Wine Cellar

Nothing much to see in the first room. First save point and a chest. The chest contains a few items including a leather glove which is marginally better than the bandages Ashley starts out with, so I put that on the right arm, and a wooden buckler shield.
A bat swoops down. One chop and it's die, fledermouse. First appearance of crates. There will be crate puzzles, oh yes.


Ashley sneaks into the next chamber. A Crimson Blade soldier is attempting to open a door, without success. Lightning crackles from the door. Another Blade approaches.

Blade 2: Well? Got 'er open?
Blade 1: It's no good. No' even a budge...
Blade 2: What's this? It weren't lock'd a moment ago, eh?
Blade 1: No key holds this door... it be a Grimoire what's doing this!
Blade 2: Well, who lock'd it then? Someone inside?
Blade 1: Buggered if I know! Look – we'll be cut off from the others! And where are those scouts, man?
Blade 2: ....They've not return'd.
Blade 1: This be no time for loafin' around!
Blade 2: Keep yer cap on, brother! ... Now come up 'ere and take a look at THIS!
Blade 1: What's that?

The two blades leave through another door.

Ashley can't open the door either, it's locked with a Chamomile Sigil spell. Nowhere to go but to follow the Blades.

The Blades are watching a floating platform move between two high ledges.

Blade 1: This, too, be a Grimoire's doing?

Blade 1: ... An' a Wyrm – a DRAGON – was sighted at the Duke's manor.
Blade 2: Well, if there's magick about, dragons won't be far behind...
Blade 1: I worry about Guildenstern and the others.
Blade 2: ...Ach, they'll be fine.
Blade 1: Think of it! If we've witnessed miracles such as these on Léa Monde's doorstep, what then lies within?
Blade 2: ...Ye wear naiveté like a crest, brother! Surely the maesters know of this “Grimoire”. Mayhaps we've just been in the dark, eh?
Blade 1: Yet our charge is to drub those Mullenkamp scoundrels an'-
Blade 2: And procure the miracles of Lea Monde! 'Tis just a rumour, but I've heard that Guildenstern's lot works them magicks as well...
Blade 1: Rubbish! We're servants of the Lord! No true Knight of the Cross would dabble in the black arts!
Blade 2: It's only a rumour, brother... but if Sydney is truly the worker of diablerie they claim he is, I say fight fire with fire!
Blade 1: I say let the Lord be our shield!
Blade 2: Ever the choirboy! The only shield I see is the one coverin' your eyes! Heretic or no, I believe what I see, and right now... I see sorcery.
Blade 1: ....... Swine'll take wing 'fore the likes of us use magick, my friend.
Blade 2: Aye, but with a Grimoire, your fattest sow could outfly my swiftest falcon – if ye believe the chroniclers.
Blade 1: With a Grimoire, you say?

The appearance of the ghostly boy startles Ashley, alerting the Blades to his presence.

Easy fight, about 4 hits apiece on each Blade. There's another save point here, and a container. These are used to store excess items, and like the chests in Resident Evil their contents are consistent wherever you find them. A short ride on the magick platform takes us onwards. There's another minor tremor, and a 'Gust' trap in waiting. Trap panels can't be detected, but on the whole they aren't a serious problem unless you're careless enough to be running around on really low health.

Shortly Ashley comes across more Blades, being addressed by Guildenstern.

Blade 1: Parliament's... watchdogs?
Guildenstern: An agent of the VKP. You can follow orders, can you not? The VKP is your enemy. Now, Go!

Sydney using The Force to influence weak minds, it seems! Anyway, it's another easy fight for Ashley.

A powerful tremor shakes the cellars...

Ashley: Not again! This is a big one!

The tremor raises the ground a bit, making you do a bit of jumping about to get over to a room on the left. The game at this point is just teaching you to check around your environment and get used to the controls. In the newly-accessible room there's a chest with a Seventh Heaven crossbow and a reinforced glove. I never really bother with ranged weapons in this game, so I leave it be. Back through to the other exit.

Over the next few rooms are a few crates to move about and a lever to pull on a timer. All rudimentary stuff. I do love the crate carrying animation though, it makes me chuckle.

Ashley is suddenly overcome by a vision... or maybe a flashback?

The vision of the boy disappears through the far door. Ashley follows but there is no sign of him.

There is, however, something else waiting not too far away...

Not a difficult battle, but the Minotaur hits hard and has a good range. Moving in close and chopping away at the body works best – it's hard to hit its head because the horns offer good protection.

After every boss fight your score is updated and you get a little slot-machine type reel to stop which awards you a random stat increase. Bosses will almost invariably drop some vital items as well. Here's the Chamomile Sigil for that magickally-sealed door from before. The Grimoires are spells that Ashley can learn by using. Guerir is Heal and Debile is Degenerate, which lowers the armour stats of a foe.

As Ashley turns to leave he hears a metallic sound. It is Sydney applauding...

Ashley: Sydney!
Sydney: So this is a Riskbreaker. Most men complacently accept “knowledge” as “truth.” They are sheep, ruled by fear. But you are different. Always calm, detatched. A smooth flow of thought into action. Indeed... it is almost as if... as if you had no soul.

Ashley stands motionless.

Sydney: How do you do it? Body and soul are one... yet yours are separate. Like a child from the knight in his storybook. Where is your soul, Riskbreaker? Is this VKP training? Or did you see something that made you shut your soul away?















Ashley: They were slain by fallen knights, Jackals.
Sydney: Wrong. You failed to protect your wife, your child. You failed in your duty as a knight, as a husband... as a father. You killed them!
Ashley: Sydney!

Ashley charges at Sydney, who leaps high into the air, landing on the ledge opposite.

Sydney: Try to catch me, Ashley Riot! Look outside yourself to find your truth.
Ashley: What's your game?
Sydney: Hardin!


Ashley: Merlose!
Callo: Pay no heed to me! Take them, Riot!!
Sydney: The city of shade will forgive your sins, my son – and call forth a power... a power that lies within you even now! This is my game. I run, you give chase. I am the hart, and you the hunter. But this hart has laid a few snares of his own... I am waiting for you, Riskbreaker.

Ashley: Damn!

As Ashley approaches the door he is stunned by magickal energy.

Ashley: What... what is happening?

Sydney's voice: I am waiting for you, agent Riot.

Ashley is recovering his Chain abilities from his suppressed memories. That little zap gave him the battle abilities Heavy Shot, Gain Life and Temper. It also gave him the defence abilities Ward, Reflect Damage, and Impact Guard. Three each of these can be mapped to the controller and used to chain in combat and attempt to block or otherwise defend against the effect of an enemy attack. I put Impact Guard on triangle for 50% damage block, and Heavy Shot and Temper on square and circle, which are both damage percent boosts.