Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King: Difference between revisions

[[Image:DQVIII_characters.png|right|thumb|250px|Yangus, Medea, Trode, Munchie and the Hero]]

''Dragon Quest VIII'' begins when the evil jester [[Dhoulmagus]] steals a [[Godbird sceptre|magical sceptre]] from [[Trodain]] Castle. With this powerful sceptre, he transforms the inhabitants of Trodain into plant-like statues, as well as changing the [[Trode|king]] into a toad-like monster and the [[Princess Medea|princess]] into a horse, while covering the majority of the castle in large, green magical thorns. The {{Hero 8}}, a young Trodain guardsman, is the only resident to remain uncursed. Accompanying the cursed king and princess, he hunts [[Dhoulmagus]], in hopes of restoring [[Trodain]] to its former glory. The {{Hero 8}} is eventually joined on his quest by three companions: a scarred, inarticulate bandit named [[Yangus]], a wand-waving tomboy named [[Jessica Albert]], and [[Angelo]], a rapier-wielding Templar Knight and self-proclaimed ladies' man. During their travels, the {{Party 8}} runs into Dhoulmagus several times. A couple of these encounters involve Dhoulmagus killing someone beloved by members of the {{Hero 8}}'s {{Party 8}}. Individuals slain by Dhoulmagus include Alistair (Jessica's brother) and [[Abbot Francisco]], who is head of the abbey where Angelo lives. The {{Party 8}} finally tracks down Dhoulmagus to the [[Dark Ruins]], where they find him recuperating, and finally face off against him. After his defeat, he tries to curse the {{Party 8}} with his sceptre, but the {{Hero 8}} is again unaffected by the curse, blocking the blast and sparing the other {{Party 8}} members. [[Dhoulmagus]] then uses his menacing power to change into a hideous creature. However, even with his new powers, he is no match for the might of the {{Party 8}}. Much to their surprise, however, they find that even with his defeat, the curse still has not been lifted. Concluding that something else must be maintaining the curse, they leave the ruins, with {{Jessica}} picking up Dhoulmagus' sceptre as they exit.

The {{Party 8}} manages to escape from [[Purgatory Island]], returning to face Marcello on the Holy Isle of [[Neos]], and defeats him. In his weakened state, Marcello gives in to Rhapthorne's influence. With all seven sages killed, Rhapthorne is resurrected in flesh and blood. He transforms Neos into the [[Black Citadel]], and raises it into the sky to stage his attack upon the world. The {{Party 8}} battle their way through the Citadel and defeat Rhapthorne in his first body. However, by doing so, Rhapthorne is able to unleash his full power and incorporate the Black Citadel into himself, transforming himself into a massive devil looming over the land. [[Empyrea]] calls upon the {{Party 8}} to destroy Rhapthorne once and for all. The Sceptre of Trodain, imbued with Empyrea's essence, is now an essential weapon for the party, able to unlock the power of the seven orbs containing the spirits of the seven sages, to penetrate into Rhapthorne's mighty barrier and engage him in mortal combat. After finally ending the reign of Rhapthorne, the party restored peace to the world. King [[Trode]] and [[Princess Medea]] are changed back to their human forms, and the curse of [[Trodain]], along with its thorns, is lifted and removed.

Seven months later, the {{Hero 8}} is assigned to escort Princess Medea to her arranged wedding with Prince [[Charmles]] of [[Argonia]]. After reuniting with his three friends, the {{Hero 8}} sets sail for [[Savella Cathedral]] with the king and princess. Prince Charmles meets with the entourage personally, and forbids the party from attending the ceremony within the cathedral. On the day of the wedding, the {{Hero 8}} manages to slip into the cathedral with Yangus' help. However, the Princess is nowhere to be found. The {{Hero 8}} escapes, and finds the Princess at the cathedral courtyard waiting for him. They return to Trodain in a carriage steered by King Trode, and live happily ever after.

An alternate ending can be achieved once the first ending has been viewed, which unlocks the [[Dragovian]] Realm. A well-experienced party of {{Party 8}} can challenge the [[Lord of the Dragovians]] at the [[Heavenly Dais]]. If successful, the {{Hero 8}}'s true origins are revealed, and the alternate ending will replace the first ending, where the player defeats Rhapthorne again. In the alternate ending, the {{Hero 8}} is revealed as the son of the lost Prince [[Eltrio]] of Argonia. His mother was a Dragovian maiden who escaped to the human world and met [[Clavius]]' older brother, but her father did not agree to the relationship and took her home. Following after, the Prince died just short of the Dragovian homeland. The {{Hero 8}} was born shortly afterwards, but sentenced to exile in the human world, as his birth took the life of his mother.  Ashamed for his actions, the maiden's father went with his only surviving kin, as the mouse {{Munchie}}. Upon defeating the Dragovian lord, who had become mad after trying to abandon his human form, gives the {{Hero 8}} his father's ring. Clavius, King of Argonia and Prince Charmles' father, acknowledges the {{Hero 8}}'s right to marry the Princess after seeing the ring, which allows him to finally feel at peace with his lost brother. The two are wed at Savella Cathedral, much to the scorn of Charmles, who is finally confronted by his father over his initiation test earlier in the story. The newlywed couple come out of the cathedral together and embrace each other, much to the surprise of the other party members. They return to Trodain in the same fashion as the first ending, and live happily ever after.