla's disappearance, it was believed that she had left Maple World for good. Soon after, an Alliance member met a wandering mystic who told them a rumor about an elixir of everlasting youth that Hilla had left behind in the ruins of Azwan, as well as the fact that Queen Areda of Ariant had already sent people on a mission to obtain it. The Alliance member traveled to the ruins of Azwan, where they met an Alliance soldier named Gardin. Gardin was exasperated to know that the Alliance member had been sent by the wandering mystic, whom he explained had been spreading rumors of the elixir all across Maple World, causing droves of people to swarm the ruins. He then suggested that the Alliance member visit Medina, the Shamaness of Azwan, though he warned that she would appear different from what they might expect.

Inside the castle ruins, the Alliance member encountered Medina, whom they were surprised to see was a ghost. Medina explained that Iason, the ghostly King of Azwan, had been reluctant to allow foreign armies to come to Azwan, and so she had been looking for help on her own. She told the Alliance member that the rumor of the elixir had been causing people to pour into Azwan, and that she believed that Hilla was trying to amass her forces in order to bring an evil scheme to fruition. Fearing that the same fate as Azwan would befall Ariant, Medina told the Alliance member how Hilla's quest for everlasting youth had caused the ancient kingdom to fall into ruin, as well as the fact that she likely planned to use those who sought immortality for her own schemes. She then directed the Alliance member to Longorias, the Prime Minister, who tasked them with tracking down several trespassers who had been accessing the underground passageways.

The Elixir of Youth

The Alliance member entered the passageways and cleared out a horde of grave robbers before encountering two soldiers. Realizing that they were different from the grave robbers, the Alliance member hid behind several boxes and began to eavesdrop. They then overheard the two soldiers, who had been sent by Queen Areda, discussing whether the elixir of everlasting youth was actually real. The pair agreed that it hardly mattered when Areda would claim it for herself after using them to do her dirty work. Then then shuddered at the thought of having to serve an immortal Areda for all eternity. One of the soldiers suggested that he ought to drink the elixir instead, claiming that he was much better looking than Areda. However, the other soldier claimed that he himself was more handsome. The two then began to bicker as the bewildered Alliance member wondered why the two guards were arguing about who looked better when they were identical twins.

Just then, a third identical guard appeared and claimed that his face was the one that was truly handsome, causing the Alliance member to realize that they were triplets. The third soldier then reported that he had found the elixir. The Alliance member began to head out to let Medina know what they had discovered, but they were quickly spotted by the triplets. After defeating them, the Alliance member picked up the elixir and noted that it had been marked with ancient Azwan writings. The Alliance member brought the elixir back to Medina, who sensed Hilla's evil energy within the potion. She then translated the inscription as, “The loss of beauty across this fair world so saddens me. I have in my possession the power of immortality, which I shall grant to only the most beautiful souls,” noting that it had also been signed by Hilla herself.

After analyzing the components of the potion, however, Medina learned that it actually extracted obsession and insanity that hid inside the drinker's heart. She then thanked the Alliance member for preventing Hilla's scheme from coming to fruition and asked them to let the Alliance know about the potion. The Alliance member spoke with Gardin, who thanked them for the information and promised to place more guards around the passages in order to prevent anyone else from entering. Two days later, however, Hilla entered Ariant Castle while disguised as the wandering mystic and presented the elixir to Areda. Giddy at the prospect of eternal beauty and youth, Areda promised Hilla all the riches in the world before sending her away. As she walked away, Hilla smirked and shed her disguise, claiming that, “From Ariant… it will begin again…”