Genso Suikogaiden Vol.1

Genso Suikogaiden Vol.1 (幻想水滸外伝Vol.1, Gensōsuikogaiden Vol.1), subtitled Swordsman of Harmonia (ハルモニアの剣士, Harumonia no Kenshi), is the third instalment of the Suikoden series as well as the first side-game of the franchise. The title was designed and released for the Sony PlayStation.

This first volume tells the story of Nash Latkje, an officer of the Harmonian Southern Frontier Defense Force assigned to investigate reports of a True Rune appearance in the City-State of Jowston in the early stages of the Dunan Unification War. The game weaves Nash's story in and out of that of Suikoden II.

Gameplay
Unlike its predecessors, Genso Suikogaiden Vol.1 is a visual novel game in which static images and text boxes portray the events to the player. Often the player will be given dialogue choices which will have an effect on the players Luck Points (LP), depending on the response chosen. Depending on the amount of LP the player holds, new dialogue options and story paths will become available. The game takes place across four chapters.

Chapter 1: The Visitor
The game starts with Nash Latkje, a Harmonian agent searching for information on True Runes, escorting Sierra Mikain. Nash is not pleased with Sierra's self-centered behavior due to his dislike of company, as he believes spy work is best done alone. However, Sierra is Nash's only lead on the True Runes, which is his assignment from the Southern Frontier Defense Force.

During their journey, they encounter a Kobold family. The children are fighting over a wooden figurine, which falls in front of Sierra. She demands that Nash throw it back, which he does. The Kobold family thanks them and drives away.

Later, they arrive at an old estate, Penenberg Manor, where they are allowed to spend the night. Nash takes a bath and meets a young maid named Ayana. The travelers decide to share a room, with Sierra sleeping in the bed and Nash on the floor.

In the middle of the night, Nash is attacked by zombies. He uses a fire spell to defeat them and goes downstairs, where he is attacked by Ayana, who turns out to be a vampire. Nash learns that Ayana killed the Kobold family they encountered earlier. After a tough battle, Nash defeats Ayana using the wooden figurine from the Kobold family, which is a holy relic and deadly to vampires. He is then attacked by the butler, but quickly defeats him.

Nash finds a closed door and packs gunpowder against it to open it. During this time, Nash and Sierra share a bit of their personal history. Nash learned to make gunpowder during his training with the Howling Voice Guild, but he was not 'chosen' by a gun and therefore cannot use firearms. Sierra recounts her past with Rean Penenberg, the master of the manor. She discovered the Moon Rune, which gave her great power but turned her into a vampire. She fled into a forest to control her bloodlust and met Rein, who was injured. Sierra transformed Rein into a vampire and they formed the Blue Moon Village, where they would allow those who found it to become vampires. However, one day, the Blue Moon Rune was stolen, leading those of the village to either wait to die or flee and drink mortal blood. Rein chose to flee and drink mortal blood.

The door opens to reveal Rein Penenberg himself. Sierra attempts to stab him, but he drinks her blood and renders her unconscious. Nash is forced to fight him alone, but finds himself outmatched. They fight throughout the manor and eventually end up outside. Nash revives Sierra by letting her drink his blood. Sierra attacks Rein and, with the boost from Nash's blood, successfully uses the Song of Evanescence to destroy Rein's soul.

While Nash is unconscious, Sierra leaves Penenberg Manor and continues her journey without him. She apologizes to Nash in her thoughts, as she knew nothing about True Runes other than the Moon Rune, due to her long solitude in the forest.

Chapter 2: Reasons
After regaining consciousness, Nash reaches Muse City and is stopped at the city gates by guards who ask for his entry permit. The guards are on high alert due to a group of children trying to use fake passes. Templeton, who was waiting behind Nash, becomes impatient as Nash tries to explain he's from Harmonia and doesn't have a pass. After some explanation, Nash is permitted entry. He and Templeton later agree to share a room at the local inn.

At the inn, Nash overhears two men, Flik and Viktor, talking about Muse's mayor, Anabelle, and is knocked out by Viktor. Templeton watches over Nash until he wakes up. Nash explores Muse and meets a young girl named Pilika and Nanami, who invites him for a meal. Nanami makes a stew that knocks Nash out again. When he wakes up, Templeton gives him a letter with orders from the Southern Frontier Defense Force to find out about the Beast Rune.

Nash heads to the Highland border, disguised as a guard, and meets Jowy and his friend. While they conduct their mission, Nash scouts out the camp, but doesn't find any information on the Beast Rune. He accidentally invades the tent of Highland's princess, Jillia Blight, and is threatened by her brother, Luca Blight, who gives Jowy a knife to kill Anabelle. Nash escapes and heads back to Muse.

When he arrives at the gate, he sees the trio waiting for Jowy. Nash wonders if something happened to Jowy on his way, but soon Jowy finally appears, much to the relief of his friends. Now safely back within Muse, Nash does not have long to wait before his new orders and, Nash hopes, payment, show up with Dominguez. However, Dominguez does not come to him easily, leaving Nash to chase the bird around the city in pursuit of his pay.

Route A
Nash is found by Highland Generals Seed and Culgan during his journey after he leaves Muse city. They believe Nash is the spy that Prince Luca was talking about, but Nash is hesitant to fight and creates a distraction to hide in a tree. On his way to Two River City, he finds that the bridge to the city has been destroyed, and he is accosted by Elza, a woman he met while with the Howling Voice Guild. They engage in a friendly duel, which Elza wins, and they settle in for the night around a campfire. Elza shares her past with Nash and the manipulation she faced within the Guild.

Seed and Culgan, worried about the escaped spy, release a Golden Wolf to pursue Nash. Nash and Elza are ambushed by the Golden Wolf, which uses a strong power from the Beast Rune. Elza tries to join the fight but Nash stops her, as her attacks would leave her vulnerable. The two are saved from a fall by a tree branch.

Nash is later confronted by Seed and Culgan and engages in a close battle. He uses the Grosser Fluss sword, a family heirloom, to defeat Seed with the sword's poison. Culgan becomes enraged at the loss of his friend and pushes Nash into a corner. Nash is eventually able to end the fight by agreeing to cure Seed in exchange for his safe passage.

Nash reflects on his time at the Howling Voice Guild where he trained under Master Sauro and learned techniques like gunpowder. After becoming a Temple Guard and mastering his family sword, he learned of his parents' death from an unknown disease and suspected his sister's fiancé, Zaj Quiroz, was responsible. Nash confronted Zaj, who admitted to using poison, and Nash nearly killed him. Fearing he had, Nash fled and joined the Southern Frontier Defense Force after receiving aid from Sasarai. He eventually passes out in the Greenhill Forest after his recent grueling battles without rest.

Route B
Nash meets a suspicious character named Hoi who offers to sell him a horse for 7,000 potch, which Nash is forced to buy due to his injury. While riding through Greenhill Forest, he comes across a young girl named Wakaba who was training and searching for her master. Nash offers to help her out of the forest.

On their journey, they encounter several strange and unique individuals, including a young woman bathing in a lake who nearly shoots Nash with her bow, a bear and man having a conversation thanks to the man's Listening Crystal, a woman with no sense of direction, two rival gamblers playing Chinchirorin, a magician who casts a fire spell that fails to destroy the forest, a man training powerful men to operate elevators, a couple (Hix and Tengaar) having a moonlit meal.

As they make their way through the forest, Nash and Wakaba face challenges and obstacles, but they eventually reach the edge of the forest, where Ayda catches Hoi in his scheme and chases him away for daring to treat animals like slaves.

Chapter 4: War's End and A New Beginning
Nash wakes up to find himself in Greenhill City, where he is receiving a massage from a young inn maid named Yuri. She informs Nash that he was found unconscious in the Greenhill Forest and encourages him to explore the city. As Nash leaves the inn, he is spotted by Nina who is immediately smitten and offers to show him around. The two come across a commotion in the center of town where the Mayor Teresa and her bodyguard Shin are listening to Rowd, who represents Highland and is offering a peaceful surrender of the town.

Nash returns to his inn room where he encounters a surprise visit from Zaj Quiroz, who is alive and well. However, Nash is soon arrested by Greenhill soldiers who accuse him of being a spy for Highland. He is taken to see Teresa who frees him, apologizing for the mistake and requesting his help to defend the city from the imminent Highland attack.

Teresa gives a rallying speech to the citizens, urging them to fight bravely against the odds. Nash is appointed as the new captain of the Greenhill army after Shin is occupied elsewhere. Among the recruits are Jeane, a professor of rune studies, Nina, Connell, and Jude who informs Nash that the explosives are ready.

The first attack on Greenhill begins, and Nash orders Connell to use the rune scrolls but they fail. Jeane uses her mysterious power to fix the scrolls and, with the help of Kahn Marley, a vampire hunter and friend of Sierra, the soldiers are taught how to use them. Stallion, with his Godspeed Rune, saves Teresa from certain harm.

Shin and Nash team up to lead a horse cavalry into battle against the Highland Army. However, the Greenhill troops struggle as they are less experienced than the Highland Army. Georg Prime appears and takes down several Highland soldiers with his sword.

Jowy sends forward the soldiers of Muse, momentarily buoying the spirits of the Greenhill forces, but Nash knows that Muse has already been taken and these soldiers are now part of the Highland Army. Jowy orders the Muse soldiers to attack and Teresa sends part of Nash's forces to help the exhausted Greenhill front line. The battle is quickly lost and Teresa and others are captured.

Nash's sister, Julie Latkje, suddenly appears and frees Nash and the others. Connell and Jeane use their Sound and Thunder Runes to take care of the guards. Nash, Shin, and the others escape through a secret path in Greenhill Forest with Jude and Emilia dressed as Shin and Teresa respectively to throw off the Highland Army.

On the way, Nash runs into Zaj and after a moment of staring at each other, they both turn away. As he continues his journey, Nash meets once more with a figure of his past, Lena Suphina.

Genso Suikogaiden Vol. 1