Camelot Chapter 3&4: To the East & Wailing Wall

Chapter 3: To the East

Driving the Ornithopter Sphinx, you leave the sandstorm zone behind rapidly. The buggy is in great condition and it’s a comfortable ride. Mashu is quite excited. She says that if you are tired of driving, she is ready and willing to take over. You decide to give ‘Contestant Mashu’ the wheel. Playfully, Mashu tells you to leave it to her and for you to take a pit stop. She declares that she will defend this lead position to the death… it seems that she is getting a bit carried away with all this racing terminology.

Da Vinci notes the change of drivers and says that it is dangerous to drive for longer than an hour uninterrupted. She asks if you would like food, or a massage, or cold juice. She is the sort that likes to take care of people after all. Looking ahead, Da Vinci points out that the magic concentration is different beyond the range of large sand dunes in front of you. Once you crest it, you should be able to see the original landscape of this era.

You say that Da Vinci seems to be having fun. Da Vinci replies that though she may look like this, she’s pretty tough. If she couldn’t laugh no matter how anxious she is, she would never be able to present that inextinguishable smile of the Mona Lisa. Though, she is also looking forward to having her worries reduced soon, as once you leave Egypt you should be able to get into contact with Dr. Roman again. You think that the doctor would also be worried.

Da Vinci wishes that Roman would be able to get some rest instead. Since the Grand Order began, he has been working tirelessly, without sleep and without rest. The accident caused casualties of more than 60 people amongst Chaldea’s staff. To make up for the loss of manpower, Roman has been covering the operation of the equipment and the server maintenance, amongst other duties. Since they are cut off from the outside, they must make do with whatever personnel they have on hand. To do all of this alone would require a genius, but Roman is not one nor is he a Heroic Spirit. For a mundane, ordinary human to take on the work of a genius would require the sacrifice of their body and time. To perform such an unreasonable feat, Roman has been drugging himself to maintain his mental acuity and camouflage his physical fatigue.

Furthermore, communications with Chaldea have another purpose: to observe and ‘fix’ your existence within the singularity. Should anything go wrong with the monitoring it is quite likely that you would not be able to shift back to Chaldea. It is not a task to be taken lightly. Da Vinci emphasizes that Roman, and the staff back in the Chaldea control room, are all working whole-heartedly to support your journey.

As if not entirely convinced of Chaldea’s good-will, you bring up the matter that you spoke of with Roman earlier, regarding Mashu’s origins. Da Vinci tells you that when she was first summoned here, she too strongly denounced Maris-Billy and Romani. You had not heard that name “Maris-Billy” before. Da Vinci explains that it is Olga-Marie’s father, and the former director of Chaldea. Before she can continue, Mashu swerves to a halt. There are monsters ahead blocking your path and you must clear them out before you can proceed.

Afterwards, you finally reach the edge of the desert. Mashu accelerates your vehicle, launching it into the air off the crests of the dunes. You land in a scorched, blackened wasteland that still burns with lingering fires. Da Vinci take some recordings of the atmosphere, calling it a cruel sight. But she had expected it. She says this is likely the work of Solomon. The King of Magic has burnt down the entirety of humanity’s history, leaving just the singularities untouched. But here, once the foundation of humanity was disturbed, it left the singularity just as vulnerable and allowed the destruction to bleed over. She concludes that this is also the reason why Ozymandias has not tried to use the Grail, since whether he does so or not the land is doomed.

You hear moans from all around and find yourself surrounded by a bunch of ragged, tattered figures. They want food, water… and women. All three can be found in your possession. Mashu says that these are not Servants or phantasms, or humans. Da Vinci tells you that they are ghouls: twisted, hollow remnants of humanity. She warns you to throw away your naivety.

You successfully drive the ghouls off without a single casualty. Da Vinci is somewhat impressed. It is no small matter that you have room in your heart to sympathize with these creatures. Still, she advises that you should be on the move soon as their comrades might be in the area. But you do have plenty of supplies, you say. Da Vinci is against this, just so you know, though she asks Mashu for her opinion. Of course, Mashu supports you eagerly, making it a vote for two against one. Then there is nothing Da Vinci can do about it, and she calls out to the ghouls who have lost their hearts. Though it will be forgotten tomorrow, she will offer them brief respite just for today. She starts giving out water to the ghouls, who scrabble for the precious resource. While they are distracted, you prepare to move on.

Before you can do so, however, a ghoul calls out to you. It asks if you are going to the holy city. It says it is the kingdom of dreams, the city where the Crusaders who had once tried to burn the world were slaughtered by the great Lion King. The ghoul tells you to be careful. The more pretty things are, the scarier they are. It warns you to keep away from the walls. If you do not want to die, you should return to the desert.

Mashu thanks the ghoul for its helpful words and you leave.

As the sun begins to set, you manage to re-establish contact with Roman. He has been worried sick. After you brief in on what has happened since the initial shift, he wonders about the identity of this Lion King, whether it refers to Richard the 1st, who was also called Richard the Lionheart. If Crusaders are involved, it would probably be him due to his involvement in the Crusades… but the Crusaders have already been defeated in this era. This shocks Roman, a lot.

The discussion is interrupted by Roman detecting a strong Servant presence from 500 meters ahead. Mashu stops the Sphinx and asks you what they should do. The answer is a sneaking mission, of course.

You spot Drunken-Smoke Hassan who is facing a man with red hair. The man is sad, very sad. It would have been easy for Hassan to escape alone, without the burden of attempting to protect these refugees. In attempting to protect something worthless, something with worth will be lost. This makes the man so sad.

Mashu identifies both Drunken-Smoke and the red-haired man as Servants, the former an Assassin and the latter an Archer. Behind Hassan are forty normal people. The Archer is alone. Mashu tells you that when she looks at him, she cannot stop trembling and her chest hurts. You plan to step in to help the Assassin but Da Vinci glares at you and tells you to stay put. If you make even one move you will all be killed by that Archer. He has a ‘Gift’.

Drunken-Smoke seems insulted that the Archer would think the people are without worth. But she is willing to lay down her life as the price so that he will not take a single step in pursuit of her people. As a chivalrous knight, surely the man would accept that offer? Something of worth in exchange for something worthless. Telling the refugees to flee to the Eastern village, where Cursed-Arm will harbor them, she kills herself.

The knight is saddened. He would not move from the spot, as the assassin asked. But plucking his bow, he creates blades of sound with which to cut down the running refugees. Foolish Hassan should have asked him not to move a single finger, he laments. They are slaughtered to the last person while Da Vinci cautions you and Mashu not to do anything.

In the aftermath, you are unable to find any survivors. What you find, however, are the enraged spirits of the dead, including that of Drunken-Smoke Hassan who has risen as a Shadow Servant, unable to rest in peace.

After you defeat the ghost, it begs you of a last request, to give its compatriots a proper burial. Though you are unsure of the funeral rites of this country, you endeavor to do so.

When dawn breaks, you continue to make your way towards the holy city. Along the way, you talk to the refugees headed in the same direction. They tell you about how the Lion King arrived and scattered the Crusader army. They do not know where the King and his knights came from, but they built their capital where the original holy city once stood. The refugees have heard that once a month, a holy ritual of drawing would take place. The chosen refugees of all tribes and creeds could be drawn from the ranks of the masses – selected, in other words – to enter the holy city.

Having gathered the information, you briefly discuss the geopolitics of the region – there appear to be three factions, that of Egypt, the Holy City, and of the Hashashin. Da Vinci guesses from your experiences that Egypt and the Holy City have a non-aggression pact, and the assassins are fighting against them both.

Still… regardless of what the situation is, your next stop is the Holy City.



Chapter 4: Wailing Wall

You approach the Holy City under the cover of night. Its walls of white chalk are tall and imposing, as if rejecting everything outside it. In front of the main gates are numerous tents and fires, housing what Da Vinci estimates to be nearly a thousand refugees. They are all waiting for the holy selection.

A shady looking local approaches you, with clearly bad intentions. He’d kindly like to peel you of all your possessions. Of course, you beat him and his thieves up fairly easily. The man surrenders to you. Da Vinci asks if he was once a merchant, and he admits it. He was a man who used to gather pleasure and greed, and would deal even with the Crusader army. That is all in the past now, as the Lion King’s aide-de-camp crushed him and his business. He was beaten up and forced to prostrate before them.

After listening to his sob story, he and his thieves take the chance to make a break for it. The man’s name is Selhan, and as a parting warning he tells you that humans should not go near that holy castle.

Mashu puts on a cloak and you slip amongst the camps to get closer to the gate. There are knights in silver armour who are silently observing the refugees.

Suddenly, night turns to day. It is not an illusion, Mashu confirms. The sun has risen in the blink of an eye. The refugees too are bewildered at this sight. At the main gates of the city, a knight asks them to calm down. He explains that this is a miracle of the Lion King, “The Blessings of an Ever-Constant Sun”, and the ‘Gift’ granted to him by his king.

The refugees recognize this knight and shout out his name; Sir Gawain of the Round Table. They cheer, for the holy draw has begun, and they may now enter the holy city.

Da Vinci seems to have figured out the true nature of this ‘holy selection’. She tells you and Mashu that you should leave immediately. You can still make it if you go now.

Meanwhile, Gawain is thanking those who have gathered here at the holy city. He makes a speech:

“The age of humanity is ending, as is this small world of ours. The Lord has passed down judgement. The land is shrinking and there is no longer anywhere humans are able to live. Anywhere, that is, except for this holy city of Camelot. Our holy city is a complete, perfect and pure millennial kingdom. Awaiting you beyond these gates is an ideal world.”

The refugees cheer and clap, drawn by his words. Though he is a foreign knight, to them he now glows with a genuine luster.

Gawain thanks the refugees again for their response. He recognizes that they have had a long and painful journey to arrive here, and says that his king will accept all comers regardless of race and religion. But that is, if the king grants them forgiveness.

Atop the gates stands a helmed knight all in white. Speaking to those who have traveled here to the Furthest Reaches, the knight proclaims that the roots of humanity have rotted. Therefore, those that have been selected would surely be ones without evil in their souls, born with an eternal, immutable innocence.

There is a blinding flash of light followed by a golden glow from some of the refugees. The holy draw has been completed, and three have been selected. Gawain is ordered to retrieve those three. An apologetic Gawain tells the refugees that the king has spoken. The silver knights raise their swords. Enforcement is to be carried out, and now the holy punishment begins.

Marching into the camps, the knights begin cutting down the refugees that had not been chosen. You and Mashu cannot abide by this any longer. Planning to break the knights’ formation so that the refugees may escape, you engage in battle. Even if you cannot save a thousand, you will save at least a hundred.

Your defeat of a squad of knights creates a gap in their formation that the refugees can push through to escape. Mashu notes that the defeated knights vanish, and Roman says that though the vital signs are that of a human, they are also close to that of Heroic Spirits. The knights are akin to biological weapons remade by a powerful magic. The number of enemies begin to increase, converging on your location.

Roman detects that someone else has begun to fight – your location is on the west, and that someone is breaking through the formation on the east. This will lighten your burden. You move to face the next batch of knights in battle.

Near the gates, the woman who has been selected is refusing to leave her child. She cries out his name – Rashid – and begs that she be allowed to bring the child with her. This is unacceptable. No exceptions will be made. For Camelot, the ideal soul does not possess the freedoms of a human. The woman’s pleas that she will abandon her own faith and worship the Lion King as long as she is allowed her son with her falls on deaf ears. The knight moves to kill the child. With no other recourse, the woman jumps in the way, taking the slash meant for her son. The knight reports the loss of a chosen one and that he will continue the holy punishment after disposing of the child.

Mashu rams the knight with her shield before he can do so. Roman calls for you to break through to the west, but too late. Gawain arrives. He praises you for this stunning riot. To cause such a commotion at the gates of the holy city he guards is a crime worthy of a thousand deaths. Declaring his name and rank as a Knight of the Round Table, he prepares to convict and punish you.

Roman recognizes Gawain and realizes that the force that destroyed the Crusaders was actually the Knights of the Round Table – King Arthur’s knights. Gawain picks up on your communication with Roman, and from that magic he realizes that you are the protectors of humanity. He finds it a pity that your meeting had to be this way. Otherwise, he would have sought an alternative of co-existence.

Gawain’s mana levels begin to multiply by leaps and bounds. You are about to battle him in day time, where his Numeral of the Saint will render him nigh invincible. Roman tells you to retreat as your opponent holds the powerful sister sword of Excalibur, the holy sword Excalibur Galatine, but Gawain declares retreat is impossible. You carved a bloody path of escape for the refugees and then dived deep into the enemy forces to rescue a child. Gawain asks if you did not think there would be a price to pay for these actions.

After clashing once with Gawain, Mashu says it is impossible; attacking him during the day has no effect. Gawain has not even begun to use his Noble Phantasm. He says that you lot are not even worth treating as strong enemies. At this rate, he will dispose of you like a common thief.

Da Vinci whispers to you that Mashu's condition is off. Her movement is sluggish, and it is as if she is unable to muster up even an ounce of hostility towards Gawain.

You shout out a question at Gawain. He pauses, and says that originally he would not indulge such a thing. But he has realized that you are drawing attention to yourself to cover for a lady, and he asks your name. You give it, and he responds in kind. Gawain begins to tell you about Camelot, its ruler, Arthur, and how it is the ideal utopia that he has wished for. The holy draw is performed for this reason, to select only the worthy. The knights are only moving according to their own principles of justice.

Yet you have denied the necessity of the holy selection in a momentary fit of emotion.

Gawain says that the King will not forgive even a single mistake. Thus, you must be prepared. You have made an enemy of the Lion King and the Knights of the Round Table. Even if you defeat him here, the other Knights of the Round will pursue you. Your fate is sealed, and you should accept it.

Mashu calls you reckless to speak with Gawain and tries to come to your side, but he repels her with a single slash. Turning to Mashu, he criticizes her for not being able to point her hostility towards him. To save the child she defeated the knight enforcer that killed his mother, but still she is unable to muster any hatred towards Gawain.

Gawain says that in truth the blood of that woman is on his hands. He ordered the holy punishment to begin. He permitted this massacre. The knight enforcers were only following his orders. If there is anyone that Mashu should hate on this battlefield, it would be him, their commanding officer. To appear before him without grasping such a truth is an insult to him and his men!

An enraged Gawain presses his assault against Mashu. Before he can deal the final blow, Lucius appears and intercepts his strike.

Lucius chastises Gawain, saying that he should not conflate his personal beliefs with the workings of the battlefield. Gawain has no right to denounce Mashu's beliefs, especially not if he has fallen to such depths. Lucius's appearance shocks Gawain into silence. Telling you to focus on the enemy first, Lucius claims to be able to break through the enemy's Gift. He says that you have not lost yet. From now on he will assist you to the best of his strength. To stand up against the strong and to help the poor - that is always the correct decision. So saying, he activates his Airgetlam.

Gawain is still unable to come to grips with Lucius's arrival. He calls him Sir Bedivere, and is aghast that a Knight of the Round Table such as he would engage in an act of betrayal against their King.

With Bedivere's help you manage to push back Gawain. He wonders if that is the actual arm of Nuada he is facing. Bedivere is burning up, but he calls upon you to take this chance to retreat. To continue to fight Gawain in daytime would be folly. Mashu lifts up the weakened Bedivere, and you grab the child you saved.

Da Vinci throws what can only be described as a flashbang. When it clears up, you are nowhere to be seen, leaving only Gawain behind still perplexed about Bedivere's presence here.