Introducing the orignal Suikoden IV video game by Konami

 WARNING: This blog post contains many spoilers about the storyline, characters and events from the video game Suikoden IV, created by Konami. If you have not played this game and have interests in playing it, please be aware that this post may ruin a lot of the surprises that the game has in store for the player.

For a long time, I've wanted to create my own fan fiction based on one of my favourite video games, Suikoden IV, created by Konami.

official cover art for the PlayStation 2 video game Suikoden IV..

I like this particular chapter in the series, because the characters and environments have been developed quite richly, although they don't give us too much detail about the world that the game is set in, so it leaves a lot to the imagination as well.

Suikoden IV takes place in an island nation and revolves around a powerful magical entity called the Rune of Punishment.

Explaining Runes

The Rune of Punishment

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Suikoden mythology, think of the runes as magical symbols that are used to invoke magical powers (much like the rune symbols that vikings would carve into their weapons to invoke the powers of the gods and ensure victory or good fortune)
Whereas the runes in Suikoden actually allow their bearers to strike at enemies with the elemental forces of nature. The Rune of Punishment is a special rune that represents the power of vengeance. It grants its user devastating power, but at the expense of draining the bearer's life. Eventually, the bearer will die and his or her body will be consumed by the rune, and the rune will attach itself to a new host and continue the cycle.

Introducing the Characters of suikoden IV

In the video game Suikoden IV, you play as a young man who has just graduated from a knight's academy, but he comes into possession of the Rune of Punishment. As you progress through the the game's story, you are able to use the rune's power in combat against enemies, but at the cost of the rune draining your own health. So it's necessary to have your companions protecting you in battle (fortunately, the suikoden video games let you make many friends to aid you in your quest).

Screenshot of the hero of Suikoden IV, as he appears in the game.

Official Konami artwork of King Lino En Kuldes.

About halfway through the game, you arrive on a small island kingdom ruled by a man named Lino En Kuldes. Lino is probably one of my all time favourite video game characters. He's just incredibly cool. He's not a typical RPG king with a stern expression on his face and long flowing robe and big bushy beard - He has a rugged outdoorsy appearance, with a very stylish hairdo and trimmed goatee.
What sets him apart from other kings most of all is his taste in fashion - he does not dress like a man of royalty. He wears a casual pink sleeveless shirt that he never buttons up, so we all See his impressive biceps and abs, cropped jeans that reveal his muscular legs and leather sandals. Strangers who travel to Lino's kingdom often mistake him for a commoner.

When Lino meets the young knight, he accepts his services, but Lino is already aware of the power of the Rune of Punishment. In fact, the rune itself was first unleashed into the world from where it was buried deep within an ancient ruin, located in Obel, not too far from Lino's palace. And the very person responsible for unleashing the rune from its hiding place... Was Lino's wife.

Official Konami artwork of the Queen of Obel.

We find out towards the end of the game that Lino's wife died using the Rune of Punishment to protect her family from invading pirates. Lino also mentions that his son went missing during the attack, and only his daughter, Princess Flare, survived. With King Lino's help, the young hero manages to unite the people of the scattered Island Nations into one unified force to stop an invasion from an enemy empire.  Soon after this, the hero succeeds in neutralising the rune's power, so that it no longer drains his life when he uses it. Lino becomes the chairman of the united Island Nations Federation, and the young hero, who is unsure about his power, departs to live on a deserted island. This is where my fan fiction begins....