Fódlan Alternative II

{Part Two: Ascendent Star} Chapter Twenty: An Unmasked History I

At the start of the following moon, You awaken from your slumber and begin to prepare yourself for the day to come. Seraphine speaks to You all the while.

Seraphine: I wonder what we're going to hear from Cyrus and Druilla today... They said they would be talking to us about what they know about the enemy army.

You say that You are not sure about what to expect from this conversation, but You can only hope that it leads You somewhere helpful.

Seraphine: I feel the same way. It feels like it's been ages since we last made any progress in meeting up with the Blue Lions or Golden Deer. We need their help if we're going to be able to march on the Empire, and that's our only chance at meeting up with the Black Eagles.

You hesitate for a long moment and say that You hope all of them are still alive.

Seraphine: Or at the very least, you hope that as many of them as possible are still alive.

You nod and admit that You are a bit nervous about meeting up with the rest of your students.

Seraphine: I can't say I blame you for that... We don't know if any of them are alright beyond who we've heard the others speak about directly...

You shake your head and say that You should focus on speaking with Cyrus and Druilla for the time being. Everything else can wait until after You have a plan in place.

Seraphine: Yes... You're right. Let's go.

You walk up to the cardinals' room, and You find Liram, Luciana, Morgana, Calypso, Cordelia, Reed, Eli, Quinn, Cyrus, and Druilla there. You greet them as You enter the room.

Cordelia: Alright... Now that the professor is here, I think it's time for us to start planning out our next move.

Luciana: I agree completely. Cyrus, Druilla... Whenever you are ready.

Cyrus: I don't even know where to start with all of this... There's a lot to talk about.

Druilla: I'll start off by explaining everything you need to know about the Agarthan army. The Agarthan people have existed on this continent for centuries. In fact, they have been here longer than the Nabatean people.

Cordelia: Nabatean people? Who in the world are they?

Cyrus: I see you know less than I thought... Alright. In the beginning, there were mortals and Agarthans living on this same land. For the most part, they were able to exist in harmony... But that all changed when the Nabateans arrived.

Druilla: The humans flocked to the Nabateans. They could transform into dragons, and they came with great power. The humans adored them, and the Agarthans were left abandoned... And they hated feeling as if they had been turned on by humanity.

Cyrus: The Agarthans hired a man by the name of Nemesis to kill the leader of the Nabateans... Though you know her as the goddess. He murdered her in cold blood before massacring the other people of her tribe. They took the power left behind, and that strength is now known as the Crests and Heroes' Relics.

Reed: Hold on... Back it up. This is completely different from what all of us have heard. This is very different from what the church has preached for years.

Druilla: The church lies. I don't see what about that could be so unbelievable.

Cordelia: You knew all of this all along?

Cyrus: The reason the Agarthan army fights is to reclaim the continent they believe should be theirs. They have been clinging to this idea of revenge against the humans and Nabateans for centuries. Every new child born in the Agarthan city of Shambhala is brought into this revenge scheme. It's all a lot of us have ever known.