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TUNIC Narrative Guide - Act 3, Part 5: A Hero Reborn
Summary: Join the Ruin Seeker (that's our protagonist fox!) on his journey through a strange and vaguely familiar land. His inner thoughts are laid bare as we explore the unknown. Each step brings new mysteries to solve, new challenges to face. - This story is intended as a companion piece to the video game TUNIC, but can also function as a guide if you are stuck or a teaser to get you interested.
We have entered the third act of the game, and the game has now taken a big tonal shift. If you plan to experience the game for yourself, please use Act 1 as your teaser, and only read through if you have experience with the game or need help getting past something you are stuck on. TUNIC is a game of discovery, and I would hate to take that joy away from anyone.
The air itself is tinged in pink, and my stomach churns as I walk slowly over to the spiral staircase. Below, a sea where there once was none. The entire region has been flooded with the pure energy that I saw below. Is that where it came from, or did it congeal from within the mountains? The damage here is immeasurable, and I'm severely limited in my possible destinations.
I survey the east side, the crystal formations still jut out from the Quarry's wall. It seems more likely that the Ziggurat oozed this stuff out, but the elevator within it took me down so far that I have trouble believing that. This land is still a collection of mysteries to me, and I'm at a breaking point. I find I simply cannot worry about every little strange thing that crosses in front of me.
Before I climb back down, I spot that chest that I was unable to reach during my first visit. Within, a new bundle of mushrooms. Can I even still make offerings? The goddess doesn't seem to care about me. I suppose I can try. Heading back down, I cross the waters with a teleportation dash and rest at the altar. With the aid of a little money, I send off the blue 'shrooms in the hopes of bolstering my spirit.
The offering is accepted, and my spirit feels deeper, sturdier. My connection to the goddess may be weak, but it isn't fully broken. Some bonds still remain, for good or for bad.
I head inside the building, spilled energy tearing at the edges of my sanity as I zip through the glowing corridor. No Scavengers remain. They were either caught in the disaster or they fled as soon as it started to happen, like the ones in East Forest. Past the stacks of boxes, I find more corruption tainting the grave. I walk to its edge, even trying to step through it. A mistake, of course, and I quickly dash away and head back down the stairs.
Before I can even feel confused, I spot a void fox at the entrance, staring at me. If I'm not mistaken, this is the one I saw inside the Cathedral. After she escaped, she must have fled here. I approach her with the intention to pray, when she starts to lumber forward with a low growl.
She's upset. Angry. I mean, fair enough, she did see me juice her relative at that obelisk. Still! I haven't had a choice in all of this! I must continue to press my way forward! I open fire with a shot of my Rod, and she dodges each of my blasts. That isn't going to work, she's too quick! Thankfully, I'm quick now, as well. With a zip, I close the gap and swing out.
She lunges away, and then swings out with her claws a moment later. I teleport away, then back behind her in an attempt to land a strike. She glides away, her body unstable and seeming to dissolve before me. It may just be my imagination, but it almost seems like she's in pain. I grab hold of her torso with the tentacle of the Magic Orb and pull her in close. My revenge take precedence.
With a cacophony of dodges and slashes, we find ourselves on opposite sides of the room. She lumbers slowly across, once again stalking me from a distance, sizing me up. In once movement, she glides in front of me. Her claws stretch out and swipe at me, clipping my side. The room erupts into a blur of pink as we return to our energetic duel.
Eventually, I start to feel weak. I only have a little strength remaining, no matter how many potions I drink. I dip to a corner, between some barrels and a broken column. She lunges towards me and I sidestep the attack. Slipping behind her, I pin her against the debris. She struggles to roll away, and I land blow after blow upon her. Her body begins to break apart, and with a pained screech she fades away leaving the room silent.
At the end of the hall, the sad visage of the hero adorns the final grave. I kneel in prayer and am whisked to the other plane. Racing with excitement, I zip onto the final offering platform and claim the pure red crystal powder. With a bright flash of light, wisps surge into me, the last of my power returned to me. Not only that, but my ghostly visage has been cast away. I am whole again!
At last, all that remains is to challenge The Heir once more, and lay claim to the Holy Cross. I waste no time in returning to the Overworld and the nearest golden telepad. I rest at the goddess altar outside of the Sacred Temple and descend the ladder by the Old House, the same as I have done so many times before, and if I'm unlucky, the same as I will continue to do until my victory is claimed.
Before I enter her arena, I take a moment to look over my equipment. The Muffling Bell and Lucky Cup are again useless. I browse my alternatives and find that I know little of what the various cards even do. I settle on the Orange and Cyan Peril Rings, with the expectation that I will be struggling. My last alteration is to exchange the Magic Orb for the Magic Dagger. I doubt I will be able to replenish my spirit in this battle, so between the two, the dagger seems more useful.
With a deep breath, and a tinge of sadness, I charge the portal and step into the arena. The goddess walks towards me, sword in paw. Before I can utter a word, she swings her blade in my direction, the air where I just was is left sparking with energy. I try to approach her, striking out, and I misjudge the speed of her next swing. I put distance with another dash and continue to watch her carefully.
She approaches, whirling out, and I pop behind her. Her blade comes mere inches from the tip of my muzzle with her backswing, but while she recovers, I land my first two strikes against her. The third is met with a swirling escape as she moves behind me. She thrusts her great blade, and I dash beyond her. While she looks around for me, I land two more blows. She lunges into me, and the moment she does, I teleport away.
She turns her blade to the phantasmal sky and launches a form of energy upwards. Just after that, the ground nearby bursts with a ring of light. I'm caught off guard, but the damage it minimal. A three strike combo now, and as she winds up the last strike, I hit her with several bolts of fire. Her blade slams into the platform just ahead of me, and she glances outwards, surprised that I wasn't hit by the attack.
Before she can recover, three strikes of my own, but I got greedy. An overhead swing crashes down and leaves me reeling. Quickly I move behind her, claiming another pair of strikes, and then moving to the far side to watch her motions. Thus far her attacks have been simplistic, apart from a few bursts of energy. I chug a pair of potions and continue to keep my distance.
Calling light to her free paw, she launches a series of energy bolts at my location. Before each one lands, I dash away, remembering to take deep breaths afterwards. Her next move is to plunge her sword into the ground and a ring of light radiates directly from her. Inwards, and I claim more hits, then away again. She unleashes another wave. Inside I zip, but I only claim one blow to her backside before she again dashes away.
Now that I'm restored to my full strength, the fight against her feels trivial. Still, best not to get overly confident. Her paw glows again, and another trio of energy bolts must be dodged. I move in to strike, only for her to raise her blade to the air. She tracks my location, trying hard to turn and face me before bringing the blade down. Sensing danger, I back away and observe. Outwards from the strike are three waves of sparking ice. Before she can recover, I'm again at her side, stabbing away with my sword.
Delicately, she sidesteps my blows and charges another burst of energy. The trio of shots push me away from her location. I carefully watch her from a distance, and she raises her blade to cast her frost strike. With a zip to the side, and then two to move in, I manage a single hit. My nerves are getting to me. As I back away, she lunges through me, and I return two slashes of my own and try to escape.
I'm cut off with a wide swing, taking another hit. She follows it into a full three-hit combo, the third hit landing just as I finish drinking a potion. It's only by a hair's breadth that I'm able to escape. Panting deeply, adrenaline surging, I manage to regain enough awareness to dodge through the incoming energy ring. She is backed against the wall and retaliates with a lunging swing. Three dashes to move away, and I watch her closely.
I zip away from her next simple strike, and she follows it with a slow frost strike. Two dashes later, I'm at her side to claim yet another strike. I wish I was stronger. I'm needing to have so much endurance to take her on. Maybe there were more offerings I could have found, had I looked harder. She races towards me from across the room and I pop to the side. Every strike counts.
A set of rings, and then an attack I'm unfamiliar with. A bursting lunge. She rushes past me, leave me chilled and hurt. I drink my fourth potion, half are now gone. The fight is even at this point. She lunges, closing back in, and then whirls with her sword. Ducking under it, I score her side with a full combo.
She readies a heavy strike, and I try to catch her before she recovers, but she shuffles out of my range. She lunges again as I am mid-strike. My hit connects, and at the last moment I zip away. Right now, her attacks feel so slow to me. Another overhead lunge, and I zip away to await a better opening. A burst lunge towards the edge and I close in. She tries to dodge away, but finds her back to a pillar on the edge. An opportunity. Two easy strikes.
She rolls her shoulders and slashes down with another cleave, and I dash twice directly away from her. The goddess summons a trio of rings around the edge of the room, and I dash into the middle of the nearest one. The other two fade away before they reach me. Immediately after, two bursts shoot into the sky, and the ground alights with a downpour of energy. Chaos ensues.
I move in to strike and she thrusts her large sword in my general direction. Ducking under it, I move to her back and strike. The ground underneath my feet lights up, and I flee from within its range. The falling stars seem to chase me around the room, and I put full distance between myself and The Heir. Two shots with my Fire Rod show my displeasure at her assault, one even manages to hit.
We face off, and she lunges with a burst. I think my escape to be a clean one until I feel the cut on my cheek. This time, she comes at me with a swinging arc to her blade. At the last moment she turns, and it scores a clean hit. I trade two of my own before stepping back. She seems to have trouble deciding her next move, the fatigue of the fight weighing on her.
Her blade is raised, it's a frost strike. I connect with two small strikes before she lands the blow and then zip behind her. Two more past that. Ever closer to victory. A burst of rings, I step inside and quaff a refreshing potion. The battle is intense, but satisfying. A triple combo reaches out to me. Successive dodges keep her blade from connecting, and as she sits vulnerable from the final strike, I claim a full combo against her!
Her paw glows with energy, and I quickly dash away. A burst lunge and I'm struggling to catch my breath. I chase her down, but she begins a new assault. Slowly, calmly, I recover myself without taking any new wounds. She comes in close, and I try to freeze her in place with the Magic Dagger. It stops short, and I kick one of the jutting icicles in frustration. An energy bolt comes whizzing past my ear, and I try to dodge, but end up slipping and taking two to the chest.
No, it can't end like this. A frost strike clips me and I'm pinned against the wall. Dashing towards her, I stab out, my blade falling short! I blast her with frost of my own, this time managing to freeze her in place. One, two, three. My combo shatters the ice, and she immediately lunges towards me. I'm up against the edge of death, and I feel like I can barely breathe.
Stumbling away, I chug a potion as quickly as I can. Her blade hits me from behind, and it takes every bit of effort to retreat. I still haven't caught my breath and I nearly fall to the floor from tripping over my own two feet. A frost strike shatters behind my tail, and I down my last two potions during the small respite. An energy ring erupts from directly under my feet, and while the damage is unfortunate, it finally gives me a moment to recover my stamina.
The battle is nearly won, and a fresh surge of adrenaline refocuses my efforts. I step in close, and she whirls with her sword. I step in again, another whirl. Into her range, a third whirl. I'm about to let my guard down and strike out, when a fourth whirl in a row spins around towards my backside. She then swings her sword the other direction, leaving her open, but it's not enough yet.
There, a triple combo. She lunges, and I zip around her. One attack, two attacks, heavy attack, now! Damn! Only a single strike, she fled almost immediately. I pull out the Fire Rod and open fire. She lunges, and I narrowly dash away. So close! I fire twice more, the first one is dodged but the second one strikes.
She falls to her knees. My breath heaves. I've done it. I've beaten the goddess.
She shakes, letting out a small sob, before shifting her weight. She attempt to stand. Slowly, she returns to her feet. This was all a test, right? You were just testing my skill, and now that I've proven myself, you're going to hand me the Holy Cross. Tell me that's the case. I plead silently.
Her eyes come alight, the same ominous purple that the Sealed Temple statues were glowing. Her sword surges with void energy, and I can almost hear a voice shouting in the back of my mind, angry words about a second form. Deep within The Heir is a great power, and with this power set free, the other void on the island must have reacted to it. She may have done it intentionally, or maybe it was simply a natural reaction to what she has inside of her. Of course, this is only a guess, and now is not a good time to be spending my thoughts on mysteries.
I drain the remainder of my spirit, lobbing fiery bolts in her vicinity. I think myself a safe distance from her, but to my horror, her sword's void energies seem to grant an extended range. Her strike carves down my front, corruption seeping into the wound. I drain a large portion of my stamina escaping from her triple combo, and when I move to advance, her burst lunge has evolved to drop void energy behind it! I mutter a quiet prayer that the sludge doesn't remain indefinitely and attempt to reposition myself to guard against her next onslaught. I fail.
She lunges through the sludge and my vision blurs as I'm struck clean-on with yet another harsh blow. However, I think I have her new timing figured out. I will not fall here, I will see this through! No matter how many times she rises, I will claim victory. With an internal pep-talk echoing in my ears, I zip out of the way of a triple combo. It ends nearby, and I'm able to connect with a full combo of my own.
My body is surging with energy, my skin feels thick under my fur. The Peril Rings have activated, and I cannot be happier. An overhead cleave swings and misses me as I zip away. She does a simple whirling lunge to close the distance, and I back away ever-so-slightly. I slash, and she rolls. She then thrusts, which I dodge inwardly past. The blade leaves her hands and spins at its target location. I quickly add this to my catalogue of her techniques, and score another full combo in her vulnerability.
A normal lunge that just barely misses me. My blood boils, my heart races. A stab with a spin, but not where I'm at. My counter is evaded. I watch her closely, but I can't tell if her next attack is to be slow or devastatingly quick. I begin to dash as soon as she makes a motion. It's an overhead slash, but I'm not close enough to trade blows. Her next strike is a whirl, and I move in to steal two strikes. It's never-ending.
She uses the same attack, but this time I'm too close. It hits, and I'm shocked to still be standing. The Peril Ring is keeping me safe in these moments of desperation. Through clouded vision, I see the single strike evolve into a combo. As her sword falls harshly onto the three-hexagon emblazoned flooring of the arena, I step over to her side, heart pounding out of my chest. Two strikes is all I can manage before I have to retreat.
I dash back towards her, and we meet in a pair of quick thrusts. Mine connects and I zip away before her's can find flesh. Her gaze meets me, showing clear awe towards my skill. I find it hard to believe, as well. I've been without potions since the moment she channeled her inner power into her greatblade. It's unthinkable that I'm still standing!
She winds up with an overhead swing, and I stab out at her before zipping underneath. A lunge strikes out at the air where I just was. In her rage, she summons a group of five rings. Quickly, I dash into the nearest one, but find that another is soon to reach me. One more zip and I hug the far wall for the chaos to fade. I realize that her entire toolkit likely got an upgrade and it's only by sheer luck that I've encountered such little variety.
The Heir charges at me from across the arena, her blade outstretched. It's not a burst lunge, but it follows my retreat and I narrowly avoid being struck by the tail end of it. Another small strike against her during the downtime, and she launches another blast of energy into the air. As it begins to fall, a new group of rings appear. The platform is overflowing with energy, a thunderous noise erupting all around me.
I dodge into the first ring, pinning myself against the wall. Starfall strikes all around me, and I dare not risk moving an inch. My next dash comes at the very last moment, and it doesn't even take me anywhere. The fact that it kept me out of harm's way is nothing short of a miracle. As the magical barrage continues to assail the stones around me, the goddess plunges her sword into the platform and a ring erupts from her. As I move to dodge it, another ring radiates, then another. My breath grows shallow, and panic starts to well up inside of me.
I stand still for a moment, hoping to recover in time. At the last moment, I dash away from a lunge, eyes meeting with the sad and hopeless gaze of the large fox. Another lunge, and I stab out at her before zipping away from her next strike. It's do or die. She lunges with another cleave, and I dash into her and strike out. A quick attack lands, digging into my shoulder. I survived yet another blow! Unthinkable!
Through blurry vision, at the very edge of death, I put every thought into evading her barrage. She pursues, and throws her blade at me. I zip away, it brushes past, I zip back! One hit. I push my luck, swinging out one last time!
...
I... I did it. I fluffing did it! Again, the goddess falls to her knees. She begins to sob, almost uncontrollably. An energy deep within her begins to glow. She begins to rise, pulled aloft by this energy. My heart leaps into my throat, and I worry for several long moments whether the fight is truly over. She wipes her eyes, and stares upwards toward the ceiling of this mysterious realm.
After a few tense moments, her chest erupts. From within burst colored wisps, not unlike those that spiraled around me when I restored myself at the True Hero's Grave. Before I can ponder a connection between the two, the wisps vacate her body and fly up and away. Her ethereal body begins to dissolve. Without even glancing downwards, she fades away in silence, sword and all.
It's only at this point that I realize my own wisps have left me, as well. My body has returned to an ethereal state, my restored power having once again left me. I suppose if that power was granted by the goddess, that would make sense. I look around the chamber for the Holy Cross. Nothing, only silence.
Returning through the gateway that led me here, I am immediately pulled into the inner temple. I struggle against the invisible force, but I am brought to the space where the goddess was previously held. With a rumble, the interior ring springs to life. A blue barrier forms around me as it clamps into place. What? Wait! What's happening!
Another ring hums to life, clamping together with a snap, lighting up a green barrier around me. Who is doing this? I defeated The Heir, just like I was supposed to! I earned the great treasure of the temple! The last ring rumbles, spins around, and then locks into place with a loud thunk. The final barrier closes around me, red prism spinning alongside the other two.
This can't be how it ends. Am I... am I the bad guy here? Was it my actions really that ultimately caused the collapse? I... I can't say with certainty that I'm innocent. Maybe my lust for treasure really did blind me to what I was doing. I was only following the booklet. It didn't say why, but I'm here, without any memory, and being pushed to find a great treasure. Life has to have a purpose, right?
Wasn't this my purpose? To find the treasure? To defeat the goddess, claim the Holy Cross, and continue my exploration or this mysterious land? Yet here I am, sealed in a magical prison, inside a mystical void, incorporeal and alone. The temple doors close, and all I'm left with is the light of the prison prism, the hum of the rotating rings, and the turmoil of my own thoughts.
Is this truly how everything ends..?
Current Goals
✔Recover my potion power at the Hero's Grave in the Quarry's Monastery.
✔Recover my power within the True Hero's Grave.
✔Defeat The Heir and claim the Holy Cross from her.
Author's Notes: I may have seen this fight coming, but I didn't see the ending itself coming. Trapped inside The Heir's prison, doomed to continue the cycle. I had no clue what was happening or why. Well, I had some idea... Still, it was a really cool result and I am proud of the game for having such a clearly bad ending.
Now, about my battle. I did not embellish this. I legitimately went in, completely rusty, and defeated her in a single attempt. What's more, my potions were entirely consumed by the time I entered her second phase. It was such an amazing fight, and I loved attempting to turn it into writing. I'm sure I could have done an even better job, somehow. Lightened the detail towards the start, used heavier words towards the end. I also got extremely lucky in the second phase, as she only used about half of her possible attacks.
I've posted my boss kill on Reddit. Comparing the writing with the actual fight might be entertaining for some.
This is going to mark the end of my Narrative Guide for a little while. I plan to return to conclude it with Act 4, but I need a small break to take care of other projects. It shouldn't be too long, but to anyone who makes it this far, thank you for reading and I hope to have more to share, soon.
Thumbnail created using the press kit's wallpaper and logo. The custom text contains a secret.
Search Tags: Zelda Link mystery mysteries explore exploring exploration guide gameguide walkthrough help steam psychology psychological island ruin ruins ruination "the heir" vixen foxy foxes offering offerings secret secrets quest adventure magic magical betrayal revenge
We have entered the third act of the game, and the game has now taken a big tonal shift. If you plan to experience the game for yourself, please use Act 1 as your teaser, and only read through if you have experience with the game or need help getting past something you are stuck on. TUNIC is a game of discovery, and I would hate to take that joy away from anyone.
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TUNIC: A Narrative Guide
Act 3, Part 5 - A Hero Reborn
The air itself is tinged in pink, and my stomach churns as I walk slowly over to the spiral staircase. Below, a sea where there once was none. The entire region has been flooded with the pure energy that I saw below. Is that where it came from, or did it congeal from within the mountains? The damage here is immeasurable, and I'm severely limited in my possible destinations.
I survey the east side, the crystal formations still jut out from the Quarry's wall. It seems more likely that the Ziggurat oozed this stuff out, but the elevator within it took me down so far that I have trouble believing that. This land is still a collection of mysteries to me, and I'm at a breaking point. I find I simply cannot worry about every little strange thing that crosses in front of me.
Before I climb back down, I spot that chest that I was unable to reach during my first visit. Within, a new bundle of mushrooms. Can I even still make offerings? The goddess doesn't seem to care about me. I suppose I can try. Heading back down, I cross the waters with a teleportation dash and rest at the altar. With the aid of a little money, I send off the blue 'shrooms in the hopes of bolstering my spirit.
New Item: Mana Upgrade #3The offering is accepted, and my spirit feels deeper, sturdier. My connection to the goddess may be weak, but it isn't fully broken. Some bonds still remain, for good or for bad.
I head inside the building, spilled energy tearing at the edges of my sanity as I zip through the glowing corridor. No Scavengers remain. They were either caught in the disaster or they fled as soon as it started to happen, like the ones in East Forest. Past the stacks of boxes, I find more corruption tainting the grave. I walk to its edge, even trying to step through it. A mistake, of course, and I quickly dash away and head back down the stairs.
Before I can even feel confused, I spot a void fox at the entrance, staring at me. If I'm not mistaken, this is the one I saw inside the Cathedral. After she escaped, she must have fled here. I approach her with the intention to pray, when she starts to lumber forward with a low growl.
She's upset. Angry. I mean, fair enough, she did see me juice her relative at that obelisk. Still! I haven't had a choice in all of this! I must continue to press my way forward! I open fire with a shot of my Rod, and she dodges each of my blasts. That isn't going to work, she's too quick! Thankfully, I'm quick now, as well. With a zip, I close the gap and swing out.
She lunges away, and then swings out with her claws a moment later. I teleport away, then back behind her in an attempt to land a strike. She glides away, her body unstable and seeming to dissolve before me. It may just be my imagination, but it almost seems like she's in pain. I grab hold of her torso with the tentacle of the Magic Orb and pull her in close. My revenge take precedence.
With a cacophony of dodges and slashes, we find ourselves on opposite sides of the room. She lumbers slowly across, once again stalking me from a distance, sizing me up. In once movement, she glides in front of me. Her claws stretch out and swipe at me, clipping my side. The room erupts into a blur of pink as we return to our energetic duel.
Eventually, I start to feel weak. I only have a little strength remaining, no matter how many potions I drink. I dip to a corner, between some barrels and a broken column. She lunges towards me and I sidestep the attack. Slipping behind her, I pin her against the debris. She struggles to roll away, and I land blow after blow upon her. Her body begins to break apart, and with a pained screech she fades away leaving the room silent.
At the end of the hall, the sad visage of the hero adorns the final grave. I kneel in prayer and am whisked to the other plane. Racing with excitement, I zip onto the final offering platform and claim the pure red crystal powder. With a bright flash of light, wisps surge into me, the last of my power returned to me. Not only that, but my ghostly visage has been cast away. I am whole again!
Major Goal Complete: Recover my power within the True Hero's Grave.At last, all that remains is to challenge The Heir once more, and lay claim to the Holy Cross. I waste no time in returning to the Overworld and the nearest golden telepad. I rest at the goddess altar outside of the Sacred Temple and descend the ladder by the Old House, the same as I have done so many times before, and if I'm unlucky, the same as I will continue to do until my victory is claimed.
Before I enter her arena, I take a moment to look over my equipment. The Muffling Bell and Lucky Cup are again useless. I browse my alternatives and find that I know little of what the various cards even do. I settle on the Orange and Cyan Peril Rings, with the expectation that I will be struggling. My last alteration is to exchange the Magic Orb for the Magic Dagger. I doubt I will be able to replenish my spirit in this battle, so between the two, the dagger seems more useful.
With a deep breath, and a tinge of sadness, I charge the portal and step into the arena. The goddess walks towards me, sword in paw. Before I can utter a word, she swings her blade in my direction, the air where I just was is left sparking with energy. I try to approach her, striking out, and I misjudge the speed of her next swing. I put distance with another dash and continue to watch her carefully.
She approaches, whirling out, and I pop behind her. Her blade comes mere inches from the tip of my muzzle with her backswing, but while she recovers, I land my first two strikes against her. The third is met with a swirling escape as she moves behind me. She thrusts her great blade, and I dash beyond her. While she looks around for me, I land two more blows. She lunges into me, and the moment she does, I teleport away.
She turns her blade to the phantasmal sky and launches a form of energy upwards. Just after that, the ground nearby bursts with a ring of light. I'm caught off guard, but the damage it minimal. A three strike combo now, and as she winds up the last strike, I hit her with several bolts of fire. Her blade slams into the platform just ahead of me, and she glances outwards, surprised that I wasn't hit by the attack.
Before she can recover, three strikes of my own, but I got greedy. An overhead swing crashes down and leaves me reeling. Quickly I move behind her, claiming another pair of strikes, and then moving to the far side to watch her motions. Thus far her attacks have been simplistic, apart from a few bursts of energy. I chug a pair of potions and continue to keep my distance.
Calling light to her free paw, she launches a series of energy bolts at my location. Before each one lands, I dash away, remembering to take deep breaths afterwards. Her next move is to plunge her sword into the ground and a ring of light radiates directly from her. Inwards, and I claim more hits, then away again. She unleashes another wave. Inside I zip, but I only claim one blow to her backside before she again dashes away.
Now that I'm restored to my full strength, the fight against her feels trivial. Still, best not to get overly confident. Her paw glows again, and another trio of energy bolts must be dodged. I move in to strike, only for her to raise her blade to the air. She tracks my location, trying hard to turn and face me before bringing the blade down. Sensing danger, I back away and observe. Outwards from the strike are three waves of sparking ice. Before she can recover, I'm again at her side, stabbing away with my sword.
Delicately, she sidesteps my blows and charges another burst of energy. The trio of shots push me away from her location. I carefully watch her from a distance, and she raises her blade to cast her frost strike. With a zip to the side, and then two to move in, I manage a single hit. My nerves are getting to me. As I back away, she lunges through me, and I return two slashes of my own and try to escape.
I'm cut off with a wide swing, taking another hit. She follows it into a full three-hit combo, the third hit landing just as I finish drinking a potion. It's only by a hair's breadth that I'm able to escape. Panting deeply, adrenaline surging, I manage to regain enough awareness to dodge through the incoming energy ring. She is backed against the wall and retaliates with a lunging swing. Three dashes to move away, and I watch her closely.
I zip away from her next simple strike, and she follows it with a slow frost strike. Two dashes later, I'm at her side to claim yet another strike. I wish I was stronger. I'm needing to have so much endurance to take her on. Maybe there were more offerings I could have found, had I looked harder. She races towards me from across the room and I pop to the side. Every strike counts.
A set of rings, and then an attack I'm unfamiliar with. A bursting lunge. She rushes past me, leave me chilled and hurt. I drink my fourth potion, half are now gone. The fight is even at this point. She lunges, closing back in, and then whirls with her sword. Ducking under it, I score her side with a full combo.
She readies a heavy strike, and I try to catch her before she recovers, but she shuffles out of my range. She lunges again as I am mid-strike. My hit connects, and at the last moment I zip away. Right now, her attacks feel so slow to me. Another overhead lunge, and I zip away to await a better opening. A burst lunge towards the edge and I close in. She tries to dodge away, but finds her back to a pillar on the edge. An opportunity. Two easy strikes.
She rolls her shoulders and slashes down with another cleave, and I dash twice directly away from her. The goddess summons a trio of rings around the edge of the room, and I dash into the middle of the nearest one. The other two fade away before they reach me. Immediately after, two bursts shoot into the sky, and the ground alights with a downpour of energy. Chaos ensues.
I move in to strike and she thrusts her large sword in my general direction. Ducking under it, I move to her back and strike. The ground underneath my feet lights up, and I flee from within its range. The falling stars seem to chase me around the room, and I put full distance between myself and The Heir. Two shots with my Fire Rod show my displeasure at her assault, one even manages to hit.
We face off, and she lunges with a burst. I think my escape to be a clean one until I feel the cut on my cheek. This time, she comes at me with a swinging arc to her blade. At the last moment she turns, and it scores a clean hit. I trade two of my own before stepping back. She seems to have trouble deciding her next move, the fatigue of the fight weighing on her.
Her blade is raised, it's a frost strike. I connect with two small strikes before she lands the blow and then zip behind her. Two more past that. Ever closer to victory. A burst of rings, I step inside and quaff a refreshing potion. The battle is intense, but satisfying. A triple combo reaches out to me. Successive dodges keep her blade from connecting, and as she sits vulnerable from the final strike, I claim a full combo against her!
Her paw glows with energy, and I quickly dash away. A burst lunge and I'm struggling to catch my breath. I chase her down, but she begins a new assault. Slowly, calmly, I recover myself without taking any new wounds. She comes in close, and I try to freeze her in place with the Magic Dagger. It stops short, and I kick one of the jutting icicles in frustration. An energy bolt comes whizzing past my ear, and I try to dodge, but end up slipping and taking two to the chest.
No, it can't end like this. A frost strike clips me and I'm pinned against the wall. Dashing towards her, I stab out, my blade falling short! I blast her with frost of my own, this time managing to freeze her in place. One, two, three. My combo shatters the ice, and she immediately lunges towards me. I'm up against the edge of death, and I feel like I can barely breathe.
Stumbling away, I chug a potion as quickly as I can. Her blade hits me from behind, and it takes every bit of effort to retreat. I still haven't caught my breath and I nearly fall to the floor from tripping over my own two feet. A frost strike shatters behind my tail, and I down my last two potions during the small respite. An energy ring erupts from directly under my feet, and while the damage is unfortunate, it finally gives me a moment to recover my stamina.
The battle is nearly won, and a fresh surge of adrenaline refocuses my efforts. I step in close, and she whirls with her sword. I step in again, another whirl. Into her range, a third whirl. I'm about to let my guard down and strike out, when a fourth whirl in a row spins around towards my backside. She then swings her sword the other direction, leaving her open, but it's not enough yet.
There, a triple combo. She lunges, and I zip around her. One attack, two attacks, heavy attack, now! Damn! Only a single strike, she fled almost immediately. I pull out the Fire Rod and open fire. She lunges, and I narrowly dash away. So close! I fire twice more, the first one is dodged but the second one strikes.
She falls to her knees. My breath heaves. I've done it. I've beaten the goddess.
She shakes, letting out a small sob, before shifting her weight. She attempt to stand. Slowly, she returns to her feet. This was all a test, right? You were just testing my skill, and now that I've proven myself, you're going to hand me the Holy Cross. Tell me that's the case. I plead silently.
Her eyes come alight, the same ominous purple that the Sealed Temple statues were glowing. Her sword surges with void energy, and I can almost hear a voice shouting in the back of my mind, angry words about a second form. Deep within The Heir is a great power, and with this power set free, the other void on the island must have reacted to it. She may have done it intentionally, or maybe it was simply a natural reaction to what she has inside of her. Of course, this is only a guess, and now is not a good time to be spending my thoughts on mysteries.
I drain the remainder of my spirit, lobbing fiery bolts in her vicinity. I think myself a safe distance from her, but to my horror, her sword's void energies seem to grant an extended range. Her strike carves down my front, corruption seeping into the wound. I drain a large portion of my stamina escaping from her triple combo, and when I move to advance, her burst lunge has evolved to drop void energy behind it! I mutter a quiet prayer that the sludge doesn't remain indefinitely and attempt to reposition myself to guard against her next onslaught. I fail.
She lunges through the sludge and my vision blurs as I'm struck clean-on with yet another harsh blow. However, I think I have her new timing figured out. I will not fall here, I will see this through! No matter how many times she rises, I will claim victory. With an internal pep-talk echoing in my ears, I zip out of the way of a triple combo. It ends nearby, and I'm able to connect with a full combo of my own.
My body is surging with energy, my skin feels thick under my fur. The Peril Rings have activated, and I cannot be happier. An overhead cleave swings and misses me as I zip away. She does a simple whirling lunge to close the distance, and I back away ever-so-slightly. I slash, and she rolls. She then thrusts, which I dodge inwardly past. The blade leaves her hands and spins at its target location. I quickly add this to my catalogue of her techniques, and score another full combo in her vulnerability.
A normal lunge that just barely misses me. My blood boils, my heart races. A stab with a spin, but not where I'm at. My counter is evaded. I watch her closely, but I can't tell if her next attack is to be slow or devastatingly quick. I begin to dash as soon as she makes a motion. It's an overhead slash, but I'm not close enough to trade blows. Her next strike is a whirl, and I move in to steal two strikes. It's never-ending.
She uses the same attack, but this time I'm too close. It hits, and I'm shocked to still be standing. The Peril Ring is keeping me safe in these moments of desperation. Through clouded vision, I see the single strike evolve into a combo. As her sword falls harshly onto the three-hexagon emblazoned flooring of the arena, I step over to her side, heart pounding out of my chest. Two strikes is all I can manage before I have to retreat.
I dash back towards her, and we meet in a pair of quick thrusts. Mine connects and I zip away before her's can find flesh. Her gaze meets me, showing clear awe towards my skill. I find it hard to believe, as well. I've been without potions since the moment she channeled her inner power into her greatblade. It's unthinkable that I'm still standing!
She winds up with an overhead swing, and I stab out at her before zipping underneath. A lunge strikes out at the air where I just was. In her rage, she summons a group of five rings. Quickly, I dash into the nearest one, but find that another is soon to reach me. One more zip and I hug the far wall for the chaos to fade. I realize that her entire toolkit likely got an upgrade and it's only by sheer luck that I've encountered such little variety.
The Heir charges at me from across the arena, her blade outstretched. It's not a burst lunge, but it follows my retreat and I narrowly avoid being struck by the tail end of it. Another small strike against her during the downtime, and she launches another blast of energy into the air. As it begins to fall, a new group of rings appear. The platform is overflowing with energy, a thunderous noise erupting all around me.
I dodge into the first ring, pinning myself against the wall. Starfall strikes all around me, and I dare not risk moving an inch. My next dash comes at the very last moment, and it doesn't even take me anywhere. The fact that it kept me out of harm's way is nothing short of a miracle. As the magical barrage continues to assail the stones around me, the goddess plunges her sword into the platform and a ring erupts from her. As I move to dodge it, another ring radiates, then another. My breath grows shallow, and panic starts to well up inside of me.
I stand still for a moment, hoping to recover in time. At the last moment, I dash away from a lunge, eyes meeting with the sad and hopeless gaze of the large fox. Another lunge, and I stab out at her before zipping away from her next strike. It's do or die. She lunges with another cleave, and I dash into her and strike out. A quick attack lands, digging into my shoulder. I survived yet another blow! Unthinkable!
Through blurry vision, at the very edge of death, I put every thought into evading her barrage. She pursues, and throws her blade at me. I zip away, it brushes past, I zip back! One hit. I push my luck, swinging out one last time!
...
I... I did it. I fluffing did it! Again, the goddess falls to her knees. She begins to sob, almost uncontrollably. An energy deep within her begins to glow. She begins to rise, pulled aloft by this energy. My heart leaps into my throat, and I worry for several long moments whether the fight is truly over. She wipes her eyes, and stares upwards toward the ceiling of this mysterious realm.
Major Goal Complete: Defeat The Heir.After a few tense moments, her chest erupts. From within burst colored wisps, not unlike those that spiraled around me when I restored myself at the True Hero's Grave. Before I can ponder a connection between the two, the wisps vacate her body and fly up and away. Her ethereal body begins to dissolve. Without even glancing downwards, she fades away in silence, sword and all.
It's only at this point that I realize my own wisps have left me, as well. My body has returned to an ethereal state, my restored power having once again left me. I suppose if that power was granted by the goddess, that would make sense. I look around the chamber for the Holy Cross. Nothing, only silence.
Returning through the gateway that led me here, I am immediately pulled into the inner temple. I struggle against the invisible force, but I am brought to the space where the goddess was previously held. With a rumble, the interior ring springs to life. A blue barrier forms around me as it clamps into place. What? Wait! What's happening!
Another ring hums to life, clamping together with a snap, lighting up a green barrier around me. Who is doing this? I defeated The Heir, just like I was supposed to! I earned the great treasure of the temple! The last ring rumbles, spins around, and then locks into place with a loud thunk. The final barrier closes around me, red prism spinning alongside the other two.
This can't be how it ends. Am I... am I the bad guy here? Was it my actions really that ultimately caused the collapse? I... I can't say with certainty that I'm innocent. Maybe my lust for treasure really did blind me to what I was doing. I was only following the booklet. It didn't say why, but I'm here, without any memory, and being pushed to find a great treasure. Life has to have a purpose, right?
Wasn't this my purpose? To find the treasure? To defeat the goddess, claim the Holy Cross, and continue my exploration or this mysterious land? Yet here I am, sealed in a magical prison, inside a mystical void, incorporeal and alone. The temple doors close, and all I'm left with is the light of the prison prism, the hum of the rotating rings, and the turmoil of my own thoughts.
Is this truly how everything ends..?
Current Goals
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Author's Notes: I may have seen this fight coming, but I didn't see the ending itself coming. Trapped inside The Heir's prison, doomed to continue the cycle. I had no clue what was happening or why. Well, I had some idea... Still, it was a really cool result and I am proud of the game for having such a clearly bad ending.
Now, about my battle. I did not embellish this. I legitimately went in, completely rusty, and defeated her in a single attempt. What's more, my potions were entirely consumed by the time I entered her second phase. It was such an amazing fight, and I loved attempting to turn it into writing. I'm sure I could have done an even better job, somehow. Lightened the detail towards the start, used heavier words towards the end. I also got extremely lucky in the second phase, as she only used about half of her possible attacks.
I've posted my boss kill on Reddit. Comparing the writing with the actual fight might be entertaining for some.
This is going to mark the end of my Narrative Guide for a little while. I plan to return to conclude it with Act 4, but I need a small break to take care of other projects. It shouldn't be too long, but to anyone who makes it this far, thank you for reading and I hope to have more to share, soon.
Thumbnail created using the press kit's wallpaper and logo. The custom text contains a secret.
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Category Story / Tutorials
Species Red Fox
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Thanks! I'm glad it's reaching others, because I really enjoyed revisiting the game with such a unique perspective.
I hope to find the inspiration to complete it and wrap things up with the fourth act. The muse is fickle, and right now I have some other projects that need my attention first.
I hope to find the inspiration to complete it and wrap things up with the fourth act. The muse is fickle, and right now I have some other projects that need my attention first.
Why this works with present tense over Welcome to the Park and stolen Sense is because the first person allows for a frame of journey. The telling of that journey as happening, the video game narrative expressed. Now, there are some complex arguments there, but you have a frame here, a weak one, it still mechanically functions. The other two stories are standard narration, no frame layers, you want that to be shown and not told. The expression is different chronologically, being read by a reader and purpose. Hopefully, that makes some sense.
This one absolutely is even more of an active journey than the others, but I think that's part of what draws me to that style of writing as a whole. Here, it's also first person, while in Spring Snow it's a third person that favors one character. In fact, for the planned rewrite to further sci-fi the thing, I will be focusing even more on the favored perspective - not quite first person, but something akin to it - as I follow both main characters, with plans to even have a few of the scenes exist twice to showcase the differences in what they focus on.
So perhaps it will serve a stronger purpose for that version, being in the present tense.
If you happen to notice my work to the end, perhaps I can share the Prologue for some beta feedback. Thank you again for taking the time to comment. I really do appreciate it.
So perhaps it will serve a stronger purpose for that version, being in the present tense.
If you happen to notice my work to the end, perhaps I can share the Prologue for some beta feedback. Thank you again for taking the time to comment. I really do appreciate it.
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