Bandai Namco has put out another press release detailing more worldbuilding information for Tales of Zestiria, showing off a new girl by the name of Rose, as well as a handful of temples players will be able to explore, among other things, plus five videos that showcase various aspects of the game. Catch our translation of the press release below and the videos immediately after that, along with the usual screenshots and artwork.

Character Introduction

Rose (voiced by Mikako Komatsu)

Gender: Female

Height: 160 cm. (approximately 5’3″)

Weapon: Dual Daggars

Character Design: Kosuke Fujishima

A young woman traveling the content as a member of the merchant guild Wagtail Feathers, Rose is a cheerful, openminded woman who does things at her own pace. Although generally someone who gets along with others quite well, she isn’t afraid to be opinionated and will actively disobey if posed with something too unreasonable or something she otherwise can’t bring herself to agree with. A worldly person all around, while she hasn’t become a cynic after everything she’s seen in her time, she nevertheless has sharp sensibilities and is as such routinely able to see into the real heart of matters as they pop up. She also happens to be highly skilled with using her two daggers well beyond just pure self defense, a trait she may well have picked up as a result of having to grow up as both a travel and a merchant.

When it comes to the people that tag along with Rose on her travels, few things in the world matter to her more than them. As a result of certain circumstances that arise, she ends up tagging along with Sorey and his group, her sunny disposition quickly making her the one most able to set the mood for everyone else. In spite of the fact that she ostensibly has spiritual powers that match those of Sorey, for some reason, she can never actually feel the presence of those from the Family of Heaven. The reason for this seemingly lies somewhere in her past, but once she goes along with Sorey, she finally begins to exhibit her powers. Even around Family of Heaven types once she can see them, however, her disposition remains as cheerful as ever.

New Story Beats

The Beginning of War

A long-awaited war between the Hyland Kingdom and Rolance Kingdom breaks out, with armies from each side lining up along the north and south sides of Gravegant Basin, an area completely surrounded by craggy mountains with no easy places to escape. Soon enough, scores of arrows rain down upon the battlefield and huge rocks are flung from catapults. Lancers band together to break through enemy lines, their bayonets clashing as loudly as their screams, blood and flesh being spilled asunder. Consumed by fear, anger, and hatred, the battlefield quickly takes a turn for the atrocious as the soldiers one by one transform into Hyouma and in due time the men no longer fight with their blades, but rather claws, tearing their enemies apart and savagely eating one another, quickly turning into a disaster that could very well prove to be an ever greater plague upon the continent than the one it already faces.

A Chance Encounter with a Dragon

For reasons made clear in the game, Sorey finds himself entering Rayfolk, a sacred mountain where he encounters a legendary dragon, a particularly harrowing one that not only towers above most any other creature, but also holds strength that exceeds even that of a Hyouma. Practically a specter of death, in contrast to Hyoumas, this dragon is a fully realized monster from top to bottom, and the strongest one of them all at that. Unfortunately for Sorey, he has no time to revel in the legends being true, as the dragon manages to pin his body and those of the others just by gazing at them, preventing them from running away. Able to move faster than the wind and let out roars, getting attacked by the dragon surely spells death for them all….

Rastnobel

Rastnobel is a famous commercial hub in Rolance that attracts top-tier craftsmen. A place sporting wildly diverse architecture new and old and high quality goods, the city is especially famous for its bell tower, whose gorgeous are produced mechanically. With connections to the Hyland Kingdom, as well, Rastnobel is a place bustling with commerce all about, its citizens able to enjoy a great deal of autonomy. In recent times, though, that energy and high spirit has given way somewhat to unease born from a string of crime, including serial murders and child disappearances, with no end in sight.

Dungeons: Fire Temple Igrein and Water Temple Rufay

Throughout the continent, there are lingering structures, “Trial Ruins,” where the doshi of old are thought to have trained. Although the facilities are said to come from a time when humans and the Family of Heaven more properly coexisted, as these ruins are located in secluded areas and often hidden even then, there are few people who know their true meaning nowadays. Igrein, for instance, was constructed deep underground, so far below the earth that molten lava even flows through it. Rufay, meanwhile, is protected by the power of pure water and has mechanisms within it that are somehow capable of deterring unwanted intruders, with a Hyouma trapped in the depths of it for reasons unknown.

Divine Guardians and Restoration

As Sorey and Mikleo go about their travels, they see for themselves just how much of the Greenwood continent is being ravaged by impurities. This was once kept in check by the Divine Guardians, special members of the Family of Heaven dedicated to protected the lands, but in many places these days, their presence can hardly be felt. As such, one of the objectives of Sorey and crew as they go about their journey is to track down these Divine Guardians and request their aid so that the lands can return to their former health.

Rastnobel is one such place. Although a Divine Guardian by the name of Saind is supposed to be watching over it, conditions within the city are slowly breaking down and when Sorey and the others ask him to renew his guardianship over it, apparently he has reasons for not being able to do so at that time. However, once he is able to make his return, he can be found enshrined in the city and talking to him will open up a menu whereby he can offer unique support in his capacity as a Divine Guardian.