DQXIS Side Story: Twin Eagles

...I'm surprised I've slept in an inn ten times already. Today's update will take place in Heliodor Castle, and I needed to change the time.

This is not an official Side Story like those seen between Acts 1 and 2, but it is often considered Hendrik's equivalent. The twins have nothing of the sort, officially labelled or otherwise.

...Which does leave Jade as the only female party member with her own Side Story, which... is a choice. Not that the game really had a choice of giving a Side Story to the twins without revealing Veronica's death early, explicitly or implicitly (give Serena a Side Story without Veronica and you raise pointed questions, although it's plenty suspicious as is).

Hendrik's Side Story revolves around this shadowy wisp that we heard mention of earlier.

It's difficult to tell what it is at first glance, but it probably won't be too difficult to figure it out.

It clearly wants us to have a look through Yggdrasil's Guidance.

In the original release of DQ11, Jasper's unceremonious death at Yggdrasil in Act 3 left a sense of emptiness in its wake- Act 3 Hendrik never winds up getting the chance to engage with Jasper. The Side Story is the perfect opportunity to do exactly that.

This is an interesting use of Yggdrasil's Guidance- it's drawing on our memories, yes, but it's a time no one other than me, not even Mother Earth, saw.

Now we have the somewhat difficult job of explaining that fact.

At least Jade's on hand to recognise the environment.

Hendrik somewhat remembers having been there, in Act 2.

With that, the dark shadow wanders off.

It's clear there's more it wants us to see.

Hendrik: I get the distinct feeling that black shadow has something it wishes to tell me. If we track it down, I believe we will learn more. Come, let us follow it without delay.
Veronica: Whatever that black shadowy thing is, I get the feeling we can't just ignore it. Come on, let's do what Hendrik said and get after it!
Erik: Great, as if we didn't have enough to worry about, now we've got ourselves a weird black shadow haunting Heliodor Castle. At least we can count on you not to panic about it- you always know how to keep a cool head in a crisis.
Jade: There's no doubt about it. The vision the Yggdrasil root showed us was the throne room of Heliodor Castle. It may have lain in ruins, but I know my home when I see it. Don't ask me why, but I get the strong feeling that apparition has some connection with Heliodor Castle- and with Hendrik...
Serena: That vision we saw in the courtyard was truly terrifying. It was as though our entire world had been engulfed by darkness... Do you think that really happened? But when? How? Oh, it's frightening to even think about it!
Sylvando: You know, honey, if I've learned anything from our time together, it's that if there's something strange going on, we're going to need to get to the bottom of it. Come on, let's follow Hendrik's lead and get after that shadow!
Rab: ...Hm, I cannae for the life of me work it out. The roots of Yggdrasil are only meant to show ye visions of things that've actually happened. But what we saw was different... wasn't it? I mean, it was Heliodor Castle, but it was in a right auld state, and as for Jasper? Well, he was more beast than man. Och, it's all very strange...

Off to... the kitchen. Most of the guards and maids and such point you in the right direction while being frightened out of their minds.

It's mostly here to point out this dresser, which has significance to the duo.

In Act 2, Hendrik mentions he got punished, but no mention is made of Jasper's culpability. This implies Jasper did get caught too. I can't imagine how Jasper escaped punishment if Hendrik got found.

If what Hendrik says is true and Jasper is the only other soul that knows about this passage, this must be proof we're looking at something that is- or was- Jasper.

Rather than following the shadow, Hendrik takes this suggestion on himself.

The shadow had the same idea, at least.

...Is it still an intruder if that's his room? Mordegon-as-Carnelian ordered the room emptied, but it doesn't look as if his order was finished before he got outed as Mordegon. I'm not sure whether Carnelian is of the same mind.

Jasper's journal is still in place here.

...Jasper did not go to Puerto Valor with Hendrik? I always thought he did...

...When did this visit happen?

We don't know how old Sylvando is, but it sounds like Hendrik going to train in Puerto Valor here came after Dundrasil fell and Mordegon got put in charge. Or perhaps this was a different visit. In either case, one can tell Mordegon's true intentions here were to drive in the nails that would eventually become reorganising Heliodor outside Hendrik's watchful gaze and driving a wedge between Jasper and any normal support network. In essence, this is when Mordegon seized the real power of being King Carnelian.

Both Hendrik and Jasper, side by side, believe the other to stray from the King's vision, for different reasons.

Even in Act 2, Hendrik never truly realised this much. He knew Jasper was driven to the dark side by his jealousy of Hendrik's gifts, but it is one thing to see the end result. It is quite another to see Jasper, as a young(er) man, espouse the seedlings of what would become that darkness. It really hammers home that Hendrik did not see what Jasper was becoming for years.

He means the foyer. I still don't understand how one would call that a banquet hall.

...It's probably better we don't.

This will not be where Jasper does any more than linger.

Hendrik, looking up at the double-headed golden eagle that he and Jasper were once said to symbolise, reflects on what the pair truly are and were.

Hendrik knows, now, that this pivotal moment in his life is the exact moment Carnelian turned to Mordegon.

This is a piece of the backstory that I don't think is explicitly spelled out elsewhere, but it's a huge element tying the piece together- after Dundrasil, Mordegon knighted Hendrik and not Jasper. Considering Jasper eventually got the same special armour Hendrik did, presumably he later found that promotion, but the damage was done. Carnelian had established that Hendrik was the favourite. And Mordegon was coming to pick up on the jealousy that decision created.

Hendrik, at least, noticed this much. But he didn't think it was going to lead where it did... to Jasper becoming a monster, metaphorically and literally.

At any point in the sixteen years between Dundrasil and Yggdrasil, Hendrik could've stopped Mordegon from his success (Act 2) or near-success (Act 3). If only he had figured out that it was his liege that was the problem.

Hendrik did see more of Jasper's issues, but he did not see them as problems, per se.

So then, Jasper...

Where would you like to meet us?

Hendrik: That dark figure seems to know about my past, and that of Jasper. I wonder, could it really be...? Come, Erdward. Let us go after it. I feel that it has something important it wants to show us...
Veronica: Whatever Hendrik says, I still can't forgive Jasper for what he's done. He's a nasty piece of work, and that's that! Still, Hendrik was his friend, so we have to give him a chance to help Jasper. Let's get after that weird black thing!
Erik: Mordegon really is a piece of work. He uses the darkness in people's hearts to turn them into his puppets. Gah, it's just not right! I mean, I'm not exactly Jasper's biggest fan, but no one deserves this...
Jade: I remember the day when everything changed. When I fled Dundrasil Castle and left Hendrik and Jasper behind, I felt like I was losing two brothers... Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't have been better to stay- maybe I could have done something to stop all this happening.
Serena: Hearing about what happened between Hendrik and Jasper is so sad. It just shows that no matter how close two people may be, things can always come between them.
Sylvando: I'm sure you're feeling all sorts of things about Jasper. But you know what, honey? You need to remember that thing your grandad told you. What was it again? Something about not wasting your life bearing grudges, right? Well, he knew what he was talking about. Don't brood on the past- let's get after that shadow!
Rab: Aye, thinking back to the day Dundrasil was attacked, we all lost so much. Not least Hendrik and Jasper...

The answer is "up on the balcony".

I think it's time we saw him for what he really is.

...Too much blackness! Too much blackness!

You can tell this was added later because you feel like there would be several people who might fit this description, chief among them being maybe our parents?

Jasper's unfinished business is his grudge. And it's clear he's going to let it continue to consume him.

Which can only mean one thing...

Boss fight. Also the sad "Distant Memories" music.

Rab tries to talk Hendrik out of this "solo boss" plan.

But Hendrik knows that, if either of them are going to move on from this, it will only be if they fight one another.

Erdward offers him a nod.

I assume this shot properly reflects what kind of weapon Hendrik is holding.

Having lost his life in battle, his blackened spirit stayed behind to roam the castle in search of salvation. No trace of the once-proud tactician's true form remains.

The battle with Jasper is on the simpler end, as most duels are. Falcon Slash and Kazam are his only offensive abilities. Incidentally, Distant Memories continues to play during the battle itself.

This is also the most extensive use of those little pop-ups in the corner: this is the only time those are voiced. Hell, even so much as "used more than at the start of a battle".

Yeah, I think the outcome is clear.

Unable to extinguish the darkness that drove him during his duel with Hendrik, Jasper's rage spiralled, sending his soul into overdrive. It's doubtful anyone can soothe him in this state...

Jasper's unhinged state has a few more attacks, including a crashing attack for knockdown. If this fight is going to give you trouble, it'll be here.

It is also the first time Act 3 Hendrik gets to see Jasper's monstrous elements. Could Jasper have become this state in Act 1? Maybe. But it's clear it was always in there.

I'm not sure what you're laughing at, that attack didn't hurt at all.

It is supposed to be pretty painful. I think the Field Marshal's gear and the Skull Ring was overkill and now Hendrik is immune to dark-element attacks.

Hit Jasper Unhinged enough, and he turns back into Jasper. At this point, this battle stops becoming a fight.

For certain reasons, I'm going to switch to normal attacks.

Every other turn, Jasper starts writhing in agony and takes damage. At this point, Hendrik can only win this fight.

Jasper, on the other hand...

...There is no more dignifed end.

Once you enter Jasper's "third phase", where he starts eating away at himself, the discussion between Hendrik and Jasper automatically proceeds at a set pace based on emotion and how fast the actors read the lines. If, at any point, you actually beat Jasper before then, Hendrik will interrupt the conversation immediately with the "Your pain ends now!" line- Hendrik only says it once you have chosen an attack that will actually kill Jasper, but the dialogue before that kinda goes on a little longer than it might take you to win. I'm not sure what the "intended" level is for fighting Shadow Jasper and not "outpacing" the dialogue.

The darkness within Jasper is no longer strong enough, which considering what this spirit is, probably means most of it.

...And yes, the fact Hendrik has stopped wearing his Field Marshal armour has been noted.

This line feels more poignant the second time.

This is outright, I believe, Jasper's dying remarks in Act 2.

This time, though, there is nothing Hendrik needs to do other than respond.

Somewhat awkwardly, this is not the context Act 2 Jasper delivered the lines, but we'll scoot over that.

This is an element of Hendrik's character that hasn't really come up about the Jasper/Hendrik dynamic thus far.

Hendrik did not just see Jasper as a friend. He saw him as a brother, a man he could place his faith in after Mordegon robbed him of all else. Between this and the things Jasper is strong at- his resourcefulness, chiefly- Hendrik had a similar envious streak of Jasper that Jasper had of his. It is implied that this is part of the reason Hendrik never noticed Jasper's darkness before it was too late- he almost couldn't conceive of Jasper as having the emotional failings he admires him for lacking.

That seems to be just what Jasper needed to hear.

Jasper's spirit resumes the shape Hendrik knew him best in, although it is clear his crimes- extensive even without Act 2- have not been forgotten.

Hendrik assures him that, while Jasper fell far, the burden shall rest on Hendrik's shoulders for not having caught him sooner.

All Hendrik had to do, really, was speak to Jasper, to share in their concerns and reassure one another that they were unevenly equal in standing. And while Mordegon helped drive the wedge in between the two, the fact remains there was a seam for him to hit.

Jasper doesn't really have any reason to know how right he is about this. He fell the same way Morcant did- without the strength of heart and the confidence to stand at the side of their sworn companions, they found their self-esteem by becoming proficient in the dark arts... by proving their superiority to everyone in Erdrea...

Jasper does not mourn his loss from the world. He knows it's better off he moves on.

But what about the man who remains?

There may be no forgiveness for Jasper as he stood, but once upon a time, there was a Jasper worth being friends with. Hendrik is happy to remember Jasper as he once was... Jasper as he might have been.

Jasper can pass on happy that he has left more in the world in white than he did in black.

Hendrik gets Jasper's strength, in some amount.

Jasper takes his sword and embeds it in the balcony. I can only imagine the poor cleaner who has to be explained what's going on here.

Jasper dissolves with a smile, finally passing on as himself rather than as a monster.

And that powder lands upon Hendrik...

Forming a new suit of armour.

I will admit, pure gold is normally pretty gaudy, but somehow Hendrik pulls it off. I really don't know how.

Hendrik fights with a weight taken off his shoulders. He knows, now, that he has dealt with Jasper's demons, tormenting them both even after he passed.

Shame that Jasper had to pass at all, but...

He has now been laid to rest. Properly.

...Well, until someone uses this balcony for something else.

Hendrik: He may be gone, but my old friend's spirit lives on within me. Do not misunderstand me, I am not asking you to forgive him. We should not forget what he did- but nor should we forget what he once was. With his strength and my own combined, we will fight for you until the end. Together we will be your sword, your shield, your unswerving companions.
Veronica: That's quite a suit of armour, isn't it? I mean, it's got the spirits of Jasper and Hendrik combined, and warriors don't come much tougher. But that's enough about armour! If we're going to save the world, we've got work to do! Come on, no slacking now!
Erik: Well, I guess if you can forgive Jasper, I'm not going to bear a grudge. There's no sense dwelling on the past. He did what he did, and there's nothing anyone can do to change that.
Jade: I have fond memories of growing up with Hendrik and Jasper as playmates. They could be tough with me and would sometimes tease me, but I knew they cared for me like a sister. Seeing Jasper's smiling face reminded me of that time. I believe that at the end, he had finally returned to his old self- the Jasper I used to know.
Serena: Now that Jasper is free from his torment, his spirit can finally return to Yggdrasil. I pray he can find his way there, and rejoin the river of life.
Sylvando: You know, honey, all that stuff with Jasper has made me realise that you never really know someone until you take the time to talk to them. From now on, if I've got something that's bugging me, I'm not going to hesitate to say it. I hope you'll do the same, darling!
Rab: Jasper was our enemy for a long time, but I don't bear him any grudges. No, in the end he was just a sad, confused young man. Perhaps all he wanted deep down was a true connection with others. It was when he couldn't find it that he turned to the darkness and things started to go very, very wrong...

I think this is Jasper's token hanging off it- Hendrik still has his own, and we saw him collect Jasper's after his murder in Yggdrasil.

Hendrik just loves that phrase, doesn't he? The Unswerving Companion is a new armour for Definitive entirely, although I imagine it's using the Heliodorian as a base in some amount.

Beguile and Curse resist, they really went there. With the Twin Eagle Armour, Hendrik is literally less likely to befall Jasper's fate.

With that said, sadly, the Field Marshal's Finery is just flat out better. At least we have a costume slot.

Despite the fact that this Side Story got added later, I feel that Jasper's story is not finished unless you see it to this end. Act 2 Jasper never quite reached this point, and with Jasper's vanilla fate for Act 3, that's as high as he went. Jasper, the game's main representative on the topic of holding grudges for so long they turn toxic, gets a redemption in the end. For a given definition of redemption. Unlike many we've met, Jasper cannot fully escape the depths he has sunk, although everyone who cares has chosen to mourn Jasper's passing not at Yggdrasil, but at Dundrasil- when the man who was Hendrik's best friend stopped being so.

One thing that Dragon Quest is usually pretty bad at is making the villain maintain a presence, and Jasper is no exception. He first appeared in Heliodor, before subsequently making appearances in... Gondolia, Yggdrasil, Ruined Heliodor and the Fortress of Fear. That's right, he only really gets two scenes per Act. He destroyed Cobblestone and monsters speak highly of his status as Spectral Sentinel in Act 2, both of which help to shore up his reputation, and it really does help Jasper surpass his minimal screentime to become one of Dragon Quest's most intimidating baddies. You may not be reminded at every opportunity, but you know, the whole way through that you cannot say the story has reached a satisfying conclusion until you've wiped that smirk off his face.

This event, as a Side Story equivalent, was fairly tame, although it's clear Jasper only really called for one cutscene- the balcony scene. All the remaining content is busywork bringing Hendrik up to speed on the elements of the Hendrik/Jasper dynamic Act 2 revealed, to ensure that when Hendrik walked into that conversation, he knew what he wanted to say and what he needed to say. It is interesting, to see content we've seen before "again" with fresh eyes- that's part of the reason this blog exists, after all- and Act 3 Hendrik is able to draw connections Act 2 Hendrik might not have managed. As a Side Story, this fulfilled its mission admirably, perhaps even moreso than poor Jade and Erik.