Okay but I do need to talk about Edda.
I've been obsessed with her ever since my first run of Tam-Tara Deepcroft. Not hard mode. She's been living in my brain rent free since the very first time I saw the cutscenes with her after doing the level 16 normal mode dungeon.
She's like this strange allegory for the burden of responsibility. In my opinion at least.
Edda was the groups healer. A conjurer who, outside of using her magic, was seemingly also responsible for gathering adventuring supplies for her party members as well re: dialogue outside of Sastasha.
Averre mocks her for not using her own money to pay for more healing potions, but it's only mentioned that *he* gave her gil to begin with. Not Payo-Rayo, not Liavinne.
Just Averre. After which the burden immediately falls on Edda to use her personal funds for the group supplies. She is expected to forfeit anything she way want or need, because she's the healer. It's her job to heal them and provide for them right?
Even when Averre dies, and it was clear that it was entirely his own fault for rushing ahead of the group and out of Edda's spell range, Liavinne chooses to blame Edda.
It was her responsibility. It was her job to help them and heal them and she failed.
And the WOL watches. Unable to help her.
I think it's perfectly reasonable to view her as a warning or an omen for the WOL of what they fear could happen if they fail the expectation of those around them. If they can't do their job right people will die, and it will be their fault. They're the WOL. It's their job to save everyone. To put themselves on the line and bear the burden of it all.
Tam-Tara Deepcroft (Hard) is the omen of what happens when you let guilt and grief consume you. When you can't let the past go. When you'd do anything for the person you love regardless of how good they were to you in life.
Edda is blinded by love, and guilt for letting Averre die. She sacrifices so much to try and bring him back and doesn't even care when she gets a voidsent monstrosity instead. That's still Averre to her.
This comes after you lose a lot of the scions, most importantly Noraxia, to Livia's raid. Where you almost lose Thancred to Lahabreaha. Depending on when you choose to unlock the dungeon as well, you may have lost Moonbryda, or G'raha Tia, or watched the twins lose their grandfather again.
The WOL is riddled with loss. Loss they blame themselves for.
Because they're the Warrior of LIGHT. It's their job to save people.
The idea that Edda serves as this massive warning sign for what the WOL could easily become if they didn't have the support surrounding them is fascinating to me.
Especially when Palace of the Dead throws at you special encounters with past foes. And again Edda herself. Someone who failed her role. Who you couldn't save. Who you didn't save.
She prepares the WOL for all of the loss ahead of them. Makes them aware of what is at stake if they fail. At the point you meet her you're still just an adventure. Sure you've done a few big things for the city you started in but your fame and standing are still subjecting to your future efforts. Your still vulnerable. Still just an adventure like Edda and Averre were.
You could have ended up just like she did.
