Scenario:Europa - Call of the Snow
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Call of the Snow
Europa is troubled by a recurring nightmare where she is surrounded by snow sculptures. As she worries about this, Gabriel visits the crew, bringing a necklace containing Europa's power that was supposedly created by a "goddess" before the War. Believing that it might have some connection to Europa's nightmares, the crew heads for the ruins of the country where the goddess was worshiped.
Europa: (This wind is freezing... What is this place, to be able to chill even me...)
Europa opens her eyes to find herself being buffeted by a blizzard in an unfamiliar cathedral.
Europa: (Ah, I see... I'm having this dream again...)
Noticing a faint sound being drowned out by the wind, she turns to look for its source.
Europa: ...!
There, she sees several snow sculptures reaching out toward her.
Turning around, she realizes that she's surrounded by the sculptures, and that they're slowly getting closer.
Snow Sculpture: Go—
Wh—
Wh—
Europa: What?
Snow Sculpture: ...!
No matter how hard she tries to make out the sculptures' words, their voices are drowned out by the wind.
Europa: Ah!
Suddenly, a snow sculpture grabs Europa's arm, and along with the chill of its touch she feels a sharp pain run along her skull.
She timidly raises her head to see countless snow sculptures looking down on her with agonized expressions.
Europa: ...!
Still able to feel the bone-chilling cold from her dream, Europa holds herself tightly.
Europa: ...
Europa: (I've been having that dream every night as of late... What could it mean?)
Europa: (The cold and the pain both felt real...)
Europa: Those sculptures are trying to say something to me, but...
Europa recalls the agonized expressions she saw immediately before waking up.
Europa: (They were looking directly at me...)
Europa: I don't understand... What were they trying to tell me? What have I done wrong?
Europa: This is certainly troubling... What shall I do?
One day, the Grandcypher welcomes a visitor.
Gabriel: Long time no see, everyone. How are you all doing?
Europa: Welcome, Gabriel. It's a pleasure to see you again.
Vyrn: What brings you here today? We weren't expecting you to just pop up like that.
Gabriel: I was visiting a nearby town for work and saw your airship on my way back, so I decided to stop by!
Lyria: For work?
Gabriel: Oh, I'm doing the illustrations for a picture book. I've been working on them for a few months, and now we've finally made samples of the finished product!
Gabriel pulls a book out of her bag.
Lyria: Hm? This title looks familiar...
Gabriel: Oh, you've heard of it? Its apparently based on a famous fairy tale.
Europa: I am not familiar with it myself. What is it about?
Gabriel: Hehe, in that case, why not read it and find out yourself?
Gabriel smiles and hands Europa the picture book.
Europa: You're giving it to me? Are you sure?
Gabriel: Of course! Oh, and I'll make sure the rest of you get copies once it goes on sale.
Europa: Thank you very much, Gabriel. I will treasure it for the rest of my life.
Europa gently opens the book and begins reading.
Europa: (A brave prince fights an evil witch in order to save a princess cursed to sleep forever...)
Europa: (After defeating the witch, the prince breaks the curse with true love's kiss, and they live happily ever after...)
Europa: True love... What a wonderful phrase.
Having finished reading, Europa longingly touches the illustration on the last page.
Gabriel: Hehe, I'm glad that you like it.
Gabriel: Oh, that's right! I had something else I wanted to show you, Europa!
Gabriel rummages through her bag again and pulls out a necklace with a large stone attached to it.
Europa: That's...
Gabriel: I got this from someone I was making this book with.
Lyria: Wow, what a lovely pendant! This crystal is so pretty!
Gabriel: The thing is, this isn't a crystal. It's actually ice that never melts.
Vyrn: What! That's some crazy ice!
Europa: I can feel a fragment of my power coming from it.
Europa: But how could that be...
Gabriel: As I suspected, you don't know either...
After looking at Europa with a troubled expression, Gabriel shifts her gaze to the necklace.
Gabriel: According to the person who gave me this, it's a relic of nation that existed before the War.
Gabriel: This ice was created by the "goddess" that country worshiped, and its people would fashion it into amulets like this.
Lyria: Right... So if Europa can feel her power coming from that amulet...
Lyria: Does that mean that she was their goddess?
Gabriel: That would be the obvious conclusion, but it doesn't make sense.
Vyrn: Hm? Why not?
Europa: I had never interacted with skydwellers until I met Gabriel.
Europa: Therefore, it's unthinkable that anyone from before then would possess a fragment of my power.
Europa: Most importantly, I have no recollection of creating ice like this in the first place...
Europa: (So why does it nonetheless spark a sort of... nostalgia in me?)
As she stares at the ice, Europa feels something welling up from the depths of her heart.
Suddenly...
Europa: Urgh...
Gabriel: Europa! What's wrong?
Europa: I seem to be... having a bit of a headache... I've never felt anything like this before...
Gabriel: Are you... No you're definitely not all right. Your face has gone pale.
Europa: Yes, I doubt I'll be able to aid the crew in this state... However, I believe that some time sleeping nestled in between you and (Captain) would aid my recovery...
Vyrn: Oh geez, now she's talkin' nonsense.
Gabriel: We'd gladly do that whenever you'd like, but this is no time for jokes.
Gabriel: Understood? We're all seriously worried about you.
Europa: ...
Gabriel: If there's something on your mind, why not share it with us? I'm sure we'll be able to help you.
After a moment of indecision, Europa begins to speak.
She recounts the dream that she's been seeing every night and the feeling of nostalgia that the pendant sparked in her.
Europa: At first I dismissed it as just a dream. However, it seemed simply too real to be normal...
Europa: Moreover, seeing that piece of ice made me relive the dream with a strange clarity.
Europa: In that moment, I became terrified by the prospect of it actually being reality.
Europa: It's as if some kind of dark machinations are occurring right outside my view... It scares me.
Gabriel starts to gently stroke Europa's trembling back, then raises her head with a look of realization on her face.
Gabriel: You mentioned snow sculptures... I've heard about an island like that.
Gabriel: It's frozen year-round and littered with snow sculptures and the ruins of a once-prosperous nation.
Gabriel: Explorers and treasure hunters often go there to search for hidden wealth, but...
Gabriel: Apparently, almost none of them ever come back.
Vyrn: They never come back, huh? That can't be good...
Lyria: But if that's the island from Europa's dreams, then...
Choose: We might find a hint to all this.
Europa: ...
Gabriel: Agreed... Though there's no guarantee that those sculptures actually have anything to do with Europa.
Gabriel: As far as I know, she had never left the island I found her on before we met.
Europa: Indeed. I don't remember any such thing happening either.
Vyrn: Yeah, but you must have been somewhere before going to that island, right?
Europa: No, I had always been there.
Vyrn: Huh?
Europa: That must have been where I was born. Born to meet Gabriel and (Captain)...
Vyrn: All right buddy...
Gabriel: In any case, that headache is making me curious about your memories.
Lyria: So you really don't remember all these things?
Europa: Yes... If the place I see in my dreams truly does exist, I think that I would like to discover what lies there.
Though still betraying some anxiety, Europa's words are filled with quiet resolve.
Choose: We should go check it out together.
Lyria: I agree! We might be able to find out what it is you're dreaming about!
Vyrn: And figure out what's up with that pendant too! Let's do this!
Europa: (Captain), Lyria, Vyrn... Thank you very much.
Gabriel: In that case, I'll help out too. I can't just sit back while my darling protege is suffering.
Europa: Gabriel... Thank you. I truly am blessed to have met all of you.
Vyrn: Right then, let's get going!
Vyrn: So what's that island you were talking about called, Gabriel?
Gabriel: Oh right, I hadn't mentioned that.
Gabriel: This island is named "Tyros." It shares a name with a great nation that one day suddenly disappeared from history.
In order to solve the mystery of Europa's nightly dreams, the crew of the Grandcypher sets off for Tyros Island.
Call of the Snow: Scene 2
After the group follows a trail of ice statues to the island's capital. The primal beast Zeus appears before them and, claiming to be Europa's father, declares that he must punish her for a great sin she has committed. With no memory of what he's talking about, Europa suddenly disappears in a blizzard.
Upon reaching Tyros Island, the crew is greeted by an all-encompassing, bone-chilling blizzard.
Vyrn: Urgh... I'm fr-freezing...
Lyria: We've been walking for a while, but we still haven't found any big towns...
Lyria: Is any of this familiar to you, Europa?
Europa: I'm afraid not... In the dream I'm always inside of the same building.
Vyrn: Huh... If it's a building we want, then maybe we should look for what's left of this island's capital.
Vyrn: Anyway, let's keep going this way a bit farther.
Agreeing with Vyrn's suggestion, the group continues pushing though the snowstorm.
Lyria: Oh? I think I see some people over there.
Vyrn: Maybe they're some of those treasure hunters Gabriel was talking about. Let's go talk to them!
Lyria and Vyrn approach the group of people pulling a cart.
Vyrn: Oh, they're just snow sculptures.
However, all they find are several unmoving sculptures surrounding a cart that's been buried by the snow.
Gabriel: These are...
Vyrn: What's wrong, Gabriel?
Gabriel approaches the sculpture and uses her power to melt it.
Lyria: Eep! Is that skin?
Gabriel: These aren't snow sculptures. They're people who have been turned into ice statues.
Vyrn: What! Does that mean that all of the snow sculptures on this island are...
Gabriel: Yes. Something must have suddenly happened while they were pulling this cart.
After hearing the shocking truth from Gabriel, Vyrn and Lyria hug each other in terror, the color drained from their faces.
Europa: ...
Europa: What? Oh, yes. I'm all right.
Europa: I just feel a little chilly... Wouldn't you be willing to warm me up, (Captain)?
Europa grasps (Captain)'s arm to her body, causing the captain to become somewhat flustered.
Europa: Please... This place just feels so cold to me...
Detecting a hint of fear and uncertainty in Europa's expression, (Captain) quietly pulls her close.
Gabriel: Since they were pulling a cart, this is probably a road. So if we follow the statues...
Lyria: We might find a town! Let's go!
Vyrn: This is the capital, isn't it? Even though it's been like this for hundreds of years, it feels like it only just became deserted.
Following the statues, the group reaches what was clearly once a prosperous city.
Though covered by ice and deep snows, the buildings are still intact, allowing the crew members to easily imagine what it must have looked like during its heyday.
Gabriel: Do you recognize any of this, Europa?
Europa: Though it's not what I was seeing in my dreams, it feels familiar.
Europa: It's as if I have seen this city bustling with people before...
Europa speaks softly as she looks around, and eventually her eyes land on a place in the distance.
At the foot of the grand castle in the middle of the city stands a large building covered more deeply by snow and ice than all the others.
Europa: That place... I know it...
Seeing Europa start to walk toward the building as if in a reverie, (Captain) grabs onto her arm to stop her.
Suddenly...
Lyria: Eek! Th-thunder?
Gabriel: This is... Stand back, everyone!
Somber Man: ...
Somber Man: ...
Why are you here, Europa?
Why are you here, Europa?
Europa: Why am I here?
Somber Man: You were to atone for your sin on that island until the end of time. Why have you instead come to this place?
The man speaks to Europa calmly, but his voice betrays his suppressed rage.
Europa: Atone for my sin? I'm afraid I don't understand.
Somber Man: You broke your oath and left that island. For that, you must pay an appropriate price!
Europa: My oath?
The man reaches to the sky, and in his hand appears a blindingly white bolt of lightning.
As Europa reels back in fright, Gabriel steps in front of her.
Gabriel: Wait!
Somber Man: Aren't you...
Gabriel: Who are you? You could at least tell us your name before doing this.
Somber Man: You stand before Zeus, guardian and overseer of order. I am also Europa's father.
Lyria: Europa's...
Lyria: Huh? Europa's dad?
Zeus: Europa was created using a part of my core.
Zeus: Though we are not related in the way that you mortals are familiar with, it is only natural that I consider her my offspring.
Zeus: And when a child commits an offense, it is their parent's responsibility to mete out punishment.
Zeus: Europa has broken the oath she made to me and left her island. For that, she must pay the price.
Gabriel: I was the one who took her away from that island. I didn't know anything about why she was there.
Gabriel: Therefore Europa hasn't done anything wrong. All she did was take the hand that I offered to her.
Zeus: ...
I see. So you...
I see. So you...
Zeus: My daughter committed a great sin. She should not have been allowed to leave that island.
Zeus: For her to not only do that, but return to this island of all places was the worst of all possible aggressions!
Seeing Zeus summoning lightning again, (Captain) steps in front of Europa and prepares to fight.
Vyrn: Wh-what was that!
Something that sounds like people moaning in pain reverberates throughout the city, and intense winds fill the surrounding air with snow.
Lyria: Eep!
Zeus: Damnation! It's detected her!
The abrupt blizzard quickly obstructs the crew members' vision and begins sapping their bodies of warmth.
Europa: Urgh...
Gabriel: Europa, are you all right? Stay strong!
Europa: I-I hear voices in my head!
The blizzard starts blowing even harder as if to drown out Europa's voice, momentarily leaving all assembled unable to see even what's right in front of them.
Gabriel: Europa? Where did you go!
After that brief instant, Europa is nowhere to be found.
As the crew members fend off hypothermia to frantically search for her, they are blinded by a flash of white lightning.
Call of the Snow: Scene 3
After waking up in a building, Europa finds the room that she had seen in her dreams. Upon touching an ice pillar within it, her lost memories come flooding back to her. The rest of the crew members find themselves suddenly transported some distance away from the city, which is now in the middle of a fierce blizzard. They quickly attempt to go rescue Europa, but Zeus appears to stop them and begins speaking of the sin that she committed.
Europa: (It's freezing... Am I having that dream again? How else could I feel affected by the cold...)
Despite her half-asleep assertion, the sensation of the cold floor on her skin does in fact drag her bit by bit into consciousness.
Europa: This isn't a dream? Where am I?
Europa: ...!
(Captain)! Gabriel! Lyria, Vyrn!
(Captain)! Gabriel! Lyria, Vyrn!
Europa's voice reverberates fruitlessly off of the walls.
Europa: What could have happened? In any case, I must start looking for them.
Europa: ...?
What was that?
What was that?
Europa looks around in search of the sound.
Suddenly she notices a faint light shining from the end of a passage as if to beckon her ahead.
Europa: Is there something down here?
Drawn to the light, Europa slowly walks down the corridor.
Europa: ...!
She eventually reaches a large hall.
Surrounded by throngs of statues is an enormous pillar of ice that pierces through the ceiling.
Europa: This is like the place I saw in my dream...
Europa: Urgh!
Europa squirms in pain as fragmented memories surface.
Europa: (This is indeed the place that I've been seeing in my dreams...)
Europa: ...
Europa takes a deep breath and begins threading her way though the statues toward the center of the room.
Europa: (My legs are hesitant to move forward... Something deep inside me is screaming that I can still turn back.)
Europa: (Whatever it is that lies ahead frightens me terribly, but my desire to know drives me forward.)
Europa: (I have to learn what that dream is, what it is that they're trying to tell me.)
Europa: ...
Under the gaze of the statues, Europa extends her hand toward the pillar.
The moment that her trembling hand touches the ice...
Europa: Ah... Ahhh...
Europa: Ahhh!
Excruciating pain shoots through Europa's body as torrents of memories flow into her, causing her to collapse to the ground.
Around that time, the rest of the crew find themselves in an unfamiliar place.
Gabriel: Where...
Vyrn: What's goin' on? Weren't we in the city just a second ago?
The members of the crew had suddenly been engulfed in a white light as they searched for Europa in the blizzard.
After it faded, they found themselves standing in a field of snow.
Vyrn: Wh-whoa! The blizzard's gotten crazy over there!
Lyria: Is that the capital behind all that snow? It's like it doesn't want to let anyone approach...
Gabriel: ...
I can feel Europa's pain and suffering coming from inside that blizzard.
I can feel Europa's pain and suffering coming from inside that blizzard.
Vyrn: What? We gotta go help her!
???: You shall not.
The crew members hear a familiar voice as white lightning appears to block their path.
Vyrn: Whoa!
Vyrn: Wait, it's this old fart again! Why've you gotta keep gettin' in our way?
Ignoring Vyrn's anger, Zeus looks up at the blizzard covering the city.
Zeus: Now that it's come to this, there is nothing that you can do.
Zeus: Everything that blizzard touches will be frozen solid. Should you enter it, your body and even your soul will quickly become encased in ice.
Zeus: That blizzard is my daughter's sin given form. No matter what you may be to her, it will bear its fangs against you regardless.
Zeus: ...
Her mistake was simply too grave.
Her mistake was simply too grave.
Zeus: Though she lost her memories, she could not discard the truth of what she did, and what was created would have eventually consumed even its master.
Zeus: Therefore I placed her on a faraway, secluded island, but now you've...
Zeus: ...
Zeus thinks for a moment and then lets out a sigh.
Zeus: Very well. I suppose that it would be appropriate for you to know.
Zeus: Learn what you have brought out into the world, what you have been traveling with, then repent your mistake.
With that, Zeus begins to recount a story.
It is the story of Europa's past, that even she had forgotten and consigned to the icy winds.