Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden

***Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden*** (Voice of Cards 囚われの魔物) is the third game in the *Voice of Cards* series. Similar to other entries in the *Voice of Cards* series, the story is told entirely through the medium of cards. The Beasts of Burden introduces a capture mechanic that allows the player to trap monsters defeated in combat within cards and use them as skills in battle.

The story follows, Al'e, a young girl out for revenge against the monsters that destroyed her home. She's joined on her travels by her three companions: L'gol, a mysterious and aloof boy; Pulche, a voluble monster scholar; and Tralis, an amateur beast tamer.

## Story

On her fourteenth birthday, Al'e returns home from a long patrol. Frugally but happily, she celebrates with her mother. Suddenly her village is attacked and everyone except her is killed by monsters. Distraught she finds herself unable to fight back and is nearly killed by a monster when L'gol saves her. Taking her to the outside world L'gol asks her what she wishes to do next. Eventually it is decided they will go to Steelbrough.

Upon arriving it is revealed that Al'e is a subterran who can control monsters via a special card case. The senators task her with capturing the rampaging Steel Primal in the nearby mines. Obliging she and L'gol go to fight the primal. After defeating the primal they report back to the senators who reveal they wish to use the Steel Primal to wage war on a nearby city. Al'e refuses but has her card taken by L'gol. In a twist, L'gol uses the card to kill the senators for their abuse of him. Fleeing the two steal a sand skiff, and escape into the desert. Safe and sound the two then decide that now that they have both had their revenge they will go in search of stars in a world without night.

After wandering the desert for days, the pair decide they must find water. While searching they run into Pulche, who is being chased by monsters. Fighting off the monsters they beg him for water only to learn he has none. All three then collapse of thirst. Luckily, they are picked up by a travelling caravan who nurses them back to health. Now recovered, the three are asked by the circus owner to find the missing circus performers. Pulche quickly volunteers the group and they go scour the desert. Eventually they run into Tralis who begs them to save her companion from the monster who snatched them. Entering the nearby ruins, the trio defeat the monster but are unable to find anything but a wererat. Going back to Tralis they learn that her companion is the wererat; much to Al'e's disgust. Returning to the circus the three decide to watch the circus show. During the show one of the circus' monsters goes rogue and Al'e subdues it. She goes to kill it but Tralis stops her. Although baffled, Al'e' eventually relents. After the show the circus owner asks Al'e if she may take Tralis with her so she can teach her to be a better beast tamer. After some back and forth Al'e agrees. Later while everyone is sleeping, however, she decides she cannot possibly journey with Tralis and opts to leave before everyone wakes up. L'gol joins her and the two try to leave. However, Pulche catches them and asks Al'e to hear him out. He explains that he needs her help in uncovering the cryptic meaning of his mother's last words. Al'e takes pity on him and decides to help him. Tralis, having woken up, joins the trio and the four head out.

Days later the group finds themselves in search of water once more. Tralis manages to lead the group to an impasse after smelling water beyond it. After making their way through, the group is shocked to see the nearby river on fire. Heading to the City of Fire, the group comes across a pair of hungry orphans. Lacking food themselves, the group then head to the mayor to ask for aid. They learn the mayor's own son has mysteriously become ill. He promises to help them if they can find the source of the boy's illness. Speculating it may be due to the Flame Primal, the group heads to the lake of fire to find it. Once there the four engage he Flame Primal in combat. During the fight Tralis is badly burned but the group ultimately reigns victorious. It's then discovered that the true culprit of the boy's illness is the tinderwater the people use. Reporting this to the mayor the four are distraught to learn the people will not cease their use of the tinderwater due to its profitability. In an attempt to help, Pulche creates a medicine to combat the effects of the tinderwater and hands it out to the citizens. The four then decide to head to the fabled Newterra, which is said to be a place of "hope".

Making their way through the wasteland, Tralis suddenly becomes ill from tinderwater poisoning. From the travelling merchant they learn of a nearby village that may help them. Heading there, the group finds the village under attack. Fighting off the monsters, Al'e and L'gol go to the apothecary while Pulche tends to Tralis on the sand skiff. When the two return with the medicine they find the villagers ready to attack Tralis. Thankfully the town's guru stops the villagers. The four go with the guru to talk and rest. They learn that the villagers are duty bound to kill any monster they see. Being part-monster, Tralis triggered this rule. In exchange for information about Newterra the four promise to retrieve a stone tablet for the guru. Going to the nearby ruins the four retrieve the tablet and go back to the guru. She informs them Newterra is located north of town through a passage. As the four leave town, they discover the villagers have all poisoned themselves due to their failure to kill Tralis. Horrified, the four bury the villagers and then make way for Newterra once more.

Making their way north, the four find themselves at the Endwall but are unable to find a way to scale the cliff. As the four discuss what they should do, Al'e suddenly faints due to overusing the Flame Primal's abilities. When she reawakens, she finds herself being tended to by an old woman who lives in the village nearby. After learning why the village is empty save for woman the four go to sleep. The four are awoken, however, by a shriek and go to check on the old woman. They find the woman has merely hurt her back. The woman tells them of a flower that can be used to heal her and the four go to find it. After obtaining the flower and making a medicine for the old woman, the four decide to stay one last night before attempting to scale the Endwall once more. The next day when they go to bid the woman farewell, they discover she has died in her sleep. Burying the old woman the four continue to the Endwall. Pulche manages to modify the sandskiff so that it can scale the Endwall. Due to a blizzard, however, they are only able to go up part way.

Landing the sandskiff, the four find an opening within the Endwall and decide to explore it. As the four make their way through the Endwall, they run into two fairies who warn them of the Frost Primal ahead, urging to turn back. However, the fairies' warnings prove to partly be a ruse as they attempt to kill the four themselves. Travelling further the four find human remains and speculate that the fairies are to blame. They four vow to kill the fairies for their misdeeds and continue onwards. Finally reaching the chamber of the Frost Primal, it is revealed that the two fairies are the Primal's constituents. It is also revealed that the Frost Primal was indeed the one responsible for the Icevale villagers' deaths. Enraged, the four attack the Primal. Badly beaten, the Frost Primal defuses back into its fairy forms. The two fairies attempt to play off their actions as mere jokes but are struck down by L'gol instead. Before he does so, however, they make reference to some "Mother". With the fairies gone, the blizzard subsides and the four finally make their way up the Endwall and to Newterra.

## Gallery

* Promotional Material
* Countdown Artwork
* Character Introductions
* Screenshots

* General
* EN
* JP

Soundtrack Art/Key VisualCommemorative Art

Commemorative ArtCommemorative Art

Commemorative Art

* EN
* JP

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