User:Whismas/Third Arclent War

Chapter 3 started with the Battle for Yhilin, but ends with the Third Arclent War, an even greater conflict that stretches across the nations of Arclent as they attempt to resist the invasion of the Incubus Emperor and ultimately defeat him. It's the biggest conflict in the game, with consequences for a wide variety of decisions both past and present.

This will be an in-depth, spoiler-filled guide that covers all of the hidden variables and flags that determine every outcome in the war, so be warned.

(As of Version 0.28 the conflict is not yet finished, so consider this guide incomplete with the possibility that things may change dramatically upon release of v.0.29 or later).

Like the Battle for Yhilin, this war tracks a host of different variables that determine the outcome and consequences of the war: As with the Battle for Yhilin, many of your past decisions and investments will come into play:
 * Arclent Acceptance: The willingness of the other countries to accept Yhilin's new existence.
 * Instability: Similar to the Chaos variable, this tracks the general upheaval and breakdown of social order on the continent. Increased by the chaos of war, but can be lowered by various decisions.
 * Incubus King's Domain Morale (IKD Morale): Morale of the people in the Incubus King's Domain, representing how willing the Incubus King's subjects are. Starts at 100, and can be reduced by the decisions and victories of Simon and his party, but can also be raised when the Incubus King's forces have decisive victories or if Simon does something that outrages the people of the IKD (usually by harming their homes).
 * Collateral Damage (CD): Represents the loss of lives and destruction of homes and lands. Unlike the Battle for Yhilin, each of the nations involved in the war has its own Collateral Damage tracker, so the war may harm some countries more than others depending on your decision. There are six regions tracked - Yhilin, Aram, Stineford, Ardoheim, Zirantia and the Incubus King's Domain (IKD). Increases as the war drags on, but can be lowered with the right decisions.

Army:
 * Size and Quality.
 * If "Succubus Saturation" was achieved ("Yarra's recruiting has given us more succubus troops than expected").
 * If Yhilin's Army is back to full strength ("Yhilin's forces are at least as strong as they were before the invasion.").
 * If the forces at Withered Mountain were recruited.
 * If the succubi at the Tower in Stineford were recruited.

Orcs:
 * Strength, Discipline, and Intelligence scores
 * Presence of Implevon the Third

Investments:
 * Dwarf Supplier;
 * Aramite Supplier;
 * Special Supplier (Megail's Investment);
 * Ardford Naval Guild;
 * Ardoheim Magic Shop;
 * Order of Silence.

Discretionary funding:
 * Succubus Immigration;
 * Reinforcing the Border with Aram and Ardoheim;
 * FANCY WALK;
 * Improving the Elven Ghetto;
 * Failing to fix the Yhilin Square or Economic Chaos

Research Projects:
 * Obscure Essence
 * Orc Evolution

Decisions:
 * State of the Aram Border (Great/Average/Disaster) and diplomatic response.
 * If the Unperson Petition Passed or Failed.
 * If it passed, then did Dari help investigate and remove unpeople from Yhilin, and talk to the Unperson in the Cathedral Library.
 * If the Orc Extermination Proposal Passed or Failed.
 * Talking to the surviving Chosen in the Order of Silence's empty lot.
 * If the Battle for Yhilin resulted in Social Chaos and Population Devastation or not.
 * If the Head of House Thelon Survived.
 * If Carina's men survived their previous encounter with the Incubus King's Orcs.
 * If the Zirantian Old League was supported or not.
 * If the Aramite Shining Armor was purchased in Eustrin, allowing you to learn about the mass production.

Hidden Variables Party Members:
 * Elven Investigation Score
 * Zirantian Investigation Score
 * Eustrin Impact Score
 * War Preparations Score
 * Yhilin Acceptance Score
 * Simon's Religion Score
 * Simon's Level.
 * If Simon learned to "control an increased flow of lust" at the training ground.
 * Affection Values: Aka, Carina, Janine, Nalili, Qum D'umpe, Uyae, Yarra.
 * Having the following items in your inventory (though not necessary to have them equipped): Aka's Custom Knife, Ancient Glove, Arcane Crystal, Lustplate, Worn Whip.

Setup
First the game takes a moment to do a few calculations. The first one is to create your new Arclent Acceptance score by taking your Yhilin Acceptance score and dividing it by 4 (So a Yhilin Acceptance of 40 is an Arclent Acceptance of 10).

The game then counts your Army Extensions, basically the number of forces you have in reserve to bring to bear on any given theater of war. You have a minimum of 1 extension, but gain more for having a larger army, plus one more on top of those for having an Army Quality of 20 or more, making 6 extensions the maximum possible. You will want every one of them.

The game then calculates Instability, with a starting value of 10. The instability is then modified further based on the Border Score.

The game then calculates the Incubus King's Domain Morale, with a starting value of 100, which is then modified by the following events: After that, the game then calculates the starting damages based on what happened during the Border Incident and how Yhilin chose to respond. (If you somehow managed to bypass any of that through a bug or something, the game simply gives a +1 to Instability and the two CD scores).
 * Succubus Immigration on: -5
 * Yhilin Acceptance 40 or more: -5

After this, the game starts properly with a tour of your Headquarters that quickly gets interrupted when Iris makes her move.

Yhilin 1: Seeds of Corruption
Seeds of corruption are flying everywhere and unlike some of the other ones Simon can't just absorb them. One lands nearby, prompting Simon to teleport in, but the seed activates and it's time to destroy it (with whatever party and equipment you had when you started the war).

The Seed of Corruption is like the ones you've faced before (but with more HP and higher attack values) - vulnerable to fire, but heavily resists lust attacks and just about every form of status effect, and attacks with the same attacks it has used so far (physical attacks, a lust stun AoE, a silence AoE and a single-target paralysis attack). Still, it shouldn't be too hard to deal with since you have a full party (gives 3119 EXP).

The hard part comes afterwards - this wasn't the only seed Iris launched, or even the only one targeting Yhilin. One already struck the poorly-defended Ari-Vhel and it's too late for the party to deal with it - how well the city defends itself depends on your War Preparations: That just leaves the other seeds launched at other nations- seeds have already been launched at Aram, Ardoheim, Stineford and Zirantia, but another one is launched depending on Yhilin's border fortifications (or rather, focuses on regions Yhilin hasn't fortified), which increases the Collateral Damage for that particular region. (If one is launched at the unfortified Aram border, the collateral damage is decreased by having a high border score, but can destabilize the region if the border score is low enough).

It's time to solve the problem, which involves doing the thing you should never do - split the party. But first, talk to the other people in the room and see what's happening.

You have four identical fights in four different regions, and with Robin heading off alone to deal with the seed near the Stineford Magical Academy that leaves you with nine to ten party members to divide among the four fights.

Varia in particular can be incredibly powerful if equipped with attack-boosting gear and some form of lust resistance (Crusader Mail for Reshaped Varia, or the custom blades of Dominated Varia), and can potentially solo a seed inside of two rounds by using Blade Dance, letting her carry a harder fight. The lust resistance means that Yarra's skills won't have much effect, though she can still whip things: this can be solved if she has Forceful Kiss and is in the same group as Hilstara (as it is a Synergy Skill). Regardless, she should still come along with someone for the XP if nothing else. With Robin gone, Altina is your only major source of fire damage (provided that you recruited her of course), so the other battles will all involve spreading around your heavy hitters and supporting them well so they don't get KO'd. Be sure to save your game and experiment, because you don't want to lose any of these fights (it doesn't give a Game Over screen, but it complicates matters).

Lose a fight, and that region gets hit with a +2 to its Collateral Damage score as the seed goes to town on the poor civilians, and you take a -2 penalty to your progress score. Win a fight and you get the usual fight rewards, plus a +2 to your progress score. In addition, your progress score can be boosted by a further +1 if you bring the right party member to the right region, as that party member provides support and leadership for the people (assuming you win the fight). Note that having two party members with the same bonus in the same fight won't stack - for example, sending both Simon and Carina to the same fight in Aram will only yield a single +1. So spread them out if you want to do your best.

So you should choose your best four fighters to assign them a fight and later add the rest party members trying to make the most balanced groups. Here is proposal taking also into account the preferred character for the various countries:


 * Aram: Simon, Nalili, Qum.
 * Yhilin: Altina, Yarra, Hilstara.
 * Ardoheim: Aka, Carina.
 * Zirantia: Varia, Uyae.

After the four fights are over, you're back in Headquarters to hear how things went in the other countries, which are partly determined by how much you did when you visited them.

You then get additional bonuses to your progress based on the decisions you made:


 * If the Unperson Vote passed: +2 as the new Unpeople deal with the threat.
 * If you supported the Old Zirantian League: +1 as the League cooperates.

Your progress is then totaled and used to determine your results. That was just the opening move, but if you want to end this war quickly you're going to have to contain the damage and engage the Incubus Emperor on all fronts. It's time for the party to split up again as they take on different battlegrounds.


 * Aram: Hilstara, Varia and Altina (if present);
 * Ardoheim: Aka, Carina and Uyae;
 * Incubus King's Domain: Yarra, Nalili and Qum;
 * Stineford: Robin.

Be sure to make any last changes to your equipment, and then talk to Janine to get this war rolling.

Aram 1: Calin Abbey
Hilstara's party arrives at Calin Abbey. If you chose to Assist Aram, this is where your troops first entered Aram and you can find some of the vanguard in the Southwest corner of the map. Otherwise, you need to convince Aram to let you bring troops through to fight the Incubus Emperor. Either way, this abbey serves as a valuable stopping point for your forces.

Travel up the path and feel free to stop and talk to anyone you encounter to get a feel for the war so far. At the door to they abbey is your contact - talk to her to progress.

Behind the scenes, the game starts tracking a new variable - Aramite Front. It represents just how stable and secure the war in Aram is. It starts at 0, but takes a -1 penalty if Aram's Collateral Damage is 4 or higher (which usually means something went wrong and/or you lost against the Seed of Corruption in Aram), which is visually represented by the tents on the western edge of the map being filled with refugees talking about the horrors they've seen. If you chose to Assist Aram you get a +3 bonus to your Aramite Front score. If Aram was the target of multiple seeds (because you fortified the Ardoheim border but not the Aram border), there is a -1 penalty to Aramite Front as divine casters are stretched to their limits.

The state of the border incident can also provide a bonus to Aramite Front if things are going well, and determines what enemies spawn that the priestess asks you to deal with. The succubi scouts are in the Northeast, while the Monsters and Deserters are wandering around the southern part of the map. Defeating the enemy gives you the usual XP and Sx, but also gives an additional to your +1 Aramite Front score. So go take care of it.

Once you've wrapped things up, talk to the Priestess again when you're ready to move on. Hilstara contacts Simon and discusses the state of the front, bringing up the possibility of stationing extra troops in Aram to protect the refugees and be on-hand if they're needed later. It's a great deal if you have the reserves, especially since it opens up other advantages later.
 * Keep Current Position: +3 to Aram Collateral Damage.
 * Send an Extra Troop: +1 to Arclent Acceptance, -1 to Instability, -1 to Aram CD and +3 to Aram Front, but it does commit one of your reserve troops.

The next question is how to send your forces to the front - either take the direct path to the northern border and enter the fray, or creep through the mountains and battle it out with the Incubus Emperor's forces hiding there. You won't find the exact consequences of this decision until later on, but they'll be displayed here for convenience. Send your orcs straight north if they're stronger, or into the mountains if they're smarter. If they're both strong and smart then it might be better to send them straight north since Instability is boosted by more things than Aram's Collateral Damage score.
 * Head straight north: It turns into a battle royale, giving +1 to Aram's Collateral Damage. Further results are based on how strong your orcs are.
 * Fight in the mountains: The fight breaks up and focuses on guerilla warfare. +1 to Instability. Further results are based on how intelligent your orcs are.

With that decision out of the way, it's time for a brief character interlude between Hilstara, Varia and possibly Altina that plays out differently depending on the personalities of the latter two, and then it's off to check on Yarra.

Incubus King's Domain 1: Entrance Tunnel
Yarra, Qum and Nalili have teleported in along with some orcs as part of a plan to sneak behind enemy lines to do some damage and prepare for the eventual assault on the Incubus Emperor. If the Impaler was spared, he joins them (though his contributions are more cosmetic rather than having any mechanical effect). Otherwise, a generic orc occupies his place.

Head north and west to meet up with your orc forces, only to discover that they're not alone, and run into a fight with five succubus deserters. They're vulnerable to lust damage, so between Yarra's skills and Nalili's Cleavage you should be able to make short work of them.

In the aftermath of the battle Yarra's party realizes that the succubi are rather desperate and Yarra orders the orcs to stand down. Unfortunately, the other succubi realize that Yarra is more important than she appears, jeopardizing the mission and prompting a quick decision.
 * Capture the succubi: Increases the IKD Collateral damage by +2, but that penalty is reduced by 1 each if your Orcs have an Intelligence of 10 or higher and/or a Discipline of 10 or higher, effectively canceling it out if you have both.

Recruiting the succubi not only offers a potentially massive hit to enemy morale, but also opens up conversations with the succubi afterwards where they explain the situation and perhaps compliment the discipline and attractiveness of your orcs.
 * Recruit the succubi: Increases Instability by +1, and provides an initial bonus of -5 to IKD Morale, with other bonuses based on several factors:

Furthermore, one of the succubi in the northwest corner of the map gives a short quest to help clear out some monsters located in these caverns who could potentially threaten their escape. There are three groups in total: one located in each of the southwest and southeast corners, with the last one wandering around on the upper level. The enemies aren't too difficult, though they use poison. Talking to the succubus after you defeat all three gives a -1 to IKD Collateral Damage in addition to the usual fight rewards.

In the western corner stands the leader of the orcs that came with Yarra - either the Impaler or a generic orc. The Impaler will offer his own commentary on the succubus fight but either way it's time to call Simon and make a decision: just how rough are his orcs going to be when raiding the succubi? Again, the results won't be seen until later, but are determined based on how disciplined your orcs are: A highly disciplined orc group can raid with minimal mechanical consequences, though there may be other plot consequences in a later update.

With this decision made it's time to go find that tunnel - the entrance is over in the north east, just climb up the vines to reach it.

Once you've finished up everything you want to do on this side of the tunnel, enter the tunnel... and once again run into succubi going the other direction. This drops you into a fight with two succubi warriors - both are vulnerable to lust damage but the one with purple wings uses more physical attacks while the one with green wings has more HP and uses lust attacks. But they shouldn't be too much of a problem for Yarra's band if everyone is equipped properly.

Once victorious, some conversation reveals that these women aren't enemies and the group relocates for a longer chat. The woman is introduced as Lady Elleani, a half-elven Givini noblewoman from a kingdom long-lost ( also: a woman with an RP tracker. Hers starts at 30 That will be in her page). Backstories and character development ensue, and Yarra's group heads deeper into the domain with some new allies.

Stineford 1: Stineford Academy
We now go to Robin as she puts the finishing touches on some defensive wards in the Academy. One of the academics approaches her and asks her to talk to the staff and students to reassure them and dispel any doubts they might have about her sudden return. It's a good idea, since not only does it give you some more downtime and interactions but also builds up a hidden Stineford Prep score, which determines how well Stineford is prepared to handle any impending assaults. There are many people to talk to scattered in and around the academy, though some only appear if Simon recruited them earlier. A certain Academy guard can also be found outside, though he offers no meaningful contributions to Stineford's preparations. Talking to Orcent also reveals that Istavan's Redlight Mercenaries are in the region, though neither Robin nor Orcent are entirely sure what to make of that information. Once you've finished talking to everyone, talk to Orcent outside and tell him when you're ready to finish up and move on to the broader Stineford region.

Ardoheim 1: Ardford and the Bridges
Aka, Carina and Uyae's meeting with Tyna reveals that Ardoheim is rather slow to take action, not fearing the threat of the Incubus Emperor. While they wait for further developments they explore the Military District of Ardford. While there isn't much in the way of mechanics, there are plenty of people to talk to and if the Unperson Vote passed then the district is filled with them (forcing Simon's orcs to stay on the other side of the walls). If Simon cleared the lot for the Order of Silence and spoke to the defeated Chosen there, that same Chosen can be found outside the Blademaster's Guild, expressing some misgivings about the coming battles.

Inside the Blademaster's Guild is a chance to talk to Commander Geoff from the Watchtowers on Ardoheim's northern borders as well as a chance to see what kind of things Antarion has to say about one of Simon's newest party members. Visiting the Ardford Military Offices gives you a chance to catch up with Vhala and Hester.

Exactly what you need to do next depends on how the Unperson vote went.

If it passed, then Vhala requests that they visit a remote fortress near the Watchtowers to see why they haven't reported in. Once there, the party is met with suspicion, but volunteers to help by beating back some of the local venomous wildlife (two wolves, three scorpions).

If it failed, then Commander Geoff asks the party to help with a hostage situation at an Ardoheim church where a group of succubi are threatening to harm the priestesses. At the church, the four succubi can be quickly defeated, allowing Aka to talk them into surrendering to Yhilin.

Either way, things are cut short when the party is called back to the castle to deal with the Incubus Emperor's incoming army.

The exact state of the battle depends on several factors. While Simon now has permission to get involved in Ardoheim, it's too late to bring in any troops in time, forcing him to come alone. But if Robin researched Essence Shielding, then Simon can also bring along the Doom King himself, granting a bonus opportunity to affect the outcome of the battle and help people based on how he chooses to focus the Doom King's efforts. With that done, it's time for the party to get out there and protect some bridges from the Incubus Emperor.
 * If the Orc Extermination Vote passed then the enemy army is much smaller, granting a to -1 Instability and a +1 to the battle progress. If the Orc Extermination Vote failed, then the orcs are able to reinforce the enemy army, for a +1 to Ardoheim Collateral Damage.
 * If the Unperson Vote passed, then the Unpeople are able to help, granting a +1 to battle progress. Otherwise it's just the Holy Knights, no bonus.
 * If Stineford wasn't the target of extra seeds of corruption, then they have enough soldiers on hand to provide a +1 to battle progress. Otherwise, no bonus.

Aka's party encounters a fight with some orcs followed by a fight with a mixed force of orcs and succubi. Her party doesn't have any real way to take advantage of weaknesses, so just hit them hard and take them down, using Carina to keep people upright with Shield of Purity and heals if needed.

Meanwhile, Simon is joined by none other than Antarion, and can use the duelist's skills to blind, stun and silence his enemies, and doesn't really need to worry about Antarion's HP since Antarion can heal himself for 1000 HP at-will by drinking from his own personal supply of potions (don't worry, this doesn't touch Simon's inventory). First they encounter some orcs, which can be blinded, and then they encounter some succubi, who are easily silenced.

After those relatively easy battles, Simon and Antarion run into a considerably more dangerous opponent: Riala. The succubus mage incinerates the soldiers guarding the bridge with a single spell, spooking Antarion into retreating. But as fate would have it, she simply teleports away rather than facing down Simon.

With that, the battle for the bridges is more or less over, and it's time to see how well you did. First, the game adds in some additional bonuses based on the party. And then totals it up with the previous numbers from the battle shape and any actions from the Doom King to determine the results: After the various cutscenes, it's time to get back to Hilstara's group.
 * Aka RP 100+: +1 Battle Progress
 * Carina RP 80+: +1 Battle Progress
 * Uyae RP 90+: +1 Battle Progress
 * Aka's Custom Knife in inventory: +1 Battle Progress

Aram 2: Aramite Forest
Simon's briefs Histara on the course of the battles in Ardoheim so far. She offers a brief assessment of Ardoheim's Collateral Damage. As well as the state of the Aramite Front, with potential costs if things haven't been going all that well.. If you chose to send an extension of reserve forces to support the refugees back at the Abbey, Hilstara thanks Simon, otherwise "Some refugees were lost in the aftermath", increasing Aram Collateral Damage by +1.

This is the point where Hilstara explains how well the orcs have been doing if they were sent straight north or sent through the mountains, and where the bonuses or penalties come into play.

Then, it's time to see how well the army has been doing in terms of attrition losses, based on the Orcs' Discipline. With the call finished, Varia shows up with a mysterious letter from some unknown orcs asking the party to meet them in a nearby cave.

With that set up, it's time to explore the various encampments nearby and see what you can do to help coordinate the war effort.
 * If your orcs have an Intelligence of 10 or more then Implevon the Third is wandering around to the east of the encampment and can be recruited as a scout for +1 to Aramite Front.
 * North of that spot is an Aramite soldier who explains that the Holy Legion will soon be making a big push into enemy territory, something Hilstara believes to be a terrible decision. Whether or not he takes Hilstara's advice depends on the angle of approach Hilstara uses, and the circumstances of Yhilin. (Basically, if you assisted Aram then say "We are Allies" otherwise go with "Yhilin Needs This" unless somehow your Acceptance is terrible but your border response was not).
 * While it provides no mechanical effect, there are different comments and increasing numbers of wounded soldiers in the upper left camp as Aram's CD rises (thresholds at 5/10/15 CD).
 * East of the Aramite encampment is a soldier sent by Captain Palina to join the battle. Discuss strategy for +1 to Aramite Front.
 * In the northeast is your supply caravan, whose strength is determined by your investment score: 1 point for the Dwarf Supplier, 1 point for Megail's Supplier and 2 points for the Aram Supplier, with the sum determining how well your supply line can support this front.
 * To the south is the Church's camp. If your relationship with Sarai is 50 or higher, there is a priestess in the camp you can talk to who has been sent by Sarai to help out. The amount of help she can provide is based on your relationship score. Talk to her to coordinate efforts between the priestess and Yhilin's succubi.
 * If you already talked to the Aram captain in the north and learned about the big push, talking to the masked Inquisitor allows Hilstara to try to convince the Inquisition to avoid blundering into a costly mistake. Her effectiveness is based on Simon's secret Religion score, and if you bought the Shining Armor back in Eustrin and learned about the church's armor project from the dwarven smith, you get a free +2 bonus to Religion.
 * Wandering in the woods is a soldier who lost his sword after he went to sleep. Wonder where it went? In the southernmost tent is a shining sword. Take it.
 * Southwest of the church's camp is a pair of dwarves if your Eustrin Impact score was 10 or higher. Talk to them to get a set of dwarven explosives to help support your war effort.

Once you've finished up there, head down into the cave to deal with the strange letter. There you'll run into another unique orc - Grubbak. While he works for the Incubus Emperor, he has no love for his leader's callous disregard for the lives of his orcs and wants to find a better life in the Doom King's army. Hilstara accepts, provided that the orcs prove themselves in the war, and Grubbak volunteers to join the party later on to see just who they are.

With that settled, it's time to head back to Hilstara's tent and turn in for the night... only to be interrupted by the arrival of Mestan. Mestan wants to meet up with Simon, but doesn't want to piss him off by showing up unannounced, so he volunteers to do Hilstara a favor and kill exactly one person for her. Hilstara can then choose his target. Once again, the results won't be revealed until later.

Stineford 2: Clash of Titans
Back at the Academy, Robin's efforts come to a halt when something big trips the alarms. Moving to HQ the group discovers that the Stineford region has been flooded with orcs! Fortunately, some of them are from the Doom King, and if you fortified the border with Ardoheim, those forces begin moving to reinforce Stineford.

While Orcent's forces prepare, the Church deploys a trump card - a large magical barrier that blocks half of the Incubus Emperor's forces, letting Stineford's allies fall upon the remainder and do some damage.

Just when things were looking up, Robin receives absolutely dire news - the Incubus Emperor himself has made an appearance on the battlefield, and smashes the barrier open with his power so he and his forces can ravage the region.

Back in Yhilin, Simon is torn between his desire to protect his daughter and his duty to challenge the Incubus Emperor to defend Stineford. Fortunately, Wynn arrives, promising to protect Robin and apologizing for her past actions (this also reduces Simon's Anger by 10). Resolved, Simon dons the armor of the Doom King and gets ready for the fight of his life.

On the Stineford Battlefield, the Incubus Emperor advances on some unfortunate soldiers, but is intercepted by the arrival of the Doom King. Trash talk flies as the two Incubus Kings meet face to face and it quickly devolves into a clash of power. Just how well Simon does in that clash depends on several factors, a total based on Simon's level, training and equipment. And that sum is then used to determine the outcome. With a score of 10 or higher, the Incubus Emperor is sent reeling, screaming in pain before telling Simon that "you're tougher than you look". With a score of 9 or lower, the Incubus Emperor merely dismisses Simon's efforts with a "That's nothing!" and their clash causes collateral damage in their surroundings. He's suddenly blasted with a holy spell, and then we're back at headquarters.

Robin assesses the battle, noting that it can't continue in this way. If Simon's score was 10 or higher, she points out that "It's not as bad as it could be," otherwise it's that "The Incubus Emperor will definitely win". With the barrier failing the Stineford forces are surprised by the sudden reanimation of orc corpses that turn to attack the other orcs, which Robin swiftly recognizes as Wynn's handiwork. Wynn appears and asks the Stineford forces to press the attack, prompting Robin to suggest using the church's holy bolt on the Incubus Emperor.

Back at the battlefield, the barrage of the holy bolt prompts the Incubus Emperor to retreat to the corrupted glade to absorb its energy and recover, only to watch Simon steal part of that power. Robin explains that Incubus Kings absorb corrupted energy as free mana, but Wynn points out that they can't let an uneven exchange like that happen again. Robin and Wynn quickly come up with a plan...

The Incubus Emperor binds Simon to stop him from claiming another corrupted cache, and runs ahead intent on absorbing the power to become strong enough to crush the Doom King and destroy everything he cares about. Of course, once he reaches the cache he finds out that Robin and Wynn have already swiped the contents and trapped the remains, leaving him worse for wear.

Back outside Robin and Wynn make their retreat as the Incubus Emperor returns, taunting Simon about what he has planned, only for Simon to unleash a strange magical attack. Confused and annoyed the Incubus Emperor promptly teleports out to return to his palace, leaving a battered Doom King behind.

It's a victory, but exactly how much of a victory depends on your preparations.

First, the shape of the battle is partly determined by how prepared Stineford was. And how large of an army you have. If you reinforced the border with Ardoheim, it provides an impressive +5 to the battle and a -1 to Instability.

Succubus concentration also helps if your succubi were enough to saturate your army and defend against lust magic. If Carina's men survived the battle at the pass back in Chapter 2 because you hired mercenaries to support them, they were stationed in Stineford and manage to help fight the Incubus King's army with their experience, granting +2 to battle and -1 Instability.

The bonuses are added together and used to determine the results of the battle. Despite the costs, Wynn points out that this is still a victory that proves the Incubus Emperor can be beaten. Then there's the subject of Simon's mysterious final attack. Though Simon has no answers, he must still deal with whether or not to send reserve forces into Stineford to help maintain control. Even if he has 0 troops remaining, he can choose to overextend his current troops to do so (but there may be consequences for that later). With that decision made, it's back to Aram.

Aram 3: The War Drags On
Back in the Aram wastelands, Varia feels sense of impending disaster and Hilstara worries about the fate of the Holy Legion and the poor position they've chosen to defend. Unfortunately, enemy orcs haven broken past the Legion and are marching on Aram, so Hilstara needs to give her forces orders. Exactly what orders she should give depend entirely on if Simon sent an extension of extra troops to Aram to protect the refugees. So, attack if you sent troops to defend the refugees, defend if you did not.

With that decision made, Hilstara takes to the field, and you fight a few relatively easy orcs. After rescuing some of her orc forces, she's approached by Grubbak, who reveals that the Holy Legion has been trapped and will be destroyed if not helped.

If you sent troops to defend the refugees, the situation in the south is stable enough that Yhilin has been able to move more orcs north, giving Hilstara the chance to make a difference. If no troops were sent, then there's no time or forces to spare, and Hilstara has to fight a group of weak orcs before moving on. Either way, Grubbak joins the party, bringing three Orc Potions with him.

Meeting up with the Aramite forces, Hilstara learns that there didn't seem to be a plan for the Holy Legion, and tries to figure out what can be salvaged. The state of the Aramite forces depends on if they listened to Hilstara's warnings back in the forest, which in turn depends on Aram's relationship and how Hilstara approached them. This strategy meeting is interrupted by the arrival of two ogres, leaving one for Hilstara's group and one for the Aramite forces. The ogre should be easy prey for Varia's Blade Dance, and Altina's fire spell if you have her. This is also your first chance to use Grubbak, an orc with some magical sword abilities including the extra effective Flame Attack. Impress the Aramites with your skills.

The conversation is further interrupted by the news of a mysterious shadowy figure killing either a giant ogre or a captain of the advance guard and opening the way for the Aramite forces to retreat - Mestan's handiwork.

Hilstara is then faced with a choice of which group to defend - the main line under assault by ogres, the Holy Legion under assault by a force of orcs and an ogre, or a mixed group of Aramite and Yhilin forces targeted by succubi. Whichever groups she doesn't pick will be harmed, but the harm can be mitigated if Yhilin's forces are doing well enough already. After saving your chosen force, you're faced with a new threat - a monstrous ogre that's even stronger and tougher than the previous ogres you may have fought, but vulnerable to ice this time. When that enemy falls, Hilstara admits that the Aramite Front is probably going to get a lot uglier. It's then time to see how you've performed, with bonuses totaled based on your army's size and quality. This total then determines how things are holding. The Aramite Front is modified further based on your interactions back in the forest camp: Hilstara must then decide if she wants to request back-up from another one of the reserve forces. If they're out of reserves she can choose to overextend their forces, but not if their forces have already been overextended already. Then it's back to Simon at Headquarters.
 * Help the main line: This gives a -1 penalty to your Religion stat, and a penalty to Instability based on your succubus strength. Only +1 to Instability if you have succubi saturating your forces, or +2 to Instability if you don't. You then fight two ogres.
 * Help Holy Legion: This gives a +2 bonus to your Religion stat, and the same penalty to Instability based on succubus strength above - +1 Instability with succubus saturation or +2 Instability without it. It also gives a penalty to Aram Collateral Damage that can be minimized if the Aramite Front is strong. +1 Aram CD if Aramite Front is 10 or higher, or +2 Aram CD if it's less than 10. You then fight a force of one ogre and several orcs.
 * Help mixed group: This gives a -1 penalty to your Religion stat and then a penalty to Aram Collateral Damage based on the Aramite Front Strength. You then fight four succubi.
 * +3 for an Aram Positive relationship or +1 for an Aram Neutral relationship.
 * +3 if the Inquisition Withdraws.
 * Tough it out: +1 Instability, +2 Aram CD
 * Request backup: +10 Aramite Front

Yhilin 2: The Next Coup
Talk to the other folks in HQ if you'd like, but as soon as Simon talks to Janine they're interrupted by news of human forces attempting to seize the capital. It's another coup attempt- weaker than the last one but still with enough forces to cause some problems. As Simon says, things will move too quickly for him to do much, and everything will come down to the preparations and decisions already in place.

The scene shifts to the palace, and the exact sequence of events depends on whether or not you funded the orcs' FANCY WALK petition.

If you didn't fund it, the coup forces manage to overpower some of the castle guards only to be turned back when Trin copies their soldiers and sends them into the fray.

If you did fund the Fancy Walk petition, a pair of orc soldiers are busy showing off their results until they're suddenly overwhelmed by the coup forces. Any mockery is cut short by the arrival of a significantly more capable member of the orc forces, who Fancy Walks his way through a magical barrage, ultimately taking down the coup soldiers and defending the honor of the Fancy Walk at great cost to himself.

The scene then shifts. If Yhilin Square was destroyed and never rebuilt, it's a +1 to Instability and +5 to Yhilin CD, and the following scene is skipped. Otherwise, it cuts to Yhilin Square.

A succubus is going about her business in the Square and prays to the Doom King's monument if it was constructed. Coup soldiers approach, intent on purging Yhilin of all foreign influences. What happens next depends on Yhilin's Acceptance score. Back to the palace, where Simon attends to those lost to the coup forces, be they human soldiers or fancy walking orcs. If the Fancy Walk petition was funded, the orcs explain that the ogre who died defending the palace was the very first fancy walker (and likely the one who petitioned Simon in the beginning), prompting Simon to send for Balia.
 * If it's less than 30, the bystanders watch in silence as the soldiers slay the succubus (and threaten the Doom King's monument if present). Yhilin's Collateral Damage is increased by +3.
 * If Acceptance is 30 or higher, the bystanders come to the aid of the succubus, surprising the coup soldiers. Yhilin's Collateral Damage is only increased by +1.

Regardless, Mestan pops out of the shadows, intent on observing Simon in this time of crisis even though Simon has no patient for the assassin's curiosity. Mestan eventually backs off, stating that he'll be hanging around outside the headquarters if Simon wants someone killed. He then disappears.

If the Facy Walk petition was funded, there is one more scene when Balia arrives, and engages the orc splitting process to save the "valuable materials". The process is successful, but as Simon explains, the new orcs are more like the Fancy Walker's children than a direct transfer of the soul like Orcent. Though their progenitor may be gone, he's left behind three orc descendants- one interested in FANCY TALK, another in FANCY ARMOR, with the third wanting to take up FANCY DANCE. At least Balia is pleased with the results.

Either way, it's back to Headquarters to see how badly the coup went.

The coup ended quickly, but how much damage it did to Yhilin depends on your preparations, which build up a Yhilin Coup score. The Yhilin Coup score is totaled up and used to determine the effects of the coup. Janine departs, leaving Simon to deal with the aftermath.
 * If Yhilin's Acceptance was 30+ and the bystanders rallied against the coup, it's a +1 to Yhilin Coup, as Janine explains that "With everyone standing together against the coup warriors, it wasn't difficult." Otherwise, if Acceptance was under 30 then "It seems a succubus was brutally murdered in public and it turned into a riot" providing -1 to Yhilin Coup.
 * If the Yhilin Army was fully rebuilt then Janine explains "Fortunately the local Yhilini forces are strong. They dealt with things as fast as we could have hoped for.", providing a to Yhilin Coup. If they weren't rebuilt, then she explains that "I'm afraid the forces left here weren't organized enough and a great deal of damage was done before we could stop the coup." This increases Instability by.
 * Yhilin's War Prep score is also a factor.
 * If Robin completed the Order of Yhilini Thaumaturgy trials, then the Order "actually took a hand, stopping some of the magical components of the coup." and providing a +3 to Yhilin Coup. If the trials were not completed then they "stayed neutral, as usual." (no change to score).
 * If the Unperson vote passed, then things get a bit more complicated:
 * If Dari came into contact with the Unperson in the Cathedral Library, then "Sarai reports that the Unpeople made it difficult for her to get in the way of the coup, but at least it wasn't a disaster." which provides a -1 penalty to Yhilin Coup. If she never contacted the Unperson, then it's even worse when "Sarai reports that many of the Unpeople actually joined in, taking the opportunity to attack succubi..." providing a -3 penalty to Yhilin Coup and to +1 Yhilin CD.
 * There is a further penalty to Yhilin Coup based on how many Unpeople Dari and Simon failed to remove. -2 to Yhilin Coup they didn't remove any, -1 if they removed 1 or 2, and no penalty at all if they got all three.
 * If the Unperson vote failed, then "Sarai reports that she kept Ari-Yhilina's churches and shrines safe all throughout the attack." +1 to Yhilin Coup.
 * If Carina or Qum healed the head of House Thelon then the house helps out and "were able to calm down their section of the city" to provide a +1 to Yhilin Coup.
 * If the Elven Ghetto was improved then coup completely fails to find support from the elves, providing a +2 to Yhilin Coup.
 * A -2 penalty is applied to Yhilin Coup for each of the following still in effect from the Battle of Yhilin: Economic Chaos, Societal Chaos, Population Devastation.
 * Janine needs to make a few speeches, but the effects depend on her relationship score.

The first decision is if Simon should assign another unit of troops from the reserves to keep the peace. Then it's time for another decision: Should they enforce Martial Law to prevent another coup attempt like this from happening again in the future? Whether or not it's a good idea depends on the Yhilin Acceptance Score. An easy way to figure this out is what happened to the succubus in Yhilin Square: If she got murdered (Acceptance <30), declare martial law; if she was saved by the bystanders (Acceptance 30+) then don't do anything else.
 * If the Yhilin Coup score was 15 or higher, he admits that won't be necessary.
 * If the Yhilin Coup Score was 9 to 14, then Simon has the option of sending in a unit of reserves for a -2 to Instability and to -2 Yhilin CD. There is no penalty for refusing, though you cannot overextend your forces if you have no spare troops.
 * If the Yhilin Coup Score was less than 9, then Simon will automatically deploy a unit of troops for a -2 to Instability and to -2 Yhilin CD. If Simon has no spare troops left, then things are just going to get worse with a +1 to Instability and a +4 to Yhilin CD.

Simon takes a rest, then it's back to Yarra's group.

Incubus King's Domain 2: Gasm Falls and the Tower of Mist
Yarra arrives at Elleani's home and the group discusses their plan- to infiltrate Gasm Falls to spy on the Incubus Emperor and take down one of the Towers of Mist to gain a teleportation foothold in the domain's key agricultural region. Elleani has several topics of conversation, so feel free to talk to her and her succubus companions.

Once out of the cave, the party manages to talk their way past the guard and then they can explore the city more. There are several things to investigate. With the tourist stuff out of the way, it's time to take care of your mission. Your way into the Tower of Mist is blocked by an orc who proves immune to the party's charms, so head back down south to the orc caves on the outskirts of town.
 * Wandering around outside of the Pink Sheets is a succubus who comments on the raids conducted by Yarra's band of orcs, with different things to say based on if Simon chose to Sabotage the domain and how disciplined his orcs are (the actual mechanical effects were calculated by the game at the start of this section).
 * Inside the Pink Sheets Yarra's group can talk with owner to explain a few things about succubus culture, and if Yarra walks over into the larger bedroom it triggers a conversation with Elleani that gives +2 to Elleani's RP.
 * The Gushing Quim sells Lust Wine, and at the top of the screen is a succubi sitting at the bar that the group can talk to. They have a discussion about slavery the human lands, with Qum sharing her experiences, providing a -1 to IKD Morale, or a -2 to IKD Morale if Qum D'umpe has had her RP max conversation with Simon.
 * Most of the shops to the north are closed, but a succubus saleswoman is still standing in front of one of the doors selling basic sexual equipment. Talk to her to examine her inventory, and when you're done looking it provokes a conversation about succubus trade deals and gear, providing a -1 to IKD Morale, or a -2 to IKD Morale if Nalili has had her RP Max conversation with Simon.
 * Over in the northwest corner is a shop run by a succubus blacksmith with a particular... interest in human armor. Visiting her shop gives you a potential contact for future events.
 * On the upper level is a succubus priestess dressed in the robes of the Lustlord. Talking to her reveals that she was one of Yarra's friends from before and the two have a conversation about Incubus Kings and brighter futures that provides a -1 to IKD Morale, or a -2 to IKD Morale if Yarra has had her RP Max conversation with Simon.

Once inside the cave, the way is blocked by a stereotypical orc... a suspiciously stereotypical orc. A little investigation and Yarra's group discovers that the Incubus Emperor has some critics even among his orcs, who aren't so keen to die for him. The orc is skeptical of the Doom King, but mentions that other orcs will be meeting at the Bloody Spire to fight and discuss things in the future. Eventually, Yarra manages to convince him to clear a path to the Tower of Mist. Once outside the tunnels you run into a Succubus Elite, but this one isn't quite interested in fighting. She's a friend of Riala from before, and Simon's battle against the Incubus Emperor in Stineford have convinced her that he might just stand a chance. She's willing to help the party access the Tower of Mist, but asks that they avoid causing too much damage.
 * While you're here, take the opportunity to converse with some of the orcs. In particular there's an orc wandering around the eastern edge of the cave who will have a short conversation with the party about roles for orcs in Yhilin, providing a -2 to IKD Morale.

Make your way back to the Tower and you'll find that the orc guard is missing. It might be a good idea to save before entering the Tower, especially if you want to keep things quiet.

The biggest way to keep quiet in the tower is to avoid getting into any fights other than the mandatory one at the end. This means avoiding succubus guards whenever you can.

Once inside the tower, head right, and wait for the succubus guard to look north before running over the chest and claiming the Tower Key. Wait for her to look north before running back over to the main area. Don't enter any of the squares touching her even if she is looking the other way.

There's a succubus running back and forth in the hallway so wait until she runs past your position heading west before running through the area. Circle around the back of the boxes to avoid entering a square next to the next succubus.

Make your way around the back of the building, but don't go up the stairs just yet. Wait until the succubus is looking south so you can cross over and pull the lever, then wait until she's looking south again to cross back over and head up the stairs.

Once on the second floor, the Tower Key unlocks the wooden door while pulling the lever on the first floor traps one of the succubus guards in the southeast corner. You can circle down around the line of boxes and even walk all the way over to the south-east door without triggering the remaining guard so long as you don't enter the two squares directly south of her.

Once you get towards the western end of the line of boxes, it's not a bad idea to save. Crossing out from the line of boxes will automatically activate the succubus sitting in the chair, causing her to head towards your position. Note that you don't have to fight her- simply run around her into the room to your north, avoid the succubus in that room and head into the room to your east, then hit the lever in the northwest corner of the room to lock the door behind you.

You may notice a room to the east with several chests in it. As tempting as it may be, it is recommended that you leave them alone. Entering the room triggers an alarm and a fight with the guards, and each chest you open triggers an additional alarm. The chests themselves aren't even worth much. Once you're ready, head south into the next room with your mission objective. This will trigger a mandatory fight with an Elite Security Succubus and two other Tower Security Succubi, all three of which are vulnerable to lust damage. If Nalili has a plug and extra SP, she can disable one or more of them outright, while Yarra's charm abilities can turn them against one another.
 * Top chest: 1080 Sx
 * Middle chest: 3 Lust Draughts
 * Bottom chest: 1 Health Potion, 1 Mana Potion

Once the fight is over, approach the sparkling point to trigger an appearance by your succubus elite ally, who offers an assessment of how well you did. The IK Infiltration meter starts at 0, but goes up by +1 every time you get into a fight (other than the last one with the Elite) or open any of the chests on the 2nd floor (Tower Key chest on the first floor doesn't count). Higher values increase Instability, Morale and Collateral Damage in the Domain, while lower values reduce or even eliminate those penalties, and provide increased RP bonuses to Elleani, Iris and Riala. The party finishes up and is sent to hide out on the tower roof, where they use the opportunity to contact Simon. They fill him in on their progress, and he must then make a difficult choice- should he use this opportunity to have his forces raid the Fertile Chalice, harming the Incubus Emperor's armies by denying them food, but also severely hurting the succubi living there. Yarra, Qum and Nalili are against this idea, but if they've had their RP Max conversation with Simon then they're willing to leave the decision to him. With the conversation finished, the group resets the Tower of Mist, completing their objective in Gasm Falls. But Qum's keen sense of magic notices something odd happened in that brief instant... it was just a big enough window for an Ivalan force to teleport into the domain.
 * Begin sabotage campaign: +5 IKD Morale, +10 IKD CD, -2 Yhilin CD, -2 Aram CD, -2 Ardoheim CD, -2 Stineford CD. -15 to Yarra and Qum's RPs if they're not already maxed out, -10 to Nalili's RP total if she's not already maxed out.
 * Do nothing: +5 to Yarra, Qum and Nalili's RP totals.

The force is composed of an Inquisitor, Ginasta and a Chosen, and Ginasta quickly comes to blows with the Chosen once she realizes just how they tend to act. Making matters worse, her tyrant-slaying ideals aren't exactly welcome among the local succubi either. Yarra's group watches Ginasta quietly leave, with Yarra choosing to do nothing about the Ivalan intrusion in order to keep their cover.

Then it's back to Simon again as he joins with Robin in Stineford.

Stineford 2: Feroholm
Robin is finishing up her work in Stineford in the wake of the battle and has a brief conversation with Orcent. If you invested in the Stineford Magic Shop and the shops were damaged in the battle with the Incubus Emperor, Orcent will mention it. When the conversation is over, Robin can talk to her various teachers and classmates gathered around the area, and if the battle for Stineford went so poorly that Rachilia died, this is where Robin will learn about it. Once you've spoken to everyone you wish to speak to, talk to Orcent and wait for Simon to arrive.

Simon's arrival draws interest from Robin's fellow students- while Infasis is ignored, Sho actually gets to join the party and help out in the region. She's a mage like Robin, with basic elemental and healing spells.

The trio teleports into Feroholm with an extra hitchhiker in the form of a succubus elite. The battle begins but their first action is to promptly knock Sho out with a powerful attack. She can be revived with Simon's Support skill, though you might want to wait until towards the end of the battle. Simon can silence the succubi with Unified Strike or dominate them to stop them from attacking, but the party doesn't have any especially effective attack options so just blast them with your favorite elemental spells.

With the fight won, Simon and Robin ponder the strange spell that the succubus elite used on Sho before Wynn teleports in to explain it as a combination of lust and death magic that resists most attempts to remove it. She also explains how the battle for Stineford went- if it went poorly enough, the Incubus Emperor's horde rampaged through the town, killing many except those behind the church's barriers. Otherwise Wynn explains that the horde "mostly sought less well-defended targets."

You need to visit the church, but you can also take a look around first. On Simon's way into the church, he's greeted by a succubus, who explains that they were able to help the soldiers hit with sexual magic even when the church healers were overwhelmed, then mentions that they'd be willing to provide a demonstration inside.
 * If you hired the Iron Cudgel at any point, one of the mercenaries is just outside of town with a succubus admirer.
 * If you managed to save Carina's soldiers by hiring mercenaries, one of them is also outside of town and will talk about the part they played.
 * If a lot of Feroholm civilians died in the battle, the graveyard will be much bigger with nine graves instead of the usual three.
 * Ina has a short conversation with Orcent, impressed by the orc's valor.
 * You can take a nap in Simon's house to heal up, or check Simon's map to hear the party's thoughts, but if you talk to Wynn about Wendis' portrait, Simon offers to let her take care of it for him, giving a +5 to Wynn's RP.
 * Simon's neighbor is just as intrigued by this handsome shadow-clad stranger as she was with Simon.

You can talk to the people inside the church to encounter some familiar faces and see how much they have (or haven't) changed. Pay particular attention to the succubus in the nun's outfit over by eastern side- talking to her not only gives you a scene where they provide a hands-on demonstration of succubus magic, but Simon also encourages them to use their talents more in the war effort, providing a +1 bonus to Simon's Religion and a bonus -1 to both Ardoheim CD and Stineford CD by letting the succubi save lives.

The other person you shouldn't forget to talk to is Sister Kara, Simon's former partner in theological discussions. Troubled by an urge to take what skills she has and use them to help those suffering in the war, she asks Dargai what to do. This decision will have consequences later on depending on what Simon advises and what has happened in the war. Saying nothing (or never talking to Kara) will always kill her, urging her to stay will always save her, but you won't see the results until later.
 * Urge her to go: Kara leaves for Ardford, but if Feroholm took lots of civilian deaths then it's dangerous enough that she runs into trouble and Kara Dies. If Feroholm didn't experience lots of deaths, she survives her journey, and helps reduce Ardoheim CD by -1.
 * Urge her to stay: Kara stays safe and lives, helping out and reducing Ardoheim CD by -1.
 * Say nothing: Kara runs into trouble and then Kara Dies.

Talk to the head priestess about the war effort, and leave the church when you're finished.

On your way out, Sho talks about all the things she saw, commenting on the Succubus healer if you saw the scene. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of another raiding party from the Incubus Emperor. The first wave consists of orcs- hit the mage with any magical attack and have Simon try to shut the Assault Breeders with Unified Strike. Once you get down to the last orc you might want to take a round to heal up because you'll immediately get thrown into a fight with a Succubus Elite, two succubi, an Assault Breeder and an Orc Mage. These are all enemies you've already fought, so just shut them down with Simon while Robin blows them away and Sho does what she can to survive.

The fight wraps up and Simon praises Sho's contributions, then it's time to see how things are going in Ardford.

Ardoheim 2: The Wall and the Superking
Exactly what Aka's party is doing depends on how the war is going, which in turn depends on what events took place so far. You get a point for each of the following.
 * Ordering your forces to raid the Incubus King's Domain back when Yarra first entered the tunnels.
 * If during his clash with the Incubus Emperor Simon did well enough that Stineford did not have any extra collateral damage because Simon had the upper hand.
 * Ordering your forces to raid the Fertile Chalice after Yarra finished in the Tower of Mist.

3 Points: The Castle Interior
The war is going well enough that Aka's party doesn't have much to do. Carina attempts to start a conversation by asking what everyone's favorite color is. Vhala joins the conversation ("White"), startling the others with her sudden appearance. Without much else to do, she offers to join the party and lend her Unpeople's support in a joint operation. There are several possible options. The battle has been going pretty well for the Unpeople, though if the Unperson Vote passed Vhala has issue with how the new legions are being used. Concerned about the Unpeople's failure to cooperate with the Doom King, Vhala volunteers to join forces with the party for a period to work on their joint operation.

1 to 2 Points: The Battleground
Out on the battlefield, Aka's group are severing the Incubus Emperor's supply lines to strengthen the Ardan front. Carina wishes she could do more with her excess mana, but Aka states that she needs to save it to handle serious situations. Vhala appears and offers a suggestion. Once again she offers to perform a joint operation between her Unpeople and the Doom King's forces. There are several possible options. Again, she expresses concerns about the Unpeople and the use of the new legions if the Unperson Vote passed, and joins the party to help collaborate.

0 Points: The Military District
The war is not going well, and Aka's party stands on the walls of the military district watching the battle, unable to help out of concern for the enemy elites lying in reserve. Carina wishes for something to do and wonders why High Priestess Hester hasn't done anything yet, only for Vhala to appear and explain that there's some sort of plan. Once again, she's ready for a joint operation between the Unpeople and the Doom King's forces. There are several possible options. Again, she expresses concerns about the Unpeople and the use of the new legions if the Unperson Vote passed, and collaborates with the party.

No matter how the sequence starts or what choice you make, all paths converge as Simon approaches High Priestess Hester in an Ardan Cloister, wondering what exactly Hester has planned that caused her to withdraw so many troops from the Ardoheim region. Hester explains that she doesn't need to lie or evade the question any more- now, she'll simply show him.

The church's secret weapon is Ivala's Wall, a massive holy barrier that stretches across the country, cutting the Incubus Emperor's forces off from each other and leave them vulnerable to the allied armies. It's holy power on a mind-boggling scale, amazing Carina with its divine beauty. Aka's party moves to make the most of it.

Meanwhile in enemy stronghold, the newly-minted Incubus Duke decides there are other things he wants to be doing. When Iris points out that his title of Duke is a step down from his old titles, he eventually settles on Incubus Superking... but still wants to find other things to do. Iris finally gets him to focus on the war just in time for them to witness the church's secret weapon. The holy barrier may be enough to block the Incubus Superking, but he resolves to destroy it... with a secret weapon of his own.

Screams at Ivala's Wall herald the arrival of ghastly creatures who pass through the barrier and fall upon the allied forces on the other side. If Simon never told Sister Kara what to do or if he told her to go but Feroholm had too many civilian deaths, then Sister Kara is among these forces and meets her grisly end.

A unit of Ardoheim Cavalry is scouting, trying to pierce the fog of war and find out what the hell is happening. One of the surviving scouts brings word of horrible monsters that resembled Unpeople, but tore through both the Doom King's forces and the human soldiers. Two surviving succubi from the Doom King's army enter, describing the monsters as horribly, painfully wrong versions of the succubi. One of the knights asks their leader what they should do, but the captain's decision will depend on Arclent's Acceptance of the Doom King. Pleased with the performance of his new weapon, the Incubus Superking explains the cruel process through which he made them, then settles in to watch them smash their way through the war.
 * Arclent Acceptance 20+: The captain recognizes that the Doom King's forces have fought well to protect them against a common foe, and many owe their lives to the Doom King's forces. The Holy Knights charge into battle to return the favor.  This provides +1 Instability, +3 Ardoheim CD, -5 IKD Morale and +1 Arclent Acceptance.  Results are further modified based on your Army Quality and Orc Discipline.
 * Arclent Acceptance <20: The Holy Knights promptly get the hell out. This provides +3 Instability and +2 Ardoheim CD.  Results are further modified based on your Army Quality and Orc Discipline, but are worse than if the knights helped.

Aka's group teleports in with Vhala in tow, and speaks to one of her Unpeople. If the Unperson Vote passed, then the Unperson explains that the new numbers in the Unperson Legion were enough to convince them to make an ineffective attack on the new creatures, while if the vote failed their numbers are low enough that they focus on evacuating civilians instead.

The group is then attacked by these new creations and you experience your first encounter with the Unsuccubi. They're resistant to lust damage and immune to the antisex damage of some of Vhala's special skills like Arrow of Purity and Arrow of Abstinence. They take normal damage from fire and weapons, are vulnerable to ice and resist all elemental damage. The standing ones have more HP while the crawling ones constantly use a double attack making them the highest priority. Use Aka to blind or disable them them and have Uyae use Takedown if she has claws equipped while Vhala uses either Blinding Rain or Defensive Rain to disable them or Triple Shot to damage them. They should go down without too much trouble.

Aka's group discusses the horrors the Unsuccubi have been exposed to and mercifully end the survivor.

The scene switches to an orc and succubus pair whose position has been under siege by the Unsuccubi. Fortunately, Simon teleports in to relieve them and bear the brunt of the next assault. With two mages in the party you can take advantage of their ice weakness while Simon blinds the others with Unified Strike to prevent them from destroying the squishier mages.

These particular Unsuccubi may be defeated, but the presence of both Ivala's Wall and the Unsuccubi means that the war has significantly changed and it's time to do what you can until you get a clearer picture of the situation.

Yhilin 3: A Clearer Picture
Back at Headquarters, Janine explains how the war has been going. It can get complicated.

The seeds of corruption have been cleared, though Zirantia is hiding something. Aram is pushing into the Incubus Emperor's Domain, but not very effectively. Over on the main front, Stineford is holding out, but how well depends on how well Robin prepared it: With the Unsuccubi going east, the western front is a slugfest between orc armies, and how well you're doing depends on your Army Quality and Orc Discipline. The bonuses are totaled together to determine how well you're doing. Over on the eastern front, the Unsuccubi are causing problems for everyone. First is for the Unpeople. Arcane magic is your best weapon against the Unsuccubi, and how much you can use depends on if you invested in the Ardoheim Magic Shop. Next is the question of supply lines. Supply lines into Ardoheim come from two investments: The Ardford Supplier and investing in the Ardoheim Naval Guild. Then comes the discussion of Ardford itself. The city rebuked a raid by the Incubus Emperor and his elites thanks to the High Priestesses and the Holy Knights, and the Unsuccubi he brought with him tried to attack the Incubus Emperor instead. But Ardford's supply of Chosen aren't making things much better, doing more harm than good unless you managed to talk to the Chosen at the Order of Silence's lot. If you donated any money to the Order of Silence, they also join the battle. No bonuses, but also no penalties. If you never donated any money, then it's +2 Ardoheim CD, +2 Instability.
 * Stineford Prep 10+: "The one bit of good news is that we seem to be maintaining control of the Stineford region."
 * Stineford Prep <10: "The Stineford region is at least stable. It's not a problem compared to other concerns."
 * If you have Succubus Saturation in your armies, you get a +2 to your Battle Score
 * Robin never researched Orc Development, you get a -3 penalty to your Battle Score and a +1 to Ardoheim CD.
 * If the Unperson Vote Passed: +2 Instability, +2 Ardoheim CD. "The Unpeople and the Unsuccubi have dealt heavy casualties to each other. Neither has an advantage, so it's a brutal match of strength."
 * If the Unperson Vote Failed: -1 Instability, +1 Ardoheim CD. "Vhala has been able to convince the Unpeople to avoid the Unsuccubi, using them to guard against succubi while we fight the Unsuccubi with brute force."
 * If Invested: +1 Arclent Acceptance, +2 Army Quality, +1 Ardoheim CD "Fortunately, we've been able to support Ardan mages quite well."
 * If you didn't invest: -2 Army Quality, +2 Ardoheim CD. "I wish we could do more to support the mages there, but it's too late now."
 * Both investments: -5 IKD Morale. "The Incubus Emperor's forces are definitely suffering more."
 * One investment: +1 Ardoheim CD. "We've had some difficulties with supply routes, but..."
 * Neither investment: +1 Ardoheim CD, -5 Army Size, -1 Army Quality. "... and I'm afraid we're frequently coming up short."
 * If spoken to: +1 Ardoheim CD, +1 Instability. "But one of them has begun acting more seriously, actually repelling a major assault.  I understand he's in Ardford now."
 * If not spoken to: +2 Ardoheim CD, +2 Instability

Simon has been invited to Ardford to talk to several major leaders in hopes of finding a solution to end the war quickly. But before he leaves, you have the opportunity to move any reserve troops into position. You could support the Western Front, the Eastern Front, or even Both Fronts if you have enough troops. You could also support neither, but you cannot overextend your current troops if you have no more reserves. If you've got the forces to spare for both fronts, it makes a big difference.

Ardford 3: Many Meetings
Back in the Military District of Ardford, feel free to wander around and talk to people to see how things have been going.

Of note is that if Kara survived her journey, she's in the southwest corner engaged in a discussion of philosophers with none other than Orcent, and the two make plans to look into other readings.

If you spoke to the Chosen back in the Order of Silence's lot, he's outside the Blademaster's Guild but has serious doubts about the war. You can choose to either encourage him to keep fighting or give up his power. There are immediate benefits, but there may be other consequences later on. When you're done talking to everyone, head west to the meeting hall to talk to more people.
 * Keep fighting: -1 Ardoheim CD. The Chosen begins to act more like usual
 * Give up the power: +1 Ardoheim CD. The Chosen leaves.

The meeting at the Royal Retreat doesn't quite go as planned when the others reveal that they know more about Dargai than Simon would like. But even that must be set aside if they want to put an end to the Incubus Superking.

Simon confers with Aka's group in the private rooms, and comes to the conclusion that they need to step up their plans before this war gets any worse. Vhala arrives, and brings with her word of two succubi who were looking for Simon and Simon alone. Speaking to them reveals a pair of familiar faces, new alliances and word of the location of an especially valuable target: Riala herself. Iris may have had her own reasons for letting the succubi find this information, but it's a chance Simon can't afford to pass up. With Vhala offering her aid, he gathers up the rest of his party and moves to intercept this incredibly important succubus. Now would be a good time to save.

The Riala boss fight is actually two boss fights back to back, so bring your best and get ready to rumble.

The first boss is a Midnight Ogre, like the ogres you fought before but even stronger and tougher and immune to most status effects, and comes with a single-target stun attack with Midnight Club. It's vulnerable to both lightning and sexual damage, but the problem is that Riala is fought immediately afterwards with no chance to change party members and she resists both of those damage types (though she resists sex more than lightning). Riala has four magical attacks- a single target lightning attack, single target lust attack, AoE fire attack and an AoE lust stun attack. Riala is not only immune to every status effect, but is also immune to every form of stat debuff so you can't lower her attack or defense. Riala's sole vulnerability is antisex damage from Vhala's Arrow of Purity and her even more powerful Arrow of Abstinence. Fortunately, weapons work equally well on both bosses and there's nothing stopping you from buffing your own stats.

Simon is mandatory for this fight (and should probably use Precise Strike until he needs to support someone since none of his other offensive skills do anything to these two), but there are several good party member options. A party with Carina and Robin won't finish the fight as quickly as a party with Varia and Qum, but they'll probably survive easier.
 * Vhala: Her Defensive/Offensive Rain can weaken the Midnight Ogre and she can use Triple Shot to deal more damage when it's weak enough. Against Riala, she can use Unperson Aura to defend the party against Riala's lust attacks and Arrow of Abstinence to do effective damage, especially if her attack is boosted.
 * Varia: Give her all the attack boosting gear you can and go to town with Blade Dance. If another party member can boost her attack she can end the fight very quickly.
 * Qum D'umpe: If equipped with a plug to start the fight at full TP, she can using Arousing Kiss/Arousing Aura to buff the party's attack and let them beat the bosses down faster. She can't heal Vhala though, which means either Simon needs to do it or you just need to destroy your enemies fast enough (easy enough with Varia).
 * Robin: Though Riala resists elemental damage, she only takes 90% damage instead of 100% damage, which is still pretty workable for Robin's lances. With the right equipment Robin can resist anything Riala can throw at her (fire, lightning and lust attacks) while still providing healing support.
 * Carina: Like Robin, Carina can be built to resist anything Riala can throw at the party, and with Shield of Purity can heal and defend the rest of the party.

When Riala falls it's back to Yhilin to see what can be done for her. Two scenes later and the war is finally looking up.

See you next time when we get ready to finish the fight!