Paladin Storyline Part 12
story
This post is based on “Paladin”, the main storyline behind Mabinogi’s Storyline Quests. If you do not wish to find out about what happens next, feel free to return to the previous page and view other strategy guides.12. Pursuit of the Truth
In the previous episode, we’ve learned about the Fire Golems in Ceo Island as well as about Tabhartas. We’ve discovered that someone is trying to revive Tabhartas, the guardian of ancient wisdom but…
1) Golems of Ceo Island
It seems that we should let Redire know about what we’ve heard from Seumas. You should go see Redire now.
[Price]
Did you happen to find more information? If so, then please let me know right now!
Ceo Island is apparently where ancient Fire Golems were sealed off. The strange thing is that the Golems there have started becoming active, which leads us to believe that it was an artificially created situation, rather than a natural one. Furthermore, the fact that this is happening repeatedly makes it seem like it is the result of some sort of a magic that is meant to resurrect some magically sealed creature.
[Price]
Hmmm... This may not be enough evidence to pinpoint Esras' plans, but... this helps me understand the chain of events that are taking place right now...
...So this is what I'm getting right now... Esras is very much interested in getting her hands on the ancient knowledge... and to do that, she plans on awakening Tabhartas, the key to the knowledge... and to do so, she has awakened the Golems at Ceo Island...
Great work there. There's more that needs to be discovered, but... I feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
Alright... well... since you are here and all, can you help me one more time?
...Do you know... James from the Church of Emain Macha...? Yes, the sub-priest.
...James has been keeping an interest in this. Don't worry about it. He's thinking along the same lines as us. He's an investigator sent by the Royal Court.
Meet with James and get the official document I asked him to get. It's a document that contains information about this town after being appointed here at Emain Macha. I have to let James know in advance, so there shouldn't be a problem.
So Priest James is actually an investigator dispatched by the Royal Court… Yes, that’s pretty shocking news but anyway, all I have to do is bring back the document right? Ok, I’m on it right now. I’ll be right back.
[Price]
Oh and one more thing... I totally forgot about this.... Do you... remember the name that was mentioned in that letter box...? Colbha?
Yes, of course. Colbha that was mentioned in the Letter Box?
[Price]
I found out who Colbha was. It's actually an alias used by the leader before Aodhan...
...I think he also passed away during the tragedy of Emain Macha...
...Esras, to gain the sole control of the Paladin Order of Knights, devised a plan using Colbha, and once he became expandable, she gathered up the evidence and... eliminated him... It's becoming more and more clear that Esras will do anything to get her way. Please be careful.
Ok, I will be careful.
2) Priest James’s Report
Priest James is in front of the Emain Macha church.
Priest James, I’m here to retrieve the document requested by Price.
[James]
...Ah, hello. Are you looking for this? Price already told me the gist of the story. So you are here, helping him investigate Esras' tyrannical acts... haha...
I guess Price has already told you all about it. Well, I thought the Paladin class was kind of weird as well but… I figured, during this investigation, that what Esras has done will be causing a lot of harm to people, and thought that I shouldn’t just let this be.
[James]
I may be a priest, but... I am also an appointed investigator from the Court. I've been carefully observing the events that have been taking place at Emain Macha.
To be honest... Esras' reign has been impressive. As the regent of a big region, she has done a fantastic job fulfilling her duties.
No blemish can be found at least on the surface, and Emain Macha has been prospering under her watch. She even pays taxes well... She follows the orders from the kingdom quite well... A dishonorable prosperity, and an honest chaos... I can't say yet if Esras is really someone that needs to be subject to scrutiny, but… The report I made alone may not be sufficient for you or Price to go on with your investigation.
Well, we think it’ll be very helpful. I’ll take this to Price now.
[James]
Ah, and... I was unable to put this in the report, but...
Apparently Esras, as a druid from Emain Macha, uses Paladins and their students to collect Gold...
Unlike other forms of metal, Gold is very, very balanced. With the blessings of the creator, the gold shines brightly wherever it is placed. Gold can be used with magic to nullify the effects of the spells that have already been cast.
From what I see so far, I don't think all that Gold has been gathered for financial purposes... if she intends to use them for magic purposes, then there's no way to find out exactly where it's being used.
The information I have just given you, along with the document, shall not be shared with anyone else but Price. Understand?
Well, the act of collecting gold seems… to be referring to the Gold that students pay for their recommendation letters or Paladin classes… If it’s being used for magic, could it be that Tabhartas is…
[Priest James' Historical Records]
A compiled record of the tragedy of Emain Macha and its related events by Priest James.
You will find Priest James’ records in your Inventory as compiled by Priest James.
-Priest James' Historical Record- Written by James Tragedy of Emain Macha The tragedy of Emain Macha happened years ago when Fomors, in large numbers, invaded Emain Macha through the Coill dungeon and conducted a large scale massacre. It was believed that the Fomors had essentially lost all their strength after the Mag Tuireadh war, but after this tragedy, that theory was proven to be completely false and caused a huge controversy. The Cause of the Tragedy of Emain Macha There are many things that attributed to the cause of this tragic event but there is a new piece of information worth looking into. It is reported that a group of Paladins found a baby of a Fomor in the dungeon during their patrol, and that the tragedy happened because the Fomors tried to get the baby back. However there is no word as to who this child was and how important this baby was to the Fomors. If you give me permission to investigate this matter more in depth, I would like to investigate this matter more thoroughly with the authority of a royal investigator. However, what's important is not how this tragedy came about but that many parts of Emain Macha has changed since then. I believe that these changes should be taken into consideration for governing the Kingdom, therefore I leave these records. Handing Over Power The tragedy of Emain Macha occurred immediately after the Lord of Emain Macha deceased. His younger son Rian was given the crown, but because he was too young to govern the kingdom, Esras the Druid, who served as the Lord's prime minister, became a regent to help govern. Esras' Control You can imagine how this situation made the people of Emain Macha very nervous. However, Esras stepped up to the plate and took control, and she did an amazing job as well. Starting from the reconstruction of the burnt down city, giving aid to those who had lost their homes or those who were injured, she did not leave anything or anyone behind. Through all her work, Esras smoothly transitioned into power and gained the respect of the people. Changes in Emain Macha Once the power structure settled around the new Lord Rian and Esras, many changes began happening in Emain Macha. The changes are as follows. Growth of Emain Macha Emain Macha is greatly flourishing today like never before. The people's quality of life has rose tremendously, the economy is thriving, and tourists are booming. From the outside, it may seem like direct results from Rian and Esras' leadership, but that's not what's really going on. This is due to the decreasing budget pertaining to areas that don't concern the people's material life and policies that revolve around businesses. Furthermore, the mining of gold using the Paladin Knights play a role as well. This goes completely against the policies of the previous Lord's counselors. which many of them were replaced as these new policies and changes were taking place. The Authority of the Paladins I would like to explain more in detail regarding the gold mining of the Paladin Knights. As Paladins took moral responsibility of the tragic event in Emain Macha and handed over its authority from the Church to the Lord, the training system of the Paladins changed. Now, the Lord holds exclusive rights to the Paladin Knights. However, due to the fact that Lord Rian's health is not good right now, Esras is technically responsible for the Paladins. Thus, the character of the Paladins, which used to symbolize the force of justice, has changed as its ownership transferred from the Church to the government. The Change in the Paladin Training System The change in the characteristics of the Paladins trickled down to the change in their training system, some which were even hard for me to comprehend as a person who wasn't even familiar with Paladins in the past. First, one must purchase a recommendation letter from the Lord in order to be accepted into the Paladin training. If one does not purchase a recommendation letter which costs 4000 gold, they cannot continue with the training. You also need to pay various fees while training. The more you train, the more you have to pay. For those who burn with passion for justice and righteousness but are poor, there is no opportunity for them to be trained. Collecting gold using Paladins Once they pay the heavy financial burden for training, the students are given the responsibility of destroying Fomors within dungeons which is mainly centered around attacking Kobolts near the Barri dungeon gold mine. During this process, the gold retrieved from the Kobolts are collected and given to Emain Macha and this is becoming a problem in Bangor as well. They are essentially taking resources that do not belong in their territory. Suspicion on Esras At the center of all these changes is Esras. As seen in the example of Bangor, Esras is not only powerful within Emain Macha but is spreading her dominion over Lords in other regions, and furthermore over all of Aliech Kingdom. Confirming that Paladins were originally used as a check and balance against neighboring Lords from historic documents, it is an understatement to say that Emain Macha is currently placed in a unique situation where the Regent has exclusive power and authority unlike other regions. In the midst of all this, Esras has been recently seen going in and out of Ceo Island multiple times in disguise. Some are even speculating that her frequent travels to Ceo Island is correlated with the recent increased activity of Golems there. No one knows whether she is trying to obtain the ancient magic powers as people are saying or whether she wants to use Golems as her soldiers, but Esras' activities must be carefully watched and in case of an emergency, there might come a time where we'll need backup support from the Kingdom to fight against the army of Emain Macha. However, one should note that, if this were to ever happen, the estimated damage would surpass that of the tragedy of Emain Macha, so we must do everything we can to prevent that from happening. On a side note, there is also a rumor that the previous Lord's death was Esras' plot. Although it is only a rumor at this time, if this were to be true, I believe that Esras poses a serious threat to the entire Kingdom. Still, many things need to be confirmed with stronger evidence, but it is my conclusion that we cannot wait forever and miss out on the opportunity of preventing a greater tragedy from occurring. I will continue to carefully observe the changes in Emain Macha and Esras' activities. -Royal Investigator James P.S. I am still investigating the suspicion of whether or not Esras is using dark magic to control some of the people. |
Gathering from Priest James’ report, it seems that James has already been suspecting something of Esras. I think this document will prove to be extremely helpful in revealing Esras’ secret plot.
Let’s go tell Redire.
[Price]
Great job. Were you able to get the report from Priest James?? Please give it to me.
Here it is. I think you’ll be able to figure out Esras’ plot from this.
[Price]
Alright... I knew James would do it... this report is exceptionally organized. Now, if we can find more evidence, then it won't be hard for us to report to the kingdom about Esras' conspiracy... I think Esras is noticing us now. Yesterday, I got someone who was following me around, and after much questioning, he blurted out Esras' name.
...You should be careful, too. Trust no one from here on out... no one.
Wow, to have Redire followed… Esras must be getting desperate. Please let me know if you need help with anything else.
Finish your conversation with Redire and finish the Redire? ??? ??? [Investigate the Golems at Ceo Island] quest.
3) Craig’s Request
Finish the [Investigate the Golems at Ceo Island] quest and you will receive a call from Craig in about 2 hours Erinn time.
Craig, were you looking for me?
[Craig]
...I am here because I have something to tell you.
During the tragedy of Emain Macha, there was a time where there was a rampant rumor among the Paladins and soldiers that Esras poisoned the Lord of Emain Macha. Did you hear about it?
The thing is, the Lord has been in poor health lately, and it's getting worse. Esras has even blocked off Healers from approaching the Lord, and although she claims he can personally cure the Lord...
...His symptoms are freakishly identical to the previous Lord, who had passed away.
The thing is, Esras saved my son before. I'd like to believe that this is all nonsense, but since those rumors are swirling around like a tornado, I can't just leave it like that...
Rumors like this go around, to the point where some residents believe there might be another tragedy looming in Emain Macha...
When you see Esras entering the castle, I want you to talk to her while separating the Lord from her. I'll bring the Healer in and check up on the Lord. I know that I am going against Esras' order, but... I can't let those nasty rumors run rampant here.
Please help me do this.
Hearing Craig say this, I couldn’t bear to tell him the truth about Eras. It was making me worried for Lord Rian too…
When you finish talking to Craig, you can complete the [Meet Craig] quest and obtain the keyword, [Esras’ Goal].
4) Pursuit of the Truth
Use the keyword, [Esras’ Goal] to talk to everyone in Emain Macha, and you will realize that a lot of people do not believe anything that you’re saying. Now, you’ll have to go talk to Esras herself. Go to the Castle’s chamber.
Esras!!
[Esras]
Yes, I have been waiting for you.
…Did you have a chance to talk to the leader of Paladin?
Yes. I ordered my men to bring you here so I could talk to you in private.
…I heard that you had been digging up dirt on me these days.
…I cannot just sit and watch you spread false rumors about me all over Emain Macha, and that is the reason why you are here with me.
So you already knew?!?
[Esras]
I myself have also found quite a few things about you. I am also aware of the individual that asked you to dig up the dirt on me.
…However, I'm not sure of his whereabouts...
…so I need your help locating that individual.
You can either tell me right now...
…or I will have to take matters into my own hands… hahaha...
Esras already knew everything about what Redire was up to, and had called me into the castle to find Redire.
[Redire]
There's no need for that, Esras!
Redire?
[Esras]
Well... well... So it was you, Redire. Long time no see.
I knew something was fishy when I heard about your "death"... Now that you are back, you are trying to stand in my way... you know, you are just as idiotic as before.
…However, it is too late.
[Redire]
Silence, you traitor! I have gathered more than enough evidence of your treacherous deeds. I also know of your true intentions!
[Esras]
…Sure you do. However, what exactly did I do wrong here...? I never cooked up schemes that I could not do, and I never lied to anybody.
I am only guilty of... trying to ensure that everyone here lives a happy life…
Have you forgotten that it was you who proudly abducted a Fomor's daughter? It is I who worked overtime to cover up your stupid deeds. Don't forget that it is I who made you a legend in this town as an honorable Paladin. Don't you ever forget!
[Redire]
…Hmmm... Silence! No more from the serpent's tongue! Where is Lord Rian!! What have you done to my Lord!!!
[Esras]
Nothing... Absolutely nothing... By the way…if you are in search of "the Lord"… you won't find one here… if that's the answer you were looking for.
That should answer your question about… Rian...
…This was much earlier than I expected, but...it's for the best, I suppose?
Wait, Esras has disappeared!!!
[Redire]
Hurry! Follow her! That treacherous thing is trying to do something despicable using our Lord Rian!
Esras had disappeared to move forward on her plot. And thus begins our pursuit of Esras… Will we be able to stop Esras in time? And what about the Paladin Knight of Light?
The following episode is the FINAL episode!! It is the final showdown against Esras.