The Hardened Heart

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— In-game description

Rewards

Having finally completed your respective tasks, you and Granson bid Sul Oul to tell you what they know of Branden, the former Warrior of Light. However, the Nu Mou's fond words for the fallen knight spur Granson to lash out in anger, as he is unwilling to think of the man as anything but the eater he has become. The Nu Mou regards him quietly for a moment before inviting the two of you to accompany them to Lyhe Ghiah to hear a story...

In the ruins of the ancient castle of Lyhe Ghiah, Sul Oul regales you with the tale of Branden and the lady Sauldia. The young knight served as the princess's bodyguard for a time, until he failed in his duty to protect her during one of her many “investigations.” Though she would make a full recovery, Branden was nevertheless stripped of his knighthood and cast out...only to return one day, a grizzled adventurer in the company of fledgling heroes. Together they sought to identify the culprit behind the mysterious transformations which had continued unabated in Branden's absence. And so their search would lead them to the viper in their midst...

Tadric, court mage and loyal servant of the royal family, was the architect of Voeburt's misery. Consumed by pride and jealousy, he had orchestrated the transformations in an effort to throw the kingdom into chaos that he might claim Voeburt's throne for himself. Though the Warriors of Light succeeded in putting an end to his ambitions, their victory was marred by tragedy when Tadric, in a final act of spite before he breathed his last, cursed Sauldia like he had so many others, condemning her to a fate worse than death. Through the power of the Echo, you bear witness to the court mage's final moments...as well as hers, as Branden carries out her final order, and releases her from her torment...

Good and evil, right and wrong. There is a comfort in simplicity. Granson had convinced himself that Branden was the villain of his personal story─that his tragedy could have meaning and purpose so long as he saw it through to the proper conclusion. But life is not a faerie tale, and Branden was a man like any other, full of hopes and dreams and regrets...including one which mirrored the hunter's own. Unsure how to reconcile this truth, Granson asks for a moment to think on his path. For indeed, if we are not who we believe ourselves to be...then who are we?

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