A Dragoon’s Story: The Shifting Crest
Rapifafa hears many rumors about the Dragon King Ranperre while travelling through San d’Oria. This particular day she overhears two men holding a conversation about him while passing through the warehouses of The Brugaire Consortium, one of the largest businesses in the Middle Lands.
Their topic turns to the former King’s top vassal- rumors say he was a Dragoon, a rare sight in these days. However, supposedly a new Dragoon has recently appeared, and people say it’s a man named Cyranuce locked in the San d’Oria dungeons, the Bostaunieux Oubliette.
Rapifafa decides to check the rumor out, and the guards in the dungeon inform Rapifafa that Cyranuce is long dead, crushed by a beast called forth by his beastmaster cellmate. One of the inmates, however, claims that Rahal, the leader of the Royal Knights, had been jealous of his close friend Cyranuce, which is why he had him imprisoned. There are rumors that Rahal himself is a Dragonslayer, in many ways diametrically opposed to the Dragoons. Rapifafa is told that if she wishes to learn more, she should seek out the archeologist Oiheaurese.
Oddly enough, Rahal shows up halfway through Rapifafa’s conversation with the archeologist, claiming he is looking for “suspicious characters”. Oiheaurese denies seeing anything of the sort, so Rahal returns to his duties. The archaeologist explains to Rapifafa that both holy and evil dragons in the world exist, so he wishes that Rapifafa would follow the rumors that a wyvern egg is hidden within the Maze of Shakhram, in the hopes that she will protect it from any Dragonslayers from killing it while it is still young. Dragons are now an incredibly rare sight around Ronfaure since Ranperre destroyed most if not all of them during his reign, and it would be a shame for such a creature to be extinguished before it has a chance to prove its loyalties.
Rapifafa spends some time excavating areas within the maze, and soon finds the egg the archaeologist pointed her to. She brings it back to the cathedral, but the archeologist is nowhere to be found.
Instead, his student Yachemidot tells Rapifafa that she should be able to hatch the egg if she takes it to the Drogaroga’s Spine in the Meriphataud Mountains.
Rapifafa finds an area on the spine where the air is warmer than the surrounding area, and as she sets the egg down, it begins to hatch.
Unfortunately, it seems she was followed by the archaeologist's "student", Yachemidot.
This was what Yachemidot had been waiting for, announcing that with the blood of the young Wyvern, he can complete his transformation into a dragon- Yachemidot is in actuality Cyranuce, and the cellmate was who was crushed underneath his own beast.
Rahal attempts to stop Cyranuce, but he quickly makes his escape using his Dragoon abilities, jumping far beyond either Rahal or Rapifafa could reach.
As the newborn wyvern lays dying, Rahal explains to Rapifafa that this particular newborn has no Holy or Unholy crest on its bodies like most do. Yet this is not the first time he has seen this phenomenon- long ago he had seen another uncrested wyvern, which soon bound its will to a man- his old friend, Cyranuce. As the days passed, the unholy symbol appeared and Cyranuce was consumed by the power of the dragon, and he was forced to imprison him for his protection.
Despite knowing the wyvern had committed no sin, Rahal prepare to act against how most knights would, declaring that he must stop another tragedy from occurring.
He stays his hand however, believing that the wyvern can assist in finding Cyranuce once again. He insists that that will be the only thing the creature will be used for, and it will be put to death as soon as the task was complete.
It takes some time to nurse the Wyvern back to health, but Rahal quickly learns from it that Cyranuce is within the Ghelsba Outpost. Perhaps if they travel quickly, they can still prevent Cyranuce from being consumed by the dragon’s blood.
But they are too late- Cyranuce has already lost the rest of his humanity, and Rapifafa is forced to kill him.
With his dying breath, Cyranuce thanks his old friend for his undying faith, and asks him one last favor- to take any of his remaining faith and to put them into the dragons, so that the legacy of the Dragoons can be kept alive.
Despite his friend's words, Rahal is still unable to put the loss of his friend behind him, and moves to slay the remaining Wyvern.
As the Wyvern approaches Rapifafa, it begins to glow- it is the Holy Crest, symbolizing the birth of a true Dragoon.
Rahal recognizes that this is the legacy his friend had left behind, and sheathes his sword, asking Rapifafa to name her new companion.
Rapifafa has many travels with Khocha as a Dragoon, and at one point comes across a woman named Miaux. She is seeking to have her late father’s breastplate repaired, and asks that Rapifafa help her obtain a polishing stone from the Altepa Desert.
Rapifafa has little trouble locating the stone for the woman, and returns it to her. Rapifafa continues her travels once again, and soon comes in contact with Brugaire, one of the wealthiest (and greediest) men in Vana’Diel.
He had recently attended father’s funeral, and while he seems to have cared much for the man, he was all too happy to accept his inheritance. Unfortunately for him, he was attacked soon after the funeral ended, and the armor was stolen. He offers Rapifafa the opportunity to retrieve it for him with 20% of the selling price as a reward. His only lead was that an Elvaan woman was nursing him back to health when he awoke from the attack.
Miaux has little to tell Rapifafa herself, saying that all she knew was that she spotted a suspicious woman at the funeral and found an earring lying nearby Brugaire.
Rapifafa travels by airship to the Goldsmith’s Guild in Bastok to have the earring identified, and one of the craftsman points Rapifafa towards a woman named Esca, who wished to have a similar earring made just a few days ago.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the woman is one of Brugaire’s very own workers. She agrees to tell Rapifafa where to find the armor as long as she keeps hush-hush about the whole whacking-her-boss-across-the-head thing.
Rapifafa returns the armor to Brugaire, just as he is paid an unpleasant visit by Rahal.
Oddly enough, whatever Rahal said seems like it actually struck a chord with Brugaire, who decides then and there to give up selling the armor, rewarding it to Rapifafa for her work in retrieving it.
Rapifafa returns to her travels, finding more armor pieces left behind by previous Dragoons.
Eventually Rapifafa pays a visit to Rahal, who informs her that recently the Royal Knights have been being attacked by an unknown assailant. Rumor has it that this assailant is the forgotten Dragoon General himself, Erpalacion.
When King Ranperre had finished quelling the strife within the Kingdom, he immediately sent Erpalacion on a meaningless expedition. Many believe Ranperre feared Erpalacion’s power, and simply wished to be rid of him. When Rapifafa brings up the incident where someone attempted to steal the brais of the last Dragoon, Rahal asks that she investigate further.
Brugaire has little information for Rapifafa, but does point her in the direction of the helm of the last Dragoon, rumored to be hidden in the Kuftal Tunnel, far away from San d'Oria on Zepwell Island.
Rapifafa travels far to reach the tunnel, but it seems someone else had already arrived before her.
Rapifafa brings the challenge back to Rahal, who seems to recognize the handwriting, but is oddly tight-lipped about the matter.
Rahal points Rapifafa towards Balasiel, the instructor.
Balasiel quickly recognizes the handwriting as that of one Ancolain B Feulart, the former second in command of the Royal Knights. Ancolain was relieved of command many years ago due to his inability to comprehend the tragedy involved in taking up the sword- he would sacrifice men to gain victory at any cost. Balasiel tells Rapifafa that Khocha may be able to track the man using the letter, and Rahal points Rapifafa towards the southern lands as a possible starting point.
Khocha leads Rapifafa to the Temple of Uggalepih, where they are attacked by shadows.
Rapifafa is able to defeat them, but Ancolain soon appears.
Ancolain spent the days he had after his dismissal mastering the arts of necromancy, and using the helm of the last Dragoon, he plans on resurrecting the spirit of Erpalacion- together they would take their vengeance on the homeland that betrayed them.
Erpalacion’s reaction isn’t quite what Ancolain expects, however.
Ancolain is devastated by his failure, and with the arrival of Rahal, he has nowhere to run.
All that is left is the mystery of the last Dragoon, Erpalacion.
Erpalacion explains that in his final years of service to King Ranperre, he had slain many who had no sins to answer for. As he continued this senseless slaughter, the crest on his Wyvern slowly turned to an unholy one.
For this reason, he asked to be dismissed from service so he could spend the rest of his life in quiet solitude. He further requested that he be declared dead, as any need to defend himself from assassins would only further stain his lance with blood. Erpalacion spent his late years fighting any evil within him, unlike Ancolain who had embraced it. Rapifafa too had to take care not to lose this conflict within herself, or she would lose more than she realizes.
Erpalacion asks Rapifafa to allow him some time alone with Khocha in his final moments of existence, and as he fades into oblivion, he leaves behind his helmet to continue the legend of the Dragoon.
