Author Topic: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version. (And other oddities.)  (Read 6172 times)

skylark

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Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version. (And other oddities.)
« on: December 13, 2022, 01:16:03 pm »
Hello again all. It's me. Welcome to another unorthodox attempt at me making notes for my next story... since I don't have a reliable way of keeping notes. *cough*

With my last story, Sea of Dreams, it was a full-blown story synopsis. This time, it's the wonderful life-ruining magic of TV Tropes! :D

Disclaimer: Due to the nature of TV Tropes, there will be SPOILERS for a story that hasn't been written yet. Yes, it is madness. No, I don't give a crap.

Edit: Also, because there is no 'spoiler' type font or html that I know of around here, things that can be considered spoilers will be put in parenthesis.

Disclaimer 2: Because said story has not been written, I don't want to actually put this on TV Tropes quite yet. Not until I can find a way to get off my duff and start writing.

*record scratches*

…….

……wait a second. This spiel seems awfully familiar…

……Ehh. I'll figure it out later.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2023, 12:24:00 pm by skylark »

skylark

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2022, 01:32:18 pm »
Other notes: These Tropes will be written under the assumption that a fanfic and a fan game for this story was completed.

Obviously NOT the case, but I digress.

So let's start this bad boy!

General Tropes:

Arc Words - “Ours is the power to shape reality.”

An Aesop - Power in itself is not good or evil, but it is easily corruptive, and it takes wisdom and a strong will to avoid said corruption. At the same time, those without power cannot protect what they hold dear, so do not be afraid to seek it out as long as one is mindful of the consequences.

And Man Grew Proud - This is the story of how.

And the Adventure Continues - Played with in the Normal and Endgame endings (witnessing scenes of Crono's journeys in Antiquity and Cain and Schala traveling through time to hunt down Dalton respectively), but absolutely played straight in Another Path (Cain takes Magus' place in Crono's party and aids them in the fight against Lavos).

Anti-Frustration Features - Completing one of the bonus endings does not send you back to the title screen, but to the moment before entering the Green Gate with your progress saved and said ending unlocked.

- The Developer's Room is no longer tied to an ending, and is unlocked by beating the game once. However, it will be generally empty until the player unlocks all the different endings, in which it will be filled by bestiaries, music, character bios, and bonus artwork.

Beach Episode - The setting (an artificial beach in Tristan's territory) for a mid-game Side Quest, complete with the party in beachwear (which is even reflected by their dialog portraits). Besides being a source of fanservice, there's a more practical reason for the quest: The whole trip is a plot by Eiric to give Cain and Schala a moment to relax and reconnect without their respective burdens hampering them. (Despite a couple of setbacks, it works.)

Book Ends - At the beginning of the Prologue, Cain and Schala first meet and become friends as children during Zeal's Founder's Celebration. At the end of the Normal Path before the climax, Cain dances with and reveals that he's been in love with Schala ever since as adults during Zeal's Founder's Celebration.

Central Theme - Revenge is Not Justice. However, while this is true, some people are so selfish and monstrous that any peaceful solution is outright impossible. In such situations, there is no other choice. The Villain Must Be Punished.

- Power, and all its incarnations. The power to protect, the power to destroy, power's corrupting influence, and the pitfalls of overcoming said corruption.

Companion-Specific Sidequest- Each party member has a personal quest unlocked during New Game+ in which they have a problem that Cain can help solve, and completing each one is required to unlock Another Path.

- Eiric's involves him being forced to throw his hat in the ring concerning his family's Succession Crisis, and ends up fighting all four of his siblings to not only become head of the Guardia household, but to prevent it from joining Arvis' faction.

- Zhao's involves the forced closing of his forge due to 'royal decree', and has him confront a major proponent of the Anti-weapon law, a local lord (and former student) who enforces his personal views of pacifism even as monsters bleed his lands dry.

- Eva's involves the Coalition's spy network, specifically their leadership, switching sides to Arvis' camp, and Eva's conflicting loyalties between her mission for the Coalition and her duty to her organization.

- Tristan's involves the disappearances of his fellow empaths once employed by King Alphard, only to discover that the collective corruption of society has since transformed them into a hive mind.

- Schala is unique in that the entire first half of Another Path's story is this for her. In essence, she is purged of her Suicidal Pacifism tendencies, receives closure as to the true nature of seeking power (and to her complicated feelings for Cain), develops the inner strength to actively fight Arvis and Lavos' corruption of her kingdom, and grows to become a worthy successor to her father's legacy.

Crippling Overspecialization - The Enlightened Ones wholly rely on their magic, with very few of their soldiers proficient in actual close-quarters combat due to their false pacifism. This naturally ends up biting them in the ass in Another Path when Cain gathers an army in rebellion. Turns out that all the magical shields in the world aren't so effective against an arrow or a stone axe to the face.

Dance of Romance - Cain offers Schala a dance during the kingdom's Founder's Celebration gala near the end of the story. This happens regardless of story route.

Darker and Edgier - While the Chrono series is no stranger to heavy themes such as prejudice and existentialism, Origins puts them on the forefront and beyond with subjects such as genocide and the inevitability of death… as well as the lengths (or depths) some people would go to stave off the latter. It also has much coarser language, with Cain in particular as quite the potty-mouth.

Darkest Hour - Normal Path: Almost all of the major Conspiracy players are dead, but the Coalition failed to protect the fleeing Earthbound, and the Underground is in complete ruins. All of this cascades to the point where Chancellor Arvis finally has justification to crack down on our heroes. Weapons are outlawed across the kingdom and the Coalition's reputation is in shambles. Abel is under house arrest. Melchior, Zhao, Eva, and Tristan are arrested and sent to Mount Woe (with the latter three being executed to make an example), while Eiric is spirited away by the remaining few sympathizers to parts unknown. Cain is utterly isolated, his only ally left being Schala…

- Another Path:

- Endgame Path:

Earn Your Happy Ending - Cain, Schala, and many others end up going through hell for it, but completing the Endgame Path brings out the best ending possible for everyone.

Everyone Can See It - The painfully obvious attraction between Cain and Schala when the former first arrives as a ward can be seen by everyone, especially King Alphard. Even with the changes in attitude the two undergo after the king's death, Eiric and the rest of the party still comment on the tension.

Fantastic Racism - Played with in the fact that it's the magically empowered people abusing those without it. Unfortunately, unlike how it's glossed over in Chrono Trigger, Origins pulls no punches depicting how much it sucks to be an Earthbound One in an Enlightened-controlled society.

Five-Man Band - Cain's party runs with this dynamic, at least during the Normal Path. Schala joining the party in Another Path naturally changes up the dynamic a bit.

- The Leader:  Cain

- The Lancer: Eiric

- The Big Guy: Zhao

- The Smart Guy: Tristan

- The Chick: Eva

- The Sixth Ranger: Schala

Foreshadowing - During the Final Battle of the Normal Path, blue flames begin sparking around Cain, and his actions start becoming more feral. This foreshadows his transformation in Another Path into the Arbiter of Hatred. Naturally, this is also the point where the Prophet takes off the kid gloves and delivers a fatal curb-stomp battle to Cain.

Garden of Love - Cain first falls for Schala in the palace gardens during the Prologue. Thus, it ends up being the place where most of the more romantic scenes in the story take place.

Golden Ending - This is one that takes a while to pull off. One has to complete the Normal Path and complete all of the bonus endings, unlocking Another Path. Then one has to complete all sidequests in order to complete said path. That is still not the end. Finally, one must speak to 'a certain person' a number of times in order to finally unlock the Endgame Path.

Grand Finale - Of the Chrono Trigger mythos. At least of the 'Lavos Saga'.

Hotter and Sexier - Going hand-in-hand with the mature themes depicted in Darker and Edgier above. Eva is the story's resident Ms. Fanservice while Schala seems to be packing more than is advertised, with both girls having alternate outfits and swimsuits that emphasize their curves. The boys are no slouch in the fanservice department either, as Cain is somewhat Tall, Dark, and Handsome, Zhao has some impressive muscles despite his advanced age, and Tristan is straight up Bishounen. Even King Zeal is depicted as a Silver Fox.

Irony - The Enlightened Ones spent their live in the pursuit of mystical fulfillment and Nirvana, and sacrificed their collective morality to try and achieve it once Lavos worship became widespread. In the Endgame Path, Cain, who had long since been ostracized by the people and considered lower than an Earthbound, is the only person out of all of them to ever actually attain it.

Loyalty Mission - Cain privately fears that the allies who end up joining him are Fair-Weather Friends at best, and unfortunately, that view is not without merit; Eva and Tristan join with noticeable hangups against Cain, while Zhao holds sympathies but worries that Cain's actions may bring more trouble than they're worth, and while Eiric personally has Cain's back, his household in general does not. These all lead to Cain's inevitable isolation during the Normal Path, and it is only after beginning a New Game+ and completing all other side quests that four new Companion-Specific Sidequests appear, in which all are required to unlock Another Path.

Multiple Endings - It wouldn't be a Chrono story without them. To be more specific, there are three main story endings and eleven bonus endings.

Mythology Gag - Some among the fandom dictate that the people of Zeal, especially the royals, dyed their hair. Turns out there is one who did just that. (It's Cain, who started off blonde but dyed his hair black in mourning for the King's death.)

Once More, With Clarity - At the start of the game, we see the massacre that is the Benedict Estate Incident, and a younger Cain slaughtering everyone he can find. All of this is from Schala's perspective, and is the cause of her 'power is evil' mentality, as well as the cause of her and Cain's strained relationship. However, upon witnessing the slaughter of countless Earthbound Ones at Priestess Olivia's hands and Cain's subsequent fury causes her to flash back to the Incident… and learn that she had blocked out the beginning moments when Cain had nearly died saving her from her father's killers.

- A retroactive one for Chrono Trigger. Magus' flashback showed Lavos' appearance and subsequent shunting of him and the gurus through time. When Cain and Schala confront him in the Ocean Palace during Another Path, the flashback shown when he accuses Cain of summoning Lavos back in his original timeline depicts exactly that; the Original Timeline Cain summoning Lavos and subsequent comeuppance.

One-Winged Angel - Remember Queen Zeal's final form on the Black Omen in Trigger? This story reveals it to be a corruption of the Sixth Gate when the wielder is overcome by extreme negative emotion. Each consist of a disembodied face/head and cognizant limbs. The Queen naturally undergoes said transformation when fighting her for the bonus endings, while in Another Path, (Cain undergoes one during the fight with Olivia and must be subdued afterwards, and Magus gets one of his own as the Final Boss of the route.)

Pre-Climax Climax - In the Normal Path, due to the events described in Darkest Hour above, Cain is ready to die in a last stand against the Chancellor and the kingdom. Schala, desperate to stop him from throwing his life away recklessly, gives him a reason not to. The epilogue all but outright spells out (that Kid is the result of this union).

- In Another Path, the circumstances are different, but the stakes are no less dire. Realizing that getting involved in the conflict has put a target on her back, Schala begins to worry about her people, her friends, her brother, and all the promises she had made that she might not be able to keep. This time, it's Cain who comforts her, asking her to believe in the bond they had rebuilt, leading to the two of them to consummate.

Puzzle Boss - The Arbiter of Hatred in Another Path. Destroying its face without destroying its arms first will cause it to kill Schala in its death throes, leading to a Non-Standard Game Over. However, the arms can only be damaged after the Arbiter tires itself out from using its ultimate attack, which must be endured by using Schala's Grand Barrier spell.

Ray of Hope Ending - The epilogue scene in the Normal Ending featuring Kid setting out on her post-Cross journey to find Serge, having inherited both Schala and Cain's wills, thus making it more of a Bittersweet Ending.

Super Mode - Anyone who has fully mastered the Six Gates of magic theory is capable of incredible power, manifesting in-game as a colored aura tailored to the character's personality. (We only see it briefly in a flashback but King Zeal has a multicolored aura, Queen Zeal has a sickly green one with jutted spines not unlike Lavos during her fights in the bonus endings, Schala has a golden aura that occasionally manifests as dove wings befitting her otherwise gentle personality, Sigmund has a deep red aura with phantom swords representing his bloodlust, Cain has a royal blue aura with six phantom arms depicting his righteous fury towards the cruelty and corruption plaguing the kingdom, and finally, Magus has a dark purple aura that he can channel into a phantom red scythe.)

- Cain uses a minor version of this during the Normal Path. Yes, it makes him powerful as all get out for a few turns, but it doesn't have the aura, representing his stubborn nature and lack of focus at the time, which bites him in the ass when he becomes no longer of sound enough mind to control it.

The Very Definitely Final Dungeon - The story has three of them, dependent on story path.

- Normal Path: Zeal Palace. Having been framed for Abel's murder, Cain fights through five floors in a Last Stand before confronting the Prophet (and his own demise) in the Grand Hall.

- Another Path: The Demon Realm. Defeating Magus at the Ocean Palace causes him to call upon his demonic patron in desperation, sending Cain's party and Magus into this void realm. In it, the party is forced to do battle with the God of Death Thanaton for the right to survive and change their fates.

- Endgame Path: This story path gives us a two-fer with the Tower of Shattered Dreams (a rebuild Tower of Gheddon), and the Sea of Time. The three parties of Trigger, Cross, and Origins band together to put an end to the Dark Wolf and save Zurvan.

Villain Takes an Interest - After completing Another Path, the Dark Wolf begins to assess Cain after the latter succeeded in preventing his fated death in Another Path. He then appears in different areas and times during the story. Completing each encounter with him unlocks the final story route.

Wham Line - “Inquisitor Cray! You are under arrest on suspicion of the murder of Commander Abel!”

- Magus: “You of all people have no right to speak to me of sin, Cain. Not when you we’re the one who summoned Lavos upon us all that day!”

- The Dark Wolf: “No. I decide when this is finished.” (Proceeds to one-shot Magus, heralding the beginning of the Endgame Path.)

Wretched Hive - The Underground of Zeal has this reputation, being a hiding place for thieves and killers, as well as being a 'red light district' where the citizens above indulge in various vices. Ultimately subverted in that in spite of the above, many of its denizens are simply exiles, social pariahs, and non-mages just trying to make a living.

(To be continued)
« Last Edit: December 17, 2023, 07:23:52 am by skylark »

skylark

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2022, 02:04:27 pm »
Main Characters:

Cain Cray: The main protagonist of the story as a whole. Formerly a member of the Kingdom of Zeal's Royal Guard, he now serves as an Inquisitor investigating the assassination of King Zeal. Although young, he is a prodigy in the arts of magic and warfare. Having lived a troubled childhood, he tends to hold people in general with disdain to outright contempt, and prefers to solve problems with violence. The only person he seems to hold any affection for is Princess Schala…

10 Minute Retirement - In Another Path, after being knocked out of his berserker rampage in the aftermath of the Way of Lavos cult, Cain's once irrepressible spirit has shattered with the knowledge that he unknowingly nearly killed Schala and his friends. For a short while he literally disappears from the plot; he can't even be selected on the party screen. However, once he learns that Schala got kidnapped by Sigmund, he immediately returns to action to rescue her.

Abusive Parents - To the point where Cain's very first memory is of his father screaming at a servant to toss the newborn Cain into the icy abyss below Zeal. Their 'relationship' (such as it is) only gets worse from there.

Anguished Declaration of Love - In the end of the Normal Path, Cain utters a subdued and quiet one of these to Schala during the Founder's Celebration dance as a final confession, believing that he won't survive his inevitable rebellion.

Anti-Hero - Oh, he starts out as one, but depending on several factors, may mellow out over the course of the story.

Badass Creed - Uttered by Cain before every major fight against the Conspiracy members.
Cain: I am Cain Cray, Inquisitor in the name of Alphard Zeal. By the King's Law, you have been found Guilty of (insert various crimes here). In the Eyes of the Founders, you are beyond Mercy. *battle stance* From this day forth, your life is forfeit!

Barrier Warrior - Knows the single-target Protect spell as his only utility Tech. At least until he masters the Sixth Gate, in which Protect upgrades into the superior Aegis spell.

Blade On a Stick - His equippable weapons are spears, at least at the beginning. Once his spear is taken from him at the end of the Normal Path however, he goes Good Old Fisticuffs full-time, with his weapons from then on being gauntlets.

Book Dumb - While no means unintelligent, Cain's life in poverty means that he never got a proper education until the King took him in. Luckily for him, he makes up for his lack of book smarts with street smarts and natural talent.

Cain and Abel - Cain butts heads with the Alphard Coalition's commander enough times during the story to the point where the trope looks like it will be played straight, but it is ultimately subverted. Cain is framed for Abel's murder by Dalton, which leads to either his execution in the normal path, or his escape from Zeal in Another Path.

Combat Pragmatist - Cain grew up learning the hard way that there's no such thing as a fair fight, and thus will take any opportunity to fight dirty if he comes across it. Like one poor Lasher enemy that gets a shot in the pills…

Defrosting Ice King - Cain starts Origins as a bitter and resentful young man whose only desire is to make King Alphard's killers pay. However, Eiric and the others of the Coalition as well as citizens of Zeal's Underground eventually break down the walls he's built up. By the time Another Path is unlocked, he's far more personable and heroic.

Distracted By the Sexy - Happens twice, and both times, Schala is the culprit. Tellingly, both incidents happen when she's wearing something other than her usual robes.

Dreaming of Things to Come - How New Game Plus starts. Vera sends Cain psychic visions of his death in the normal ending. Unfortunately, the details are all muddied, but it's enough for him to consider making different choices throughout the story. Wether he follows through is up to the player.

Eleventh-Hour Superpower - During the Final Battle with Manmon of the Endgame Path, Cain (at Serge's urging) opens the Six Gates in a certain order. The harmony of the song, the desperate hour, and Cain's desire to defeat his dark counterpart so he and his friends and loved ones can have a future awakens the power of the Chrono Cross and its corresponding seventh element within him. Cue Curbstomp Battle.

Fashionable Asymmetry - On his right arm, Cain sports a simple vambrace and glove with a knuckle guard. On his left, he wears a heavily armored gauntlet and pauldron.

Finger-Snap Lighter - This is how Cain detonates the Explosion Rune he plants on an enemy.

Freudian Excuse is No Excuse - Subscribes to this philosophy, ESPECIALLY when it comes to the Dark Wolf.

Good Scars, Evil Scars - Sports a large scar over his left eye. It makes him look badass, but it also reinforces people's already low opinion of him.

Happily Adopted - Cain is made a Ward of the Zeal family by King Alphard at age 13, and is the closest thing he's ever had to a normal and stable home life.

The Hero Dies - In the Normal Path, courtesy of a Sixth Gate empowered Dark Matter.

Heroes Love Dogs

Heroic Sacrifice - In the Endgame Path, after the Dark Wolf's defeat, Cain stays behind in the Sea of Time to reintegrate the souls Ret-Gone from the former's plan back into the Eternal Dream, but at the risk of himself becoming Ret-Gone from the strain. (Thankfully, it doesn't take, and although it takes some time, he eventually makes it back to his own era to the cheers of Schala and the others.)

Humans Are Bastards - He's always had this mindset growing up, but it's at its worst when the story begins proper. Sadly justified as before he met Schala and King Alphard, all he's ever seen is the worst of human nature, and his job as Inquisitor doesn't help change his mind. However, he ultimately drops this after a certain event in Another Path.

Humans Are Special - In Another Path, Cain attempts to convene with the Manmon Machine in Schala's place. The mass of information the Frozen Flame drives into his mind (not least of which are the events of Trigger and Cross, as well as his and Schala's canonical fates) includes the fall of Zeal… and the knowledge that humanity bounces back from it without reliance on magic. This knowledge resonates so strongly with Cain's core values that it verges on epiphany.

- This however, only lays the groundwork in changing his stance, and it isn't until he meets Crono's party that the change is complete. Hearing them talk of stopping Lavos, despite the fact that the planet's destruction is long after their time, simply because they feel it's the right thing to do is what finally restores Cain's faith in humanity.

I Just Want to be Loved - Behind the violence, behind the hatred, behind the thirst for vengeance, to have a place to belong is the only thing Cain ever truly wanted.

Iron Woobie - Subverted. Outwardly, he projects the image of a determinator that takes society's rejection of him in stride. However, the cracks start to show near the end of a couple story paths. The image completely shatters in Another Path after the refugees of the Underground are slaughtered by Ophelia's Way of Lavos.

Knight in Sour Armor

Kung-Fu Wizard - Both an accomplished brawler mainly utilizing Good-Old Fisticuffs and a powerful sorcerer capable of slinging highly destructive spells.

Magic Knight - Focuses a bit more on the 'Knight' aspect, but he's definitely this.

Pelts of the Barbarian - Cain lines his robes with and sports wolf pelts and claws on his clothing as opposed to the rest of Zeal's silks, both signifying his personal connections with the Earthbound and making a statement to Zeal society that 'he's on their side, not yours'.

Playing with Fire - His elemental innate is red, and quite a few of his Techs utilize fire.

Properly Paranoid - Given his upbringing, Cain is wary of interacting with those he knows little of. Given that assassins are common overworld enemies, his wariness is rather justified.

Pride - His Fatal Flaw. Cain is powerful enough to bring the majority of Zeal under his boot, and unfortunately, he knows it. It fuels his preferences to fight his enemies alone, it causes him to see Schala as a Living Emotional Crutch, and it generally tends to bring out the worst in him as seen during one of his arguments with Abel. Thankfully, He Gets Better.

Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs - His Phantom Rush Tech is basically this. It's also his Signature Move.

Red Baron - Many people have come to refer to Cain as the 'Dark Wolf' after the Prologue. He's not at all fond of the epithet, but even he thinks it's better than 'Bringer of Calamity'.

Roaring Rampage of Rescue - In Another Path, after being presumed dead, Cain infiltrates the deepest reaches of Mount Woe in order to rescue Eiric, Eva, Zhao, and Tristan, (unaware that there is a separate party attempting to rescue Melchior.)

Roaring Rampage of Revenge - Cain has technically been on one since the end of the prologue, trying to find King Alphard's killer. Goes on a literal one at the end of the Normal Path after he is framed for Abel's murder and openly rebels.

Scars Are Forever - He gets his scar at eighteen protecting Schala from Benedict's hired assassins. It's still there two years later when the story begins proper.

Self-made Orphan - In Another Path, Cain ultimately corners and kills his father Chancellor Cray after his forces invade the palace.

Stone Wall - What the Protect and Aegis spells turn Cain into, with Aegis even granting him the Immovable status which protects him from knock back and being launched.

Super Mode - The Six Gates. Cain acquires the powers of all elements and basically channels his inner Asura to become a walking juggernaut. He only uses this power when the group is facing a threat they couldn't handle otherwise, or if he is sufficiently enraged.

- In Another Path, after the fallout of his rage going out of control and subsequent Character Development, he fully masters the ability, giving him increased stats and upgraded Techs.

Take My Hand - Is offered a hand of friendship by Eiric upon the defeat of Pavlov and his summoned demons. Cain, despite his paranoia and misgivings, accepts it. (In the Original Timeline however, the offer is rejected outright, ultimately leading to that timeline's Cain becoming the Dark Wolf.)

They Killed Kenny Again - Played for Drama by way of a time loop. Cain has been forced for some time to relive his death during the events of the Normal Path over and over again. Even the bonus endings don't spare him, with his death in those being either implicit or direct. Ultimately revealed in the Endgame Path to be by design due to his original timeline counterpart. Naturally, Cain's primary goal in the altered story paths is breaking this cycle and fighting his fate.

Undying Loyalty - To Alphard Zeal for allowing him to practically be a part of his family.

Unstoppable Rage - Goes into one when witnessing particularly heinous and depraved acts. Went into one when King Alphard is assassinated, leading to the Benedict Manor Incident. Goes into another one when Olivia slaughters the Earthbound Ones and Underground refugees the party was escorting in Another Path, leading to Schala and the party having to subdue him.

Unwitting Instigator of Doom - His actions in the Benedict Manor Incident are ultimately responsible for Schala adopting her canon 'all power is evil' mentality, which bites the world in the ass when Lavos corrupts said mentality as the Dream Devourer in the Normal Path.

Variable Terminal Velocity: In Another Path, to save him from the Prophet, Eiric uses a force spell to throw Cain out of one of the palace's windows… where he proceeds to fall from the Zeal landmass itself to the surface. Justified since Cain knows levitation magic and can slow his fall considerably. The blizzards on the surface make it difficult to stick the landing, though.

Vengeance Feels Empty - Subverted. In Another Path, after finally killing the Chancellor, Cain doesn't feel any satisfaction in his death. He does however, show relief that Arvis and his machinations can never hurt anyone again. For Cain, this is enough.

Was It Worth It? - In Another Path, Eiric asks this of Cain after the Kingdom descends into the civil war against the Chancellor that he had privately always wanted. Having gone through a boatload of Character Development by this point, he can't give a conclusive answer.

What the Hell Are You?! - Said word for word by the Royal Guard during Cain's rampage in the climax of the Normal Path. In a bit of Dramatic Irony, Cain himself blankly utters the first three words after Magus No-Sells all of his attacks just a short time later.

White Sheep - As revealed in Another Path, generations of the Cray family were of the mind to usurp rulership of Zeal, believing the throne was theirs by right of power. Cain is the first of the family since his distant ancestor to actually be one of the good guys.

Why Am I Ticking? - Cain can enforce this trope on an enemy with his Explosion Rune tech, in which Cain plants a delayed fire spell on an unfortunate foe that explodes with a snap of his fingers.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility - This is Cain's genuine view on the nature of power, that one must show vigilance in order to not be corrupted. The trope is deconstructed however, in that because he had been molded by his hatred and misanthropy for so long, he never truly follows through on this creed, making him look insincere at best and hypocritical at worst. It's only in Another Path after the fallout of the Arbiter of Hatred incident and he faces down against Sigmund for the final time that he finally puts his money where his mouth is.

World's Strongest Man - Cain defeats every obstacle and enemy that crosses his path, almost to the point of being a Boring Invincible Hero. The trope is justified, as he is the product of generations of careful breeding to replicate the legendary powers of his distant ancestor. Ultimately subverted in the normal ending when the Prophet ultimately proves himself stronger and kills him.

Yank the Dog's Chain - In the twelfth and final bonus ending, Cain is able to do everything right; Arvis and his cronies are brought to justice, Zeal is spared from destruction, and he marries Schala bringing the kingdom into a new age. However, his coughing fit after an audience implies he has suddenly grown ill, and like all previous endings, that he'll die before the year is out.

—————

Schala Zeal: Princess of the Kingdom of Zeal. Kind and graceful, she tries to see the best in everyone around her. Unfortunately, this makes her a rather poor judge of character, as in her current state, the idea that her kingdom is rotting from within morally is anathema to her. She and Cain first met as children and became fast friends, but the death of her father years later and the violent fallout that followed have since driven a wedge between them. Wether their relationship will be mended or be torn apart forever will depend on Cain's actions…

Ancestral Weapon - The staff Thyrus, forged for and wielded by her father. In Another Path, one of the goals in the party's quest to the Zeal Archives is to acquire this weapon.

And Now For Someone Completely Different - Twice in Another Path, Schala becomes the lead character. First is when fighting Cain's Superpowered Evil Side in the revised Cult of Lavos scenario, and the second is when the Coalition seeks answers in the lost Archives.

Big What?! - Does one when she learns that her father had arranged for her to marry Cain. Cain shares the sentiment, but for slightly different reasons.

Bystander Syndrome - When the story begins proper after the prologue, Schala's been in mourning for two years and wants little to do with the world around her other than keep up with her studies and fuss over Janus. It takes Cain literally dragging her to Alghetty for the first time for her to break out of this stupor and start being more mindful.

Daddy's Girl - Loved her father unconditionally, and it's clear in Another Path that she ultimately takes after him.

Distressed Damsel - Is captured by Sigmund in Another Path.

Deuteragonist - Doesn't come into play until Another Path, but Schala counts as the second main protagonist of Origins. Aside from Cain and brief chapters with Crono and Serge, she is the other main playable character during certain points in the story, and the alternate paths put much focus on her Character Development.

Driven to Suicide - In the Normal Path, she intended to die in the crumbling Ocean Palace after Crono's death, but a dying Lavos had other plans. In most other post-Cross timelines, her death goes through as planned.

Head-Turning Beauty - Even when wearing baggy robes, Schala's considered one of the most beautiful women in Zeal.

Healing Hands - Knows the healing spells Recover, Recover-All, Raise, and Re-Raise.

Hidden Buxom - It's difficult to tell due to how baggy her robes are, but from the few chances we get to see underneath (such as her beach attire and the dress she wears to the Founder's Celebration dance), it's clear that puberty was quite kind to her.

Holy Hand Genade - She has two in the single-target Heaven's Gate and multi-target Luminaire.

Innocent Fanservice Girl - Possibly due to a lack of self-esteem, Schala has no idea the effect she has on Cain when she changes outfits, wether it's an ornate party gown for the Founder's Celebration or a simple white bikini, and leaves him gobsmacked every time.

Light 'em Up - Her innate color is white, and she has plenty of useful light-based spells.

Luckily My Shield Will Protect Me - Has access to the Grand Barrier Tech, a spell that completely nullifies a single attack. As a necessary drawback, it has a charge time of two rounds of combat before it can be used again.

Martial Pacifist - What Schala ultimately grows to become in Another Path after her naive worldviews are broken by tragic events and circumstances.

Modest Royalty - Sports simple, but opulent robes as her normal attire, wearing only earrings and a pendant as an indicator towards her social status. The only time this is averted is during the Founder's Celebration, where she wears an ensemble more befitting of a princess.

Modesty Bedsheet - Schala pulls the trope off during her and Cain's post-coitus conversation near the end of the story.

Neutral No Longer - In Another Path. After having personally witnessed an atrocity committed by one of Chancellor Arvis' inner circle, been kidnapped by the Chancellor's former Dragon, and witnessed many uncomfortable truths within the Zeal Archives, Schala ends her pacifist stance and officially throws her hat in with the Alphard Coalition where her clout as Crown Princess alone is key to reversing their fortunes and begins putting Arvis on the back foot.

Nice to the Waiter - Interestingly enough, Schala doesn't start out as this. It's only after she sees Alghetty for the first time and realizes the absolutely miserable conditions the Earthbound live in that she breaks free of her Bystander Syndrome and tries to do what she can for them.

Purple is Powerful - With the exception of her beachwear, all of her outfits are purple, and she's the most powerful White Mage in the setting.

Sixth Ranger - Only in Another Path, after events from it force her to re-evaluate her 'power is inherently corruptive' beliefs. Also quite literal, as she's the sixth character to join the party.

Simple Staff - Carries on of these when she finally steps up to fight in Another Path. Instead of whacking the enemy, she fires a blast of magic from it instead. On a critical hit, the blast hits all enemies.

Together In Death - In the Normal Path, after the Ocean Palace Incident, she is reunited with Cain's spirit in the Darkness of Time, (where both proceed to sacrifice their souls in order to bring Kid into the world.)

White Mage - Schala's specialty is in healing and buffing, though she does have two attack spells.

(To be continued)
« Last Edit: December 17, 2023, 03:04:54 pm by skylark »

skylark

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2022, 02:40:49 pm »
Characters - Origins Scenario:

Party Members

Eiric Istane Guardia: Youngest in a long family line dating back to one of the founders of Zeal, he is considered by his peers a useless layabout, and was only drafted into the Alphard Coalition to keep him out of the way. That said, he's a dab hand with a bow, and if one manages to catch his interest, they'll find that they now have a friend for life.

An Ice Person - Can imbue his arrows with Ice magic in one of his Techs, freezing and inflicting Stop on a single enemy.

Archer Archetype - Wields a bow and arrows.

Badass Family - Considering his family contains the likes of Ayla and Marle, this is no surprise.

Bottomless Magazines - No matter how many arrows he fires, his quiver never empties. Justified, since he replicates his supply with magic.

Handsome Lech - Downplayed. He's not a sleazeball, but he is a shameless flirt.

Healing Hands - His first Tech is Aura, and he ultimately learns Cure All and Arise.

Hero of Another Story - In Chrono Trigger. While Crono's group was infiltrating the Ocean Palace, Eiric was busy trying to evacuate the Kingdom. After Zeal's fall, he was out searching for survivors, explaining why the party never meets him. That there were ANY survivors left in Antiquity were due to his efforts.

Making a Splash - His innate color is blue, and his elemental attack line is Water.

Noodle Incident - Has been involved in more than a few, and no, he will not elaborate.

The Lancer

Only Sane Man - Like Cain, he seems to be the only other person in Zeal to realize something is deeply wrong with society.

Shipper on Deck - For Cain and Schala. In the Normal Path, he's the one who convinces Schala to try and understand Cain's views and mend their strained relationship. That, and he's the only person who catches on to the fact that the two engaged in 'shenanigans' before Cain's arrest and everything goes to hell.

Suckcessor - How the rest of his family views him. He even personally describes himself as 'the spare to the spare of the spare of the spare', referring to his family's lines of succession between his many brothers. Ironically, he ends up outliving them all after the Fall of Zeal.

——-

Zhao: A former combat trainer who now spends his twilight years running Zeal's greatest forge of elemental weaponry. When the kingdom 'officially' moves towards pacifism and tries to shut down his forge, Zhao understandably worries for his livelihood. Once Chancellor Arvis decides to push the issue by arresting his employees and sticking them in the Underground's colosseum, Zhao takes up arms in order to save them.

Blow You Away - His innate color is green, and he's a master of wind magic.

Cool Old Guy - The oldest of Cain's party members and a jovial guy all around.

Doomed by Canon - In the Normal Path, he and the rest of the Alphard Coalition is imprisoned in Mount Woe after Cain's death, and is executed before Crono's party ever learns of his existence.

Dual Wielding - Halberds with rather large axe heads.

It's Personal - When Isaac kidnaps his non-mage workers for the Underground's colosseum, Zhao takes it upon himself to rescue them.

Old Master - Was once the combat instructor for Zeal's Royal Guard, and the only other party member besides Schala that Cain knows personally.

The Big Guy

Ultimate Blacksmith - Zhao is close friends with Melchior and taught the latter everything he knows about smithing.

——-

Eva: A young woman employed by the Alphard Coalition as its Spymaster. Cool-headed and aloof, she's introduced investigating strange happenings in the abandoned Benedict Estate. Able to manipulate stone and metal with her powers, she creates an armored humanoid golem by the name of Benmaru.

Action Girl

Bedlah Babe - Her outfit heavily invokes a belly dancer vibe. Slightly justified as she moonlights as a dancer when gathering intel.

Big Damn Heroes - Joins the party and officially introduces Benmaru during the battle with Issac and his colosseum beasts, turning the tide.

Blade Below the Shoulder - Has a baton attached underneath her armband that she can call to her hand with a thought. Said baton also conceals a hidden blade with which she fights reverse-grip.

Clark Kenting - The only difference between her civilian attire and 'spymaster' attire is a long scarf. Nobody else but the Coalition can tell the difference, and it confuses them greatly.

Deadpan Snarker

Dishing out Dirt - Her innate color is yellow, and she can manipulate earth to create constructs.

Doomed by Canon - In the Normal Path, she and the rest of the Alphard Coalition is imprisoned in Mount Woe after Cain's death, and is executed before Crono's party ever learns of her existence.

Fragile Speedster - She can hit harder than the norm, but Eva is the fastest member of the party.

Gadgeteer Genius - She considers herself a student of Balthasar, and has a knack for building and repairing technology. In the epilogue of Another and Endgame Paths, due to Dalton being stranded in Zeal during its fall/taking a trip through the golem portal early, she's the one who installs wings onto the Epoch.

Jack of All Stats - Not in terms of battle per se, but in her place in the Five-Man Band. Once Schala joins in Another Path, Eva immediately proves her flexibility in group dynamics. With Benmaru, she can double as The Big Guy to help take the load off Zhao, her tech savvy meshes well with Tristan's knowledge as The Smart Guy, she can offer insights that Eiric can't as a second Lancer, and although she's not as fitting for the role of The Chick on her own, she becomes the firm hand to contrast Schala's gentle touch.

Ms. Fanservice

Ninja - The closest Zeal has to one.

The Puppet Master - Controls Benmaru with mystical wires when using him to attack.

Samurai - What Benmaru is modeled after, complete with stylized antler-horned helmet.

Secret Test of Character - Has been conducting one on Cain since even before the two meet, under the orders of King Alphard. The test is to confirm Cain's suitability to become the future king of Zeal.

Scarf of Asskicking - Sports a long on appropriate for her role as Spymaster, though it doesn't quite match her outfit.

Ship Tease - Between herself and Eiric.

Shock and Awe - Although she can create earth constructs, the attack spells she has that are governed by her innate are Lightning-based.

Tomboy and Girly-Girl - The Tomboy to Schala's Girly-Girl.

We Have Reserves - No matter how many times Benmaru is destroyed, Eva can just reconstruct him again.

——-

Tristan: An Enlightened of noble birth with an ancestry reaching back as far as one of the Six Founders of Zeal. He is the governor of the kingdom's southeastern landmass, is a staunch supporter of King Alphard, and beloved by his people. He is a member of the Alphard Coalition, but due to his upbringing and his unique powers, he is the slowest of the party to warm up to Cain.

Blue Blood - He is a noble of quite high standing, and one of the few aligned with the Alphard Coalition.

Casting a Shadow - His innate color is black, and he utilizes the Dark series of attack spells, as well as Dark Bomb.

Doomed by Canon - In the Normal Path, he and the rest of the Alphard Coalition is imprisoned in Mount Woe after Cain's death, and is executed before Crono's party ever learns of his existence.

The Empath - Tristan is psychically in tune with the emotions of those around him. Cain's clear distaste and anger towards society is enough to make him wary, and the sheer rage felt when the latter transforms into the Arbiter of Hatred in Another Path is enough for him to nearly pass out.

Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold - He has blonde hair and is one of the few nobles left in Zeal who still considers the Earthbound Ones people.

Martial Pacifist - He would rather not kill if he doesn't have to, but neither will he abide threats to the people under his care.

Royal Rapier - His weapon of choice.

The Smart Guy

——-

Important Characters

King Alphard Zeal

The Good King

Mentor Occupational Hazard

Shipper on Deck - For his daughter and Cain to the point that he drafted up an arranged marriage for them.

We Hardly Knew Ye - He dies only a couple of chapters in.

———

Janus Zeal: Schala's younger brother and Prince of Zeal. Does not seem to have much empathy for others. Has a cat named Alphador that follows him everywhere.

Caustic Critic - Towards Cain, of whom he believes isn't worthy of his sister's time. Half the time, the feeling is mutual.

Cessation of Existence - Heavily implied to be what will happen to him should history go as it has in other timelines, his existence completely replaced by Magus. Saving the kid from such a fate ends up being another reason Cain resolves to kill the Prophet.

Sitcom Arch-Nemesis - He and Cain butt heads constantly to the point where it tests even Schala's patience. Played for laughs… at first.

Took a Level in Kindness - In Another Path, after Schala convinces Eiric, Eva, Zhao, Tristan, and even Cain to enchant the amulet she'll give her brother. It's enough to move even his stubborn heart.

The Unfavorite - The root of his issues with others, especially Cain, as he feels his parents  favored the Ward far more than their own son. These feelings get worse after the Queen goes mad.

———

Abel Lorre:

A Father to His Men - He is actually quite popular amongst the (actual) soldiers of Zeal's military as their commander. Enough so that depending on the story path, they either believe Cain murdered him and side with Arvis (Normal Path), or realize the frame-up and join Cain (Another Path).

Badass Normal - Doesn't have a drop of magic in him. Doesn't stop him from doing his duty.

Big Damn Heroes - Makes a Dynamic Entry during the tail end of the fight against the Arbiter of Hatred, using the flat end of his sword to knock it out, restoring Cain to normal.

Big Good - Becomes this after Alphard's death. (Unfortunately, Chancellor Arvis is already five steps ahead of him.)

By the Book Cop - Abel isn't ignorant. He knows Arvis Cray was responsible for masterminding Alphard's death and would more than anything see him brought to justice. Unfortunately, without any real proof, Abel's hands are tied, and he gets exasperated when Cain continues to act on his own. This is due to the belief that Alphard's dubiously sanctioned assassination of King Victor is what led to Zeal's current problems to begin with…

Doomed by Canon - In the story proper, he is the commander of Zeal's security forces. In Chrono Trigger, that role has become Dalton's. Doesn't take much to figure out something terrible happens to him in the interim.

Killed Off for Real - He is killed by Dalton in order to frame Cain for insurrection.

Number Two - To King Alphard, being his closest friend and advisor.

Poor Judge of Character - This man let Dalton of all people join the military. Ultimately subverted, as Abel justifies his decision by stating it would be better for Dalton to be in a place to be monitored as opposed to remaining a vagabond causing who knows what kinds of mischief. Unfortunately, this also serves to give the Chancellor a foothold in the military.

You Can't Thwart Stage One - Abel dies no matter what story path you take. The only difference is how.

- Normal Path: He is ambushed in his personal office by Dalton and his goons and is unable to fight back. His soldiers are none the wiser and the plot to frame Cain for the murder is successful.

- Another Path: Having been prepared for Arvis' endgame, Abel beats back Dalton, but suffers a mortal wound regardless. He collapses in the middle of the main palace hall and dies in Cain and Schala's arms, and more importantly, in full view of his men, causing the attempted frame-up to backfire spectacularly.

———

Gaspar, Guru of Time:

I Knew It - He had a feeling that Cain had been caught in some sort of temporal shenanigans for some time. Says this trope word for word when Cain finally gets the nerve to consult with him in Another Path.

Mr. Exposition - In Another Path, he is the one who explains the nature of the Time Loop Cain has been experiencing to the others.

Melchior, Guru of Life

Belthesar, Guru of Reason

———

Pitch: Proprietor of the Pitch Black tavern in Zeal's Underground, one of Eiric's favorite hangouts.

Deadpan Snarker

Good Guy Bar - Runs one in the Underground, which serves as a hub for the first third of the story.

Killed Off For Real - He's slain when the Way of Lavos sack the Underground.

———

Viola: One of Melchior's students, who had recently given her a magic sapling to cultivate.

Canon Character All Along - She's the ancestor of Chrono Trigger's Fiona, complete with her magic sapling dilemma.

Small Role, Big Impact - She spirits Eiric out of Zeal in the Normal Path, ensuring that he survives to start the royal bloodline of Guardia.

———

Chief Imeric: The leader of the Earthbound Village Algetty.

Rickett: A young Earthbound hunter of Algetty and one of Cain's former hunting mates.

———-

Antagonists

Queen Samaela Zeal

Abusive Parents - Under Lavos' influence at least, as Schala and Janus can attest to.

Axe-Crazy - She loses it in Another Path when Schala outright refuses to power the Manmon Machine.

Be Careful What You Wish For - For years, she had wondered what drove her father mad enough to try and sacrifice her. She gets her answers in the worst way possible.

Bonus Boss - She is fought when using the Green Gate to access different endings, first in her human form, then in her corrupted 'Arbiter of Madness' form.

Fighting from the Inside - Subverted. We never see such a struggle on-screen. The only proof that she has been fighting (and failing) against Lavos' control is a letter found by the party in Another Path which basically spells out that trying to turn her back to normal is a lost cause and she needs to die to restabilize the kingdom.

Puppet Queen - What she ends up becoming to her Chancellor, Arvis Cray. Justified as she couldn't care less about anything other than Lavos. As long as he's leading the people towards her goal of immortality, she doesn't care how he runs the kingdom.

———-

Chancellor Arvis Cray: Cain's estranged father, and the architect of the schism between the Enlightened Ones and the Earthbound.

Compelling Voice - One of his greatest talents in magic, it installs an unnatural sense of charisma that draws all who hear his 'sermons' to listen, instilling a sense of More Than Mind Control. It is ultimately one of the major reasons he is a Villain With Good Publicity.

Greater Scope Villain - Of Antiquity as a whole when factoring both Origins and Trigger.

Hate Sink - This man is ultimately responsible for nearly everything that's gone wrong in Antiquity. He is the mastermind behind the death of King Zeal, inadvertently causing the Queen's madness and dependence on Lavos, and takes advantage of the situation to install himself as Chancellor. He proceeds to mold the masses towards apathy and glory with a platform of complete mage supremacy, all while plotting a Final Solution upon the Earthbound. And that's not getting into the shit he puts his own son through, both as a child and as a young adult. There is absolutely nothing redeemable about this man.

Karma Houdini - Subverted. In the normal ending, he gets away with all of his numerous crimes. However, it's soon apparent that he ends up vaporized in the initial salvo when Lavos destroys Zeal. Completely averted in the golden ending path where he meets a violent end at the hands of Cain, the son he had wronged since birth.

Karmic Death - As someone who used their Compelling Voice to sway the masses towards apathy and complacency, he's stabbed unceremoniously in the throat by Cain and chokes to death on his own blood.

Maternal Death? Blame The Child - Arvis was livid when his wife died giving birth to Cain, enough so that he would go on to gaslight the boy and make his life a living hell.

- The worst part is that he didn't do so out of love for his wife; she was an influential scholar and thus a major stepping stool for his political ambitions, and he saw her death by childbirth as Cain being a Spanner in the Works.

Villains Want Mercy - After everything he had done to destroy Alphard's legacy, when he is finally confronted and defeated in Another Path, he drops all pretenses of superiority and 'might makes right' philosophy and begs to be spared, all while unironically spouting why he deserves to rule and Alphard 'deserved' to die. To the son he abused. To the allies of Alphard. All of whose lives he personally made a living hell. Evil Cannot Comprehend Good? Or simply the end throes of a Villainous Breakdown?

————

The Prophet (Magus)

Adaptational Badass - Magus was already a formidable foe in Chrono Trigger, and it's implied in the story that he had been holding back against Crono's party if the boss fight in the North Cape was any indication. Against Cain? Not so much. For all his Adaptational Villainy, this is Magus at his most powerful. He ultimately curb-stomps Cain in the final battle of the Normal Path, and in Another Path, while he is ultimately defeated, he makes the Alphard Coalition work for their victory.

Adaptational Karma - The Normal Path ends with Magus killing Cain. In this context, getting curbstomped and having his powers absorbed by Lavos can be retextualized as him getting his just desserts.

Adaptational Villainy - Justified, as this story takes place before his canonical defeat and depowering against Lavos. The Normal Path ends with his murder of Cain, ultimately leading to the above event. In Another Path, said event never happens at all, meaning he has no reason whatsoever to pull an Enemy Mine/Heel-Face Turn, and thus remains a villain to the bitter end.

All For Nothing - When all is said and done, what Magus wanted most was to save his sister and his kingdom. Unfortunately, his heavy-handed tactics plus his cruelty and lack of remorse ultimately made his goals impossible. Not only did Lavos beat him back and absorb his power, but his methods to summon the creature, his murder of Cain, and the whole tragedy of the situation drives Schala to commit suicide.

Final Boss - Of Another Path. (Except he's not.)

Freudian Excuse - Having come from the First Timeline, Magus witnessed his own timeline's version of Cain go mad and summon Lavos to kill off humanity, with the events ultimately dragging him through time to the Middle Ages. This left him not only with a hatred of Lavos, but also a bitter resentment for Cain. It's bad enough that he paints all different timeline versions of him with the same twisted brush, regardless of innocence.

Fusion Dance - An unwitting one with Thanaton for the Final Battle of Another Path.

Hero Killer - He kills Cain in the first ending, leading into the timeline of Chrono Cross.

Mutually Exclusive Party Members - Escalated to the point of being mutually exclusive timelines. Magus despises Cain for the role the latter's original timeline self played in his being shunted through time as a child. Likewise, Cain hates the Prophet for not only siding with Arvis, but using Schala for his own selfish ends, as well as his role in Cain's death in most timelines. Because of this, Word of God says that there is no timeline where Cain would ever team up with Magus. (Cain and Guile, on the other hand…)

No Sell - In the Normal Path, during the second half of the final battle, he blocks Cain's every attempt at Rapid-Fire-Fisticuffs with one arm. Not only does this demonstrate the power gap between them, but causes Cain to realize that he's not making it through this fight alive.

Sinister Scythe - His weapon of choice. Infusing it with the power of the Six Gates causes it to glow a sickly red and grow immensely powerful.

The Unfettered - Nothing will stop him in his crusade against Lavos. Not even his own sister.

———-

Dalton

Batman Gambit - What his taking Schala hostage in Alghetty actually is. He states that they can always sacrifice Janus to the Manmon Machine, meaning that his claim that Schala's life means nothing is more than empty words. Considering that none of our heroes want her to be harmed, Dalton gets what he wants no matter what.

Hero Killer - Although Chancellor Cray was indeed the mastermind, Dalton was the one who actually killed King Alphard.

Obfuscating Stupidity - Acts the fool to throw off suspicions of treachery. When confronted by Cain in Alghetty however, he drops the mask entirely and shows his true competence.

Villainous Legacy - Dalton is pretty much Arvis' protege.

———-

Sigmund: An assassin under Chancellor Cray's employ. He hounds Cain throughout the story.

Absurdly Sharp Blade

Ax-Crazy - During the final confrontation with him in Another Path, Sigmund drops all pretenses of sanity and goes nuts.

Birds of a Feather - He comes to believe that Cain is the same as he, desiring to see the world burn. To Cain's frustration, he isn't entirely wrong.

Blood Knight - Even before the reveal, it's clear he has a thirst for violence.

The Dragon - To Chancellor Cray. Is usurped by Dalton after he decides to break his leash in Another Path.

Dragon with an Agenda

Dual-Wielding - Twin katanas he imbues with destructive magics.

Duel Boss - Every fight with him is with Cain alone.

Four Eyes, Zero Soul

Godzilla Threshold - Once he decides to act on his own, he manages to kidnap Schala under everyone's nose. Since Arvis needs Schala alive to satisfy the Queen's quest for immortality (as well as keep his position and/or his head), Sigmund's defection forces him to team up with the Coalition to help find her.

Hard Truth Aesop - Delivers one to Schala during his Dying Speech in Another Path about the uselessness of pacifism in the face of monstrous cruelty. Due to earlier events in Another Path, Schala ultimately takes this advice to heart.

Katanas Are Just Better

Recurring Boss - Is fought no less than four times during the story.

Suicide by Cop - How he meets his end in Another Path, specifically to prevent a peaceful solution to the problems he caused.

Super Mode - To Cain's horror, Sigmund is also capable of opening the Sixth Gate, though this reveal doesn't happen until Another Path.

Victory is Boring - More along the lines of Peace is Boring, but the idea is the same. Sigmund is a fighter at heart and is not satisfied unless he's trying to kill someone. With Chancellor Arvis constantly one step ahead of the Alphard Coalition in Another Path, he decides to slip his leash and cause chaos.

Your Days Are Numbered - He is revealed to be receptive to the Black Wind, and taunts Cain with his impending death after his own in the Normal Path.

———-

Pavlov: A key person of note in the Regicide Conspiracy. Was appointed Minister of Finance by Chancellor Cray.

Hoist By His Own Petard - Is crushed to death by the Demon Lord he summons.

Villain With Good Publicity - The masses see him as a philanthropist. When Cain and Eiric investigate him, he's revealed to be an unrepentant demon summoner.

————

Isaac: A person of note in the Regicide Conspiracy, and the official 'governor' of Zeal's Underground. A sadist who owns a colosseum where he pits unsuspecting Earthbound Ones for blood sport.

Bread and Circuses - Basically his role in Chancellor Cray's schemes, desensitizing Enlightened Ones to the brutalization of the Earthbound.

———- 

Benedict: A noble considered one of King Alphard's allies. However, he ultimately lures the king into a trap where the latter perishes. He is killed by an enraged Cain shortly after.

Cruel and Unusual Death - Cain literally cooks him alive inside the cockpit of his robot.

Fat Bastard

Karmic Death

Meaningful Name

Olivia: Key person of note in the Regicide Conspiracy, and leader of the Way of Lavos.

Cruel and Unusual Death - In both story paths. In Normal, Cain knocks her into a pit of rubble where she's Impaled with Extreme Prejudice. In Another, she runs afoul of the Arbiter of Hatred and is crushed like a grape in its hand.

From Nobody to Nightmare - She was once Queen Zeal's handmaiden before being witness to the latter's first attempted communion with the Frozen Flame. Her sanity dropped like a rock after the aforementioned event.

Hypercompetent Sidekick - Out of all of Arvis' fellow conspirators, she is the most successful in completing his goals.

Knight of Cerebus - She's first seen as just another crazy Lavos cultist, albeit its leader. Then she torches the Underground, which in both story paths leads to a major change for the Alphard Coalition.

Not in this for your Revolution - She doesn't care one wit for Arvis' game of thrones. She just wants to live in service of Lavos.

The Ophelia - She's… not all there to say the least.

Lavos

Thanaton: A mythical figure said to be one of the Four Kings of the Demon Realm, and the Harbinger of the Black Wind that foretells death.

Because Destiny Says So -

Final Boss Preview - This is the same being summoned by Pavlov that becomes the story's first true boss fight. However, freshly summoned to a new realm it hasn't adapted to, it goes down without much fuss. When Magus summons it at the end of Another Path, he summons the version from 600 AD, whom had long since adapted and grown far stronger.

Fusion Dance - With Magus at the end of Another Path.

God of Death - The Chrono setting's version.

Mythology Gag - You know that four-armed demon statue in the summoning chamber atop Magus' Castle in Trigger? That's Thanaton.

———

Other Characters

King Victor Zeal

The Six Founders

(To be continued)
« Last Edit: November 19, 2023, 12:24:03 pm by skylark »

skylark

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2022, 02:47:01 pm »
Characters - Trigger Scenario

Party Members

In General:

Alternate Counterpart - Invoked. There's the Trigger crew that naturally shows up in Zeal in the Normal and Another Paths. The crew in the Endgame Path that joins the combined heroes through the Tower of Gheddon and beyond hail from the Dream Devourer Ending timeline.

For Want of a Nail - The Dream Devourer version of Crono's party, thanks to encountering Dalton in the Dimensional Vortex, was able to fight off Porre to a stalemate. But then the Dark Wolf shows up…

Crono

Origins Timeline:

Katanas Are Just Better

Light 'Em Up

Out of Focus - Justified as Origins is technically not his story.

Dream Devourer Timeline:

Experienced Protagonist - Vera chooses this version of Chrono and his party to aid the heroes in the Endgame Path because of the threat the Dark Wolf poses.

Marle

Lucca

Frog

Robo

Ayla

Magus

Important Characters

Antagonists

Dalton

Viper

Garai

(To be continued)
« Last Edit: June 27, 2023, 07:54:28 pm by skylark »

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2022, 02:55:07 pm »
Characters - Cross Scenario

———-

Party Members

Kid:

Do Not Call Me Paul - She does not like to be called 'Schala' by her allies. She clarifies that she borrowed her mother's name for public's sake until she could find a name of her own.

Heroic BSOD - Suffers one when she learns that not only Cain was her father and that she's therefor not a clone, but her longtime companion Guile is her maternal uncle and that he (as Magus) had a direct hand in her father's death. Serge ultimately snaps her out of it.

Hot-Blooded - Although she's mellowed out a bit after Chrono Cross, she still retains the fiery spirit (she inherited from her father).

Significant Wardrobe Shift - Possibly a necessity due to Guardia's cooler climate, but she's traded her tiny red blouse and skirt for a slightly more modest long jacket and short shorts, though she still keeps the cropped shirt. Harle lampshades the outfit, wondering if Kid was inspired by Amy.

———

Serge:

Unwitting Instigator of Doom - Even with defeating the Time Devourer and freeing the fragment of Kid's soul pretending to be Schala, the universe decides to give Serge one final middle finger. Turns out using the Chrono Cross to stop the Time Devourer also freed the soul of First Timeline Cain, of whom proceeds to cause chaos for the rest of the game. Way to go, Serge.

You Can't Go Home Again - It's revealed that Serge hasn't stepped foot in Arni Village since the end of Cross, and has been spending the past couple of years living on a fishing vessel. When pressed, he refuses to elaborate why, (though it turns out nearly getting lynched by people he knew - as well as Leena's rejection at the time - affected him far more than he was willing to let on.)

———

Guile:

Easily Forgiven - Played straight in the Endgame Path with Kid once his past as Magus (and her maternal uncle) is brought to light, although she does give him a severe dressing down and one of her signature kicks to the shin. Averted with Cain and Schala, who had just recently had to deal with their own timeline's version of Magus. Cain won't forgive him. Schala, try as she might, can't forgive him. However, they both acknowledge that as Guile, he has been at least trying to do right, and choose to put aside any lingering animosity. (It's also implied that him looking after Kid helped them to look past his actions.)

I Hate Past Me - Guile ultimately despises his past life as Magus, noting that his pursuit of power without restraint or consequence had cost him everything he had been trying to save. He even admits flat out to Cain in the Endgame Path that he wishes Magus had been the one to die instead.

———

Leena

Glenn

Norris:

Dare to be Badass - Meeting Cain in the Endgame Path and learning of all the shit Dalton was responsible for finally inspires him to try and reform Porre before it's too late. (One of the credits slides shows him launching a military coup with his fellow Black Wind soldiers and arresting the majority of Porre's High Command.)

Harle:

Canon Welding - It's all but stated that this is the Harle from Another Eden's Complex Dream, as she directly name drops Aldo, Fienne, and Altina.

Significant Wardrobe Shift - Due to her new lease on life, Harle has ditched the clown getup that once defined her for a white sleeveless bodysuit that happens to 'conveniently' hug every curve and ditches the makeup, though she still keeps the teardrop.

Riddell

You Killed My Father - Defied. Riddle knew there was a chance that her father would not survive his final duel with Fargo. While she admits the loss still hurts, she holds no animosity towards the former Dragoon-turned-pirate.

———-

Important Characters

General Viper

I Gave My Word - Upon being recruited in Chrono Cross, Viper agrees to a duel to the death with Fargo to settle their personal feud. The Endgame Path reveals that the General made good on his promise, and that Fargo was ultimately the victor.

Posthumous Character - He has been dead for some time when the Endgame Path reintroduces us to the Cross characters. His daughter Riddel has since succeeded him as El Nido's ruler.

Karsh

Zoah

Marcy

Dario

Steena

Radius

(The Child Within the Time Devourer):

Posthumous Character - She has been merged with Kid since the end of Chrono Cross.

The Reveal - An optional conversation in the Endgame Path reveals that the child was not a reborn Schala, but a lost fragment of Kid with Schala's residual dying memories. Basically, she's to Kid what Harle was to the Dragon God.

- And because she had Schala's residual memories, the child believed she was Schala, and thus makes her monologue before fusing with Kid in Cross' ending.

———-

Antagonists

Lynx/FATE

Big Bad Diumverate - With the Dark Wolf in the Endgame Path. (Predictably, the alliance doesn't last.)

Brain Uploading - Revealed to be how FATE survived to make trouble in Complex Dream, and again here. The main goal of Serge's substory in the Endgame Path is to find FATE's data in Chronopolis' Level 0 and destroy it in order to prevent it from returning again.

You Have Outlived Your Usefulness - Is ultimately subjected to this by the Dark Wolf after its defeat in the Tower of Gheddon, scavenged for its processor data. Granted, FATE was planning to do the same to the Wolf, but was outgambitted.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2023, 10:48:43 pm by skylark »

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2022, 02:56:30 pm »
Endgame Characters

——

The Paragon

Vera/Schala Zeal of the First Timeline:

Alas, Poor Villain - Upon the Dark Wolf's final defeat, she genuinely prays that he'll finally find peace in death.

The Atoner - For being the final straw that turned her timeline's Cain into the Dark Wolf.

Broken Bird - What she ends up being after The Reveal.

Bystander Syndrome - Like her main story counterpart, she wanted nothing to do with revenge for her father and focused on pacifism. Unlike her counterpart, this Schala took a belligerent, self-righteous approach to her dislike of power and corruption. When her timeline's Cain began abusing his power to the point of being a bigger tyrant than his father, she sanctioned an assassination on him, proving herself a hypocrite. Given her fate and everything she had lost since, it's pretty damn clear she wishes she could have taken it all back.

Canon Character All Along - She is the same Vera from Radical Dreamers.

Deadpan Snarker

God Was My Co-Pilot - No matter her origins or what she chooses to call herself, it is abundantly clear that she is an agent of Zurvan.

Heroic Sacrifice - In the Endgame Path, she finds a way to free Cain from the Negative Space Wedgie the Dark Wolf trapped him in. Unfortunately, said freedom requires the life energy expelled upon death, thus she offers herself as the sacrificial lamb, and Cain is forced to kill her.

Interrupted Suicide - Tried to drown herself at the North Cape after the Fall of Zeal, only for a force heavily implied to be the Entity to surround her in a bubble of air and transport her to the Sea of Time.

The Men in Black - She is basically an agent of Zurvan assigned to investigate events and situations that risk destabilizing the multiversal timeline. The events of Radical Dreamers was one such mission, but her biggest ongoing case is the time loop preventing Cain's timeline from splitting like it's supposed to. Hell, she even wears black robes.

My Death is just the Beginning - After she dies freeing Cain from the Dark Wolf's trap, she becomes a spirit, and is able to recruit the souls of her timeline's group to aid Cain in the Final Battle.

Mystical White Hair - Most likely due to whatever turned her into an agent of Zurvan.

Wham Shot - In the Endgame, she transforms from an old crone to a young lady. The Wham is that said young lady is revealed as an alternate timeline Schala.

Walking Spoiler - Considering her role in the series and her true identity, she's definitely this.

What Happened to the Mouse? - An optional conversation Cain can have with Vera has her tell of her role in Radical Dreamers and how the stand-off in that game's finale concluded. (She offered to bring Kid/Schala to Porre's Head of High Command who just happened to be a reincarnated Cain, in exchange for disbanding the Radical Dreamers. Considering Serge's claim during the epilogue that he never saw Kid again, it's heavily implied that she ultimately took Vera's offer.)

The Woobie

———

The Greater Scope Villain

The Dark Wolf/Cain Cray of the First Timeline

Became Their Own Antithesis

Broken Pedestal - Sees his (and any other timeline's version of Schala) as this after learning she sanctioned an assassination on him. Granted by that point, he had it coming, but it does push him from Jumping Off the Slippery Slope to happily taking a flying leap into crossing the Moral Event Horizon.

Cybernetics Will Eat Your Soul - There is not an ounce of living matter left of him. He is all machine.

The Dark Side Will Make You Forget

Determinator - The one trait he still shares with his heroic counterpart.

Family Unfriendly Death - His death in the First Timeline. After attempting to summon Lavos, he becomes the literal focal point for the creature's entry. The forces from the opening dimensional vortex literally tear his body to shreds. (Too bad the death itself didn't quite stick.)

Fatal Flaw - As with his main story counterpart, it is Pride. It was Pride that drove him to reject Eiric's proffered hand of friendship. It was Pride that caused him to adopt his father's might equals right philosophy for his own ends. It is Pride that causes him to openly kill people who he thinks had wronged him (which in his eyes, means anyone and everyone in Zeal) in broad daylight because he believes nobody can stop him. (And ultimately, it is Pride that causes his downfall because his constant looping of time had made his counterpart immune to the adverse effects of Zurvan's potential awakening, allowing the latter to end him for good.)

Greater Scope Villain - Of the entire Chrono series up to this point. To wit…
- He was the one to summon Lavos in the original timeline in hopes of wiping out humanity, and thereby hurling the Gurus and Janus through time.
- Upon his death, his soul is absorbed by Lavos, but his will proves to be so powerful that it consumes Lavos', driving the creature into the destructive habits it's ultimately known for.
- He gains full control of Lavos upon its defeat by Crono's party and proceeds to purposely absorb a wandering Schala, twisting her morals and breaking her mind in order to make her view humanity and the world as he does, all out of petty revenge towards the Schala he knew.
- Finally, upon being freed by the Chrono Cross, he proceeds to alter events so every alternate timeline version of Cain dies, especially from the time loop our hero gets caught in, in order to siphon enough temporal energy to power the Manmon doomsday mech. Needless to say, almost every bad thing that has happened to any sympathetic character in the series can be traced back to the Dark Wolf.

Hoist by his Own Petard - What his summoning of Lavos in the First Timeline became in the short term. Because he wasn't the Arbiter and Evil is Not a Toy, he ends up making a mighty fine snack for Lavos. In the long term, nobody was expecting the level of heartburn the creature's meal would inflict until it was far too late…

Madden into Misanthropy

My Death is Only the Beginning - He uses a variant of this as his Dying Curse during Lavos' summoning in the First Timeline, just before his body is torn apart by the emerging dimensional vortex.

Near Villain Victory - Succeeds in nearly awakening Zurvan from its Eternal Dream, leading to countless people throughout the timelines becoming Ret-Gone, only for Cain to defeat him just in the nick of time. (Thankfully, the damage is ultimately undone thanks to Cain and Vera.)

Nice Job Fixing It, Villain - Hey Dark Wolf. Remember all those times you put Cain through a time loop? You forced his temporal consciousness outside the normal flow of time, making him immune to being ret-gone, thus making him the only one able to stop your master plan.

Omnicidal Maniac - His ultimate master plan consists of using the Manmon war mech to travel to the depths of the Sea of Time and kill Zurvan, thus ending the Eternal Dream and killing every life in every timeline.

Satanic Archetype - Fallen Hero? Check. Corrupter of innocent souls? Check. Terrifying wolf motif? Check. Makes a deal with a fellow villain and then double-crosses them when they've outlived their usefulness? Check!

Then Let Me Be Evil

This Cannot Be! - His reaction in the Final Battle to witnessing the spirit of the First Timeline's King Alphard appearing, beginning his Villainous Breakdown.

Villainous Breakdown - Cain achieving Enlightenment, as well as Vera/Schala empowering him with the spirits of the First Timeline's Coalition and Royal Family causes the Dark Wolf to completely lose his shit as he's overwhelmed physically, mentally, and emotionally, capping off with his final words as Cain obliterates him.

Dark Wolf/Cain: Countless experiments, and yet… you were supposed to break! Why didn't you break?! Like all the others?! No!! I wasn't wrong!! I wasn't…!! The disdain… the wretchedness… the hypocrisy…!! What was I supposed to do, then?!! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…?!!!!

Villainous Legacy - By the end of Chrono Trigger, he's absorbed Lavos' knowledge. By the end of Chrono Cross, he's absorbed Lavos' power. Even Vera says point blank that the Dark Wolf might as well BE Lavos at this point.

Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds - Arguably. While part of his situation was ultimately caused by his own choices and actions, it's impossible to deny the effect society's utter rejection had on him.

———

The Final Boss

Manmon, Herald of the End of Time

Humongous Mecha - With the Dark Wolf piloting from within the Manmon Machine, the Frozen Flame of Lavos as it’s power source, and the FATE AI as it’s interface, all protected beneath the giant construct.

One-Winged Angel - When the party causes enough damage and disrupts the Manmon Machine inside it, the backlash of Lavos' power transforms the mech and it’s pilot into a grotesque Eldritch Abomination, a true fusion of technology and Lavos biomatter. Cue the second phase of the Final Battle.
« Last Edit: August 02, 2023, 01:22:16 am by skylark »

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #7 on: December 28, 2022, 02:19:34 pm »
Crowning Moment of Funny

———

One particular moment comes during the epilogue of the Golden Ending. Cain attempts to open the Seventh Gate a second time on a whim. However, since he isn't in the proper mindset, the built up power simply fizzles out, but not before giving him one hell of a headache.

Cain: *knocked on his ass* Ow, ow! Son of a…! Okay. Can't do the whole Enlightenment thing whenever you want. Good to know.

———

Late in Another Path, after Cain and Schala have Their First Time, the post-coitus pillow talk inevitably turns to Schala's fears about everyone discovering their Relationship Upgrade. Cain, being the tactful sort…

Cain: I'm willing to bet three months of my stipend that Eiric figures it out just by looking at us.
Schala: Please tell me you're joking…
Cain: You have not seen that man work. I swear, he can smell purity from a mile away.


And sure enough, the next morning…

Eiric: Alright, hold up. (Beat) Well, it's about damn time.
Cain: (resigned) I hate it when I'm right…


———
« Last Edit: July 02, 2023, 01:38:40 pm by skylark »

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2023, 04:26:12 pm »
Crowning Moment of Heartwarming

How about the playable mini-epilogue at the end of Another Path. Unlike in Chrono Trigger, where there were just a handful of survivors, the group's efforts to save as many people as possible have born fruit. Furthermore, Cain's gamble of defeating Magus turned out correct, as young Janus can be seen with Alfador and other children in the Commons.

- Unfortunately, Crono still met his end facing down Lavos, but due to helping out without asking anything in return, Cain owes Crono's party a debt in which he does not hesitate to repay. Due to Magus no longer being a factor in this timeline, it's Cain who joins them on their journey to bring their leader back. The closing credits even have still images of the altered sidequests ending with the forest campfire scene, and it's clear from each image that Cain is having the time of his life.

———

Why does King Zeal take Cain in as a ward of the royal family, despite the young man being potentially dangerous in magic, having a chip on his shoulder the size of the kingdom towards its society, and being the son of one of his potential enemies? Because he was the very first friend outside of the palace young Schala had ever made.

———

The Endgame Path ending. Yes, it starts out bittersweet with the knowledge that Cain and Schala travel through time to hunt down Dalton in what is not-so-subtly implied to be a one-way trip. However, ending slides show that the two of them settled down in present day Guardia, with Cain inheriting Melchior's forge and both of them raising this timeline's version of Kid. But the kicker are the pictures shown in their home, one of which is a photograph of Guardia soldiers with Cain holding up a flag of the kingdom, heavily implying that he and Schala prevented the Fall of Guardia and ultimately avenged King Alphard. It's the last picture seen that cements this ending as the Golden Ending, which is Kid and Serge's wedding photo. Why would they have this? The implication is clear: Cain and Schala crossed dimensions to attend Kid and Serge's wedding.

And then the second half of the credits starts scrolling, something not done for the other two endings.

-

———
« Last Edit: August 31, 2023, 03:00:30 am by skylark »

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2023, 05:22:28 pm »
Tearjerker

- The entire confrontation concerning Pontiff Olivia in Another Path. As in the Normal Path, regular citizens are driven into a frenzy by Olivia to 'sacrifice' the Earthbound and other denizens of the Underground to 'give more power unto Lavos'. Unlike the Normal Path, Cain decides to help Schala and the others protect the fleeing refugees instead of holding the mob off. Unfortunately, this allows Olivia to set a trap that ends up killing all of said refugees, despite the Coalition's best efforts. Cain is once more consumed by rage leading to a “boss fight” with Olivia, while Eiric and the others are forced to put down the maddened mob that have turned their sights on them. A single line from Eiric proceeds to hammer home not only the hopelessness of the situation, but forces Tristan, Zhao, Eva, and ESPECIALLY Schala to finally confront the reality that the 'paradise' they believed they lived in had become nothing more than a hypocritical lie.

Tristan: You aren't actually suggesting we put down our own people?!

Eiric: Take a damn look around!! These 'things' are NOT! OUR! PEOPLE!!!


- It gets worse. Cain isn't just consumed by rage. All of the hatred that he's built up inside towards society, his father's machinations, and just plain old human cruelty finally erupts in a horrifying display of power. The essence of the Sixth Gate is corrupted, and Cain is transformed in a way not unlike Queen Zeal in the Black Omen. This Arbiter of Hatred proceeds to curb-stomp Olivia in an instant, then turns its rage to the only ones left standing; Schala and the party. Schala is forced to pick up a weapon and defend herself, ultimately leading the beast away to prevent collateral on Tristan's lands. Unfortunately, said battleground is the last place Schala wants to be; the abandoned Benedict Estate where her father died years ago. What follows is a Puzzle Boss against the berserk Cain, where failing it leads to his death and a Non-Standard Game Over.

- The aftermath of the above incident isn't much better. Cain is finally spent of his rage, but lies motionless, resting in Schala's lap as Eiric and the others make a funeral pyre for the Earthbound victims. Cain, barely conscious, can only ask weakly 'what did I do?' After a moment of silence, he asks again, this time with more fear in his voice. Fear. From someone who, until this point, had been completely fearless, who is only now beginning to realize he nearly killed the closest thing he had left to family in a blind rage. Nobody answers him. Nobody wants to answer. The ONLY silver lining for this terrible event is that it makes the party finally understand Cain and ultimately cements their loyalty later on when he needs them most.

———-

There's something inherently tragic about the time split the party tries to restore. Either Magus lives and Cain dies, or Cain lives and Magus dies. There is no Third Option to take due to all of the lives at stake. The story makes no secret of how Magus' actions as the Prophet all but destroyed Schala's life and inadvertently cost Kid her actual family, and appropriately judges him for it. However, the costs and the gains between the two timelines are heavily skewed against him.

Yes, Cain, Tristan, Eva, Zhao, Schala, and Janus all survive intact in Another Path, but Magus' reputation as a character plummets. Unlike the Main Timeline, Schala knows Magus tried to kill her beloved in Another Path, and thus despises him from the outset, which gets worse when she learns that her little brother will end up swallowed by time if Lavos is summoned. Not only that, but Frog ends up with little closure due to being replaced by Cain as Magus' nemesis. Though to be fair on the latter point, Frog concedes that due to their history, Cain has far more at stake defeating Magus than he does, and makes peace with it.

But worst of all, Magus is denied a chance to redeem himself. This is lampshaded by Guile in the finale, though he personally believes that Cain living would have been the preferred outcome. Again, there is sadly no middle ground, as too many lives are at stake on Cain's end, and on Magus' is the fact that he refuses to separate the Cain of his timeline that summoned Lavos and stranded him in the Middle Ages and the current timeline Cain.

There is no reconciliation. Only one or the other. Such is the Butterfly of Doom.

———-

The Normal Ending. Framed for killing Abel, Cain is isolated and realizes at this point the only way to survive is open rebellion. Schala is confined to her room and Eiric is spirited away from Zeal by remaining sympathizers. We see Melchior, Eva, Tristan, and Zhao arrested and sent to Mt. Woe, where the latter three are implied to be executed for treason. Cain mows through the palace defenses only to run into the Prophet/Magus. Not only is he capable of going toe-to-toe with the former, but Cain notices the amulet Schala was making for Janus at a critical moment and puts two and two together.

Cain's brief hesitation costs him, and takes a point blank Darkmatter, killing him. The only thing left of him is a familiar rosary amulet that falls to the ground. Meanwhile, Schala feels the full force of the Black Wind, realizing Cain has died, and breaks down weeping.

After a short cut to black, we see Lavos nuking Zeal to all hell, in far greater detail than in Trigger. Cut to later on, Eiric is at the shores looking for survivors. He sees Schala's pendant wash up on the beach. Picking it up, he laments that everything has been left up to him and sobs, realizing that all his closest friends are dead just before the credits roll.

- It gets worse when you take Chrono Trigger into account. Cain is never mentioned once by anyone. Not the Gurus, not the citizens, not the people of Alghetty, and certainly not Magus (for obvious reasons). The implication is (and confirmed in the Developer's Room Archives) that everybody ultimately held him responsible for lighting the fuse for the Fall of Zeal and the devastation that followed with his ill-fated rebellion after Abel's death, and was thus made persona-non-grata.

———

The first side quest of the game. Eiric convinces Cain to help build goodwill among the citizens of Zeal. The first client is a nobleman looking for one of his manservants. Eiric and Cain ultimately rescue the man from a sticky situation, only for Cain to note that he's Earthbound. With a bad felling forming, they return to the client only to find him screaming and kicking his now dead manservant. All for accidentally breaking one of the eggs (from the monsters he was saved from, mind) for the man's breakfast. Furious, Cain tries to call the boorish bastard out for such a petty reason, only to get dressed down that a 'lowborn' has no clue of a noble's palate. Cain is so disgusted at this point that he skewers the bastard on the spot.

This plays out more like a vigilante execution than a murder, but Eiric freaks out anyway, claiming the should've called in the authorities, only for Cain to coldly reply 'I AM the authorities' before leaving. Eiric can only look back at the two bodies and lament on how deep the divide between Earthbound and Enlightened has grown. This quest not only shows Cain at the peak of his misanthropy before his Character Development, but also how morally bankrupt the people of Zeal have become compared to the Prologue, as well as just how close Cain is to Jumping Off the Slippery Slope. This outcome also gives some horrifying weight to Abel's belief that Cain signed up to become an Inquisitor partly to have a license to legally kill people.

The kicker? The trophy for completing this first (mandatory, by the way) side quest is called Untrustworthy. Make of it what you will.

———

Cain's backstory heavily averts Hilariously Abusive Childhood, and has left him some long-lasting emotional scars. His mother dying when he was born caused his already-rotten father to want him dead, and is only spared because Arvis is reminded of the potential scandal a newborn's death would cause. Nonetheless, Cain would grow up treated as little more than a parasite, with what little support dwindling to nothing due to pressure from either society or Arvis himself, until he's old enough to be tossed out into the streets.

At ten years old and no sign of magical talent, Cain would be harassed wherever he went, with one traumatizing incident being used as target practice by a Sadist Teacher for her students. Once, he even visits a fortune teller to see if his fortunes will ever change, only for said teller to sense the Black Wind flowing around him (foreshadowing the power he'll one day come to wield) and decry him as Zeal's future destroyer. Typically, this interpretation spread like wildfire. It gets to the point where he genuinely considers leaping over the edge of the kingdom just to make the pain stop, and he probably would have had he not met a young Schala by chance.

Unfortunately, Arvis receives word of Cain's impromptu play-date with the princess. Since he wants the Crown's eyes off of him while he plots their downfall, he stuffs the poor boy into a cage with other 'undesireables' and exiles the whole lot into the blizzards below. For the next three years, Cain earns his way as a young hunter amongst the Earthbound, but one day his latent magic finally manifests, causing many of the villagers to begin fearing him. The manifestation of such powerful magic draws the attention of King Zeal, who manages to reach the young man before his inner turmoil causes his uncontrolled powers to run rampant.

Alphard takes Cain in as a Ward, and for the next five years it seems his life is finally come around as he sees the Royal Family as the family he never got to have… but then the Queen discovers the Frozen Flame, and Arvis succeeds in his plot to kill Alphard, leading to the Benedict Manor Incident and his new peaceful life crashing down, leaving him jaded, cynical, and hateful. It's no small wonder Cain believes that Humans Are Bastards so strongly after the prologue, and he never truly gets any closure until Another Path.

———
« Last Edit: August 23, 2023, 06:49:35 pm by skylark »

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2023, 05:33:16 pm »
Crowning Moment of Awesome

- Cain's invasion of Mount Woe in Another Path. Does he walk up the chain like Crono's party? No. He joins with Benmaru (thanks to Eva who had planned ahead and resummoned him before her capture) to first wipe out the mountain's outer defenses. Once they find the prison compound within the mountain's depths, Cain performs a Dynamic Entry that would make Kamen Rider proud and releases the cell locks. With the ensuing prison riot as a distraction, Cain and Benmaru tear through Zeal forces and rescue Eiric and the others.

- It doesn't end there. Before the group is able to escape, they are stopped by none other than the iconic Giga Gaia. Some time after the battle starts, it flies upwards, inadvertently dragging Cain with it. Cain is eventually launched over the precipice and lands straight in front of a familiar group of time travelers. Yes, Cain is officially introduced to Crono and his team. While the initial standoff starts out tense, the ultimate golem's appearance necessitates the obvious truce. Almost immediately, Cain develops synergy with the group, developing at least three Triple Techs during the fight, culminating with Cain smashing through Giga Gaia by way of the Spectral Strike. Now that is a hell of a team-up.

———

In Another Path, the Coalition has suffered a heavy blow. Chancellor Arvis has succeeded in buying off the courts, meaning the law now refuses to touch him. At least half the kingdom is in his pocket, the other half browbeaten into submission. Dalton's thugs have been hired to bring Schala to the Manmon Machine, by force if necessary. After everything that has happened in the altered timeline, what do our heroes do? In the end it's Schala who draws the line in the sand.

Schala: You lot can bring a message back to the Chancellor. I refuse to follow his will, and if Mother has a problem with that, she can collect me herself.

She immediately turns to Cain with the serenity and grace she's been known for.

Schala: I am heading to Master Gaspar to discuss how we should proceed. I request an escort.

Cain: *steps forward, cracks his knuckles, and gets into battle stance, clearly relishing what's about to happen* Your will be done, My Lady.


———

The Final Battle in Another Path. After trudging through the Demon Realm, they come across a giant monstrosity. Eiric recognizes it as the demon Pavlov summoned all the way back at the beginning of the story as the first boss, but Cain is far more wary, knowing that they're on its turf now. The demon introduces itself as the Crono setting's God of Death.

Thanaton: Witness, mortals, for you stand before the Harbinger of the Black Wind. …ahh yes. I remember you, child. You wander my realm, know that thy souls be forfeit, and know that I will enjoy this reckoning.

- What follows is a boss rush not unlike Trigger. The first round is a rematch with Thanaton, this time at the peak of his power. When the party proves to be able to stand firm, the dark god warps reality to match their surroundings to Zeal mid-destruction and forms a simulacrum of Lavos itself to destroy them.

Crono's party facing Lavos for the first time? It wiped the floor with them. Cain's party? Barely breaks a sweat.

- Now comes the final part. Thanaton is getting frustrated, so he pulls his trump card; a Fusion Dance between himself and Magus, and the battlefield changes to the Dead Sea. The first phase of the fight goes normally… until it doesn't. The others begin to get absorbed by the Dead Sea and Cain is the last one standing, taking everything Thanaton can dish out.

Until he starts casting Darkmatter, and he has four arms to channel power into the spell. Cain casts a boosted Flare Nova to intercept it, but it becomes clear that he's on the back foot. It's at this moment that Schala breaks free and casts a boosted Heaven's Gate, turning the Flare Nova into a Supernova. Then Thanaton freezes up; Magus - quite possibly on purpose upon seeing Schala give her all to help Cain stop Thanaton - attempts to take control of the fusion. The momentary distraction succeeds, and the God of Death is defeated in spectacular fashion.

———

Awesome Music

Like with many fan stories, the author of Origins uses music from other games as placeholders to hopefully set the tone of certain events.

- The Final Boss of Another Path uses “I'm Here”, the theme song of Sonic Frontiers, a song fitting for fighting the god of death Thanaton for a few reasons. One, it's a kickass rock ballad fit for fighting a literal god, and two, the lyrics are surprisingly appropriate for the story and Cain's situation as he, like Crono and Serge before him, fights to Screw Destiny and save himself and his friends from their undeserved fate.

”Leave the life you knew before…
See a new world worth fighting for!

Find the truth of who I'm meant to become…
Another Path I must now walk on!”
« Last Edit: October 01, 2023, 03:11:53 pm by skylark »

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #11 on: January 11, 2023, 05:42:38 pm »
Nightmare Fuel

The Benedict Manor Incident. The event that signaled the beginning of Zeal's decline into hubris, and changed the lives of Cain and Schala forever, and not for the better.

- It begins with the young Schala stealing the recently discovered Frozen Flame from her mother's chambers and disappearing, sending her father and the Royal Guard into a frenzied search. What they didn't know was that she had stolen off to Benedict Manor, believing that one of her father's allies would be able to help. Unfortunately, Benedict had already been bought off by Arvis Cray, and decides the situation would be perfect for luring the King into a trap. All of this would be horrifying enough, but it gets worse…
- Long story short, the trap is sprung, and Alphard is separated from the guard. Although he finds Schala quickly, the King of Zeal is shot, and soon enough dies in Schala's arms. Some of Benedict's men then prepare to kill the distraught princess, but Cain intervenes, and is nearly blinded in one eye and impaled for his trouble. A terrifying situation indeed, but it gets worse…
- It's at this point that Cain's full magical potential awakens, opening the Sixth Gate. What happens next is a one-sided massacre by Cain against Benedict's guards… and Cain is laughing, reveling at the slaughter, as if finally releasing his all of his hidden grudges against society at once. Benedict tries to stop Cain's rampage with an experimental robot, but the latter takes it apart with ease, and with a deranged grin, Cain literally cooks the traitor alive inside the machine's remains. Schala, still rooted to her dead father's side, witnesses all of this, begging for it all to stop over and over. Unfortunately, this activates the Frozen Flame, bonding her fate to Lavos, and rendering Cain unconscious.
- Although Cain seemed to regain his senses later, he was never the same, while Schala was left afraid of him for at least a year according to Abel. Not only that, she came from the experience believing that power of any kind can only destroy, a mindset that would ironically nearly serve to destroy all reality millennia later…

———

Cain's nightmare at the beginning of a New Game Plus. It start with a re-enactment of his own death in the Normal Path, but it doesn't stop there. It cuts to a dungeon somewhere in the depths of Mt. Woe where the bodies of Eva, Zhao, and Tristan lie. All three show signs of having been tortured before being executed. It gets worse however, when it then switches to Schala collapsing in front of the Manmon Machine as the Ocean Palace collapses around her. There is no discretion shot here: we see Schala get crushed. The last thing seen before Cain nearly catapults out of bed is Schala's arm sticking out from the rubble and blood pooling on the ground…

- The worst part of this is that with the Time Devourer having been Ret-gone by Serge, this is the canonical fate of each subsequent timeline version of Schala. We “save” her in Chrono Cross only for this to happen, and because it's a time loop, it happens over and over and over.

———

The Arbiter of Hatred in Another Path. Its appearance is disturbing being six clawed arms and a wolf skull surrounded by a sphere of blue fire. The frightening part is what's within that sphere, however; a blackened, almost skeletal humanoid figure writhing around, shouting out bestial screams and roars. Word of God says that it's Cain, outright stating that his own hatred is immolating him alive, and because of the creature's Healing Factor working overtime to keep him from dying, he's gone completely feral from the pain.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2023, 05:12:58 pm by skylark »

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #12 on: January 11, 2023, 06:03:15 pm »
Fridge Brilliance

Cain shows plenty of times that he has a soft spot for the Earthbound, and in a few sidequests, even shows sympathy to those in Zeal who have trouble unlocking their potential in magic. Yet, he shows no such courtesy to Janus, who seems to be in a similar situation. However, canon shows that Janus was hiding his potential out of fear of what Schala has been forced to go through, and then it makes sense. Cain knows Janus is holding back and sees the prince as a coward for not tapping into that well of power ease his sister's burden. One may argue that Janus is still just a child, but Cain ended up having to grow up too fast and thus believes that's no excuse, expecting the son of the man he idolized to step up.

———

In the Endgame Path, Guile has a flashback to his confrontation with Schala in the Dream Devourer, and Schala does not hold back on her viciousness and disdain towards Cain's murderer. Naturally, this does not mesh with the far more positive portrayal of the event in the DS ending, and one could be forgiven for crying 'retcon'. However, Crono's party in the Endgame Path hails from the DS ending timeline, and the Developer's Room archives state that version of Cain was overwhelmed and killed by sheer numbers during his Last Stand, and thus never even made it to Magus. Without Cain's blood on his hands, of course the DS version of Magus' goodbye to Schala is far more cordial.

———

Near the end of the Normal Path, after the brief time skip that happens after the capture of his allies, Cain is bereft of his usual confidence, almost listless at times. The room next to Schala's he uses while under her protection is completely barren save for a bed, and during the dance at the gala, he gives her a quiet, if anguished declaration of love. Schala learns soon afterwards tha Eva, Zhao, and Tristan had recently been executed, and things suddenly click, for her and the audience. Cain is expecting the coming reckoning, and he knows he's not going to make it out unscathed, so he's putting all of his affairs in order.

———

Why is Schala able to access the mastered Sixth Gate despite her negative views on power? Because she's the Princess of Zeal. She has been trained in basic, practical, and advanced magical theory since childhood. And despite her pacifism, self-defense is a requirement for a royal.

- Which then begs the question, how was she able to awaken it regardless? It happens in Another Path, after Cain gives into his rage and has transformed into the Arbiter of Hatred. Schala wants to stop him, to help him, to save him from himself, whatever it takes. And it clicks. For the first time in her life, she wants power, in spite of past experiences telling her 'no, bad idea'. It is the first time her heart and mind are in conflict, and she ultimately chooses the former in spite of her misgivings.

- The best part? It pays off. Cain is saved, ironically validating his own belief that desiring power is not a bad thing as long as it’s used responsibly. The first crack in Schala's long-held beliefs appears, but it does take a couple more incidents before it all finally sticks.

———

Fridge Horror
« Last Edit: August 21, 2023, 05:06:34 pm by skylark »

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version.
« Reply #13 on: January 11, 2023, 06:04:27 pm »
YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)

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Re: Chrono Origins: The TV Tropes version. (And other oddities.)
« Reply #14 on: January 18, 2023, 12:48:05 pm »
Soundtrack List

1. Song Title - (Song used as placeholder)

Disc 1:

1. Origin's Dawn (Title Screen)
2. Dreamers Forward (Theme of Chrono)
3. Guardian Qualification Exam
4. Push Forward (Battle Theme 1)
5. Unexpected Danger
6. Alphard's Theme
7. Schala's Theme (Origins)
8. Zeal Palace (A Shining Star)
9. Conspiracy
10. The Frozen Flame
11. The Trap is Sprung
12. Death of the King
13. Madness
14. Innocence Lost
15. Sands of History (Chapter Narration)
16. Underground Vice
17. Inquisitor
18. Mansion of Demons
19. Last Rites (VS Conspirators)
20. Awe-Inspiring Force - (The Gods' Military Forces - Asura's Wrath)
21. The Sixth Gate (Battle Ver.) - (Furious - Asura's Wrath)
22. A Hand of Friendship
23. The Alphard Coalition - (Avalanche's Theme - Final Fantasy VII: REMAKE)
24. Cain's Theme - (In Your Belief: Instrumental - Asura's Wrath)

Disc 2:

1. Cain and Schala: Fractured Bonds
2. Eiric's Theme - (Partitio's Theme - Octopath Traveler 2)
3. Janus' Theme
4. Southeastern Territory
5. Sigmund: First Movement - (Moebius: Phase 1 - Xenoblade Chronicles 3)
6. Enhasa
7. Kajar Labratories
8. The Three Gurus
9. An Honest Day's Work
10. Hostility (Boss Theme 1)
11. Zhao's Theme - (Hikari's Theme - Octopath Traveler 2)
12. The Northern Forge
13. Bitter Memory
14. Gotta Hurry!
15. Blood Sport
16. The Great Divide (Earthbound)
17. Eva's Theme
18. Tristan's Theme
19. Cain and Schala: Stalemate
20. Frozen Wastes
21. Alghetty: The Earthbound's Prison
22. The Great Divide (Enlightened)
23. Schala's Theme (Trigger)
24. Zeal Palace (Corruption)

Disc 3:

1. Underground Blues
2. The Pitch Black
3. Returning to the Traitor's Estate
4. Secret Lab
5. Mechanical Menace
6. Cult of the False Savior
7. Enter The Prophet
8. Genocide
9. The Underground Aflame
10. The Chancellor's Judgement
11. The Coalition Collapsed - (Come Back to Us - Final Fantasy VII: REMAKE)
12. The Manmon Machine
13. Alghetty Enslaved
14. A Dance Among Enlightened
15. Abel's Theme - (Osvald's Theme - Octopath Traveler 2)
16. Cain and Schala: Desperate Pleas
17. Stay With Me Forever
18. Zeal Palace (Trigger)
19. A False Crime
20. Rebellion
21. The False Prophet (Battle With Magus)
22. Fated End
23. Sorrow's Prize (Normal Path End Credits) - (Sound of Breath - Yakuza Kiwami 2)
24. Epilogue: Life, Legacy, and a Distant Promise

Disc 4:

1. Nightmare
2. Battle with Queen Zeal
3. Vera's Theme
4. Turning Point
5. Funeral Tears
6. The Vision
7. The Princess Missing
8. Siegmund: Sixth Gate
9. Cain and Schala: A Bond Renewed
10. Forbidden Archives (Sealed Door)
11. Passing the Torch - (Orphan Wolf Legend: Wind - Asura's Wrath)
12. Sacrifice
13. Wounded, Through the Wastes - (The Look on Her Face - Final Fantasy VII: REMAKE)
14. Severed Ties (Schala vs Magus)
15. Bringing Down the Mountain - (Orphan Wolf Legend: Fang - Asura's Wrath)
16. Confrontation (vs Arvis)
17. Karmic Punishment
18. Ocean Palace
19. False Prophet of Time
20. World of the End
21. Harbinger of the Black Wind
22. Saving One's Own Future (vs Thanaton) - (I'm Here - Sonic Frontiers)
23. Epilogue: A New Dawn
24. To Far Away Times (Another Path End Credits)
« Last Edit: June 20, 2023, 05:05:36 pm by skylark »