Editing Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (section)

==Plot==
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[[Image:DQVIII_characters.png|right|thumb|250px|[[Yangus]], [[Medea]], [[Trode]], {{Munchie}} and the {{Hero 8}}]]
''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 [[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 next morning, the {{Hero 8}} and the others find to their surprise that {{Jessica}} is missing. While searching for her, the {{Party 8}} enters a town called [[Arcadia]], arriving just in time to save a magician named [[Dominico]] from an apparently-possessed {{Jessica}} wielding the Sceptre. After chastising [[David]], his young servant, [[Dominico]] sends the {{Party 8}} to find the [[Kran Spinels]] to aid in warding off {{Jessica}}. Once the {{Party 8}} return with the [[Kranz Spinels|jewels]], [[Dominico]] uses them to create a more effective barrier against {{Jessica}}. While he prepares the incantation to erect the barrier, the {{Party 8}} engages {{Jessica}} outside in an attempt to stall her, discovering in the process that her true objective is [[David]], an heir of one of the seven great sages. After the battle, [[Dominico]]'s barrier is able to release {{Jessica}} from her possession.

After recovery, {{Jessica}} reveals what her possessor had planned, as well as giving it a name -- [[Rhapthorne]], The Lord of Darkness. His soul had previously been imprisoned inside the Sceptre by the [[Seven Sages]], and he plots to remove the seals by killing their heirs as soon as possible. At that point, the {{Party 8}} realizes the {{Sceptre}} is missing. They rush over to [[Dominico]]'s estate, only to see that [[Rhapthorne]] has succeeded in mortally wounding [[David]] after taking control of [[Dominico]]'s dog [[Sir Leopold]] as his next host. After [[Rhapthorne]] flees, [[David]] utteres his final words, as a repentant and grieving [[Dominico]] laments over him. With only two heirs left to kill, the possessed [[Sir Leopold]] absconds to the snowy mountain valley of the north. An old woman named [[Marta]], who happens to be the one of the two remaining heirs, lives in the wintry countryside.

After running an errand for Marta and finding her son Marek, the {{Party 8}} comes back to Marta's house only to see it set ablaze by Sir Leopold. Holding her son Marek hostage, [[Sir Leopold]] forces Marta to come out and face him. He manages to kill her, and flies away to find the last living heir. Enlisting the aid of the legendary godbird Empyrea, the {{Party 8}} tracks [[Sir Leopold]] down to the Lord High Priest's mansion and engage him. After putting down the possessed [[Sir Leopold]], he loses his grip on the {{Sceptre}}, and dies. The Lord High Priest goes into shock, and faints. Meanwhile, [[Marcello]] (the new abbot, and [[Angelo]]'s half-brother) enters, and frames the {{Party 8}} for attempting to assassinate the Lord High Priest, and has them exiled to [[Purgatory Island]]. [[Marcello]] picks up the {{Sceptre}}, but manages to resist Lord [[Rhapthorne]]'s evil influence. He assumes his position of the Lord High Priest thereafter.

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 [[Black Citadel|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 8}}, 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 [[Savella Cathedral|cathedral]]. On the day of the wedding, the {{Hero 8}} manages to slip into the cathedral with Yangus' help. However, the [[Medea|Princess]] is nowhere to be found. The {{Hero 8}} escapes, and finds the [[Medea|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 [[Medea|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.
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