#dragon quest builders 2 spoilers

[howwnowbrowncoww]

In another universe where Malroth's visions of killing his friends makes him feel guilty over ending Hargon's miserable life, Builder takes the chance to try out a new weapon they've been working on^-^

[theoryfan205]

"you killed them, Malroth! YOU! Nothing whets the appetite more than a few freshly sacrificed souls, would you not agree?"

He couldn't believe the sight in front of him, All his friends- lulu, anessa, Rosie!- everyone was dead on the floor..

"I killed them? No... You liar! I would never... Never..."

They were- are his friends! He wouldn't do this! Right?

"Oh, but you did. Pity them not--the fools are more useful in death than they ever were in life. They died so that you may be reborn. It is an honour barely comprehensible to such base creatures as they."

This wasn't his fault! He wouldn't have done this to them, he can't have! It.. it's not his fault..

"You... You tricked me!"

It was hargon's fault, he did this!

"I'll make you pay for this... With your life!"

The coward responsible for this finally showed his face, smiling as he mockingly opened his arms, daring Malroth to strike, and strike he would. With the full force of his rage he charged and bashed his club straight through the monster!- only for the illusion to fade..

"Acorn!? How did you...!?"

Before him instead was his builder-his best friend-acorn, her arms were extended similar to how hargon was taunting him, but he could see what she was trying was anything but, a hopeful look was on her face, a small smile so different from her usual big dopey one. It didn't stay for long as pain forced it's way onto her face, getting rid of any smile as she fell to the ground, her body succumbing to his attack.

"No! I never meant to..."

He dropped his club-the one she made for him-and quickly tried to fix his mistake, arms stretched downward to her corpse- no! No she wasn't dead, she had to be okay, he shook her limp body, tears spilling out of his eyes

"Acorn! Get up! It's not funny! I can't... I didn't do this, please. I can't have done this again..."

It was his fault. He couldn't control himself, he should have remembered, he should have done anything else! He did this to her, the master of destruction did this!-

"Malroth... Why are you crying?"

He almost stopped breathing, opening his eyes he saw her, she was looking up at him, she was alive! Her arm reached up and he quickly and eagerly grabbed it, reassuringly rubbing the back of it with his thumb

"Acorn! You're gonna be okay, I'm here. I'm gonna fix this, I swear-"

Her hand suddenly gripped his tightly, painfully holding on with a death grip, as he looked down at her again he saw that this time her eyes were bleeding, she looked battered and beat as she started laughing

"Why are you sad? You did this, Malroth. You wanted this, did you not? You should be happy"

This wasn't right... That isn't acorn, she was smiling but it wasn't her dopey smile, it was twisted and morphed into something else

"Acorn? What's... This isn't funny! I didn't... I..."

She was standing now, he could fully see what his wrath had done to her, he didn't dare look at his handiwork across her body any longer, he tried to look away but his builder-no, this fake pulled his face to look at her

"Come now, master of destruction, look me in the eyes before you sacrifice me. You did it moments before, you can do it again! I believe in you, Malroth. Kill me. Become what you're destined to be"

Tears spilled out of his eyes as whatever this was spoke just like she did, using her dopey smile to encourage her own end, this wasn't right... This was... A nightmare.

And just like that, he was jolted up, his bed cold and wet from his sweat, no longer in the blood soaked void but now in his room, his shared room with- immediately he's out of bed, rushing to the other side of the room to see... Acorn, sleeping peacefully on her side of the room, panic filled him however as she layed still, the blanket covering where the wounds he made would be.

Without a moments hesitation he pulled the blanket off. she shuddered slightly at the cold air as he did so, he sighed in relief as he saw her uninjured and fine. He was shaking, he did it again... He hurt his builder again, that Could have been her this time, hargon might have done that for real this time, he couldn't let this happen again.

After a few seconds of terrifying silence he slowly got into bed next to acorn, holding her close, feeling her breathing and her warmth. She was alive, he hadn't killed her, he had to make sure that that would never happen to her, he had to protect her. He had to protect her from himself, he held her close as he finally drifted to sleep again, unaware of the small builder pulling him closer and hugging him back

"Oh Malroth.. it's okay. I'm here.."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Behold! I couldn't draw the thing in mind so I wrote it because I'm also a writer! For this week's dqb2ber theme is illusions/nightmare, and for My one I've done both! Slightly inspired by a thought I've had about Malroth, in my game as acorn I made them a shared room, yet everytime I sleep in it guess who wakes up next to me? Malroth, I will go sleep after him and he'll still wake up next to me, so my thought why was that he had a nightmare and slept with her those nights as comfort. They're best friends after all! Hope you enjoyed the read

[lubbee]

Malhalla

[shinekittenace]

uhhh yeah i tricked you into building a dungeon to lock up your boyfriend. yeah his trust in you is destroyed he's totally gonna hate you now. not sorry tho

[daezedglownut]

Curious. What did everyone else playing Builders 2 do after they finished Moonbrooke..?

Personally, I knocked down the entire castle (bar the throne room), stole the shiny new throne and put a toilet in its place lol

But yeah, I’d love to know how everyone else reacted as soon as that arc was over - or did you go back later post-game to dole out your justice? Lmaooo

[megamijadeheart]

Megami Jadeheart 2023

7x5

Copic Markers

[theladyjssem]

I'm going to apologise right now, I'm on a Dragon Quest Builders 2 kick atm. You will be seeing a lot of Malroth/Builder stuff simply because Builder (no matter their gender) and Malroth are perfect together.

[sparkykitsune]

DQB2ber 2023 - Week 4: Godly Power

I wasn't sure what to draw but I decided to draw Malroth with surrounding yellow aura like the one he had near the end of the game.

This was a relatively easy one to draw once I had my idea but kinda feels "too basic". So next week is Halloween on Tuesday so I do plan on posting the finale on the 31st once I get home from my classes. I do have motivation to squeeze out a final October Sunday drawing.

Also update on my week: Kinda fell off like halfway through... some things didn't work out Some negative feelings got the best of me...

[sapphire-rb]

Hargon's castle, Malhalla.

[Builder was originally on this picture but Yuzu deleted them from existence]

This is the spot the final sequence happens in, but before the castle gets destroyed. I didn't know it existed on the normal map, honestly. I was baffled when I saw the crafting table just chilling there in Hargon's castle out of all places. I was so confused before I realised where this was.

[roachliquid]

when the king of moonbrooke refuses, for the third time, to let Malroth out of jail:

[regallibellbright]

Okay so that post about tragedies in video games bounced off some neurons and my thinking yesterday about Dragon Quest Builders 2, and a thought finally cohered there, so let’s talk about Dragon Quest Builders 2 and dramatic irony with our BFF, the God of Destruction!

Okay. So Dragon Quest Builders 2 works off the setup of Dragon Quest 2, where a cult of monsters called the Children of Hargon (named for their high priest) are menacing humanity. It’s mentioned, literally once or twice before the final battle, that Hargon is specifically trying to bring about the coming of his evil god Malroth, who he summons as the final boss of the game. This is about all the characterization and build-up Malroth gets, and his design is an evil six-legged dragon with a big skull necklace. He’s not very memorable. But, since he’s a god of DESTRUCTION specifically, it fits really nicely into the idea of Dragon Quest Builders. Builders in this series are tied to any act of crafting and creation - making a house is building, but so is making medicine or cooking. Farming is an aspect of building, outlawed under monster rule along with the rest, because these acts are tied specifically to humanity. The premise of the game is bringing hope back to the world by reintroducing humans to the art of making things. So Builders 2 establishes that destruction is therefore something heavily associated with monsters and monster culture, and as a builder, you represent their opposite. The game starts with Hargon already defeated and a straggling ship of monsters kidnapping you (an apprentice Builder) and some other villagers to execute you in revenge for the cult, Hargon, and the Master of Destruction’s demise.

And then, this is not a spoiler, it makes that Master of Destruction your best friend.

The tutorial of the game has you trying to fix the ship before it sinks in a storm (because good, devout monsters can’t build, but if the ship sinks, they drown too.) It fails, and you wake up on a desert island with a strange young man named Malroth. He has amnesia and likes breaking things and fighting. He tags along after you for almost the entire game. If you destroy a certain kind of block so you can use it, he’ll break more just like it. If you attack a monster that’s not inherently hostile for their item drops, he’ll go out and fight more slimes. He’s stronger and tougher than you as the PC, and most importantly, he draws aggro for the hostile monsters. Mechanically, a lot of the weaknesses of the first game are addressed just by giving you this buddy NPC to help with combat and resource gathering. Since the actual player character is silent, Malroth also fills the traditional role of “companion character who reacts and repeats your presumed reactions so the developers don’t write dialogue for the Player Insert”. When you achieve something, like leveling up or completing a significant build, the two of you high-five. He’s always there, and the player is happy for it rather than annoyed.

And, at least in the English version (the Japanese version apparently uses an alternate kana reading of his name for NPC Malroth that could, conceivably, be an actual person’s name rather than the one used for the boss, but since the game establishes pretty quickly that Malroth has ominous dreams and sometimes hears a voice no one else can who talks about how he’ll awaken soon - and I think even calls him by his title outright, at least in English - I don’t think it’s left much of a mystery in the original, either, especially as the game makes sure to drop the evil god’s name early for anyone who didn’t play DQ2,) the mystery is not “Who is Malroth.” We all know he’s clearly the Master of Destruction reborn. Maybe the English localization could have nicknamed him “Mal”, but frankly I doubt it would have been convincing. They got saddled with one of the most Transparently A Fantasy Villain names imaginable, but honestly even if there WAS supposed to be a genuine mystery around Malroth, I think they lucked out here because I think it works better this way.

The characters don’t know what we do. The game establishes that only the higher-ups of Hargon’s cult know the True Name of the Master of Destruction. It’s dramatic irony, and it’s great. We know that eventually the truth will come out and the Master of Destruction part will almost certainly be reborn, because this is a video game, but we’ve gotten attached to our Destruction God BFF. Again, he makes the game better mechanically just by existing. When there’s inevitably a section where the two of you get separated, shortly before the internal reveal, you REALLY miss his presence. We don’t want to fight him, and we don’t want him to be subsumed by his evil god alterego. But as we get more skilled at building, he gets more skilled at destroying. We know we’re tied onto this log that’s about to go over a waterfall, and we are powerless to stop it, and knowing that he’s the final boss does nothing to stop us from getting attached. I love this. It’s great.

It also helps that the game has an actual mystery, one that it doesn’t start dropping heavy hints about early on. You know that the Children of Hargon were defeated and their leaders are dead, so how have you ended up in an archipelago where they still have control over the land and have subjugated humans? The answer here is genuinely a cool reveal, and plays into a neat little sequence from DQ2. I like it. THAT mystery is framed as a mystery, given just enough hints it still makes sense on replay while not being telegraphed. But I really do think it’s better in this case that we know who Malroth is, because it lets us feel that dread as the game progresses and we’re still getting attached to him anyway.

In conclusion: Dragon Quest Builders 2. I love it. It was my game of the year in 2019 and it was what finally got me to start writing a little again when there were a few lingering plot threads I wanted addressed, and then the game gave a free update that addressed them! I am happy.

[howwnowbrowncoww]

i messed up and put the cushion in the wrong spot but i like to think he's just spitefully not using it

somebody's gotta use the cushion in this goddamn cell

[theoryfan205]

"c'mon Malroth! We're almost done!"

He had to admit, even if she was dopey his builder was fast, she raced ahead across the ashy white snow of moonbrooke. he wasn't.. having the best time, but he could take joy from the fact his best friend was enjoying herself. he'll never forget the Expression she had when she first saw it snow on the boat

"Slow down! I'm coming!"

Though as much as he enjoyed her having fun it was a hassle having to keep up with her, how she moved through the snow so fast was beyond him. Did she forget that this was an active warzone or something? That's his acorn for you, he'd just have to pick up the slack to keep her-

"AAAAAH-"

The snow wasn't the only thing making him freeze, that was a scream- her scream. He'd never heard her scream like that, like she was...

Immediately he rushed ahead, crushing the snow beneath his feet and running down the slippery hill only to see.. a monster, one of those boney ones he never bothered to learn the name of, and right under it... Acorn!

he saw red, he couldn't control himself as he ran forward and beat that bag of bones into the snow. There was no hesitation as he destroyed it until it blended in with the snow underneath, as well as it could blend in with it being soaked... Red.

"Acorn!?"

He rushed to her side, a nasty wound was across her stomach as it bled out into the snow, she... She wasn't breathing. No white fog escaped from her mouth, no dopey smile like moments before. She... She was dead.

The builder has fallen, o mighty master of destruction. Creation has died, it is time for destruction to take rein

"No.... Acorn get up.. you can't.. haha.. hahaha!"

The tears falling Down his face froze before they had the chance to hit her dead body, she couldn't even shudder from the snow anymore... The white covering the ground falling around them, starting to cover up her wounds as he laughed. This can't be happening

There is nothing to be done. She has passed, it does not matter anymore. Open your eyes and awaken!

It hurt. Everything hurt as he refused to look away from her, even the purple smoke covering his whole body couldn't tear his eyes away from her body. He failed her, he failed his builder. She was... It was his fault... He can't accept this- he can't! Why did he let this happen?!

I see... If you wish for this illusion to remain for a while longer o master of destruction. I will abide.

He fell to his knees as everything became too much, painfully forcing his arms to hers, griping onto them tightly as he shuddered, pain all throughout his body as the creeping purple spread down to her. It felt... Wrong, seeing her peaceful face engulfed by this mist, she looked so... Peaceful.

"RAAAAAAAGH!"

He let a monstrous scream rip from his body, he felt like he was going to break apart. Everything went dark, he couldn't hear or see or even feel anything

When the time comes you will understand the fleetingness of this choice o great one.

The first thing he saw was white, immediately shoving up out of the snow-the pure white snow-revealing the sun had moved far below the mountain line, Beneath him was...

"Acorn!?"

Immediately the memories came rushing back she was-...alive. he looked down and saw her peacefully asleep, the idiot was even snoring. Her stomach untouched except by the piling snow.

"Heh... What a... What a stupid nightmare."

That's it. It was just a nightmare, acorn was fine, they probably both just fell and passed out, letting out an annoyed sigh he quickly pulled his builder onto his shoulders

"C'mon sleepyhead, someone's gotta bring you to a proper bed for once"

And as he walked back to the castle of moonbrooke, builder on hand, he refused to notice the few bits of red snow beneath where acorn was, and ignored the voice echoing in his mind...

You are welcome, great master of destruction. Enjoy the rest of your dream, for soon you shall awaken and destruction will rein

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Another fic? Yup! Unrelated to the current dqb2ber event, I got motivated by how much people liked the last one so I wrote this based on an old fic idea. Basically the only time I died was in moonbrooke, just this once, and at the time I knew the spoiler of Malroth is a god, so I wondered what would have happened if instead of passing out, acorn died there? Only coming back because Malroth was so destroyed by her death that he used those god powers to bring her back. Knowing the full story now I decided to write this, acorn has died before but neither she nor Malroth realize it, acorn just remembers intense pain, then nothing until she woke up back at moonbrooke, she assumed it was just passing out. And Malroth has contributed it to a nightmare, he doesn't want to think about the fact that she really did die, especially when he starts getting his killing acorn because of hargon nightmares. I did not check as much as I did with my last one so if there's inconsistencies with the hargon dialogue here from that in the game then that's why, I hope you've enjoyed reading this!

[lubbee]

I don't wanna be a monster anymore

[missmako-chan]

Replaying Dragon Quest Builders 2 after like 3 years and not even 3 lines of dialogue in the Children of Hargon mention Malroth. Literally how did I not know that human Malroth was the same guy they were talking about until the endgame

[commanderdazzle]

I finished the main plot of DQB2 for the second time ever a few days ago and now I've gathered my thoughts on the matter, so now I'm typing them down.

I can kinda see where they wanted to go with Lulu, but I still think they could have toned her attitude down a little.

Moonbrooke was just as annoying as the first time around, they definitely dragged that out longer than it needed to be. Esther and Zara are really the only saving graces there.

And finally, keeping in mind this might be my autistic ass speaking, I don't see how it's even possible to not read Builder and Malroth as romantic. This relationship has everything?! Light teasing that never gets too aggressive, gift giving as a love language, mending after a traumatic falling out?!? Risking life and limb for each other in hell??!!

This is probably the best, most loving romantic relationship Square Enix has ever written, and it's crazy to think that might not have been their intention, I love Square but when have they ever written a romantic relationship as romantic as this one???

Anyway, that's it for me being opinionated, maybe if I feel like transferring them I'll post some screenshots. Thanks for listening!