Where Everything Begins

“

The dark-robed voidsent regards you questioningly.

— In-game description

Steps

The dark-robed voidsent is willing to provide you with the information you seek─for a price. In this world, she explains, no one aids another unless they themselves stand to gain. The bargain is struck with an offer of aether, and you make your way outside the dungeon for a lesson on the void.

There was once Light here in the Thirteenth, but a terrible conflict known as the Contramemoria shattered the balance of aether, causing Darkness to engulf the world. Thus was all life transformed into voidsent. The dark-robed voidsent, however, is voidsent only in part, on account of having been touched by Darkness while still in her mother's womb, when the war had only just begun. Desiring a name by which to call her, Y'shtola suggests “Zero”─which the half-voidsent woman accepts with the disinterest of the damned.

Believing yourselves exposed, Varshahn suggests continuing the conversation inside the castle. Thus do you make your way to the throne room.

On arriving at the throne room, Zero demands her payment. But ere Y'shtola can provide it, Scarmiglione, whom you had believed slain, sets upon you once more. The archfiend reveals that death doesn't exist in the void, and you struggle to contend with his powers of regeneration─until Zero agrees to join the fray. All marvel as she uses her mysterious power to transform Scarmiglione's minions into crystals. With the odds made even, you turn to deal with the archfiend himself.

You succeed in overcoming Scarmiglione, with Zero delivering the coup de grâce and binding him in crystal. Taking the object in your hand, you experience a vision of the past─of a knight in black named Golbez, and those he proclaimed his four archfiends. Of greater interest, however, is the presence of what appears to be a wyrm...

From the memoria crystals and their part in the world-ending war to Golbez and his mysterious ambitions, you have been given much to consider─and doubtless have many new questions. Fortunately, as Y'shtola observes, Zero still owes you some few answers.

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