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gogopierogi · 2 years ago

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Pletze/Pleccia Story Summary

On October 26th, the Korean Lost Ark servers received a story update taking place in the city-state of Pletze/Pleccia, which is Armen’s hometown. I’ve written a story summary for anyone interested. Keep in mind this is not a comprehensive write-up of every plot point, and some things are glossed over. That said, this post contains major spoilers below the cut. You have been warned!

The story opens with the adventurer telling Thirain about their encounter with Armen with Elgacia. Thirain is still searching for Armen and looking for any information about him. During his search, Thirain came across stories about a demon in Pletze/Pleccia, a Sacrian cathedral being robbed and burned by a demon, and mass kidnappings of delains from Feiton. He feels these events might somehow be related to Armen. Oh, the adventurer is also his most precious friend. Aww. He wants the adventurer to spend the night at the castle and has a room prepared for them.

Upon falling asleep, Armen appears to the adventurer in a dream and says the following:

Armen: “Anxiety and greed in the world started when Regulus took possession of the Ark. Order is... just a shackle to hide it. The false god did not take responsibility. But the fate given to the hero wants only pain and despair. How much can you sacrifice for the world? You have to make a choice. Me and you…”

In the morning you tell Thirain about your dream and, after some more conversation, you head off to Pleccia (without Thirain). Zinnervale, Wei, and Shandi are also there on their own business. Shandi and a fellow Yoz, an old woman named Jakra, use their power to create magical talismans from items that belonged to Armen (the letter from the second awakening quest, his bag, etc). These talismans allow the adventurer to see visions into Armen’s past. A disguised Jederico is also Pleccia secretly investigating the recent kidnappings of delains.

The adventurer visits the Ignis Cathedral in Pleccia, which is also home to numerous pieces of priceless artwork. The most famous artwork there is a painting by an unknown artist of a woman holding an infant. Armen supposedly spent a lot of time looking at this painting. While examining the painting for themself, the adventurer has a vision of a lonely child Armen looking at the painting before running away crying. The adventurer chases after the vision but when they attempt to reach out to Armen,he dissolves into particles of light.

The adventurer is informed there’s a man who used to spend a lot of time with Armen living in a nearby village. Hoping this man might have some new information, the adventurer heads off to meet him, only to be surrounded by hordes of bandits along the way. That’s when Thirain shows up and helps fight them off. He explains he felt guilty for always sending the adventurer off alone on missions and, of course, wants to potentially find Armen. The adventurer and Armen are important to Thirain because they were there for him when he had nothing.

Their journey leads them to the ruins of Frigilia, the village where Armen lived before it was destroyed in a mysterious fire that killed all the inhabitants. The adventurer uses the talisman created by Shandi and Jakra to peer into the past.

We see visions of Armen’s childhood. In the first part of the vision, the villagers are unaware Armen is a delain. He has friends. However, it’s obvious this won’t last, as one of the children recalls how Armen’s eyes turned red the last time they played together. We meet Armen’s mother, Claudia. She’s the artist behind the famous mother and child painting the cathedral. Also, she’s been sending letters to Archon Gustaven, the leader/pope of Sacria.

Armen struggles to contain his demonic power. It is painful, and Claudia has to use her healing powers to help keep her son from losing control. We also learn that the pair have had to flee other towns/cities to escape Sacrian pursuit.

There’s a second part of the vision which takes place some months later. By this point, the villagers know Armen is a delain. They call him a dirty demon or sometimes refuse to even acknowledge his presence. The children who used to be his friends now shun and taunt him.

One night, the villagers report them to the Sacrian Order as a witch and a devil. Claudia hides Armen in the cellar as she tries to deal with the situation. Some time later, Armen emerges to search for his mother. The villagers insult and scream at him as he becomes more and more frantic, and begins to succumb to his demonic side. He makes his way to where a crowd of Sacrian enforcers are gathered and pushes his way through them, only to find Claudia pinned to a tree with a sword through her gut.

The priest carrying out the execution, Bardius, orders Armen be taken to Sacria. Armen becomes overwhelmed by rage and grief, his chaos shard erupts his chest, his vision goes red, and corruption begins to overtake him. However, Claudia, with the last of her strength, caresses Armen’s cheek, telling him she loves him and that he can overcome the darkness. This brings Armen back to his senses.

Bardius declares no who has seen the “church's treasure” can be allowed to live and orders the slaughter of the entire village. During the massacre, Archon Gustaven descends from the sky in a flash of light. He expresses disgust in Bardius’s actions before calling upon the light to judge him and his followers. They are killed in a rain of light from the heavens. Gustaven then turns his attention to Claudia’s remains, lamenting that he was too late. He attempts to comfort Armen, telling him this wasn’t his fault, that he was the light of Claudia’s life, offers to take Armen in, and they pray for Claudia together.

The adventurer and Thirain return to Pleccia, where their investigation leads to the secret underground lair of the Twilight Priest, which is beneath the cathedral. Jederico, who accompanies them, remarks he had no idea this place existed or why it was built, but it must be ancient. Within the labyrinthine hallways and rooms, the adventurer frees the captive delains and finds documents detailing the various experiments the Twilight Priests have conducted on them for decades.

Eventually, the adventurer and Thirain enter a large chamber where many Twilight Priests are gathered. They observe a conversation between a priest named Antonio and a mysterious hooded man named Archbishop Basilio.

Antonio: “Archbishop, the barrier is resonating. Isn't it too early?”

Basilio: “We are those who follow the trajectory of order. All of this is to save Arkesia. Don't get hung up on the little things.”

Antonio: “For the will of a new light. Basilio.”

Basilio then leaves through a large door into a neighboring chamber. Suddenly, Armen jumps down and tries to attack Antonio, only for the priest to catch his fist. A lot of the conversation doesn’t translate very well into English. Antonio says something about God’s bondage (???) taking root in Armen’s “ugly body”, expresses jealously of Armen’s divine powers, and insults Claudia, saying her actions were meaningless. He says it’s disgusting Armen is chosen, but says Basilio is waiting for him. A group of Twilight enforcers surround Armen and escort him through the large doors.

Thirain and the adventurer dash in to save Armen, but first have to fight Antonio. Antonio uses blood crystals and, later, power absorbed from delain prisoners to empower himself. Upon defeat Antonio declares the new order is upon them.

Antonio: “The twilight, the future we draw... is not far away. A great sacrifice... Order will take a new place... Neither light nor chaos... in the end. A new era... we are... order... no doubt…”

We then cut to Armen in a massive, light filled chamber containing three statues, surrounded by now dead Sacrian mooks. Basilio approaches Armen and asks if he’s made a decision. Armen nods. Basilio, pleased, tells Armen it’s time for him to awaken. The Twilight Priests will usher in the age of gods, and that he wishes he could finish Armen’s journey. He then teleports away.

Light erupts from the three statues in the corners of the room and Armen is lifted into the air. He’s surrounded by halos and light flows from the statues into his chaos shard. Armen absorbs the light into himself and…gets a new outfit. As he descends back to the ground, Thirain and the adventurer run up to him. He asks if they saved the delains. Thirain doesn’t really answer, but instead gives Armen all the credit for stopping Sacria. Armen creates a portal and leaves.

After the adventurer, Thirain, and Jederico return to the surface, we’re treated to another vision of the past of taking place 20 years ago. Claudia, dressed as a Sacrian priestess, enters the chamber containing the statues. In the center is Antonio looming over a baby in a cradle. Claudia asks what will happen to the child after the ceremony is over. Antonio doesn’t understand why she’d ask such a thing; this will lead them into the future and that the will of the denomination is the will of God, so don’t doubt. He then leaves. Claudia, looking down at the infant Armen, pleads for god to have pity on the baby. She bundles Armen up in arms and runs off with him.

Thirain and the adventurer visit Claudia’s grave, where they find Armen. The three have the following conversation:

Armen: “My mother and I always had to run away. It was always the same thing over and over again, and there was no other way for us. A day when the sky was cloudy and the sea shook... I wanted to believe that all of this was a lie, but it was never a lie. My mother... gave everything for me. Even her death... in the end... for me.”

Thirain: “Armen. I realized it here again, that you haven't changed. Let's go back together. It's not too late.”

Armen: “Now... I have work to do. Thirain, and... Adventurer. There is not much time left. I... I staked everything.”

Thirain and the adventurer dash towards Armen, but he puts up a barrier between him and them.

Armen: “This is the fate I can accept. Don't follow me anymore. Our path has already changed.”

Armen then disappears, his form dissolving into particles of light.

Afterwards, Thirain tells the adventurer that while their and Armen’s paths may have changed, he believes they’ll all meet again. He also wishes Armen would allow others to help carry the burden on his shoulders.

Here’s a video with the cutscenes:

youtube

#lost ark #lost ark spoilers #armen #thirain #Youtube

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