Identisk/Story

To the Island of Summer and Winter

The Adversary was contacted by Winston, who asked them whether they had heard about the Convergence, explaining that it was the great incident that had broken down the border between Maple World and Grandis. He then revealed that the convergence had caused something strange to happen at the far eastern sea, causing two different islands from Maple World and Grandis to fuse into one. He also noted that that there were undiscovered ancient relics slumbering on the island, adding that as an archaeologist, he was quite excited. Believing that the Adversary would be interested as well, he invited them to Identisk, the island of summer and winter. Setting sail aboard a ship, the Adversary traveled to Identisk, where they were amazed to find that the island was indeed composed of two smaller islands that had fused perfectly in the middle, leaving one half with a winter climate, and the other with a summer one. Winston explained that Iden was an island in Maple World that was always stuck in winter, while Tisk was a summer island on Grandis. He told the Adversary that the island harbored many traces of the Ancient Gods in Grandis, noting that there weren't many records of Ancient Gods in Maple World, which would make their investigation very special. Winston explained that his assistant, Bruce, had already arrived on the island and reported that the locals – all of whom were sea otters – were very welcoming. However, he explained that a problem had arisen, for which he had suggested that they speak with Ohne, the chief of Iden Island. The Adversary met with Ohne, who asked them to listen to her story. She explained that Iden Island had once been too cold for the sea otters to survive until an Ancient God had bestowed the Sunlight Blessing upon them, allowing them to settle there. She explained that while their people didn't know much about it, their brethren on Tisk Island had told them about the Ancient God, adding that Grandis had many legends about the gods. She told the Adversary that the Ancient God's blessing had allowed them to survive without freezing, though she then revealed that the Sunlight Blessing had disappeared some time ago.

However, she added that the Wind Blessing on Tisk still remained, causing her to suspect that the Ancient God of Identisk had revoked their blessings because the residents of Iden hadn't been devoted enough. Though the residents of Tisk had offered to let them stay on their island, Ohne didn't want her people to be a burden, for which she asked the Adversary to help them get back Sunlight Blessing. The Adversary agreed to help and began assisting the sea otters with their investigation into the missing Sunlight Blessing. Soon after they did, however, they heard Ohne shouting loudly for help, to which Tomo, the chief of Tisk, asked her to calm down and explain what had happened to the Adversary. After the Adversary came over, Ohne pointed out a stone statue and explained that when Iden and Tisk had been separate island, the statue had been two halves of a ruin, though the convergence of the islands had fused the two halves into one. She then told the Adversary that people had begun to report a strange energy emanating from the statue, and that its sheer intensity had caused her and Tomo to abandon their investigation, as they had feared that the energy would lash out and attack them. However, Tomo told Ohne to calm down, noting that they were fine and that he didn't believe that the energy was evil. He explained that they couldn't figure out what the unknown energy was, and so he asked the Adversary to help them figure it out, believing that their experience with the outside world may prove useful. Upon touching the Identisk Statue, the Adversary was overwhelmed by the energy radiating from it. However, they noted that just like Chief Tomo had said, the energy didn't seem dangerous, but rather, they had been able to sense its will to protect the island's residents, causing them to conclude that the statue wished to help them in their efforts. Upon hearing the Adversary's explanation, Tomo wondered whether the statue represented the will of the island itself, for which he asked the Adversary to continue watching over the statue, believing that each time it grew stronger from helping Identisk and its people, its blessings would help the Adversary as well. As the Adversary touched the statue again, they felt a mysterious energy flowing into them, strengthening them with divine blessings.

As the Adversary continued helping the residents of Identisk, Tomo thanked them for their efforts, though he lamented that despite all their help, the Sunlight Blessing still hadn't returned. As the people of Tisk shared the same roots as their brethren, he resolved to do everything he could to help them. Believing that praying to the Sunlight Statue alongside outsiders would please the Ancient God of Identisk and prompt them to return the Sunlight Blessing, Tomo asked the Adversary to join them in their prayers. The Adversary then followed Tomo to the Sunlight Statue, ornately carved in the shape of a human goddess, which the Adversary realized must have been modeled in the likeness of the Ancient God of Identisk. Alongside the sea otters of Tisk, the Adversary offered their prayers to the nameless goddess, though the otters were surprised when nothing happened. Tomo suspected that their sincerity hadn't been enough, adding that there was nothing they could do, as there was no guarantee that the Ancient God would hear them right away. Nevertheless, he resolved to continue his efforts to help the people of Iden. When the Adversary asked him why he was so committed to helping the other island, Tomo explained that they had been living as separate tribes for a long time – enough for their appearances to change, with the Iden otters having white fur and the Tisk otters having brown fur. Nevertheless, he noted that Iden and Tisk had the same roots, and that it was only natural to help one's kin. Tomo explained that his tribe had long served as guides for sailors, adding that it had been lonely and isolating to live on a small island in the vast ocean, far from the continent. However, he added that when their kin from legends had appeared before them, even having done the same job as them for ages, they had been delighted to have others just like them, which was why his people would do whatever it took to help the people of Iden. Tomo then prayed that the Sunlight Blessing would return for his kin soon.

Soon after, a panicked Ohne told the Adversary that a little girl from Iden named Okya had caught a cold while making a snowman to please the Ancient God of Identisk, explaining that she had fallen ill because the Sunlight Blessing had vanished. Ohne begged the Adversary to ask around for medicine to cure Okya, though they discovered that there was nobody on Iden or Tisk who had cold medicine. Just as Ohne wondered whether they should take Okya to Maple World, Okya suddenly appeared before them completely cured, explaining that a passerby had helped her. She explained that a sea otter had appeared and magically cured her with the seashell that he was carrying before mysteriously vanishing right afterwards. Ohne was relieved to know that Okya had been cured, though she noted that the otter couldn't have been any ordinary person if he had been able to cure her, even if he had used magic. Okya noted that since he had been a fellow sea otter, he must have come from Tisk island. Resolving to find the otter and properly repay him for his efforts, Ohne thanked the Adversary for helping them find medicine for Okya.

Soon after, however, Ohne called the Adversary and explained that after asking around, nobody on Tisk had stepped forward as the mysterious benefactor. As the only place left on the island to search were the island's heights, Ohne asked the Adversary to search for their benefactor in her place, as she had a fear of heights. She then gave the Adversary the reward that she had prepared for the otter and asked them to pass it on for her. The Adversary then scaled up to the summit of Identisk, where they encountered a brown and white otter named Enki, who was surprised to find an outsider coming all the way up just to see him. Enki was further surprised to receive Ohne's reward, explaining that he hadn't expected to get anything in return, adding that curing Okya hadn't been a big deal, which was why he had thought that everyone would have forgotten about it. He noted that it was to be expected, as it had been quite a while, though he admitted that he was happy to know that so many people still remembered him before wondering what else he could do for them. Some time later, Ohne excitedly told the Adversary that Okya had seen a light gleaming from the Sunlight Statue. Believing that it was the return of the Sunlight Blessing, Ohne hoped that it meant that all their efforts had finally been recognized by the Ancient God. The Adversary followed Ohne to the Sunlight Statue, where a brilliant light emanated from the goddess's hand, causing the sea otters to rejoice that their prayers had finally been answered.

Vanished Wind Blessing

Some time after the return of the Sunlight Blessing, several Seekers of Grandis arrived on Identisk aboard a boat, where they hoped to find relics of the Ancient God of Identisk. As they left to explore the island, a disguised High Flora officer named Avril stepped off the ship, where she noted to herself that she had come to Identisk under orders to verify every bit of information, no matter how small. However, she wondered to herself whether there had truly been an Ancient God on such an insignificant island, noting that she couldn't feel any divine power. Upon spotting the Wind Statue, Avril mocked how feeble the Wind Blessing's power was, believing that it must belong to an extremely weak god. Avril noted that she didn't even need to use a draining crystal to steal such insignificant levels of powers, and though she wondered whether it was even worth taking, she noted that orders were orders before stealing the Wind Blessing and disappearing. Soon after, Winston asked the Adversary whether they had seen the newcomers to Identisk, explaining that they were from Grandis. He noted that he was surprised that people from another world were so similar to them, though he then revealed that the Wind Blessing on Tisk had suddenly disappeared shortly afterward. He explained that the newcomers were Seekers, a group of people who searched for traces of the Ancient Gods. Believing that one of them might know what had happened to the blessings, he asked the Adversary to speak to Baz, the leader of the Seekers. Upon seeing the Adversary, Baz noted that they were quite famous on the island because of everything they had done to help the island residents. He explained that though he had heard the rumors that the Seekers had stolen the Wind Blessing, the rumors were untrue and unfair, explaining that they had come all the way to Identisk in search of traces of the Ancient Gods, only to find that one of those traces had disappeared. However, he added that there was someone else who had come to Identisk with them aboard the ship which had ferried them. Nevertheless, he hoped that things would be resolved soon, as he didn't want the Seeker name to be tarnished.

Several days after the theft of the Wind Blessing, a Tisk shamaness named Toong met with the Adversary and told them that though Tomo believed that they needed to pray for the Wind Blessing's return, Toong suspected that someone had stolen it, adding that the Seekers were prime suspects as those who sought the power of the Ancient Gods. At Toong's request, the Adversary accompanied her to confront Baz, who categorically denied stealing the Wind Blessing, explaining that the Seekers merely investigated the Ancient Gods, not coveted their power for themselves. He reproached Toong for accusing the Seekers without evidence, adding that she should be suspecting the people of Iden, noting that the chaos caused by the disappearance of the Sunlight Blessing was good enough reason for them to covet Tisk's blessing. Just then, Ohne and Tomo arrived at the scene, with Ohne vehemently denying that her people coveted her brethren's blessing. Tomo quickly attempted to calm everyone down, noting that Baz's accusations were baseless, adding that he believed that neither the people of Iden nor the Seekers had stolen the Wind Blessing. Instead, he explained that all they could do was pray to the Ancient God of Identisk to give them back their blessing. Upon hearing that Ohne agreed with Tomo, Toong agreed to back down, after which Baz agreed to let the matter go. Nevertheless, he asked for the chiefs' permission for the Seekers to investigate the disappearance of the Wind Blessing. He then asked the Adversary to help them with their investigation, as they were both an outsider who could see things objectively and someone who knew the island well.

Some time later, Baz met with the Adversary and told them that he had discovered something startling about the Ancient God of Identisk. He pointed out the stone statues of the goddess on Iden and Tisk, explaining that not only were both statues newer than the Seekers had expected, but neither had ever contained even a trace of divine power. Because of this, he suspected that the statues of the Ancient God were fake and asked them to speak with Obin, the resident scholar of Iden. The Adversary met with Obin, who revealed that the statues had been genuinely created to honor the Ancient God of Identisk. However, he found it difficult to explain the truth, and so he brought them to an ice cave on Iden, where he showed them a large mural that he explained was one of the few records they had of the Ancient God of Identisk. He explained that the small creatures on the mural were likely the sea otters of Identisk, with the large being crudely representing the Ancient God. He explained that because the sea otters didn't know the true form of their god, they had created the statues in the likeness of what they believed their god would look like, adding that while they didn't know their god's form or name, their devotion to the god who had protected them was real. He explained that while they had temporarily lost their god's blessings, their god would bring back those blessings if they prayed hard. He then apologized to them for making it seem like he had been hiding the truth, adding that it was the first time he had shared the story with an outsider. He then suggested that they leave the cave, as he was worried that the mural could be damaged. The Adversary then reported their findings to Baz, who told them that it was quite common for knowledge of the gods to be distorted over the ages. He explained that he was now working with Maple World's archaeologists to investigate in a different direction in the hope of finding the true reason why the Wind Blessing had vanished.

Soon after, Baz summoned the Adversary and explained that according to their investigation, they had concluded that the Ancient God of Identisk no longer existed on the island. He noted that while the Ancient God had indeed once existed, as evidenced by the numerous relics and ruins on Identisk, the lack of any divine power on the island had led the Seekers to believe that the Ancient God of Identisk had likely disappeared after being defeated in the Ancient War long ago which had resulted in the gods being sealed away. When the Adversary asked about the Sunlight and Wind Blessings, he explained that after speaking to the archeologists from Maple World, he had learned that when many people gathered together and prayed to a certain target, a kind of magic could be activated, explaining that it was a primitive form of sorcery. Baz added that the convergence of Maple World and Grandis had resulted in the appearance of a strange kind of Erda, whose influence had likely scattered away the weak magic created from the sea otters' prayers. Upon seeing the Adversary's disappointment, he explained that such disappointment was reality, as finding traces of the gods wasn't easy, adding that they should be content with the relics that remained. He then told the Adversary that his conclusion should be proof of the Seekers' innocence, and that he would leave it to them to share it with the residents of Identisk, though he noted that they didn't have to tell it if they didn't want to, as it was a rather unpleasant truth for the followers of the vanished god.

The Adversary decided to meet with Tomo and tell him what Baz had learned. After hearing their story, Tomo admitted that he had also thought that it could be the case, as it had been quite some time since the Ancient God had shown themselves. He explained that the reason why he hadn't shared his suspicions was because the people of Identisk needed some comfort to know that someone was watching over them and wishing them happiness. He supposed that it was perhaps why their ancestors had used the Ancient Gods as the source of their comfort, even though they had forgotten their god's name. However, Tomo cryptically revealed that his doubts had all been dispelled, as the Ancient Gods truly did exist, and that they were much closer than he had thought, adding that the Adversary would soon find out as well. Soon after, Tomo summoned the Adversary and explained that he could sense a strange energy emanating from the Wind Statue. Believing that it was the return of the Wind Blessing, he brought the Adversary to the Wind Statue, where the residents of Identisk were awed to see a brilliant light emanate from the Wind Statue. Though the sea otters rejoiced at the proof of their god's guardianship, Enki approached the silent Adversary, who wondered to themselves whether the light was truly a blessing from the gods. Enki asked the Adversary why they appeared so forlorn, to which they admitted that they suspected that the blessing might be fake. Enki then told them that if the blessing was fake, they should give everyone a real blessing, adding that they would all be happier when a lie became the truth. Upon hearing Enki's words, the surprised Adversary began to ask Enki who he really was, just as Enki turned and disappeared.

Ancient God's Blessing

Some time later, Ohne and Tomo thanked the Adversary for their help in recovering the blessings of Identisk, adding that the Ancient God of Identisk would surely be pleased to see their small island come to life. Ohme then explained that with the border between Maple World and Grandis having disappeared, there would be many ships coming and going in the future, with countless sailors on long voyages across the seas. Because of this, Ohne and Tomo resolved to help those sailors, just as their people had done for ages, adding that it was perhaps for this reason that their god had given their blessings back. As they wondered whether they would be able to do it, Enki – watching from a distance – quietly spoke aloud that they could, and that he would help them. He then used his divine power to fully restore the blessings of the Identisk Statue, causing the people of Identisk to marvel at the blessing of the Ancient God, with Obin realizing that the large being in their mural wasn't their god, but the Identisk Statue, which was really a large lighthouse given to them by their god ages ago so that they wouldn't get lost at sea. Wondering what new blessing the island had been given, the Adversary met with Enki at the Identisk summit, where they asked him whether he was the Ancient God of Identisk.

Though Enki stuttered and attempted to deny it, he ultimately admitted that he was indeed a god and swore the Adversary to secrecy. The Adversary asked Enki why he would hide being a god, to which Enki revealed that someone was currently attempting to steal the power of the Ancient Gods. He explained that the reason why he had allowed the theft of the Wind Blessing to take place was because they would believe that there was no Ancient God on Identisk if they were to steal the mortal-made power of the Wind Blessing, as they would otherwise invade the island and put the sea otters in danger. For this reason, Enki explained that he was planning to leave Identisk now that he had restored the power of the lighthouse and the Sunlight and Wind Blessings. He then revealed that he had used his power to make sure that Identisk would never be divided again, even if the two dimensions were to split once more. Though the Adversary told Enki that the residents would want to meet him, Enki explained that he couldn't guarantee their safety if he were to stay, and so he noted that his role ended here, as he needed to leave. He thanked the Adversary for helping the sea otters, explaining that thanks to them, he had been able to find happiness in seeing the happiness of his people. When the Adversary asked whether they would meet again, Enki told them that perhaps they would before bidding them farewell and hoping that the lighthouse continued to shine on their future.