Tales of the West : Wandering Soul Tower

**Tales of the West : Wandering Soul Tower** is a Story Arc of the the Exteria Multiverse. It takes place in Avalon and follows the perspective of the young exorcist Mary Maark. It is followed by Tales of the West : Land of Divine Melancholy.

## Main Arc

### An Exorcist's Standard Job

Mary Maark, an exorcist living in the land of Avalon, a land of fantasy where everything is possible, receives one day a letter asking her to investigate the **Marlowe Mansion**. Although wary of the letter and of its mysterious presence, she decides to have a quick look at the Mansion just to make sure everything is ok.

As she leaves the house, she notices a great number of Spirits in the night sky. As she flies towards the Mansion, she is interrupted by one of them, the playful Willow Fae. After summarily defeating her, she gets closer to the mansion, but is interrupted once again in her search by Adelaide Nia, a river spirit known as a **Rusalka** who tries to drown her in order to be with her forever. After a brief battle, Mary finally reaches the mansion itself.

### Inside the Dark Mansion

Mary searches the garden and stumbles upon Sayaka Chuda, a warrior girl versed in Necromancy. Sayaka quickly acknowledges Mary as her rival and repeatedly fights her as a way to test her and to have fun. However, before the battle can really decide which of them is the best fighter, the mansion's twisted aura separates them, leaving Mary to wander in its corridors.

Mary finds several patrolling dolls within the mansion's labyrinth-like structure and manages to find the dolls' controller, Flamelia Stein. The young doll-master, student to the mansion's Mistress, asks Mary to keep quiet and wait for the evening's **great experiment**. Mary, wanting to know more, challenges Flamelia to a battle. Flamelia loses and reluctantly tells Mary the position of the mansion's owner.

However, Mary must fight one last obstacle. In the main halls of the mansion, she finds the one who twisted the dimensions : a powerful Demon, Desdemona Fatus, and a servant of the mansion. Desdemona, who was fighting Sayaka at the time, fights both girls at once, but cannot defeat them and finally exits the stage, the road now open for Mary and Sayaka.

### A Spirit's Eternity

Mary finally finds the mistress of the mansion, Faustina Marlowe, in the midst of an impressive ritual. A great Mage who once made a deal with Devils for power, Faustina, her time drawing close, has found a ritual in order to eliminate Death itself and grant eternity to all of creation. Understanding the catastrophic implications of such a ritual, Mary fights Faustina in the midst of a spiritual whirlpool, defeating Faustina even as her body is possessed by the very spirits she summoned. Faustina, weakened and close to death, finally understands Mary's warnings and apologizes. However, Mary refuses to leave her like this and chooses to confront the demon who holds her soul.

Mary goes through a mirror directly to **Avalon's Hell**, where she fights once again a power-boosted Desdemona, before finally confronting the mistress of all infernal contracts : her sister, Mephilia Fatus. Gambling her own salvation on that battle, Mary fights Mephilia who proves to be extraordinarily powerful. She barely emerges victorious, with Mephilia honoring her word and freeing Faustina, before telling Mary she will not forget her and will enjoy tormenting her in the future. Mary then returns home, after a brief celebration with the Marlowe mansion's inhabitants, now reconciled with the demons.

## Characters

* Mary Maark : Divine Spirit Exorcist
* Willow Fae : Mischievous Will'o'Wisp
* Adelaide Nia : Rusalka Looking for Company
* Sayaka Chuda : Daughter of Snake and Scorpion
* Flamelia Stein : The Puppet-Master of Eternity
* Desdemona Fatus : Hell's Prime Tourist Guide
* Faustina Marlowe : Tragic Seeker of Endless Days
* Mephilia Fatus : Queen of Infernal Crossroads

## Trivia

* The Tales of the West saga is a nod to the **Touhou Project** series, which structure and style it mimics in its narrative, albeit with a Western twist.
* Furthermore, it refers to the legend of Doctor Faust and Mephistopheles represented respectively by Faustina and Mephilia.