Conquer the Soul

**Conquer the Soul** is a Story Arc of the the Exteria Multiverse. It takes place in Mazdayana - a long time before Also Sprach - and follows the perspective of veteran Shikigami Manithil Erudessa and amnesiac warrior Helyett. It is a sequel of Conquer the Heart.

## Main Arc : Anarchy

### Lost in Chaos

Manithil's group from Conquer the Heart wanders the land of Bloodrose in order to find a way to help rebuild their lost kingdoms. They are greeted by terrifying red skies and a strange vortex that sweeps from nowhere and absorbs each of them in a red spiral, sending them to a mysterious location. As Manithil is sweeped as well, she hears a voice both unknown and familiar who calls her "daughter" and welcomes her home.

Manithil wakes up alongside Leo Kreiss, Sheol Arhimana and Virginie Shinryu. They are alone in a gigantic yet idyllic forest, unable to locate themselves, lost in the chaos of a natural realm devoid of civilisation. As they attempt to find their lost friends, they stumble on gigantic Direwolves who mercilessly attacks the human members of the group. They then encounter some of their allies, as well as the leader of the Direwolves, Lunamira, and the shamanic leader Taruniel, both Shikigami.

Taruniel and Lunamira kneel to a surprised Manithil, acknowledging her as the queen of the world ; a world built by the great Dragon Erudessa, protector of the Anima, forest and nature. They also explain, much to her dismay, that Humans in this world have been hunted to the brink of extinction, as they are considered impure and filthy and should be treated as a food surce. Manithil refuses that vision. Taruniel, confused by her Queen's refusal, retreats to meditate on it, and Lunamira, denying her right to be queen, confronts Manithil. The latter wins, and Lunamira, acknowledging her power and determination, swears fealty to her.

### Seeking the Dragon

The group, still recruiting ancient allies lost in the depths of the jungle, searches Erudessa for answers, seeking to confront her about her treatment of non-Shikigami races. They stumble upon a portal leading them to a strange dimension, one where everything is in ruins. A pilgrim named Rubia explains to them that they are in the realm of another dragon, Dahark, a powerful dragon corrupted by Miasma. The group reunites with another part of their army, led by Camelia Bloodrose, and promise to help eachother, before returning to their own quests.

Manithil stumbles upon young human survivor Delphine Renoria and half-Shikigami hybrid Epona Equies, and recruits and protects them. She finally reaches Erudessa's shrine, negociating with her through prayer for the survival of humans and the will to forgive. However, she is interrupted by a powerful disruptive magic. The magic's origin is none other than Idealie, who apologizes to her. Idealie recounts her life as a survivor who saw her species be tortured, enslaved, humiliated, corrupted and eventually driven to extinction by humans ; she agrees with Erudessa's vision of a human-less world and wants it to stay that way. Idealie then issues Manithil a final challenge.

Manithil's army clashes with Idealie, and Taruniel eventually joins Manithil's side, helping her gain a decisive advantage. Idealie, revealing her true name to be Idealie Erudessa and Manithil's older sister, unleashes her true power and unleashes the power of Draconization, but cannot bring herself to wound or kill her sister. Manitil comforts her and swears to treat humans harshly, yet to give them a final chance.

## Main Arc : Tyranny

### Darkness within Light

Meanwhile, Helyett wakes up to an inn room. She has been rescued by Camelia Bloodrose and Kalista Nightblade, and healed by Felicia Sunn. Without memories except her own name, and a burning hatred of the name Dahark, Helyett swears fealty to Camelia and becomes the appointed strategist of her army, as they try, like Leo and Manithil, to find ancient allies.

However, they soon understand they are within the boundaries of another kingdom - a strange, alternate, expansionist version of Shiro Mazda, governed by holy fanatics, in a dimension where Camelia Bloodrose is dead and gone and the Bloodrose empire is nothing but dust. A furious Camelia confronts directly the kingdom, clashing with the cold-blooded inquisitor Rinna Polaris and the sky warrior Judith Skysoar, then force-recruiting them into her growing army. She learns from them that in that dimension, Camelia's sister Orchidea Bloodrose - dead from illness as a child in her own timeline - is still alive.

### In the Holy Dragon's Den

Meanwhile Helyett faces also revelations from a wandering warrior from another world, the brutal Alecto of Lunarch. Alecto reveals that there are three worlds, one for each of the tree great Dragons : one for the chaotic dragon Erudessa, one for the holy and orderly Shinryu, and one for the desolate and corrupted Dahark. She comes from the last one, serving the world's leader Imperia Dahark, and her aim is to kill the three Dragons to put the destiny of mankind back in its own hands.

Helyett soon begins to remember and understand she is Imperia's sister, **Helyett Dahark**, born from Dahark's cursed blood. She swears to save her sister - still battling Dahark in her own realm - and with the help of Virginie as the two groups meet in Dahark's world, manages to unlock her own Draconis form. She uses that form to attack the high cathedral in front of the ruler Miranda Liev, rescuing Orchidea and defeating Linda Leylina, an eccentric healer who quickly joins her cause.

Helyett and Camelia finally confront Miranda herself, who reveals herself to have lost her sister Chastity Liev in the war against Bloodrose and gives everything in order to control the world's order and ensure it never happens again. She calls upon Draconization and the power of Shinryu but is defeated nevertheless. As she is about to die, the Chastity from Camelia's dimension makes an appearance and heals Miranda, allowing her to survive. Miranda then resigns herself to join Helyett and Camelia in order to have a second chance at life with her sister.

## Main Arc : Apocalypse

### Prepare for a Final Fight

However, the battle is not yet won, as the two armies join as one once again, preparing to face Dahark in the third world. Helped by Rubia, as well as Imperia's warriors Phoebe Akherona and Lurandil Darkseye, they storm in the desolate plains, fighting as one in order to save Imperia and prevent Dahark from attacking both the other worlds' dragons and sowing chaos and destruction.

They find in their road to the last castle where Dahark awaits the last remnants of their lost army, as well as new allies in the person of the stern judge Albenia Dahr, the poisonous survivalist Seshira Apophis, and the sharp-tongued Mitsuko Sasori. Finally, after many preparations and battles against Dahark's relentless Undead and Ghoul army, the party reaches Dahark's castle.

### A Final Confrontation

The final confrontation proves to be much harder than expected ; a weakened Imperia is barely surviving Dahark's assaults, forcing the army to desperately protect her from the gigantic Malevolence's blows. As they manage to overpower and defeat Dahark, she absorbs Angra Mainyu's energy from within all corrupted battlers, growing in size and power and destroying the castle in one swift movement.

In the ruins of the castle, the battle rages once more, seeking to overpower the god-like dragon as it constantly grows in size and strength. However, Helyett's Draconis form manages to pierce the dragon's armor and reveal its heart, which is then pierced by all kinds of attacks. Still as Dahark is dying, she manages to possess Imperia and attempt to force her to commit suicide in a last act of spite. Virginie, her back to the wall, has no choice but to cast a forbidden spell, destroying all Asterisks in the world and preventing Dahark's magic from working. Now powerless but victorious, the group stares at the ashes of Dahark's kingdom, seeking refuge in Erudessa's paradise-like realm in order for them and the other refugees to heal their wounds and find solace at last.

## Characters

* Manithil Erudessa
* Leo Kreiss
* Chastity Liev
* Leona Ciel
* Isabel Lunaly
* Evangelina
* Ayame Mizuru
* Milena Innocence
* Miria of Sunhome
* Okami Alvein
* Katarina Darksteel
* Marie Eleison
* Kila Erune
* Nyx Leumbra
* Sheva of Lunarch
* Felicia Sunn
* Rydia Lorelei
* Jessie Bladedge
* Idealie
* Ninia Mizuru
* Camelia Bloodrose
* Kalista Nightblade
* Sheol Arhimana
* Virginie Shinryu
* Helyett
* Rubia
* Lunamira
* Epona Equies
* Delphine Renoria
* Taruniel
* Rinna Polaris
* Judith Skysoar
* Alecto of Lunarch
* Linda Leylina
* Orchidea Bloodrose
* Miranda Liev
* Seshira Apophis
* Mitsuko Sasori
* Phoebe Akherona
* Lurandil Darkseye
* Albenia Dahr
* Imperia Dahark
* Dahark
* Erudessa
* Shinryu

## Trivia

* This is one of the most crowded and compliated storyline, with a total 45 major characters.