The First Adventurers: Legend of Crystania (novel)

The First Adventurers: Legend of Crystania
Author	Shogo Kawazoe
Illustrations	Yen Makino Yukitoshi Hotani
Japanese title	はじまりの冒ぼう険けん者しゃたち―レジェンド・オブ・クリスタニア
Romanized title	hajimari no bōkenshatachi ― rejendo obu kurisutania
Publication information
Publisher	MediaWorks
Original release	10 July 1995
Chapters	Prologue (プロローグ) To the Land of the Gods (神々の大地へ) Heathens (異邦の民) The Path (道) The First Adventurers (はじまりの冒険者たち) Epilogue (エピローグ)
Pages	392
ISBN-10	4-07-303278-X
ISBN-13	978-4073032786
Novels
Next →	Legend of the Gods’ King 1

The First Adventurers: Legend of Crystania (はじまりの冒ぼう険けん者しゃたち―レジェンド・オブ・クリスタニア) is a light novel written by Shogo Kawazoe and illustrated by Yen Makino and Yukitoshi Hotani. It was released in July 1995 as the fourth novel in the Crystania novel series. Chronologically it is the first novel in the series.

The story serves as a prequel to Mizuno's Legend of the Drifters series and focusses on Redon, the son of the lord of Haku and one of the six "First Adventurers" that the Legend of the Drifters novels sometimes refer to.

The novel is an adaptation of the 1993 radio drama. Eighteen days after the release of the novel, a movie covering the same events was also released.

The First Adventurers is Kawazoe's first work as a novelist. When he received the task from Ryo Mizuno he wasn't sure he could do it and was worried he may mess up the characters. He found a way to write it after managing to view the story through Redon's eyes.

Synopsis

　Nasare looks at the the Gods’ Wall from the edge of the forest. He hopes to one day be able to pass the insurmountable green-scaled wall that separates his land, the kingdom of Da’nan, from Crystania, the land of the gods. His adopted sister, the half-elf Sia, hopes he will stay.

　Elsewhere in Da’nan, Aderishia departs from the capital Spire, escorted by two mercenaries, warrior Obier and shaman Raifan. Aderishia is on her way to meet Haven, the lord of Haku. Haven is the father of Redon and related to the royal family who have just been deposed by the usurper Chancellor Malid.

　Redon meets with his friend Nasare near the Gods’ Wall and is not happy with the fact his father is not acting against Malid. In Haku, Kwairde, a spy working for Haven, returns with news from Spire that an assassin sent by Malid might be after Haven. The rumour has also reached Redon's ears and he returns with Nasare to check on his father, who has a sudden visitor. Redon is relieved to find out the visitor is Aderishia, an old acquaintance of Haven. Aderishia requests Haven's aid against Malid, but, to Redon's frustration, Haven needs time to think and in the meantime has Redon and Nasare take Aderishia to see the Gods' Wall. There, Redon suddenly hears a voice, saying “To the one who hears my voice. Heed my words! Soon, the road to Crystania will open.” Suddenly, an earthquake begins and the Gods' Wall opens. However, the trio first return to Haku to inspect the village and they find it damaged because of the earthquake. Getting past the Gods' Wall will have to wait.

　Kwairde informs Haven a detachment of cavalry have been spotted in the woods. Kwairde rushes to Redon's location, and together they rush back to he mansion. Meanwhile, Obier, who is Malid's assassin, has entered the mansion and engages in a duel with Haven, but is outmatched by the lord. However, just before Obier's arrival Haven had drank a deadly poison and it begins to take effect. Haven explains he'd rather sacrifice himself to avoid any bloodshed, then stay alive, fight, and have many men die for him. Redon, Kwairde and Raifan enter the mansion, but are too late. Haven tells Redon not to blame Obier. Shortly after he dies and his wife soon follows.

　To escape Malid's forces, Redon, Kwairde, Nasare and Aderishia rush to the crack in the Gods' Wall and enter it. Unbeknownst to them, Obier and Raifan, after dealing with some of Malid's men, follow them. When Obier and Raifan reach the end of the crack they encounter a group of men led by a female warrior called Rio, possibly there because Redon and the others had been there earlier. Though they speak a different language, Obier senses their hostile intent and readies for battle, supported by Raifan's spirit magic. The duo eventually lose the fight.

　Further from the crack, Redon's party have been traversing a large forest until they meet with a group of fur-wearing men. For some reason, Redon is able to communicate with them in old Crystanian, but the men they meet think of that as the language of their enemies. Redon explains they're from Da’nan and the leader of the men, Wallace, recalls that being Tribe of the Great Swan territory. Rio, with her men and two captives, suddenly steps in and proclaims they're the People of the Dark. The situation intensifies and a battle ensues. Thanks to Nasare's and Aderishia's magic the party manages to escape, with Raifan and an unconscious Obier. The party initially has difficulty accepting Obier, because of him attempting to assassinate Redon's father. When Obier awakens he acknowledges his former mission and doesn't make any excuses. Redon accepts him and the party does as well.

　Meanwhile, Rome, a man part of Wallace's group, announces his leave of the Fang of the Animal.

　Redon and his party found a place to rest. While standing on lookout, Aderishia and Redon engage in conversation. Redon is angry at Chancellor Malid and entered Crystania in hopes of finding power from the voice that spoke to him at the Gods' Wall and use that power against Malid. He is also angry at his father for committing suicide, and thereby letting Malid "win". Aderishia tries to explain Haven sacrificed himself to safe his people from war. The next morning, Redon and the others decide to return to Da’nan, deeming a stay in Crystania risky and uncertain if it's worth it. In their way back, however, they encounter Rio and Rome. Redon explains they just want to return home, but Rio explains their god Rumiss has repaired the wall and returning to Da’nan is no longer possible. Rome's only target seems to be Aderishia, who he calls "chaos". Rio, along with her warriors, target the others. When she fails to get the upper hand, and losing one of her warriors to Obier, she and her men transform into snakes. Nasare and Raifan use their magic to constrain Rio and Rome. The party resumed their journey.

　The next day, Redon changes his mind again and decides to explore Crystania instead. The party eventually encounters a dark-skinned woman with pointy ears—a dark elf—who appears to be hurt. A woman with long wings protruding from her back, and a male warrior, come to her aid. They seem friendly to Redon and his companions and the party decides to follow the trio to rest in a cave. Aderishia attempts to heal the dark elf, whose name is Sheru. Meanwhile, Jenoba, the winged woman, tells the party about Crystania, the War of the Gods, the neutral gods who became animal gods, the Cycle, the various tribes and the nature of their missions, animalmasters, the current state of Crystania, and Barbas, the animal god king who rules Beldia and had lowered the land to the level of the sea to allow drifters from an island to the north to enter it, in exchange for the body of the drifters' king. Barbas had the body of a tiger, but discarded it in favour of the Drifting King's body, thereby outpowering the animal gods. Jenoba explains she and her male companion, Boakes, belong to the Fang of the Animal, a mercenary group who oppose Barbas. They are heading to one of their garrisons. Redon and his companions follow.

　At the garrison, Aderishia is having a bad dream where she feels responsible for Haven's death. The Fang of the Animal are preparing an attack on Beldia forces that surrounded Ungaro, one of the Fang's fortresses. The Fang's mercenaries want to simply go all out against the enemy, but Redon strongly advices to uses tactics. He gets his way, and the next morning the mercenaries score a success and recover their lost fort. Redon worries that it may have been too easy, as if it was part of the enemy's strategy. He follows some Beldians and mercenaries into the surrounding forest and meets with a man on a horse and the mercenaries' dead bodies around him. The man looks Da’nanian to Redon. Further conversation reveals their ancestors both share the same homeland, an island to the north, though they were from different kingdoms. The Beldians were considered by Redon's ancestors as "evil". Redon tells the man he believes he was invited by a god of Crystania, maybe Fuji, who opened the Gods' Wall for him. The man says it was the Gods' King Barbas and that they thus should join forces. The man tells Redon his name, Ruins, and then leaves.

　Sometime after the battle, Redon and Aderishia talk about Haven. Redon apparently had suppressed some anger towards Aderishia for his father's death, but the conversation cleared everything up. He also tells her, and later the others in the fort, about his meeting with Ruins and the claim that it was Barbas who led them to Crystania. Again some time later, Rio and some Great Snake tribesmen come to the fort. They offer the Fang of the Animal their help against Beldia, but only if they part with the outsiders. Redon and the others decide to leave the fort, but not much later, after having left the fort, a sense of evil envelops them. Barbas had unleashed a "miracle" on the fort. This was why the battle for the fort was won so easily earlier: to have as many of Beldia's opponents in the fort when the miracle was unleashed. Redon and the others rush back to help the mercenaries. Two animalmasters of the Fierce Tiger tribe appear amidst the smoke and debris. Kwairde and Obier duel the animalmasters and manage to defeat them. Then, another presence emerges from the darkness, Rome, who seems focussed exclusively on Aderishia. Nasare tries to stop Rome, but loses rather easily. Raifan summons Salamander with the last of her strength and strikes Rome with it, but it doesn't hinder the man. Redon rushes towards to scene and finds Aderishia firmly held by Rome, who has begun to "seal" her. A crystal-ish layer slowly envelops Aderishia, crawling upwards from below. Redon cuts away at it, but to no avail, until Aderishia and Rome suddenly simply disappear. Before disappearing, Aderishia tells Redon to do what he thinks is truly important. The party quickly understands that though Aderishia is now "sealed", as part of a purification process, she is not "dead" or "gone" (yet). Obier and Raifan decide to help Aderishia and head for the Tribe of the Sealers. Redon, to everyone's surprise, decides to join Boakes to defeat Barbas. Nasare joins him, but Kwairde does not. Fort Ungaro has fallen to Beldia.

　In Da’nan, Sia misses her foster brother Nasare. It has been one year since he left to Crystania. She has since spent much time with Rails, who tells her that if another crack ever appears in the Gods’ Wall, they will also enter Crystania.

Characters appearing

In order of appearance.

• Nasare
• Sia
• Lagunos
• Aderishia
• Redon
• Lady Meira
• Lord Haven
• Kwairde
• Brian
• Rio
• Wallace
• Rome
• Rosem
• Sheru
• Jenoba
• Boakes
• Matisse
• Brahim
• Rofel
• Ruins
• Garshun
• Rails

Gallery

Artwork from the novel.

Cover artwork without text (by Hotani) Main cast (by Hotani) Map of northern Crystania Obier fights Lord Haven (by Makino) Aderishia, Nasare and Redon (by Makino) Rome (top), Kwairde (left) and Redon (right) (by Makino) Boakes (carrying Sheru) and Jenoba (by Makino) Rio (by Makino) Redon and Nasare overlooking Fort Ungaro (by Makino) Aderishia captured by Rome (by Makino)