Eskalade

Eskalade
Gender	Male
Race	Ancient God (dragon)
Family	Unknown Ancient God of the Nova (alter ego)
Affiliations	Angelic Buster Nova people Ancient Gods of the Nova
Enemies	Satiras Magnus Gerand Darmoor
Status	Alive
Name (Other Servers)
KoreaMS	에스카다
Voice Actors
GlobalMS	Xander Mobus

Eskalade is a clone of an Ancient God of the Nova who resides within a sacred stone attached to Angelic Buster.

Story

The Outrigger

During the Ancient War, of the the Ancient Gods of the Nova named Satiras fell to corruption and attempted to conquer Grandis with his followers, the Black Nova. To protect the Nova from Satiras, the other Nova gods created a holy relic known as the Outrigger, which contained the will of the Nova gods, as well as Eskalade - a clone body of one of the Nova gods. Many ages later, Magnus attacked Heliseum on Gerand Darmoor's orders and sacked the capital city. While the Former Kaiser held Magnus off, the Nova priests attempted to transport the Outrigger to the sanctuary city of Pantheon. Unable to move the holy relic, however, the Nova priests extracted as much power from the Outrigger as they could, containing that power inside four sacred stones. However, this process resulted in the destruction of the Nova god's physical body and caused Eskalade to be transferred into one of the sacred stones as well. The Nova priests then installed the four sacred stones around Pantheon and created a Protective Shield that kept the city safe from Magnus and the Specter army. In the decades that followed, Eskalade lost much of his old memories from being sealed in the sacred stone, though his spirit was capable of leaving and exploring other regions, including crossing through the Interdimensional Portal and reaching Maple World, where he learned about magical idols.

Meeting Angelic Buster

Decades after the fall of Heliseum, several corrupt Nova priests working for Magnus attempted to steal the sacred stone of the East Sanctum. As they did, a Nova girl named Tear - born without a tail or magic - felt the power of the sacred stone resonating with her, causing her to realize that something was wrong. She led her friends, Kyle and Velderoth, to the East Sanctum, where they found the corrupt priests attempting to take the stone. Tear quickly charged ahead and grabbed it first, and upon touching it, the stone transformed into a glowing bracelet on her wrist, after which Tear immediately fell unconscious. As the priests advanced on Tear, Kyle suddenly felt a fiery power within himself and awakened as Kaiser. Kyle launched a devastating attack upon the priests in his Kaiser form before falling unconscious himself. As the remaining priests retreated, Velderoth returned with reinforcements, all of whom witnessed Kyle's awakening and took the two children back to Pantheon. Tear woke up in the infirmary and learned that the sacred stone had attached itself onto her arm. Upon learning that it was stuck to her, Tear realized that the Protective Shield had been permanently weakened because of her actions. Though the others attempted to reassure her that it wasn't her fault, as the Nefarious Priests would have stolen the stone anyways if she hadn't intervened, Tear was upset by the news and began crying before running off.

Tear decided to return to the East Sanctum in order to see whether returning the sacred stone to its original location would release it from her arm. While searching the sanctum, Tear began to hear a voice speaking to her from within the bracelet. After following the voice's directions and concentrating, Tear was able to see the spirit of a small dragon, who noted that her proximity to the sanctum meant that she could finally see him. The dragon introduced himself as Eskalade to a surprised Tear, who asked him whether he was the god within the sacred stone. Eskalade replied that she could consider him to be something like that before asking whether she knew how the sacred stones had been created. Tear noted that according to her history classes, when Magnus had attacked Heliseum, the Nova had been unable to transport their holy relic, and so they had instead transferred its power into the four sacred stones, which had been taken out of Heliseum in its place.

Eskalade explained that when the relic's power had been transferred into the stones, his spirit had been transferred into one of the stones as well. When Tear asked him whether that meant he really was a god, Eskalade explained that he was more like a spirit than anything else, as he had been trapped inside the stone for so long that he had forgotten many of his memories and had lost much of his power. Eskalade then told Tear that he was fortunate to have met someone who could actually talk to him, adding that the reason why the sacred stone had attached itself to her was because of his will. When Tear lamented that it was because of her that the sacred stone had been lost to the Nova, Eskalade reassured her that it wasn't her fault. Upon seeing that Tear still felt guilty, he offered her the chance to make up for it by becoming just as helpful as the missing sacred stone. He explained that while trapped in the stone, the only thing that he could do with his powers was to use them for the Protective Shield, though he would now be able to pass them onto her so that she could help the Nova retake Heliseum. However, he added that there was one condition to inheriting his powers, which was that only one with great standing and reputation could claim them. He told Tear that before he had become a spirit, he had wanted to become famed and known throughout the land by many people, which he speculated was the reason why one needed to have such a reputation in order to channel his powers.

However, Tear replied that she couldn't be a warrior of great power, as she had been born with no magic. This surprised Eskalade, who had been sure that Tear's ability to communicate with him meant that she had been a warrior with great magical abilities. A crestfallen Tear realized that without the ability to inherit Eskalade's powers, she would need to once again rely on Kyle and Velderoth to help her remove the bracelet. Though Eskalade was concerned about how Tear was feeling, Tear left the East Sanctum, causing Eskalade's spirit to vanish before he could protest. Soon after, Eskalade's spirit appeared before Tear and noticed that she was crying. Though he attempted to reassure her that it wasn't her fault that she couldn't inherit his powers, Tear told him that she was planning to find a way to return the bracelet back into its original state so that he could find someone else to become his hero. However, Eskalade replied that such a thing wasn't possible, as she had been chosen because she was special.

He then pointed out that she simply needed to become stronger in order to take responsibility for what she had done, to which Tear replied that she had no wish to become a Nova hero or obtain great power like Kaiser, as she simply wanted the strength to do her part. She explained that she didn't want to rely on Kaiser or Velderoth anymore, and she wanted to become a helpful member of the Nova for Fenelle, who loved her like a granddaughter. Suddenly, Eskalade had an idea and noted that being a warrior wasn't the only way of becoming famous. Using his powers, he transformed Tear into a pretty pink superhero called Angelic Buster. He explained that becoming an idol would give her fame just as much as becoming a warrior would, and that she could use her singing voice to attract a following. When Angelic Buster asked him how he knew about idols, Eskalade explained that he had found out about them while his spirit had been wandering outside the sacred stone. Though Angelic Buster was reluctant to dress up in such an outfit, she nevertheless agreed in order to become strong enough to protect the Nova. Dubbing her the idol of the battlefield, Eskalade had Angelic Buster go into town and begin singing to attract a crowd. As she began singing, Angelic Buster slowly started to grow more confident as she put herself out to the crowd, causing several passing Nova to start cheering for her. After the crowd dispersed, Eskalade proudly noted that she had managed to gain ten followers with her spontaneous performance, which allowed him to pass on a portion of his power onto her.

Helping the Nova

Having grown empowered by her experience, Angelic Buster resolved to grow her fame and increase her powers. She then decided to find Kaiser and Velderoth in order to tell them about her new powers. However, Eskalade stopped her and asked whether she was really planning to tell them. Angelic Buster replied that it would be fine to tell just two people, to which Eskalade told her that though he wouldn't stop her, he noted that if she were to become famous and fight on the battlefield, she might worry her friends. Angelic Buster realized that he was right, as the reason why she had wanted to become stronger was so that she wouldn't be a burden on her friends, for which she resolved to keep her identity secret. Eskalade instead suggested that she tell Fenelle instead, recalling that the two were quite close. In the Great Temple, Angelic Buster met with Fenelle, who immediately realized that she was Tear because of her energy. After Angelic Buster explained everything had happened, Fenelle noted that she was indeed special after all. However, Fenelle asked that Angelic Buster keep her identity secret, fearing that others may target the remaining sacred stones if word got out that they were capable of passing on power. She then asked Angelic Buster what she wanted to do with her powers, to which Angelic Buster replied that she wanted to help the people of Pantheon.

Fenelle told Angelic Buster to wait while she found something that she could help with. Just then, Eskalade spoke to her and pointed out that simply helping the townspeople wouldn't increase her powers, as the Nova of Pantheon were too small of a population, meaning that she would need to eventually go abroad. While Angelic Buster helped the Nova keep watch at the food storage, she discovered several priests in the area. Eskalade immediately noted that their energy seemed to be similar to those who had attempted to steal the sacred stone. Believing that Angelic Buster posed no threat, the Nefarious Priests attempted to eliminate her, though she quickly defeated them before returning to Cartalion and informing him about the Nefarious Priests. Though Cartalion chided her for recklessly putting herself into danger, he asked her whether she was unharmed before explaining that he couldn't leave the priests to her now that he knew that they weren't simply petty thieves. Believing that Cartalion didn't trust her yet, Angelic Buster decided to take care of the remaining priests on her own. Though Eskalade protested and told her that Cartalion could handle it, he nevertheless gave into Angelic Buster's insistence and used his powers to track down the Nefarious Priests' energy signature, which led her to their hideout. There, Angelic Buster overheard the Nefarious Priests and learned that they were stealing from the food storage so that the Nova knights would redirect their forces to reinforce security there, which would allow the priests to steal the less-guarded sacred stones. Realizing that an attack on one of the sanctums was imminent, Angelic Buster rushed back to warn Cartalion.

Assault on Pantheon

After Magnus's priests managed to steal one of the sacred stones, Angelic Buster realized that the Protective Shield couldn't hold with just two of the four sacred stones. She offered to find the stolen stone, though Cartalion informed her that they had no idea where it could be, as it wasn't in the enemy base which she had discovered. Though Angelic Buster lamented that she had been too weak to protect the stone, Eskalade reminded her that she needed to focus and told her to use her connection to the sacred stones in order to locate the missing stone by traveling to the West Sanctum. Angelic Buster told Eskalade that she didn't have that kind of power, to which Eskalade told her that she did, as it had been through that same connection that she could speak with him. By concentrating, Angelic Buster was able to sense that several priests had taken the sacred stone away from the base, as they had been suspicious that Angelic Buster would lead the Nova there. After overhearing them, she learned that the priests were mistakenly suspecting an information leak from their own ranks, as they believed that there was no other way that the Nova could have learned about their plans so soon. While one of the priests left to check on progress in the south, Angelic Buster took her chance and defeated the other priest, reclaiming the western sacred stone in the process.

Angelic Buster returned with the sacred stone and gave it back to Cartalion, who was relieved and told Angelic Buster that she had saved them all. He explained that Kaiser had noted that only a small attack force had been sent to Pantheon, which meant that the Protective Shield would hold until it could be recharged. However, Eskalade was dubious and suspected that the small number of enemies was a feign to draw their attention away from Magnus' true plan. Recalling how one of the priests had left to check on the southern border, Eskalade asked Angelic Buster to check the area. Angelic Buster arrived at the southern border and discovered that the Nefarious Priests were preparing a summoning ritual. Angelic Buster immediately returned back to Pantheon and let Cartalion know what was happening. Cartalion sent Kaiser to stop the summoning ritual and asked Angelic Buster to remain on standby in case he needed to send her to reinforce Kaiser.

After the Nova successfully repelled Magnus's forces, Cartalion thanked Angelic Buster for her role in the operation, noting that the Nova were all grateful to her for her help in protecting them. Angelic Buster then spoke with Eskalade and noted that Kaiser had managed to withstand Magnus' attack, unlike herself, to which Eskalade pointed out that he was Kaiser, adding that she still had a lot more growing to do. He then laughed and admitted that she had already grown quite a bit. Angelic Buster then noted that she was worried about Velderoth and decided to meet with him at the Heliseum Hideout. After Velderoth - furious at being overshadowed by Kaiser - left Pantheon, Tear spoke with Eskalade, who asked her whether she regretted accepting his power. However, Tear told him that she regretted nothing, as she had been happy to see everyone's smiling faces after protecting them. However, she added that she wasn't yet satisfied, as she wanted to become even stronger in order to protect more people after spending all her life being the one protected. Eskalade then bestowed more of his power upon Angelic Buster, whose reputation had grown considerably since the attack on Pantheon.

A New World

Soon after, Angelic Buster was called to Pantheon by Beldar, who tasked her with finding new allies by crossing into a new world through the Interdimensional Portal. After crossing over into Maple World, Angelic Buster grew excited upon seeing her new surroundings. However, Eskalade reminded her that she was on a mission and noted that she still had a long way to go before finding allies, as she would need to grow strong enough to help them as payment for them helping the Nova. He then explained that she had come to Maple World, much to her surprise. He revealed that he had wandered around Maple World while roaming outside the sacred stone, and that he had grown familiarized with it, as it was where he had first learned about idols in the first place. He then pointed that he had even told her before that she may one day need to travel to a brand new world in order to gain more fame, adding that she would be able to gain more power and a name for herself, which would help her make allies.

As Angelic Buster began growing more famous throughout Maple World, her reputation began increasing enough that Eskalade was able to transfer more of his power to her. However, he explained that he first needed to replenish his energy with Essence Stones. Though he had been able to find them on his own throughout Grandis, he noted that Maple World wasn't familiar enough that he could search for them, and so he asked Angelic Buster to find one amongst the Wooden Mask monsters in the Excavation Site. After Angelic Buster obtained one, Eskalade consumed it and restored his strength, allowing him to awaken more of Angelic Buster's powers.

As Angelic Buster continued to master her powers, she noted to Eskalade that until recently, Magnus had been the strongest enemy that she knew. However, after exploring Maple World and learning more about the dangers that it faced, she told him that there may soon be a day when she might need to face an even stronger foe. Eskalade asked Angelic Buster why she was feeling so serious, to which she replied by explaining that she had thought that she would need to grow stronger in order to face stronger enemies. She then asked him how many more followers she needed to unlock more of his power, recalling that he had once mentioned that she would need 10,000. When she noted that she might need to hold a concert in order to boost her reputation, Eskalade told her that she was already strong enough to gain a reputation through her skills as a warrior, adding that since they weren't in Grandis anymore, she could even boost her reputation as Tear. Upon seeing her confusion, he explained that the reason why he had given her a new identity as Angelic Buster to use his powers was because the people of Pantheon knew Tear to have no magical powers. However, Angelic Buster revealed that she had already known that she could have used her powers as Tear in Maple World and explained that the reason why she had continued using her identity was because she didn't want Kaiser to worry about her, as well as the fact that she genuinely enjoyed singing as Angelic Buster and seeing people enjoy her music. Eskalade laughed and noted that she had a wonderful personality before granting her the last of his power, noting that the conditions for inheriting his power had been fully met with her being renowned as the idol of the battlefield wherever she went.

Heliseum Reclamation HQ

During the operation to retake Heliseum, Edea told Angelic Buster that the reason why Magnus had left Heliseum overrun with Specters was because he had no interest in the city itself, as his true goal was the Outrigger, which she explained was a holy relic that the Ancient Gods of the Nova had left behind to protect their people. Upon hearing this, Eskalade expressed his outrage at a traitor like Magnus attempting to take the power of the Outrigger.

Mastery of Power

Eskalade congratulated Angelic Buster for reaching a new height in her power, to which she happily noted that she felt more confident than ever. Eskalade noted that thanks to her diligent training and his excellent guidance, she had mastered his powers. Angelic Buster agreed and told him that it was only because of him that she had come so far, for which she thanked him sincerely. She then noted that, having unlocked all his power, it was now up to her to keep growing stronger. Eskalade then explained that thanks to her unexpected growth, he had managed to create a new power to bestow upon her, which he presented to her as a final gift.

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. Angelic Buster gets to choose between Kyle or everyone whom she helps as Angelic Buster. After she makes her choice and talks to the Goddess, Eskalade will interrupt and asks if he's one of the choices. Angelic Buster will reassure him that he's precious to her, although she'll think to herself that she completely forgot about him.

Aftermath

After the final battle against the Black Mage, Angelic Buster - after meeting with Kaiser - spoke with Eskalade, who noted that she seemed to have a lot on her mind. Angelic Buster told Eskalade that talking with Kaiser had reminded her of how weak she used to be, and how she would always cry over everything. However, she added that Kaiser hadn't seemed to mind it, and that he had once even given her good advice when she had been really upset, which was that no matter how dark and stormy it might get, the sun always came to chase the clouds away. Eskalade then asked her what she was going to do next, since she had now become a real hero. She replied that she was going to make her own celebratory rainbow at the end of a centuries-long storm in order to boost the people's spirits as Angelic Buster.

Black Sea

When Edea gives her report on the Ancient Gods, she explains that very few gods had reawakened compared to how many there were in total. Angelic Buster gets exclusive dialogue, in which she wonders what had happened to the Ancient Gods of the Nova and asks Eskalade whether he knows. Eskalade reminds her that, as he had once told her before, he himself wasn't an Ancient God, but rather, he was more like the clone of one. However, he explains that from what he remembers in his hazy memories, his true body was destroyed when the sacred stone was created, which meant that his actual form wouldn't wake up the way that Angelic Buster believed.

NPC

Eskalade
Quests involved	[Angelic Buster] Eskalade's First Gift [Angelic Buster] Eskalade's Second Gift
Location	None

Gallery

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  NPC Portrait of Eskalade
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  NPC Portrait of Eskalade
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  NPC Portrait of Eskalade
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  NPC Portrait of Eskalade

Trivia

• Before the Angelic Buster storyline remaster in the KMS Fall 2023 Update, Eskalade was originally an ancient Nova warrior named Eskalade Lorang. Eskalade's personality was infamous for his lechery, often placing Angelic Buster in uncomfortable situations for his own perversity. The Angelic Buster storyline remaster significantly altered his personality to make him far more mature and helpful, with his role being more akin to an older brother/mentor to Tear.