Epicorn: Legend on the Lake

Chapter 3 | Epicorn: Legend on the Lake is a story segment in Echoes of Mana.

Storyline
The protagonist and Baashear return to the Mana Sanctuary where they report what they've discovered in Verdigourd to the Mana Goddess and their twin. The doppelganger seems perplex as to how the protagonist will be able to decipher the real Mana Sword from other artifacts that belong to their respective worlds. The Mana Goddess replies that while finding the real Mana Sword is important, gaining insights and experience from their journey is also a crucial part of the puzzle. She apologizes for being powerless, as it would make the whole search a lot easier for them. According to her, the mana fruits themselves are a patchwork of memories assembled together. She then encourages the main character to no give up, then disappears into thin air. The twin states that they would like to hear more stories about the protagonist's adventures. Baashear urges the main character to press on to the next world by harvesting the most recent mana fruit.

The duo is teleported to an open field by a lake after harvest the third mana fruit, immediately reuniting with Duffle and Honeycomb. Baashear tries to inquiry about the whereabouts, but neither soldier is aware of it. It seems that the protagonist is able to wish for companions to help them on their various adventures on a whim, to which the full ball hopes that this ability might proves itself useful with the sacred blade. Duffle suddently recalls the place as being called Lake Riyama. Heonycomb explains to the unaware protagonist that this is where a mystical sword lies deep within its ruins according to the Legend of the Mana Tree. The Mana Swordsman is therefore destined to remove the weapon from its slab. The team decides to pair up to find the real Mana Sword.

Excited about their expedition, Duffle tries to rally the main character and Honeycomb to create special poses, but the latter seems unwilling to comply.

On the way to the Lake Riyama, Heonycomb asks the group how will they be able to get back home once the quest is over. Duffle speculates that the Mana Goddess should be able to whisk us back home when they are all done. Baashear confirms that hypothesis but confides in the protatonist that this is not entirely true.

The party finally gets a better glimpse of the lake ruins, with Duffle commenting on the adventurers needing a boat to reach the entrance. A shady Catfolk merchant named Nicco appears out of nowhere claiming he's got the deal they've been looking for, adding that he'll even throw a discount for the ruin tour. Duffle seems ecstatic about the idea, but a mysterious wolfman named Blainchet interrupt the sketchy merchant, claiming that he is trying to ripping the party off by selling them a poorly run embarcation that isn't even his. Nicco tries to defend his intentions, but Blainchet pulls out his weapon in retaliation. The cat salesman has no other choice but to retreat, no without stating that he is always available to make business with adventurers in need. After formal introductions to the party, Blainchet warns them not to venture inside the ruins, as the place is said to be crawling with monsters and other nasty things. Duffle tries to reasure the wolffolk by petting him, but Honeycomb refrains her from doing so, with the team resuming their track toward the ancient structure.

The party head into the ruins with little effort crossing the lake from Nicco's boat. Duffle comments on how they would not have made it without Honeycomb summoning Undine. The young wizard seems embarassed about her lack of magic knowledge and proceed to teach the team about elemental affinities, claiming he called upon Undine back when the party was on the boat to protect them. The trio then resumes their search for the fabled blade.

The party encounters with a scorpion halfling called Raxa while exploring the ruins. The girl starts challenging them to a fight, but is interrupted by Blainchet who has been secretly following them from afar.

Raxa is impressed by the party's fighting skills. She reveals that she wanted to test out their courage in combat. Duffle quips about Raxa being a lot nicer than she looks, but Honeycomb is still puzzled as why Blainchet followed them in the ruins. The Wolffolk replies that he couldn't let them all go without making sure they were safe, as he swam all the way to the temple instead of taking a boat like they did. The scorpion girl still wants to know why they are trespassing on her turf, which Honeycomb gladly explains. Blainchet has doubts about a sword hiding in those ruins, but Raxa likes the idea of a bunch of kids looking for treasure that she insists on joining the party. Duffle enthusiastically approves but the young wizard is skeptical about it. Raxa thinks that he and her will go along well since they both don't have any friends.

Duffle wants to know what brings Raxa to those ruins, to which the scorpion girl replies that she lives inside since thanks to the monsters she's got the place all to herself and go a roof under her head. Honeycomb interjects by asking if she knows if there is a Mana Sword or not within the structure, but Raxa says she's only moved in are couple of days ago. The young magician then asks her how she crossed the lake, and she reveals that she obviously swam there.

Duffle asks Blainchet what he does for a living and if he's around here, which he answers being on a journey to find his people, as he only intented to make a brief stop before leaving this area when he came across the party earlier. He had heard about the skeevy merchant from other travelers, so he just had to intervene. He then ask Duffle and Honeycomb about seeing other wolfkin like him in their travels, but Honeycomb replies that they have neven seen such people before. Raxa teases Blainchet for wasting so much time helping people on his own that he hasn't had much time finding his own tribe.

The party gets to the deepest part of the ruins, where they encounter Polycerameth a fearsome guardian protecting the place, using the equipment of his previous opponent he defeated. Raxa suggests the team should attack it from behind.

Duffle suggests that they should proceed since defeating the boss means that the treasure is nearby, but Honeycomb says they should brace themselves since the Mana Sword could be in here. The protagonist slowly walks towards the next room anyways, with the party closely following behind. They discover an empty pedestal where the fabled blade is supposed to be in, Raxa commenting on this is how it usually goes for treasure hunts. Duffle, is a bit vexed on behalf of the protagonist since they are on a quest to find the legendary sword as entrusted by the Mana Goddess. Raxa doesn't believe that the Goddess herself is genuine, but Baashear interjects to defend her very existence. He creates a portal leading back to the Sanctuary of Mana, but the main character refuses to go back yet. Honeycomb comments on them leaving just as they discover the absence of a Mana Sword, but the fluffball assures him that the worlds are nothing more than fragments of memory, meaning that nothing is really happening there and the team isn't really here at the moment. Duffle and Honeycomb will thus return to Pinzton once they end this echo. The protagonist and Baashear then jump inside the portal, bidding farewell to their companions, one of which (Honeycomb) seems particularily sadden to see them leave on such short notice according to Raxa.

Objectives
Note: All stats are under normal difficulty.

Trivia

 * Epicorn can be considered a portmanteau of Epic and Acorn. The story centers around the local legend (epic) of the Mana Sword and the ruins that might have it.