Xenoblade Chronicles Afterimage

is an RPG developed by Monolith Soft and Pyro Enterprises, released for the Pyrohedron. Basing many of its gameplay features on the Nintendo Switch title Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Afterimage aims to refine them and improve upon the game's flaws while highlighting its good points.
==Story==
===Chapter 1: Illusions===
The story begins with an unknown individual reciting some sort of story.
Long ago, it's said that the islands of Keola were once a mighty titan, a primeval force with all-powerful might that ruled over the world. It was a ruler of life itself, and it had the world at its fingertips, having those beneath it dedicate their lives to serving it.
It wasn't long before the people of the world it ruled decided to rise against it.
Human, Nopon, Agnia- all the tribes of the world took a stand, attacking the titan itself. The titan fought back, slaying millions of people in an effort to keep the world subjugated. Entire continents were destroyed in the titan's slaughter, but in the end, they pierced its hide and brought it down.
The seas turned to fire as the titan's lifeblood drained from its body, torn open by the wounds inflicted upon it. Much of the world had been destroyed in the titan's rampage, the world it had created was now brought down by its own handiwork. The tribes that had united to slay it established the islands of Keola upon its corpse, creating a nation in the sea of fire blood to call their own.
What was it that slew the titan? Blades.
Almost as if by divine blessing, the Core Crystals were brought to our world in a shower from the heavens. These stones gave birth to powerful warriors when they came into contact with certain individuals- these warriors came to be known as Blades, and those who commanded them as Drivers. These Blades were able to slay the titan, piercing the immortal hide and bringing it to its knees.
Ever since that day, we have lived in relative peace, in a world built on the body of our former oppressor- or so they say.
The scene shifts to the inside of a small room, the story seemingly having been recited by a young woman tinkering with something on her desk. As she finished up her work, a small child sitting on a chair asked her if the story was true- the woman simply laughed and said that it might have happened so long ago that nobody knew if it was true or not. She handed a small mechanical toy to the child, who thanked her and ran off, laughing and playing with the toy. The camera pans up to reveal the woman's face, with an introduction statement giving her the name Teya.
The player assumes control of Teya, being placed in the game's first area, the Marita Caravan. She wanders around for a while, exploring the area, before coming up to a central area where they come across a crudely set up hospital area. Teya peeks inside; within the small tent is a multitude of people lying on stretchers, slowly breathing and with a green infection growing across their bodies. Teya winced as she left the tent.
Teya begins walking through the caravan again, exploring the collective of mobile buildings before coming to a large and elaborately decorated one, entering inside briefly to examine the interior. She encounters a large, muscular man laughing heartily alongside a woman floating beside him, and cautiously calls their names- Donovan and Eris.
Donovan takes note of Teya's presence, and greets him with a hearty welcome as Eris, revealed to be Donovan's Blade, asks how things have been for her lately. Teya explains that she has become increasingly concerned about the plague- not only is she worried about contracting it, but is scared of how many innocent lives would be lost to the disease, and how many people were being put through unbelievable suffering from exposure to the unknown virus. Donovan simply tells her to not be concerned- hardworking, dedicated people were off looking for a cure, and he was certain that everything would be resolved someday soon. Eris hugged her and simply told her to put on that "patented Teya optimism", and the chieftain and Blade assigned her to investigate the nearby caverns for resources- something to put her focus on something other than the plague victims.
Teya arms herself with a large wrench before venturing into the Andramura Caverns, a tunnel system built into the cliffside under the caravan carved out by ancient worm-like creatures carving through the rock. Exploring the cavern, she eventually comes across the mutilated body of a man, as well as a glowing blue crystal next to him- a Core Crystal, and presumably the Blade of this man before he was done in. Teya heard a groan behind her as a large Volff emerged with blood in its teeth, likely having been the one to kill the Driver lying before her. She draws her wrench in self-defense, triggering the game's combat tutorial.
After knocking out the Volff, Teya catches her breath for a second, her mind wandering back to the dead Driver lying at her side. She picks up the bright blue Core Crystal, curious as to what the Blade must have been like and what their relationship with their Driver must have been. The nature of Blades had always been a fascinating subject to Teya- how they existed solely in the immobile crystal form until a compatible person resonated with them, forging a lifelong bond that lasted until the death of the one who awakened them, whereupon the bond was lost forever. It was sort of darkly poetic in a sense and something she wanted to understand more of. She tentatively touched the crystal with her finger- no reaction. It was to be expected, she thought, as she had never been compatible with a Blade in her life. It was depressing- pairs like Donovan and Eris were compatible enough to become husband and wife as well as Driver and Blade, but she was stuck alone for the rest of her life, unable to forge that bond.
Teya returned to the caravan with a satchel full of meat carved from the Volff's body, as well as some cave-dwelling fruits. When she arrived, everyone seemed to be in high spirits, moving equipment and packages about and setting up for the road ahead. She ran back to Donovan's building, prepared to ask him and Eris what was going on, and she found them ending a conversation with someone over the radio. Donovan laughed heartily as he explained the situation- he and the Marita Caravan had been commissioned by the people of Elcortes, a city to the far north, to search the nearby land in search for a special flower- one that scientists there believed could bring a stop to the plague. Excitedly, Teya rushed to pack her things, and the caravan soon set off. However, a mysterious figure watched the group leave from atop a cliffside, their body obscured from view.
The caravan wound its way across a canyon wall, a deep ravine gaping to their side as they slowly and cautiously made their way forward. Teya gazed out the window of the vehicle she was sitting in, staring up at the sky and thinking about the gruesome scene she had witnessed in the caverns. She felt the vehicle come to a stop, as angered shouting by Donovan made her assume they had hit a block in the road. Getting out to see what was wrong, she noticed a glint on the top of the canyon wall on the other side... It was some sort of figure watching them in the distance. As the figure raised their hand, Teya realized they had been set up.
A group of mercenaries in blue armor leaped down from the wall above the caravan, brandishing weapons and attacking the vehicles and people inside. Teya didn't know if they were just looters or something else, but she knew they had to be stopped- she pulled out her wrench and began smacking people on the side of the head, left and right. She noticed that these people seemed too organized and coordinated to be normal bandits, with some of them even having Blades of their own as weapons used to attack the people in the caravan. She made her way to the front, where Donovan and Eris were fighting off more assailants... Multiple corpses were strewn about the ground behind him.
Teya drew her weapon in an attempt to aid Donovan, but found her path cut off by a woman wielding dual blades of a strange make; her more elaborate garb made it evident that this was the woman leading the assailants.
Teya and the woman fought on the cliff's edge, with the mysterious assailant eventually gaining the upper hand and smacking Teya backward with the hilt of one of her swords. She fell back and grabbed the ledge, only to have her opponent stamp on her fingers and crush them. Teya was forced to let go and fell down into the ravine below, scraping her body up on the way down and wounding herself greatly. Still determined to fight back, Teya grabbed onto the wall in an attempt to climb back up. Her assailant merely drew her sword and stabbed it into the side of the cliff, causing a rockslide to occur. Before Teya could back away, the rocks tumbled onto her, trapping her arm underneath and smashing into her head. As she began to fade into unconsciousness, the woman who had trapped her down in the ravine pulled what seemed to be a strange purple Core Crystal out of her pocket, crushing it in her hand and scattering the pieces into the ravine. Teya went unconscious as the woman walked away.
It was the middle of the night when Teya finally regained consciousness. She looked around; her hand was still lodged under a pile of rocks, there were dried puddles of blood in the area around her, and the wreckage of some of the vehicles from the caravan was scattered at the bottom of the ravine alongside her, presumably pushed off by the bandits who attacked them. Her determination and desire to escape resurged as she tried pulling her arm from the rocks but to no avail. She was trapped. Tears ran down her face as she resigned herself to die at the ravine's bottom, starving while the rest of Keola suffered from the plague. However, a glint in her eye leads her to notice something odd happening nearby.
Multiple small purple crystals were rolling towards each other, clumping and clustering onto each other to form the purple Core Crystal she had seen the woman crush and drop into the pit with her. It wasn't common for Core Crystals to reform like this... Suddenly, Teya got a glimmer of an idea. Leaning with all her might, she snatched the crystal off of the ground and took a deep breath, clearing her mind of any distractions. A slight tingling sensation started building at her fingertips, spreading into her arm as the crystal began glowing. Teya couldn't believe it- she was successfully awakening a Blade.
The Crystal lifted itself out of her palm and began glowing even more brightly, shining with an eerie purple light. When the light died down, Teya stared forward to witness the Blade that had emerged from within; he was a humanoid being with thick purple fibers growing across his body, akin to something like vines or muscle fibers. On his bare exposed chest was a triangular crystal, the same strange purple color that the crystal he had spawned from was. Teya begged her newly born blade to help her out of the rocks, and the man went into action, summoning a strangely organic-looking sword from the ether... and slicing Teya's arm off.
Teya winced from the searing pain the Blade had brought to her, nearly blacking out again after seeing her lower arm detached from her body. The man leaned down to comfort her, grabbing her shoulders.
As Teya relaxed, breathing in and out to calm her nerves, the Blade gently grasped the severed piece of her arm and began emitting a soothing sensation from his fingertips. Teya opened her eyes to see dark tendrils akin to the substance wrapped around the Blade's body growing from her arm, wrapping and unfurling themselves into what seemed to be a new arm and hand entirely. As the sensation faded away, she tried moving her arm and fingers, finding that her new replacement limb worked perfectly. Tears of joy streaming down her face, she turned to her Blade and thanked him.
With Orpheus's help, Teya managed to climb her way out of the ravine, only to encounter the ruined wreckages of all the vehicles that were once part of the caravan. She pounded her fist to the ground, swearing she'd avenge the deaths of everyone and make their lives meaningful. While Orpheus stated that revenge on their killer wouldn't bring about anything or put their spirits to rest, Teya responded by saying she was never even considering revenge- she wanted to keep up the search for a cure to ensure that their lives weren't taken in vain.
Teya and Orpheus ventured down the trail that the caravan was meant to originally follow, with the aim of arriving in the nearby city of Delfem to rest and plan ahead for their next task. However, a short way down the road, the duo came across a group of scavengers feasting on some form of animal carcass; while they were far scruffier and less organized than the people who attacked the caravan, they still seemed threatening, with one of them looking over Teya and her new Blade with a discerning eye. After defeating them in a battle that acts as the tutorial for how Blades function in battle, they head off.
==Gameplay==
The gameplay in Afterimage shares many similarities to that of previous titles in the Xenoblade franchise, being an action RPG where players are encouraged to explore the world around them. The player is given a variety of tools to interact with the environment, be that with various Blade field skills, Teya's hang glider, or other methods. The game world is designed to be open and inviting, with director Pyrostar citing the core concept of uncharted land as a primary motivator for world design.
Battles occur in the overworld and occur similarly to that of previous entries in the series. After locking onto an opponent, the party rushes in to attack it at their weapon's appropriate range, with each character performing weak attacks called Auto-Attacks automatically. The player can move around the enemy they are locked on to strafe them, and hitting the side or back of an enemy occasionally does more damage. Enemies will target the party member who has garnered the most Aggro, notified by a red ring under the character and an arrow pointing at the enemy who is targeting them. While an enemy is targeting a party member, they will always face directly at them, which prevents that party member from attacking anything other than the front of the enemy but also enables the other members of the party to perform pincer or sneak attacks.
As players perform Auto-Attacks, they build up energy for special abilities known as Arts, which are mapped to the Pyrohedron's face buttons. Arts tend to be far more powerful than Auto-Attacks and have varied special effects, though when used, the player must wait for it to charge again before using it. A player's Arts are entirely dependent on what Blade they have equipped at the given moment, with every blade having unique arts. The player's three equipped Blades are assigned to the Up, Right, and Down buttons on the Pyrohedron's D-Pad, and once a Blade is switched off, they require a recharge. Unlike Arts, Blade cooldown is entirely time-based, and they will usually be available again after a few seconds, with all of their Arts fully recharged. The Left button on the D-Pad is used to control the AI, switching their command patterns between various user-crafted programs.
As a player uses Arts, they power up their Special ability, which is activated by pressing the Right Bumper. Specials are very powerful attacks tied to a Blade's given element, and depending on how long it is charged for, can be utilized in three differing levels of power: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 Specials. Specials have powerful effects, but are primarily utilized to set up Special Chains, acting as a special form of team attack. To begin a Special Chain, one party member must simply use a Special of any level, followed by someone else performing a Level 2 or higher Special, then a final Level 3 Special to deal maximum damage. This final Level 3 attack will seal away a status effect based on the combination of elements used to finish the chain, as well as apply an orb of that element to the enemy. This orb increases the defense of the enemy towards that specific element but can be cracked during a Chain Attack for massive damage.
===Changes from Past Xenoblade Titles===
*As jumping is now tied to the Left Bumper rather than a face button, jumping during battle is now an available option, which enables alternate Auto-Attacks and, in some cases, Arts. This also enables characters to jump on top of larger enemies and attack them while riding them, enabling them to approach combat differently.
==Characters==
Character	Biography
Teya 	A mechanic residing in the Marita Caravan, a traveling group that roams the islands of Keola. Teya is a hard-working, determined young woman with a knack for all things mechanical and a passion for keeping the community she's a part of intact. That passion is challenged when a mysterious plague begins sweeping the islands, killing crops and having strange effects on people. When the caravan is commissioned to help search for a cure, Teya tags along- only to be thrown into a crevasse when the caravan is attacked, her arm trapped in a rockslide. Almost deprived of hope, she manages to find a strange Core Crystal in the crevasse with her, and in desperation manages to summon the Blade Orpheus to her side. Her arm sliced off and replaced with a replica by Orpheus, she now ventures across Keola to find a cure for the plague herself, as well as find the one in Orpheus's mind- Euridia.----
Teya has high amounts of both Strength and Ether, enabling her to serve as both an effective attacking unit of both physical and ether attacks and a healer depending on the Blades she is given. However, she has low Defense, meaning that she tends to be rather fragile regardless of the role she is given. While this can be mitigated by providing her with defense-boosting Blades, it's generally best to do everything in the player's power to keep the aggro off of her.Her signature Blade is Orpheus.
Donovan 	Donovan is the leader of Marita Caravan, a boisterous and excitable individual despite the responsibility he carries. He does his best to keep those under his wing safe, along with his Blade and wife Eris, meaning that the attack on his caravan and the death of some of the people he feels responsible for hurt him on an emotional level. Determined to prevent their deaths from being in vain, he joins Teya's journey to find the plague's cure, vowing to protect her to the best of his ability.----
Donovan's specialty is Defense, being the tank of the party and designed to get the aggro off of all other party members. He doesn't specialize too much in the use of Ether-based Blade weapons, preferring to rely on Strength for his damage output, but both stats are serviceable to the point where he can use either effectively. His main disadvantage is constantly being subject to barrages of enemy attacks if used correctly- pairing with a user of Healer Blades is ideal.His signature Blade is Eris.
==Blades==
Blades form the core of the game's combat system, being synthetic organisms with incredible powers that bond to the playable characters, granting them their strength. Each character can equip up to 3 individual Blades at a time, swapping between them mid-battle to enable access to their unique Arts and abilities.
Each Blade has 4 unique Arts as well as their Special abilities, which can be accessed by utilizing the Pyrohedron's face buttons and Right Bumper, respectively. Every Blade is also assigned one of eight Elements: , , , , , , , and . This element determines what element the Blade's Auto-Attacks and Arts are, as well as the element of their Specials. Specific enemies have a weakness to certain elements and resistance to others, and players are able to strategize their team around this.
===Core Crystal System===
Blades are obtained from a resource known as Core Crystals, which can be obtained from chests, purchased from stores, or found by defeating enemies. Core Crystals act as a form of gacha randomized obtainment method, with the majority of Blades obtained through chance while relying on these Crystals. However, the actual algorithms and use of Core Crystals have been rebalanced since their appearance in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, intended to be a fairer and less luck-based experience.
There are three main percentages applied to the odds of obtaining a new Blade, which is displayed when the player is utilizing a Crystal:
* is the user's base percentage of obtaining a Blade. This progressively gets smaller as the player unlocks more and more Blades, as the pool of possible win states decreases as time goes on.
* is an additional percentage added by spending BP on a crystal, with each BP used adding 1% to the chance. A maximum of 10 BP can be spent on a crystal, meaning BP % can be a maximum of 10% in any instance.
* is a value that is added when a Rare or Legendary Core Crystal is utilized. When a Rare crystal is used, it adds 5% to the total, while Legendary crystals add 15% to the total.
If the roll succeeds, then the player unlocks a new Blade for the character who utilized the Core Crystal. If it fails, then the crystal shatters and the player obtains 1 BP or Blade Point, as a consolation reward, which can be spent later to increase the chances of obtaining a Blade.
Unlike Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the only possible reward from Core Crystals is what was previously denoted as "Rare Blades"- generic or "Common" Blades have been removed entirely, with the loss state shifting to the breaking of the crystal and obtaining BP. Director Pyrostar has stated that this change was made as a pro-player measure, aiding in the obtaining of desired Blades rather than relatively useless common Blades.
===Blade Compendium===
Blade 	Biography
Orpheus 	Weapon: Pragmatika EdgeObtained from: Story Event
Orpheus is unusual for a Blade, with his purple core and unique ability to manipulate illusions and the perceptions of others tell that perhaps he is not exactly an average blade. Obtained by Teya in the fateful attack that cost her her arm, Orpheus uses his power and life force to construct a new arm for her, offering to help her in her quest to obtain a cure for the plague sweeping Keola. He does seem to have an end goal of his own, however, with the name "Euridia" leaping back and forth in his mind. Orpheus, in contrast with the sweet and spunky demeanor of Teya, is a nihilistic loner who only opens up slightly to his Driver and even less so to everyone else. He thinks that hope is an illusion conceived by mortal life forms as a feeble form of motivation- that said, he is the master of illusion, after all.
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Orpheus's Arts utilize the Pragmatika Edge, a strangely organic weapon that harnesses his ability to manipulate perception to disorient opponents. It has a long range for a standard sword weapon and has natural aggro reduction to help keep his Driver's aggro low and HP high.
*Shimmering Edge - Turn temporarily invisible and perform a surprise attack. All attacks will be evaded during the animation for this Art.
*Mirage Slash - A powerful diagonal slash that deals heavy damage when performed to the side of an enemy.
*Disorient Slash - Sweep the Pragmatika at the Driver's feet for an AoE attack centered around them. If an enemy is inflicted with Break, this attack will trip them up and inflict Topple.
*Ichor Drain - A stabbing attack that spawns an HP Potion, with a 30% chance to spawn 2 Potions.
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*Dark Mastery - This Blade is able to interact with dark or corrupted material for various purposes.
*Deception - This Blade is able to trick security systems or NPCs utilizing the power of illusion. Exclusive to Orpheus.
*Ancient Wisdom - This Blade is able to decipher ancient texts and inscriptions.
Eris 	Weapon: BrutebreakerObtained from: Story Event
Eris has been the loyal Blade of Donovan for many years, serving as a sort of motherly figure to the people in the Marita Caravan. She's actually married to Donovan himself, a level of Blade-Driver bond that is truly rare, but the love the two share for each other is deep and they'll do anything for each other's happiness. When the loss of the caravan and the lives of many of the people involved with it puts him in a depressed state, it's Eris who convinces him to stay strong and help Teya in her quest to find a cure for the plague, ensuring their deaths aren't in vain. Eris is a kind and loving young woman and is always there to help those in need, but she can come across as a little airheaded and absentminded, occasionally forgetting important details or fixating on certain things to an unhealthy degree. Luckily, Donovan's there to keep her safe.
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Eris's weapon is a unique tool called the Brutebreaker, a fusion between shield, knuckles, lance, and railgun. As befitting a tank like Donovan, Eris's Arts rely on keeping aggro on her Driver while dishing out damage, as well as guarding him to ensure that he goes relatively unhurt.
*Scatter Shot - A rapid-fire barrage of ice shots in a cone in front of the user. Low damage, but can rack up quickly if all shots hit the same enemy. Intended for aggro building.
*Rising Spike - A powerful uppercut using the Brutebreaker's point. If the target is Toppled, this attack will inflict Launch.
*Lance Twist - Spin around in a wide circle and attack everything around the user. Increased aggro buildup means this move is good for garnering enemy attention.
*Shield Knuckle - A counterattack move that puts the user into a defensive state for a few seconds. If attacked, they will perform a powerful punch using the Brutebreaker as a blunt instrument, and also reduce the damage of the attack by 50%.
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*Ice Mastery - This Blade is able to control ice or freeze liquids for various purposes.
*Fortitude - The quality to keep from backing down, no matter what the situation. Useful for strenuous tasks.
*Comfort Food - Adds a wider range of dishes to the player's possible cooking repertoire. Exclusive to Eris.
Cetus 	Weapon: Leviathan RodObtained from: Fisherman's Core Crystal
Cetus was once the Blade of a legendary fisherman, who traveled across Keola in search of the finest aquatic cuisine and roughest, most powerful catches. They went down in history as some of the greatest in their craft, with Cetus's luck and skill complementing her Driver's perfectly. Unfortunately, both she and her Driver were swallowed whole by their biggest catch yet, the monstrous sea beast known as the Elusive Ricardo. When the beast is found and slain by Teya and her party, they obtain her swallowed Core Crystal, enabling her to return to catching fish once again. Cetus is a friendly Blade with a soft, gentle personality and a lot of patience- ideal for a fisherwoman, not always so ideal for a combatant. She's also a very cozy individual, enjoying snuggling up with her Driver for an affectionate octopus hug.
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Cetus's signature weapon is the Leviathan Rod, a legendary tool that resembles a fishing rod more than any true form of weaponry. She acts as an offensive healer, utilizing the multiple lines on the rod to catch and snag enemies, pulling HP Potions from their bodies to heal the party.
*Healing Hook - Pry off 2 to 4 small HP Potions with a multitude of weak fishing lines.
*Tangle - Wrap a line around the target's legs before whacking them with the rod. If the target has been inflicted with Break, this Art inflicts Topple.
*Octoblast - A bullet of organic ink is fired at a target, which then bursts into a fine mist. Heals the party by 50% of the damage dealt by this attack.
*Sinker - A weighted line is cast onto the target, then firmly yanked to deal damage. Chance to inflict Speed Down.
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*Water Mastery - This Blade is able to control water for various purposes.
*Ichthyology - When this Blade is equipped for someone in the party, Fish-type item drops are more common in Collection Points.
*Focus - The ability to patiently analyze a situation to determine the correct path to take. Useful for delicate operations.
Kirin 	Weapon: Forge ClawsObtained from: Random
Kirin is a Blade who does not desire to be awake. He prefers to think to himself, tinkering in the collective of memories that form his Core Crystal and coming up with ideas for inventions. As a Blade destined for stoking forges and creating works of wonder, he is understandably gruff and disinterested when asked to battle alongside his Driver. During his sidequest, Kirin goes into further detail about his inherent passion for craftsmanship, explaining that it gives him a method of connecting with people past his frightening visage. Eventually, Kirin is forced to fight when it is revealed a child of one of his former Drivers has been kidnapped, and the party eventually helps the forgeman rescue her and become more comfortable with interaction.
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Kirin fights with the powerful Forge Claws, which deal damage in sharp chunks and strike with incredible speed. The claws are a powerful damage-dealing weapon but have such a small range that the user must get very close to the enemy to perform maximum damage, accentuated by the effects on the Arts they provide.
*Shovel Claw - An outward sweeping attack that strikes everything in a cone shape in front of the user. Inflicts Defense Down.
*Strafe Slash - The user performs a jabbing motion with the claws. Deals more damage to the enemy's side.
*Massacre Slash - A four-hit combo attack that gets progressively more powerful with each strike.
*Ravager Spin - The user spins around to perform an AoE attack. Reduces aggro for every strike the attack makes.
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*Fire Mastery - This Blade is able to control fire and ignite objects for various purposes.
*Tinkering - The ability to work with metal and electronics to serve various needs and craft special items. Exclusive to Kirin.
*Ferocity - The ability to frighten or intimidate individuals for coercion or tactical purposes.
Pele 	Weapon: Ignius BatonObtained from: Random
OlciaCreated by 	Weapon: Segmented FlamesObtained from: Random
Olcia dislikes fighting because of how much it takes away from her, although she is always missing her hands as she is terrified of the world around her. Through her blade quest, the player can coax her into seeing the beautiful world that she has shielded herself from.
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The Segmented Flames are separated pieces of Olcia that zip around the battlefield, kicking at opponents or creating shields of flame to entrap them. The more the player relies on its power, the more damaged and vulnerable Olcia becomes, slowly changing the player's role from tank to DPS.
Kuilong 	Weapon: Imperial NaginataObtained from: Random
BulixCreated by 	Weapon: Toxic CutterObtained from: Random
Bulix is stubborn and is a bit of a showoff in battle. He speaks and acts on impulse, getting him into trouble despite his good intentions. Whenever he does make a mistake, he will try to justify his choices, often hiding behind the few times his short-sighted actions ended up being beneficial. Considering all this, he works surprisingly well with other blades, even if he takes a little too much credit for his team's successes.
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The Toxic Cutter is a close-range cutting weapon. Bulix can form each of his hands into a swirling disc of toxic liquid. The discs can be used to slash at enemies directly, sent out a short distance before returning, set to orbit around him for a short time or explode outwards in a single giant ring around him. He is an attacker blade, with high speed and damage output, but poor defense. When using his blade specials, his toxin can weaken enemy defense and deal damage to them over time.
AeoquaCreated by 	Weapon: Bamboo StaffObtained from: Random
Aeoqua was a weapon crafted by a god to use to control water although she rejected him and formed her own destiny instead of serving under him. She does not trust Teya initially, only going along with her group because of the ties the Core Crystals have to their users, but Teya can earn her trust through her sidequest.
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The Bamboo Staff channels water and other elements through it, allowing Aeoqua to shoot strands of water and change the core temperature, allowing it to be scalding hot or freezing cold. This can affect how enemies take damage from it- enemies with light armor will be more susceptible to her hot water attacks and enemies with heavy armor will be more susceptible to her cold water attacks. The orb on the top of the staff changes color depending on whether she's using the Hot or Cold Art.
Raida 	Weapon: Justice KnucklesObtained from: Random
A mighty insectoid warrior who fights with the strength of a thousand men, Raida is the classic superhero type of warrior, swooping in to save the day and prove the might of justice. He never gives up on anything and will see any task through- no matter what he has to demolish to achieve it, or what pain he and his Driver have to go through to achieve it. This actually leads to the demise of his previous Driver, as the party soon discovers, and his determination to reunite with his "sidekick"- the Blade known as Vespa- soon gets the party stuck in a feud against her new Driver that threatens their lives.
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The Justice Knuckles serve as Raida's signature weapon and are an offensive weapon that grants the Driver a pair of spiked insect-like fists. These knuckles have very little true strength but strike quickly and in high amounts. As such, they enable the user to chip away at enemies with high defense by striking repeatedly with little damage, as well as get damage off without much aggro accumulation.
*Thousand Knuckles - Rapidly strike the opponent with a weak 16-hit combo. Inflicts Break.
*Beetle Punch - A powerful strike that requires a short windup time before being unleashed. Nullifies target defense for maximum damage.
*Raider Combo - A weak five-hit combo attack that gets progressively more powerful with each strike.
*Grenade Uppercut - The user strikes with a powerful uppercut that then explodes, dealing several small hits. Can inflict Blowdown on enemies.
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*Electric Mastery - This Blade is able to control electricity and power electronic objects for various purposes.
*Superstrength - Extreme physical strength enables this Blade to lift or break heavy or fortified objects.
*Heroic Spirit - Passion and determination lead to a heroic spirit that helps people in dire situations. Exclusive to Raida.
VelveraCreated by 	Weapon: Ion GemObtained from: Random
Velvera is a spirited combatant, enjoying diving into the heart of any battle. This sometimes makes her neglect her supportive role in battle, so she must be constantly kept on task. By contrast, she is significantly more mellow in everyday life, to the point of becoming depressed if she doesn't see action in a while. She greatly enjoys strategy games, it helps keep her engaged.
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Velvera's weapon is the Ion Gem, a massive cudgel with a gemstone forming its head. Velvera controls the weapon telekinetically, allowing her to move freely while the weapon winds up for an attack. The weapon can be spent spinning forward to deal with a smashing overhead attack, launched forwards like a missile, or generate a forcefield that electrocutes enemies that enter it. Velvera has decent offensive power, but is primarily a Tank in battle, drawing the focus of enemies on the field away from her allies.
KurageCreated by 	Weapon: Stinger GauntletsObtained from: Random
Wy ErringCreated by	Weapon: Dual WirewhipObtained from: Random
ZordaCreated by 	Weapon: Noponic HammerObtained from: Nopon Core Crystal
Zor'da was a Nopon who grew up hearing legends about Blades and Drivers. Inspired by the former, he sought to essentially "become" a Blade, through heavy technological research. When Teya and her allies come across the Nopon, he seeks to assist them in order to find out more about Blades and Drivers and eventually builds a Core Crystal that will allow him to "become" a Blade in a sense.
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The Noponic Hammer is a powerful tool infused with electrical energy. Whenever it hits, it acts as a current for electricity and unleashes a shock toward the enemy. However, it's a bit heavy and unwieldy. Ideal for tanks with high defense.
Xaline 	Weapon: Black Flag CannonObtained from: Random
Xaline is a treasure hunter at heart, a woman with an innate desire for wealth in any shape or form she can get her hands on. Interestingly, much of her body consists of gold crystals, seemingly merged with her skin and growing out of her body parts. The party later learns why this is; Xaline's crystal was once cracked and irreparably damaged, forcing one of her previous Drivers to have to fill in the cracks with gold, resulting in her changed appearance and personality shift from valiant defender to greedy hunter. Though she vows to try to live up to the expectations of the old Xaline, she still can't resist getting a little gold sometimes.
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Xaline's weapon is the Black Flag Cannon, a powerful ranged weapon capable of dealing immense damage to targets over time- this becomes even stronger due to Xaline's passive, which makes her attacks stronger as gold is picked up mid-battle. While the attacks come out slowly, they have immense range and power behind them. Interestingly, this weapon is one of the few ranged weapons to rely on Strength rather than Ether.
*Grand Grenade - Target the enemy with a powerful shell attack that explodes, damaging all enemies nearby with AoE damage.
*Shotgun Burst - Strike every target in a cone in front of the user with powerful shrapnel. Inflicts Break.
*Anchor Shot - Fire an anchor from the cannon to latch onto an enemy, dealing heavy damage. Typically spawns a Medium HP Potion, with a 30% chance to spawn a Large HP Potion.
*Heavy Bullet - Fire a heavy steel ball at a single target to deal heavy damage. Can inflict Knockback on enemies.
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*Earth Mastery - This Blade is able to control stone and earth for various purposes.
*Mineralogy - When this Blade is equipped for someone in the party, Stone-type item drops are more common in Collection Points.
*Focus - The ability to patiently analyze a situation to determine the correct path to take. Useful for delicate operations.
JadwigaCreated by 	Weapon: Scampish ScimitarObtained from: Random
Jadwiga's Blade said to be contained out of a general disdain for her. Not that she's particularly evil or anything. Rather, she loves playing tricks. She presents herself as a cute girl but uses that to misdirect unsuspecting people, in order to pull off some sort of joke. These range from giving unsuspecting people bunny ears to misplacing someone's belongings so they freak out until they find it later, and some legends even say she made a rich man's gold disappear for a few days before it turned up later. It's said some have hunted down her driver in the past just to put an end to her jokes.
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It appears as a normal sword for slicing foes. However, it doesn't deal that much damage compared to other blades. However, it is good at annoying foes, debuffing them, and applying negative statuses.
AmamunaCreated by 	Weapon: Mazua StaffObtained from: Random
Amamuna was once a part of a powerful and noble family, who served as the leaders of the up-and-coming Mazuna nation. These people specialized in sand manipulation, and as such made it in such a way that sand was their way of life, constructing houses, temples, etc completely out of sand. Sadly though, Amamuna became dreadfully ill and died at a young age; her father ordered her to be mummified to be a symbol of the nation's legacy and was put in a temple. Centuries later, one way or another she would reawaken and want to help others, protecting them from the fate she suffered years ago. Amamuna is typically kind and sweet towards others, though is rather sensitive about her past
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Amamuna's weapon is the Mazua Staff, an ancient weapon of her people capable of manipulating sand particles in a way that can damage opponents and support allies. The staff is also a rather effective melee weapon when the situation calls for it. Though not technically a weapon, she is also always found in a large coffin that can provide protection.
Soverign 	Weapon: Surveyor DronesObtained from: Random
KukiCreated by 	Weapon: Dancing BowObtained from: Random
Mischievous, self-centered but fun-loving, Kuki is all about entertaining the others as much as to amuse herself. Past Drivers have difficulty keeping up with her does to her ambition and her constant mischief, but she will guard them nevertheless, not wanting to trap them in a crystal. Once the Driver has become a somewhat adequate dancer, however, then Kuki will gladly help out the current Driver and can be very affectionate, regardless of the Driver's gender. A sidequest involves an elegant dancing mini-game with simple control, but it gets slightly more difficult as the mini-game progresses.
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The Dancing Bow, which while not very powerful on its own, will cause an enemy to dance (or be distracted) for a while. It can also perform arts to severely weaken the enemy's defense, leaving them more vulnerable to attack.
MyrionCreated by 	Weapon: Fan of DominanceObtained from: Random
Myrion's a strict Blade that seeks proper order in everyone around her. If she sees those around her acting poorly, with her Fan of Dominance in hand, she forces them into position. And when there's free time, she'll take her driver, and train them to be a proper princess, regardless of their gender. And when she encounters hostile miscreants, upon their defeat, she demands they be executed. If someone is executed, she's then said to praise the executor, giving them a moment to be "slobbish."
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With the Fan of Dominance, the driver can swipe to attack. The fan itself can do very minor melee damage, however, it produces gusts of wind with each swipe, dealing ether damage. With these gusts, she commands all sorts of attention, drawing aggro from foes around her. Thankfully, she boasts plenty of defense, allowing her driver to withstand more blows.
Gwyneth 	Weapon: ParasolariaObtained from: Random
SophiaCreated by 	Weapon: Freezing RibbonObtained from: Random
Valerie 	Weapon: Fracture StaffObtained from: Random
ShinseiCreated by 	Weapon: Nova ClawsObtained from: Random
A gruff Blade who had low patience with other Blade does to some of them not taking their work seriously or for being overtly optimistic or cynical. He prefers to take distance from Dark Blades, not out of spite, but rather because the Dark Blades refuse to get along with him, one of them even trying to attack him against the orders. However, he is also very protective toward the Driver but only shows his sympathy when needed.
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The Nova Claws are a pair of specialized claws Shinsei can equip to swipe enemies and, while reckless, deal more damage than the average Blade. One of his art can penetrate some defense, the other breaking their confidence, but reckless use may cause Shinsei to harm the allies and even his own Driver.
Ardatha 	Weapon: Vengeful ScytheObtained from: Random
SieliuCreated by 	Weapon: Smoke StaffObtained from: Random
Sieliu is a Blade of mystery, loving nothing more than keeping a secret. She can come off a bit flirty at times. Sieliu is a master of illusions, and anything you may learn about her will eventually be revealed to be a lie. What is Sieliu's true secret? The player can only find out by playing her side quest...
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The Smoke Staff is a long spear-like weapon that generates mystic smoke to disorient the enemy, making the user's evasion skyrocket but lowering their defensive capabilities. The smoke can also be controlled for a variety of special attacks, many of which are large AoE attacks that strike multiple times.
XeronCreated by 	Weapon: Black Hole BlasterObtained from: Random
Xeron comes from a deep space of unknown origin. How he actually got where he is now is unknown, and if asked he will prefer to keep it secret. Despite being somewhat of a lone wolf, he does have a rather prankster side to him, often pulling jokes and pranks on those unsuspecting. Unique to the other Blades, rather than having a Core Crystal embedded in his chest, it's embedded all around his head!
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Xeron's weapon is the Black Hole Blaster, a weapon capable of firing blasts of energy massive enough to rip through space-time, creating small black holes. Thankfully, the blaster is modified so he and his allies are unaffected.
UvaCreated by 	Weapon: Blacklight SticksObtained from: Random
===Legendary Blades===
Legendary Blades are unique among Blades due to possessing an inherently lower summon rate than most Blades, as well as being more powerful; they will typically only enter player possession near the game's end.
Another unique quality of Legendary is the crossover aspect; many Legendary Blades are designed by guest artists or have crossover elements with other series.
Blade 	Biography
ExcaliburCharacter by , Art by	Weapon: Archaic LongswordObtained from: Royal Core Crystal
TBA
LaylaCharacter by , Art by 	Weapon: Pyrurya's FlameObtained from: Random
TBA
KiloBotCharacter by , Art by 	Weapon: Thundering BlunderbussObtained from: Rampaging Core Crystal
TBA
ImperiumCharacter by , Art by 	Weapon: Imperium BladeObtained from: Random
TBA
SarinaCharacter by , Art by 	Weapon: Sun ParasolObtained from: Shimmering Core Crystal
TBA
==Map==
==Trivia==
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