AEHU/Plot/Plot Sketch Chapter 3
From Chrono Compendium
"Credo"
- Wittel goes to Medina to learn more about the late Pirate Captain's reasoning for pillaging Choras. While there he sees the political predicament left in the Magus' wake, with dozens of small factions vying for supremacy and warring with one another. Wittel has a chance to meet Slash, who leads one such faction and is genuinely concerned with promoting the well-being of Medina's peoples. Ozzie, on the other hand, is continuing his comical attempts at self-aggrandizement. Flea appears to be affiliated with Ozzie's faction but spends most of his time charming and ripping off drunken sailors in the city's main bar. Like a number of Medina's citizens, Flea secretly longs for the Magus' return.
- Bandits roam the streets and Wittel becomes their target until he falls in with Artemis, who's meeting with Dalton at the bar. Wittel is able to eavesdrop on their conversation, which focuses on Levantine and its properties. Artemis disappoints Dalton by opining that Levantine was never actually created, only planned early in the Guardia/Medina war. Disturbed by Dalton's queries about Levantine (the subject is difficult for her emotionally since he's asking about Levant), Artemis excuses herself on the pretext of an assignment she's agreed to in Porre.
- Wittel tries to leave Medina but finds that his fishing boat has been stolen. He enters a decrepit Moon Goddess temple and sees Raqh proselytizing. Afterward, a chance meeting on a cliff overlooking the city allows Wittel to learn a bit about Raqh and the fact that Raqh is from Guardia. Wittel's always been eager to visit Guardia and explore the land of his birth but North Zenan has been sealed off to all unoficial traffic due to spreading plague and banditry. Raqh travels freely due to his Truce citizenship and invites Wittel to travel with him for awhile, Raqh taking him to Guardia in exchange for the chance to corrupt Wittel and thus acquire another cult member.
- During their travels Raqh proselytizes in Porre and Guardia. On their way from Medina to Porre via the Magic Cave, they cross paths with Edmund, who has recently been requisitioned in lieu of Toma to track down and recover the Sacred Mirror.
- Raqh and Wittel's Porrean travel takes them through the plague-stricken capital city, where Wittel meets Raqh's creepy lieutenant, Magician Abel. Raqh says that he's still looking for the path to the Power that can bring salvation to all who approach it, and Abel advises Raqh to visit Viper Manor, where Gladus resides -- although she masqueraded as a Goddess once, she's an especially old and knowledgeable spirit and might prove useful.
- Artemis is also visiting Viper Manor as part of her assignment. Not knowing he was contracting his estranged niece to rid the building of vehement spirits, Thaddeas viper reminds Artemis of the treachery she's committed against the Viper Clan before she heads in.
- Artemis warns Raqh not to absorb Gladus since she's very familiar with the false Goddess, but to no avail. Raqh feels profound knowledge sweeping through him after absorbing Gladus.
- Wittel and Raqh meet Fiona and medieval Robo at her oasis villa while crossing the Sunken Desert on their way to Truce. After finally crossing Zenan Bridge thanks to the fact that one of Raqh's cult members works in the guard, Wittel gets some time to explore Guardia.
- Wittel slips into Castle Guardia with a group allowed to view the legendary Masamune firsthand (Levine family businessmen might even charge admission) and he views the sword alongside Dalton and Edmund. Wittel learns about Edmund's supposed heritage after catching up with him in Truce -- Edmund is there to report to the King that he believes the Sacred Mirror has been taken to Medina. Wittel also witnesses Dalton speak with his shadowy master in Guardia Forest (Masamune is the subject under discussion), and eavesdrops on a conversation between Queen Leene and King Guardia XXI in a mid-construction Leene Square. Banta shows off Leene's Bell there.
- Artemis tracks Raqh down in Truce and rips through his estate and cult base, but her shadow hunting skills prove incapable of defeating his Gladus-fueled powers. She teams up with Dalton to find Levantine, an esoteric weapon supposedly capable of "disabling" spirits. Raqh's cult comes under extreme suspicion after the fight.
- Wittel wants to go back to Choras after failing to learn anything about his parents and Raqh learns from Gladus that the path he seeks lies in Giant's Claw, which is conveniently close to Choras; Wittel hitches a ride with the cult again.
