Root Abyss/Story

AreaStory

Story (Post-Remaster)

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

The World Tree

Word reached the Alliance that a previously uncharted area in Sleepywood had appeared. Neinheart summoned an Alliance member and explained that the Alliance had determined that, based on residual traces of magic, there had once been a barrier around the area until recently. Because of the powerful dark energy lingering in the region, Neinheart suspected that it may be a hideout for the Black Mage's forces. He explained that the Cygnus Knights had already been dispatched to investigate, though the thick fog and vegetation had made it difficult to scout the region. Because of this, he asked the Alliance member to investigate the area and the reason for its sudden appearance.

While investigating, the Alliance member fell deep below Sleepywood into Root Abyss and woke up to find Alicia standing over them. Alicia asked them whether they had come to rescue her, to which the Alliance member replied that they hadn't known that anyone would be in such a place, especially not such a young girl. Alicia explained that they were in Root Abyss and asked them to help her escape. The Alliance member found several exits around Root Abyss and told Alicia that she could leave using them. Alicia explained that she had already tried many times to leave using those exits, but she had found that they didn't work for her. The Alliance member then tried the exit and discovered that it worked for them. Upon finding that they could leave, the girl gave them a scroll and explained that she had brought it with her because it was meant to allow one to return to the nearest town. However, she told them that it didn't work for her, and so she asked them to try it.

Though the Alliance member noted that the scroll was ancient, they found that it worked for them. They returned to let Alicia know, who wondered whether she would be stuck in Root Abyss forever. The Alliance member asked her how she had ended up in Root Abyss in the first place, as it didn't seem like a safe place for a little girl. Alicia explained that she had created Root Abyss at the center of the continent centuries ago in order to recover her powers, though the dark energy that now infected the area had made it impossible for her to leave. Confused, the Alliance member asked who she was, and was shocked to discover that she was the World Tree, immediately realizing that the World Tree was said to be the Transcendent of Life, who had disappeared long ago.

Alicia explained that she had used up too much of her power during the battle against the Black Mage, which was why she was barely able to maintain her form with the little life force that she had left. She told the Alliance member that she had come to the center of the continent because it was teeming with life energy, and that she had remained asleep there until recently, when several unknown intruders had broken through her barrier, waking her from her slumber, and attempted to kidnap her. Though they had all been hooded, Alicia explained that their leader was a demon with an eyepatch and sword. Alicia told the Alliance member that the demon had wanted her at full strength, and that he had trapped her in Root Abyss until she could recover. Worried that the demon would soon come for her, Alicia asked the Alliance member once again to help her escape first. She explained that since she was still trapped, they would first need to learn the identity of the demon leader, who had created four doors around Root Abyss.

Facing the Seal Guardians

Just as the Alliance member decided to investigate the doors, they were suddenly engulfed by a strange light that transported them before Vellum, who demanded to know whether they dared to challenge “his” will. Vellum introduced himself as his master's Seal Guardian, to which the Alliance member asked whether he was the one who had placed the seal on Alicia. Vellum replied that his master was the one who had sealed Alicia, and that he was merely acting according to “his” will. The Alliance member then asked whether he was referring to the demon with the eyepatch, causing Vellum to angrily tell them to be silent, declaring that their filthy mouth was unfit to speak of his master. As Vellum began dropping rocks upon them, the Alliance member realized that they would need to use force in order to get answers, to which Vellum scoffed before shooting a fireball attack. He then mocked the Alliance member for falling to their knees after such paltry combat before revealing that there were three other Seal Guardians besides him, and that the Alliance member would need to defeat all four of them if they ever hoped to break the seal on the World Tree. Having sufficiently threatened them, Vellum sent the Alliance member back to Alicia.

Realizing that they couldn't hope to save Alicia alone, the Alliance member told her that they would report back to the Alliance and return with reinforcements. They then met with Neinheart, who was pleased to know that the World Tree had been located at last, though he was less happy to learn that there were assailants targeting her power. He decided to take action by mobilizing the Alliance and dispatched a team to secure Root Abyss. Soon after, Neinheart called back the Alliance member and told them that the Alliance had decided to focus all their efforts on recovering the World Tree, as the power of the Transcendent of Life rivaled that of the Black Mage, with Alicia having been instrumental in sealing him away. He explained that after the battle, the World Tree had withered away, with Athena Pierce bringing the remaining source of life with her to Victoria Island. Though he had been worried that she had been taken by the Black Mage's forces, he was relieved to know that they had finally stumbled across her by good fortune.

Believing that the demon was a new Commander, Neinheart told the Alliance member that they had to protect the World Tree at all costs. He explained that the Alliance had managed to defeat the Seal Guardians and free the World Tree, and so he asked the Alliance member to help escort her back to Ereve. The Alliance member traveled to Root Abyss, where the met with Alicia, who was overjoyed to have the seal broken. They then convinced Alicia to come with them to Ereve, apologizing for asking her after she had just regained her freedom. After realizing that Ereve was the safest place for her, Alicia agreed to come with Ereve and returned back with the Alliance member, where she promised to repay them for their help someday before being absorbed inside the gemstone on Shinsoo's forehead for her safety. Neinheart then told the Alliance member that though the World Tree had been rescued, the danger had not yet passed. He explained that the ones who had sealed the World Tree had realized that she had been moved away, and that they had resurrected the Seal Guardians to engulf Victoria Island with dark energy. In order to stop them, the Alliance member returned back to Root Abyss and defeated the Seal Guardians once and for all.

Cygnus Awakens

Note: The events of Cygnus Awakens are not part of the Root Abyss storyline, although they take place soon afterwards.

Some time later, Neinheart gave a Cygnus Knight a special assignment to serve as part of the security detail to protect Empress Cygnus at the upcoming Alliance meeting, which was to be the first Alliance meeting held outside Ereve. Neinheart explained that he had agreed to the change in location because Cygnus needed to learn more about Maple World, which couldn't happen if she always remained in Ereve. However, he told the Knight that he refused to compromise her safety and reminded them that security needed to be iron-clad, which he could only entrust to the six Chief Knights. Soon after, the Knight met Cygnus and her court at the Station to Ereve in the Six Path Crossway. Just as they were about to start heading to the Alliance meeting, an injured Kiku arrived at the station and explained that Ereve was under attack, and that though Shinsoo was fighting off the invaders, the situation was looking grim. Neinheart asked Kiku who had attacked Ereve, to which he explained that it was an unknown man with grey skin and purple hair.

Cygnus immediately decided that she would return along with the rest of the Chief Knights, as their forces would otherwise be split between protecting her and reinforcing Shinsoo. Neinheart agreed with her, explaining that there was a chance that the attack on Ereve could be a ruse to draw them away from Cygnus. He decided that it would be best for them to all return to Ereve together, adding that he would postpone the Alliance meeting as well. As they prepared to debark, Neinheart began wondering what the enemy's goal could be in attacking Ereve. As they prepared to return to Ereve, the Knight wondered to themselves whether the enemy was after Cygnus or if they were after Shinsoo and the World Tree.

As the Knights reached Ereve, Damien successfully defeated Shinsoo and shattered the jewel on her forehead before extracting Alicia, who had regained her full Transcendent powers. The Knights then reached Ereve, only to find the entire island in ruins. For an instant, they saw Damien smirking in front of Shinsoo's body before he teleported away with Alicia. The Knights rushed ahead and found Shinsoo lying motionless, causing Cygnus to burst into tears and cry over Shinsoo's body. Suddenly, a surge of power welled up inside her, causing a large water barrier to envelop around herself and Shinsoo. Mihile rushed forward in an attempt to save the Empress, but found that his attacks did nothing. Neinheart was shocked at the sight of Cygnus constructing a barrier with her own power, and not with Shinsoo's, which he had believed to be impossible. Within the water barrier, Cygnus experienced an awakening and a transformation. With her new powers, she touched Shinsoo's body and restored vitality to the divine beast.

Over the next few months, the Knights rebuilt Ereve after Damien's attack. Soon after, Neinheart spoke with the Knight and explained that though he didn't know much about Cygnus' new powers, her awakening had resulted in her growing much stronger than before, which, in turn, made the Cygnus Knights stronger, as they drew their strength from her. He told them that though Shinsoo would be able to tell them more, the divine bird had left Ereve for unknown reasons. He added that Cygnus was still despondent over Shinsoo's leaving, as Shinsoo was Cygnus' guiding star, just as Cygnus was to the Knights. He then asked the Knight to speak with Cygnus in order to help make her feel better.

Cygnus was pleased to see the Knight and noted how different Ereve seemed after being rebuilt. She confessed that she hadn't felt like herself since awakening her powers. She explained that Shinsoo had always mentioned that she wouldn't be the one to awaken, and that she wouldn't be ready if she did, as it had been said that her distant descendent would awaken. She confessed that she felt unstable and feared what would happen if she couldn't control her powers, wondering whether she was the reason that Shinsoo had left. Nevertheless, Cygnus noted that her awakening had allowed her to save Shinsoo's life and make the Cygnus Knights stronger, and so she would not regret what had happened. She believed that Shinsoo would one day return to guide her, and until then, she vowed that she would use her power to bring peace to Maple World.

Soon after, the Knight heard Shinsoo's voice calling to them. Shinsoo asked them to come find her, as they deserved to know the truth. The Knight followed Shinsoo's call to Leafre, where they found the divine beast waiting for them. The Knight asked Shinsoo what had happened to the Empress, to which Shinsoo asked them if they knew about the three Transcendents of Maple World who had maintained balance over life, light, and time. However, she explained that the Transcendents hadn't existed from the beginning, as they had been created after the chaos of the world had been quelled by the Overseers, proxies of the Primordial God, adding that she herself had also been working to maintain balance, though that balance had now been broken. As the Transcendents were needed to keep the balance of the world, it had been ordained that in the distant future, a descendant of Cygnus would be born with the power to become a new Transcendent, for which Shinsoo had been waiting many years.

Though Cygnus had been destined to lay the foundation for a future Transcendent, the shock of seeing Shinsoo at the verge of death had caused her to prematurely awaken as a Transcendent-in-waiting. Due to her sudden and incomplete awakening, Cygnus could now use a portion of the Transcendent's powers, though she remained in a strange state of not actually being one. Shinsoo confessed that the situation was something that she had never expected, which made her worried that Cygnus would be adversely affected. She admitted that she had little power of her own left, as she had expended most of it on building and maintaining Ereve, as well as creating the Piyos, who would carry on her will. As a result, she feared that she didn't have enough power left to protect Cygnus. Nevertheless, she explained that her mission to keep the world in balance still stood, which was what she, as a survivor of the Ancient War, would continue doing until the very end.

In order to do so, Shinsoo explained that she would need to correct what had gone wrong, though she didn't know whether that duty meant that she would need to revert Cygnus back to her old self, or to complete her awakening as a full Transcendent. She explained that she was unsure whether that duty meant that she needed to separate Cygnus from her Transcendent powers or to teach her how to use it. In order to find answers, Shinsoo had left Ereve, as she feared that without those answers, Cygnus would get hurt. She realized that Cygnus was likely worried and confused, and she added that she was sorry that she couldn't be at Cygnus' side. She then asked the Knight if they would watch over Cygnus in her stead, believing that they had the strength to do so.

Hoping to do something to help Cygnus, the Knight returned to Neinheart and told him about their conversation with Shinsoo. Neinheart was surprised to learn that Cygnus held the power of a Transcendent's reserve and asked the Knight to keep it between themselves. He added that there was much that they didn't know about Shinsoo, and so he hoped to avoid wild speculation. He also added that their enemies wouldn't give them the luxury of time, and that between the Black Wings, the Commanders, and the Black Mage himself, the Alliance needed to be as strong as possible. However, he noted that the Knight was living proof of how strong they could become and asked them to stay the course.

Note: The following is an exclusive quest for non-Cygnus Knight characters:

Some time later, Neinheart called an Alliance member to Ereve, where they noted that the whole place looked different. Neinheart told the Alliance member about Damien's attack, and how he had taken the World Tree after killing Shinsoo. He also revealed how Cygnus had prematurely awakened as a Transcendent-in-waiting, granting her the use of some Transcendent powers without being fully awakened as one, while Shinsoo had left Ereve to find a way to help her. Neinheart explained that he had initially been planning to keep the knowledge secret, though he admitted that he knew that he couldn't keep it secret forever, which was why he had chosen to share it first with them. He then added that despite how unexpected it all was, they couldn't stop their work, as their priority was defeating their enemy as soon as possible.

Story (Pre-Remaster)

The World Tree

Word reached the Alliance that a previously uncharted area in Sleepywood had appeared. Neinheart summoned an Alliance member and asked them to investigate. While investigating, they fell deep below Sleepywood into Root Abyss and woke up to find a girl named Alicia standing over them. Alicia told them that she wanted to leave, but the Alliance member told her that they needed to stay and investigate the area. Alicia explained that they were in Root Abyss, and that it wasn't a place where they would want to stay. She told them that they should leave together, and so the Alliance member found several exits around Root Abyss and told her that she could leave using them. Alicia explained that she had already tried many times to leave using those exits, but she had found that they didn't work for her. The Alliance member then tried the exit and discovered that it worked for them.

Upon finding that they could leave, Alicia gave them a scroll and explained that she had brought it with her because it was meant to allow one to return to the nearest town. However, she told them that it didn't work for her, and so she asked them to try it. Though the Alliance member noted that the scroll was ancient, they found that it worked for them. They returned to let Alicia know, who wondered whether she would be stuck in Root Abyss forever. The Alliance member asked her how she had ended up in Root Abyss in the first place, as it didn't seem like a safe place for a little girl. Alicia explained that she had created Root Abyss centuries ago in order to recover her powers. Confused, the Alliance member asked who she was, and was shocked to discover that she was the World Tree. Alicia explained that a demon with an eyepatch had appeared and had tried to kidnap her, and that he had created four mysterious doors before he left, which contained four Seal Guardians: Von Bon, Pierre, the Crimson Queen, and Vellum.

Facing the Seal Guardians

Just as the Alliance member decided to investigate the doors, they found themselves suddenly transported before Vellum, who threatened the Alliance member to back down. Realizing that the eye-patched demon was Vellum's leader, the Alliance member told them that the Demon was their ally, but Vellum grew furious and told them not to mention the betrayer's name. After threatening them with a powerful attack, Vellum sent them back to Alicia. The Alliance member decided to return to Ereve in order to let Neinheart know what they had discovered. Neinheart was pleased to know that the World Tree had been located, but he was less happy to learn about the Seal Guardians keeping Alicia prisoner. He decided to mobilize the Alliance against the Seal Guardians in order to free the World Tree. With the Alliance member's help, they were able to defeat the Seal Guardians and brought Alicia back to Ereve, where she was absorbed inside the gemstone on Shinsoo's forehead for her safety.

Cygnus Awakens

Note: The events of Cygnus Awakens are not part of the Root Abyss storyline, although they take place soon afterwards.

Some time later, Neinheart gave a Cygnus Knight a special assignment to serve as part of the security detail to protect Empress Cygnus at the upcoming Alliance meeting, which was to be the first Alliance meeting held outside Ereve. Neinheart explained that he had agreed to the change in location because Cygnus needed to learn more about Maple World, which couldn't happen if she always remained in Ereve. However, he told the Knight that he refused to compromise her safety and reminded them that security needed to be iron-clad, which he could only entrust to the six Chief Knights. Soon after, the Knight met Cygnus and her court at the Station to Ereve in the Six Path Crossway. Just as they were about to start heading to the Alliance meeting, an injured Kiku arrived at the station and explained that Ereve was under attack, and that though Shinsoo was fighting off the invaders, the situation was looking grim. Neinheart asked Kiku who had attacked Ereve, to which he explained that it was an unknown man with grey skin and purple hair.

Cygnus immediately decided that she would return along with the rest of the Chief Knights, as their forces would otherwise be split between protecting her and reinforcing Shinsoo. Neinheart agreed with her, explaining that there was a chance that the attack on Ereve could be a ruse to draw them away from Cygnus. He decided that it would be best for them to all return to Ereve together, adding that he would postpone the Alliance meeting as well. As they prepared to debark, Neinheart wondered what the enemy's goal could be in attacking Ereve, if not a trap. He wondered whether they were after the World Tree, but thought that fighting Shinsoo just to take the World Tree was too risky a plan.

Meanwhile, Damien successfully defeated Shinsoo and shattered the jewel on her forehead before extracting Alicia, who had regained her full Transcendent powers. Just then, the Knights arrived in Ereve, only to find the entire island in ruins. For an instant, they saw Damien smirking in front of Shinsoo's body before he teleported away with Alicia. The Knights rushed ahead and found Shinsoo lying motionless, causing Cygnus to burst into tears and cry over Shinsoo's body. Suddenly, a surge of power welled up inside her, causing a large water barrier to envelop around herself and Shinsoo. Mihile rushed forward in an attempt to save the Empress, but found that his attacks did nothing. Neinheart was shocked at the sight of Cygnus constructing a barrier with her own power, and not with Shinsoo's, which he had believed to be impossible. Within the water barrier, Cygnus experienced an awakening and a transformation. With her new powers, she touched Shinsoo's body and restored vitality to the divine beast.

Over the next few months, the Knights rebuilt the city after Damien's attack. Neinheart spoke with the Knight and explained that after Cygnus' awakening, her new power meant that the Cygnus Knights, who drew their strength from her, also became stronger. He told them that he would have preferred that Shinsoo fill them in on the details, though that was no longer possible, as Shinsoo had left Ereve soon after Cygnus had saved her life. He wondered how the Empress was taking it, as the two had never been separated since her coronation. He then asked them to go see the Empress, as he believed that it would make her happy.

Sure enough, Cygnus was pleased to see the Knight and commented on how different Ereve was. She told them that she hadn't been feeling like herself as of late. She explained that her powers had awakened when she thought that Shinsoo had died, though things were now much different. She also explained that Shinsoo had once told her that her descendent would be the one to awaken, but against all expectations, it had been herself. She told the Knight that she didn't know how this twist of events would turn out and confessed that she felt unstable. She explained that she was afraid of whether she had caused her awakening to happen and wondered if that had driven Shinsoo to leave her. Though she felt guilty, she told the Knight that she still didn't regret what had happened, as her awakening had allowed her to both save Shinsoo and give strength to the Knights. She decided that she wouldn't ponder on whether she was the cause, and that she believed that Shinsoo would one day return to guide her. Until then, she vowed that she would use her power to bring peace to Maple World.

Soon after, the Knight heard Shinsoo's voice calling to them. Shinsoo asked them to come find her, claiming that they deserved to know the truth. The Knight followed Shinsoo's call to Leafre, where they found the divine beast waiting for them. Shinsoo asked them if they knew about the Transcendents who maintained balance over life, light, and time. She then explained that there was a fourth Transcendent who was destined to be born in the future. Shinsoo also explained that her true purpose was not to guide Cygnus, but to ensure that the fourth Transcendent would one day awaken. She told the Knight that Maple World was not yet ready for its fourth Transcendent, which was why Cygnus' descendent had been fated to be the fourth. However, because of Shinsoo's defeat at Damien's hands, the latent powers of the Transcendent had awakened within Cygnus, though Shinsoo feared that the Empress was too young to handle her Transcendent powers.

She explained that the turn of events had changed everything, as Cygnus had imperfectly awakened. Though she could use some of her Transcendent powers, she was not fully one of them. Shinsoo told the Knight that she didn't know what would happen to Cygnus, and that she feared that Cygnus wouldn't survive unscathed. She explained that she had left Ereve in order to find a way to either suppress and revert Cygnus, or to complete Cygnus' awakening so that she could help Cygnus before she got hurt. Shinsoo told the Knight that she realized that Cygnus was likely worried and confused, adding that she was sorry that she could not be at Cygnus' side. She then asked the Knight if they would watch over Cygnus in her stead, believing that they had the strength to do so. She then gave the Knight her blessing, granting them a new power that would allow them to better protect their Empress.