Crimsonwood/Story

Story (Current)

Phantom Forest

Afinas Relief Squad

Lita Lawless called the traveler back to New Leaf City, explaining that strange activities had been reported in the Phantom Forest to the west of the city. The traveler returned back to New Leaf City and asked Lita about what she meant, to which she explained that most of the people who had set out to explore the Phantom Forest had never returned, with the few who had come back shutting themselves in their homes, muttering about strange bandits, living trees, and red knights that attacked without warning. As she couldn't travel too far from the city, she asked the traveler to investigate the Phantom Forest in her stead. Just then, a group of knights appeared and told the traveler that they would also join the expedition. The knights introduced themselves as the Afinas Relief Squad, composed of Riman, Enneth, and a Devata named Garnet. Enneth explained that they had been dispatched in order to preserve the unearthed knowledge hidden in Masteria, as well as to help keep the public order in New Leaf City. The surprised traveler asked why Afinas had been sent to Masteria at such a time, to which Riman explained that Afinas was an organization founded to save mankind through knowledge. He told the traveler that its relief squads were the essence of Afinas' goals, and that they were sent wherever needed. He then introduced himself as the veteran of the team, with Enneth being their brains, and Garnet simply introducing herself by name. When Lita refused to allow them to join, believing them to be mercenaries soliciting their services, Riman protested that the mayor himself had called them, as he wanted them to help recover Dr. Yoon and his team, with whom he had recently lost contact.

Sighing in resignment, Lita told them to first speak with Corine in order to learn what was happening outside the city. Upon seeing Corine, Riman was surprised to learn that she was a Krakian. Corine was pleased to see the traveler again and explained that she had been continuing her observations of the corrupted Krakians with Elpam. Corine asked the traveler who the knights were, to which Garnet shortly greeted Corine in the Taru language, with Riman scolding Enneth for forgetting his Krakian, which he claimed was one of the fundamental basics of a good relief squad soldier. Corine was pleasantly surprised that they also knew the Krakian language, but her face darkened when the traveler asked her about the Phantom Forest. She explained that the forest was part of the great woods which had come to be haunted by the ghosts of those who had died in the great war a thousand years ago, describing it as a horrifying place filled with loathing and loss, adding that she had once experienced it while passing through the area with her allies. The traveler asked about her allies, whom Corine explained hailed from the Raven Ninjas, a group descended from the Shadowknights. Though she hadn't been in contact with them for a while, Corine explained that they had likely built a camp in the Phantom Forest. She then wrote a letter of introduction for them, adding that the Raven Ninjas were an honorable organization that carried on the spirit and traditions of the Shadowknights.

The Headless Horseman

The group then entered the Phantom Forest and quickly picked up on its dangerous atmosphere, which was heavy with the scent of blood. Noting that it was just as bad as it had been when they had entered the forest with Becky long ago, the traveler continued leading the Afinas relief squad through the forest, eerily aware of the feeling that they were being watched. Suddenly, the group came across a squad of corrupted knights. As they fought through the endless waves, Riman suggested retreating, as they couldn't hope to survive the onslaught. The group immediately retreated and managed to escape, continuing on through the forest. Retching at the rotten stench in the air, the group soon came across a wave of corrupted tree monsters, which Garnet noted to be unholy beings. Once again, the group retreated after realizing that there was no end to the monsters, finally coming to a safe clearing. Riman asked the traveler if they had encountered such monsters in their last visit, but the traveler noted that it was the first time that they had seen the corrupted knights and trees. Riman explained that he had been able to chart a path to the clearing from the city, which would be helpful for future visits.

Just then, he heard the strange sound of metal scraping on metal, with Enneth noting that he also heard the sound of horse hooves. As the group's vision turned a blurry red, the Headless Horseman appeared, laughing. The traveler immediately felt the same sense of fear that they had felt during their first mission to the forest with Becky as they, as well as the Afinas Knights, found themselves unable to move, paralyzed by fear. As the traveler desperately attempted to will themselves to move, Garnet called upon the divine protection of Afinas, breaking them free of the mysterious force. The group immediately fled in terror and soon arrived in a strange camp. The traveler asked Garnet what she had done, to which she explained that she had called on the divine protection of Afinas, which was a light that mended the injuries of bodies and mind, allowing them to conquer the fear which had kept them frozen. She added that it was both the power and responsibility bestowed upon the Devatas of Afinas. She then noted that the Phantom Forest pervaded the minds of those who entered with fear, driving them to madness and hysteria, and though the divine protection of Afinas could purify the mind, the oppressive nature of the forest limited her use of the power.

The Raven Ninjas

Just then, a young man from the camp demanded to know why they were trespassing, to which the traveler retorted by asking who he was, though the man refused to answer and threatened them with a blade. The traveler then asked whether he was the one responsible for the missing people in the forest, causing him to laugh and claim that though he and his band had no role in it, those who came wandering and got lost shouldn't have come in the first place. He then tasked the group with defeating the dangerous Phantom Trees around the area before he agreed to answer any questions. After the traveler defeated the trees, the man was impressed by their skill and, with the traveler having made the forest safer, allowed them to remain in their camp, introducing himself as Taggrin of the Raven Ninjas. Enneth realized that they were the group that Corine had mentioned, and upon hearing her name, Taggrin told them that they should have said that they knew Corine, as she was one of the most trustworthy people he knew. He then explained that the Raven Ninjas were descendants of the Shadowknights, and that they hailed from the barrier ocean to the north of Masteria. He revealed that the Shadowknights had built their own citadel while still residing in Crimsonwood Keep, which they called the Watchtower, retreating there and continuing to protect the Keep when the Krakians had attacked. However, Grandmaster Lireni, in an act of ignoble cowardice, had been determined to build a fleet in order to escape Masteria.

Though her decision had caused great conflict within the Shadowknights, the fleet had ultimately set sail shortly before Masteria had been consumed by an enormous light that sank the continent beneath the ocean, with its disappearance creating giant waves that destroyed most of the fleet, as well as countless records and artifacts. After the destruction of the fleet, the original Shadowknights had been scattered, no longer holding the ancient code of justice. However, Taggrin claimed that the Raven Ninjas had continued waiting for the return of Masteria, just as ravens waited for those who had gone, wandering the seas for centuries. As such, he explained that they had an obligation to restore the old artifacts of the Keep, as well as to hold funerals for their ancestors who lingered in the forest as vengeful spirits. In order to help, the traveler fought the spirits of the old Keep soldiers and collected their ashes, which Taggrin used to put them to rest. The traveler then noted that Taggrin knew much about Masteria's history, which Taggrin ascribed to Lireni, who he claimed had been a great historian, despite her cowardice. Because of her log, the Raven Ninjas had a record of all the actions that they still had to atone for.

When Riman asked if he could read the log, Taggrin told him that he had already offered it, as well as the other artifacts in their possession, to researchers who were studying the Phantom Forest. When Enneth asked why he would so casually give out precious artifacts, Taggrin explained that the Raven Ninjas had come to Masteria in order to atone for Lireni's actions, as well as to investigate the reason behind Masteria's return, and that he believed that collaboration was the best way to achieve those goals, as there were passages in the log that even they hadn't been able to decipher. He noted that he hadn't heard from the research team in a while, though he knew that they were last doing field work around Crimsonwood Mountain. The traveler and the Afinas Knights then began the treacherous ascent up the mountain and soon entered a cave, where the traveler was surprised to find Becky and a Nameless Warrior surrounded by corrupted knights. After the traveler defeated the monsters, they asked Becky why she had come back to the mountain, to which a terrified Becky sobbed that she had come to find Dr. Jang, who had gone missing. The Knights recommended that she return back home, as it wasn't safe for a young girl. Garnet then suggested that she remain under the protection of Afinas, which Becky agreed to, though the Nameless Warrior refused, explaining that they had just as many reasons to stay as Becky, although unlike her, they didn't need any sort of protection.

When the traveler asked the Nameless Warrior who they were, the warrior paused before saying that they were someone who had taken to wandering, thinking back on the obligations that they had failed to fulfill. They then explained that Crimsonwood Keep, which the research team had been occupying, had been cut off by the corrupted knights, who had entered the Keep and threatened the researchers. The Afinas Knights immediately agreed to help rescue them and asked the traveler to return to the Raven Ninjas in order to inform them of what had happened. Becky then gave Lireni's log to the traveler, believing that they would have more use for it than her. The traveler returned back to the Raven Ninja camp and informed Taggrin of what they had learned at the mountain. Taggrin thanked them for returning the log and noted that they would exercise more caution, and that they would also work on defeating the invaders of Crimsonwood Keep. He then agreed to pay them for their service and promised to pay more in exchange for further missions.

The traveler then asked Taggrin about the horseman whom they had encountered earlier. Taggrin explained that the horseman was named Master Killian. He told the traveler that Lireni's log had indicated that Killian was a powerful Versalian warrior who had fought in the great war, though he himself was not a Grandmaster. He and his lover, the sorceress LeFay, had been major players in the great war until LeFay had been corrupted by Naricain's Blood. Upon seeing his lover's corruption, Killian had been consumed with rage and struck down both enemies and allies alike until Crimsonheart himself had killed him. However, the power of the Phantom Forest had revived his shade, which still bore the weight of his rage. He also told the traveler about a special monster known as the Phantom of Naricain, and though he didn't know if it was truly Naricain or not, he could confirm that it was a great threat and asked the traveler to kill it, as well as the Headless Horseman, if they encountered those monsters in the forest.

Gollux

While adventuring, the traveler encountered a yak-like creature called a Mountain Mumur carrying a great load of cargo. The traveler immediately sensed darkness similar to what they had encountered in the Phantom Forest within some of the items that it was carrying. The Mountain Mumur kept tugging at the traveler's clothes, leading them towards the Phantom Forest. Upon entering the forest, the creature ran off, leaving the traveler to wander around until they encountered a strange woman dressed in black. The woman asked the traveler what they were doing, as no one in their right mind would venture so deep into the Phantom Forest of all places. She then introduced herself as the Heart Tree Guardian and told the traveler to leave, claiming that the place was much more dangerous than they knew. Suddenly, the ground began shaking as the traveler realized that they were the footsteps of an enormous monster. The Heart Tree Guardian decided to take the traveler back to her hideout, leading them into an enclosed canopy surrounded by a purification barrier that blocked corrupt forces from entering. She explained that she had taken a risk in allowing them to enter, as they could have been evil. The traveler protested that they were both good and powerful, with some even calling them a hero. The Heart Tree Guardian laughed and told them that she already knew, as her Mountain Mumur wouldn't have brought them if they were weak.

She then explained that the large monster was called Gollux, who had once been the Heart Tree, the holy guardian tree of the Phantom Forest. The tree's mere existence had poured holy blessings upon Masteria until the entire continent had been corrupted a thousand years ago, causing the Heart Tree and all the creatures of the forest to transform into monsters or ghosts. However, the Heart Tree's own transformation had been much worse, as a creature had fused with the tree during the process, giving rise to Gollux, who now endlessly scattered darkness throughout the forest, with his only instinct being to destroy all outsiders. The Heart Tree Guardian noted that she had observed several interesting traits of Gollux, such as his ability to endlessly regenerate, which was powered by the Phantom Forest itself. She explained that the regeneration worked not only for Gollux himself, but also for pieces of Gollux that had been separated from the main body. She then showed the traveler a large purple crystal at the center of the hideout and explained that she had collected enough small fragments of Gollux to craft together an imitation heart of his, which could teleport anyone who touched it with another fragment straight to Gollux.

She explained that Gollux had four crystals on his waist, his two shoulders, and his forehead, all of which stored portions of his power. She told the traveler that destroying the crystals would weaken Gollux, with the destruction of his forehead crystal cutting off all his power, similar to destroying his brain. However, she warned them that going straight for the forehead crystal was extremely dangerous and recommended that they destroy the other three crystals first. She then explained that Gollux had a heart, just like humans, and that his heart was the root of his corruption. She told the traveler that once Gollux had been weakened, he would be momentarily purified upon attacking his heart, though the corruption of Masteria would eventually regenerate him, meaning that the only option was to repeatedly subdue him. The traveler agreed to help the Heart Tree Guardian face Gollux, and so they used the imitation heart to teleport straight to Gollux and defeat him. Though they continued facing Gollux, his regenerative abilities prevented him from remaining purified. Nevertheless, the Heart Tree Guardian thanked the traveler for their efforts and explained that the heart on the altar which had transported them to her hideout reflected Gollux's mood. She expressed her hope that the Heart Tree would be purified one day before sending the traveler off.

As the traveler walked through the forest, they began wondering what Gollux was in the first place. Though they knew him to be an evil creature, they also noted that something didn't feel right. To their surprise, Riman, Enneth, and Garnet ran into them. The traveler was pleased to see the familiar faces and explained that they had been helping out someone. Just as they began pointing the Afinas Knights to the altar portal, they discovered that the portal had vanished, causing Enneth and Riman to claim that the traveler needed a blessing from Garnet in order to cleanse their hallucinations. However, Garnet remained silent, staring intently at the direction of the portal. After a pause, Enneth asked her what was the matter, to which Garnet told him that it was nothing. As the group turned back and began heading for New Leaf City, the Heart Tree Guardian watched them from a distance and worriedly noted that Garnet was a Devata dispatched from Afinas. However, she told herself that it wasn't a problem, as the corruption being all but gone meant that it was time for her to move on. The Heart Tree Guardian, her real name being Hanett, then took off her black wig, revealing blonde hair, and declared that the tragedy that endlessly repeated had to be stopped.

Story (Original)

Phantom Forest

Legend of the Phantom Forest

Several months after their first visit, the traveler visited John in the MesoGears, where John explained that his brother, Jack, had been radio-silent for too long after having set out to explore Crimsonwood Keep. He told the traveler that Jack usually sent a letter every week to report on his status, with his last letter, which had been sent months ago, stating that after weeks of wandering in circles around the haunted Phantom Forest, he had finally made it to the base of Crimsonwood Mountain, where he had discovered the fabled Valley of Heroes. As he was still busy with his work in the MesoGears, John asked the traveler to check on Jack in the Phantom Forest. On their way to the Phantom Forest, the traveler encountered Lita Lawless, who explained that she and Icebyrd were offering bounties on several dangerous monsters inside the forest. She then began telling the traveler the legend of the Headless Horseman of the Phantom Forest. She explained that he had once been a man named Killian, a feared warrior of the Keep. It was said that his fury on the battlefield was such that he would even inadvertently injure his comrades with his custom-made spear and mastery over fire magic, with which he could release flames from his spear or even encase his head within a column of flames to terrify his enemies. Despite his fury, he was normally calm within the Keep, smitten by the enigmatic sorceress, LeFay. Even after LeFay had left the Keep, he would continue visiting her in a secluded area of the Krakian Jungle where she lived. However, when the war between the Keep and the Krakians had begun, he had been unable to visit her for many years, causing his fury to grow to restless proportions until the Grandmaster Warrior had allowed him to see her.

Killian had then fought through hordes of Krakians, only to discover that LeFay's house was in flames as the Krakians loaded her onto a torture rack at the command of the Alchemist, who was smitten with LeFay himself. Furious, Killian destroyed the Krakians and attempted to fight the Alchemist, who easily defeated him. Intrigued by Killian's unique ability to withstand fire, he offered Killian a choice to become a test subject or watch LeFay die. Killian eventually agreed to come with the Alchemist, who took him and LeFay to the Polis of Krakia for over two years, eventually succeeding in replicating Killian's rage to create a legion of fire-infused Krakians. Still unsatisfied, he ordered Killian to lead the new legion of Krakians against the Keep's heroes or watch LeFay die. Unwilling to choose between his lover and his comrades, Killian set his own head on fire in an attempt to kill himself. However, the Alchemist merely took an old pumpkin and combined his technology with one of LeFay's own spells in order to create the Headless Horseman, a being powered by rage that knew neither fear nor empathy. Having unlocked the secret behind LeFay's chaos magic, the Alchemist realized that he had no further use for her, and so he transformed her into a pink horse to serve as the Horseman's steed. A creature of science and nature, the unleashing of the Horseman became the turning point of the war until the Archmage Rafael cast a spell on the Horseman to force him to chase his true head forever, leading him to wander away from the battlefield on a fool's errand for all eternity.

Dead Man's Gorge

After hearing the story, the traveler used the New Leaf City taxi to enter the Phantom Forest, where they fought past the evil spirits and soon discovered a camp of rogue-looking people in Dead Man's Gorge. Their leader, Taggrin, told the traveler that they were trespassing, and upon learning that the traveler was looking for Jack Barricade, Taggrin dismissed Jack as a plunderer and told the traveler to leave if they were affiliated with him. Laughing when the traveler asked if they were bandits, Taggrin told them to collect Phantom Seeds from the nearby Phantom Trees in order to prove themselves first. After the traveler returned, Taggrin admitted that they had made the forest safer and welcomed them into the camp. The traveler then asked whether Taggrin had seen Jack, to which he begrudgingly admitted that Jack had come by some time ago. He explained that he and his comrades had spent weeks mapping out the forest by marking different paths with throwing knives on the trees, which denoted several shortcuts. After Jack had learned about the map, he had continued pressing Taggrin about it, explaining that he was searching for Crimsonwood Keep. Believing him to be a common treasure hunter, Taggrin had rebuffed him and had sent him away. However, the next morning, Taggrin had discovered that Jack had stolen the map. Taggrin explained that without the map, they were as stuck as they had been at the start of their mission and told the traveler to let Jack know that he was coming for him.

When the traveler asked about the forest, Taggrin explained that the forest hadn't always been withered, as the crimson trees that gave Crimsonwood its name extended down the mountain from the Keep, blanketing the area all the way to the gates of New Leaf City. He revealed that the forest used to be known as Crimsonwood Forest before it had become the site of a long, protracted war which had turned it into the Phantom Forest. Taggrin explained that the Krakians, a peaceful, ancient race of sentient flora creatures, had once dwelled in the jungles east of the forest and had coexisted peacefully with the Taru tribe. However, the Krakians had inexplicably undergone a dramatic change, which had caused them to grow insane and attack Crimsonwood Keep, ignoring all attempts at communication. The heroes of the Keep had attempted to repel the sudden attack, which had sparked a terrible war that raged for years, resulting in the decimation of not only the Krakians and the guardians of the Keep, but the forest itself. Taggrin also explained that the spirits of the fallen Krakians had attempted to return to nature, which had caused them to possess the husks of the dead trees. Upon being destroyed, the trees would drop seeds that gave rise to new trees. Taggrin told the traveler that he hoped to break the endless cycle by destroying the seeds of the trees, though he couldn't say whether it would have any effect. When the traveler asked who Taggrin and his group were, Taggrin laughed and simply told them that he and his comrades were on a secret mission.

Lukan and the Keep

The traveler then continued through the Phantom Forest and eventually ran into a warrior surrounded by strange monsters. The warrior introduced himself as Lukan de Vrisien and explained that the strange monsters around them wore the same armor of his brethren, though he claimed that they were imposters that called themselves Stormbreakers. To test the traveler's combat prowess, Lukan asked them to defeat the Stormbreakers and bring their badges as proof. After the traveler returned with the badges, Lukan thanked them for their service and explained that he was a Stormcaster of Crimsonwood Keep. The traveler was surprised to learn that Lukan was from the Keep, as Masteria had been gone for a thousand years. Lukan was shocked at their words, though he knew that there was some truth in them, as nothing around him resembled the Crimsonwood Forest that he knew. He told the traveler that part of his memory had been lost, as he had no idea how he had come to arrive in the forest, and so he asked them to leave him as he pondered his situation.

Before they left, the traveler asked Lukan more about the Keep. Lukan explained that the Stormcasters were one of the master guilds of the Keep, a group of warrior-magician hybrids that used spears and polearms, from which they shot lightning spells. However, he noted that the corrupted Stormbreakers, though they used the same skills, were not the Stormcasters of his order, as he couldn't believe that such monsters who indiscriminately attacked passing travelers hailed from the Keep. He believed that in the thousand years that Masteria had disappeared, a villainous imposter had stolen the teachings of not only the Stormcasters, but the other guilds as well. When the traveler asked about the other guilds, Lukan explained that aside from the Stormcasters were the thief-archer hybrid Windreavers, the archer-magician Flamekeepers, and the warrior-thief Shadowknights, as well as the Bosshunters, a special guild composed of members of the other guilds that hunted powerful monsters. Lukan told the traveler that he had encountered corrupted members of the other Crimsonwood guilds: the Windraiders, who behaved like nothing more than common highwaymen, the Firebrands, who fought chaotically without the Flamekeepers' discipline, and in particular, the Nightshadows, who used their powers of stealth to kill indiscriminately.

When the traveler asked Lukan whether he could recall anything from his recent memories, Lukan explained that he remembered that a few days ago, he had been summoned by the Grandmaster Council for an urgent secret mission, which they would not tell him anything about. He also remembered rushing to the Keep and arriving in the Council Hall in the dead of night, with his memory going blank until he recalled awakening in the Phantom Forest. The traveler wondered whether Lukan had been transported from the past and explained that Professor Foxwit might know more about it. Lukan recalled that his old friend, the late Grandmaster Mage Delgrund, would often say that anything was possible with great magic and sorcery, and so he believed that traveling from the past could be possible as well. The traveler then asked about the Keep itself, to which Lukan explained that it had stood proudly for over six hundred years, establishing itself as a center for learning and training towards mastery over one's chosen profession. He told the traveler that many would travel from the farthest reaches of the world in order to train under the four Grandmasters.

Regarding the Grandmasters, he explained that each held utmost mastery over their discipline, and that there were always four, with a new Grandmaster being chosen upon their predecessor's death. However, he explained that before the Grandmasters had existed, there was Christopher Crimsonheart, the founder of the Keep. Lukan explained that Crimsonheart had already been a legendary warrior before building the Keep, though he had become even more renowned when he had achieved mastery in all four disciplines, becoming an expert warrior, mage, rogue, and archer, thereby becoming untouchable in battle. Lukan also told the traveler that a large statue of Crimsonheart had been erected in his honor in the Hall of Mastery. Lukan believed that there were new Grandmasters leading the corrupted soldiers, though he called them unworthy scoundrels. After learning as much as they could about the Keep, the traveler asked Lukan about how to get there. Lukan explained that in the old days, the first challenge of those who wished to train at the Keep was to find it, though he noted that the forest had grown more convoluted since those days, with even he himself having become lost, despite knowing the old paths by heart.

He told the traveler that after making it through the forest, they would reach the Valley of Heroes, a sacred ground that commemorated the Keep's most valiant heroes with statues that lined the cliff walls. He also warned the traveler of the Menhirs, giant moving columns that would cause grave injury with a single touch. Lukan explained that the Menhirs served not only as a defense mechanism for the Keep, but also as a lesson in humility for those who wished to reach the Keep in order to learn from the Grandmasters. He revealed that it was possible to access a path created by the statues with an artifact called the Marker of Heroism, though he told the traveler that that path was blocked to them, as he had lost his own Marker and had no knowledge of how to obtain another one. He then continued to explain the journey and told the traveler that past the Valley of Heroes was the base of Crimsonwood Mountain, from which they would need to climb to the summit amidst precarious rocky ledges. He also warned the traveler that one path up the mountain would lead to a nest of Typhons and recommended that they avoid the area, as mother Typhons were extremely protective of their young.

Meeting Jack

Having learned all that they could, the traveler decided to return to New Leaf City. There, they met with John Barricade and asked whether he knew anything about the Marker of Heroism, explaining that they had learned that the Marker would allow one to use the statues in the Valley of Heroes as teleporters. John revealed that he and Jack had recreated a Marker based on their knowledge of the original artifact. He agreed to give it to the traveler if they could bring back materials for him to make a new one. He told them that he would need a Power Crystal, Gold Ores, and Typhon Feathers. He explained that the feathers were the key to the artifact's power, and that he had originally obtained them from a rogue who had claimed to have gone through the Typhon nest while climbing up the mountain. The traveler then obtained the materials and brought them to John, who thanked the traveler and gave them the Marker. Using the Marker, the traveler survived the journey through the Valley of Heroes and climbed up the mountain. They soon encountered a cave, inside which they found several corrupted Keep soldiers and Jack Barricade.

After learning that the traveler had been sent by his brother, Jack explained that he had been captured by the soldiers, though he had managed to escape. The traveler decided to return to New Leaf City in order to let John know about what had happened, and so Jack asked them to deliver a letter to John as well. Before the traveler headed out, Jack explained that he and his brother had been interested in Crimsonwood Keep for a long time, as it was one of Maple World's greatest mysteries regarding how an entire continent, one which held one of the greatest troves of knowledge in the world, could have vanished. He told the traveler that the Keep had been built to safeguard an object of great power called the Antellion, which was likely responsible for the Grandmasters' strength. Though many believed that Masteria had sunk because of a disaster, Jack believed that the power of the Antellion had caused Masteria's disappearance. He explained that shortly after his capture, he had been brought to the Keep's Inner Sanctum, where he had been led to the Council Hall of the Grandmasters. There, he had discovered the four Grandmasters arguing in a strange language, though he had picked up a mention of the Antellion. Jack explained that he had observed them gazing at a mirror-like device with glowing symbols.

Before one of the Grandmasters had shut off the screen, Jack had committed many symbols to memory and had written them down in his notebook as soon as he could. Believing that it was some sort of code, he asked the traveler to bring the symbols to John, who was better at deciphering ancient languages. He then gave them a map of the Phantom Forest, which he had taken from Taggrin, in order to help the traveler traverse through the forest faster. The traveler returned to John and told him about their meeting with Jack. John read through Jack's notes and realized that the symbols were strangely familiar, even though he had never seen them before. When he asked where Jack had come across the writing, the traveler explained that Jack had been imprisoned by the evil Grandmasters of the Keep, and that the symbols may hold a clue as to their plans. John attempted to use his leftover Hyper Glyphs, but when they returned gibberish, he asked the traveler to show the symbols to the other experts of the city while he continued attempting to translate them himself. The traveler then asked Elpam Gorlab about the symbols, who immediately went white and explained that the symbols were letters of the Versalian alphabet.

Crimsonheart's Resting Place

When the traveler explained that they had found the symbols in Crimsonwood Keep, Elpam told them that it was something that he and other Versalians had feared. Though the message was only written in fragments, with some portions incorrectly transcribed by Jack, Elpam translated the message as, “…acquire immediately… Noille Nalle… remains… chamber… key… city… new… Village Sapp… center incarnadine of… place resting… learned spies my…” The confused traveler asked Elpam what it meant, to which he explained that the Noille Nalle was known to the Versalians as the Star of Night, a cursed object that had brought misery to their realm. Though he was unsure about the rest, Elpam urged the traveler to return the translated letter to John as soon as possible. The traveler brought the letter to John and explained that it was written in Versalian. As John skimmed through the translation, he noted that “Village Sapp” likely referred to Old Sapp Village, or perhaps even New Leaf City, which had been built upon its ruins. He also noted that “incarnadine” was another word for “crimson”, causing him to realize that the message was actually backwards, with “center incarnadine” actually referring to “Crimsonheart”.

Filling in the blanks, John roughly read that the letter actually said, “My spies have learned that the resting place of Crimsonheart is in Olde Sapp Village.” However, he was surprised that the writer of the message knew about Crimsonheart's grave, which John had only recently discovered. Just then, he realized that the robots which he had borrowed from Foxwit to help him translate the symbols in the MesoGears had likely been sabotaged by the one who had written the letter, which explained why the robots had gone haywire. Looking through the rest of the message, John translated it as, “…new city… the key to its chamber…” Though he wasn't sure about the key or which chamber it was in, he noted that the final words, “acquire immediately”, were ominous and signified that there was something in the MesoGears that bore significant importance to someone. When the traveler asked why Crimsonheart's grave would be important, John replied by asking why such a central figure in Masterian legend would have such a simple headstone. He then wondered whether the grave led to the chamber, or perhaps served as the key. While he worked on learning more about the MesoGears, John asked the traveler to return to Jack with the translation and bring him up to speed about what they had learned. He also told them to let Jack know that he was right about Subani's influence in the MesoGears, explaining that Jack would know what he meant.

The Raven Ninja Clan

The traveler returned back to the Phantom Forest and set off for the Keep. On their way, they ran into Taggrin and his camp. The traveler then revealed to Taggrin that Jack wasn't just a treasure hunter, but rather, he was hoping to learn the mystery behind Masteria's disappearance. This intrigued Taggrin, who asked what Jack had learned. The traveler explained that Jack had been captured by the corrupted warriors of the Keep, though he had managed to escape before investigating what the evil Grandmasters were up to. They also told Taggrin that they knew that Jack had won the map fairly in a game of Omok, and that Jack had taken it because his mission was so pressing. Impressed by Jack's fortitude in reaching the Keep, Taggrin conceded that he had behave irrationally because of how competitive he got over Omok. He was then surprised when the traveler returned the map to him and considered it an honorable gesture. To reward their trustworthiness, Taggrin decided to explain who he and his camp were. He revealed that they were the Raven Ninja Clan, and that they hailed from an island called the Isle of Vigilance off the northern shore of Masteria.

He explained that the clan traced its lineage back to the Shadowknights guild, and so they considered the Keep their ancestral home. He told the traveler that their clan was investigating the reason for Masteria's disappearance and return, which he believed was related to what Jack was investigating at the Keep. He then gave the map to the traveler, believing that Jack may have been right to entrust them with it. Taggrin then asked the traveler if they had encountered the Elderwraiths in the forest, noting that they were as strong in death as they had been in life. When the traveler expressed confusion, Taggrin realized that he had never told them about how the war that he had mentioned during their last meeting had ended. He explained that even in spite of the unparalleled skill of the Keep's soldiers, the sheer numbers of Krakians had proved to be a relentless, insurmountable force, dragging the war out for ten years before the Krakians ultimately overwhelmed the Keep. Without proper burials, the heroes of the Keep who had fallen in battle had become mindless undead monsters, doomed to wander the site of their demise. Believing that it was unforgivable for honorable warriors to sacrifice their lives without receiving their dues, Taggrin asked the traveler to collect the ashes of the fallen, so that he could give the warriors their proper last rites in the hope that just as with the seeds of the Phantom Trees, it would break their cycle of suffering. After bringing the ashes to Taggrin, the traveler was recognized as an honorary clan member.

With their newfound status, the traveler asked to learn more about the clan. Taggrin explained that the Shadowknights had kept a secluded stronghold called the Watchtower, which they had used in conjunction with their guild hall in the Keep. When the Krakians had driven out the guilds from the Keep, the Shadowknights had retreated to the Watchtower, which no one but their guild knew how to reach, and had continued their fight to retake the Keep. From there, they had launched many missions to try to discover the inexplicable reason behind the Krakians' attack. Several months after the fall of the Keep, a heroine named Lireni had led a band of her fellow Shadowknights into the Krakian Jungle, where they reached the Krakians' hidden city, the Polis of Krakia. There, she had discovered that the Krakians had been corrupted by a mysterious man known as the Alchemist. Lireni had returned to the Watchtower, and though it was unknown whether the Shadowknights ever discovered the identity of the Alchemist, they had been unable to take action, as one moonless night, a massive vortex had appeared in the skies above Masteria, followed by a blinding flash of light, after which the entire continent had vanished. The disappearance of Masteria had caused massive tsunamis, which had destroyed nearby villages and even much of the Watchtower, resulting in the destruction of many ancient Shadowknight records and relics. Following the disaster, the Shadowknights had splintered into different groups, with only a few following the ancient code, such as the Raven Ninja Clan. Taggrin likened themselves to ravens that watched over the departed, swearing to watch the sea for the return of Masteria, and to discover the reason behind its disappearance.

Preparing for Battle

The traveler then returned to the Keep and met with Jack, who was surprised to learn about Crimsonheart's grave being the key to something important. He noted that it was strange that such an influential figure had no mentions of having a grand funeral. However, he also noted that Crimsonheart had been known for his humility, which may have accounted for him having a simple grave. However, he wondered why the Grandmasters didn't have knowledge about Crimsonheart's grave, to which the traveler asked why the ancient Grandmasters would even understand Versalian. Jack then realized that the Grandmasters whom he had met were actually Versalian, and not the ancient masters of Masteria whom he had initially believed them to be. When he wondered how Versalians could have arrived in Masteria, the traveler pointed out that Elpam Gorlab had recently arrived in New Leaf City and supposed that others like him could have followed. However, Jack told the traveler that intradimensional travel required immense power, meaning that the Versalians were either inherently powerful or they had the help of a powerful being.

Suddenly, he realized that all the Versalian soldiers training at the Keep in the style of the ancient guilds was likely part of their plan to attack New Leaf City and reach Crimsonheart's grave. After considering it, Jack concluded that the only way to stop the attack was to defeat the Versalian Twisted Masters masquerading as the four Grandmasters. Though they would need an army of soldiers of their own, Jack told the traveler that they would first need to find a way to get past the energy field blocking the Inner Sanctum. In order to get past the field, the traveler sought out Lukan and revealed that the twisted soldiers were part of a Versalian army. The term ‘Versal' sounded familiar to Lukan, who briefly had glimmers of memory related to it, causing him to wonder whether he had been there himself, though the memory quickly faded. Nevertheless, Lukan told the traveler that he had a Keystone for the Inner Sanctum Gate, as his position often required him to help the Grandmasters. He offered to give the Keystone to the traveler if they could first weaken the Keep's defenses. After they cleared out the Versalian soldiers, Lukan gave them the Keystone, though he told the traveler that they would still need to find a way to disable to energy field. The traveler returned to Jack and gave him the Keystone, after which he promised to keep looking into the energy field.

Crimsonwood Keep

The Twisted Masters

The traveler soon gathered a band of allies and entered Crimsonwood Keep with Jack. The group then made their way into an old storage room in a different wing of the Keep. Jack explained that he had read about such types of rooms, some of which had been sealed because of the nature of the magical artifacts within them, which were either too dangerous or impractical for training. He noted that the old Grandmasters must have left a way to get in and out of the area and soon discovered a Sigil, which he explained was a major part of the Keep. He told the group that the Antellion made many things possible, from providing the energy to power the Keep, to opening portals to other dimensions for training, to imbuing certain warriors with incredible power. He explained that Crimsonheart was the one who had understood the Antellion the best, and though he had vanished long ago, knowledge of certain ways to use the Antellion had been passed down through the ages. Eventually, Ridley, the master Elite Mage, had been granted permission to study the Antellion, with which he created artifacts that would be useful to the Keep, of which the Sigils were some of the most notable.

The traveler and their allies then worked together to activate the Sigils while avoiding the Menhirs, using specific skills of their jobs in order to activate them. Eventually, the group made it to the Grandmaster Council Hall and faced the Twisted Masters. After a fierce battle, the Versalian warriors were defeated, allowing the group to enter the Inner Sanctum. Inside, they discovered a map of Masteria, which had arrows tracing a path from the Keep to New Leaf City, as well as a hologram of Naricain. Jack then found several Versalian foods, such as Sugar-Coated Olives and Ssiws Cheese, leading him to believe that he was right about the Twisted Masters being from Versal. He then noted that if the Twisted Masters were so powerful, then their master had to be even more terrifying.

Based on the map in the room, he realized that the Versalians were indeed fixated on Crimsonheart's grave, though he couldn't be sure of what kind of secret it held. The traveler then brought up Dr. Krakia, Foxwit's nemesis, and asked about his role. Jack noted that there were many legends surrounding the fabled Polis of Krakia and the Alchemist, whom the Krakians had worshipped long ago, and wondered whether Dr. Krakia and the Alchemist could be the same person. The traveler then told Jack that they had heard voices throughout the mission, to which he explained that he had also heard a voice, which had helped him escape his imprisonment by the Twisted Masters, and that the same voice had brought him from Aqua Road to Masteria, with John having noted similar voices in his letters. Based on their experiences, Jack wondered whether there was someone looking out for them.

The Coming Storm

The traveler then returned to Icebyrd Slimm and asked him for more answers, as they still felt as though he was keeping something hidden. Icebyrd told the traveler that he often wondered about the paths that people took and whether they were fated to make the same mistakes across history. He told the traveler that that very question was what had led to his sacrifice in establishing New Leaf City, and that he had been sworn to secrecy until the truth could be revealed. Because of the traveler's actions in protecting Masteria, Icebyrd decided to tell them the full truth. He explained that long ago, he had woken up in a different place, and that a being of light that called itself Subani had offered him the chance to stop the coming reign of terror. Subani had explained that a mystic anchor was needed to bring a fabled lost continent from Versal, a world which could not be helped, as the being that threatened it was too powerful. However, the sole condition for the deal was that Icebyrd could never leave Masteria, to which he had agreed without hesitation.

He explained that when he used to live in Kerning City, he once had a nightmare in which he had seen everything in Maple World working in a twisted sense of order, with everyone having a vacant look upon their face as the sky had turned black. He had also seen a terrifying beast with endless arms, pure misery that had taken over the world, and his friends enslaved to the beast, as well as Subani's voice telling him that he could stop it. Icebyrd had then been teleported to Masteria, which had been restored by Subani, who had helped him construct the city, with Subani's light growing dimmer as the city grew. Upon its completion, Subani had ordered Icebyrd to never tell a soul about what had happened until the time was right, and to act as though he knew nothing. Subani had then vanished, promising to return when he was needed the most. Icebyrd then told the traveler that they had the strength, courage, and honor to be a new hero of Masteria, and to face the coming storm.