#see the title is bc they have a scary weapon that threatens them all but the silence of death causes-

[qedmirage]

The chapter 14 release event means it's story blitzin' time so let's GO GO GO. Thoughts on story after the cut (obvious spoilers!) so first let's talk about enemies and mechanics. Because this chapter was pretty rad!

More than any enemy the cost limit mechanic is the main feature of the chapter. I liked it as a sort of gentle challenge; it keeps some of my more busted 20+ DP cost operators from jumping out in a rush, and it gives you a reason to do anything other than Bagpipe + Flagbearer starts. But it's a restriction with many many ways to work around it, so it's fun. Especially on stages with Roadside Emergency Reserves; there, you can blow up the boxes to speed up your gameplan, but they often interfere with enemy pathing, as a natural roadblock. Leave them alive and you can force enemies into long and deadly winding paths, instead. Fun mechanic, good stages.

The Spy Gang is a fun reflection of the chapter's fights against Damazti. Real amongus hours. I like that the civilians can turn into several different enemies; the Norport Spy does extra damage but is forgettable, the Sentry Spy is invisible (and kinda cute, with their scarf) to avoid ranged DPS strategies, the Armed spy is a huge pile of beef that takes up block count, making it easier for other spies to get through. Every new enemy in this chapter was unique and memorable. 'Worst Enemy' award goes to this fucker:

Mostly because their sprite is very tall and so I mess up which tile they're on. (protip: look at their shadow). Special mention to the boss enemy for having a very funny amogus mechanic. Also, a fight where I really got use out of Nearl The Radiant; your arts and phys reduction means nothing to a lady with True swordspear swings.

This one was pretty relentlessly depressing, at least whenever Glasgow was on the screen. Being a civilian under siege sucks! I like that Doctor's plan to save Norport revolves around messing with Ducal politics such that the dukes have to intervene; if mass victorian civilian slaughter is known they have to intervene.

with Damazti rolling up the Self-Salvation Corps' intelligence network, this is a chapter of some dark spy stuff happening. Golding gets the worst of it, compounding on her disillusionment from the last chapters. And in a dramatically ironic twist, her decision to embrace death and suicide ends up being one of the more lasting impacts she has on the story. Because, Damazti is there to witness it, and try to comprehend her emotions and desires at that time. And they end up following her. There's a repeated statement in Babel and some of the Arc II chapters of new life coming from barren, broken ground; of death bringing renewal, usually referred to alongside the Kazdel Royal Court.

It's artistic, but it's also something of a political statement; that Kazdel's ruling class of politicians, all well into their 200s at least are unable to lead the country in a new direction. They who made their careers during the last great war are unable to guide people to peace...including, in her own conception, Theresa. In chapter 12 that's brought somewhat forward, and down goes the oldest of the Royal Court's nobles. Damazti wasn't the most extreme by a long shot, but they compare themselves to an elderly person who cannot hear no matter how hard one yells - so ancient, so experienced, they judge everything on old experience and can't see things as new.

Amiya has an interesting time. Even after coming face to face with the Revenant's mentalism, she remains firm that she will not pursue war in the way they do. She's a new, unforseen element in their whole politics. Babel drives home how much in a world of immortal blood wizards and ancient gestalts and legendary heroes, Amiya is just...Amiya. A Cautus orphan Doctor saved one day. There remains in the end a distance between her and the people she is the (unrecognized) king of, but that distance is why she can choose a different path.

Zombie Theresa is an interesting one. There is in her speech a kind of bitter skepticism to the whole KMC affair, with a resigned fatalism...and Manfred doesn't seem to pick up on it, or if he does, he ignores it in favor of his mission. "The shadow of the airship covers all indiscriminately", an observation that this war can destroy the Sarkaz as well as their enemies. "If this ultimately is proven to be the only way", an extremely qualified statement, gets turned into "This is the only way". Okay, random stills I liked time!

Great cinematography on that transition.

Ace Combat Briefing map, you love to see it

Imagine being Kal'tsit in this chapter. You just got your shit rocked harder than the time you fought an Emperor's Blade and the first thing you see when you wake up is W. Bedside manner worse than a cockroach.

pretty hard to make this twink scary but the flames help

why DOES he keep Paprika around

Loved this call-forward to Babel (released after this)

Closure talking to Kal'tsit about real facts

[chirpycloudyrobin]

okay so im subjecting yall to my wen twins AU

it's pretty much normalised within the wen clan for siblings to fight over the title of clan and sect leader. wen leaders have normalised having multiple wives to prevent having zero heirs at the end bc everyone slaughtered everyone else. wen ruohan's father wasn't even his own father's eldest son, he just happened to be the most ruthless. cue wen sr. sr.'s primary wife giving birth to fraternal male-female twins.

Wēn Míng 温明, the elder female twin. Wēn Yáng 温暘, the younger male twin.

this is no story of soft fluffy siblings and overcoming frankly insane family traditions with the power of twin sibling love. the two are pitted against each other from the very beginning. in fact, they know they were going to end up fighting each other to the death in the future. they're not particularly bothered about it. it's normal for them, so why would they ?

the twins do have some form of sibling fondness and affection for each other in the sense that they see the other as their only equal. theyre the only ones who cld kill each other. which was why wen yang absolutely went batshit when a rival internal faction decided it was a good idea to get rid of wen ming when the twins were just 12.

when wen yang finally got the position of head disciple and heir, he decided to start culling the ranks and keeping only those who have utmost loyalty to him. his father rlly didnt give that much of a fuck, hes just happy that his heir is Just Like Him. even gave wen yang, now wen ruohan, a proud pat on the back when his son assassinated him personally. it never did take long for wen ruohan to figure out that his old man had orchestrated his sister's death personally

didnt give him any closure tho so he grew up bitter and resentful in the inside. undisputed sect heir at age 14 but at what cost

until he went to the cloud recesses for the disciple exchange

turns out his amnesiac sister was picked up by baoshan sanren after the assassination attempt and has been under the immortal's tutelage as xiao yiyang. shes pretty much at the cusp of immortality, as was wen ruohan. it was only recently that she regained her memories lmao but at that point wen ming, now xiao yiyang, valued her freedom too much to go back to nightless city

wen ruohan tried to drag her back. xiao yiyang beat his ass artfully for it. she's still just a smidgen better than him after all these years.

he does demand that his sister visit him at the nightless city as much as possible. or send letters. she better not disappear under his nose again !

to outsiders, their dynamic is um. concerning. the twins regularly threaten physical violence or death upon each other. every time they meet each other they just have to fight. cangse sanren teases him by calling him yang'er. wen ruohan pisses her off right back by calling her wen ming. they might just end up killing each other straight up one day

wen ruohan smiles more often now. it's fucking scary.

its even scarier when courting proposals and suitors start cropping up for cangse sanren. a disciple of baoshan sanren, at the cusp of immortality, one of the best talents of her generation, the literal blood-related sister of wen ruohan. she's pretty much the best catch.

sect heirs, head disciples, highly influential people vie for her hand. she does not give a shit abt any of them and she sics wen ruohan on them more often than not. granted she now owes him a couple of spars and a rare weapon but thats just business.

wen ruohan is very happy about her indifference. that just means no snot-nosed brat will be intruding on their twin sibling time.

until wei changze that is.

wen ruohan hates wei changze. it's not even because the man is unskilled or unmotivated or anything. the only thing the man lacks is influence but wen ruohan knows cangse sanren doesnt give a shit abt that.

wen ruohan just fucking hates that wei changze is taking up too much of cangse sanren's time. thats his twin sister. wei changze is just a friend. what the hell ?!

"ur acting like such a typical spoiled didi lol" "say that again and ill beat ur ass" "youve never been able to beat me not even once"

"why do u like him ew" "he compels me" "the fuck"

wen ruohan is forced to make friendly with wei changze because he ends up his brother-in-law just a couple of years later. wen ruohan quite enjoyed the sour looks of that jiang kid and the yu woman who keeps on slandering cangse sanren so he supposes thats a plus.

he meets baoshan sanren on his sister's wedding day. it's the woman who kept his sister away from him for the longest time. but shes also one of the few immortals of the jianghu, her age lost to time. shes the one who taught cangse and never let his sister lose her potential. he can respect that. in fact, he respects that a lot.

he does not fight baoshan sanren. in fact, baoshan sanren ends up being one of two people who can get wen ruohan to listen to them. many tragedies of the main timeline are prevented from the mere fact that wen ruohan respected baoshan sanren in this timeline and the immortal cared enough to descend her mountain and whack wen ruohan upside the head if he gets too power hungry

he gets married down the line too and has two sons. one is a perfect heir. one is just an absolute idiot. his wives dont really compel him, like the way cangse says wei changze compels her. whatever, wen ruohan doesnt have the time for that. he has a sect to run.

wen ruohan is one of the first to get to see cangse sanren and wei changze's child, baby wei ying. the first words out of his mouth are "that dumpling's ugly as hell".

cangse sanren calmly passes her baby to the waiting arms of wei changze.

then she proceeds to remind wen ruohan why shes the superior twin.

wen ruohan one ups her when his wen spies that he sent to monitor her family ended up saving her and wei changze's life. wei ying isnt rendered an orphan ! cssr's pissed tho bc now wrh has something to blackmail her with and thats not slay

wei ying grows up the pampered nephew of the wen sect leader but he kinda dgaf abt the extravagant gifts honestly. hes too busy revolutionising the talisman and array knowledge of the cultivation world and being baoshan sanren's favourite grandchild. many sects invite him to join them but hes like "nah im good i like wandering around with a-niang and a-die :3"

wen ruohan doesnt know what else to give to his nephew that would compel the kid to join the wen sect.

then he sees how wei ying looks at the stone-faced lan kid at one of the discussion conferences. more importantly, he sees how the lan kid looks back

bingo