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Spoiler Alert! These tabs contain full Fate Episode cutscene scripts with major spoilers about the character. View these tabs at your own discretion.
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Bookworm in the Woods
(Captain) and company meet an old man named Estarriola who gives them a card which contains a primal beast's memories of a war zone. After being sucked into the card's battlefield, the crew learns that the primal beast intends to create a new world. They ask Estarriola how to stop their own world from being destroyed, but the old man responds with snores.
(Captain) and company are heading for an island. They're transporting a large volume of books on Sierokarte's behalf.
Vyrn: Land ho!
Vyrn: Er, wait. You sure that's the island we're looking for?
Lyria: Yes, it is... But I don't see any villages, and definitely not any cities.
Vyrn: There's not even a single house! Do you think it's a deserted island?
Lyria: It shouldn't be—
Lyria: Oh! Look there on top of that mountain!
A shoddy, run-down shack that barely qualifies as a dwelling stands alone atop the summit.
Nevertheless it's enough to convince the crew that the client is present. They set the airship down, unload the cargo, and proceed to climb.
After a short distance on foot, they make out a hint of someone's voice.
???: Snoore... Snooore...
Vyrn: What's that? Sounds weird... Could it be a monster?
Lyria: Haha. No, Vyrn. It's someone's snores.
Vyrn is nervous, but Lyria keeps a cool head. The two push through the thicket toward the sound of the voice.
Vyrn: What the! There really is a monster here too!
???: Snoore... Snooore...
Monster: Grrr...
An elderly man sleeps peacefully, completely open to a monster that is about to pounce.
Lyria: That old man is in danger! We have to save him!
(Captain) is already dashing forward, sword drawn, by the time Lyria finishes speaking.
But then the captain's feet cease to move.
Vyrn: Yikes! What's going on!
Lyria: It's like a cloud!
Monster: Grooar!
???: Hum, hum...
Hup.
Monster: Grooar!
???: Hum, hum...
Hup.
The senior floats gently in the air, deftly dodging the monster's attacks like a feather caught in an updraft.
Eventually the monster exhausts itself from missing over and over again and saunters back into the forest.
???: Snoore... Snooore...
Lyria: Um... Excuse me, sir? Are you okay?
Lyria: I guess he can't hear me if he's asleep, heehee.
???: Hum, hum... I'm fine, dear...
Lyria: Hm? Did he just say something?
Vyrn: He totally did! He's talking in his sleep!
???: Hum... You folks're dem skyfarers dispatched by Sierokarte.
Estarriola: I go by Estarriola.
Lyria: That's no ordinary sleeptalking! He's actually having a normal conversation!
Vyrn: Whew, this old-timer's got skills! There's gotta be a trick behind it.
Estarriola: Hum... 'Tis a tale and a half, that one... Awfully rude of me to keep you standing here. Let me guide you to where I dwell, hum-mum.
Vyrn: Um... Chatting while you're asleep's the real rudeness if you ask me.
Lyria: Well, these books are heavy, so let's go to his house and hear what he has to say, (Captain).
However, instead of climbing up the mountain, the senior presents (Captain) with a mysterious card.
Estarriola: No, not there. Here.
Lyria: Huh?
Vyrn: What is this? What happened to us?
Lyria: Gasp! Are we on a... battlefield?
What once was a verdant forest has been replaced by the blood and smoke of a raging war zone.
Estarriola: As you can see, this is one of the bloodiest battlegrounds of the War.
Vyrn: Hold it right there! The War happened, like, ages ago! There's no way we could be there right now.
Estarriola: No, it's quite possible. All one requires is to enter the memories of a primal beast who lived during the War.
Lyria: We're inside a primal beast's memory? How in the world...
Estarriola: What ho, young skyfarer? Does such a thought jostle your britches? Greater misfortune is yet to come, you know.
His voice dripping with profundity, the senior leads the crew to a quiet cave away from the bloodshed.
Books and apparatus cover every corner of the cave, giving the impression of a hidden research lab.
Lyria: It feels strange to be inside its memory...
Vyrn: Something's not right, don't you think? Primals are usually scarier, but this one's acting way too quiet...
Estarriola: It is as you say. My pactkeeper is not one to take hostile action.
Estarriola: Her only function is to record all that occurs in this world and replay them, similar to an encyclopedia.
Lyria: I've never heard of a primal beast like that before...
Estarriola: Behold a demonstration.
Estarriola touches a red stone resting on his brow.
Estarriola: Heed me. What be the names of this young lady and the lizard?
Estarriola: Thine names... The little beast is Vyrn. The blue-haired girl is Lyria.
Vyrn: Hey, did you just call me a—
Vyrn: Whoa! That's right! I'm Vyrn!
Lyria: Incredible! And I'm Lyria!
Estarriola: Were I you, I wouldn't muck around. That is how she is swindling information from the world.
Vyrn: Swindling? What do you mean?
Estarriola: Information gleaned via direct contact is stored and repeated for eternity on the fake battlefield.
Estarriola: She yearns to rectify the defeat experienced during the War.
Estarriola: She will try anything and everything to realize victory.
Lyria: Why is she going so far to do that?
Estarriola: Disregard the Astrals or the skydwellers. It is all for the sake of creating a new world in which only the beasts within the cards exist.
Vyrn: Hang on. What's gonna happen to us if she succeeds?
Estarriola: Is it not obvious? All of us—all of the world—shall be reduced to ash.
Lyria: That's... not okay. Absolutely not.
Estarriola: Fret not. I stand with you to prevent such calamity.
Vyrn: You're awesome, old-timer! So what's the plan?
Estarriola: First... hum-mum... A new request... Snore...
Vyrn: Hey! Wake up!
Unwaking Nightmare
Estarriola is able to come and go freely from the battlefield and promises to help the crew leave, but only if they participate in battles and win. According to Estarriola, every victory will set back the primal beast's plan. The crew isn't enthusiastic, but all they can do is believe the old man's words.
Vyrn: Bleh. This is a big bust. It's a war zone everywhere we go.
Lyria: I knew it was a long shot, but the Grandcypher isn't here either.
Vyrn: Look, I didn't want to believe it, but I think Old Man Snoozy's telling the truth.
(Captain) looks at the card received from Estarriola with curiosity.
The front is faded, hiding whatever may or may not be written on it.
Lyria: There's something I don't like about that card, (Captain). It's scary...
Vyrn: Yeah, I don't like it either. It started glowing, and then we ended up here, right?
Vyrn: But when you get down to it, the old-timer was the one who gave (Captain) the card!
Lyria: Let's stop looking for an exit and go back to the old man, (Captain).
Estarriola: Hum, hum... Finally decided to believe me and accept my request, didja?
Vyrn: We've figured you out, Old Man Snoozy!
Vyrn: You make it sound like we got rolled into this by accident, but this is all your doing!
Estarriola: Hum-mum... Snore...
Vyrn: Quit the sleeping act! Try all you want, but you can't fool us!
Estarriola: Hum-mum... Secret's out, eh?
Lyria: Please, Estarriola. Let us leave this place.
Lyria: You must know a way out since you're always coming and going, right?
Estarriola: True enough, I can move as I please. But it's only possible for a worthy pactbearer such as myself.
Estarriola: You folks, who have yet to swear a pact with the primal beast, shall not pass.
Lyria: Oh no... Then we're trapped here... Why are you doing such a horrible thing...
Estarriola: Forgive me. But it seemed unlikely you would accept my request had I not...
Estarriola: Rest assured. Accomplish my newest task, and you shall surely be whisked away.
Lyria: Is that the truth? If we do what you want, we can go home?
Estarriola: I swear 'pon the heavens—I promise to get you out of here, even if it costs me my life.
Estarriola is uncharacteristically focused and serious, compelling the crew to listen to his favor.
He gathers his breath and chooses his words carefully.
Estarriola: What I ask for is extraordinarily simple. I want you to go outside and join the fight as you are accustomed to.
Lyria: Oh. We just have to join the fight?
Estarriola: The primal beast's calculations are always perfect. However, anything outside of those parameters becomes corruption.
Estarriola: As that corruption unwittingly leaks into her calculations, all expectations will fall into chaos.
Vyrn: Uh, so basically... Since we're outsiders, the more (Captain) does stuff, the better?
Estarriola: Indeed it is. Fight. Win. She will suffer with each victory.
Estarriola: After her formulations end in failure, ambition to create a new world will collapse.
Estarriola: That is your only option for fleeing this world.
The crew accepts Estarriola's request and once again heads for the battlefield.
Vyrn: Do I have to say this? Are we really going along with Old Man Snoozy's plan?
Vyrn: I know we already said yes, but why does he have to keep sleeping while talking to us?
Lyria: It's not just when he talks either. He eats and studies like that too. I think he can do everything asleep.
Lyria: And there's something else that scares me. His skin is ice-cold...
Vyrn: What! Doesn't that mean he's—
Lyria: Eeeek! I don't want to hear it!
The three grow more and more suspicious of Estarriola, but all they can do is take him at his word.
They must believe him and fight in order to escape this mysterious world within a primal beast's memory.
The Results of Temperance
The crew catches a glimpse of Estarriola's past; he used to be a royal sorcerer until he was framed for being the leader of an anti-royal faction. His wife was killed, and he made a pact with the primal beast Temperance, whose power suppressed his raging emotions. But as Estarriola slept, Temperance commandeered his magical power and destroyed his kingdom overnight.
Estarriola sees the crew off to the battlefield, becoming wistful.
He touches his red stone and shuts his eyes, squeezing them tightly as he sighs.
Estarriola: When I look back, meeting you was also karma...
I once served the royal palace as its resident sorcerer. Few in the kingdom knew who I was.
My one-track focus on magic research must have made me seem like a dullard to most, but there was value in seeking absolute truth using the royal laboratories.
Though it would seem I was the only one who thought that way.
They used me, an oblivious pawn in a political game. All of my research was misappropriated as tools of trickery.
Little did I know I had been branded as the ringleader of an anti-royal faction.
By the time I noticed, it was already too late. They took my wife hostage. What else could I do but lament my own stupidity as I stood before her corpse?
Eventually sorrow gave way to rage. It was all about to change.
Estarriola: Huff... Huff... I'm descending into the abyss of madness... Dark fury boring into all my fibers...
I shuddered like never before, my body yearning for interdiction against its will.
Playing to the king's sympathies, I unrepentantly manipulated politicians to secure forbidden research materials, and then I sought out Temperance.
I willingly reached out to the primal beast.
Primal Beast: Thou hast my consent in all its forms. Now then, little one, swear a pact to me.
Hers was the power of restraint, which immediately suppressed my rage and delirium.
Even in the presence of my dead beloved, my composure wavered naught, as if I were in a calming sleep.
No. It's fair to say that I had indeed fallen into slumber.
Estarriola: It can't be...
When I awoke the next morning, the kingdom had been reduced to ashes.
Estarriola: I was thoroughly deceived...
Primal Beast: ...
Estarriola: Though my body wasn't my own, I remember watching your deeds as if I were dreaming.
Estarriola: It was a test run, wasn't it?
Primal Beast: ...
Estarriola: You seized my body, tapped into my superior intellect of magic, and destroyed a country overnight.
Primal Beast: Yes.
Estarriola: My emotions weren't tempered.
Estarriola: It was something else. You tempered something important in me.
Primal Beast: ...
Estarriola: Tell me, Arcarum beast. With each passing year, your face resembles that of my dead wife. Is this your idea of contempt?
Estarriola: Or is it your way of showing consideration?
Primal Beast: ...
Estarriola: Humph. I must be imagining it. The thought of something like you harboring mortal-like emotions is in the realm of impossibility.
Estarriola: I suppose I've once again fallen under your spell without noticing.
Estarriola: Or is that all in my head as well?
The primal beast shows no acknowledgement, but she does offer apathetic words.
Primal Beast: To answer is to err. Thus I heed you not.
Forbidden Experiment
Estarriola becomes a hermit in order to avoid the end of the world, learning how to break free of Temperance's control and growing old as many years pass. He eventually discovers that the primal beast's power has essentially given him immortality, for she is gathering an infinite amount of magic in his body.
Whatever Estarriola is planning, he isn't about to stop his soliloquy.
The primal beast remains indifferent. Paying her no heed, he continues his spiel.
Estarriola: I withdrew from the world to live in seclusion after sensing its end, but I never thought such a life would be spent with you.
Estarriola: Yes, in that little shack 'pon the summit.
Estarriola: I only ever viewed you as a research subject, while you viewed me as a piece of a larger purpose.
In order to escape from the world's destruction, Estarriola had fled into exile on an uninhabited island far, far away.
Through sheer force of will and scholarly magic, he is able to overcome the primal's control.
But by this time, the once young genius has aged considerably.
Estarriola: Hum, hum... It's all well and good that I overcame you, but it took a wee bit too long, I dare say.
Estarriola: Now that we need not fear an outburst of magic, I believe a visit to the royal capital is in order...
Perhaps in recognition of his past transgressions, Estarriola thinks he should see the results of his actions before his life expires.
However, as soon as he lands on the island, that sentiment disappears.
Estarriola: What is the meaning of this? Under no circumstances should this be happening...
Reconstruction and development has led to a new settlement whose prosperity is on a scale far greater than the one that came before it.
Speaking with the locals, he learns that the monarchist dynasty has been replaced, allowing new customs to bloom in its place.
The senior contemplates for some time. He chooses an anchor point to base a conclusion around.
Estarriola: Hum, hum... I see... It appears to be tied to this state of sleep...
Estarriola: My body may have aged, but the capital has aged even more, I think...
Estarriola: You've outdone yourself, Arcarum beast...
Estarriola: What a fool I was. I should have realized the manner of this bizarre slumber sooner.
Estarriola: How am I able to maintain such clarity in my thoughts and actions as if I were awake, though I cannot awaken?
Estarriola: It should have been immediately clear with minimal thought. The disparity between my body and my surroundings points to one certainty.
Primal Beast: ...
Estarriola: Your power tempers time.
Estarriola: Though it's not time itself that stops. You defy the longevity of a living being, terminating the flow of its mortality.
Estarriola: Using this power, you keep me in a state of constant sleep, forever preserving my life.
Primal Beast: Yes.
Estarriola: That's what you choose to reply to? You have other questions to answer.
Primal Beast: ...
Estarriola: A concentration of pure spirit is stimulated within the basic organs keeping me alive.
Estarriola: I call this autonomous tempering.
Estarriola: By implementing this system in me, you can achieve advanced magics that surpass logical reasoning.
Estarriola: Thus the infinity I have attained is not limited to longevity. My vessel fills with magical power...
Estarriola: Heed me. Just how much of this power have you been amassing inside me?
Primal Beast: To answer is to err. Thus I heed you not.
Introspection in the Dark
The primal beast plans to use the magic stored in Estarriola to create a new world but that is all she will admit to. As the old man continues to deal with his lost emotions, the primal beast offers him naught but silence.
Estarriola keeps questioning the primal, trying to discover the hidden truth that extends beyond the realm of knowledge.
Estarriola: No, you will heed me.
Estarriola: What do you plan on doing with the power you've been fomenting within me over these past one hundred years?
Primal Beast: To answer is to err. Thus I heed you not.
Estarriola: Then I'll change the question. Am I a cup to you, pactkeeper?
Primal Beast: Yes.
Estarriola: Like the cups you hold in both your hands, are you waiting for me to fill with water?
Primal Beast: Yes.
Estarriola: What do you desire from this water?
Primal Beast: To answer is to err.
Estarriola: Does it have anything to do with your dream?
Primal Beast: ...
Estarriola: Don't hide it. I already know. You'll use it to create a new world, yes?
Primal Beast: Yes.
Estarriola: But you don't want to discuss the details.
Primal Beast: Yes.
Estarriola: How disappointing, but within the bounds of expectation. Haven't you realized that you're already heeding me?
Primal Beast: ...
Estarriola: That night when I—no, when you invoked a spell 'pon the country, is my guess on when it started.
Primal Beast: ...
Estarriola: But I won't go willingly. I'm not a cup without a voice.
Estarriola: I am Estarriola, who strove to be a magnificent sorcerer.
Estarriola: You'll not lay hands on the water inside this cup.
Primal Beast: ...
Estarriola: I fear not death, but rather fading into a forgotten memory.
Estarriola: The thought of becoming a cup whose heart feels nothing when looking at your face is what terrifies me.
Estarriola: The vivid memory of my wife's murder stays with me, but I'm empty inside. It makes me shiver.
Estarriola: Agony, regret, anger, sadness... Any normal person would experience these emotions...
Estarriola: What did you do with them? What have you done to me?
Primal Beast: ...
No response comes however. Whether the primal beast can't answer or is unwilling to answer, all that greets him is her silence.
Overflow
Estarriola demands that Temperance restore his emotions and she obeys; the accumulation of emotional trauma is too much for the old man to bear. (Captain) and company realize that something is wrong with Estarriola, and they must deal with him using their weapons since he is no longer receptive to words.
Estarriola: My emotions disappear with every second I spend with you.
Estarriola: It was arrogant of me to think I understood the situation from the start. Making me your cup was all part of your plan, wasn't it?
Primal Beast: ...
Estarriola: Answer me, Arcarum beast. You are Temperance. I know it to be true.
Estarriola: You dissolve emotions, returning them to a single origin, yes?
Temperance: ...
Estarriola: The pain of losing my wife has become a mere set of facts—the biological differences between our genders, cessation of her vitals, decomposition level of her corpse, the legal invalidation of our marriage status...
Estarriola: Reduce it down to whichever academic definition you wish, but the woman I loved more than anyone is now a lifeless husk.
Temperance: To answer is to err.
Estarriola: To add insult to injury, the tears won't fall, the blood won't boil... What a disgrace...
Estarriola: I can't shape my face into any semblance of emotion. Have I become like you?
Temperance: ...
Estarriola: Return them to me. Return my emotions.
Estarriola: The anger I carried, the overflowing sorrow, the unending pain I felt when I first laid eyes on her unbreathing body... give it all back.
Temperance: Yes.
Temperance: Yes... Yes... Thou hast finally accepted it.
Temperance: Your stupidity... Your weakness...
Estarriola: ...!
Temperance: I concede to thee as thou are.
Temperance: Heed thee, I will, O stunted fool.
Estarriola: Wh-what?
Temperance: Thine chalice is full... Your wish is granted. Let thine forfeited feelings flow...
Estarriola: ...!
Temperance: Quaff the torrent of emotion.
Estarriola: Ugh... Gug... Gwaaah...
Estarriola is having a breakdown. Temperance, who has been controlling him, is being released.
At the same time, the accumulation of pure spiritual power inside him suddenly gushes out.
Estarriola tries to fan the overwhelming power—in essence his pent-up rage is erupting.
Vyrn: Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Lyria: This is bad! We have to stop him!
While out on the battlefield, (Captain) and the others had felt a disturbance in the senior and came running back.
But it's already too late.
Estarriola: I feeeeel! Hatred... Hatred...
Estarriola: That tyrannical king, the fool I became, you who became omnipotent, I hate it all!
Vyrn: No! That ain't the real you! We've got to go all-out to stop him!
Although lost in confusion, (Captain) has no choice but to move into battle stance.
Overflow: Scene 2
A dying Estarriola hands (Captain) Temperance's card before he forces them out of the memory and back into the real world. As the crew members return to the airship, their hearts heavy over Estarriola's sacrifice, Temperance's voice resonates in (Captain)'s chest.
Estarriola: Bravo, young skyfarer...
Freed from Temperance's control, but knocking on death's door, Estarriola struggles to his feet.
Estarriola: Her dream is ruined. Use the Temperance card to escape from here with haste.
Lyria: Got it. You're coming with us—
Estarriola: No. I'll remain here for the end of her dream.
Estarriola: There's no time. You must hurry.
Lyria: We can't just lea—
Estarriola: Farewell.
Estarriola touches the card with his finger, invoking a spell.
After confirming that the crew has been engulfed in the light, Estarriola releases the last of the stored energy in his body.
Estarriola: You're a soulless primal beast who toys with fate. See for yourself what a diminutive hermit's dignity can do.
The senior unleashes all of the accumulated magic in a singular blast.
A cleansing fire roars across Temperance's promised world, scorching the War-torn land.
And so the battlefields so desired by the primal beast is erased.
Or so it would seem.
Temperance: Stunted fool... Dost thou think a piffling fire could burn me?
Estarriola: ...
Temperance: Thine last breath draws close.
Temperance: Such frailty... Such triviality...
Temperance: Stunted fool, thy task is over.
Temperance: May you sink into the deepest of slumbers. Deep, deep, slumber...
Having finally returned to the real world, (Captain) and company breathe a sigh of relief.
But with the thought of Estarriola fresh in their minds, no one is happy.
Lyria: I don't think he's ever coming back...
Vyrn: Yeah, guess not. Let's head back to the ship...
The crew trudges down the mountain, legs heavy.
Still feeling the sadness of what transpired, a faint voice echoes within (Captain)'s chest.
Temperance: Thou shalt be my chalice. Let the waters fill to the brim.
Temperance: I shall welcome any emotions thou hast cast off.
Temperance: Do not overestimate thyself as that stunted fool did...
Broken Chalice Restored
Some time after the matter concerning Estarriola concludes, Temperance manifests in front of (Captain) and reveals that Estarriola is still alive within the memory of the battlefield. Estarriola is rescued and agrees to join the crew when he wakes up months later.
Some time has passed since Temperance designated (Captain) as the new chalice.
Lyria: Hm?
Lyria picks up the Temperance card with curiosity.
Vyrn: What is it, Lyria?
Lyria: It feels like the card's power is weaker somehow...
Vyrn: It is? What does that mean?
Lyria: I don't know. But...
Lyria: It definitely felt stronger when we were at the mountain.
Lyria: It feels like... when water leaks out from a broken cup...
Vyrn, Lyria, and (Captain) are reminded of Estarriola whenever they look at the card.
Although they hadn't witnessed his death firsthand, they assume that he isn't coming back.
Vyrn: This card used to belong to Old Man Snoozy.
Vyrn: I don't know why it would get weaker, but...
Vyrn: Maybe that primal beast is about to use the old-timer's life to make a new world...
Vyrn: And Old Man Snoozy decided to sacrifice himself so that couldn't happen or something...
Lyria: ...
Vyrn: What I'm saying is, I don't wanna get too involved here.
Vyrn: It's probably still scheming for a way to make a new world.
Lyria: Yes...
Lyria: ...
The declining power of Temperance weighs on the minds of the crew members.
Temperance: Heed me.
Temperance: Thou who is accompanied by the little beast, thou whose fate is entwined with the girl in blue. Heed my words.
Vyrn: Mm... What's goin' on?
- Huh?
Choose: Huh?Awakening to someone's voice, the crew sees Temperance standing in the room.
Lyria: It's you!
Temperance: I am fading... I am incomplete... Before my life ends, we must speak...
Vyrn: Your life is ending? Hey, what's the big idea?
Vyrn: After that incident on the mountain, you never answered no matter how much we called you.
Temperance ignores the crew's shock, opting to continue speaking with indifference.
Temperance: I am not the only one. All Arcarum exist because of The World.
Temperance: We, who once lived as different primal beasts, fell during the War.
Temperance: From my rotting corpse, my core was retrieved, and I was thus given this form by The World.
Lyria: The World?
Temperance: Originator of the Arcarum, a name given by the inhabitants of this fomenting realm.
Temperance: You have met him once before.
Vyrn: Wait a minute. You mean that thing from the picture in Amalthea was The World?
Vyrn: A primal beast that can make other primal beasts can only spell one thing: trouble!
Lyria: ...!
Temperance: Those of us birthed by The World cannot rebel, myself included.
Temperance: Except...
Temperance: My body has begun to rot. Accordingly The World's keystone has been removed.
Lyria: A removed keystone?
Temperance: As I gorged on the emotions of my little pactbearer...
Temperance: I began to consider the manner in which our fates are entwined.
Temperance: In turn I was being consumed by the little one's magic power.
Temperance: And now the Evoker tying my flesh and soul to this world is gone... My time here grows short.
Vyrn: ...
Lyria: Oh no...
Temperance was molded anew by the hands of The World.
But in trying to rid herself of The World's curse, she now faces imminent extinction.
(Captain) and company can't handle the thought of Temperance quietly accepting her death.
They are dumbstruck that Temperance, with Estarriola's death on her mind, is rotting away.
Lyria: Hm? Wait a minute...
Vyrn: What is it, Lyria?
Lyria: Just now, Temperance said her fate is connected with Estarriola's.
Vyrn: Yep, that's what she said.
Lyria: That's what makes it strange.
Vyrn: What does?
Lyria: If they share the same fate, then when one half dies, the other half should die at the same time too...
Lyria: But Temperance is still alive.
Vyrn: Yeah, that's—Hey! Then do you think...
Vyrn: Old Man Snoozy's still okay?
Lyria: I'm not sure, but Estarriola told us something before.
Lyria: Temperance is like an encyclopedia that records everything in this world and replays them.
Lyria: Temperance, please tell me something. Is Estarriola still alive?
Temperance: ...
Lyria: Please! We have to know!
Lyria: He's still alive, isn't he!
Temperance: Yes...
Lyria: I knew it!
Vyrn: For real?
Lyria: But you don't have the power to save him.
Temperance: Yes.
Temperance: I have nothing left to spare... His life's fire is petering out.
Temperance: Resistance is futile against the tide of rotting fate.
Vyrn: What are you talkin' about!
Lyria: Don't say that! What good is waiting to die—
- There's more than one way to live!
Choose: There's more than one way to live!A mere spectator up until this point, (Captain) finally interjects.
Lyria: (Captain)? Yes, that's right! You can't give up!
Vyrn: The old-timer's still alive, ain't he?
Vyrn: We haven't the foggiest what you were told to do, but...
Vyrn: Since you're free from The World, living on is what you gotta do!
(Captain) asks Temperance to let them into the spirit world again.
Temperance: Understand that I shall not have enough strength to return thee to thine world.
Temperance: If thou art prepared to lose everything, I will open the way.
- Not gonna happen! We'll save you!
Choose: Not gonna happen! We'll save you!Temperance: Poor fools...
Temperance: If thou hast power to change fate, bare it for the stars to see...
Lyria: Where are we?
Vyrn: Hey, someone's here!
Estarriola: Ooo... oooo...
Estarriola: Oooooo....
Estarriola: Why... Why was my wife killed? Aaah!
Estarriola: Guh... Gaaaah!
Lyria: Estarriola!
Vyrn: What is this?
Estarriola: Huff... Huff... I... can't...
Estarriola: Heed me, Temperance! Soothe me... Soothe these cursed emotions!
Temperance: Thou hast my consent in all its forms. Now then, little one, swear a pact to me.
Estarriola: I was thoroughly deceived...
Temperance: ...
Estarriola: Though my body wasn't my own, I remember watching your deeds as if I were dreaming.
Estarriola: It was a test run, wasn't it?
Temperance: ...
Estarriola: You seized my body, tapped into my superior intellect of magic, and destroyed a country overnight.
Temperance: Yes.
Estarriola: My emotions weren't tempered.
Estarriola: It was something else. You tempered something important in me.
Temperance: ...
Estarriola: Tell me, Temperance. With each passing year, your face resembles that of my dead wife. Is this your idea of contempt?
Estarriola: Or is it your way of showing consideration?
Temperance: ...
Estarriola: A primal beast created by another primal beast is afforded no solace.
Estarriola: A mere pawn who doesn't see how they fit in the grand machinations of The World...
Estarriola: That is a poor pitiful beast...
Estarriola: Your power tempers time.
Estarriola: Though it's not time itself that stops. You defy the longevity of a living being, terminating the flow of its mortality.
Estarriola: Using this power, you keep me in a state of constant sleep, forever preserving my life.
Temperance: Yes.
Estarriola: That's what you choose to reply to? You have other questions to answer.
Temperance: ...
Estarriola: A concentration of pure spirit is stimulated within the basic organs keeping me alive.
Estarriola: I call this autonomous tempering.
Estarriola: By implementing this system in me, you can achieve advanced magics that surpass logical reasoning.
Estarriola: Thus the infinity I have attained is not limited to longevity. My vessel fills with magical power...
Vyrn: Are these memories between Old Man Snoozy and Temperance?
Lyria: Estarriola...
The crew continues to watch Estarriola grapple with his situation.
Vyrn: So, like, the old-timer's in pretty bad shape right now, but the tempering thing is keeping him alive somehow...
Having witnessed the secret behind Estarriola's longevity, the crew understands why he is still alive.
Nevertheless the crew continues to look for a way to save Estarriola and Temperance as their shared fate nears its end.
Lyria: This place look familiar.
Vyrn: It's the battlefield the old-timer wanted us to fight on. The one from the War.
Lyria: Look over there! Someone's on the ground!
Lyria: Is this another memory?
A small figure lies on the field of battle.
Something about this memory feels different this time around. The crew subconsciously picks up the pace.
What they find is the gruesome sight of Estarriola, flesh torn, throat crushed, and smeared with blood.
Lyria: ...!
Vyrn: Old-timer!
Vyrn: This is awful! How can anyone call this being alive?
Lyria: What should we do, (Captain)?
(Captain) takes hold of the Temperance card and calls out to her.
But there is no response.
The dimension she created is warped. The power maintaining this ethereal world is beginning to weaken.
Vyrn: Hey, hey, we're in big trouble here! Temperance can't hold this place together anymore!
Lyria: ...!
A thought pops into Lyria's head, and she steps back from Estarriola's side.
Lyria: Water! I'll give him some water!
Lyria uses her healing water to staunch the bleeding.
The collapse of the ethereal world subsides.
Lyria: Thank goodness. Water meant something after all!
Vyrn: Nice one, Lyria! But we can't breathe easy just yet!
(Captain) tries calling out the Temperance card again.
And once again, there is no response.
Impatience starts giving way to despair, but then Estarriola's finger gives the tiniest twitch.
Lyria: Estarriola! Can you hear me?
Although his eyes remain tightly shut, his fingertip moves beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Lyria: Oh, I remember he can cast spells with his finger!
Lyria: I think he's trying to tell us something!
Vyrn: I bet you're right. Hold the card to his finger, (Captain)!
(Captain) touches the card to Estarriola's finger.
Their guess works as expected. Estarriola invokes a spell.
He and those around him are returned to the real world.
Vyrn: Phew! We made it back to our world!
Lyria: But if you think about it, weren't we the ones that were rescued?
Vyrn: How's the old-timer doin'?
Lyria: Gasp! Oh no! The bleeding got worse!
They carry him back to the airship where the collective skills of medically-inclined crewmates save Estarriola's life.
Estarriola: ...
Vyrn: ...
Lyria: ...
Like before, he shows no sign of opening his eyes.
Temperance: ...
They can only take solace in Temperance's unwavering position at Estarriola's side.
A few months pass.
Estarriola: Hum...
Estarriola: Where... am I?
Sunlight streams in through a window, pure blue sky on the other side of the pane. The door is slightly ajar, from which the sound of someone's laughter can be heard.
It's been months since Estarriola last awoke. He looks around the unfamiliar scene.
Temperance: ...
Catching a glimpse of Temperance at his side, it all becomes clear to him what had happened.
Estarriola: They nursed me back to life, those young'uns...
Temperance: Yes.
Estarriola: And you were rescued by them too...
Temperance: Yes.
Estarriola: You and I are two halves of a beating heart.
Temperance: Yes.
Estarriola: If I die, you die as well.
Temperance: Yes.
Estarriola: We're in the same boat... And we will sink together when the time comes.
Estarriola: You resemble her so much... That kind, gentle face of my wife...
Temperance: It is a reflection of your heart that I fed upon.
Estarriola: Haha... Whazzat, you say?
Estarriola: This face I see before me... is a reflection of my own heart, which you ate, you say...
Estarriola: Hm... My heart...
Temperance: ...
Vyrn: Hey, hey! Old Man Snoozy! You're awake!
Lyria: Estarriola! I'm glad you're awake!
Estarriola: You guys...
The crew is overjoyed to see that the senior has survived his ordeal.
Estarriola acknowledges that (Captain) and company are responsible for his new lease on life.
Estarriola: So you folks brought me back from the verge of death.
Lyria: Does it still hurt? Are you okay?
Estarriola: Haha...
Lyria: ...?
Estarriola: Am I to be indebted for the rest of this long life?
Vyrn: Hmm. You don't seem too happy to be alive.
Estarriola: I'm sorry. Just my age talking. You have nothing to worry about, my girl.
Lyria: I'm relieved to hear that!
Estarriola: Will you listen to me regarding the truth behind the Arcarum?
Vyrn: Yeah, we know already! We heard it from her!
Vyrn: The World created the Arcarum, right?
Estarriola: Yes, that's right.
Vyrn: We were gonna tell you when you woke up.
Vyrn: Temperance has been freed from the curse of The World!
Vyrn: You don't have to stop her motives anymore!
Estarriola: What was that?
Vyrn: What I mean is—
- Join us!
- Won't you travel with us?
Choose: Join us!Estarriola: Join you?
(Captain) and company look at Estarriola, waiting for a reply.
Choose: Won't you travel with us?Estarriola: You want to travel with me?
(Captain) and company look at Estarriola, waiting for a reply.
Continue 1The senior stares into those glimmering eyes and swallows his words.
Estarriola: ...
Estarriola: Young skyfarer, little dragon, and my girl... Please listen to me.
Estarriola: If it is my power you folks need, then every last drop shall be yours.
Estarriola: Though my remaining years is perhaps an inadequate repayment for what you have done for me...
Estarriola: Because you rescued a doddering geezer such as I, for my saviors and the realm, use me as you see fit.
- Is that a yes?
Choose: Is that a yes?Estarriola: Yes. I am in your care.
Vyrn: Old-timer!
Lyria: You shouldn't think about risking your life because of duty! You're our crewmate now! Right, (Captain)?
Estarriola: I'm not sure what you're saying. Were you folks not the ones who risked your lives to save me?
Lyria: Um... That's...
Estarriola: Haha. I see.
Estarriola: Temperance still has a role to play in foiling The World's secret schemes.
Estarriola: She and I are joined at the hip.
Estarriola: The deceit of the Arcarum can't be allowed to go overlooked.
Estarriola: That is my destiny as an Evoker of the Arcarum
Temperance: ...
Estarriola: I swear to defy The World until one of us has drawn our last breath.