Radiata Stories (ラジアータ ストーリーズ, Rajiata Sutorizu?) is a video game created by game developer tri-Ace and published by Square Enix for the Playstation 2 on January 27, 2005 in Japan and September 6, 2005 in the United States. The game was well-received in Japan but received a more mixed reaction in the United States. It sold over 413,000 copies worldwide. Noriyuki Iwadare is the composer of the soundtrack.
Setting[]
Radiata is at the center of the map and the city where the majority of humans live. It has explorable sewers and four gates to the outside areas. Each guild occupies a certain area and the Knights reside in the Castle at the center or Radiata. Fairy creatures live in outlying towns and settlements with each species occupying its own area. There are also some human villages scattered around the world like Solieu Village, where Jack grew up.
Humans and nonhumans have a tense coexistence exacerbated by periods when a disease called Algandars is spreading. Algandars is a disease that causes its human victims to become violent, strong and irrational. The disease originated from a dead Light Elf king who fell in love and mated with a human woman, violating the natural order, called Tottaus. When it infects light elves, it results in the elf being enveloped in a cocoon and dying permanently, instead of being reincarnated through transpiritation after death.
Characters[]
- Jack Russell, an insubordinate and happy-go-lucky brunette.
- Ridley Silverlake, a composed Knight who was trained to be a warrior since birth and feels the pressure of expectations from others.
- Ganz Rothschild, a polite and gentle Captain of their brigade who is prone to becoming overexcited.
Prominent supporting characters include the Prime Minister Larks; the cunning Knight Cross Ward; Lord Jasne, Ridley's overprotective father and the Lord Chamberlain of Radiata Castle; Lucian, Lord Jasne's advisor and human form of Aphelion the Silver Dragon; and Gawain Rothschild, Ganz's father and presumed murderer of Cairn, Jack's father. Lenneth Valkyrie, from the game Valkyrie Profile, is also a playable character after defeating her in the post-game bonus dungeon.
The 300 characters and 177 recruitable NPCs of Radiata Stories were all given unique personalities and backstories. It is impossible to recruit every NPC during the first playthrough, and the game must be played at least twice to unlock all characters. Every time a character is unlocked, he or she shows up on the player's friends list, which also provides a summary of their history or personality.
Radiata is home to Radiata Castle, its Knights of the realm and four Guilds, (Theater Vancoor mercenary Warrior Guild, the Bandits' Void Community, the religious Olacion Order, and the Vareth Institute of Mages). Fairy species include Light Elves, Dark Elves, Blood Orcs, Green Orcs, Dwarves, Green Goblins and Black Goblins.
Recruitable Characters[]
| Human | Human | Human | Human | Nonhuman | Nonhuman |
| Achilles | Dynas | Jared | Sarval | Aesop | Lin |
| Adele | Edgar | Jarvis | Sebastian | Alan | Lufa |
| Adina | Elef | Jill | Solo | Ben | Luka |
| Aidan | Elena | Joaquel | Sonata | Bosso | Marco |
| Alba | Elmo | Johan | Star | Brie | Marsha |
| Aldo | Elwen | Kain | Stefan | Chatt | Martinez |
| Alicia | Eon | Keaton | Sunset | Clarence | Mason |
| Anastasia | Ernest | Leban | Synelia | Coco | Mikey |
| Ardoph | Eugene | Leona | Tarkin | Danny | Monki |
| Astor | Faraus | Leonard | Thanos | Dominic | Naom |
| Bligh | Felix | Lily | Tony | Donkey | Niko |
| Bran | Fernando | Lulu | Ursula | Doppio | Pietro |
| Bruce | Flau | Lyle | Vitas | Drew | Pitt |
| Butch | Flora | Marietta | Wal | Dyvad | Polpo |
| Caesar | Franklin | Miranda | Walter | Fan | Ricky |
| Carlos | Garcia | Mook | Wyze | Few | Rika |
| Cecil | Gareth | Morfinn | Yack | Franz | Romaria |
| Charlie | Gene | Morgan | Zeranium | Gabe | Row |
| Christoph | Genius | Natalie | Gawain | Santos | |
| Claudia | Gerald | Nick | Georgio | Serva | |
| Clive | Giske | Nina | Gil | Shin | |
| Conrad | Godwin | Nocturne | Giovanni | Sonny | |
| Cornelia/Rachel | Golye | Nyx | Gob | Zida | |
| Cosmo | Gonber | Ortoroz | Gobrey | ||
| Curtis | Gordon | Patrick | Golly | ||
| Dan | Grant | Paul | Gonn | ||
| Daniel | Gregory | Pinky | Goo | ||
| David | Herz | Putt | Grigory | ||
| Dennis | Hip | Rocky | Gruel | ||
| Derek | Howard | Rolec | Hyann | ||
| Dimitri | Interlude | Ryan | JJ | ||
| Dwight | Iris | Rynka | Keane |
Story[]
Japanese Cover Art
The story begins as the protagonist, Jack leaves his small-town existence, with only his father's sword, called the Arbitrator, and some basic training (from his sister Adele) for the capital city of Radiata in the hope of making the Knights as his father did.
Jack makes it into the Knights, but only on the strength of his father's name. He is placed in the Rose Cochon (Pink Pig) Brigade under the command of Captain Ganz Rothschild. Also in his unit is the young Lady Ridley Silverlake. While awaiting permission to meet with them from the Dark Elf leader, Nogueira, in the Forest home of the Dark Elves, they are attacked by a Blood Orc, and Ridley is almost killed. She is, however, revived by merging her spirit with that of Hap, the dark elf who was slain by the Blood Orc. Nogueira performs transpiritation which is a form of reincarnation normally reserved for elves. Jasne, furious at Ridley's injury, politically pressures to have Jack and Ganz expelled from the Knights, despite the effort of Radiata's prime minister and Commander-in-Chief, Lord Larks. He also has Ridley promoted to captain, in command of stronger and more seasoned soldiers who can better protect her. Jack finds a new home in Theater Vancoor. Jack quickly passes through the ranks and gains the title of Sergeant.
Ridley and Ganz meet with less fortunate circumstances. Ridley feels guilty for Jack's and Ganz' expulsion, particularly because she and Jack, despite initial friction, had developed a tentative attraction to each other. As time passes, she starts to hear mysterious voices and feel chronically lightheaded. She rebels against the overprotective Jasne and her ambitious fiance, Cross Ward, a high-ranking Radiata Knight. Ganz was unable to pass Vancoor's entry tests as Jack did, and eventually found himself in the bandit guild. Radiata is also suffering as Algandars has flared up again and infecting others.
As the game progresses tensions grow between humans and nonhumans. Lord Larks, after numerous difficulties in trade relations with the dwarves, decides to send out a squadron of Radiata Knights to the Earth Valley, the Dwarf capital, during negotiations, as a bluff and display of power. However, Cross overreaches his orders and orders the soldiers to attack. A slaughter of the Dwarves by the Knights ensues and the survivors are enslaved. Larks accepts that a war with the Fairy creatures is inevitable, and prepares all the Knights for battle.
The leader of the Dwarves, Gonovitch, who had met with Jack in his first mission, escapes to Radiata to seek Jack's help. When Jack and Gonovitch return to the Dwarven city, they see the Earth Dragon attacking the Knights. As Jack learns, there is a dragon for each of the four classical elements: Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water and the Fairy creatures rely on dragons for protection against humans and other forces. The dragon they were seeing was the guardian of the Dwarves and represents Earth. The Water dragon was slain by Jack's father years ago, sealing Cairn's reputation as one of the greatest knights to live among humankind. Cross is knocked down and a small stone falls out of his tunic. This stone weakens the dragon considerably, enabling Cross to kill it. Resigned to his fate and determined to share the fate of his people, Gonovitch goes down to the village to be enslaved with his peers.
Days later, Jack is summoned by Larks to the castle for a meeting. That night, Ridley appears at his door. She expresses remorse for his dismissal from the Knights, then confesses that since the transpiritation, she has not been feeling herself. She says she is going to the City of Flowers, the Light Elf dwelling, and wanted to visit Jack to "make sure she was still human." As she walks out, Jack has a key decision presented to him, that then the player must make: Follow her, and eventually join the Fairy creatures for the war that is about to break out (leading the rest of the game through the "Fairy Path"), or attend the meeting, leading to Jack siding with the humans (leading the rest of the game through the "Human Path). Depending on which path is chosen, the storyline for the game is significantly different.
Human Side[]
By choosing not to follow Ridley, Jack heads to the castle and learns from Larks that a war is brewing. Since Ridley has deserted the Knights, Jasne has become distraught and powerless; he cannot interfere when Larks reinstates Jack as a Knight. Jack learns that the greatest threat posed is not from the Fairy creatures themselves, but from the enigmatic dragons protecting them. In order to gain the upper hand in the war, Larks plans to send the leader of the Knights, General Dynas, and Cross, the celebrated slayer of the Earth Dragon, to kill the Wind dragon before the Fairy creatures can react.
At the lair of the Wind dragon, Jack, Cross, and Dynas battle the dragon. After Cross and Dynas are knocked unconscious, Jack slays the dragon. Soon after, Jack learns that the Fairy creatures are being heavily supported by Gawain Rothschild, Ganz' father -- and Cairn Russell's alleged murderer. Enraged, Jack challenges, and is easily struck down by Gawain; only the timely intervention of both Ridley and Dynas save his life.
As the war continues, Jack and Cross bump heads on several occasions and develop a rivalry. Numerous times, the Knights and Larks are given information and advice from Lucian, the Royal Advisor, who has an extensive amount of uncommon knowledge of the dragons and Fairy creatures. Jack eventually learns that dragons aren't actually guardians of just the Fairy creatures, but rather, protectors of Tottaus itself. Humans consume resources and expand their territories much faster than the other races, leading to imbalance between the races. Dragons then attack humans to give the Fairy creatures a chance to reclaim their resources, pulling back the balance. If humans become too prolific, or if at any other time the world becomes overly imbalanced, it is then that the two most powerful opposing dragons (Quasar the Gold Dragon and the Aphelion the Silver Dragon) descend upon the land and initiate the end of the world, resetting it.
Dynas, Cross, and Jack engage and defeat the Fire dragon, at the cost of Dynas' life. With only Jack and Cross left to lead the Knights, Larks takes the advice of Lucian to wipe out the Fairy creatures once and for all, in an all-out assault on Fort Helencia, the remaining stronghold of the nonhumans. Jack receives a letter from Ganz informing him that he was leaving Radiata. He tells Jack to kill the man who murdered Cairn, even if it is his own father, Gawain. That night, Ridley and Gawain visit Jack, and announce that they will not be taking part in the battle. Ridley is heading south to the Gold Dragon's castle at the "end of the world" to meet her destiny, and Gawain plans to accompany her. As they depart, Gawain tells Jack that a massive contingent of Fairy creatures are planning to attack Radiata. Jack hurries to Larks with this news, and Larks sends Jack and Cross with the remaining troops to defend the town. After a huge battle, Jack manages to kill the Fairy creatures' commander, an orc named Galvados, as well as the Light Elf leader, Zane. After the battle, Lucian reveals himself (to the player of the game) to be Aphelion, the Silver dragon, in disguise. He then flies south, with Cross following in hopes of killing him. Jack, realizing that this is the same direction Ridley went, follows.
On his way to the Gold dragon's castle, Jack meets Gawain and finally defeats him, avenging his father. With his dying words, he congratulates Jack and apologizes for his hardships. Before the moment of his death, Jack questions whether his father really did die at the hand of Gawain. Gawain doesn't elaborate, and gently suggests that Jack leave with the satisfaction that he avenged his father.
Jack meets Lucian near the top of the castle tower, and, knowing only that Lucian is a lord of the castle (not the Silver Dragon), runs with him to the top. Lucian manages to manipulate Jack into taking Ridley away from the Gold dragon. Cross, injured and dying, tells Jack not to trust Lucian before Lucian kills him. The now transformed Aphelion reveals that Ridley was going to be Quasar's vessel in which the dragon would reside to end the world. Aphelion kills Ridley, and claims that he has cast off his duties of protecting the cosmic order in order to allow humans to grow and thrive since they have always been destroyed before they could demonstrate that they could be responsible with their power. In essence, a "new cosmic order has been created." Jack, angered by Ridley's death, fights Aphelion. Aphelion is beat and returns to his human Lucian form. When he queries as to why Jack killed him, Jack responds that it was not fate, but rather "his mission" to destroy Aphelion, for having killed Ridley "for the sake of humanity". With his dying words, the dragon proclaims his salvation of humanity from the threat of all dragons -- even himself. Jack carries Ridley's lifeless body from the collapsing Gold Dragon Castle.
The threat of the dragons is eliminated but Ridley is gone.
Following the collapse of the Gold Dragon Castle, Jack leaves the kingdom. If he went on the Fireworks Date, then as he exits through the south gate, the person with whom he saw the fireworks runs after him, but stops immediately and watches Jack leave. Otherwise, Jack would leave without anyone running after him. It should be observed that Jack leaves Radiata wearing his original outfit when he first entered the city in the beginning of the game, and carries his knapsack along with his father's sword. After the credits Jack stands there taking one last look at Radiata before leaving.
Nonhuman Side[]
Jack, deciding that he has to follow Ridley, accompanies her to the City of Flowers, the capital of the Light Elf territories. Upon arrival, Ridley is captured and taken hostage by the Light Elves' leader, Zane. In return for her safety, Jack agrees to capture a small fort, Fort Helencia, controlled by Radiata Knights, in Zane's name. He defeats Leonard- a trainee leader of Radiata and Natalie- Captain of the Violet Chevre. After taking the fort, he and Ridley were initially to be held as prisoners by Zane as the Elf leader prepares to launch war on the humans, but Parsec, the Fire Dragon, commands Zane to free the two and Zane complies. Parsec sends Jack and Ridley to a small goblin village, where they encounter Sir Gawain, Sir Cairn's comrade, who had disappeared after Cairn's death. Jack challenges Gawain to a fight to avenge his father - but is defeated. He learns that Gawain didn't really kill Cairn. Saddened by his best friend's death, Gawain claimed he was "responsible" for Cairn's death, which was perceived as a confession to murder. The three return to the fort, and their loyalties are decided when they defend the fort against a scouting party: Jack's former Theater Vancoor squadron, the Hecton Squad.
As the war progresses, Jack is given several small but important assignments by various Fairy creatures. After hearing of the death of the Wind dragon at the hands of Cross and Dynas the Fairy creatures grow increasingly worried about their situation. During one of his visit's to Ridley's room, he overhears that now Parsec is under attack. Jack heads to the Dragon's lair only in time to witness his death at the hands of Dynas and Cross. Cross taunts Jack and says that Adele has been imprisoned. Enraged, Jack attacks Cross, but is beaten almost to death by the Knight. After Gawain steps in, Dynas reasserts control of Cross, and they return to the castle. Jack is extremely disheartened after failing to defend the dragons and inadvertently causing his sister's incarceration.
Ganz, who had joined the Bandit Guild, meets with Jack. To Jack's surprise, his is accompanied by Adele, whom Ganz had rescued after fleeing Radiata. Ganz also tells Jack that he overheard Cross admitting responsibility for the Blood Orc attack that nearly killed Ridley. Jack swears revenge and tells Gawain that he wants to train harder. Gawain takes him aside and presents him with the Arbitrator, Cairn's sword.
Fort Helencia falls under a surprise attack by Cross and a large force of Knights. Jack battles Cross again, this time coming out victorious, but is prevented from dealing the final blow by Ridley, who does not wish to see him become a murderer. Before returning to Radiata, Cross kills Dynas and blames the whole murder on Jack and the Fairy creatures. Meanwhile, Ridley realizes that it is almost time for Quasar to awaken and heads south with Gawain to "the end of the world". She expresses great concern for Jack not to come, so he initially doesn't accompany her. Concerned about her fate, he changes his mind and follows her with Ganz.
Upon arriving at the City of White Nights, the enigmatic ruins which house the Gold Dragon's castle, he sees the Silver dragon flying toward the castle, as well as Cross, who has come to kill the dragon. Jack defeats Cross a second time, but refuses to kill him. Aphelion, however, finishes Cross from above and proceeds to the top of the castle. Startled, Jack and Ganz follow suit and race to the summit. To their surprise, they see Lucian waiting for them. Ridley is floating with the ghostly form of Quasar, the Gold dragon, behind her. They attempt to comfort Ridley as she begins to absorb Quasar's consciousness. Lucian ascends to the top of the tower, and reveals himself as the Silver dragon. He attempts to kill the trio, but Gawain suddenly appears and dies taking the blow that was meant for Ridley. Ridley, begrieved at seeing her friend perish, gives in to her human emotions and expels Quasar's consciousness. Aphelion, though Quasar's awakening has been stopped, still attempts to kill Ridley. Furious, Jack and Ganz fight back and defeat the dragon. Aphelion, with his final breath, bids them farewell and expresses regret that although the Golden Dragon has been defeated, as the Silver Dragon, he won't be immortal. The foundations of the castle begin to crumble shortly. Jack and Ridley escape with their lives, but Ganz refuses to leave and chooses stay behind with his father's body in the collapsing castle.
After the war, Jack, whose voice now inexplicably echoes, and Ridley hold hands and enter the city, heading for the castle.
Additional Adventures[]
After completing the game, a dungeon called the Dragon Lair Cave is opened up. It contains all the elemental dragons and a new boss called Radian. It also leads to the Distortion Corridor where you can fight Cairn Russel, Lenneth Valkyrie, Lezard Valeth, Gabriel Celeste, and the Ethereal Queen.
When the Ethereal Queen is defeated, the Dragon Lair Cave and Distortion Corridor are reset, allowing the player to re-explore these areas. The player is able to fight all of the bosses again and get many duplicate items. However, the second time through the Distortion Corridor, Valkyrie has been replaced by Quasar, the Gold Dragon. This allows the player to actually fight against every dragon mentioned in Radiata Stories (otherwise, there is no way to fight against the Gold Dragon).
Upon starting a new game, skills, the friends list, links, money, and certain helpful items from the finished game carry over.
Trivia[]
- One of Jack's obtainable armors is the Fayt Armor, based on the character from another tri-Ace game, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time.
Box Art[]
Merchandise[]
