Arc the Lad
Arc the Lad is a tactical role-playing game developed by G-Craft for the PlayStation and is the first game in the Arc the Lad series. It was released in Japan in 1995 and was released in North America on April 18, 2002 as part of the Arc the Lad Collection. The Japanese version was published by SCEI, while the North American version was published by Working Designs. With over one million copies sold, it was the best-selling Japanese PlayStation game of 1995. Arc the Lad was followed by two direct sequels and many games belonging to the series.
Story
The game begins with a girl named Kukuru who is a member of the Sacred Clan in Seirya, a clan that protects the flame Cion. She is sent by the mayor of her town to extinguish this flame, but as soon as she does, a monster named Ark Ghoul appears and Kukuru flees. Meanwhile, a boy named Arc sets out to find his father Yoshua, who has been missing for ten years. He bumps into Kukuru and they both defeat the pursuing monsters. Arc promises Kukuru to rekindle the flame for them, but he is quickly struck down by the powerful Ark Ghoul. As he lies there defeated, Arc hears a voice calling him. The voice is a guardian who revives Arc and tells him to rekindle the flame. The Guardian also tells Arc that he will return here later to extinguish the flame and retrieve the Ark, a mystical box that will help him protect the world; the Guardian finally adds that Arc's father has made an agreement with the planet's Guardians to protect humanity from the impending darkness. After hearing this, Arc reignites the fire and seals the Ark Ghoul before he can kill Kukuru. Days later, after hearing of Arc's abilities, the King of Seirya summons him to Palencia Castle. As Arc makes his way to Palencia, Kukuru decides that it is her destiny to help him. Arc explains to the king that the guardian of the mountain has given him power. To see if Arc is truly blessed by the Guardians, the king's minister, Andel, insisted on testing him. The two are sent into battle against some monsters, where the group encounters Poco of the Drum Corps, who was the sole survivor of their last patrol. After Arc returns, the King tells him that he must find the Ark to save humanity. The king tells him that his own brother, the former king, believed this story and disappeared to find the ark. He then asks Arc to request an audience with the forest spirit of the Toyoke Forest in Millmana.