Kingdom Hearts Dark Road: Difference between revisions

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|title = Kingdom Hearts Dark Road

A partner cannot be chosen from episode 4 onwards, so cutscenes from that point on have no variations.

<!-- Base time period (+0) -->Two years after Xehanort's arrival in Scala ad Caelum, Xehanort, now a Keyblade wielder, and his classmates [[Eraqus]], [[Urd]], [[Bragi]], [[Vor]], and [[Hermod]] are told by their master [[Odin]] that seven upper classmen - [[Heimdall]], [[Helgi]], [[Hoder]], [[Sigrun]], [[Vala]], [[Vali]], and [[Vidar]] - have gone missing while training for their [[Mark of Mastery exam]]. However, fellow lower classman [[Baldr]] has been assigned a different task, and has not been informed that his older sister Hoder is missing. While the lower classmen are far from ready, Odin tasks the youths with finding the missing seven by scouring the many worlds.

Baldr takes the form of the giant Heartless, and battles Xehanort and Eraqus until both sides are exhausted. Eraqus deflects a finishing strike from Baldr, knocking them both down, and tells Xehanort to purge the darkness in Baldr's heart. Xehanort begins to gather energy in his Keyblade to do so, but stops and raises his Keybalde to end Baldr's life instead, to Eraqus' protest. Baldr takes advantage of Xehanort's hesitation, and shrouds the area in darkness to speak with him. Baldr's darkness asserts that it is neither an ancient darkness, nor born from Baldr's heart - instead, it was born from the darkness of the people Baldr met. Suddenly, Hoder's spirit appears from Xehanort's heart, and attempts to speak to Baldr. Baldr's serious composure is broken, and he frantically explains that he could feel what was in others' hearts for most of his life. He felt only light from Hoder and Eraqus, but felt darkness in most of the other people he met. That darkness frightened him, but slowly gathered in his heart and began to become his own. He felt safe with Hoder due to her pure light, but once she was gone, he fell further into his own darkness and finally submitted to it. Baldr asserts that there are two kinds of people: those with pure light in their hearts, untainted - and those with darkness, among whom that darkness would grow. Hoder and Baldr reach out to one another, but both suddenly summon their Keyblades, still distrusting one another. Baldr's darkness seizes control of his body and attempts to strike, but is suddenly held in place by glowing chains. The darkness shrouding the area is dispelled, and the chains are shown to come from Odin's No Name Keyblade.

Shortly afterwards, [[Luxu]] arrives in the graveyard, disappointed that he has not found a chosen one, though optimistic that Xehanort may be useful. He recalls an interaction between Bragi and Baldr in the Underworld: Baldr threatens Bragi's life, though Bragi counters that Xehanort's suspicions would be confirmed if Baldr returned without him. Bragi also ponders aloud about how taking Baldr's body would be inconvenient, due to the undesired attention it would bring. Baldr, confused and seething with rage, swings at Bragi but is easily disarmed. Bragi concedes that he does not want to obstruct Baldr, and says he will simply disappear before casually walking away. Baldr summons his Keyblade back to his hand and rushes at Bragi before the scene fades. Luxu removes his hood, revealing Bragi's face, and laments how he cannot show his face around Scala ad Caelum, if he is supposed to be buried in this graveyard.

The Master takes Xehanort to the [[Keyblade Graveyard]], where he introduces himself as a former Keyblade wielder. Xehanort is initially distrustful and summons his Keyblade, which the Master then summons out of Xehanort's hand and into his own, before returning it. He advises Xehanort to not go unprotected in corridors of darkness, and gifts him a [[black coat]], which he remarks is less suited to combat than Keyblade Armor, but protects against much more darkness. He also requests that Xehanort look into people's hearts, to see how complex emotions or differences in power can harbor light or darkness.

Some time later, Xehanort returns to the Keyblade Graveyard, and shares his findings with the Master of Masters. He claims that darkness lurks in every heart, and that people's darkness grows as the weak overcome the strong. However, Xehanort is unwilling to sit back and observe, believing that people must be ruled by darkness, or else the world would fall to chaos - and he believes himself necessary to make that change. He also feels imprinted in his heart a guide on what to do, and feels a familiarity with the black coat. The Master responds by predicting that Xehanort will not need the coat soon, as he will be able to control darkness instead of needing protection from it. Xehanort questions the Master's prediction, and the Master reveals his name and status as a Lost Master before departing.

<!-- Base +7 years -->Xehanort and Eraqus get into a disagreement regarding Kingdom Hearts. Xehanort insists that summoning Kingdom Hearts is the only way to protect the world, but Eraqus opposes using such a drastic measure. The duo clash Keyblades as the scene fades.

<!-- Base +65 years -->Xehanort and Ventus, the latter with a blank stare, walk through a corridor of darkness. Xehanort reflects that these corridors are meant for spirit and emotion, not living beings - living beings would attempt to embrace the emotions, corroding their hearts with darkness, unless they wear a black coat for protection. However, Xehanort rejects this advice, believing that a strong heart is enough to survive. He recalls his mentor, who taught him of the "child of destiny who can connect their heart to others and feel what they feel". Xehanort asserts that he must embrace the emotions of the corridor, so that he might be worthy of the title.

After dropping off Ventus, Xehanort walks along a hall and speaks to Vanitas, who was supposed to wait at the [[Badlands]]. Vanitas is glad to be rid of Ventus, but Xehanort asserts that bringing Ventus to Eraqus was done for Ventus's sake, not Vanitas's. The two walk together down the hall, as Xehanort recounts the whereabouts of the thirteen ancient darknesses: seven are trapped within the Lost Masters, four are trapped in the data world, and two were supposedly destroyed when the world collapsed - but one survived, disguised as Ventus. Xehanort asks if Vanitas is that ancient darkness, and if he might know where the other darknesses are, since the darknesses were all once together as a whole - but Vanitas denies Xehanort's accusations at every turn. Xehanort wonders why a darkness would need to hide, and reveals that he knows Vanitas was not born from Ventus's heart, but was an outside entity that hid within him. This finally breaks Vanitas's façade, and he asks how much Xehanort knows. Xehanort returns the question, but Vanitas is unwilling to elaborate on the matter.

==Gameplay==

The in-game shop allows players to purchase new cards, using either [[Jewel]]s, Shop Points, or Draw Tickets. The game does not allow duplicate cards in the inventory - instead, duplicate cards are automatically used to power up the same existing card in the player's inventory, up to 10 levels. After 10 levels, they are converted into BP or Shop Points. In addition to new cards, players can also purchase Charms and Quest Keys; the former allows players to continue battles unimpeded in case of a [[Game Over]], while the latter allows players to undertake special Event Quests that reward large amounts of BP. Both ''Union χ'' and ''Dark Road'' share the same Jewel cache - spending Jewels in ''Dark Road'' will deduct that amount in ''Union χ'' and vice versa.

With the 5.00 version update, the game no longer connects to the internet, and thus does not allow any form of in-game purchases. Due to this, several aspects of the gameplay have been tweaked.

*[[Vali]]

*[[Vidar]]

*[[Luxu]]

;'''[[Destiny Islands]]''' {{note|World only appears in cutscenes}}

*[[Robed Figure]]

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