SD) Enemies and Corrupted Villains

Any good RPG is going to need enemies to face in order to level up and acquire resources as well as bosses to battle to test the player. For Shattered Destines, I imagine low-level fodder enemies from different RPGs will be present and, in keeping with the crossover theme, would appear in worlds that aren't their own. Dragon Quest Slimes across Thedas, Persona Shadows appearing in Midgar, Darkspawn attacking Mass Effect's Citadel, things like that. Taking familiar enemies and placing them in unexpected places would be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the multiversal shenanigans at play. I may cover all of these smaller encounters in more detail at a later date, but today I wanted to focus on bosses our group will encounter along their journey.

As I've covered before, the catalyst for our adventure lies with Oersted from Live A Live who, having had what he felt was his rightful destiny stripped from him, succumbed to his hatred and became the Dark Lord Odio. In doing so, his hatred was powerful enough to reach out through time in his original game, but was instead pushed through the multiverse in Shattered Destines. In doing so, he shattered the multiverse itself and his hatred corrupted and empowered those who harbor darkness in other worlds. The strongest of these will gain power while giving in to their more base feelings of hatred, making them particularly dangerous foes. Today, I wanted to cover just a few of them give an idea of how this would play out narratively and mechanically.

"I HAVE FURY!"

Fawful is a recurring character and antagonist in the Mario & Luigi series. While often used for comedic effect, he is highly intelligent and prone to fits of intense anger. Originally serving as the subordinate to Cackletta, he later takes on the role of the primary antagonist of Bowser's Inside Story. Though lacking in physical strength, he is highly durable, has access to numerous inventions of his own design, and has even been shown to wield Dark Magic. His small size is augmented with a surprising level of speed, and he has numerous options for dealing damage and healing himself.

His intense rage makes him an ideal vessel for Odio's anger and power. In addition to getting boosts to his already impressive arsenal, Odio's influence would augment his physical strength and durability, making him a truly dangerous opponent. In giving in to his fury, his intelligence, once his most valuable asset, would be muted. I see the party having to fight him in his original form, calculating and tricky, then, as his anger overtakes him, he transforms. This second stage becomes a more straightforward slugfest, his intelligence giving way to pure, unfettered rage. He shifts from dealing elemental attacks with magic and tech to pummeling with brute force, and his healing and versatility shifts to pure bulk and damage resistance. Though his strategy becomes simpler, the shift mid battle would work well to keep the player's on their toes and test how well they can adapt their strategy on the fly.

"The time has come to act. There can be no half-measures. There can be no turning back."

Originally appearing in Dragon Age: Awakening as a quippy mage who joins the Grey Wardens to escape the Circle, he returns in Dragon Age II having fled the Grey Wardens. Having allowed the spirit of Justice to reside within him, he dedicates himself to helping and healing the less fortunate. As the game plays out, the divisions between mages and Templar, fueled by the Chantry, deepen further as mages are routinely hunted and either executed or made tranquil. While Justice has augmented Anders powers, they've also changed his personality, making him more pensive and more agitated by the injustices performed against mages. The spirit of Justice, feeding off these negative emotions, shifts to being a spirit of Vengeance, and as the Templar and mages hurdle toward a likely inevitable clash, Anders takes matters into his own hands. In an act of magical terrorism, he blows up the Chantry, removing all doubt about what is to come.

Though his motivations are born from a desire to free mages from the shackles of the Templar and the Chantry, he knows full well the pain and death his actions will cause. While he likely doesn't understand the full extent of what his actions will cause, as they set up the inciting incident for the next game, which also dominoes into the game after that, he knows that his actions will create change in the world. His fate is left up to the player, but for Shattered Destinies Odio takes charge instead.

His actions are the result of his hatred for how mages are treated, and we see at different points that this hatred often allows Justice to take control. It's no large leap in logic to assume that Odio's corruption, combined with Justice's transformation into Vengeance, would have little trouble overtaking Anders. We see throughout the Dragon Age series just how powerful and dangerous mages can be, and under Odio's influence, I believe Anders would likely rival the power of Corypheus, one of the Magisters who physically entered the Fade in search of the Old Gods.

Anders would also serve as part of Fenris's story. Having worked together in the events of Dragon Age II, Fenris never fully trusts Anders, and is the among the first to call for his death after he blows up the Chantry. Fenris harbors a deep hatred for mages dues to his personal backstory, and though he can be made to work alongside mages, he often takes the side of the Templar as being the most pragmatic option. While he would still see Anders's corruption as proof that mages should be kept on a short leash, he would also be quick to realize the danger that Odio presents to those who allow anger and hatred to guide them. Up until this point in Shattered Destinies, he'd be cautious and untrusting of the mages in the party, but seeing a former ally succumb to such base hatred would likely soften him a bit, especially to someone as pure as Estelle. For her part, Estelle would likely see this as confirmation of Fenris's views, but Fenris would be the first to reassure her that the same fate would not befall her, allowing the two of them to bond.