Al-Balad

Al-Balad (formerly Dune) is a continent north of Estard in the game Dragon Quest VII.

History

The people of Al-Balad were led by their queen, Fedel. In order to protect her people, she asks her people to build a Sphinx in honor of the Terra Spirit who protected the people. The Sphinx was almost completed when the monsters attacked. They took control of the Sphinx and captured Fedel and the priestesses. Afterwards, they forced the men to change the face of the Sphinx to reflect the face of the Demon Lord. They ordered the women to pray to the Demon Lord to give him strength. The men who were used to build the statue were locked in the basement of the Sphinx. The monsters demanded that a woman from the village be sacrificed to the statue of the Demon Lord.

In order to protect the village, the people keep their young women in a silo guarded at all times. They also do not trust anyone who is not from the village. The village chief's son, Hadeed, has been in the castle trying to bury his compatriots who died in the castle but is interrupted by a grave robber.

Past

The party goes through the warp and notices that they are in a desert and yet it is so cold. They try to go to the village but are rebuffed by one of the villagers who prevent access to the party. With the town being closed off to them for now, they enter the castle of Al-Balad. There the party notice that there is blood all over the castle like there was a big battle. Looking around for anyone, they find Hadeed. Hadeed tells them that the people who were killed here were abandoned when the queen chose the monsters over them. He tells them that they were building the Sphinx to protect the people of Al-Balad. However, the monsters took that as a challenge and attacked the people and changed the statue into that of the Demon Lord.

Hadeed tells them to go to his village and tell them that he had sent them. The party does so.

There they find that the village is under constant threat by the monsters. The villagers find themselves lost without their queen's guidance. The chief asks the party to find his son. Under this request, the party returns to Al-Balad Palace.

While they are searching the palace, a monster, BoneRider, catches their scent. The party encounters BoneRider who says that he will eat them like he did the others. Hadeed comes at this moment and helps the party defeat the monster. After landing the finishing blow, the monster yells out that he was Queen Fedel's favorite and, at that moment, shows that he has the Queen's pendant, that was the emblem of the country. Hadeed believes that she had given this to the monster to spare her own life.

After the fight, Hadeed offers to take the party back to Al-Balad but sandstorms outside prevent that from happening. So the four of them decide to stay at the palace until the storm dies down. While they are there, Hadeed and the party make graves for the fallen throughout the night.

In the morning, Hadeed escorts the party to Al-Balad. When they arrive, they meet with the chief. There, the party learns of the reason that Hadeed left the village. He was looking for the legendary beast Tyrannos. Hadeed shows his father Queen Fedel's necklace. He tells the chief about his suspicious. However, the chief doesn't believe that. After examining the necklace, they find a note inside the necklace. It reads:

To my beloved people... don't worry for I am fine. I am sad to report, though, that the Evil Statue has been completed. The statue is the cause of the disasters you've been enduring. I heard the number of monsters has increased. My prayers are with you, my people. All the men sent to work here are still alive, for the time being. I fear that their safety is temporary at best. If we are to have any chance, I must determine where the statue is vulnerable. If the Nila calmed once more, escape would not seem like such a distant hope. I hid this letter inside the necklace and gave it to a monster. I pray it will reach you safely. Please, remain ever strong....

To my beloved people of Al-Balad.

Queen Fedel.

Hearing this letter, Hadeed decides to find the queen. For that, he needs to find Tyrannos. Hadeed leaves to go to the Nila River to find any trace of Tyrannos. The chief, after learning that the party helped Hadeed bury the dead, gives the party the Al-Balad Charm, an emblem that shows the people of Al-Balad they are friends of Al-Balad.

The party, after gaining information about Tyrannos, heads to a bank at the Nila River. There, they find Hadeed investigating the water. He doesn't find anything, including fish. He asks the party if they have heard anything about Tyrannos.

The party return to the present to the Dejan Continent. There they find an excavation site. A scholar is investigating a fossilized bone. The party asks the scholar about the fossil and he explains that its an aquatic creature that made its home in a large riverbed. When the party tries to tell him that it is the remains of Tyrannos and try to take it back to Al-Balad, the scholar refuses. He tells them that this fossil is a piece of history and he will not let it go. The party show them the Al-Balad Charm. The scholar remarks that he has seen this emblem in his books. He notices that the Al-Balad Charm is new. With this, he believes that the party has the ability to travel through time. He tells the party that he will give them the fossil if they take him through time. Seeing as they have no choice, the party takes him with them to Al-Balad's past.

After reaching Al-Balad Castle, the scholar is in awe. He sees the castle and goes on about what he can learn from studying the castle in the past instead of reading and studying about it in the present. Finding the fossil of the Tyrannos insignificant in comparison, he gives it to the party.

The party return to the village and learn that the chief has fallen ill. The villagers believe that he is not long for this world. Hadeed returns just in time to hear the last words of the chief. The chief tells Hadeed that he wants him to succeed him as the next chief. Hadeed initially refuses, saying that he hasn't found Tyrannos yet. The chief notices that the party has the fossil of a creature that possesses a golden horn. The chief realizes that this is the remains of Tyrannos. The chief asks a favor of the party; he asks that Tyrannos be returned to the Nila River. With this, the chief dies.

The village is in mourning over the loss of the chief. The village comes out the Nila River to pay their respects to the late chief. They prepare his body to be floated down the river. As his body floats down the river, Hadeed reminds the party to place the remains of Tyrannos into the Nila. The bones drop to the bottom of the river. As the villagers and the party are about to leave, Tyrannos is resurrected. With Tyrannos reborn, the creature is now able to carry Hadeed and the party to the Sphinx where they can rescue the Queen and the rest of the villagers.

The party makes their way to the Sphinx where they encounter a priestess who will tell the party that the Queen will be killed because she has refused to pray to the Demon Lord. At that moment, two Pigmon appear to force the priestess to pray again. The party defeats the Pigmon. The priestess thanks the party and tells them that the Queen is captive by the monsters. Hadeed leaves the party to go and find the Queen. The party follows after him.

Deep in the Sphinx, the party reunite with Hadeed, who has found the queen. He tells them that the monsters have killed the people in the palace. Fedel relates her disappointment in herself for trusting the monsters. Hadeed tells the princess that he will defeat the monsters and save Al-Balad. The queen realizes that he is hurt but he goes on anyways. The party speak with the queen after him and she tells them to follow Hadeed because he is hurt.

The party traverse the dungeon and find Seto, the leader of the monsters in Al-Balad. He is gloating over the defeated body of Hadeed. He tells him that it was foolish to fight him while injured. The party confront the monster and defeat him. Afterwards, Queen Fedel appears and tells the party to remove the rubies in the Sphinx's eyes, which give power to the Demon Lord. Removing the eyes causes the entire Sphinx to crumble.

The party, the Queen, and Hadeed float down the Nila River where they are found by the villagers of Al-Balad. The party awakes from unconsciousness and sees that Fedel is praying over the body of Hadeed. Through the power of the Terra Spirit, Hadeed is revived to the joy of the villagers. The party is praised by the villagers to be saviors. They allow them to sleep in Al-Balad village after their exhaustive battle.

The party awakes the next day and head to Al-Balad Palace. There, the villagers are helping to rebuild Al-Balad to its former glory. The Queen invites the party to return when they are finished. With that, the party returns to the present.

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