Spellfyre: Love and Magic Review (Chapters 11-18)
(Remember this concept art?)
Yeah, I'm just doing the first term. I've fallen off of this app. This was the new "Choices" for all the wrong reasons, imo. No shade to those who enjoy it. Have fun, get a snack (this is A LOT) and I'll post a remake of this like I did "Hogwarts Mystery."
11.1: Seeing the NPCs reminds me of how little this school is explored (even if they're characters we've already met). Neat seeing Bardric refer to me by first name though. When did he start doing that? And I know it's a matter of security, but should the Headmaster really make a public spectacle out of this rather than being discreet until knowing all the facts? My suspicions are raised. And Talyn is being a bit headstrong here with defending Bre even when she has SOME responsibility. I get that she's a CotF, but we don't see him act this way to the others (if we see any others), so it does feel like it's intimate. And us JUST NOW informing our friends is such a dumb decision. I've said it before, and now it's too late. Cato even says we should've told them. And it makes no sense not to tell them if we've already informed the friend group of Windworm's secrets. And um, I'm just gonna call it out, but the narrative is clearly biased; MC assumes Flatcher and Soren, people who aren't big fans of them, are their attackers in the woods, and the narrative just goes along with it but never confirms it. Soren ends up transformed and killed. Zaratis discriminates against you and then is killed. But MC is convinced that Bre, a fellow Child of the Flame, being the Flamekeeper isn't the whole story, and the narrative just goes along with that. Pretty much anyone who doesn't like you is 100% irredeemable (unless a love interest) and anyone who's in the same boat as you is 100% innocent. And Talyn makes it clear that he doesn't think Windworm is above forcing a confession--so why aren't we looking into getting rid of her? Why are we telling her things, reporting to her, acting like she's on our side when apparently she isn't?
TLDR: Windworm is super suspicious and it's weird that Talyn doubts her despite agreeing to keep her secret simply to capture the Flamekeeper, Talyn's headstrong attitude and defense of Bre feels hollow when we've barely seen her or other Children of the Flame, and the narrative is incredibly biased instead of going for nuance (MC assumes Soren and Flatcher attacked them and is never contradicted despite a lack of evidence, but MC doubts Bre's involvement and the narrative goes along with that despite having some proof).
11.2: Iridessa saying "I can come up with plans too, you know" just makes MC look pretty dumb because she's supposed to be part of his friend group; and if you have her at max ally level, I imagine that sounds worse. Professor Iyer showing her a magical flower further cements us needing more attention being drawn to the actual SCHOOL. And the fact that Cato knows about it feels like that could've been one of his ally quests, and a neat way to weave it into the main narrative. Leona thinking WE take the blisspods just makes me question why she's here. I liked her at first, but the ally quests I've seen people use with her as well as her attitude in the main narrative comes off too hard as them trying to make her the "good vibes" character. I'm just feeling like she's dumb and impulsive. And I'm gonna just say that I'm heavily disappointed at our lack of choices here; the narrative follows the whole "misunderstood MC who has to break the rules" concept instead of giving us options on how to navigate dangerous situations, or even trying to be a rule-follower. Goody two-shoes speaking! And the whole "Bre asked MC for help" is heavily debateable when they just ran into her in the woods by chance--something that could've been done with the whole team. It seriously undermines Talyn's role as the protector if the one Child of the Flame that we actually know (besides him and MC) doesn't feel comfortable enough to share what's going on with him, or as MC can say, too afraid of disappointing him. Like...he has every right to be disappointed if this is what she was up to. It's even stated that he's upset that he couldn't do more. The whole "you toed the line of breaking the rules before" is insane since it doesn't take your choices into account: what about trying to rig Soren's sword with runes, joining a technically not school-sactioned club with Leona, assisting Niel after she admitted to stealing a book, following Talyn into the Wildwoods, having to help Cato retrieve an escaped plant? All of that was just TOEING the line? That's just the stuff I could think of. This whole "no going back" speech would mean more if we actually had more plot and the characters were more in-depth, but with everything feeling so off with the rushed pacing, I feel like I've missed something here. Even Bardric's hesitant trust in being part of this mission feels too soon. While he's talked about honoring the his homeland and his family, most of the time we kinda see him doing what he wants, as if he's the standard rich boy stock character rather than this epitome of justice (our FIRST ally mission with him involved him sneaking into Wormwind's office). And he brings up Soren's death, but he didn't bring it up between then and now, nor did he mention Flatcher AT ALL, either due to his betrayal or out of concern for his injury and subsequent amnesia. And the narration saying you spent your whole life yearning for friends is ironic since we don't know much about MC's past and the exclusion of said "friends." Even if I just wanted a Hotties Squad of MC and his love interests, it's not any more complex. And shouldn't Windworm have kept eyes on other CotF, especially Talyn, after Bre's arrest? And you'd think the Enforcer's outfits would offer some sort of magic protection, rare flower or no. Why Iridessa needed to be involved specifically is also lost on me. I get that she knew about the flower, but literally anyone could've distracted the professor--say, the intellectual Cato, the fellow Erolis Bardric, the professional Talyn, the polite Niel, or even the wild card Leona? I get the writers wanting to do an Iridessa quest, but this could've been for anybody.
TLDR: This chapter was short with nothing major unless you helped Iridessa, but I still had a lot to say about it, mostly ranting about how our education sucks from a player POV, we should've included our friends sooner, and how this is considered breaking the rules when we've done other stuff is ignoring our ally quests. Not much for diverging routes or choice-based decisions.
11.3: Um yeah, we should be feeling watched. It should not be easy to see the Flamekeeper--and the idea that only two easily taken out guards were the only security is laughable. And I'm kind of surprised Bre was willing to talk to us if her first suspicion (if choosing that we want to know the truth) was that we were sent by Windworm--like, she immediately opened up. This would've made more sense if Talyn was with us since he's the only one who knows her. And it's weird that Bre was bullied by her house and we never heard about it after Zaratis was killed. Feels important, but we just dealt with Mor and Soren as usual. And what attunement is dream magic connected to? The idea that the Flamekeeper isn't evil is a more surprising twist than the Dreadbane stuff, if it's true, but it seems that it is more complicated than that. And WHAT?! Professor Littlestone went against the rules to give us private lessons? I guess I shouldn't be shocked since he's the professor of an affinity associated with curiosity--but then again, that means one should probably expect that and caught him. And maybe Bre would've been making sense if we had more insight on Dreadbane and his followers rather than our contradicting dreams and more lore on the world in general. And again, we have no say in how we get to treat Bre; she's just a victim we feel bad for--even though she should've known that building runes, even if she was told it would be to scare people like at the welcoming feast, was NOT a good idea. I'd have liked this more if she knew what the stakes were and owned it; at least then there would be some concept of not all CotFs just being victims, but also perpetrators as well and giving Talyn some sort of arc to overcome. And then it turns out that there WAS just two guards watching a suspected terrorist. Iridessa, why would we tell Windworm what Bre told us? That would mean revealing we were in the dungeons. And how many Enforcers are on base to the point where they can only afford two of them to watch Bre and have to have the Order send them more? With Cato's quest: why are we just now learning he's a musician? That could've been something during Old King's Day or any time post-exams to ease tension. If you don't play this ally quest you're probably under the impression that he's just the nerdy character. The story mentions his melodista that we haven't seen, so maybe I'm missing something. MC even says he plays at all the parties. Since when? Remind me again why we can't come and go from Elderwood as we please? If it's related to the Flamekeeper, I'd think a student running errands in Lastport (or our Lastport excursion in general) shouldn't be allowed. And do all wandering bards, even with patrons, look so sophisticated? This makes me wish we had some extracurriculars. Plus despite being imprisoned, I'd have thought MC was well-versed in their education with things like the art. And IDK why Cato didn't tell us about composing, but we know about his previously unmentioned time as a blossoming musician. Then Niel and Iridessa talking about Gildtower marriage traditions reminds me of how little I know of this world, and it's a shame that we learn the most in the ally quests we have to pay for. I hadn't played most of Iridessa's quests, so I had no idea she had a sister, and I wish we knew more of the characters' family lives without it being behind a paywall. In the main quests, Bardric's family life is just mentioning his parents and vague mentions to siblings. And Cato asking me if I knew someone from Cedar House? No, no I don't--actually, I have no idea; I don't even know what the other houses are despite there being students who come from them. And I NEVER recall hearing that Cato started music because his grandmother made him. That feels like something he could've brought up earlier--and aren't bards usually taught from their younger years, anyway? Wouldn't she have sent him to a guild or something? And are we gonna circle back to Dasek swindling us and tricking us into getting drunk (well, ingest alcohol) on school grounds?
TLDR: Interviewing Bre was WAY too easy, the sympathy for her and framing her as a pure victim feels like bias just because she was bullied, and Cato's quest feels kind of random with the whole "you've always been a musician" thing, but it's still a fun ride, honestly.
11.4: Really smart idea to have Niel and Cato take the focus here, given Niel's own personal quest (even though it wasn't mentioned) and Cato's research skills--though this should be an all-hands-on-deck project, particularly with Talyn. But Cato's logic doesn't make sense to me; if Dreadbane's child was such a popular candidate for joining the Flamekeeper, why didn't they reach out immediately? And it isn't lost on me that when I mention dreaming of the school burning down I earn heart points from Cato (I know it's just approval of my idea, but it still felt funny). And why did Niel at first mention she was dabbling with dream magic and then underscore it with "I'm just a novice"? Why did she come to the library, then? And I forgot that we'd be doing a Sikranos trial. Was that mentioned, or should it just be taken for granted that we're always gonna do an exam shortly after starting a class (at least from a player POV)? BTW, the dark ages sound like a fun setting for the game--though maybe not since it took centuries for the first arcanes to appear, so we wouldn't be wielding magic, right? Plus it'd be fun to learn more about the religious and mythological aspects of thsi world. Cato saying "As you know, before Elderwood was a school, it was a Shrine" was infuriating as another reminder that the player is given very little info on the world and helping us to visualize it. And the same happens when MC mentions that they can't shirk away any time they hear something terrible about their dad when we haven't heard anything lately, and we've very rarely heard anything specific. I'll admit Cato being here makes more sense than Iridessa and Leona's previous appearances given his knowledge of Old Austerean, but what would've happened if I didn't have him as an ally? Would he not search his own section of the library? And then we just brush through what could've been more lore building by the narration saying we spent a few hours researching. I don't recall ever meeting Nesrec, and I really wish we got to socialize with other students more, even if they aren't love interests. They all have unique designs and probably unique stories. And FINALLY we acknowledgement about the Old King's Day drowning incident--kind of. Flatcher apologizes for the things he's done and doesn't deny the attack, so I'm assuming he did do it. Weird that it wasn't acknowledged earlier; MC just guesses and the story rolls with it. But then there's an issue; Flatcher apologizes for what he's done at OKD and the midterms, and he was never as cruel as Soren in social situations, so I always figured he wasn't as bad--but he's featured so little outside of these random situations that it doesn't feel gratifying, that he's a significant-enough character to apologize. I know less about him than Soren, and that's just that Soren was a social climber. This redemption story with him means nothing because he just pops in and out. Him wanting to protect himself and others is only interesting when that's a defined part of his story rather than being characterized as a lackey. And the reputation status change makes no sense AT ALL; Dasek and Jilla don't seem to have had issue with you before (I could be misremembering Jilla, but Dasek was cool with us during Cato's quest), and people being nice to us was because Bre got apprehended. Wasn't the big concern that if Bre was seen as the Flamekeeper, all the other Children of the Flame would have targets on their backs? Bre herself admitted to wanting to defend herself after being abused, so IDK why others wouldn't consider her actions representative of the other CotF. It's even more frustrating that this is a NARRATIVE change, not the result of our choices on how to navigate school. We're just handed things: spells, outcomes, closeness to our allies--and our choices don't seem to have any long-term impact.
TLDR: The plan to draw out the Flamekeeper feels flawed, and people changing their mind about MC makes no sense when it was a fellow CotF who is suspected of being the Flamekeeper. The change in reputation doesn't feel earned.
11.5: I legitimately forgot about a Sikranos Trial. Considering we had a major plot piece going on here, it feels even more obvious how little classtime the player gets to see. Not to mention Windworm reminds us of the vaguely important house rankings. And Littlestone's trial feels...wanting? Windworm mentioned it being harder, but wouldn't it be more relevant to find a person instead of another coin? I know it's smaller, but finding someone feels more realistic, ie finding Professor Littlestone himself. Then there's the fact that the school tells you to work together because solo missions mean death, but then you get situations like this where you're told "IRL, you'd work together, but that's not the goal of this test." Your life is LITERALLY life and death; why would you be told to ignore an important aspect of surviving for this test? And I don't like how Littlestone is fine students with accidentally hurting each other; shouldn't that be a lesson in responsibility? He looks too happy about it, like he's encouraging you to fake hurt someone. This is another reason the trial should've been done BEFORE Soren's demise. And I keep forgetting about Yvain. He pops in and out of the plot to the point where he's more device than character--but the other students don't fare much better, so there's that. And the narrative saying "Professor Littlestone taught you about the Sikras, of course," is so enraging since it's pretty much just trying to cover it's back by telling us "even though you don't seem to know much, your player is learning a lot!" Unless this was part of an ally quest for Leona/Iridessa? Someone let me know. And I've mentioned it before, but I'd have hoped Talyn being on my squad would've gave me some type of advantage, but he's just like the other allies. And isn't it dangerous for Littlestone to restrain students in the arena like he did with Yvain? And I'm laughing at how the narration says everyone looks worse for wear more than usual, since it feels like even THEY aren't learning any more than us as the players do. And IDK if it's a glitch or not, but I got platonic approval from Bardric rather than romantic (I know it doesn't really make a difference, but I wanted to note it). I'm also surprised how well Talyn is taking all this stuff with Bre; I'd think he'd be more aggressive, depressed, or at least more distant. But nope! After-trial party in the lounge! Also wondering when we'll get another costume party; OKD was very brief (and as I mentioned before, a missed opportunity on lore).
TLDR: We're STILL underprepared and being taught mixed lessons, Littlestone strikes me as irresponsible, there was a Bardric glitch, and Talyn is taking the stuff with Bre really well.
11.6: There's an irony here. We're not learning much (from a player POV), and we're not professing with our allies/love interests in a steady, fufilling, reasonable/realistic way. And yet parties are a frequent sight? They don't feel as frequent as the narrator wants me to think they us. And question: don't you get trials after your first year? I don't recall Talyn mentioning them, and I'd think he'd be unavailable to help with our trials. And WHY is it that the Flamekeeper suspicion was the only reason people treated MC poorly? They literally kept jabbing them for their father almost ruining the world. The concept of Dreamscars is very interesting, and I'm curious if it'll go somewhere, and further makes me feel like Niel's own nightmares should've been a main quest; IDK why they gave her other recurring dreams unrelated to that. I feel like Rhiannon giving her two cents about Windworm's secret should've happened immediately after instead of thanking us now. The reveal of Bre and Yvain being in the same house is further proof to me that we don't need separate houses since we don't know much about any of them and our population at school decreases too much to warrant segregation. Oh, and Yvain being a Child of the Flame. Kinda important for him to just casually reveal. If it was like that, we should've known earlier. But Yvain made me laugh. WHEN were people talking about virtue and honor? I just hear people gossiping and being competitive. As I talked with him, I thought it'd be a cool twist if he was actually just spying to try to trip us up and he was actually an opp. But sadly, no, just another "bullied child" storyline and showing that only CotF (unless in my house and/or an ally) are worth my time. Also gonna mention that it's been a while since my attunement came up in conversation or it provided a dialogue option. Now it's really just for show, huh? And with the chapter over, did we ever learn what that shadow behind Windworm was in the gallery cover for the chapter? BTW, we finally got galleries with the new update! Hopefully we get transcripts soon.
TLDR: The game isn't as social as it wants you to think, the people at school are wishy-washy despite MC still being the child of the Dreadbane, I hope we return to the concept of Dreamscapes soon, Yvain's "revelations" feel super late, my attunement feels irrelevant, I'm confused about the chapter's cover, and we got a neat update!
At this point, I'm pretty bummed out at the missed potential of this story. I'm gonna keep playing until the schoolyear is up, but I'm rather disappointed at the continued rushed pacing, vague worldbuilding, and rather thin characterization. Heck, I'm at the point where I'd have preferred Flatcher or Yvain as an LI over Bardric (preferably Flatcher since he'd seen too similar to Bardric but a CotF like Talyn). Heck, I love Onder's design so I'd say him too, but I don't even know what his personality is--but then again....
12.1: Forgot to mention it, but the last scene talked about us spending the night with someone. I was expecting something MUCH more than a kiss interrupted by the announcement of Bre's murder. And I'll just say it: I can't have much sympathy for Bre. While we did get a couple of interactions with her, she never seemed much of a character beyond being a victim thanks to being a Child of the Flame, and the lack of Talyn involvement made even that feel thin. I'm disappointed that she's dead, but like Soren, she was very limited in screentime and one-note. And I've gotta ask: HOW does Bardric know the full story? I always questioned how characters learned intimate information. Bardric just asking around and finding out feels off. Windworm wouldn't have kept that hush-hush? It'd be one thing if Bardric used his influence to ask an Enforcer, but I'd need him to say that. And I find it weird that the whole group isn't together in the lounge processing this information instead of just MC, Bardric, and Niel. If the writers wanted a new dynamic, this wasn't the way to do it; maybe have them glued together after class (are there any classes you don't have with all allies except Talyn?). And the "merits" of this plan are debatable; the goal is to trick the Flamekeeper, someone who's manipulated and managed to stay one step ahead this whole time? And I have beef with the fact that Cato was a bonus ally we could bring last chapter, but the information he was able to dig up for us is something not explained to us (unless I'm forgetting something), with MC saying they forgot most of the details. Does this explanation play out differently if you didn't bring him? And Talyn rolling up on Dasek should've been VERY suspicious; while the Hottie Squad are the only people who know Bre wasn't the Flamekeeper, Talyn getting mad at Dasek celebrating the Flamekeeper's death should've set off alarm bells to Dasek that he was still defensive of his fellow CotF, despite being a convicted criminal. And the Enforcers leaving means nothing; even if the Flamekeeper was dead, they didn't provide anything for the story or action; we took them down with SPORES--magical spores, but spores, nonetheless. And random thought: what if Rhiannon is the Flamekeeper? Windworm still has my vote, but that's no based on substance.
TLDR: We're split up when we shouldn't be, Talyn acted way too suspicious, and the plan to lure out the Flamekeeper is NOT foolproof.
12.2: Flatcher's and Mor's comments about Nightrun is SUPER scary. Asking your fears and then making you face them, and the rumors that she sees you more as experiments than students? Between a biased professor, a professor who hides things from the higher-ups, one who depowers and keeps a student trapped with various dangers in the arena, and one who supposedly doesn't even care about teaching as long as she can traumatize young adults, MC and everyone else is screwed. WHY are these people being placed in charge of others? THIS is why the student mortality rate is so high! Nightrun's comment about the other affinities affecting the material world while Timoros affects the mind doesn't make sense; the other emotions--curiosity, love, anger, sadness, happiness--affect your mind and mental state as well. Perception rules ALL your thoughts. MC stating that you have to understand sadness, happiness, or curiosity isn't true. I'm sure there's a science to it, but I'm pretty sure you don't learn emotions, but experience them. And Empress Death was someone we should've known about sooner with all the talk of death around it. And the last thing we feel in life is fear? I get a class being biased, but I feel like it isn't framed that way. The things after that I do agree with/understand, though. And I'm surprised she asks what everyone's fear is--and that they'd tell her (because I assume they all believed her about knowing if they lied and told her the truth). That feels like an important plot point if we wanted to learn how to manipulate/help others--but again, something we should've done earlier in the year. And then the rest of the class is RUSHED THROUGH. It's just said it's "a mix of theory and probing personal questions." This could've been one of the most interesting class, but we're only given the highlights as usual. And why would I know dream magic requires certification and permission from the Order? You know, the story can explain things to us without being "duh, you already know this." And I'm shocked that on our first (well, first-ish) time meeting Nightrun, she's willing to reveal she's working on stuff the Order wouldn't approve of and says she'll help us if we're willing to be her test subject. What kind of tenure do these people have to act so bold? And I feel like choosing to take the potion should've been one of those diverging choices.
I took a coin-required Niel quest, and it was almost weird to be back in Malum's classroom again, seeing how we don't revisit teachers. It's like we only have one class at a time. And the option to distract everyone's attention from Niel was to make yourself look stupid? Couldn't I have just gotten a question right and made them envious instead? What's with fantasy media with normalizing main characters who aren't academically accomplished? Then Malum tells us to do the reading--which we never see. And I'm confused; isn't a teaching assistant something you need to apply for? And I find it interesting that you can be a TA as a first year, notably before you even have electives. Do our +class points let us gain the option of being a TA later? I'm glad Niel mentions that it's usually an upperclassmen thing, but I'm confused about her saying that she won't have much opportunities after leaving Elderwood, since Rhiannon EXPLICITLY says that the higher your house ranking, the more opportunities you get. If Niel means because she's a dirtmage, then why would Rhiannon tell the child of the Dreadbane that incentive? And why would a professor recommendation do more than house rankings? And it's weird how Malum didn't know that Niel was a dirtmage; people knew it early on, so I'm surprised he never heard of it until now, and Niel kinda has controversial dialogue, first saying that "now that" he knows she's a dirtmage, he'll probably mistreat her, but then says that's probably why he asked her to be a TA. And I do find it weird that going through Malum's things was a dialogue option; whether we have any say in breaking the rules or not are very inconsistent, otherwise I'd have liked this option. And while I do get what Niel's mom meant, knowing where things are are just as important as being able to reach them. If you can reach something but have no idea where it is, it's useless. I'm surprised Malum is willing to tell his brand-new TA and a student who just randomly decided to help out that he's researching the most legendary Ikaris spell, and I'm confused about how that works. Isn't reversing time basically time travel? As with all time travel, doesn't that get confusing (both in-universe and for the writers)? And isn't a professor buying his students a drink problematic, followed by not supervising them? Another professor to add to the "problematic teachers" list. And side note, but I'm confused why a dress being sold at Lastport costs more than the tavern makes in a month. Wouldn't that mean very few people could buy it? It's probably hyperbole, but it threw me off. And I'm slightly surprised by Amarant's comments of arcanes not being likely to risk their lives for civilians. Isn't that the whole point of going to Elderwood, to control your powers and defeat monsters to protect those who can't protect themselves? It'd be different if she said most arcanes wouldn't do it without payment. And it's odd how judgemental Niel and MC were about him; while I had issues with his alcohol procurement for his students, they just judged him based on his vibe--despite not acting anything like Zaratis or Nightrun. And I don't think I knew that Stel was from a wealthy family; I guess that makes sense since Flatcher was close with Soren and Bardric, but like I said, the lack of worldbuilding has me lost on some of the situations/social spheres of the characters. And question: Niel is organizing mission maps and where every Ikarin has been found over the past two decades. Does this mean they keep tabs on every arcane?
And Malum's reveal of being a dirtmage makes me surprised none of his students know about that, considering how everyone seems to find out important info regardless. And I think a lot of what Malum says, while a dirtmage experience, is something Talyn needed to hear; IDK where a CotF lands between "worse than" and "better than" dirtmages, but I think his career goals would face a reality check like Malum's. And I find it weird that we ONLY hear about the dirtmage issue when it's Niel's focus; not only is that her only character arc thus far (even with her brother), but we don't really understand the different magical social classes in general.
TLDR: These teachers are too questionable for them to have been hired, which is probably why Elderwood has a high body count. Nightrun's opinions on death felt biased (but framed as fact), the lore is lacking, and striking a bargain with her should've been at our discretion.
12.3: Glad Niel's ally quest is brought up, even though it feels like it should've had more weight since the start of this chapter since that was our intro to dreamscape magic. And the plan was shaky enough trying to convince the Flamekeeper of MC joining them, but one of their allies coming up to proposition the Flamekeeper seems like it'd be even more suspicious--especially if the Flamekeeper was keeping eyes on them, because despite Niel being their first friend, she doesn't hold a more solid position in the game any more than anyone else. Just look at the first exam we had that she clearly said she'd be on the team, but you can choose to exclude her and there's no writing to explain why. And random thought: shouldn't they have came up with codewords just in case someone ever tried to imitate them in the Dreamscape or something? IDK if it'd happen, but it's a thought. This is the first time MC asked about her dreams since those events, which occurred in the first (or was it second) chapter. We supposedly always hang out. Really tight friendship, guys. And Niel saying they relax and talk like normal feels like something we should see to get to know more about Niel and her family beyond "I'm a dirtmage." Kinda sucks that we FINALLY get an Erolis choice in a long time, but she quickly deflects and says "we're not here for me." And NGL, but I'm surprised we were able to get the Flamekeeper's attention on the first attempt to communicate. It wasn't even hard; we just give an improvised lie to a professor and she helps us in exchange for research. I'm glad the Flamekeeper seemed clever enough to remove Niel, but assuming we talked to Bre would've given away their game if she wasn't the only person they reached out to, and claiming that we're resourceful when it didn't take much to see her and talk to her is a stretch. And the Flamekeeper's points for wanting to start a rebellion is iffy; granted, MC has faced some prejudice and the teachers seem incompetent, but it feels so shallow like it was made to illustrate the Flamekeeper's point. And talking about Iridessa and Bardric as being a reason for skepticism to MC joining them also feels kinda "eh" since their own lore aren't super expansive; if the Flamekeeper called out Bardric's wishy-washy demeanor (and helping Soren if he wasn't one of your midterms partners), I'd understand that, seeing how he'll attack you even after playing an ally quest where you make significant headway with him. I do think it's interesting that the Flamekeeper doesn't seem to value some compassion concerning holding Zaratis' hand; getting some nuance here. And I LOVE that Windworm's lies are an option for what made us want to join the Flamekeeper. Buuuuut saying that MC would help a lot in the crusade is pushing it; while I could see prejudice AGAINST them, I imagine supporters of the Dreadbane wouldn't just want your name, and you're not exactly labeled a prodigy here (unless it was acknowledged that you aced all your exams and were exceeding in class; that'd be a cool diverging point). And Bre left a JOURNAL?! Why didn't she mention that instead of giving us vague details about the Flamekeeper? And telling us that they could "demand" things of us isn't really a way to gain the help of someone who's father they seemed to look up to. And you know what? I still think Windworm is the Flamekeeper, but it'd be a cool twist if it was Arkland, trying to frame MC for starting another revolution.
TLDR: Niel's ally quest should have more relevance and we should see her and her brother bonding, but there was no reason for her to join us in the Dreamscape outside of anyone else, and the Flamekeeper, while bringing up some good points, feels like it could've been a stronger moment if the writing was stronger beforehand rather than feeling flat.
12.4: While I get waiting until the morning, I'd think your friends would be so invested, they'd wanna know THAT NIGHT what events transpired--especially since it potentially effects all of them. I'm surprised MC isn't sure how to break into Windworm's office when that was literally Bardric's first ally quest. And I'd think that the Flamekeeper would want someone more trustworthy to retrieve Bre's journal--heck, even to TELL someone about Bre's journal. And Niel saying that sometimes doing the right thing requires breaking rules should be more important than a passing comment; all the companions come from different classes and backgrounds, and their moralities should be all over the place. But instead they're just going along with MC, and unless you play all their ally quests (or even if you do), it doesn't feel like a natural progression or earned trust. It should be a BIG DEAL for bullied Niel, patriotic Bardric, self-conscious Iridessa, and academic Cato to break the rules--and maybe even conflict Talyn, who wants to get justice for one of his own but fears the price if the others gets hurt. And again, Bre having info on the Flamekeeper and not mentioning it is either suspicious or ridiculous, depending on the writing--and I feel like it'll be the latter since I'm sure the Flamekeeper is telling the truth. And I laugh at Iridessa talking about us being thrown in the dungeon. We as the player don't see much of the world or get much education, and spores seem to be able to take the guards out (or are there no guards now that Enforcers were so quick to leave?), so us going off the grid would actually BETTER the story, if anything. Nightrun mentioning a silence spell sounds VERY useful. That seems like something we should learn. I think hide is a useful spell, but it does seem flawed, since it's mentioned that if you look at the area where the hidden subject is too long, you're eyes start to hurt. Seems like a rather obvious indicator of where you are. Wonder if that'll come into play. And Nightrun mentions how important it is in the Wildwood, which comes off as another spell we should've learned earlier in the story. And Nightrun says that the spell is harder to cast the brighter the area you're in because you need some semblance of shadow--but light creates shadows, so doesn't that help? And while I get the idea that you'd want to hide from something you fear, wouldn't the point of hiding be to find somewhere comfortable so you can be enveloped in darkness? The more scared you are, it seems the worst the spell would be to manipulate. That's just my take. And I know I'm supposed to feel bad about illusion Bre, but seeing the secrets she kept and the little screentime she worked with, it didn't affect me. And WHAT?! Bardric not only neglects to mention breaking into Windworm's office before, but he says he wants to avenge Soren? What is your relationship, because one minute you hate him, the next you feel bad. I get that it's complicated, but SHOW THAT TO US. If he cares about Soren's death, why not care about Flatcher when he got injured? Why don't they hang out anymore? Does he only miss people when they're gone?
For Bardric's quest, I think being allowed the Wilderlands Arena for extra training is kind of odd. On one hand, I definitely think they need more training (and this is probably what they should be doing with their affinity-matched professors while most of their other classes are just practical education), but on the other...it feels really dumb to give first-years free-reign of the arena with no supervision. Again, this is life and death here, folks. And MC saying the Upperclassmen always take the best training spots for themselves right after mentioning that they were all on Missions...yeah, that's why they take the best training spots. And bringing up the fight at the vault shouldn't be a light-hearted thing. Bardric should feel embarrassed and apologize; him saying "I know you're not the Flamekeeper" afterwards is neither an apology for the attack nor any form of remorse. Bardric doesn't seem to have grown or embraced his Erolis side--heck, I haven't gotten to embrace mine, much either. And major side note, but similar to my whole "virgin headcanon" mention in another review, I do kinda find it weird that an upperclassman like Bardric would wanna show off the bod. Obviously it's done for fanservice, but I was expecting more conservatism. And it's weird that Stel IMMEDIATELY clocks that MC and Bardric are "flirty-fighting," but no one has anything to say about it? What happened to MC being the child of the worst man to ever exist and local pariah, especially when romantically tied to the son of said worst man's enemy? And finally we see him interact with Flatcher--but it's weird. This is after Soren died but no conversation on what the status of their relationship with each other is now. Bardric didn't even know Flatcher was off training on his own. I'm guessing they're not really friends now, but Bardric's feelings for Soren are still apparent. And what could've been an interesting quest with Bardric, Flatcher, MC, and Talyn (because it ties into his quests and makes sense given his skillset) is just for MC and Bardric since Talyn is away and Flatcher gets the "you'll only make this worse" treatment. Jeez, man. I can't even say it's tied to the Midterms since Bardric isn't a required ally and teams up with Soren and Flatcher if you don't pick him anyway. According to Bardric, Flatcher always makes things worse--which feels like it should've came up during other exams--so I kinda feel like this is normal talk. Um, WHY are they friends? I'm honestly a Flatcher sympathizer at this point; Bardric and Soren leave him blackout drunk at a tavern, he legitimately wants to protect the school and help others, Bardric just thinks he's an idiot, and he's been the LEAST damaging of the trio--and that's including Bardric! Assuming he did the woodland attack, that was insane, but he actually shows remorse and change later while Bardric is wishy-washy. Speaking of, Bardric's arrogance is so grating for me at this point, trying to face down a Timor on his own. Also confused on why these ally quests don't line up with their releases; this came out AFTER being in the dungeons to find Bre, but Bardric questions why MC knows about it. And I'm overanalyzing Bardric saying that saying "pretty please" was hard; maybe it was because MC is a Dreadbane, maybe because he's from the upper-class, maybe because he finds it childish...again, embrace your inner Erolis and show some love and kindness!
And thinking back on it now: why don't we still have detention? I'm sure significant time has passed, but I'd think it'd be a year-long punishment considering the severity of the issue, and I'm surprised Windworm doesn't suggest that our detention was a form of "extra credit" in that we had extra work to do. And OOH, plot twist! Bardric feels responsible for Flatcher and thus why he doesn't want him involved. It's sweet--or is it? The issues I mentioned beforehand don't really sell "best friend," nor the fact that they haven't interacted between this and Soren's death. And hearing about Flatcher's (and Stel's) mom was really cool, but as with most lore in this game: I NEED MORE. Why is he on thin ice? Why does this bother Bardric so much but he's NEVER brought it up until now? And more importantly, WHY should I believe Bardric cares when he's been an iffy friend at best? This would make slightly more sense if Bardric sided with Flatcher and Soren at the Midterms by default, but he didn't; he was with MC. If Bardric was so concerned, he should've been by Flatcher's side (especially after his injury and minor amnesia) rather than neglecting him to hang out with the new crew. In fact, we get some retconning here: Bardric says Flatcher probably blamed him for Soren's death, but Flatcher doesn't remember much, so it feels like he's just being selfish and avoiding him. His last connection to home doesn't feel like such. And I think MC should've had more choices on what to say here rather than "if Flatcher stops being your friend because he's an idiot you couldn't save, that's his issue." That sounds... kinda villainous. Again, the bias towards your companions over people we're supposed to see as villains is showing. And I guffawed at the narration saying Bardric was so focused on his love for his friends that he forgot to love himself. All of his ally quests up to this point have been about him. His "friends" weren't important before Soren died. The Hottie Squad are more his friends than Soren and Flatcher. He's a better friend to us then them! He's not even in the same house as them. The writers are frustrating me; please stop giving me one-note characters and expecting me to be over-bowled with emotion for them when there was no proper set up. And why are we hyping up Bardric with "you deserve better friends" based on the concept of him afraid Flatcher would be mad at him if he got pulled out of school? There are other reasons to be mad at Flatcher, but there's no evidence that Flatcher would blame Bardric for his misfortune. Again, lack of development/screentime.
And Bardric STILL insists on fighting alone! Why don't we acknowledge that he's not being the best friend here? He's not trying to protect others at this point; it's just pride. And someone remind me what quest Talyn taught us a timoros spell. And gee, Bardric's arc was letting Flatcher go as a friend. This would probably mean something if we saw Flatcher be a bad friend to him that made the friendship not worth saving. What have you done for Flatcher at this point that we've seen and that you haven't just told us? And "if he doesn't wanna be friends anymore, I don't need him" is offputting. I get the sentiment, but coming from what we've gotten thus far, it comes off as Bardric just being a friend by obligation. And then the whiplash is INSANE; Bardric makes a big deal about cutting Flatcher off for not appreciating him, but then he apologizes for being rude to him earlier. So you DO realize you're the problem? What was the point of "he's not good enough to be your friend if he doesn't appreciate you" only for it to be revealed that YOU don't appreciate HIM?
TLDR: The gang should be more fleshed out than they are now, Bardric's first ally quest should've influence this chapter, there are MORE spells we should've known earlier, and Bardric's newest ally quests are adding icing on an underbaked cake. Flatcher's past and his relationship with Bardric are explained here, but it's mostly through the lens implying he isn't a good enough friend while Bardric is--only to end with them remaining friends anyway. Flatcher hasn't been present enough for this to be as impactful as it should've been, and the quests feel kinda gaslight-y. At this point I'd prefer him over an LI than Bardric.
12.5: I'm not sure when I fell out of love with Bardric, but this is the first time I don't jump at the opportunity to choose him as an ally--ironically, this probably should've been a Bardric-specific chapter, seeing how it'd tie into his first ally quest. Choosing Talyn, I do find it disappointing that he's just helping us because he wants to have our backs, rather than it being to avenge Bre, stop the Flamekeeper, or protect other CotF (which we don't see him do up to this point). It drives home the romance--even though the main story doesn't make it feel very connected and developed--but not a key aspect of his character. And AGAIN, the planning needs work; Leona was right (if you choose her for the distraction) that setting a fire has to be real, not just a rumor--but doesn't that qualify her for detention or suspension? Now that I think on it, I don't know what the students' reputations at school are; we're told things like Bardric's family, Talyn's CotF status and Niel being a dirtmage, but it's not really furthered beyond that one-note thing. I feel like understanding them shouldn't be an ally thing, and understanding their role and status at school is very murky. And I'm surprised Windworm isn't suspicious of MC and their companion coming to her directly. Aren't there other people who'd report to Windworm first with the Enforcers gone, and even if there weren't specific people, MC coming to report to her should've put her guard up. And I find it VERY hard to believe that the spectacle of casting a spell doesn't make Windworm aware for the headmaster of the school. Like, this follows a really weird trope in YA where the staff is oblivious, incompetant, and/or easily duped by the younger students. Again, she leaves without seeing the students off. It's really weird how trusting she is with a Dreadbane (and if you recruit Talyn, a CotF). And hmm....you guys supposedly made a VERY risky plan and felt confident in it, but forgot a crucial point since you don't know what the journal looks like? Shouldn't any of MC's 6 members of the Hottie Squad have pointed this out, ie Leona or Cato or Talyn or ANYONE? Windworm's file on Talyn continues to annoy me due to the "fiercly protective of the CotF" stuff, as well as Talyn continuing to be so naive that he can just force his way into the Restorers. For the big brother figure, he's rather innocent. And apparently the ally chosen only affects looking at Windworm's files; with Cato's, it's mentioned he has moral malleability (hey, so does everyone!) and him arguing against it was really dumb with everything that we've done thus far. I'm surprised Iridessa is only just now drawing a line with no more missions; I'd think she'd feel this way after Bre's death and breaking in to see her.
TLDR: Altogether, kind of a short chapter to me. The planning was iffy at best and yet still managed to outwit a headmistress (weird how she hide her journal in code but not the student files), Talyn wasn't giving what he should've, and why are members of the group just now drawing a line on their missions? This would be neat for friction, though.
12.6: Gee, we all got played. Who could've seen this coming? I will admit, though: Props on the Flamekeepr. I had almost certainly thought Bre had a journal that she should've mentioned to us. Looking back, the fact that none of the gang questioned this. I'm SO GLAD they use their brains to say "let's remove the runes and give them an empty book." I was about to crash out if they gave them the book with the runes like first discussed. But WHY is Leona saying "we can't turn back now" after she just agreed with Iridessa about not doing any more risky stuff in the last scene? And Iridessa actually makes sense; what if the Flamekeeper is playing us again and wants to frame us? And someone remind me again why they can't make their own runes or have someone else do it? Bre was a novice at this. Not to mention, I get Talyn being there for the CotF, but shouldn't the Flamekeeper be wary of approaching MC with him there? They were quick to yeet Niel out of their dreams so they could have a one-on-one. And shouldn't the Hottie Squad stay close to some degree just in ase things pop off rather than waiting at home? Also since Talyn is coming anyway, it doesn't feel right to make him the only optional ally. You could just bring a plus one and come up with some kind of excuse. And what Talyn said boggles me; he said the CotF don't meet up much, but isn't he in charge of them and supposed to be their protector of sorts? But it just seems he's either in class or on missions, and doesn't really fufill that role. And another question of "is this allowed" concerning the remembrance. And if the Flamekeeper ends up being a CotF, it kinda means Talyn was bad at his job or more CotFs should've stepped up to keep tabs on everyone. Talyn said he's the protector but lost seven people. Shouldn't that mean he's keeping specific attention on people? And um, WHAT? He'd burn down the world to ash if he lost you? His appearences has been even shoddier than the others because he's an upperclassman. It is WAY to early to be this close with us. Heck, this could even be acknowledged via some "we're becoming our fathers" concern. And Kassian saying it was good to have us here means nothing when they never approached us before--none of them did. I don't feel connected to these people and owe them NOTHING. NGL, I wish we had more opportunities to be less sympathetic to Bre like when we told Talyn she made her own choices. Again, bias between we're supposed to love and hate. And again, Yvain jumpscare! This could've been a good opportunity for more lore with Lady Death, but nope. I keep admiring the Flamekeeper, NGL; everyone else is kinda dumb, and they keep playing them, because why wasn't someone else looking after the runes? Why were they unprotected under MC's bed?
TLDR: A rather rushed remembrance with a better plan than usual, but the Flamekeeper isn't as dumb as everyone else is. Kudos! But it would be more worthwhile if everyone was smart and the Flamekeeper was just smarter.
I...I don't know what to make of this game. Have you ever wanted to bingewatch a show, but only watched the super important episodes to save time rather than the whole thing? That's what this feels like, and the ally quests feel like webisodes you don't need to watch for it. There's too little going on, and the scene division makes that feel even more apparent. I'm not feeling emotionally invested.
13.1: Curious to see how the chapter's CG comes into play, seeing how this is a rather dreary situation. The fact that Bardric speculates how the Flamekeeper could've found out about their plan means that he (or anyone) should've considered this possibility before leaving the runes. And MC saying they're now accomplices to terrorism is hilarious because this could've all been avoided if they got rid of the runes, destroyed them, or took away their power. Everyone stressing about it honestly makes me smile because it's like their braincells have finally aligned to understand how stupid they are. Getting an Erolis option and MC offering to take the fall is a neat touch, but being a Dreadbane doesn't seem to mean what it used to since it seems more of an annoyance than anything else, as well as the fact that Talyn would probably be seen as sucpisious as a fellow CotF and the child of the Dreadbane's right-hand man, maybe even Niel as a dirtmage. And Bardric made me laugh again by saying they needed to work together to defeat the Flamekeeper. Even when you guys worked together to form a plan, you failed to consider the Flamekeeper would raid MC's room. And AGAIN they false-drop lore: Niel mentions the Veilfall Festival, and then the narrative tells you what it is since MC knows but you obviously don't. Knock it off! It comes off as condescending. Plus it's a horrifying event, considering the lines between the Dreamscape are thinned and your dreams can be haunted. Couldn't this have been used instead of using Nightrun's potion anyway? And couldn't Bre's remembrance been done in line with the festival? Honestly it would've made a unique plot point to have the CotF use the festival as an excuse to talk about their mistreatment, Bre's death, and make a political spectacle out of it. Talyn being sarcastic about running a booth pretty much matches my energy since the houses haven't been explored or distinguished anyway. But I don't understand why the Flamekeeper would want to be at the festival. If it involves a lot of parents--and thus nobles--attending the school, I can get that, but that's not really said. And lemme just say: Talyn not taking the lead on this is really weird. He's the oldest and the most skilled, but he isn't really offering much besides snide remarks.
TLDR: Hindsight is 20/20, the "MC knows this but the player doesn't" approach to lore information is annoying as ever, and it kinda feels like Veilfall could've been done to meet the Flamekeeper over Nightrun's potion, and IDK why they'd be around the festival anyway. And Talyn's lack of involvement is rather frustrating considering his skillset.
13.2: NGL, I know this is a semi-modern fantasy land, but the idea of setting up booths does sound funny to me. Even in medieval times, there are things like carnivals and other types of events, but my mind keeps going to a modern allegory. And I really wanna know why MC wasn't allowed to celebrate Veilfall at Wysteria. It's not like anyone could stop them from being visited from the dead. It'd be fun if the were actually treated with MORE hostility during this time out of fear that their father was communicating with them. And Niel mentions that it's a good chance to say goodbye when the veils of the Dreamscape are thinned, so does this mean only recently deceased people can appear in the Dreamscape? Not to mention, the Scarlet Cough thing sounds like that should've been more important than a random drop. And the skeleton and bones decorations make it feel more like Halloween, similar to Old Kings' Day's costumes. Is this supposed to be a parallel to it? And I do find the Bardric-Talyn fanservice kind of odd since the game is rather tame with romance and smut; that's saved for the ally quests, and it's rather few and far between. I know it's not for everyone, but I was hoping to have access to it. And while I'm not super surprised that Rhiannon asked Iridessa to take charge of the Onyx House booth (even though Bardric would potentially draw the largest crowd; heck, Leona could've come up with some fun games and Cato could've offered music lessons), I am surprised that they festival is almost upon them and she never decided on what game to have everyone play. And the bonus for including Iridessa is helping set up. Someone tell me if that has ANY impact on the story, or if this was just an "alone time" thing.
TLDR: Nothing special here, no lore gained from characters or the world. And I could've seen Bardric, Leona, or Cato being asked to man the Onyx House booth instead of Leona (unless Cato actually brought up his performing job at Lasport).
13.3: Niel beaming about having friends kinda got me the side eye with how divided we are, especially with recent chapters being rigid in the allies you're allowed to bring (and what little advantage they offer). I also noticed how she particularly mentioned Bardric and Iridessa. I know she means it's weird since they're famous higher-class people while she's a dirtmage, but it does kinda make the other friends feel unappreciated. And saying we have the Flamekeeper to thank is VERY debatable; their attack happened before we could do much, and given the situation and their personalities, odds are we'd still be friends with Talyn, Cato, and Leona. Even without the Flamekeeper, we're in the same house as Iridessa and Bardric and our paths kept intersecting, along with the fact that NONE of the friends were hard to attain. Even with Bardric's poor writing, he was still considered something of an ally early on (at least to MC). Niel asking if we'd all still be friends as if it was hard to get these guys on our side is funny to me because of this, but I'll let it slide due to her background probably giving her some insecurity. And Niel saying she was used to people coming and going made me realize she's kinda similar to Leona in that way, and they should be close for that. I wanna see and hear about more interrelationship bonds unrelated to MC--especially the guys; Talyn and Bardric are prickly and Cato's the odd man out. I'd love to hear more about the characters' parents that aren't part of the main plot, ie Cato, Niel, Leona, and Iridessa's. Niel's father having a theory that arcanes are magic seems like it should be a popular theory, maybe even with a religion that encompasses that idea. Faith is one of the many things in this world that's not explained enough, and MC saying they don't believe in fate is kind of annoying since you don't have a choice in that, thus making the faith/religious aspect that's occasionally thrown around in the game doesn't matter. Niel saying every affinity has their own views on the afterlife but we've yet to hear about it is kinda annoying. Feels like something we should be learning/studying. I wasn't crazy about having to ask Niel about my own affinity's beliefs, and the other two options being disbelief in an afterlife or just saying it's best a mystery. Also, typo: MC says "your fathers" instead of "your father" when talking to Niel. Rhiannon says because of our house ranking, we'll have scrutiny on us. WHAT is our ranking? And why wouldn't we have continued scrutiny for some members being CotFs? And someone remind me how her betrothal works if she's an orphan? Didn't she get a good match? I definitely think our one-on-one thing with her should've came with an Erolis benefit. And looking at the achievement, was there a way for Rhiannon to NOT come to Veilfall?
For Niel's quest, I do think that her being an artist is something we should've known sooner, particularly since she's supposed to be our first and closest friend and us helping her with a super intimate ally quest right off the bat, but at least they didn't go the "you've always known" route with Cato's musical interests. Makes me wish my MC could have hobbies/non-magical skills. I'm surprised Wysteria Manor only has three paintings, and bringing up MC being judged for being a Dreadbane is pretty much a dead subject since no one does that now. And I'm curious how things like soulbrushing are perceived in the world. Are they seen as superior to regular paintings? Isn't that considered artistic cheating or whatever since you're using magic which may or may not require training/talent? And FINALLY we meet Professor Slatewater. As I expected, she's a non-problematic female professor. Her saying Windworm lets her have art classes because she wants well-rounded individuals doesn't sound true, since apparently they aren't advertising this class. And isn't it weird that we've been here past midterms and still haven't had a Felicis class, but we'll get to go to her art class first? Also Niel said she liked being in her room, but she's at EVERY PARTY. Make it make sense.
Felicis classrooms look the best, not gonna lie. Neat learning that Bardric's mom is a skilled soulbrush artist, but weird he doesn't mention this in his ally quests; the family members he talks about the most are his dad and sister. You'd think Erolis and Felicis would be the most attuned to soulbrushing (though you can say that any affinity brings out creativity). Also, where's Flatcher? I'm surprised he's not in something his "best friend" and sister are part of, especially seeing how lonely he seems. And MC getting to say they're familiar with making art but not really getting to integrate that anywhere is disappointing--also, HEAVY disagree on Slatewater's perception of art. Painting is definitely about what you feel; that's what art is. And I question why she says MC did exquisite work, but then says Niel is the only natural. And I'm kinda mixed on her volunteering MC to help her; for one, that's presumptuous, and for two, she said Niel needed introspection, which is kind of hindered with someone else's involvement in this circumstance.
I'm just now thinking about this: the school allows alcohol in the dorms and on campus? Isn't that dangerous for a magical school? You can really get away with anything here. I actually loved Talyn and Leona barging in, since it makes things feel more normal and fluid over just always having action 24/7 and reminding me that this is a school and a shared space. Though I am bummed that the narrative is all about Niel's gift in soulbrushing while MC doesn't get to work on it outside of that one class. And I guess I'm lost on what soulbrushing is; didn't we just draw teacups a week ago? Why am I getting abstract art for myself? I didn't expect it to match my MC, but I wasn't expecting this, either.
It also occurs to me how these ally quests seem to go in arcs. I'm not mad about it per se, but I do wish the events of the previous arcs bled into the next ones rather than feeling isolated.
TLDR: Veilfall feels super dragged out since it's more about confronting the Flamekeeper instead of enjoying the holiday. The lack of insight into religion/faith is also a bummer, and Niel being concerned for our friend group is laughable when no one's faltered or been that hard to recruit. I have questions about Rhiannon as well. Niel's interest in painting and soulbrushing should've been brought up earlier, and it's wild that we see a teacher's art class before their academic class (we're past midterms, btw). We also get some Bardric lore that should've been explored earlier, and MC missed opportunities to detail their past pertaining to art. That said, Niel's quests today were probably among my favorite thus far.
13.4: You know, if the story was richer in narrative and tighter in focus, the Veilfall celebration would bring me a bittersweet feeling due to enjoying a cultural moment and anxious about seeing the Flamekeeper. but as of right now, I'm almost apathetic about it. We throw around "Empress Death" a lot but only got one conversation about the afterlife and the religious complexities on how the worlds/affinities view death. And MC trying to get Rhiannon to have fun further highlights the lack of customization for them, making them the default "I want friends and I'm a troublemaker" MC. I'd have enjoyed making someone more reserved and contemplative. And why was it an achievement to get her to come to the celebration if we were gonna split up anyway? The house animosity also means nothing since we don't know the others that well, and the "tap quickly" for our carnival game not only feels repetitive, but ultimately unnecessary. And uh, WHAT? Wouldn't MC winning their house's booth only make other houses MORE confirmed that it's rigged instead of alleviating their concerns? And the mob mentality of everyone relaxing makes the world feel flat. Stel and Morelia's fortune telling booth feels like another situation to explain the attitude and circumstances for seeing the future in this magical world; every fantasy story has different views. Stel's tarot card-esque readings only further make me wish MC was more customizable, and her foresight of us having a major choice in the future is kind of frustrating. Why only THEN will we get a major choice with ramifications? Why not for the past 13 chapters? I think MC does have a good point about how death has been on their shoulders for a while and now the school is celebrating it. Feels almost morbid, whatever the intention. BTW, I did this with Talyn and Cato, and the only difference is a short conversation after Stel's fortunes, and both end with MC saying they'll be with them until they're old and gray. While the details are different, it doesn't really feel super deep, nor do you get to explore other booths. We're just limited to the girls we've known the most.
TLDR: No lore, no Rhiannon, the other houses are too easy to calm down when arguments arise, the promise of a major choice LATER mocks our lack of major choices thus far, and choosing different allies only affects a brief conversation rather than anything substantial moving forwards.
13.5: You know, I can understand the "logic" of Nightrun wanting to do the Timoros Trial during Veilfall, but since she already has rumors of being more scientist than teacher, I can't imagine Windworm would wanna give her leeway. Her showing doubts in the last scene are proof enough that you shouldn't be conducting a Trial without properly training your students--but if Iyer can do it without her knowledge and not get in trouble, I guess everyone can punk her. But we didn't really learn about going to the Dreamscape in her class; that was unique to MC's mission and her research. Why is no one calling her out for this? They're more mad at the timing than the place. And I do wish Talyn could tell us what his first year Timoros trial is--or why he'd have to be included for this. I know he was included before, but this is an impromptu event that technically should've just called the first years to her "speech." And I love Cato for pointing out that the professors and Windworm aren't there because they didn't want her in their heads--but were the other professors present for the other trials anyway? And if Nightrun could choose her own setting for us, couldn't the other professors have chosen somewhere besides the arena for their Trials? The cave setting felt surprising since I thought we'd start right at Elderwood, and the people digging into MC are kinda weird since MC should be secure with their friends as much as they hype them up (despite my own misgivings). This is their worst fear? I'm surprised this crossed their mind since they were saying how good everything had became. Obviously you can fear things changing back, but Niel and Talyn being part of it didn't make sense to me. But what makes less sense is that she'd be hiding in a facsimile of Elderwood University...yet she's in a facsimile of Lastport. So she's NOT on school grounds? Neither the narrative nor the characters seem to acknowledge that she lied, so maybe it's a mistake? And I'm again confused on the thumbs up vs heart approval means with characters you're romancing. And Nightrun saying it is her duty to test her students how she sees fit seems like a contraction, right? It's her responsibility to do what she wants? But no one mentions that. And gee, the professor's magic was affected by Veilfall. You'd think she'd have at least expected this, if not cancelled her plans entirely. And seeing Daddy Dreadbane would've been a twist for me if I hadn't checked out CG's weekly premises for the scenes on Monday. I would've expected the Flamekeeper. Not sure what he can add that we haven't seen in our dreams already, but we'll see.
TLDR: Nightrun is a horrible scientist and professor.
13.6: Honestly surprised MC never thought the day to see their father would come, seeing how Veilfall is an annual thing and thus they could've been waiting at any point to see Andros through their life. And Andros saying he doesn't realize he's dead and things are murky is something someone should've mentioned about Veilfall. And I'm also surprised MC just buys that Andros loves them (if that isn't mentioned, you have to be Erolis; I saw the symbol pop up when the dialogue came up). Honestly I forgot Elderwood was founded 19 years ago. That explains the cutthroat attitude and suspicious professors. Still working out the kinks! Altogether the reunion meant nothing, since nothing is gleamed, no explanation is given, and the idea that he wasn't a terrible person was already spoiled in our dreams. And I'm still kinda confused about how MC got into the Flamekeeper's Dreamscape. Were they asleep, or were they part of the class? We saw the trees and the sky, and somehow that's gonna help us find the Flamekeeper.
TLDR: This wasn't much more useful than an actual dream.
Very disappointing. What should've been an enriching worldbuilding experience and bonding more with our friends and understanding our father more was instead just a brief festival, a surprise exam, and nothing gained.
14.1: I've been asleep for 37 uninterrupted hours thanks to Nightrun's surprise Trial. Nightrun needs to be fired. Again, weird heart/thumbs up dissonance, since I'm romancing Talyn, but him saying he'd be by my side was simply approval. And no staff members want to check on me after I wake up? Is there even a nurse? And why would I know what the infirmary is if I'd never been there before? And I wonder why the Flamekeeper's identity is shrouded even in their own mind. I get why it's done from a player POV, but it's weird in-universe. I'm also confused on why the Flamekeeper's Dreamscape is essentially parallel to a real place, since we'd never seen that before in the Dreamscape before. And Bardric and Leona lose my support even more; Bardric says there's no reason to study happiness now given the circumstances (how is this guy tied to the love affinity?), and Leona seems happy with the idea of skipping class. Iridessa says people find Felicis useless, but it limits the worldbuilding for us to be in chapter 14 and we're only now hearing about this, despite Iridessa being in the game since earlier chapters. And if happiness is seen as useless, why wouldn't love be seen as the same? Heck, why wouldn't fear be seen as useless? I could see different faiths and institutions teaching contradictory schools of thought on the various uses of each affinity. The fact that MC has to option to see Felicis class as useless is astounding to me--particularly since it's probably just a comment rather than something longterm. Your alternate option is just saying you need the spells and to study, not contributing anything to the "does happiness matter?" conversation. And Bardric says there are some useful Felicis spells to use on the battlefield, but let's see about that. And what does the achievement mean we formed a plan? We have no idea where in the forest their lair other than a vague region and Cato is gonna do research (because our suggestions meant nothing), but we haven't established how we'd get there without rousing suspicions or how we'd combat the Flamekeeper. As usual, intelligence isn't the Hottie Squad's specialty.
TLDR: The school staff isn't worth a dime, we come up with a vague idea on finding the Flamekeeper and not even spending 60 seconds to refine the "plan," and Felicis gets random hate from the guy who's affinity is love.
14.2--Firstly, I enjoyed Flatcher and Stel having some conversation with each other, considering they're siblings but never talk to/about each other. Obviously siblings aren't conjoined at the hip, but seeing what Flatcher went through with Soren and their rather strict mom, I'd think they'd be closer. And the Yvain jab at Bardric felt kinda weird since I honestly don't ever remember them interacting before. Maybe they did, but it's easy to forget about since it's been a while seeing a lot of characters interact. But it's insane that Iridessa has to defend an affinity associated with happiness. If it was because everyone was depressed, scared, or angry, it'd be an interesting twist (Niel kinda brings this up), but it legitimately seems like Felicis has a poor reputation. And Slatewater saying she didn't want to bore anyone with theory and strategy feels like the worst excuse to explore the affinity outside of practical use. This feels narratively relevant regardless, but even moreso to highlight the biased against Felicis. And Slatewater mentions that Erolis is connected to growing plants. I think that was mentioned before, but you'd think that a crop-related affinity would be seen as the most ideal, rather than a normal reputation like everything else. Also wish we could've mentioned having already met her rather than her dismissing it with "in case you don't know me." Again, illuminate seems like a VERY important spell we should've learned earlier. And it's crazy that it took the professor of happiness to call someone out for bullying instead of one of the other professors doing it earlier. Another strike against them. And Slatewater mentioning "three wars, two plagues, and a dozen dark winters" feels like another chance to explore the history/lore of the world, or wherever she was at the time. And then it turns out we are taught some theory--but the scene changes. And I'm honestly surprised Cato hadn't planned on directly asking Professor Littlestone, the professor of the affinity associated with curiosity, about the Flamekeeper markings--or why no one would've had him investigate them earlier. Why would you have a book in your library if you don't even know what it means?
Siiiiiiiiiiiigh....You know, Candlelight, you can include professors more outside of their ally quests. Not to mention it's weird an extra credit event wasn't announced to the class publicly and it's a "show up if you wanna participate" event, seeing how a lot of people could miss out. Also, I do find Xolin's pyropath a bit of a weird thing for Cato. Yes, Cato's doing it for extra credit (undermined the "I can be into athletics and academics" statement beforehand, especially seeing his build), but this largely felt like a quest for Leona, Bardric, or even Talyn--AKA the people who preferred activities like this rather than using an excuse for extra credit (he also mentions he just needs practice for it as his weakest affinity). Leona even competes! I like Cato having various interests, but it does feel a bit forced. Flatcher competing at a pyropath and "never stop talking" about it according to Mor again makes no sense, since he barely gets to talk and when he does he's never brought it up. It's like another issue of trying to add lore/flesh out characters but then they forgot that they didn't. And also confused when he mentioned a league, but I guess every sport has one. And I'm curious why Stel wanted to participate when she doesn't seem overly interested or skilled at it. Yeesh, the "familiar losers" comment felt cruel, even if she wasn't good at it. NGL, I'm mixed about Flatcher's sassiness. While I think it's neat to see him have some confidence about something rather than seeming like a screw-up or a background commenter, him being more aggressive just feels like he's filling Soren's shoes, sans discrimination--but he isn't an important enough character to really flesh him out, so it's kinda like a random writing choice. And Cato failing in the event early on only further my feelings that this could've been a quest for someone else if we wanted to keep the focus on the tournament itself (since it's still going on).
I feel like magic coming easy to Cato and his family should've been something said sooner, and he could've been part of the "discrimination" club like MC/Niel/Talyn, or maybe the hyped-up characters like Iridessa or Bardric. I do find the "smart character is finally struggling with something" is cliche as well, and I'd think that someone with the affinity for sadnesss would struggle the most with the affinity for happiness, seeing how anger and sadness are kinda connected in a way. Interesting that we get the option to choose an ally to speak to, and Talyn's disinterest in the pyropath does explain why this isn't his quest (though this could've been his first time). Good to hear about one of Bardric's brothers again, though this makes me wish we had more interactions between Bardric and Cato; I feel like Talyn/Bardric and Niel/Iridessa are the only real interactions we get--but I haven't played any of the girls' quests except for Niel's, so maybe I'm wrong. I will admit it could've been a good chance to use Flatcher, though; since Cato is out of the pyropath and Bardric is doing a favor for Cato and is Flatcher's friend, I could've seen him convincing him to help Cato. Also neat to hear that Finn is apparently Mr. Perfect, but weird that he isn't brought up throughout the school to compare Bardric to, though (I'm guessing the IRl reason was because he hadn't been conceived yet). And it's REALLY weird for Bardric to say he wasn't competing in the pyropath because he didn't need validation, seeing how competitive he is and the family life he has (MC even mentions his daddy issues). Also "I'm not learning magic to win prizes" is a weird way of putting it, since it's not something of physical or monetary value; it's extra credit for class, which you'd think he'd be interested in. And the reason Cato's not succeeding at Penthos is because he's thinking about anger instead of channeling it? Considering he's the academic, wouldn't he have tried his hardest to channel his anger like all the other affinity-emotions? Plus him saying he's never felt anger doesn't make sense since this takes place after Soren's death, and if you have him as an ally, he'll be angry and agree to keeping Windworm's secret to take out the Flamekeeper. Bardric saying this is the easiest tutoring he's ever done is funny since I'm curious who else and what else he tutors for. And MC trying to psych up Cato with why anger is necessary reads as very dumb--"some problems need to get punched in their stupid face"?--but I guess that's par for the course now. Bummed out Nesroc was disqualified since I enjoy seeing more background characters, especially since it's very main character-esque. Again, if the tournament was gonna be the main focus, I could think of others who this could've focused on. Also confused how we've already skipped to the finals after just one competition.
It's been a minute since Cato talked about his dead parents. While I get it being a sore subject, him bringing it up just for the sake of competing in a class with extra credit felt a little off. It felt like a breakthrough we could've had earlier, even in the main quests. We're not unfamiliar to bullying, after all. Plus the breakthrough is very easy to me; just remember a childhood bully. Obviously it's not pleasant, but the memory itself would be something hard to forget. And you know what? I can understand Flatcher's emotions here; he only has one friend that we see (and Bardric isn't that great a friend), and he's never been shown to be good at anything before, so I was fine with letting him have this. I'm VERY glad Cato didn't just hit the "I'm a main character, so I get to speedrun my progress" thing and win the pyropath--but it was kinda cheapened since apparently Cato only lost because he was thinking about MC. Also, nice to see Flatcher was just trash-talking; I thought he was based on our option to trash-talk back, but I couldn't be sure.
TLDR: Slatewater's class should've been pre-Midterms (like all classes) and Cato's ally quest felt clunky and like it could've been for another ally--but Flatcher is continuing to be my favorite supporting character.
14.3--Okay, someone explain EXACTLY why Cato is a required ally here. Again, some events should just bring an ally regardless of their level because they're actually needed in the story rather than providing extra content (and the extra content we get tends to be...minimal). Or at the very least, have a different ally here; Leona being a Sikranos affinity or Talyn being a reliable third-year could've also worked for convincing Littlestone. Also weird that the school has a "Gildtower Massacre collection." Maybe it's just the term "collection" making it sound like it's fashion or something. And Littlestone says documents are better than textbooks, so does that mean we don't use textbooks in his class? I thought we did, and he didn't really mention his dissatisfaction with them before (and the teachers aren't very subtle). Also it's been FOREVER since learning about new lore about our father's crusade. Like, since Zaratis was still alive. Why haven't we been learning more about this? The school was literally made in response to his actions. And it's so dumb to me that the professor presiding over curiosity indulges so many students, as he says "every year" there are students interested in Dreadbane and the Gildtower Massacre, but then just lets us off with a warning not to get too involved. Obviously he likes to encourage curiosity, but he isn't LEARNING anything from his past experiences. Just "your dad was evil" and then tells us to carry on. And Cato saying he had no right to be accusatory of us means he missed what Littlestone said entirely. And what Cato shares about himself after could've been said at literally any time, further highlighting that he wasn't necessary for the story to go the way it did since Littlestone was largely focused on MC.
TLDR: Cato was unnecessarily focused on, and Littlestone shows why the teachers (mostly the males) are terrible at their job, even if we finally got more Daddy Dreadbane lore.
14.4--Freycats are only docile if you remain happy? Isn't that a terrible thing to introduce to new students, who are not only struggling with maintaining happiness, but also terrified of Kiala and are now pressured to remain happy? And why does Kiala get approval? Not a fan of how everyone gets it and it means nothing. Also confused on why the scene summary calls her the professor's familiar, but we're not told what that is or how to get one; I don't think Slatewater even calls Kiala her familiar, but even so, the aforementioned points sill stand. And MC gives off the stupidest response if you want to use speed to get away from things: "when you're doing something that you, uh, shouldn't be, and then someone like a professor or an Enforcer is gonna catch you--" How are they the leader? It'd make more sense if Felicis was tied to honesty and got it out of people. It would've made Slatewater rather pivotal when investigating Bre. And question: how is toxic positivity viewed in the context of Felicis? How are any false/unhealthy emotions tied to other affinities, ie obsession with Erolis or despair with Ikaris? And it's weird how we master a spell right after trying it for the first time. What makes us different from a professor in that regard? And why is Leona the one MC focuses on to help find the hidden bunker? This could be for anyone (even Iridessa, seeing the new spell we learned).
TLDR--I'm left with more questions than answers from this class, and the dangers of always being happy or forcing it aren't addressed.
14.5--So after MC kept things from most of the gang when investigating Bre, and the gang mentioned not doing anymore dangerous activities after sneaking into Windworm's office...they're all okay with MC going off alone to find the Flamekeer's bunker? MC even has the option to say they wish the team came. WHY wasn't that an option? What happened to earlier quests that allowed allies of a certain level to join rather than a specific character? Was it too much work to tailor the diverging paths they promised? Honestly I'm surprised they can recognize the area from the dream, considering it was nighttime and looking up from an enclosed area. And since I didn't have high Leona points, I couldn't bring her, and MC regrets not bringing ANYONE. Again, why are we being forced to bring certain people when anyone will do? It goes without saying that the Order would've burned Dreadban'e manifesto, but again, it feels like a detail to bring up earlier. I also chose to put it back, considering how heavy-handed the dreams were about making it obvious that he was a good guy. I got an accomplishment for that, so let's see how it affects my future. And couldn't we destroy the stuff in the living room with runes carved in it to use their dream magic, or would it be easy for them to make more? And seeing Littlestone at the end isn't all that surprising, seeing how he did warn us about looking for trouble, so I'm curious to see if he just followed us here--or maybe he is the Flamekeeper. After all, he's only the second professor after Zarais that we can actually interact with after we have our class with him. It wouldn't make sense to be a professor unless we saw them recently, or else we'd have forgotten about them.
TLDR--We didn't need Leona specifically for this, and I'm curious if Littlestone is the Flamekeeper or just following us.
Honestly, this chapter bothered me less than the last ones, but the ally stuff and worldbuilding feels even more bothersome here, since important things are introduced and not explained well, and ally spotlights don't always make sense, either in main quests or ally quests.
15.1--While I wanna give points to Littlestone for ACTUALLY willing to talk it out in contrast to Bardric when the crystals were stolen, I do have to take them away when he pointed out how dangerous curiosity could be, because he came to the bunker based on his OWN curiosity. I thought he followed us, but nope! And yet he still expects MC to be his obedient assistant for this investigation? Honestly, seeing how Littlestone believes Dreadbane was a monster like most everyone else (odd he never sought more understanding despite being a Sikranos), I'm surprised he trusts MC after seeing them at the bunker. And with the bomb, this feels like it should've been a diverging route, ie why not all spells should be acquired via the main quest. And since we needed to do something fast, shouldn't we have done magic with our hands instead of our spellblade, seeing how that takes extra time to grab? And shouldn't Littlestone know speed? I know the school was just built, but everyone has the powers of all affinities, and I'm sure people studied various spells beforehand, so IDK why he wouldn't use that. NGL, Littlestone's theory on nullefactum, while useful, makes it feel weird that it seems that the teachers are the only ones uncovering information that should've been something that had been discovered a long time ago. Also would've been neat to learn nullefactum was a rarity a little bit ago as well.
TLDR--Littlestone is incompetent until the last minute when we find out something useful about a previously explained substance.
15.2--It's about time we got caught with all the playing in the staff's faces we did. Crazy this hasn't happened since Zaratis. Though I don't understand why Windworm would focus on us keeping Bre not being the Flamekeeper a secret. That probably wouldn't have changed anything, and all we found was a bunker, not the Flamekeeper themselves; she could've easily said it was Bre's. At least, that was our thought process, since she didn't reveal she knew Bre wasn't the Flamekeeper. Her calling us out for having no plan when going to the bunker is funny, but annoying; MC always talks about making a plan with their friends, but now the writers acknowledge they didn't really have a plan? Also, the dream magic stuff is a question for me; if she's talking about during Veilfall, we had no control over how magic works during the holiday. But if she means when Nightrun was involved with her "tests," why isn't she being interrogated? AND IS SHE INSANE?! She knew Bre wasn't the Flamekeeper and let us all believe we were safe, including MC who was believed to be involved (either as victim or accomplice) to them, and didn't wanna give us a heads up?! The enforcers LEFT. And her revealing she allowed Nightrun's Trial and Littlestone's investigation (which is kind of a retcon since he said he was worried about us going to find the bunker, but she thought we thought he did it "out of curiosity") just to find the Flamekeeper doesn't have the effect it should. Aside from making the Littlestone look less skilled/intelligent since he was acting on Nightrun's orders, it also makes her look reckless by using the mad scientist professor to peer into the minds of the students--and shouldn't the disruption of the Trial have meant MC looked MORE suspicious? Plus Littleworm's recommendation based on saving his life isn't substantial, as that's the default rather than a diverging path. Windworm's offer to work with MC is an issue I have with a lot of YA stuff, where the younger student proves themselves just as or more capable than the adults, gets chewed out for it, and then is told "hey, just keep doing what you're doing, but with my foresight." The ends justify the means, eh? And while I'm sure the world isn't pro-MC now (even if the school's public opinion has flipped like a coin), it feels very fishy for the headmaster to threaten "help me or I'm stripping you of your emotions and powers." And the Flamekeeper being present IRL makes me feel like we should learn their identity soon. This story hasn't really been a "collect clues" narrative where we can guess or figure it out ourselves, so they may as well reveal it. What can we do even if they tell us? It's doubtful anyone can easily find, detain, or defeat them, and the odds of us being believed, even by Windworm, aren't great.
TLDR: We got chewed out for breaking the rules only to be applauded for our work, as many YA stories go. Windworm flexing her power just makes her look worse (especially since she learned nothing of use), and MC has little-to-nothing to gain from working with her since they know more than she does.
15.3--The Flamekeeper trying to frame MC's death as accidental doesn't feel foolproof with Windworm and the Hottie Squad collaborating with them, but who knows? And what? How did they know MC was there but not Littlestone? Did they just assume it? Does that mean we could've lied and denied responsibility? But the Flamekeeper somehow buys into MC's convincing--or maybe they're just acting like they do. Honestly I'm surprised MC believes the Flamekeeper is still willing to work with them. I hope they have a better plan to defeat them than their "hide the runes" plan.
NGL, Bardric's quest with him being in a rush and disheveled about something felt weird. Obviously anyone can be like that, but I keep imagining him being too sophisticated and elegant for that--but that's probably just my imagination. Out of habit, I did pick romantic options, and Bardric reciprocates like we're dating (giving a kiss when we ask for love and the fact that MC tells them to take them out on a date to Lastport), so I'm very curious about my relationship status with everyone. The main quest barely allows us to have romantic relationships, and the "romantic" ally-restrictive main quests are very lackluster. I'm still not over the "who will you spend the night with?" just being a goodnight kiss interrupted by drama. And Bardric's in a club, but we never get the option to join one ourselves? The fact that this is a school is laughable since the immersion is terrible. And MC saying Bardric has top grades, constantly trains, and participates in House events makes it feel even weirder that he wouldn't wanna do the Pyropath in Cato's quest since it offers extra credit. And ouch? MC says they wanna help Bardric relax by taking them on a date, and the moment they get to Lastport, Bardric says "this is a waste of time." IDC if he's talking about relaxing; MC even calls them out for it and they clam up, which seems to imply he also meant hanging out with MC. And while it's neat to see Mor and Wensen, I am gonna nitpick and say I haven't seen any same-sex couples or hookups yet. Has anyone? Mentioning Malum giving them an assignment continues to bum me out how we ignore the other classes in the main story once their exam is over. And if Bardric was such an overacheiver, why was he dissing Felicis class so much and saying he should only go to class in case they taught powerful battle spells.
We go from Lastport to the quad. Our world is extremely limited to the point where our getaway town isn't good enough for us to hang out in so we go back to school. And he was about to call this a "waste of time," so my opinion of Bardric continues to plummet. This also could've been a Hottie Squad mission, as Leona and Iridessa seem to know how to relax. Or maybe get Flatcher involved since Bardric says he's always getting into trouble and having an eye on him can give Bardric some peace. And didn't we already establish Bardric was good with horses and he helped us with them in detention? Why would they "hate him less than they hate us"? I think this would be a great idea to see more into Bardric's past--and not just the vague "I grew up in a strict household." I want specifics like he talked about on his nameday. Again, mentioning Xolin gives difficult/annoying assignments makes me crave more of the educational side of this world. I keep forgetting that plants are tied to Erolis for some reason instead of Felicis, and I wish there was more emphasis on that. BTW, are affinities hereditary, or can anyone be any affinity? And Bardric not being able to relax, while it makes sense for his background, feels almost odd to me; our friendship/romance is built on the foundation of him being able to adjust to new perspectives and situations and escaping the rigidity of society, so I'd think him being able to relax shouldn't be the biggest issue. This could've been a Talyn or Cato quest and it'd make a bit more sense, especially since he's older. Strange to me that Bardric mentions working to death so casually, despite the fact that I'm sure that's the last thing his parents want for the legacy. Even if they want the family to be successful and powerful, I doubt they want it if it means a young death.
Another brother mention! But which one? And where is this private cove? How much of this stuff is on school grounds and how much of it do people use without staff knowledge? And WHAT?! MC's opinion is the only one he cares about? That doesn't even make sense. We're only barely moving past wishy-washy Bardric, and he doesn't acknowledge his friends or family in that. And how is my opinion important to you if you've been saying nothing but how my ideas (and dates) have been a waste of time? And did we know Bardric's dad writes angry letters to him "all the time"? I only recall him writing them to the staff. And it's a bummer that we circle back to Lis in such a melancholy way, bringing up her traumatic incident and how Bardric is just doing things for her. It's not even Lis' fault, but Bardric always doing things for her and letting her have her way out of pity/guilty almost makes me dislike her And by the end of the quest, I was curious; is this quest available to people who don't romance him? And if so, how does it play out?
TLDR--The Flamekeeper continues to run circles around everyone, and Bardric's quest felt more apt for Cato or Talyn, as well as his viewpoint/mentality feeling rather inconsistent with where I think he should be at this point.
15.4--MC saying they can't figure out the Flamekeeper's motives should definitely be a moment to put things in perspective; they're youths dealing with a magical terrorist. They're WAY out of their depths. Obviously the staff hasn't proved fully trustworthy, so they're screwed either way. And Bardric's "I should've been there" was probably meant to be supportive, but it reads to my like him making our trauma about him, as well as undermining the phrase "team effort" by singling himself out. And since I'm not a Bardric stan as much, him saying he should never leave us alone sounds more threatening. When discussing the Flamekeeper's change in attitude, it hit me again that our affinities don't create much diversity in our dialogue choices when they should. This is the time for analysis and detail, diverging routes and options given to you based on your affinity. But we don't. And again, Bardric makes things about him and I'm glad we point out how recognizable he is. I also think Bardric's not taking this seriously--at least not as much as everyone else. It feels more like an ego trip/wanting to prove himself out of his family's shadow, and it's grating. The Felicis Trial is the hardest one? Then why hasn't MC heard about this until the day before? Wouldn't this be a huge discussion in class and social circles? And HA! Bardric should feel stupid for downing it. Back to the Wilderlands for the Final, after the "this could shut down the school" incident with Soren at Midterms? Shouldn't things be restructured in response to this? Even if not everyone knows the Flamekeeper is dead, Windworm, Nightrun, and Littlestone do at the very least. I'd also think there'd be A LOT of importance on written portions of the exams since theory is just as important as physical results. Even the military have written tests. Concerning Talyn: "You'd never know how much we've been through together"? I'm not even sure if I know; the pacing and writing for Talyn (and everyone and everything else) make it hard to keep things straight on where I stand with him. Also, Talyn said we know how the flying mats thing works. Did we do this before in the main quest, or was this an ally quest thing? Or is this just one of "the characters know, but not the player" things? Doing the swiping thing makes me wish the combat and gameplay was more challenging, ie having individual stats with agility, physical strength, etc. And when did we tell Talyn about the Flamekeeper? It seems like we just told the others before coming into the arena, and this just happened last night. I also jumped when the narration mentioned the CotF, since their status hasn't come with consequences in a LONG time. And it's like the writers see my posts, because right when MC walks over to Cassian and Lomar, Lomar mentions people getting the wrong idea with CotFs hanging out. Um, MC noticed people's opinion of them changing after Bre was outed as the Flamekeeper. But yet they point out people still judging them? Which is it? And I do wish we could've chosen how to address the issue, since MC says they may as well just do what they want. Neat learning about Lomar's village where everyone is largely built, and I really wish we learned more about various cultures and aspects of the world. And why did we need Bardric to train us when Talyn was literally RIGHT THERE? Him being older than us and pretty much a legend means that he should've been the one training us. I'm gonna assume it's because this scene ends with him asking to meet in Lastport, but my point still stands.
Talyn's new quest has me asking how often students go to Lastport. Is this related to the end of the main quest? Neat, but there's a disparity: Talyn invites MC and says he needs to tell them something, but this ally quest has MC say they brought Talyn along and he only came for ink. For an intense school, it seems like the rules of staying on campus are pretty lax. Also curious how tattooing is different in this world. Also curious as to why Talyn would have a grown man with a grudge against him. If it's CotF related, maybe, but otherwise he was kept away until coming to Elderwood as far as I know. He shouldn't have any time to have built grudges. Also wondering why Talyn is so quick to jump on the aggressive--I mean yeah, it's the school training, but I'd think someone of his maturity and with a protective role would be more tactful with situations, especially deescalation. Devdan being the BFF of Talyn's dad is REALLY cool--but not as much as it should be. We Talyn's father was only seen and mentioned once: seen during a dream sequence where we see Dreadbane recruiting him, and mentioned when Talyn says he never knew his father. As such, Talyn's heritage isn't a heavily discussed topic, despite being important for his status as a CotF and being a friend/protector/possible lover of MC. At least with MC I feel like we could've built this up more with Talyn saying what he'd heard about his father and expressing some desire to find out more about him. Cool note about Savola having a small amount of arcanes, though I do question why Devdan didn't seek out Talyn given that his father died and was mistreated in his youth. Given he wasn't a romantic but led a rather promiscuous life, it'd seem that he'd almost see Talyn as a son he never got to raise. Also wanna know about the gods everyone mentions!
Again, we seem to be allowed to go to Lastport fairly often. And I call BS on a couple things: the idea that we didn't talk to Talyn about the situation between the day they met Devdan and the next day, Talyn wanting to know more about his dad when it was only mentioned once before and never again, and Talyn saying he doesn't get excited because he doesn't wanna be disappointed...even though he seems sure he can get into the Restorers despite his CotF status. And it'd be nice to learn more about Savola, and Talyn saying he's read about it means MC probably has too. Also curious why Talyn didn't try to seek out other Savolans, especially since Elderwood and Lastport seem to invite a variety of people. Also a side note: I've mentioned it before, but I do wish we had more autonomy over our characterization as the "kid who always gets into trouble" as the leads of many YA stories do; I wanna be cool and collected, a sophisticated person. I bought the clothes and everything! Talyn's uncle figure is a pirate, and IDK why there were no expressed reservations about boarding with him, even if Talyn wanted to learn more about his culture. And when Talyn and MC use hide, it does make me wonder: shouldn't there be HEAVY restrictions on arcanes to make sure they're monitored and controlled? It goes back to how lax (or ignorant) Elderwood is to the constant Lastport trips the students go on. And NO! We're not gonna gloss over the fact that Devdan said Talyn's dad sometimes made unwarranted kills. Obviously it was for his job, but Devdan quickly changes the subject to him being an idealist, a loyal friend, and a man of passion. And Devdan's offer to Talyn is one of those "it'd be more emotional if it was set up better" moments; aside from knowing Talyn won't leave given his role to protect the CotFs and getting revenge on the Flamekeeper, he's been rather underutilized at this point in appearances and inclusive allies in the main quest, so the idea of losing him isn't as heartbreaking as it should be. Plus, uh, quitting school AND being a CotF? He'd be scrutinized so quickly and possibly demonized, especially working with a pirate.
A few days later with no communication. Nothing is gained, especially when they share a house and have some type of romantic connection (at least in my case). And not to be THAT guy, but...Devdan was arrested for contraband. I get that Talyn thinks he'll die, but the thing about piracy is that it's illegal. Why are we acting like he's an innocent man? Honestly I'm surprised the crew believed MC so quickly, too. And Talyn went in with NO DISGUISE?! He's gonna come back to Lastport, and he still wants to join the Restorers, so this is beyond idiotic. He'll be recognized and barred from joining, if not imprisoned and killed--or at least, that's what I'd expect to happen. Also, side gripe; why did Devdan say "in my youth"? He's barely 40. Yeah, Talyn deciding to stay isn't a surprise, but as usual it's poorly paced; he says he wants to go, he goes to rescue Devdan, and then suddenly he inexplicably changes his mind. What a heart-stopping plot. And we rushed things AGAIN. Talyn calls us his homeland (IDK what he says if you're friends) and that he'll follow us wherever. This is A LOT after just one school year, especially when he hasn't spent a whole bunch of time with us lately. So it seems Talyn doesn't have strict principles; he'll throw away his future to see his homeland, and he'll throw THAT away for MC. It's supposed to be romantic, but I want a guy with goals besides "whatever wherever with you."
TLDR: Bardric loves to make things about himself, the Hottie Squad is out of their depth with the Flamekeeper, the exam-Finals pipeline is insane, and Bardric didn't need to be the ally for this main quest. The ally quest offered no major insight into Savolan culture and the "will Talyn stay or go?" plot was worse than I thought--and we never bring up ethics when his dad's childhood friend is doing illegal business, despite the CotFs trying to prove they're not questionable like their parents. Talyn doesn't care about being a Restorer THAT bad, it seems.
15.5--So Talyn inviting MC to Lasport was leading to his ally quest. Kinda awkward and confusing if you don't play it, but I do hope we have more connections between them in the future (and acknowledgement depending on whether or not you played it). FINALLY, back to "select multiple allies you want." Shame it's reserved for exams. I will admit, someone did mention it's kinda weird that upperclassmen can help you with these. I wish they'd explain why Talyn was allowed to help, or how he COULD, since his skillset gives an edge AND the fact that he has his own missions to attend to that he could be too fatigued to do properly. Also, question: Talyn says "Slatewater always does a physical test." Does this mean it's optional? All of the other ones have been physical, and it hasn't been mentioned before, IIRC. And refresh my memory, but HOW do these obstacle courses correlate to the emotions associated with their individual affinities? I know it's exercise-first, but I do think things related to love, happiness, fear, sadness, etc should be factors. My first attempt at mental gymnastics here was that since it's a team exercise, it's related to joy? But then Slatewater says you're scored based on the first member of your team who reaches the finish line...so it's not really about teamwork per se; you just have to be in for yourself and you'll benefit your team, too. Still very confused about house rankings since ours hasn't been disclosed and we aren't even told who the other houses are. And suddenly being a Dreadbane is a big deal? Like I said last scene, this hasn't been relevant for most of the school for a long time now, and it seems weird that Talyn is surprised by the idea that one of the professors may be testing MC, asking why he joined. Did we really forget Zaratis? He could've at least said that was WHY he joined, so he could protect MC. And assuming Cato was serious about backing out, WHY is everyone suddenly scared about this? If it's Midterm-related jitters, it should've been explored earlier, considering that we had two post-Midterm Trials before this. And they've probably been shown before, but what's a Felician? Shouldn't this have been something the class explained rather than Slatewater's familiar? And MC's "I'm gonna try to be happy" is more of a statement for the end of the year (assuming it's not a cliffhanger); considering all we have going on right now that takes priority, taking it easy feels inappropriate. Also, Cato asks if we're coming to the party; where else would we be?
TLDR: The Trials don't seemed connected to the emotions the affinities are derived from, I wonder if the physical parts of exams are at the professor's discretion, house rankings continue to befuddle me, Talyn and Cato showing hesitancy at the Trial is super weird, and MC decided to take a break from all the drama at the wrong time.
15.6--Niel says it's worth celebrating that we survived the first Trials of each affinity (my dumb self thought these were the only Trials we'd have to do at school). I know the school has a kill count, but isn't that related to missions or being in the Wilderlands? Was it ever stated that you could die in the Trials? It's hard for me to imagine she's speaking figuratively in a situation like this. And if you choose to toast to survival, you mention living to fight another day. I question this; are we already set for fighting-exclusive careers? And while I appreciate Cato's questions about the Final, I don't understand why he'd think we'd focus on one affinity over the other for it. And Talyn mentioning Windworm having to put something together in lieu of Zaratis' death, this makes me wonder: who's been filling in for him? The narrative says we still have classes, but a substitute is never brought up. And I'm growing more annoyed at the Finals with each scene. Isn't dealing with the Flamekeeper and surviving multiple attempts at terrorism enough to consider a pass? Windworm knows this, too! I would've asked her for a perfect score if I'm gonna help her with the investigation, seeing that she needs us more than we need her. And when choosing Talyn as my ally, he mentions MC blackmailing him into training. When was this? And then Iridessa casually mentions a Dawnslight Gala out of nowhere. Why didn't we hear about it before? I hate it when they do that. And Bardric's dialogue is not only awkwardly explaining it (as if the narrator was speaking through him), but kinda confusing. A national holiday celebrated in ballrooms across the continent? Isn't national stuff only celebrated in each country? And why is a holiday called a gala like it's an event? And then Niel talks about a festival next week. And none of it means anything; we just chat a bit. We don't get to mingle or engage in the event much, just like at Veilfall (we just did our booth and Stel's). We don't even get any sexy time; we're interrupted again. And isn't it kinda dumb for the Flamekeeper to leave us a note? Isn't there a way to check their handwriting or something? No "Jinkies! A clue" moment?
TLDR--This was supposed to be a house party, but we just talked for a minute and did a toast. I still don't feel invested in the world. Plus any tinimacy we get are crumbs, and we're thrown a couple more events our way that were never mentioned before and probably won't be anything worthwhile.
While this chapter was filled with events that should feel impactful or emotional, it was once again, disappointing due to improper pacing and poor writing. Running on empty here. Only a few chapters left.
From the top, it's worth noting this chapter has the LIs giving MC a special skill to unlock in their quests for the sake of helping them in their finals, regardless of who's on your team. So rather than having a unique narrative to choose education over investigation or just pay for the spells themselves, they're locked behind ally quests. NOT a fan of that, since it undermines the whole educational aspect of the game.
16.1--Like I've said, I know the Flamekeeper publicly was caught, but Windworm KNOWS Bre wasn't the Flamekeeper. You'd think she'd have prevented people from going to the Brincicle Festival in Lastport out of safety concerns. Heck, that should've been the case when the Flamekeeper was still active anyway, with the reasoning now just being slowly getting back to normal. Or at least make the teachers go to supervise, since at least some of them know the Flamekeeper is still at large. Also wanna say it's weird that Cato is just now explaining what the festival is originally for. Feels like they could've mentioned that when it was first brought up. And FINALLY, some Flatcher-Stel-Mor interactions. It's easy to forget Flatcher and Stel are siblings. Also neat lore drop that Mor's family is richer than theirs; I thought they ran in the same circles. Seeing how elitist Mor is, I'm surprised she doesn't talk worse to Stel. I will say it's odd that all of a sudden there's friction, seeing how Mor talks trash all the time and isn't always a positive influence even around Stel. And WHAT?! Flatcher's apology was just the other day? It is extremely difficult to keep up with the time passing in this series, especially since the ally quests don't blend into it. IRL, Flatcher's apology was a month ago--over 5 chapters ago. It's weird that his change of heart is only being brought up now despite appearing in several chapters and ally quests since then. Not to mention the set-up is kinda weird, like Flatcher's development was about falling in with the wrong crowd or not being able to stand up for himself, when the focus of his apology was the fact that he was standing by what he thought was justice/protection. If he had an issue with the other aspects, this would make Bardric look like a bad friend for not seeing the signs with him and Soren (even if Flatcher is responsible for his own choices, since Bardric spoke about how he supposedly always protects Flatcher), and Soren's death probably wouldn't do anything for that, seeing how neither Flatcher nor MC defeated him. And Leona saying she was surprised Flatcher knew how to apologize is weird since I only recall them interacting (ally-divergent routes not included) ONCE, when he asked if he could sit with her. It felt like an excuse to make Bardric look good by sticking up for him. And NO, Talyn. Don't interject when more can be said about this, both for Flatcher's actions AND Bardric's. And don't get me wrong, I love having the Hottie Squad all in for this, but we don't get to bring any of them along. Iridessa has the nerve to ask if it's safe. What do you think? And they mentioned an ultimatum from Windworm. What ultimatum was that? If they mean her saying MC needed to work together or the school would be overtaken by someone more in line with Bardric's dad (a change from the original script when I played), IDK if that's really an ultimatum since that's out of her hands. But it's crazy to me that Talyn is fine with MC going alone. Did you forget your job was to be a protector, or that one of the people you were supposed to protect died, or that YOU JUST CHOSE ME OVER YOUR HOMELAND? You should be sticking to me like a second pair of pants right now. And Cato, stop gassing MC up; their plan to try and get over on the Flamekeeper is not sound. And when you go to the Lore Booth, Iridessa says not to tell Cato he has a way with storytelling? Why? Is she worried he'll talk too much? If that's an issue, how does she like his storytelling? And Cato said the festival was about changing of the seasons, but Iridessa clarified that it was a welcoming for the fisherman who returned for the return of the seasons. I know both can be true, but I do wish Cato had just said that. And Bardric and Talyn having a rivalry even when we have bigger priorities feels representative of the character development of all the main characters: no one's moved an inch, as evident by main quests, anyway.
Also confused about MC's shock at the apples being salty and Bardric saying they're salted caramel. IDK why, but wouldn't you taste the sweetness, too? Cato mentioning him and Niel's hometowns makes me wish we knew more about them, seeing how it helps with the ever-elusive worldbuilding. And did we enjoy the festival? The booths were rather quick.
Interesting to see the first skill test and first time-related one, needing to play it before 17.4 At least it's cheap. Funny start to this being that Talyn mentions using magic without a spellblade and everyone kinda forgot about it after a bit. Weird that Talyn never mentioned Savolans using magic with their hands before (I know the writers just wrote it in), but that seems like he could've been doing it long before MC did. And AGAIN, what blackmail is he talking about? I've been wracking my brain about it. Are they talking about the earlier quests of when MC followed him into the Wilderlands to find the hybrid shade? Did MC blackmail them? If so, it feels like an icky thing to be joking about since they're friends--especially since they've done it twice in recent memory. Also main character syndrome with us being able to perform a skill on the first try. Why does no one mention the difficulty of casting spells different from your affinity? This really annoys me.
TLDR--The school should do a better job at protecting students, how time flows in the game is confusing to me, kinda confused on what they're trying to do with Flatcher and why Bardric doesn't get called out for his poor first impression while Leona called out Flatcher, MC's plan sucks as always, the booths were underwhelming, and Talyn's skill quest was short and sweet but confusing with lore.
16.2--While the romance with an ally of your choice is cute, it'd be A LOT more useful if they were also with you for your task with the Flamekeeper, or at least were on lookout. Weird none of the allies mentioned following you; it's just "I'm gonna make this work out on my own" and everyone else is pretty much like "Sounds like a plan!" And Talyn (the ally I chose this chapter) saying all MC does is investigate and help others feels kinda funny in an ironic sense, since that not only further undermines their actual schooling, but the fact that most of the people they're helping are just the people in the Hottie Squad. I wish Talyn had elaborated when he said that MC's tasks were misguided at times. It makes sense he'd think this way; aside from his personal connection to them, he's also supposed to be their protector and an older student, so he should be pushing them more towards studying and acclimating themselves to the world around them. And WHAT?! What does he mean, "we had differing opinions on Bre"? You mean when we had to investigate her and you refused to believe she was involved in anything? Also weird how he brings up it being good that they're different when they have more similarities than anything due to their backgrounds. And please stop saying that we're prepared whenever a plan to catch the Flamekeeper arises. You're not. You literally just refused to go over the plan again if you say you're nervous. I know EVENTUALLY we're gonna beat them, but I'd hope we'd be smarter. And more irony of getting to choose to study after the ordeal is over and saying it taught you to be stronger, since the school aspect of this is the furthest from the writers' mind. But Talyn saying he didn't expect us to be doing well was actually annoying, since we don't get much opportunities to fail; our gameplay is mainly following prompts, with the characters' exam being on the application side over the textbook side. And did we really just fade to black on our makeout session? Not to mention, why did Talyn not decide to join MC and Niel for a drink? Safety in numbers, especially right now.
WTF is this "a serious painting of a very serious young man doing something very seriously" start to Cato's skill quest? That was very cringe to me, and the worst way to convey that Cato was being contemplative. "Memorable protagonist"? HA! No, but this skill quest is actually interesting in concept, and should've been an ally quest for Cato instead of the pyropath; it makes a lot more sense for the smart guy to be studying and trying to do advanced magic over "I struggle to feel anger for this competition." That said, sensing someone's emotions seems like it should either be Erolis-derived or not aligned with any affinity in particular. Cato's grandmother's explanation with "ignorance is bliss, knowing is sadness" is BS, and I'm glad MC could disagree. Really weird how Cato (and the writers) try to finagle this into a "empathy is sadness" reduction. And sense emotion? That's a huge cheat code! If learning this doesn't play a role into the rest of the series, it makes MC look hugely incompetent for not trying to use it. And no, this doesn't seem similar at all to Talyn's fire punch. With the Dasek/Jilla reveal (assuming this wasn't already shown before), I really wish we got to see more character relationships, be they platonic, sexual, or romantic, rather than just in random moments that are isolated and not brought up again. Plus MC masters things on the first time again!
TLDR--The main quest was largely filler, with no further development for the MC, their love interest, or even their relationship, and while Cato's quest was a lot better than his last ally quest arc, the explanation for why the new skill (which is potentially OP) was Ikaris-related and MC's mastering of it were very dissatisfying.
16.3--Mara randomly popping up continues to fail to elicit an emotional reaction from me, especially since MC knows she works here and we've been to Lastport before. Weirdly, the narration says "you didn't dare hope to see her again." Why is that? You've been to the tavern before, and even if she wasn't working there, it's never mentioned that you're thinking of her. And I get why MC feels guilty for injuring her, but it was an accident and Mara jumped right to prejudice like accidents don't happen. Why are we acting like she's the only victim here? And Mara being fired could've been the last straw rather than the attack itself, tbh, or the rumors she heard about MC afterwards. And why was Lastport the last resort, especially seeing how it's close to the school? I have to laugh at the rumors of MC being a Flamekeeper since that's old news; supposedly everyone is nice to us now that Bre took the fall (though being a CotF still supposedly carries some stigma). And for 16 chapters and almost a whole school year since being scarred, Mara's taking what we have to say rather well. Like our allies, it's rather easy to persuade her. It would've been nice to do over gradual conversations--even though I maintain that we shouldn't be that torn up about it, especially seeing how quick she was to turn on you from an accident and stereotype you.
It's HILARIOUS to me that the game speedruns the education section of being at a magical school, but both Niel and Cato learned their skills from reading books (and not even ones from class). Also question how Niel's father has a flair for the dramatic for a skill that is the embodiment of secrecy and subtlety. And what do you mean he thought there wasn't much use for it? MC can point out how useful it is for thieves, and Niel acts so shocked that that was the first thing they thought of. And again, perfect first attempt. And to clarify: is Niel saying her father came up with these spells himself? Seeing how she said she's never heard of them anywhere else and calls it his secret forbidden magic, that seems to be the case. He seems like he'd be rather powerful, especially against a Dreadbane. Again, it's crazy how these ultra-powerful spells are things the allies just happen to stumble upon. And I take annoyance at Niel's implication that she doesn't plan on sharing these spells with the rest of the Hottie Squad. Logically, why wouldn't we all be teaching each other?
TLDR--Mara's "forgiveness" is underwhelming due to pacing issues and execution, while Niel's skill quest is another OP skill that probably isn't gonna get the usage that it's warranted (and IDK why she only wants to share it with MC).
16.4--Considering you and your friends all go to the Last Pour at the beginning of the scene, it felt unnecessary for the last scene to have been Niel-specific, or for you to have not arrived there with your friends originally. And tbf, smuggling a particular item onto campus SHOULDN'T sound "easy enough," but seeing how you get away with so much, I can see why MC thinks it does. And I find it annoying that Bardric is only JUST NOW raising objection to MC going in alone--though MC's assumption that the Flamekeeper not giving other chances is pretty funny, seeing how they tried to trick the Flamekeeper before, failed, and still got another chance. And wait, if all MC needs is a password, couldn't anyone have procured the item for them? And why is the dealer cool with MC just not knowing the second part of the password? I know we try to procure his trust afterwards, but seems a bit odd. And Elderwood is "gettin' too hot"? Has no one heard that everyone at Elderwood thinks the threat has been neutralized and the Enforcers left? And the hint at the Flamekeeper's origins is kind of annoying, since ever since the Flamekeeper threat has existed, we're supposed to be investigating and finding out clues, but we haven't really learned anything to piece together an identity.
For Bardric's skill quest, his "don't you trust me?" is ironic considering his behavior before. This could've been a seen of insecurity or guilt as he thinks back on his poor behavior, but it's brushed past very quickly. TBH, he and Leona are probably the least trustworthy on the team (but Leona's is moreso due to her adventurous wildcard nature). Also bizarre that Bardric says not to make it weird if you feel good and you've romanced him. Bardric casually mentioning his dad wasn't always twisted sounds SUPER important, since he defeated Dreadbane BEFORE everyone was born, so I'm curious to see how he softened, especially with Bardric's own ally quests making it sound like he was never good, not even on his younger nameday. Also cool to learn he joined the military as a healer; wish we knew more about the professions. And I do appreciate Razik also being a nuanced character rather than just a plain antagonistic force. But also: this is SUPER important. It'd explain Bardric's hatred for MC and why everyone else does too, since the most respected man in the realm was broken by their father. Also I continue to call out BS on the "Erolis means you have a great love inside of you" since Bardric's patriotism is only occasionally mentioned and doesn't feel like the right love to focus on vs his sister and Flatcher instead, as well as Razik's love not really being shown at all until now. And PAUSE. What's the difference between ease pain and soothe? Why not learn or use soothe instead, especially since my MC is an Erolis anyway? Again, we do magic without the spellblade. Why isn't this a major plot point as well?
TLDR--We gleaned no significant info from our mission, or any justification for why we couldn't bring an ally. And Bardric's skill quest felt like it should've been a part of the main story (or AT LEAST his ally quests).
16.5--I don't understand why Leona is required here. I was at the tavern with everyone. I also don't understand why the Flamekeeper would've told the dealer anything about their origins. And the whole "confused civilians block your way" is bizarre to me. While the worldbuilding hasn't been great, I'd think that a magical realm where a random cloaked person pushes through a crowd shortly after the nearby school had incidents of terrorism doesn't make people think "hey, grab him." The Flamekeeper telling us to back off not only feels rather bland for the main antagonist, but it also kinda reminds me of Bardric, lol. And did we really just make a full circle? How did the Flamekeeper get here in the first place? And WHY should I care about Mara? We've only seen her twice since her injury (three if you count now), and it's all about us apologizing and feeling bad when she's the one who succumbed to rumors about us and threw our friendship aside due to an accident. We're not even shown times when we were friends, so the emotional turmoil isn't there. And Mara saying "I stayed behind when everyone ran out because it seemed like something you'd do" sounds odd to me; apparently everyone in the tavern knew who was dangerous (in contrast to people outside), and Mara seems to think MC is heroic but still avoided them all this time? And the Flamekeeper reveal is also frustrating; Yvain hasn't really been a present character; he's just been in and out without really interacting with us, despite being someone who supposedly wanted us to join him. The lack of characterization is jarring. I'm still suspicious if we actually caught the Flamekeeper.
I didn't get Iridessa's skill quest. Do I have to be caught up with her ally quests to get it? I get it narratively, but not gameplay-wise. Does this mean the spells we've learned thus far aren't going to be as useful for the final? I guess that explains why they're free to learn, but a head's up would've been nice.
TLDR--The Leona-only requirement for this quest made no sense, nor does the Flamekeeper reveal, and Iridessa's skill quest is locked to me.
16.6--We've apparently caught the Flamekeeper...and no mention of extra credit or promises of job recommendation letters in sight. I continue to laugh at the "Enforcers are supposed to be intimidating" thing when I think about the sleeping pods. And I am kind of annoyed when picking "who was Yvain really" since MC kinda makes it sound like they knew him when they barely interacted with him, and Windworm commenting on him putting on an act, while the obvious answer, only further highlights this. And why would Flamekeepers seek to breach Elderwood for a long time? I know it was made in response to Andros Dreadbane's actions, but it's less than two decades old, and the professors aren't fully competent. Not to mention a significant fraction of the student body dies yearly. How is this school so notorious already? Even moreso, how did it take this long to breach it? They made it seem kinda easy, causing damage by Midterms alone. And um, gonna bring this up again: WHY aren't CotFs in hot water? Yvain said he's a CotF, and both he and Bre were Flamekeepers. How is this not making the Enforcers and the Order more suspicious of CotFs? This should've been just as bad as Soren's death being made public. And I'm honestly surprised the students don't question things more; while Yvain being expelled due to losing control a lot SOUNDS plausible, you'd think people would still be on edge and analyzing things after Bre's arrest and death. How big are the students' rooms to the point where MC and their 6 LIs can be in Niel's at once and it's not super crowded--and how did no one get suspicious with several students (including three boys, a possibly male MC, and an upperclassman) going into her room at once? And I must laugh again, because HUH?! Why is "we did this together" a dialogue option. The ONLY reason we caught the Flamekeeper was because of the deal we did alone, and we caught them alone. If you chose Leona to help you, I could see her getting credit, but everyone else? None of them helped take the Flamekeeper down. And I need more insight into Iridessa's background, which I'm sure is exclusive to ally quests, because she has one of 9 expensive bottles of wine saved for a special occasion. Bardric even says it's expensive, which only further makes me feel like he's part of the upperclass since he was the one to comment on it. Is it safe to use a spellblade to pop a cork? Also doesn't sound smart to have some wine around a bunch of candles, or a bunch of arcanes drinking well into the night. Honestly the ending of the chapter feels like it could've ended the school year, seeing how there was no cliffhanger.
No Iridessa skill quest for me, either. I'm not spending a lot of diamonds to catch up and THEN get what I really need.
TLDR--We're not rewarded for catching Yvain, and IDK how him being a CotF doesn't blow up in the other's faces or how we can have a (kind of unsafe) party in Niel's room with no one's knowledge.
At this point, the school year is almost over, and we should be at a point where we're seeing payoffs and satisfying arc conclusions and twists--but we're not. The pacing is too fast and the writing didn't set the groundwork for important moments to feel enriching.
17.1--Why has it been so long since we've had a dream about our father or anyone from his group? The Flamekeeper was doing work in line with Andros, and yet we haven't seen him since Veilfall. Also just gonna point out: these flashbacks are NOT immersive at all. I get that it's probably a budget thing with the art, but I don't feel like I'm in a substantive flashback when it's just the regular Dreamscape. And I don't understand using the "he was actually fighting the good fight" angle when neither Yvain nor Bre have brought this up when doing their dirty work. Of course, then Dreadbane pulls a rather heinous act and makes me wonder what the dreams are trying to tell us at all. "I decide what is forbidden" sounds REALLY bad when you're leading a rebellion. And the idea that the Order doesn't know about his ability to manipulate emotions--which would definitely explain why MC got his allies to fall in line quickly, lol--sounds really dumb. It sounds like something Dreadbane would try as a last resort, and I don't see why they wouldn't want to scare the public with that information. The fear of other people wanting to try it would probably be low, since it's probably difficult to do and you'd be caught immediately. And Windworm having the nerve to remind us that the Dawnslight Gala is a "capstone celebration for surviving the term" is just...ew? We have a house party after every exam to celebrate passing, but now we have a "hey, you survived" party? It's like winning the Hunger Games--yet Soren's death is the one that would've screwed things up. IDK why the school doesn't strive for a higher survival rate, ESPECIALLY since the gala's origins are about celebrating the end of Dreadbane's tyranny. And I don't think it's fair for MC not to have the option to say if it's their favorite holiday. I find it interesting that Bardric's father has a ruthless reputation, but Bardric insists he adheres to law and order; shouldn't that mean anyone to looks up to him and is anti-Dreadbane does, too? If he was crooked or something, that'd be a different matter. And why would MC say they couldn't make promises not to kill him? That's such a stupid thing to say. Bardric's relationship with his dad is so confusing; he mentioned his dad used to be nice and caring, yet apparently that changed in his youth. I'm surprised he doesn't have any hope for his father showing him attention or affection, just giving a "Glad you didn't die." I think he'd have more pride for that. And it seems Bardric's skill quest isn't canon, because MC says he has only ever painted a negative image of his father--which Bardric denies, so there's that. I will say I question how MC can even be judgemental; how would they even know what love is, when they've been sheltered and treated like a disease all their life? How would they possibly have a sense of morality besides the teachings pushed upon them? And MC continues with being OP because Bardric says they changed what he thinks love is. IDK how, seeing how he treated MC for a long time up to now. And this is another annoying situation where Talyn should've been the required ally here, or even Cato--but not Bardric. Discussing the dream about your dad using lost/outlawed magic doesn't seem like something to bring up to Bardric. And HA! The achievement says we had a heart-to-heart about our fathers...but we didn't. I chose to keep my dream to myself, and no other dialogue mentioned Andros, so that felt glitch-y. And this "talking about your dads" thing is another reason Talyn should've been chosen.
TLDR--Our first dad dream in 4 chapters (I'll count Veilfall) makes it confusing on how we're supposed to view him--is he good like the dreams originally hinted at, or evil like everyone's been saying?--the Dawnslight Gala continues to show that the school had messed up priorities, Arkland's negative impression on MC via Bardric seems to ignore his skill quest, and this heart-to-heart moment should've been something MC had with Talyn.
17.2--Yes Niel, I CONSTANTLY think about the messed-up school less than 20 years old having a structure that brushes past the high mortality rate. Why didn't we get the choice to respond, and why does everyone suddenly care about it NOW? Bodies were being brought in when we first got here. Leona's comments make me like her even less, and I would've never known we aren't usually seated by house in the Great Hall since we mainly just sit with our allies anyway. And for a house leader, Rhiannon has been SUPER absent lately. Unless she's a Flamekeeper, she seems just as irresponsible as Talyn. Cato being stunned at shushing Bardric is kinda weird since we barely see them interact, and it'd be interesting to see him feel starstruck or afraid of him. What is Rhiannon talking about? Our ranks have been affected by our exams, but she says she refuses to be last place. Why's she acting like it isn't public knowledge how well all of the teams perform? And we AREN'T the laughingstock of Elderwood; I don't even know what the other houses are called. No one's made fun of us for our house ranking; it was more hatred for MC's identity, and even that has simmered down. And what does Rhiannon mean "your best is what got you here" as if that's bad? Does she mean the house? We were sorted into it before we proved ourselves. If she means to our current status...we don't even know what our ranking is, so she has no reason to be hostile. And Windworm needs to resign; she decides the final for everyone (INCLUDING underclassmen) is to reclaim a fort where even she doesn't know what's awaiting you? There's "expect the unexpected" and "your superior is sending you in to die." It feels even more obvious that they wanna thin the herd. Not to mention she's literally sending us to do A JOB; this is something that'll be used as a base for future missions, which is something the skilled arcanes should be in charge of. Windworm mourning us before we even start is INSANE. Can we drop out? What's our final grade if we opt out of doing this? And IDK why MC hasn't heard of one of the oldest forts on the continent despite having a term's worth of education; you'd think something the Order used for the Massacre would be something you'd learn immediately. I'm still stuck on the fact that this is something being thrown at us the day of the Final; that's another tack against us. And again, why is everyone having thoughts they should've had earlier, in this case Iridessa and Niel mourning us not being able to go as a group. And Talyn being sentimental doesn't fit since he hasn't made significant progress as a character--just like everyone else. The "special moves/boost from being close with everyone" dialogue was SO heavy-handed, and I'm curious if the allies are teaching each-other, or just MC. Wouldn't really make sense if it was just us.
TLDR--We're screwed, as always!
17.3--It continues to bother me that upperclassmen and underclassmen have the same final/midterms. It isn't fair or safe for the less-experienced students to do the work of more experienced students. It'd be one thing if the more experienced students were essentially coaches or practicing leadership in some form for us, but they're not; Talyn being on our team is akin to anyone else, rather than giving us an advantage. He even says he's worried about himself since very few arcanes can keep up with him. I put Talyn and Cato on my team, and I am annoyed that the scene starts with us immediately split into groups in the Wilderlands rather than us forming a team and departing; it's the details I enjoy, including an explanation on where everyone gets armor (and why mine protects me more than Talyn and Cato's). And lemme get this straight: we only learn a healing spell via a skill quest, we only HEAR about another healing spell in an ally quest, and we don't even know what a healing potion is? I'll say it again: THE SCHOOL WANTS US TO DIE. I can't imagine why there would be such thing as an "intermediate healing potion"; having levels to a healing potion makes no sense since recovery shouldn't be hidden behind grade levels--at least if "intermediate" refers to the school's classification system over the amount of healing it does; it might be the later based on what Cato says, but it doesn't sound like natural dialogue, more like a video game label for a healing potion. Cato's "I have my ways" for how he got the intermediate healing potion feels very lazy writing, since he isn't a secretive character and we SHOULD be close to him by now. Also, main character syndrome again by having Cato acquire it via mysterious means and hand it to MC, who didn't even know what is was until now. And now that I think about it, why is Fort Garland going to become our base if we reclaim it? It's literally falling apart. Talyn's confirmation that a lot of students will die today makes me super curious what the world's arcane statistics are for them to afford to pull crazy stunts like this EVERY YEAR. How big is our class? How big is Talyn's? And how are we even graded on this? By just surviving? It seems that "reclaim the fort" is a group effort that's measure of success is unexplained, making it impossible to know how we're graded. Crazy that the narrative makes us perform slow time instead of it being an option for us, but if the goal is just to survive, I guess we don't need to worry about being right or wrong with our choices.
TLDR--The school wants everyone dead with no parameters of what a passing grade looks like. Can't say I hate the Flamekeeper--but how do other magic schools do their exams?
17.4--Why are we just now being told the team's objective? And how was that decided? And "secure the main hall" has terrible implications; as long as we take care of that area, we can tell everyone else to fend for themselves? While it sounds like a good divide and conquer idea, if we'll still get positive grades just for our area even if the fort isn't reclaimed, then this feels more competitive and manipulative than anything. I'm not gonna do extra work and risk my life if my grade is still gonna be great! And I'm so confused on what Cato's personality is supposed to be in dangerous situations; one minute he's cool and collected, the next he's freaked out, the next he's bold and determined. And why does everyone else seem to be in groups of two? Soren and Bardric were also a duo if you had Bardric on your team at the Midterms, but that was a contingency; everyone here seems to be a duo. Is MC and their two allies cheating? That can't be, since we got to choose our squad members and were given a specific assignment. So...why isn't anyone else in threes? I get it's a writing thing concerning dynamics, but in-universe it seems really dumb. And where's Flatcher, and why is no one else in armor besides MC and their allies? The games don't seem to process death substantially unless it's plot-relevant; seeing the other students dead or fatally injured, even if it's something they've seen before (which hasn't been mentioned much after meeting Talyn), I feel like it warrants more shock. Also, was it a glitch for Talyn to say MC needed work on their fire punch and MC says that their teacher needs more lessons? And we ARE confirming that the allies didn't teach each other their special skills. MC aurafarming wins again, it seems. And why is this one person alone in the main hall? Were they the last of their squad? Why wouldn't they wanna trail with another group? And did they ALSO have the task of securing the area? That doesn't really make a bunch of sense to give the same squads the same tasks--unless they're working together instead of competing, but this doesn't seem to be the case. The chapter ends with Dasek injured and Rhiannon captured. Again, if this is too much for the upperclassmen, why are underclassmen thrown into the same situation?
TLDR--How teams are formed and how the objectives are designed aren't well explained despite this being a HUGE deal for the MC and the player, MC seems already desensitized to death, the allies care about no one but MC when it comes to teaching skills it seems, and I once again question why upperclassmen and underclassmen are thrown into the same situations for the final.
17.5--Still questioning why Dasek (and others outside of MC and allies) don't have armor. If it was an art thing, they could've just given everyone else generic armor. There isn't a chance in the story for MC to get armor made, and any of the allies getting it done for MC makes them look terrible for the non-Hottie Squad friends they didn't help, or everyone else who wasn't an ally look stupid and ready to die, which I'm certain isn't the case (at least that last part). Also it's driving me insane that ease pain, soothe, or a spell equivalent hasn't been taught to anyone yet. Talyn immediately suspecting Bardric taught MC is surprising. Just because he's an Erolis doesn't mean someone else couldn't have taught him that since we can all do any affinity-related spells. Heck, Talyn should've been able to do this spell. And I HAD TO LAUGH. Talyn pretty much says rescuing Rhiannon isn't our problem, which answers my question; we're just getting graded for our portion of the fort being reclaimed, which means we can say "screw you" to literally everyone else. It is a little OOC though, considering Talyn's earlier quests about his trauma related to losing squadmates. But then he just agrees the moment MC says otherwise, so IDK where his head was at. They didn't exchange a glance and he didn't trail off, so I think he would've been fine letting Rhiannon die based on that statement. But I will say I don't know why the narration is saying "You can't just let Rhiannon die. No matter what it takes." Aside from odd phrasing (why not just say "you have to rescue Rhiannon, no matter what it takes"?), Rhiannon hasn't been a major character for us. At best, whenever she's here, she's mainly telling us to not screw up. I don't feel connected to her beyond the fiance conversation. I'm not saying we should let her die; I'm just saying not to make her sound like she's had such an impact on us. And I'm honestly surprised Cato isn't afraid about going to help Rhiannon, seeing how worried he was earlier about our own assignment. And again: WHERE ARE THE TEACHERS? Can't we get back up or some healers? This is literally life and death for a professional mission you're masquerading as a final exam. The way the shades work is kinda weird to me ("smothered with love"? If that's bad, it'd be cool to explain the dangers of being overwhelmed by the shades' emotions), but it's too late to question it now, right? Why did we have to warn Talyn about the walls? He heard Dasek's warning, and he should be the most alert of all of us. And Dasek couldn't have warned us that the WHOLE ROOM is a shade? How is that even possible? And how is it that two underclassmen and one upperclassmen (or three underclassmen, depending on who you chose as your allies) can defeat this thing, but two upperclassmen can't? Logically-speaking, they should be a lot more prepared and careful than us, especially seeing how MC and their friends managed to subdue it quickly.
TLDR--Not a fan of how the upperclassmen are treated as being on the same intellect, instinct, and skill level as the underclassmen (especially since it's been pointed out that it's only been a few months) or the lack of school support for these life-and-death situations. Elderwood is 100% to blame for student deaths.
17.6--IDK why MC would ask Rhiannon if they aced the Final after defeating the Erolian, since as she said, she doesn't control the grades, but we already did our assignment--and I doubt that was the last/only important shade to defeat, anyway. If it was, why was everyone involved in reclaiming the fort when it only took 4 people? And an evolved shade? The fact that we don't know what that is makes for more evidence that's the school didn't prepare us for anything. And if they didn't know it was here, that means they didn't care what we faced. And I'm just now realizing; we left an unconscious Dasek alone in the main hall. Even if we cleared it, other creatures could still show up and attack him, right? Feels like we should've grabbed one of other other allies once they finished their own task in order to watch him. Why is Talyn surprised (or is it frustrated?) at the fact that the Order tortured people? Considering his background, you'd think he'd have expected it. Also curious why Rhiannon bothered to call the Wilderlands by an older name--Heaven's Belt--since it doesn't really add anything to the lore or conversation at hand. It'd be one thing if that's just what they called it where she's from. And WHY "Heaven's Belt"? Was it once considered sacred or filled with valuable commodities before becoming dangerous? Still confused about how Fort Garland is officially secured; how does everyone communicate that their areas are secure, and how do they keep it from being overrun again? I imagine it takes a minute to move everyone and everything necessary in there. I'm curious why the Act of Restoration is something expected of the Third Years when they were still battling and being injured (and possibly killed) here. Again, seems like something someone in a senior position should do. And MC saying that whenever they go a day without being reminded of what their father did, they'll stop being so dutiful (if you thought about the next step being the restoration) is again weird, since it's been a minute since we've had a "your father was a monster and you'll never amount to anything" line. It would've been interesting if this was in reference to the dream MC had, but since no one points out the lack of hostility lately, it just sounds like it ignores current continuity. The nullefactum stuff seems like it'll be important; let's see before the term is over.
TLDR--We passed the Final and....that's about it. Didn't even need Iridessa or Leona's skill quests. Not a particularly interesting chapter to me, but perhaps the nullefactum and Order torture chambers will be relevant later.
17.7--Again, things like "you can't help but notice how many seats are empty" should have more impact. But along with a lack of educational content, the game hasn't felt like a school in terms of socialization. The world feels very small, so losing people doesn't feel important. Was that the goal? To show stakes but not the emotions tied to them? The writers could've just kept everyone alive by giving them a lower stakes Final, tapering it based on the education of each of them. I still can't believe third-years and first-years had the same assignment (granted, third-years also had to do Restoration, but still). Remind me again why restoring a dangerous fort for the Restorers was a job for students? I can't really think of a morally-sound/legal IRL allegory where students would be put in a dangerous situation for the adults' benefit. And we lost 97 PEOPLE? Yet Soren's death is the one that'd have people up in arms. This is insane that no one's trying to get the school shut down with their kids dying. You'd think the final would be easier considering the danger we faced before. What's our class size now? Seeing how arcanes aren't a dime-a-dozen, I'd say the only people left in our year should just be people with CGs. Niel wonders if that's a record, and I NEEDED Talyn to chime in on whether it was or not. And Bardric: don't talk to me. I get that his Erolis ties are patriotic, but the fact that he just immediately says "they died for Austerea" is insane because these were students, some of whom were probably ill-prepared first-years. The way the worldbuilding has been, they probably didn't even know what "honor" was--not to mention they probably trusted the school to know what they were doing, even with "you might not make it back" warnings.
And question: when Windworm says the professors finalized our grades, does that include classwork, AKA the stuff we're never seen doing? Or was it just our physical exams? Which houses are Iron, Diamond, Cedar, Opal, and Ash? Why bother mentioning it if the others aren't listed? And we could've gotten some more creative names, guys. Make everything a mineral/gemstone, if we gotta keep Onyx. And WHAT?! Onyx has never been first place? The school has existed for 20 years, and there's 9 houses, but one of them has never placed first for any term? If assignment to each house is random and not tied to any traits like lineage or skillset, then that sounds super unlikely. Someone calculate the probability of that for me. Interesting that of the several siblings Bardric has (one of whom is a prodigy) have never placed first. Were they also in Onyx, or just other houses that didn't place well? The Dawnslight Gala being seen as a break or reward for passing the final is, as I've said before, very macabre. Are we gonna kick it off with a remembrance for the almost 100 people we lost, at least? And Onyx is celebrating with no reference to anyone dying, so does that mean all the causalities were from other houses, or are we all just jaded to death and glossing over it? Not to mention, this celebration doesn't seem unique to other post-exam parties. We don't actually get to do anything but look around. Also confused why MC refers to the final as a Mission; I thought Missions were something else besides exams, thus why it'd be periodically mentioned that Talyn was on a Mission. Also curious why Dasek still looks injured. Couldn't one of the nurses have healed him? Or couldn't we have given him a potion after easing his pain? Dasek telling us to stick with him next term is interesting, but it does make me wish he was used more; the NPCs are rather underrated in contrast to the allies, not getting significant attention unless it's directly related to the plot. BTW, where is Flatcher? No mention of him from Bardric at least? We see the other NPCs during the fight, but not him? Still questioning why Onyx house was considered a joke when placement is supposedly random--and why Bardric would be put there in the first place if that was the case seeing how his dad likes to pull strings. And HOW DARE YOU, RHIANNON? What was all that bluster about "house rank helps you with job opportunities" if you're just gonna say "numbers aren't real." Now, if her speech was about life and death, that'd be one thing, but it's just pride (or love, according to my Erolis MC) about our hard work. Talyn giving MC a massage is neat, though I kinda imagine that character-wise, it'd be the other way around. Who taught him the techniques, anyway? BTW, I replayed this with Cato, and it's the same situation, same dialogue. And ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! All we get for "relax with a special someone" is a kiss?! And with the way the scenes (and now chapter) has been ending, it feels like we're actually done. I thought we'd have more going on than just wrapping up the turn. I'm guessing the Flamekeeper stuff or another issue is gonna pop up in the next chapter? Also my end of the chapter accomplishment popped up and I find it funny that only 25% of players didn't tell Bardric about our father's power. I doubt telling him does anything--just like I never faced any consequences for telling the Hottie Squad about Windworm swearing us to silence after Soren's death.
TLDR--So much death, but we partied the concerns away and got first place (unless you bombed). It's like things are just a checkmark for this game rather than feeling substantive. Also we get no interesting sexy or romance after the lackluster party.
As we race towards the end, I'm very annoyed; thanks to a purchase I made when I first started playing and watching ads to double my diamonds (and watching ads to get diamonds as time went on for rewards), I've racked up over 600+ diamonds. Such a waste...
18.1--"The best night sleep you've had in months"? Shouldn't MC still be concerned and confused about Yvain? Shouldn't they be mourning the 97 people who died for Fort Garland to be reclaimed? Leona saying she hadn't considered MC's feelings about the celebration of their father's rebellion being quashed means she's an inconsiderate friend--which pretty much works for me since I never chose her as an ally or did her ally quests, but from the POV we're SUPPOSED to have, this makes her look awful. Honestly I'd think the friend group should've either sheltered MC from it or hyped it up as a party rather than focusing on the origins (or you know, what we did less than 24 hours ago). MC saying they have no illusions of their father is prime irony considering their inconsistent dreams, and the morbid idea of celebrating the Final (and the open end of stopping the Flamekeeper) doesn't help. Cato wanting to be happy about surviving is the right spin, but since a lot of people didn't, it feels too soon to celebrate. I'm actually surprised Cato didn't wanna try to get involved in the musical aspects of Dawnslight; his ally quest about being a musician should definitely come into play here. Iridessa talking about wanting to hold someone in her arms makes me wish I could pair characters I'm not romancing up--but seeing how non-LI characters are barely fleshed out, it's probably a no-go. Seeing how Bardric is eager to protect his country and mentioned his father being kinder once upon a time, I'm surprised he wouldn't wanna talk to him immediately, especially with his he said his dad would be pleased at him being the first in his family to be in the top-ranked house in their first term. Or his dad would at least seek him out. Kinda bothered me that Kennard is called the cunning brain of the military when Razik himself has been described as cunning in the past. I always thought Razik was the brains. Also find it kinda contradicting when Bardric says Kennard cares about Austerea but sees everyone as game pieces. And, um, WHAT?! I say that too often. We have the choice of mentioning them being concerned about Yvain. Why would those two be concerned about him, or even know about him? Wasn't Windworm keeping quiet about Bre not being the Flamekeeper in order to avoid outrage and make everyone think everything was okay? She didn't just do that for the students; the Enforcers were actually sent away after Bre died. So she should be in a lot of trouble if Razik and Kennard know Yvain was the "real" Flamekeeper (still doubtful), especially since she never mentioned keeping the Order in the loop. They should've been enraged that Bre died without being able to share any info before dying and took over the investigation! And Kennard doesn't seem like the type of person to charm people, tbh. And MC already has an outfit for the Dawnslight Gala? We can have chapters of going there for pretty much anything else, but not for shopping? And after completing the chapter, THIS is the look the guys get? It doesn't really feel unique or different from other outfits. Shouldn't we get multiple choice? Our OKD outfit was better than this!
TLDR--Nothing aside from Bardric's dad and right-hand man coming. I do question why they know about Yvain since that'd invite concern over the Bre incident. Also everyone seems to get over death very quickly, and male MC's outfit is underwhelming.
18.2--A side note is I wish the game would alert you that a new costume pertaining to a special event was available before starting the scene/chapter where it was important. And everyone just left without MC and the chosen ally? Are they left alone if they don't select an ally? Why do we even need to have an ally level with someone just to DANCE with them, seeing how everyone is going anyway? The whole "we beat the Flamekeeper and survived the Final together" thing had me think that we'd all go together. And Cato, Niel, and Talyn's outfits are VERY underwhelming, with Cato and Talyn looking like they just wore fancy coats with their usual clothes; not even new hairstyles. Niel's dress is just plain. This is the big blowout? Bardric, Leona, and Iridessa are the only ones who went all-out while Talyn just has the fancy coat stuff going on. Between male MC's outfit and the male allies and Niel, this is a visual bummer. I knew the gala would be in the Great Hall, but a part of me hoped they had rented out a venue for us to get a new location. Not to mention I kinda find it annoying that they used illusion magic (which affinity is that connected to again?) instead of just hiring non-arcanes to set up the place--or was that the "hard labor" the ally mentions? I'd think arcanes would want to conserve magic since the world is super dangerous. And not even the other students can get new looks for the dance? And WOW. Arkland is the only person with some dignity by saying the Dawnslight Gala should be more about remembering the lost instead of celebrating the end of the war, seeing how apt this is following yesterday's final. And what does he mean by the devastation of the Wilderlands? Does he mean reclaiming the fort? Also feels super inappropriate to tell the students about political circumstances. Wrong place and time. Odd decision for Kennard to write Arkland's speeches over him doing it himself, making this feel like an even more dangerous situation than a celebration. It feels like this is a military academy now. Arkland says when we graduate to fight for Austerea, so does that mean our careers are sealed? We're automatically required to have to use our magic for fighting? Is that the only real purpose? I also found it weird that there's no real "choice" in our response to him glaring. Winking or giving your warmest smile still results in you cheekily insulting him in your mind and thinking about how you kissed Bardric (if you romanced him; IDK what you think if you didn't). Finally hearing about Bardric's other siblings: we have Finn, Rylan, Petyr, and Lis. Odd that Arkland would say humility doesn't suit Bardric; I know others will disagree since we're inclined to dislike him, but considering his concern for patriotism and familial piety, I'd think he trained Bardric to have humility, at least publicly. Not to mention Bardric talked about how heroic and kind his dad was in his earlier years, and his speech about fighting for Austerea. You'd think humility would be prized. And no, Iridessa, the gala isn't living up to my expectations. The interactions are quick and shallow, most of the people here are under-dressed or underwhelmingly styled, and it doesn't last long for us. FINALLY we see Flatcher; I was worried you died! I'm surprised he wasn't by Bardric's side when Bardric spoke with his father, or that Bardric didn't mention him and Soren but mentioned Bardric hanging out with MC. He's really sweet if you took Cato with you to the dance, and it makes me think he hopes for love as well. And odd thing here; if you bring Talyn to the dance, Mor will ask what he sees in you, reinforcing how inconsistent anti-COTF bias is, since Talyn should be viewed just as suspiciously considering all that's happened. I guess that's why he thinks he can be High Warden someday. Also I call B.S. that Talyn's the only person who gets a CG for the Gala that's available in your gallery. Curious to see what Arkland wants, particularly since the term is almost over.
For Talyn's new romance quest, I'm surprised the Penthors' spot on their head being their weakness hasn't been explained this far in the game yet, along with the fact that they hunt in pairs. Also the fact that they mate makes them feel more natural than just evil magical creatures, like there's some ethics to be had... In any case, this is fundamental information to know. Also interesting that Penthor scratches instantly cauterize, preventing infection. Not gonna lie, the sexy situation IMMEDIATELY following being injured is kinda off-putting in terms of tone. And again, just a handjob. Also, the image we get isn't as hot as his CG--plus I think his pecs look smaller. This wasn't very satisfying aside from those fun facts about Penthors, as it doesn't expand on Talyn's character or give us a new sexual activity aside from what we did in the gym.
With Cato's romance quest, the couple botany-related quests we've gotten has me wondering why plants and gardening aren't mentioned more in the world--and why it's Cato showing us. Obviously because he's the intellectual, but Professor Slatewater said plant growth is related to Erolis, which means Bardric or Ivor should've mentioned it before. Plus the plant he shows us is sensitive to Ikaris magic, so that kinda feels contradictory--as does Cato referring to the flower as an empathy flower. I've said it before, but since Ikaris is tied to sadness, shouldn't it be associated with sympathy over empathy? Empathy seems more like Erolis or Felicis. Plus despite bringing you to see the flower to get it to bloom, he says he doesn't care when you guys start to get passionate...so it was pointless? He even said he almost forgot. We could've just did this in MC's room.
TLDR--The dance was as amazing as I expected, and the outfits everyone wore (save Leona and Iridessa) were just as good as male MC's. Plus Arkland is the only person who actually shows some compassion for the dead (well, it could just be Kennard). Meanwhile Cato and Talyn's romance quests are more or less the same with some lore dumps in there. Nothing new from what they've done before; we don't even go all the way.
18.3--"Facing off" is wild, considering no hostility has been established. While Bardric's mentioned Arkland being cold, there should be no reason to use that verbiage, at least at the start. And Arkland's Erolis is "not like any kind you've ever felt" because it's twisted into violence? What about Erolians or Bardric before he became an ally? Interesting angle for him to be emanating a suffocating love. Curious if we're gonna see this in the form of nuance--or if it's just 100% negative and the Erolis mention was just to acknowledge his affinity. And WHY does Arkland assume MC is BS-ing him? Not really showing signs of making a deep, diverging narrative if any polite options are written as negative. MC even says "I don't know what you want from me" if you tell him you'll adhere to his demands. Also, cringe at an respected character using profanity so quickly. It screams of modern snarky writing. The whole dialogue with Arkland lacks nuance or concept of time and place, like we've already exhausted his patience and we're in a private area. Windworm acknowledges this, so maybe it's deliberate, but it feels tactless. And then he just storms off. Seeing how the last scene left off with us meeting him, I was expecting something more substantive than "stay away from my son." And yes, Windworm, Elderwood has been a catastrophic failure; 1/3 of students die every year and a Flamekeeper has been responsible for several more deaths on top of that. You haven't proven him wrong at all. And then you refuse to call him when something goes wrong in the dungeon. MC having the option to say he wants to study and dance is funny since all that is glossed over. The knocked out Enforcers mean nothing when we took them out with spores. It'd be more impactful if we had to do more work than that. Plus IDK how Rhiannon could've heard a commotion from the dungeons since it should be a distance away from the main hall. So I was suspicious...and then I was proved right. Honestly, Rhiannon's reveal was better than Yvain's, but only slightly, since she was only seen a bit more than him, and it was usually for quick moments.
TLDR--Arkland threatened us in an anticlimatic way, Windworm continues to show how incompetent she is, and Rhiannon was helping Yvain. Surprise!
18.4--You know what? I apologize to Windworm. She's still incompetent, but at least she wasn't the Flamekeeper. And AS MUCH as I want to appreciate Rhiannon and Yvain being our villains--a character who was supposed to oversee and guide you and a character who was hard to get to know and seemed to have his own demons--they aren't present enough for me to really appreciate this twist (even if a lot of people called it). And just gonna nitpick that while MC mentions the bomb, they only mention the Flamekeeper killing Zaratis. What about Bre? And Yvain flustering over being called Rhiannon's lover would be a lot more satisfying if we knew more about both of them (and Rhiannon was engaged; how was Yvain gonna compete with that?). And while I get Rhiannon's anger...shouldn't she be mad at her dad's business rival? Heck, if the Order had indoctrinated her enough, she could still be mad at the Flamekeepers for existing; if they didn't, the Order wouldn't have had a reason to harm her parents. Even if she despised the Order, joining the people they demonized HAD to have been some kind of moral dilemma. Not to mention that her big thing about being the #1 house was all bluster. Seeing how Onyx House is considered the loser house, it wouldn't have been breaking cover if she just was resigned to the house not succeeding. She gained nothing from our top placement. And her explanation of small doses of nullefactum just giving you tunnel vision makes no sense to me. Without your emotions, you have no purpose to follow, since hers would be linked to anger and sadness. And I'm still floored that a student killed the supposedly big bad Zaratis and outsmarted a military troop that instills fear in everyone (for some reason). Not to mention Yvain showing emotion over Rhiannon is confusing. Based on the little content we're given, he's the guy with a chip on his shoulder. If we'd seen him more--like we probably should've--would he have continued being an aggressive, closed-off guy, or would he have opened up more? Or was that whole thing just an act. I'm more confused than anything. This is more of a plot twist for the sake of it rather than it making a lot of sense; we aren't given clues to Rhiannon's past to make this a satisfying climax.
TLDR--The Flamekeeper reveal is more confusing than satisfying, just as I thought.
18.5--I wanna know: what part of Yvain thought it'd be smart for the leader who was executing their plan to deprive herself of emotions? He knows that could come back to bite him, right? And I'm confused how Rhiannon can see magic for what it is WITHOUT emotions, considering they're all tied to emotions. Doesn't that mean the lessons we've been learning at school are pointless? Also, magic without a spellblade again! And the Enforcers look stupid once again with how they're defeated easily--granted, it actually MAKES SENSE here, but it didn't before. And I'm convinced Yvain just joined Rhiannon because he likes her; he's riding her way too hard. And then Rhiannon cuts ties with him. Honestly, he's lucky she didn't kill him. IDK how our date (in my case, Cato, because he needs more love) found out we were in the dungeons; we went with Windworm to see Arkland, and then Rhiannon came to take us to the dungeons. Seeing how Windworm didn't even wanna tell Arkland and Rhiannon was plotting something, I don't see how our date could've heard about it--especially without Arkland knowing. And why wouldn't Windworm need the protective plate with healing runes? MC asked a really dumb question after all we've seen thus far. Though it does make Windworm look bad because she protects herself but not the students that die annually--and on the FIRST TERM, no less. Using caps a lot, but it's that kinda chapter. Again, we get an Empress Death mention. I need more info on the cosmology. And I'm confused on why Shades wouldn't be able to do magic; by definition, they're magical creatures, and tied to a particular affinity. And do we get "Unexpected Ally" for simply saving Yvain, or from our overall behavior towards him. The acknowledgement makes it sound like it's an overall thing with "remembers how you treated him" but we haven't really interacted that much. And Windworm is so weird; se says we couldn't trust him and we all knew it, but IDK about that. Yes, he was a dangerous criminal, but he just jumped in to help us without being asked, and in return he gets knocked out. We just lost a body in our fight. But I already knew Windworm made poor decisions. And I literally forgot about our bracelet, tbh. And have I trained all year for this? I feel like I was just set up to die. We better be teaming up with the other students, not just our allies; I hate to drag their butts to a slaughter like the school did with our Final, but this is more important than that.
TLDR--A scene of rushed pacing and "this makes no sense."
18.6--Welp, looks like the Hottie Squad are the only ones willing to fight for the school. Elderwood has INSANE plot armor, methinks. IDK why 13 and 10 are the required levels, though; shouldn't they match? Not to mention this is probably the WORST time to pick and choose allies rather than it being an all-out battle. And Rhiannon's giving Arkland a hard time? Does that mean she's stronger than Dreadbane? And it's kinda anticlimatic since the first time we see our professors fight, it's against someone who's too powerful for them. It's insane (drink every time I say that) how MC saw their father manipulate emotions ONCE, and now they're confident in doing it, despite being morally torn about it when they found out. Nothing's changed to warrant a lack of struggling morality. And MC is still keeping secrets from the group; even if they told Bardric, they don't tell anyone else. Plus we do all this fighting without even using our special skills or hand magic...yeah, not living up to the hype of "the final battle." NGL, I don't even know enough about these characters to really care. And MC using their affinity to make Rhiannon feel again brings to light the issue of last scene: how is she able to use magic without feelings? And how do Rhiannon's emotions overwhelm the Nullefactum? The whole point of Nullefactum is that THEY do the overwhelming. If emotions can overpower them, there's no point. And then we end Rhiannon without ever really feeling like we understood her--or at least, that's how I feel.
TLDR--The professors and the Hottie Squad are the only ones putting up a fight. Forget passing the term; I wanna pass the rest of my time at Elderwood--WITH HONORS. I can't fathom how OP Rhiannon is to the point that the professors and Arkland, who we know are powerful but have never seen fight, are clapped by her. The magical pacing/worldbuilding is as shaky as ever, and defeating Rhiannon felt easy and anticlimatic. I will say this, though: while I think the game is largely female-biased (Mor and Stel are counterparts to Soren and Flatcher, but the guys are more deadly; the male professors are all sus except for one and yet he has the Professor Snape reputation for some reason; two of our male LIs are hard to get close to while all the girls are easy), it did prove me wrong with Yvain and Rhiannon, horribly written as they were.
18.7--Did we end the last scene with MC passing out? If not, it would've been nice to explain how we suddenly got here. IDK why MC seeing Dreadbane is supposed to be a powerful moment here; we only actually talked to him once before, and all MC's visions of him in their dreams just elicited confusion. And then their mom is just a footnote, so why would MC be waiting their whole life for a parent to say they're proud of them? And then...we wake up. So, that whole "I'm proud of you" thing means nothing. It'd be different if Dreadbane was at least alive for part of MC's childhood and they had fond memories of him, but this is basically a stranger, both from the player POV and for MC. And it's just now hitting me that Rhiannon's being the villain of this term is nothing short of irony; she was from a normal family of people who were THOUGHT to be Flamekeepers, and she just wanted to take out the Order. The story doesn't tell us enough for me to buy that she was really a fan of MC's dad or his cause; this just felt personal. And this is news that Talyn and Rhiannon didn't get along. Why didn't they? Rhiannon seemed to not really be involved with anything except telling us to win first place in the house rankings. And yes, Talyn is the student version of Windworm, because his power and experience should've had him be a lot smarter than this and actually suspect her. RIP the actual mystery/investigation of all this; she was a twist villain all along! And RIP to "choices matter/diverging routes," because our skillset should've allowed us to actually prevent the 27 deaths and the professors being injured. Like, I can't even fathom the students thinking they survived the final and then get injured or murdered that same night. And Windworm calls Yvain a coward...why? She knocked him out the moment he helped us; OF COURSE he would've left. I would've too, unless I really needed to stick with you guys to survive. Still curious about his motives besides being a CotF, though. Speaking of surviving, I'm still surprised the other characters didn't help; just the allies jumped in? And again, what is this hatred towards Arkland? Windworm made it a point not to alert him when Rhiannon summoned her and MC to the dungeons, and we could've used his help. I don't agree with his fatherly methods, but he doesn't sell as evil to me. Of course, then he implies he might not have saved us if our roles had been reversed...And I'm assuming a few hours passed since MC passed out, seeing how it's daytime now, so why didn't the allies change out of their formal outfits? And Arkland calling yesterday a tragedy is the continued insanity of this world; almost 100 students died at the Final. But that's normal? Malum saying this is a place of learning and not the barracks is a MAJOR LOL moment for me since I've been saying the opposite for a while now. Kennard becoming Headmaster isn't surprising, but I'm annoyed that it took this for subsequent change to be brought about. Yes, we had the Enforcers, but they were background characters at best, creating no fear of intimidation from me. I'm glad MC has the option to say the change was needed. I'm sure the narrative will want me to think otherwise (and I can agree to some extent, since Kenard lacks an educational background, I'm sure), but the school sucks. Everyone looking at MC with gratitude makes me feel like THIS should've been when people changed their mind about them, rather than earlier (especially since that was contradicted later). But even still, I am surprised that all suspicion seems to have been dropped thanks to this battle--even more surprised that my allies from last scene aren't singled out too. Talyn points out that they could still turn on you, and I do wish that was a bigger theme in this year rather than it feeling like we inevitably won them over. And that's it. No celebration, the "cliffhanger" of Kennard becoming the headmaster was predictable, and we get no romantic moment with out ally. Oh, and I feel awful for Cato; I was one of the 3% of people who took him to the Dawnslight Gala.
Why does it take the end of the first term for MC to look for a reference book on Erolis, especially since my MC is an Erolis? I know this takes place before, but from a player POV, it's very annoying. And the chapter is just giving Bardric a hand job or oral to give him a study break. Nothing interesting, nothing new, no new lore or getting to go all the way. But I'm not surprised.
TLDR--The aftermath had no payoff or emotional resolution and Bardric's sexy quest was just as interesting as the other sexy ones...which was not much. Oh, and didn't Windworm say we'd have to make a major choice at the end of term, or was that the end of the year?
Overall, I grieve the potential of this series. The story and promise of major diverging routes and various romances had me hopeful that this would be my new "Choices"...and it wasn't even modern "Choices." It didn't feel sexy, it didn't give enough lore, it didn't engage me even after 18 chapters. I say I've given it more than enough tries. There are some ally quests coming up before the second term resumes next month (I think the writers needed a longer break, but I know that'd risk losing players), but I don't plan on playing them. I'm glad we didn't have to use keys to restart the chapters, though, and I think the story had a lot of potential. With all the diamonds I have, maybe I'll get back into it--and maybe with reviews. For now though, this is my penultimate post on the subreddit. The next one I make will outline how I would've enjoyed the game. I'll try to get it out before the next term starts so it's still fresh in everyone's minds.
