HPV 104

Extra 1. Game

[Game Journal]

1. Playable Characters

[Paronai Mordan]

Difficulty: ◆◇◇◇◇

Background: A student at a swordsmanship academy who one day awakens to a noble mission.

Description: Landing attacks with a longsword automatically triggers combo skills and racks up a high combo count. Even players new to Soulslike games can play without much difficulty.

As the top student of the kingdom’s premier swordsmanship academy, Paronai is equipped with simple yet powerful techniques. With excellent health, skill points, and experience gain, he is considered the easiest character to play.

Most notably, his awakened weapon, the Holy Sword Hunne, works exactly like a standard longsword and has no usage restrictions, making him even easier to handle.

Patterns quickly become predictable, which might make combat feel monotonous, but in the late game where you rely solely on the Holy Sword, stamina management becomes tricky, so stay alert.

[Banwes]

Difficulty: ◆◆◆◇◇

Background: A half-blooded monster who cannot live among humans.

Description: A barehanded brawler. Though a spear exists as a weapon, it is not very efficient. New players will be shocked by his massive HP, nearly ten times that of other characters. Injuries even heal over time. However, potions and healing items do not work on Banwes, so you must rely solely on his HP in all battles.

He has a separate “absorbed damage” gauge; once full, he enters a berserker state. In other words, he has to take hits on purpose.

In the story, this translates to enduring weak attacks while exploiting openings, a brutal “trade flesh for bone” style.

Reaching berserk mode at the right time while taking just enough damage makes it difficult for beginners to get the hang of. (There is a no-hit-no-berserk challenge run, but the damage efficiency is so low it’s more pain than fun.)

[Yurichen Viezlyn]

Difficulty: ◆◆◆◆◇

Background: A young high priest said to be closest to god.

Description: The party’s cleric and healer. Rather than attacking directly, he builds combos by casting automated healing skills on teammates. Banwes actually loses HP from Yurichen’s heals, so you must avoid healing him, adding to the difficulty.

However, playing purely as a healer means you won’t be using Yurichen to his full potential. His purification skill, which activates on demonic enemies, is as impactful as any DPS attack and requires long-range precision aiming like a mage.

Yurichen’s core mechanic is the Insight skill, which allows you to see a target’s actions five seconds in advance. Reading multiple targets and intercepting them first is deeply satisfying. (Though he’s a noble and just high priest, his gameplay is often described as the most underhanded.)

[Penzey Ikran]

Difficulty: ◆◆◇◇◇

Background: The kingdom’s most notorious prisoner, a masked mage.

Description: A well-rounded character who combines the strengths of Paronai and Yurichen. In addition to magic, he is also proficient in close combat with a secondary dagger weapon.

If you’ve played Banwes or Yurichen, switching to Penzey, the fourth playable character, feels significantly easier.

Unlike Banwes who builds gauge from damage taken, Penzey builds it from damage dealt. When full, his spell circles double from three to six, massively increasing his spell output, variety, and precision.

When the gauge maxes out, his mask is removed, revealing a face as handsome as Yurichen’s or Banwes’s.

[Bzhan]

Difficulty: ◆◆◆◇◇

Background: A stoic young archer raised by elves.

Description: Because of his youth, his HP and stamina are low, but he has the widest variety of skills among the characters, stealth, self-heal, dexterity, etc, ideal for an assassin class.

His base speed is incredibly high, shocking first-time players. Even his basic rapid-fire attacks are useless unless you can execute wall-climbing and chain-jumping techniques. But once mastered, his gameplay is the most exhilarating and dynamic.

However, the difficulty spikes again mid-story. Oddly, leveling up forces you to abandon earlier skills. All elf-related support abilities are replaced by Paronai-style sword aura skills.

There is a known strategy where you cap his level and finish the game with his original skills (though it doesn’t align with the story).

[Riarun]

Difficulty: ◆◆◆◆◆

Background: Deputy leader of the Rohin sect, which worships tree spirits.

Description: A new character not available in the beta.

The party’s second healer and tank. Compared to Yurichen, his healing is less effective, but he has the unique ability to heal Banwes.

He cycles between a normal and a demonized state, completely unrelated to combat. In demon form, his healing slightly improves, but his HP drops faster, often negating the benefit.

He’s the most difficult character in the game. He has the lowest HP, stamina, and base speed. Even with shields to compensate for HP, his greatest flaw is attack capability.

Due to lore, spirits cannot harm life, he can only parry. You must precisely time shield counters against enemy attacks.

He is never the protagonist of combat in the main story and is widely regarded as an “event-only” character. In most stories, he plays the prince(ss?) role who needs protecting. Including him in battle causes more hassle than help, fights are chaotic enough without needing to protect Riarun too.

He subtly breaks the fourth wall, with lines that imply he’s aware of the game or the player. Due to his useless demon form, players suspect he’s either secretly the final boss or hiding immense power.

2. Scenario

Chapter 0: [Tutorial]

Combat Lead: Paronai

(Paronai) Cuts training dummies at the sword academy. A literal tutorial stage.

Chapter 1: [Beast-Blooded Hybrid]

Combat Lead: Banwes

(Banwes) A lone monster escapes a forest fire while carrying the unconscious Riarun, dodging flames across the map. Survive until Riarun wakes and extinguishes the fire.

Chapter 2: [Monster of the Grave]

Combat Leads: Paronai, Penzey

(Paronai, Penzey) Defeat a monster that emerges from a grave. Paronai’s awakened weapon, the Holy Sword, activates.

Chapter 3: [The Vanished Bride and the Sheaf Forest]

Combat Leads: Paronai, Bzhan, Banwes, Penzey

(Paronai, Penzey) In a cave, defeat spirit-type monsters while searching for the vanished bride. (Banwes, Bzhan) Hunt illusions in Sheaf Forest. For Bzhan, the illusions appear human; for Banwes, they appear monstrous. Playing as Banwes also adds a mission to find a lost Riarun.

Chapter 4: [Trial to Become a Hero]

Combat Lead: Paronai

(Paronai) Defeat a betrayer once thought to be a friend, “Sisen,” and his soldiers. The narrowing field of vision, darkened effects, and guilt of striking down a fellow human all create a powerful narrative climax as Paronai finally resolves to strike down his friend.

Chapter 5: [Those Who Betrayed the Gods]

Combat Leads: Yurichen, Paronai, Penzey, Bzhan

(Paronai, Penzey) Defeat demon worshippers. (Bzhan) Riarun is being chased again (this time for helping others). Escort him safely while defeating cultists. (Yurichen) The highlight of Chapter 5: an exorcism battle against the main demon boss, complete with dramatic effects worthy of a high priest or archbishop.

Chapter 5.5: [Catch the Booze Thief]

Combat Lead: Paronai

(Paronai) A light-hearted event battle. Defeat opponents in a one-on-one arena tournament. Very easy.

Chapter 6: [The Mage of Lies and Deceptions]

Combat Lead: Penzey

A non-story event boss “Stone Beast” appears. (Penzey) Recalls his past, facing every monster and beast he has defeated.

Chapter 7: [Cursed Beast-Blooded Hybrid]

Combat Leads: Banwes, Paronai, Yurichen, Penzey, Bzhan

(Paronai, Yurichen, Penzey, Bzhan) Clear out monsters on a snowy mountain. The harsh cold slows all characters and reduces HP, a frustrating fight. (Banwes) Fights a brainwashed doppelgänger of himself. The grotesque, horrifying visuals trigger a content warning. After the fight, Banwes and Riarun fall into a pit and are rescued half a day later, but this time gap is left unshown, nicknamed by players as “The Missing Half-Day.”

Chapter 8: [FINAL: Black Dragon Takianthis]

Combat Leads: Paronai, Banwes, Yurichen, Penzey, Bzhan

Phase 1: Hatchling swarm Phase 2: Black dragon Phase 3: Demon boss The largest-scale battle in the game. At the end, you must choose a character to sacrifice with the Holy Sword, but regardless of choice, Riarun seizes the sword and sacrifices himself. Choosing Riarun as the player unlocks a siege battle at Castle Gerenique, not accessible with other characters.