Strange Tides/Story

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Story

To Carcion

The Adversary was contacted by Kyrin, who explained that after the convergence of Maple World and Grandis, a new sea route had opened up to Grandis. As explorers of unknown oceans, Kyrin and her pirate crew had set sail on the new sea route, though Kyrin explained that something had gone wrong. She told the Adversary that they had temporarily anchored on an island after an octopus attack, and as they had no idea where they were, she asked the Adversary to help them, believing that their knowledge of Grandis would be of use. After following Kyrin's coordinates, the Adversary arrived on the beach, where they noticed the Tree of Eternity in the distance, causing them to realize that they were in Carcion.[1] As they began wondering where Kyrin was, they suddenly noticed Kyrin and her crew approaching them from the distance. Kyrin thanked the Adversary for taking the time to meet them, adding that she had felt bad about asking for help when their voyage had been personal, rather than an Alliance mission, though she nevertheless expressed her gratitude for their assistance.[2] Valerie explained that they had landed on a mysterious costal area, adding that there were many things there which she had never seen in Maple World.[3][4] Valerie noted that Kyrin was the strongest, bravest, and most beautiful captain, and a veteran amongst veterans with incredible maritime experience, which was why they had managed to brave the seas so effectively. However, Kyrin laughed and told Valerie that it wouldn't do for her to be too flattering, reminding her that they had just been attacked by octopuses. Just as the Adversary noted that they hadn't seen any octopuses around, a horde of octopus monsters radiating with dark energy appeared and surrounded them.

As everyone prepared to battle, Duhan and Hinya suddenly rushed to the scene and dispatched the octopuses, determined to make sure that the monsters didn't reach the sanctuary. They then recognized the Adversary and greeted them before asking whether the pirate crew were their allies. The Adversary explained that the pirates were members of the Alliance like themselves, with Kyrin and her crew introducing themselves to the Anima chiefs. The Adversary was surprised that the chiefs both immediately trusted the pirates, though Hinya explained that they trusted any friends of the Adversary, and that the Anima tribes would no longer be rejecting outsiders. Duhan added that their villages had almost been completely rebuilt, and that they had been planning to start trading with other regions when a group of octopuses – rarely seen along the Carcion coastline – had suddenly appeared, with Hinya cursing the Flora as a nuisance.[5] Hinya explained that Carcion had been largely purified, though the unpurified waters containing Specter pollution had spread to the octopuses' habitat, causing the octopuses to migrate up the coast in search of clean water. Duhan added that the octopuses – having made it to the pure waters in Carcion – had grown quite troublesome as a result of the Specter energy mutating them and making them grow violent. As the Anima were busy fighting off the monsters, Hinya lamented that their goal to open Carcion to the outside world would have to be pushed off. Upon hearing the Anima's trouble, Kyrin offered her crew's services in dealing with the octopus threat, claiming that it was both the Alliance's duty to help those in need and a pirate's duty to repay a favor. She also added that the octopuses were tying down their ship, making it impossible for them to sail. Valerie then suggested sharing the octopuses that they hunted, explaining that as sailors, they knew a variety of recipes in cooking octopuses, which would help the Anima connect to others and exchange cultures. As the Adversary was familiar with both Maple World and Grandis, Kyrin suggested that they could provide assistance to both the pirates and the Anima when they ran into difficulties, with Hinya offering to provide whatever aid they could to ensure that their feast was a success.

Soon after, the Anima and the pirates put together the massive Octo Fest on the Carcion coastline, though Duhan expressed his concerns to the other Anima as the festival was about to start. Eto noted that even during the time of the previous chief, Carcion had been cut off from the outside world, and so she was excited at the prospect of meeting new people. The Adversary then asked the Anima what had prompted them to open Carcion to other regions, to which Hinya explained that they had several reasons, namely that their infighting had left them ignorant of the outside world, which was why the Flora invasion had made them realize that they needed to gather information about places beyond Carcion. Duhan also added that they needed to make alliances with others to deal with enemies stronger than both their tribes' abilities to face alone. Ropa told the Adversary that the Anima would tend to live in small groups bound by tribes, which made them a fairly insular races, particularly the snake and turtle Anima of Carcion who lived under the blessings of Keira's clear waters. However, he added that the Adversary and their allies had helped break their distrust of outsiders, making them realize that there were many trustworthy outsiders as there were enemies. Hinya then noted that it was fortunate that their first interaction with outsiders had been with the Alliance.[6][7]

As the festival proceeded, the pirates and the Anima began to fraternize and share stories and traditions with each other. Soon after, however, a turtle Anima named Gino asked the Adversary to check on Duhan, who seemed to be acting strangely. He explained that during the last octopus hunt, Duhan had suddenly stopped the hunting party from attacking a family of octopuses before telling them to disperse, claiming that he would deal with the octopuses himself. Since then, however, Duhan had been disappearing from the village at various times without telling anyone what he was doing. The Adversary met with Duhan and shared Gino's concerns, explaining that everyone was worried about him. Though Duhan laughed and brushed it off, the Adversary noted that his expression made it seem like he was hiding something. Just then, Hinya approached them and explained that Duhan wouldn't tell them what he was hiding, which was why she had secretly followed him on one occasion to a hidden cave on the coast, where she had discovered that he was protecting a family of orphaned baby octopuses. She noted that though the octopuses were enemies invading the Anima's land, the ones that Duhan was looking after were babies untainted by the Specter pollution, and so she had decided to leave it alone. However, she admitted that she had never seen the look on Duhan's face before when he had been watching over the octopuses. Hoping to find out why, the Adversary spoke with Eto, who noted that they had found out Duhan's secret as well. Eto speculated that Duhan perhaps watched over the orphaned octopuses because he saw himself in them. She explained that after the previous chief had suddenly passed away, Duhan had been forced to take on the responsibility of chief at a young age, and that he perhaps hoped to take care of the young octopuses who had also been forced to live with a great burden like himself. She added that though nobody would have minded if they knew, Duhan was likely too worried about what everyone thought, which was likely why he was keeping it a secret.

Safe and Secure

Soon after, the Adversary visited the Octo Fest, where preparations had all been finished. As everyone began to enjoy the festival food, they were suddenly surprised by the arrival of the sea otters from Identisk.[8][9] Chief Tomo explained that the otters had heard that there was a great culinary festival being held in Carcion, and that the young otters who were curious about the outside world had come to enjoy the festival together. Chief Ohne added that the young otters enjoyed eating, and as they all wanted to explore the regions beyond Identisk, they had decided to visit Carcion. Hinya and Lopa vaguely recognized the name ‘Identisk' as the island with a large lighthouse that guided sailors. Ohne told them that they were correct, and that it was their job to keep travelers on the ocean from getting lost. Duhan realized that Identisk was the island in the middle of the sea, with Lopa adding that it must have been a long journey. However, the sea otters explained that they had been able to arrive safely thanks to the help of Hui the turtle Anima, who had ferried them from Identisk. Duhan was surprised to see Hui, and told him that that his grandmother, Puana, had been worried sick about him. Hui explained that with the war between the turtles and the snakes over, he had wanted to honor his family by bringing the otters of Identisk to Carcion. The young sea otters excitedly rushed ahead and began playing with the other young Anima, while the adults sheepishly apologized for intruding on the proceedings, though Duhan and the other Anima happily told them that they were welcome to join, as the arrival of outsiders from other regions was a blessing in disguise. As the festivities proceeded, Valerie asked the Adversary whether they were going to join in.[10][11][12]

As the Anima and sea otters began celebrating, Ohne and Tomo introduced themselves as the chiefs of Iden and Tisk Islands, respectively, though they noted that ever since the two islands had merged into one, the distinction was rather meaningless. Duhan and Hinya then introduced themselves as the chiefs of the turtle and snake Anima, though they were surprised to know that the two islands had merged together. Tomo and Ohne explained that the convergence of the two worlds had created Identisk, allowing them to return to their original form as brethren with the same roots. After the Anima welcomed the sea otters, the Adversary offered to go around and check on how the sea otters were doing. As they walked around and observed the otters getting along with the Anima, they suddenly noticed Enki secretly watching everyone from behind a large shell.[13][14] As Enki began to explain why he was hiding from the other otters, the otter and Anima children suddenly spotted him, recognizing him as the otter who had disappeared earlier. As they began to chase after him, Enki quickly darted away, to which the amused Adversary noted that everyone seemed to be enjoying the festival. They reported back to the chiefs, who were pleased to see everyone getting along. Duhan noted that seeing the camaraderie around him made him feel ashamed of the times that the snakes and turtles used to fight, with Hinya agreeing and noting that hearing the story of Identisk had made her realize that their two tribes had been family all along. Tomo and Ohne assuaged them that their mistakes were in the past, and that the Anima tribes would find harmony, just as Iden and Tisk had become one.

Some time later, Eto reported that intruders had entered the island, and that they were carrying a fishy smell while hiding behind the octopuses. She explained that a strange black substance would quickly jump out of the octopuses before disappearing. Though the Adversary believed that it was merely octopus ink, Eto pointed out that ink wouldn't run away, and so she asked them to investigate with her. The Adversary accompanied her alongside Valerie, Lopa, Hinya, and Duhan, where they noted that the octopus population had decreased. Suddenly, however, they discovered strange black creatures using the octopuses as disguises. After thinning out their numbers, they destroyed the octopus disguise on the lone monster left, revealing that it was a black slime.[15][16] Duhan wondered whether the black slimes were trying to take over Carcion by sneaking in, with Lopa noting that they must have tried sneaking into the sanctuary after seeing the octopuses trying to reach the sanctuary. However, the Anima note that the slimes looked quite plump and delicious, explaining that just as the people of Maple World cooked and ate slimes, so too did the Anima of Laguna use their plentiful numbers to make side dishes. Valerie was excited to have a new ingredient to use, with the group chasing after the terrified slime. After finding and tying down the slime, the Adversary noted that while the slime had brought its fate down on itself, it nevertheless looked rather pitiful as Lopa and Valerie began planning to hunt and cook the slimes for the festival.

Soon after, the Adversary discovered that several desert nomads had arrived on Carcion. Zippy, the caravan leader, introduced himself and explained that they were travelers wandering the universe in search of paradise. He told the Adversary that though they had visited many places, they were still yet to find their paradise.[17] Zippy explained that after wandering around, they had arrived in Carcion after hearing about the Octo Fest, adding that their caravan planned to stay there for a while, as they believed that it may be the paradise that they were searching for. He notes that Carcion is far cleaner and nicer than the barren desert sands and trash-filled towns that they had been to, adding that was rather charming and quiet because of its remoteness. However, he then realized that he ought to hear the other nomads' opinions first. As he was exhausted from traveling, he asked the Adversary for their help in speaking with the other nomads, adding that it would be easier because not everyone in the caravan had come.

The Adversary first met with Salvo, who was singing and dancing at the festival. Upon noticing the Adversary, Salvo invited them over to dance with him, rather than standing there blankly.[18] The Adversary asked Salvo whether he was having fun, to which Salvo explained that he was ready to have fun wherever he went as long as he had fun music and food. However, he admitted that he wasn't totally satisfied, as the traditional music in Carcion was far quieter than the artistic beats that he was used to. The Adversary thanked Salvo for his feedback before heading over to meet another nomad holding a signal beacon.[19] The Adversary met with the nomad, Ferret, who explained that he was trying to catch the waves, to which the Adversary asked him whether he was referring to radio waves.[20] Ferret explained that he was trying to use a radio that detected octopuses that were trying to come up on land. The Adversary asked whether such a thing could be detected, to which Ferret explained that with modern technology, anything could be detected, though he admitted that perhaps finding paradise was beyond his abilities. Suddenly, he detected several octopuses approaching and notified Eto, who set off to deal with them as Ferret told her that he looked forward to her delicious octopus dish. The Adversary then asked Ferret what his thoughts on the festival were, to which he noted that while there was a lot to eat and their surroundings were quiet, the ocean breeze and sand could easily damage his equipment. The Adversary thanked him for his feedback before leaving to ask the other nomads.[21] The Adversary met with a young boy named Mar, who told them that he loved how sparkly the sand and sea were, claiming that it was his favorite out of everything that he had seen. Mar held up a seashell to the Adversary, who told him that it was quite pretty. Mar excitedly told the Adversary that there were many such shells around, which looked like stars in the night sky. He added that when the night sky reflected on the sea, the boundary between sea and sky disappeared, making everything look beautiful and mysterious. The Adversary asked Mar whether he enjoyed it in Carcion, and though Mar claimed that he did, he also noted that Carcion was already inhabited, and that he felt bad intruding on other people's land without permission.

Having spoken to the caravan, the Adversary returned to Zippy and told him everything they had learned. Zippy thanked them for speaking to the others and explained that though he had tried to bridge the gap between what each person wanted, it seemed that he couldn't please everyone, with the Adversary agreeing that each person's definition of paradise was different. Zippy then pointed out that a paradise must be a place that could satisfy everyone, adding that he had to believe that such a place was waiting for them somewhere, as it was too sad to think that paradise didn't exist, and that the thing that their people had been chasing their whole lives had been an illusion all along.[22] However, the Adversary assured Zippy that their dream couldn't be an illusion, and that it had to exist somewhere they hadn't noticed, which would help them move forward with hope. Zippy agreed that though Carcion wasn't the perfect paradise they had imagined, they all liked it a lot, and that meeting so many kind people along the way had helped them had made their lives richer. Suddenly, Zippy wondered what exactly paradise really was, noting that perhaps the idea of living with purpose might just be their paradise. However, he apologized and explained that he was talking to himself again, though he nevertheless thanked the Adversary for helping him and giving him more to think about.

References

  1. ↑ If the player has completed Carcion, they'll note to themselves that this is their second time coming to the island.
  2. ↑ Explorer Pirates get exclusive dialogue, in which Kyrin calls them a proud member of the pirate crew while thanking them for meeting her.
  3. ↑ If the player has completed Carcion, they tell Valerie that the place they're at is called Carcion, a jungle and oceanic region home to snake and turtle Anima.
  4. ↑ If the player hasn't completed Carcion, they tell Valerie that though there are many dangers in Grandis, the pirate crew nevertheless managed to sail safely without any injuries.
  5. ↑ Flora classes get exclusive dialogue here, in which Hinya tells the player that all the Flora are nuisances, except for them.
  6. ↑ If the player hasn't finished the Carcion side quests, Eto tells the player that she believes that by joining forces with the new allies that they would meet in the future, the Anima would be able to better protect their home from outside threats.
  7. ↑ If the player has finished the Carcion side quests, we ask Duhan what had happened to the barrier that they had helped restore before leaving Carcion. Duhan explains that the barrier needed to be weakened, though Eto adds that the barrier's protection had allowed them to quickly rebuild their villages. She believes that the Anima can protect their home with not only the power of the barrier, but also with the combined strength of their new allies.
  8. ↑ If the player hasn't finished the Identisk storyline, Chief Tomo introduces his people as sea otters from Iden and Tisk Islands.
  9. ↑ If the player has finished the Identisk storyline, Chief Tomo greets the Adversary and notes that it's been a while, adding that it's nice to see them again.
  10. ↑ Here, the player has the choice between enthusiastically agreeing and telling her that they're still thinking about it.
  11. ↑ If the player chooses the first option, Valerie tells them that they're just as bold as any pirate. However, if the player is an Explorer Pirate, Valerie approvingly notes that they're a bold Nautilus pirate and tells them that they're just as fearless as ever.
  12. ↑ If the player chooses the second option, Valerie asks them whether they're being shy and tells them to hurry up and join in.
  13. ↑ If the player hasn't completed the Identisk storyline, they don't recognize Enki and ask him who he is, causing Enki to try and run away. After the Adversary tells him to stop, Enki admits that he's shy, causing the Adversary to ask him why he doesn't come out and play with the other otters. Enki introduces himself by name and explains that he's the protector of Identisk. The Adversary then asks Enki why he's hiding up in such a high place, to which Enki begins to explain himself.
  14. ↑ If the player has completed the Identisk storyline, they recognize Enki and move towards him, causing Enki to try and run away. After the Adversary tells him to stop, Enki notes that he's gotten caught, causing the Adversary to ask Enki whether he came to Carcion with the others. Enki explains that though Identisk is safe from threats, danger could still befall the sea otters outside the island, and so he had followed them on their voyage, as they were precious to him and he wanted to protect them. The Adversary then jokingly asked whether that meant that they weren't precious to him, laughing at Enki getting flustered before telling them that they were only kidding. However, they note that he's hiding in a high place again, to which Enki begins to explain himself.
  15. ↑ If the player hasn't completed the Gold Beach storyline, they recall stories of how black slimes had tried to take over Gold Beach. Though they note that the black slimes had all been kicked out, they realize that the monsters had finally made it all the way to Grandis.
  16. ↑ If the player has completed the Gold Beach storyline, they note that the black slimes wouldn't disappear, and that they were now back yet again. They recall how they had barely managed to drive the monsters from Gold Beach, and that they had now shown up all the way in Grandis.
  17. ↑ Ark gets exclusive dialogue in place of this, in which he recognizes Zippy, who greets Ark and notes that it's been a while before asking him how he is. Ark tells him that things have been normal and asks Zippy how the caravan is doing. Zippy replies that things are going normal for them too, though he wonders whether ‘normal' for them is the same as normal for Ark.
  18. ↑ Ark gets exclusive dialogue in place of this, in which Salvo recognizes him and notes that he hadn't expected to see him. He then tells him not to sit there blankly and invites him to dance together.
  19. ↑ Ark will instead recognize him by his name, Ferret.
  20. ↑ Ark gets exclusive dialogue in place of this, in which Ferret recognizes Ark and tells him that it's good to see him after so long. Ark greets Ferret and asks him what kind of radio waves he's trying to detect.
  21. ↑ Ark will instead set out to find Mar, referring to him by name. Upon finding him, Mar recognizes Ark as the one who had given him his shiny rock and tells him that he's quite happy. Ark happily greets Mar and tells him that it's nice to see him so energetic.
  22. ↑ Ark gets exclusive dialogue here, in which he says “…” in response to Zippy's words.
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