Just What is an Edge Fencer, Anyway? Let's Play Summon Night Swordcraft Story 2!

Long ago, a demon was summoned to the world of Lindbaum. Thanks to the efforts of a select few heroes, the beast was sealed deep underground, and a town was founded above it, the task of protecting the seal passed down from generation to generation. Until one day, when the seal is disturbed. Thanks to the sacrifice of a heroic Craftknight, the town is saved and the demon re-sealed. But when the demon begins to stir again years later, it's up to the child of that man to protect the town -- and the world.

Wait a minute, that sounds kinda familiar. Did they just re-use the plot of the first game? Join me and find out in:


Just What is an Edge Fencer, Anyway? Let's Play Summon Night Swordcraft Story 2!


But the plot isn't the only thing that's been recycled! We have a couple familiar choices to make before we can begin. First, is our young apprentice Craftknight a boy or a girl?


On the left we have Edgar Colthearts, the artist's favored choice! Look at that dramatic pose! That convenient breeze that stirs up his jacket and ribbon thing! How cool! It almost makes up for the fact that he's wearing a t-shirt and jeans!

And on the right is Aera Colthearts, who doesn't get to pose dramatically or to have her clothes and accessories whipped around by wind! But that's okay, she's wearing thighhighs! Those are popular, right?

This choice is merely cosmetic and has no effect on gameplay, though it will affect the dialogue.


And in the other familiar choice, we get to choose a familiar! Or a Guardian Beast, but there's no pun there. As in the first game, we have a choice of four Guardian Beasts, each associated with a paticular element. So, which Guardian Beast does our apprentice Craftknight meet?


Representing Fire we have Loki the Oni. Proud and confident, he never shies away from saying exactly what's on his mind. In other words, he's tactless and arrogant. Carries around a massive sword that's only shown edge-on in this picture so it looks smaller than it is. I dunno how he swings it around when he's so scrawny.


And for Water we have Dinah the Devil, who takes tsundere to a whole new level. Normally she heaps out verbal abuse, but when she crosses the line into actual cruelty, her angel side takes over to apologize and let people know that she doesn't really mean it. (Also: detached sleeves, only one thighhigh, and an exposed navel? It's some sort of esoteric fetish wonderland here!)


In the Lightning corner is EXeLD the Mechanoid Warrior. Appropriately humorless for a robot, he takes everything seriously and wishes his master would too. But he's not emotionless; if he gets angry he'll snap and overload. His fashion sense is nonexistent, considering robots don't wear clothes.


And last but not least is Arno, the Child of the Wind, whatever that is. Arno has a mild temperment but is rather strange and unfamiliar with the ways of people. For example, Arno doesn't even know what gender is, let alone his/her own. Also, check out those sleeves -- there's fingerholes cut out of them, only a few inches from the end.

Unlike Swordcraft Story 1, there's no weapon type affinity and our crafting options are completely identical no matter who we choose. It only affects what spells they learn and the dialogue. Also different from the first game, all four Beasts can speak and hold conversation! There are no bad choices!

Sadly, none of them will claim to be the character's fiance, but happily, romantic/lesbian awkwardness is now the domain of an NPC we'll meet regardless of our choice here.


So get your votes in for which character and Guardian Beast you'd like to see in this LP! Voting will remain open for one week, even though we will probably have a pretty clear winner before then and I plan to have the first update ready to post on May 1.

Oh man this is great. I want to say go for the girl/girl team again but we already did that. The wind kid seems alright but those sleeves are just a little too lame.

I vote for Aera anyway. Something about that plucky shonen adventurer just seems too plain to me.

I'd say go with Aera and EXeLD. Aera just seems right after Pratty and I can't say no to a snarky robot with anger management issues.

Awesome! More!

Upholding the tradition of maximum awkwardness, I have to go with Aera and Arno. Especially because they alliterate.

I suppose it's possible Aera/Dinah could be more awkward, but Dinah looks pretty annoying.

I played this game using Edgar and EXeLD. I do not regret this choice because EXeLD is awesome and I honestly don't care one way or your mother about gender. Therefore, play as EXeLD and whoever.

Aera and Dinah seems the obvious option to me. I respect and understand those of you who think "let's not pick the obvious option" coming out of the first LP, but, you know. That's still my vote.

I mean, I'm all for roybots, but I just don't trust an AI to have good dialogs.

Aera/Dinah

Aera looks a little bit like the lovechild of Sugar and Pratty and is therefore the appropriate choice.
I can't choose between the cool robot and the green androgynous dog though.

Aera/EXeLD! Edgar looks like a chump.

This would all be good and fair, except GLaDOS

Edgar/Dinah! The girl character looks dulllll

EDIT: Wait, what the heck? It isn't May yet. Explain yourself, Aeonus!

I was under the impression we could start a little early to get audience input for choices like this. I won't be posting any content updates before May 1, I promise! But maybe a week was a bit much... sorry.

Tsk tsk tsk - the only sticking point is that you have to ask to start up early. Now I'm not mad at you Aeonus, but rules are rules: I'm gonna have to shut ya down until May comes around. Sorry bud, but them's the breaks. :/

Actually, you know what? I just realized there isn't an actual, physical, codified list of rules around here you can look through. So, uh, I'll go compile that now. In the meantime, I guess I'll reopen this since there's no real way you could've known about a technicality, outside of memorizing the entire Archive thread.

Man, I really shit the bed with this, didn't I.

Aera/Dinah

Don't let me hold up discussion here. IGNORE ME

Either (no vote)/Arno. I couldn't really decide between Robot Guy and Androgynous Sleeve Thing though, and the other two seem annoying, so I'll just vote for him/her/it. I don't really care either way with the protagonist.

I vote fifty times for whatever Aeonus thinks will be most gratifying.

Aera/EXeLD! Because what every little girl needs is a robot.

I proudly support Girl/Robot '10

Aera/sympathy vote for Loki.

Aera/Dinah. I want the Guardian Beast that is most likely to cause problems for our Craftnight.

Aera/EXeLD, I want to see something different this time around. And besides, he looks like that icicle dude from the first game!

You could say that.

EXeLD seems kinda interesting, and Edgar is a cool name. So, uh, I guess those are my votes. But you'd have to name him GERAD.

I played through with Aera-Dinah (inspired to buy the game by your LP of the first one, actually), so I really want to see a different team. I vote for Aera-EXeLD. Or anti-vote for Aera-Dinah if that's allowed; same deal either way, really.

Just finished reading through the LP of the first one, so it's cool to get in on the ground floor for this one.

I say we go crazy and use Edgar/EXeLD! Though I'll be honest and say the gender doesn't really matter so much as the all important fact that an angry, streaking robot is at our side.