Ooooooh wait, even just the page of the myth has some gorgeous piano music in the background. So melancholic.
The image in the background shows a city protruding into the ocean. The architecture is very ancient Greece style, with some small eastern flares. The domes remind me of the Lemurian background in God Of Tides, but I'm pretty sure this isn't Lemuria on the surface (before it sank into the ocean), it's Romirro.
I'll start the first chapter.
"The Blaec Sea is about to devour the world. Humanity's last ark, the city of Romirro, is perched on a solitary island."
THE LAST ARK??
"There shall be a lunar eclipse, and at the end of the third night, Romirro will be annihilated as it sinks below the ocean's waves"
Hmmmmmm. Still not Lemuria. Parallel, but not the same.
"The Tome of the Sea God, which has foretold all worldy changes, announced the day in which humanity will be submerged during the first night."
How are humans in possession of the tome? Or is it a long-lost knowledge?
People believe the Sea God has abandoned them and will be responsible for the ocean destroying the city and killing everyone. They push the Sea God statues into the water. Blasphemy. You do deserve divine retribution.
It's been like this for centuries, apparently.
I still want to know if we're before GoT, after it, or in another timeline entirely.
"The Bride of the Sea God suffered this fate as well."
A Minister says that the second night is already here and it won't be long before Romirro is submerged. So we're on the brink of an apocalypse, what a great moment.
A certain Hawkern who is either the ruler or someone important in the caste says that the Tome has revealed a new prophecy and they should have the bride of the sea god make an announcement. It sounds like he's making it up, the minister urges him to give the people something to soothe their panic.
Oh, we're imprisoned.
MC Narration: "In the past, he was Romirro's minister whose loyalty to the city was unmatched. Yet he's now a cruel individual after the prophecy appeared in the Tome"
They do have the tome then, okay.
MC: "Didn't you say the tome of the sea god spreads lies and leads people astray?"
Ironically,
this is also Raf's point of view in Abysswalker
Oh! Hawkern says "Do you think you'd still be alive if someone else could converse with the tome?"
So MC is the only one who can, just like in the main story someone with a bond with the sea god is needed to awaken the tome. Also, if Raf has been asleep for centuries, how old is MC if she's already the sea god's bride here?
"You're the bride of the sea god... why are you letting humans mistreat you?"
He (god, his voice!!!) talks to MC telepathically. Raf is not beating the telepathy allegations, I fear.
MC is just talking back to him like nothing's odd about it, okay lol
MC narrates that she doesn't remember when he started talking to her, and she thought she had gone mad at first, and he claimed to be the sea god. Did he also convince her that she's his bride?
MC is brought outside for the fake prophecy, but she's following Raf's words so she can free herself. The Ritualis she recites goes "Our silent universe awakens in the faint light where dusk and dawn meet and merge. The young and pure Sea God descends upon the first wave's surge"
It's Raf's birth?
siudhalkdjsjkhaksldjsdk very, very faintly, Raf's voice hums the lumerian sad song. I'm unwell.
"He who commands the cycle of the sun, the moon, and the tides, He who guides souls to rest in distant realms..."
HOLD ON that's a lot of power beyond the splishy splashy of the ocean.
"Before me is a slowly swaying fishtail. It's so magnificent that everything I have ever considered beautiful in my life suddenly feels plain and unremarkable."
She's so real for that. A totally normal reaction to seeing Raf, to be honest.
"Powerful runes, barely visible, keep him immobilized."
WHO trapped him though.
Raf: "I could be lying. I can help you... But I can also let you drown in these abyssal waters to keep me company."
So MC has never met him and only knows his voice because he's been talking to her for I don't know how long.
He knows she's his bride, but does he actually
actually recognize her, or is she destined to be the bride so he recognizes her even without knowing her?
"Its scale is as cold as the lonely moon. At dawn, it shall pierce your heart"
Nice foreshadowing, thank you.
Fuck he's so damn beautiful
It shall be noticed that horny sounds were coming out of his mouth when she pulled the magical dagger out of his chest.
"This is the mark you've been searching for... But it was also a "seal" in another form."
Wait, is the dagger a physical manifestation of the bond mark on his chest? This is so Sailor Moon coded lol
If he doesn't stop ondulating with his hips every time he moves I swear. I can't concentrate on reading, Raf stop those hips and let me finish!
Ok the sea god has been revived, he tells her that now she's bound to him, and he carries her to the surface in a direct parallel to what he'll do in present time when they're on the island.
Second chapter!
The people knew she was the bride because it was written in the tome, huh. 6 months before her coming of age ceremony, she was admired and was going to be the future ruler of Romirro. Then there was a coup? The past castellan was a woman and was raising MC as the next ruler. Then came Hawkern who convinced people that the sea god had abandoned people, the tome stated Romirro was to be submerged even faster, and the bride was the god's accomplice in this. The past castellan died (I presume) and MC was imprisoned.
"Rainwater flows through the window frames. It makes the carvings and murals gradually reveal the lifelike faces of gods"
I'm curious about the others
asdhfsdkjdsakdhksdjh /fans self
nothing quite like a vengeful god offering you his power to deal with people who wronged you
"Watching them struggle as they suffocate, I feel a sense of satisfaction."
Go off queen, yas
Too many hot things are happening in this location
"Indeed, it's an ancient curse... but it's far too weak to control my bride"
Also let it be known he can literally tear off a curse with his fingers.
Hakwern: "Aren't you a god? Why are you destroying everything? Lemuria, Whalefall City... Now you want to destroy this island!"
skhdjaslJDSASLJLKASJDLASJDLKASJ we're after God Of Tides, Ok OK OKO KOKOKOK
"You're my bride, aren't you? Removing unsavory elements from my bride's life is my duty"
STOP DIRTY TALKING TO ME
(pls continue)
"A cold glint flashes as He cuts both our palms. He intertwines His fingers with mine, and our blood mixes. It drips onto the Tome of the Sea God."
This is better than a sex scene, actually
"He raises His hand to brush away the text and heal the would on my hand"
He can do that???????
"According to the Tome, you'll regain your power and stop the sea from swallowing Romirro if we fall in love?"
Beside the greatness that is force bonding with someone and deliberately trying to fall in love with them otherwise you die, does Raf here remember the ceremony in Forgotten Sea? Judging by his reaction when Hawkern spoke I'm inclined to say yes, but it's been centuries since then. Which explains why he looks older, and why MC had the time to be reborn and reach adulthood again. How does he feel about what happened at the ceremony? And why was he bound in the first place?
Onward to Chapter 3!
"You forgot about the scale already?"
Yuuuuuup this is God of Tides Raf, centuries after that disaster.
"Keep it safe. It's a piece of my heart. It will let me know where you are and what you're doing."
If his heart on her can do that, it would explain why he's so incredibly in tune with her emotions to the point of near if not full telepathy.
Fuck, his lemurian form
That very, very, very deep v line. The honest-to-god womb tattoo. The cock ring????? Twitter had many things to say about that, none of them holy.
MC: "You say you need to fall in love with me, and yet you're nowhere to be found."
That's an interesting turn of tables. Wasn't she the one who needed to fall in love, while he called her beloved bride this beloved bride that? Or is he also not in love with her at this point?
"I never believed an intangible emotion such as love could serve a purpose"
Shut up you were
blushing when you asked her if she wanted to have your heart.
I fear he took the events at the ceremony a bit personally.
Raf: I'm only following the Tome's revelations because I don't have an alternative. I won't fall in love with you. It doesn't matter how close you get."
MC: "Don't worry, I'm just trying to survive. Don't misunderstand and think I'd actually have feelings for you."
I've read so many fanfics that started this way lmao
Raf: "It belonged to me, but it seems I gave it to you. So it's yours now."
Does he....NOT remember, then?
Does he remember only parts of his past life and not all of it?
Raf: "Could it be that you also forgot everything because you slept for thousands or tens of thousands of years?"
HOW LONG????
That makes sense though. So much time passes that it's quite normal for a brain to forget the oldest stuff. Even if it's the brain of a god.
That would make immortality closer to oblivion, though. What's good about living forever if you can't remember the experiences, or can't retain what you learn from those centuries that go by?
Wait...
This does explain Raf's behavior toward MC at the beginning of main story, too.
He met her when they were kids, and out of complete coincidence he developed a huge crush on her already, which helped in the grand scheme of things when he also found out she was supposed to be his bride, I guess.
But there wasn't love, and his mistrust toward humans took precedence.
When they awaken the tome and Raf gains the power of the Sea God, he doesn't recognize her because it's been who knows how long since the last time he was awakened, so he really does not remember her beyond a generic "Follower, Bride, important person I have a duty to care for in the most basic sense"
Three days later MC steps out and walks "at the foot of Mount Onyuna"
Onyuna...Onychinus........ HM. I don't know what to do with this.
"His blood surged to form the oceans, His scales transformed into the stars above. His bones became the whales who bore the sun disc, the moon clams that measure time, the coral bridges that lead to the Netherworld"
Just how big is this god what the fuck
"That's the creation myth for how the Sea God founded Lemuria"
MC: "...These are the stories about the Sea God, but they're not the story of "Rafayel"
Raf: "There's no difference. One day, I will become another Sea God who's depicted here. The name "Rafayel" shall be forgotten"
HMMMMMMMMM.
Raf: "I'll...start with finding the person who sealed me away at the bottom of the sea"
OKAY FINALLY
Also, yes, we're getting confirmation that he does have an incredible insight into her emotions and thoughts.
Boy, these chapters are so packed.
Chapter 4
"Only when the Sea God's power is restored can all slumbering Lemurians be awakened."
ALL LEMURIANS???
Awwwwww she's resonating with the shark, stop that's so cute
The backgrounds are so damn cool
"This is the Sea God's Tomb. Each stone statue below represents a Sea God who has perished."
"I hope you didn't bring me here just so we could be buried together."
"Don't worry, that day is still tens of thousands of years away."
I need to sit down. Wait a sec. Hold on.
So every Sea God can live that long before they finally perish? But in GoT they said the last Ceremony was like a thousand years before, I think? So either that Sea God had an extremely short life, or idk.
And is the Sea God an overarching identity, or is it just about the powers that comes with it, and once the next god steps into that role, they will fulfill that duty based on their own personality?
Raf talking of tens of thousands of years might also refer to the fact that he knows he's supposed to be the last lemurian sea god, which means he will be the one falling into slumber and then reawakening again and again.
The statue is talking, okay, all fine
"Young Sea God... I have already told you...
The bond's mark that is etched into your soul was never complete... You cannot enter the Sea God's Tomb, let alone reforge the Tidebreaker Trident."
WAIT. Raf already tried going there after the Ceremony? But found out that the bond wasn't complete? Why? Because she wasn't sacrificed or because something else was missing for their bond to be complete?
Oh they need to be together! But she had disappeared back then, so it couldn't work.
We need to beat 33 past sea gods???
Omg the npc voices, I can't. Infold please I'm begging you, I can't take this seriously
This is hilarious, I'm having Mulan flashbacks of all the ancestors arguing together
Altar: "I shall cleanse thy body, temper thy weapons, and restore thy lost memories..."
OH! So the sea god does need full memories to fulfill his duty, but hasn't access to them unless he restores his full power
Flashback to Raf telling MC about the bond and I'm in my feels man.
THEY'RE BOTH REMEMBERING I'M GIGGLING KICKING MY LEGS
I take back what I said, double amnesia is great actually
Raf: "It only represents the past. And now, it means nothing to us."
Shut uppppppp
She's wounded? But it's not a wound, it's a floral pattern?
Hanahaki disease, is that you? She's going to die so long as her love is unrequited?
Hnnnng the melody from Fragrant Dream, my heart
Chapter 5!
And Hawkern has escaped, or better, was let go by Raf so that he can reveal his plans.
"His face betrays nothing. However, in the dim lighting, I notice the tiny scales rising subtly on His neck. I see... He likes being praised."
Shut up that's so fucking cute
MC: "Why are you so concerned about this injury?"
Raf: "It will make you more like a Lemurian. Your senses become heightened, so you'll be able to hear the call of the most distant oceans and see extraordinarily vibrant colors"
OMG
"But you are a human. You'll become an outcast on land. Then you'll be unable to hear any sounds unless they're in the ocean. You won't see any colors unless they belong to the sea. Your legs will become too weak to walk on land, and you'll suffer. Seawater will flood your mouth and nose and rise in your throat. In the end, you'll drown on dry land."
Nvm take it back, I don't want it
MC: "One of those identities is the bride of the sea god. What if I don't want to be her?"
Raf: "Then don't be."
Ouch. But also yes, because this needs to be a free choice, and not something they are bound to based on what happened in their past life.
sadhjsadkldjslj
"do you want all these people to disappear?"
"If I said I wanted that, would you carry out my wish?"
"If it would make you fall in love with me."
Yes do continue flirting while talking about murdering people, this is my absolute jam
They really are a power couple. And they're not even a couple. And they're not even technically the official rulers there, or only MC, but they became queen and Sea God ruling over Romirro anyway.
Chapter 6 here I come!
"However, should you miss that pain, I can help you experience it again"
We're starting strong with this one boyssssss
Okay now they're flirting
flirting. Not to tease and poke as reluctant allies, but more genuine affection behind their words. It's so cute that they're both doing this despite knowing what they were in their past life. I've always wondered how it would be if MC regained her memories, let alone any of the LIs who don't have them complete as it's the case for Raf, and now I'm actually seeing it. They would still need to choose to fall in love with each other, and those memories would only work as a faint map to follow.
AWWWWWWW they're falling in love that's so cute
"Then, the music and laughter transform into weeping and screams"
Aaaaaand we're back to our regular schedule with Love and Depression. Can never have something nice here for too long.
Hawkern is back and has taken us (which doesn't really bode well for his survival rates, all things considered) and says that he wants to save Romirro from following the same path as Lemuria.
Is Raf and MC's love story destined to bring the end of a society?
Power couple indeed.
Chapter 7
So Hawkern wants to revive Lemuria but without Raf, since he believes that Raf is responsible for its fall. He's a Lemurian??? Who wants to overthrow Raf???
Okay damn, somehow I had pictured Lemurians all happy and beautiful and artistic and totally not deranged, but of course that would make no sense.
Fuck, Hawkern is letting her know that if the Sea God wants to reclaim his full power (needed to resurrect Lemuria), he needs to reclaim his heart.
Hawkern: "When He remembers everything from those years...He'll ensure your very existence tastes oblivion"
Those years? After the ceremony?
"See how you and that Sea God destroyed Lemuria!"
/grabs popcorn
I've been waiting for this moment since I started playing this game.
OAISHDJLAKSJDALSJKDASLDJALSKJD
OMG OMG
So the Sea God IS like an identity that takes possession of him. Similar to how MC was hearing voices when she met Sylus, it's an internal force that drives instinct and action. The Sea God instinctively wants to reclaim the heart to have full power.
And Raf fought against it. "Lemuria's "flame" requires the hearts of our followers to sustain it. This... This is wrong."
I'm screaming and rolling on the floor I shall not speak of the direct, almost word for word parallel to another LI.
We have a main quest! A very important one!
That we have completely forgotten. Oh my god, if present!Raf knows no wonder he's pissed. I'd be pissed af too.
We searched for it??? And it didn't exist??? And Lemurians blamed MC and Raf for the fall of Lemuria??
"Lemuria was a civilization that should have never existed. Destruction was its predetermined fate. The last God of the Sea perishes. Along with Lemuria, they dissolve into the ocean."
fuck
And we decide at this moment that we'll sacrifice ourselves to save Raf, because fate states that Lemuria should disappear entirely, Raf with it.
This could be another direct nod to the background of another LI.
AND now we're imprisoning Raf until it's the right moment for him to be awakened without the risk of impeding death. Another direct nod to yet another LI. Jesus.
"You...betrayed me."
No Raf!
End of the flashback.
Fuck.
This explains Abysswalker too, why the Elder was talking like that, why the Ceremony disaster was narrated that way. Thank you infold writers, may your pillows be cool on both sides for the entire summer, this is the kind of coherent writing I hoped for.
Rafayel is behind Hawkern!
"His cold gaze has told me everything. He saw my memories as well."
NOOOOOOOOOO
This is an emotional roller coaster what the fuck
"We'll deal with him first"
They talk telepathically! Yes!
God this scene, I'm in pain.
THE ANGST
And we still need to play 2 chapters. Help.
Chapter 8
I'm not ready.
"We part ways on the beach.
The waves and ripples will never settle. Likewise, I will never see Him again."
STOP
A storm is making Romirro crumble.
"If only this heart truly fell in love with Him... Then He'd prevent the sea from swallowing Romirro and allow me to live."
Oh my god, the pain
Raf comes back with a whole tsunami??? Damn.
"A divine power surges in His gaze. It's as fierce as the turbulent currents surrounding Him. Not even a trace of my image is reflected in His eyes."
Things are going peachy, everything's fine hahah
"Death will greet those who attempt to wield a Sea God's power with a human body"
"but I'm the one who has a bond with a Sea God. I won't die that easily"
and it's time to resonate!
Shut up by resonating she's feeling his feelings too oh my god
"During one of Romirro's short summers, the indifferent Sea God's heart experienced pure contentment and joy for the first time"
Stahp I'm already in pain as it is
"All that time we spent together- my feelings for Him were never unrequited"
I need to hug a pillow
"Rafayel supports my waist as He hugs me from behind. His embrace is scorching hot."
Raf: "Feel it."
UHm.....
"Now, wield it as if it were your own."
Can you choose your words a little more carefully? This is distracting and I need to be focused
"My blood boils as my eyes become the same colors as Rafayel's"
gnawing at the bars of my enclosure SHUT UP WHY CAN'T I DRAW
They're reunited and they're in love (again).
Chapter 9, I know how you end, you bastard
"A Lemurian bond grows stronger with love. The deeper the connection is between the two parties, the more powerful it becomes."
This is interesting because in God of Tides there was no time to make the bond powerful, it was even incomplete. In this myth, they're barely starting to strengthen it before we reach the already known end.
In the present, though, the bond is already there, Raf has been in love for a long time, and MC also falls in love before they even awaken the Tome. This could potentially mean that in the present the bond will be the strongest.
"Back then, our bond was so powerful that you were able to seal me away for thousands, no, tens of thousands of years"
And still! They didn't have so much time nurturing their love like in the present <3
"Watching your kin march toward their demise is a pain more excruciating than dying"
OUCH Raf. Please.
"I nod a second later. Then I notice a small crack in the necklace's seashell"
PLEASE WHY
Raf is passed out, MC manages to summon the shark "It swims to my side and uses its rigid, bony snout to give a friendly nudge to my hand"
Who's a good fishie? Yes you are a good fishie, my cute fishie
"He's about to fade from existence"
Not if I have a say in it, he's not
So if we give him our heart (totally get you MC, off yourself right now) "He will live for a long, long time. An almost immortal life."
Almost.
Most of the heart exchange happens with Raf still out, huh. So the scene in the trailer is just the last step.
"You're hiding something from me"
No shit. But don't worry your pretty head about it.
This is like witnessing the entire Titanic sink. I know it's happening and I'm still forced to look at it.
I see this will be pain from start to finish.
"We might have to actually bid each other farewell"
I can't do this.
Oh dear god here we go the final cutscene
Fuck dawn is breaking over the sea and I'm crying damn it
Something about them both saying goodbye to each other, racing for who's going to die first. And Raf was so sure he could kiss her one last time and then go die alone somewhere, only to have MC pull a uno-reverse card and ruin his plans. How traumatic to having made peace with your death, only to be the one left alone to survive.
....
I... I need a moment, then I'll come back for some final considerations
![[Image: abyssw-alker-v0-wx0feo9sd3yod500x100.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/LXBKwXgL/abyssw-alker-v0-wx0feo9sd3yod500x100.jpg)
