Zenobureido
=== Setting and characters ===
The setting of Xenoblade Chronicles originated in a world that was nothing but endless ocean, until two great titanic gods, the Bionis and the Mechonis, came into existence. The two gods fought a timeless battle, until with one final strike, only their corpses remained, forever locked in combat. In the eons following their battle, the gods became the home of multiple forms of life. The Bionis is home to organic lifeforms, most prominently the humanoid Homs, who are virtually identical to humans both in appearance and biology; the diminutive and furry Nopon, whose lifespans can double or even triple those of Homs; and the avian humanoid High Entia, whose lifespans span centuries. Conversely, the Mechonis is home to the mechanical humanoid Machina, whose lifespans span several millennia. A key weapon used by the Homs in the battle against the attacking Machina is the Monado, a mystical sword historically linked to the Bionis which grants visions of the future to its wielder when fully controlled. Though the term "Monado" is synonymous with the red sword seen on the game cover, it is also a general term used to describe any supernatural sword that is awakened by a god. Key to the existence of life and technology on Bionis and Mechonis is ether, a substance that not only serves as the primary building block of all living beings, but also a fuel source and a weapon.
The game's main character is Shulk, a young Homs scientist who lives in the settlement of Colony 9 on Bionis. During an attack by Machina warriors, called Mechon, Shulk comes into possession of the Monado. During his journey, Shulk is joined by Reyn, Shulk's childhood friend and headstrong member of the Defence Force; Dunban, a former wielder of the Monado and the brother of Shulk's other childhood friend Fiora; Sharla, a medic and sniper from Colony 6; Melia Antiqua, crown princess of the High Entia and a High Entia-Hom hybrid; and Riki, a member of the Nopon who is chosen as the hero of his village. Other important characters include Dickson, Shulk's mentor; Mumkhar, a cowardly soldier who fought alongside Dunban and wished to wield the Monado for himself; Egil, self-proclaimed leader of the Machina; and Alvis, a mysterious man who aids Shulk on his journey.
=== Plot ===
The game's opening details events one year past, when Dickson, Dunban, and Mumkhar were fighting a Mechon army. Mumkhar deserts, and in the process of defeating the Mechon, the Monado paralyzes Dunban's right arm. In the present, Shulk studies the Monado in Colony 9, where Dunban and Fiora live. Colony 9 is soon attacked by a group of Mechon led by a special Face Mechon called Metal Face. Dunban is almost killed when he attempts to use the Monado again, prompting Shulk to use it: he wields it with ease, and receives visions of the future from it. While the Mechon are driven back, Metal Face proves immune to the Monado and kills Fiora before fleeing. Swearing revenge against Metal Face, Shulk sets out together with Reyn. They meet Sharla from the decimated Colony 6 and work to free it from Mechon occupation. They reunite with Dunban on their journey shortly thereafter. Guided by a vision from Shulk, the group travel to the High Entia capital to gain entry to Prison Island, joined by Melia and Riki. Shulk also meets Alvis, who is revealed to share Shulk's ability to wield the Monado. Gaining entry, they encounter Zanza, a being who created the Monado and who offers Shulk the ability to destroy the Face Mechon, revealed to be humans inside Mechon mechs. Though Shulk accepts and the Monado is granted the ability to destroy humans, Zanza is killed by Metal Face and another Mechon called Face Nemesis during an attack on the capital. During the ensuing battle, Face Nemesis is damaged to reveal a recreated and amnesiac Fiora controlling it.
While initially disheartened by this, Shulk is rallied by his comrades and sets out in pursuit of Metal Face and Fiora. During a peaceful encounter with Fiora, Metal Face attacks them again, revealing itself to be Mumkhar. Egil then intervenes, spiriting Fiora away. On the way to the Mechonis, the party face off against and defeat Mumkhar, who is impaled as a result of his own attack and then plummets to his death. The party then face off against Egil and Fiora. In the resultant fight, Shulk and Fiora are separated from the group. During their time together, Shulk successfully awakens Fiora's memories, and learns that another being was controlling her body. Reuniting with the group, they meet up with a friendly Machina named Vanea and her people, the Machina. She reveals that the Bionis and Mechonis were initially at peace, before the Bionis' god Zanza launched an unprovoked attack. Since the battle a year before, Egil has been working on his own to convert the life of Bionis into Mechon to render the Monado useless. Going to face Egil, Fiora is taken over by the other presence, the Machina goddess Meyneth. They reach Egil as he reactivates the Mechonis and begins an attack on the Bionis, intent on destroying the Bionis as revenge for the decimation it had caused to the Machina thousands of years ago. Despite fighting him, Shulk manages to make him see that they both wish for a return to peace, and declines the open opportunity to kill Egil upon the latter's defeat. At this point, Dickson appears and shoots Shulk, revealing himself as a disciple of Zanza, who emerges from Shulk's body and reclaims the Monado. Egil and Meyneth both attempts to fight Zanza, but are overpowered and Meyneth's Monado is stolen by Zanza. As the party escapes, Egil attempts to fight once more, but Zanza destroys both him and the Mechonis.
In the aftermath of the Mechonis' destruction, pure-blooded High Entia begin transforming into Telethia, beings whose one purpose is to purge Bionis of life. The party is helpless before the Telethia, but the Telethia are attacked by a squadron of High Entia. However, the High Entia Minister of Research Lorithia is revealed to be a disciple of Zanza, releasing ether to transform the High Entia squadron into Telethia. While the party grieves for Shulk, Shulk awakens and manages to defeat a Telethia raid on Colony 6, but Alvis is revealed to be the third disciple of Zanza. Making their way to Prison Island, they defeat Lorithea and then Dickson. The party then travels to face Zanza, who declares the life of Bionis as simply his food and vessels, and with both Monados, he intends to recreate the world as he has before, destroying the current world and everything in it in the process. Zanza then offers Shulk the chance to become his new disciple. Shulk rejects the offer, and during the ensuing battle produces a third Monado: prompted by Alvis, the spirit of the Monado who betrays Zanza, Shulk uses his Monado to destroy Zanza. Alvis then shows Shulk Zanza's origins; both Zanza, then named Klaus, and Meyneth were originally human scientists from Earth, working on an experiment to create a new universe aboard a space station. Klaus's obsessive desires caused the experiment to end in disaster, obliterating the universe and causing Zanza and Meyneth to be reborn as gods in the new universe. Alvis was originally the administrative computer of the station. After the new universe's creation, Zanza and Meyneth created life in their image, and Zanza created the cycle of Bionis out of fear that he would eventually die as his creations forgot of his existence and seek life beyond Bionis. With the current universe threatened with death from Zanza's actions, Alvis asks Shulk to decide how he will remake the universe. Shulk, now a god, wishes for a world without gods, where everyone can decide their own fates. In the new universe, the survivors of Bionis and Mechonis build a new settlement and live peacefully together, Fiora is restored to her Homs form, and both she and Shulk optimistically look forward to Alvis' promise of endless worlds and races of people beyond their own.
revenge