Octopath Traveler II: Crusaders of Justice
I may have several other unfinished stories, but I'm motivated to give this a try, has elements of the Ace Attorney franchise which was made by Capcom, but since Octopath Traveler is much more action-oriented, those will be somewhat minimal, despite one of the main characters here being a renowned Prosecutor. Got a few locations not present in the game.
Disclaimer: Octopath Traveler and its characters and settings were made by Square. Some of the credit goes to Wiinterwolf29 for his input on the main character's background.
Kingdom of Vella
On an island south of Canalbrine in the middle of the sea laid a island nation of Vella consisting mainly of a walled castle town with a village and a harbor, which had been neutral for centuries, though they still traded regularly with the west continent, more often than not supplying cities like Ku, Sai, and Canalbrine. They even occasionally sent troops to bolster Ku and Sai, hiring them out as mercenraies. At least some of the mercenaries had returned from Ku once Jigo, the king of Ku at the time saw the pointlessness of his conquests.
The kingdom also employed a strict, but fair judicial system from the capital, the royal city of Vera. The Chief Prosecutor, a man called Edwin, commanded respect from the Constabulary, even from his most gifted subordinate, a young woman called Priscilla Whiteshore. At age thirty three, she had already become the finest Prosecutor in the kingdom and was a talented magic scholar to boot. She had brownish blond hair with green eyes, a jacket over a pink shirt and pants with shoes. She hardly wore her Prosecutor's badge, keeping it mostly as a sign of her authority.
She was in the courthouse one fine morning, prosecuting a case involving theft from the local marketplace, the defendant was a thirty year old man who mugged a younger man for money. The Attorney in charge of the defense stood on the opposite side.
"The defendant was desperate because he gambled most of his money at the local casino" The defense lawyer spoke"While that it understandable, the Prosecution would agree that there were better ways to handle it, correct?"
"Correct" Priscilla nodded, she was a prodigy and good at finding evidence, but even she had a hard time sometimes, most criminals who she'd seen sent to prison were crafty, it was a miracle she and the Constabulary had managed to keep the crime rate low.
The judge, having heard from both the defense and the prosecution banged his gavel and spoke"I've heard from the witness and seen all the evidence, I now give my verdict: Guilty. Compensation will be made towards the victim, the mugger will be fined and sent to prison for sixteen months and then released to work off his debt."
Priscilla nodded, giving a cold look at the convicted man. she had a disdain for crime and criminals in general, but there were rare instances where she could be sympathize with someone if their reasons weren't selfish like her uncle's had been, except she had to do her job no matter what. As soon as the judge declared the court adjourned, she headed for the Prosecutions office building. The trial had gone perfectly as she expected, anything less and she might have lost it. As soon as she entered her office to file paperwork, a constable entered"Excuse me, Miss Whiteshore, Chief Prosecutor Edwin has called for you in his office."
"I'll be there in a moment" Priscilla said, finishing her paperwork before standing up to go to the Chief Prosecutor's office. Chief Prosecutor Davis was kind to her and sympathized when he got the word that her father had been falsely incriminated. Davis had only been a regular Prosecutor at the time, the former Chief Prosecutor had been exiled after proof of his part in the corruption was unearthed.
The Chief Prosecutor was a man in his fifties, had a brown suit with pants, blond hair with graying streaks, he was mild-mannered and fair, as even though he strove to ensure justice is served, he never went into extremes. A trait that Priscilla had admired.
"Sir" Priscilla entered the office"You called for me?"
Davis looked up"Yes, how was the trial?"
"Nothing less than a perfect win" Priscilla replied"But the culprit was guilty, anyway."
"Good, good, just be sure you keep your perfectionism under control, I hear you tend to be a bit impatient if a trial goes for too long" the older man commented.
"Yes, well, after what happened between my father and my uncle" she made a face at the memory"I've always made it my duty to ensure justice is delivered, as impartially as possible of course."
The Chief Prosecutor nodded, taking a sip of tea before speaking"I know very well what had happened with Percival and Sylas. Knowing Sylas, he may very well have bribed the Defense Lawyer who was supposed to represent your father into doing a poor job at defending him, cite how damning the supposed witnesses were at the time. But I did not call you to talk about the past, I have called because I have received disturbing rumors of a mysterious syndicate that has arisen, recently."
"A Syndicate, do we know anything about it?" Priscilla asked, concerned.
The Chief Prosecutor shook his head"No, but I sent a Constable and an Investigator to investigate those rumors, but its been over a week since I heard from them. That's why I said it was mysterious. Someone clearly doesn't Vella breathing down their necks."
"What about Sai? I heard that King Jigo of Ku wasn't interested in anything but warfare before his change of heart" Priscilla pried, she had studied history in addition to magic and law"Surely they could-"
"Sai is dealing with its own problems, which is why some of the knights are still stationed there" Davis interrupted with s sigh"And since ours is a largely neutral country, we've not heard much in the way of news from New Delsta or Timberain. I will bring the matter of this syndicate to the king's attention. I want you to go gather some information on the pub, someone way know more of this syndicate we are dealing with. You will be assigned a Constable and an Investigator. They'll be waiting for you outside."
"Yes, sir, I will get ready" Priscilla left the office.
A young man in his late twenties with orange hair, black shirt with pants and shoes with a white jacket was in contact with a shadowy figure, they were in an alleyway of the castle town. All the younger man could see was that this man was sporting a white shirt with dark hair, a crimson sun tattoo could be seen on the side of his face.
"So, Nathan, have you given any more thought on joining the boss's cause?" The shadowy man spoke.
"I have, his prospects were... Intriguing" The younger man, Nathan spoke"But why doesn't he come talk to me about it, himself?"
"I'm afraid he's busy with other... Jobs, we'll just say. My name is Shane, pleasure to meet ya' man" the tattooed Mercenary grinned"Folks call me the Unwavering Arrow. Pretty handy with a blade, and a bow, too."
"Good to know" Nathan nodded"I'm a dead hand with a sword, myself. Studied magic, too. But before I agree to this deal and depart to the west Solista Continent, I have a request for you" he added, coldly.
"Sounds dead serious, man. All right, I'll bite" Shane grunted"You got any dirty work that you need done that you don't wanna do yourself?"
Nathan's face became cold-stone serious, taking care to hide the pain he had come to get in the heart when his father had been arrested, he genuinely loved both of his parents, not that he would willingly admit it to anyone, especially not the person he held accountable. Never mind that his mother didn't have much choice and was made to coddle him, showering him with much affection against her will"Your target is Priscilla Whiteshore, but don't kill her. I just want her to suffer for what she did to my father." Although if Priscilla did die, he'd just pin the blame entirely on Shane and make himself look innocent so as to placate his mother.
"Got a beef with House Whiteshore?" Shane pried"I can dig it, boss has a beef with other... Individuals. He told me not to take any unnecessary lives, so don't worry, I won't let her bite the dust. We'll just frighten her, injure her badly if that doesn't work."
"Good" Nathan walked away, this seemed like the best compromise since his mother was softhearted and wouldn't approve of him killing Priscilla, indirectly or otherwise. Another man approached Shane.
"Why did you agree to not kill Prosecutor Whiteshore?" He demanded, his name was Rick, a hot-blooded man with brown hair and brown eyes, he also sported a tattoo, but his was on his bare left shoulder.
"It would be a larger scandal and possibly would shatter the peace of this kingdom. Plus, that boy clearly cares enough about Whiteshore to not want her dead, despite his hatred for her" Shane replied"Even neutral countries like this one have their limits. Not that I am planning on pinning blame and pointing fingers at anybody. Now let's get to work, find Whiteshore and give her the fright of her life."
Rick nodded, and walked off.
Priscilla met up with the two officials who are to accompany her to the pub in the city, one had brown hair, the other was an albino. Both wore the bluish uniforms with white linings that were the colors of their nation.
"Lady Whiteshore, my name is Zack, and this is Jessie" the Investigator stated"We're ready for the investigation when you are."
"Good, shall we, then?" Priscilla walked off, accompanied by the two other officials as they headed into the town. The city was bustling, people generally going about their business in the peaceful castle town.
'A fine day as always' Priscilla thought, heading for the local tavern. It was a bit rowdy at times, but didn't often get to the point where the royal guard had to get involved. The bartender, a woman in her forties greeted her"Prosecutor Whiteshore, we don't often see your face around here, you here for a drink, or do you just need information?"
"I really can't hold my liquor very well, I need information from you again" The blond prosecutor replied"Did you here any rumors regarding a strange syndicate? My superior doesn't know much about it, despite sending someone to investigate."
"I don't really have much more than poor old Davis, to be honest" The bartender replied"He just stopped by for a drink the other evening, that and I'm hearing that things are going crazy with the legal system on the mainlands of Solista."
Priscilla was curious"What's been going on there?"
The bartender shrugged"Search me, something about the guards in certain cities accepting bribes, possible wrongful convictions and the like. Some fellows such as Stenvar from Conning Creek are none too popular, the way they act. And some man from the mainland was sent to jail allegedly for killing his own wife and child, five years ago. They're all hush-hush about it, so I can't say much for certain. And between you and me, there was something curious that went on about a group of Apothecaries called Eir's Apothecaries."
"The group that apparently poisoned an entire town for the fun of it? I don't buy it one bit, a couple of our knights met them, they were traveling healers" Priscilla seethed, she didn't take rumors at face value.
"These are just rumors, miss, I'm not too worried" The bartender assured her"True, people change, but you just got to take these things with a grain of salt. Anyway, the syndicate you are asking about keeps to themselves mostly. If the investigators the Chief Prosecutor haven't come back yet, I fear that they may have been silenced" she finished grimly.
"I see, thank you" Priscilla nodded.
Just then, an arrow shot through the window and narrowly nicked Priscilla on the thigh, the arrow eventually landing in a wall.
"Ah!" The Prosecutor gasped.
"Hold on" Jessie got out her first aid kit and gave Priscilla a healing grape, Priscilla ate the fruit and let its magical properties heal her wound.
The other patrons looked to see a man with a tattoo and dark hair run to the left of the window.
"Someone's none too happy with you" The bartender commented, frowning.
"I can see that, If it was Nathan, there WILL be heck to pay" Priscilla seethed, running out with her escort. No sooner had she done, another man, this one with brown hair approached her, twin spears in hand.
"Why you!" The Constable, Jessie rushed him, only to be pierced twice by the spears, injuring her badly.
Priscilla pulled out her staff, hand ready to unleash Icewind.
The man dodged the ice spell, grinning"Heh, so you're starting to poke your nose into the Crimson Sun's business, eh? Too bad for you this won't end well."
"What are you doing, Rick!?" Shane hurried on over"You just blew our cover!"
"Ah, put a stick in it" Rick scoffed"We'll probably just be scapegoated anyway. Some nobles have a tendency to do that."
Zack administrated a healing grape on Jessie, readying her spear"You can't possibly expect forgiveness for assaulting an officer of the law!"
"Did Nathan send you?" Priscilla glared at the two mercenaries.
"Yeah, Nathan hired us, but its not like we're gonna kill ya', or at least that was the case before Rick just spilled the beans about our organization's name" Shane shrugged"But what can you do, eh? Boss gave me icky orders to silence anybody who could jeopardize his agenda."
Zack rushed to the barracks to alert the knights. Priscilla cast Lightning Bolt, zapping Rick. Rick staggered and angrily rushed at her, only for Jessie to knock him back with a punch.
Priscilla cast a fireball to drive Rick back, taking the opportunity to bite into one of her inspiriting plums to replenish the magical energy in her body.
"Was that the best you can do?" Rick bashed Jessie and jabbed at Priscilla, driving her back, the Prosecutor casting a fireball in retaliation, burning the man's armor. Rick snarled and rushed at Priscilla with a slice and a jab, which she barely dodged.
Shane sighed and drew his own blade"Guess I've no choice, we'll just be put on the kingdom's wanted posters, either way" he readied himself, only for Jessie to jab at him with her spear.
Priscilla unleashed Icewind, staggering Shane and Rick further.
"You put up a good fight" Shane grinned"But it ends here" He rushed her with his blade, only for Jessie to block his way. Priscilla dodged narrowly as Rick slashed at her, prompting her to blast him with a Thunderbolt spell, staggering him.
"You're too good" Shane smirked, kicking Jessie back.
"I may not be a trained knight, but I did take self-defense lessons" Jessie shot back, going in with a horizontal strike, Shane narrowly dodged it.
Rick was still standing, practically on his last legs as he jabbed twice, driving Priscilla back. The Prosecutor retaliated with a couple more fireballs, blasting her opponent and knocking him down.
"I see your friend got Rick" Shane commented, slashing viciously at Jessie and firing an arrow, driving her backwards. Priscilla took this chance to zap Shane with a Thunderbolt spell, bringing him to his knees.
"Name?" Priscilla asked.
Shane looked at her"Shane Clarke, I am known as the Unwavering Arrow to some folks. Say, you didn't seem surprised when I mentioned Nathan's name."
"He is my so-called brother. I do not wish to speak of him" The prosecutor sighed, to her, her half-brother was a living reminder of when her uncle, Sylas had paid several people to testify against her father, Percival and have him falsely imprisoned just so that Sylas could have her mother, Vanessa to himself.
"So you hate him as much as he hates you" Shane chuckled darkly"I can't believe I was dragged dab smack into the middle of a sibling feud."
At that moment, several knights came and took the two offending mercenaries away, one of them, a red-haired young man with blue eyes, white chainmail with gauntlets and boots over a red shirt and pants approached Priscilla and Jessie, Zack was with him"Are you all right?" The Knight asked.
"I am fine, thank you, it was good timing" Priscilla took a breath, using magic could still tire her out a bit after an intense battle"How are things at the castle. oh, what's your name?"
"Alistair" The red-haired knight introduced himself"Chief Prosecutor Davis just reported to his highness about the rumors of the strange syndicate."
Priscilla thought about the men who had attacked her, they clearly had crimson sun tattoos"Do you suppose that Shane and that other man have anything to do with the syndicate? They said that the name of their organization is the Crimson Sun."
"Its a possibility" Alistair agreed"In fact, the king and the chief prosecutor are waiting for us at the castle, shall we go?"
Priscilla nodded and accompanied the knight to the castle. Jessie accompanied them.
"Why would the king need to see me?" Priscilla asked as they walked.
"Likely an investigation into the matter of this Syndicate" Alistair replied"I have my own mission."
The two of them entered the castle, where the guard escorted them to the throne room. The king, a middle-aged man with silver hair and regal attire sat on his throne, another man, this one with dark blue hair and a fancy uniform was with him alongside Chief Prosecutor Davis.
The king spoke first as Alistair, Jessie and Priscilla bowed"Welcome, how was the the investigation? Chief Prosecutor Davis and Justice Minister Lian have been keeping my updated on the recent rumors we got from the mainlands of Solista."
"Besides rumors, Jessie, Zack and I had encountered two men, both had crimson sun tattoos, the men said something about the Crimson Sun" Priscilla reported"I, and my escorts were attacked."
Chief Prosecutor Davis was hardly surprised"Hm. The Syndicate is definitely more secretive and elusive than I first thought, yet you encountered two of their agents."
"The assailants were just recently arrested" Alistair informed them"Its possible that they are involved."
"They were sent by Nathan to attack me, though" Priscilla grimaced in distaste"You don't think he had anything to do with the syndicate, do you?"
Justice Minister Lian sighed, he knew about the incident involving Prosecutor Percival Whiteshore and the fact that he was falsely incriminated"I suspect that the attack was only because of a personal grudge of his. I asked Nathan to find out if any agents of the syndicate were in the city and infiltrate them if possible, he's a fine officer. It pains me to hear he would attack his own kin. But I am sure he didn't seriously consider killing you."
"Perhaps he thought to scare me" Priscilla commented"But moving on, am I to presume we're going to look further into the syndicate?"
The king nodded"You presume correctly, you are very perceptive. As the last few people who went to investigate the syndicate have been missing for a while, I fear that they may have been murdered, or simply missing since we've not heard from them."
"If I may bring up one more thing, what of the rumors of Eir's Apothecaries poisoning a town and a man who was convicted of murdering his own family?" Priscilla asked.
"Those could be misunderstandings, a man from Conning Creek managed to smuggle a letter from Lady Clarissa to me" the king stated"We just sent Mr. Justin Wright and a couple of knights to handle this matter, though I have a feeling that if it was a frame-up which we have no evidence of, whoever was responsible would sure to be very hush-hush and careful about it. As for Eir's Apothecaries, there's been no real evidence that they did poison a town, except that it was found to be abandoned. But we've more important matters to attend do besides those rumors."
"There's also the matter of the legal system in Solista's mainlands being all twisted" Priscilla added"I know that we've been largely a neutral country, but in addition to investigating the syndicate, I would like permission to do what I can to help improve things on the mainlands."
Justice Minister Lian and Chief Prosecutor Davis looked at each other for a moment, this was an unusual request, but they knew Priscilla had a strong sense of justice and was compassionate towards others who needed help.
Alistair was curious and a little bit concerned"Are you sure? Its going to be a dangerous mission. And its going to take a day to reach the closest shore of one of the mainlands, Canalbrine, which lies on the west continent in the Harborlands."
"I can handle myself, with some help of course" Priscilla insisted.
Justice Minister Lian scratched his chin in thought, then came to a conclusion"Well, his majesty is going to send Alistair to the mainlands for a mission, anyway, so the two of you may travel to the Harbarlands together, tomorrow morning. Would you agree, Chief Prosecutor Davis?"
Davis nodded"I will not get in the way, but promise me one thing, Priscilla" he turned to her with a serious expression"Don't get into anymore trouble than you need to, your rashness could be your end. Vella still needs your talents. Zack and Jessie will take care of interrogating the two men who attacked you. If you find any evidence of any corruption on the mainlands, we can use it to expose it to the proper authorities. The King of Ku may or may not care, but Sai and Timberain should be reasonable. You'll also want to ask the Flamechurch officials on the east continent in the Crestlands to assist you in your investigations as well."
"I promise, Chief Prosecutor" Priscilla nodded.
"Alistair shall be your escort" The king added"He's one of our best knights. Any civilian assistance is welcome if they can be of help in your investigation, which is strictly voluntary, we don't want to put undue pressure on anyone. And try to be discreet, no telling if the Crimson Sun may come after you once they know that our best Prosecutor is on the case. Alistair, your job is mostly to help keep an eye on affairs in Conning Creek, for which reason I will have a couple more knights join you. You'll also be assisting Sai when you can."
"Will this be a problem if he is to be my escort?" Priscilla asked.
"Yes and no" The king replied"Conning Creek should be your first destination, but this mission could take quite a while either way. And as part of our past dealings with Ku and Sai, if there's any legal or military-related trouble, you should have no trouble lending assistance. If anyone asks, Priscilla, just say that you are an International Prosecutor, which I am giving you the authority to be. You may find yourself traveling alone unless you happen to find yourself some capable traveling companions, Prosecutor Whiteshore, take due care how you approach this mission, lest it costs you your life."
Priscilla nodded"Yes, your highness."
"Good, you will go to the harbor in the morning, but don't be afraid to visit the village for supplies if needs be" The king added.
"I will see you in the morning" Alistair told Priscilla.
"Same to you" Priscilla replied, then turned to Jessie"Thank your for assistance earlier."
"It was no trouble" Jessie assured her.
Priscilla headed home, which was a medium-sized two-story manor. A butler greeted her at the door"Welcome home, Lady Priscilla."
"Thank you, Sam" Priscilla nodded.
"Lady Vanessa awaits you to join her for dinner" The butler informed her"Sir Nathan left earlier."
Priscilla was glad she wouldn't have to deal with that living reminder of her parents' suffering, heading into the dining room. Her mother, Vanessa greatly resembled he eldest daughter, but was dressed in a formal purple gown with a pink undershirt with high class gloves.
"How was work?" Vanessa asked as the servants brought the two their dinner.
"Quite eventful, I'll be going on a lengthy investigation tomorrow" Priscilla replied as she took a bite of her dinner, they were eating plain veggie soup with some bread on the side.
The two of them ate in silence until they finished their meal. Vanessa took this chance to speak"You and Nathan have been avoiding each other for the last few years, don't you think its been going on for too long?"
"This again, mother?" Priscilla raised her eyebrow in annoyance"You know what his father did to you and my dad."
"That doesn't mean he had any part in it, he's not Sylas" her mother reminded her.
"Nathan sent a thug to attack me, recently" Priscilla pointed out.
Vanessa shook her head sadly at the news"He's just hurt, people say a lot of things in anger and lash out sometimes when they are in pain. I am disappointed in him for doing that to you, but if you two could just talk things out-"
"There is nothing more to discuss, we are done with this" Priscilla replied, tersely"Its HIS problem if he can't face the fact that Sylas was a monster whose lust and jealousy landed my father in prison for YEARS before I could prove that he was innocent."
"I see that there's just no getting through to you" Vanessa sighed, disappointed"You have a big heart, Priscilla, but you're still blind to the bigger picture at times. I cannot forgive Sylas for what he did, either, but Nathan was just as much of a victim as I was." She fell silent for a moment, then said"Who was that person who attacked you?"
"Possibly a member of an underground syndicate" Priscilla replied"In fact, I'm going to investigate and maybe help people deal with any problems they may be having with the legal system in other places. I don't know when I'll be able to come home."
Vanessa stood up"You may take a small allowance with you from our treasury in the basement in the morning, I will also pack you some lunch for the road. If you see Nathan during your travels, promise me you will try to talk to him, okay?" She asked.
Priscilla hesitated, part of her wanted to shout a no, but she couldn't deny that he had struck first when she backhanded Nathan after he lashed at her for landing that monster of an uncle of hers in Frigid Isle, Nathan clearly still loved his father, which she believed had blinded him to the truth. After a moment of contemplation, she answered"I can't make any promises, but if he wants to talk, then fine. But if doesn't, I'm going to have to take legal action against him."
"Good enough for me" Vanessa nodded"You are both still my darling children after all. I'm sure that you two will show the world how great a man and how great a woman you two can be. Good night."
Priscilla went to her room, her thoughts on the mission and on her brother, maybe her mom was right, she was being too judgemental with Nathan simply because he was her uncle's son. But if he was angry enough to send a man to attack her, how can there possibly be any reasoning with him, now? Pushing those thoughts out of her head, the Prosecutor changed into her pajamas and went to sleep in her bedroom, which consisted of a bed, desk and a bookcase.
As she slept, Priscilla's thoughts yet lingered on her mission and on her estranged half-brother, her mother had been forced to shower him with affection against her will by Sylas, yet did she really love Nathan? Priscilla went to sleep after another moment of contemplation.
In a far-off village, not far from Timberain, a man with silvery white hair, green eyes, a black suit with a white shirt and glasses oversaw what went on in a small farming community down below him, he was a man of wealth of taste, having a cup of good chamomile tea as he proceeded to work on his paperwork. He was the local lord of the village, acting under the guise of a generous, kindhearted man who is beloved by the people of the village. But he had his own agenda, for the legal system in Timberain actually bugged him quite a bit, it sometimes resulted in people getting wrongful convictions due to not having a Defense Attorney to represent them.
A woman with red hair, armor and a red shirt knocked on the door to his office.
"Come in" The man said.
"Lord Chief Justice Walden, I'm sorry to bother you" the woman said"But I've something to report."
"Go ahead, Scarlet" The man replied, not too trouble.
Scarlet was a mercenary who operated in Timberain, but she had a few secrets of her own, her association with the Chief Justice Minister of Timberain being one of them. She replied"I got a letter by carrier pigeon, its from a man called Nathan."
Walden nodded"He accepted Shane's offer, then?"
"Yes, but Shane himself has not sent a message back, someone must have caught him" Scarlet replied, seriously.
Wakden pondered this"Hm. Well, even if a secret or two got leaked, the law cannot touch me so easily. Timberain's king is much too concerned with other matters. Now, what else is new?"
"We took care of an investigation team that tried to snoop around Timberatin a while ago" Scarlet informed him."
"You're doing well, Captain Scarlet" Walden praised her"With my influence and your mercenaries, our little syndicate will purge all crime and criminals from Solista by force. Have your men keep watch for any interlopers."
Scarlet nodded"Yes, sir."
Well, that about establishes some of the central conflicts and villains for this fic, I hope this first chapter was enjoyable. Walden sounds very altruistic, doesn't he? He's gonna have more revealed about him eventually.