- Long ago, invaders from beyond the sky, the Astrals, went to war with the skydwellers and used powerful creatures known as primal beasts to fight. Primal beasts are beings akin to gods, or more abstractly, materialized concepts. The skydwellers learned from their enemies and eventually took back the skies in the conflict. The skies is now known as the Sky Realm, a world of fragmented lands floating in a sea of clouds. In present time, most primal beasts lay dormant in crystals on the islands.
- What the Astrals truly are is an enigma. Though they sound like they may be super-powered beings, similar to deities that can live nigh immortal, they can also be killed much like mortals. Orchis is a half-human and half-Astral hybrid. Orchis's father is an Astral, but when he first met her mother Viola, a mortal skydweller, he appeared to be about the same age. To know who Orchid is, you need to understand the background of the original Princess Orchis (with an "s".)
- The Erste Kingdom and its royal family was involved in a tragic accident with the primal beast Deus Ex Machina. Freesia used dark essence, a crystal with artificial Astral power, to lift the seal on the primal. The primal went on a rampage, killing the king and queen. Princess Orchis survived, but had her soul drawn out. At the time, the truth of her state was only known by Adam, a loyal subject of the Erste Kingdom. Official reports claimed that Orchis had disappeared and that her parents were killed outside the country. In reality, she was hidden by the Erste Empire. Erste Kingdom then turned into a militaristic empire and the capital was moved from Ravi Island to Agastia Island.
- The empty shell Orchis stopped aging and became void of all emotion. In exchange, she awakened the power of the Astrals. Apollonia, childhood friend of the princess, became determined to restore Orchis to her original self. Little did she know that a blank soul resided within the empty shell. And little did she know that the soul was developing a personality of her own. As the newfound life grew within the empty shell, the original soul of the princess remained displaced, drifting around in nothingness.
- Ten years after the incident, the Black Knight (Apollo) takes the doll Orchis as her charge and hires two mercenaries, Sturm and Drang to work along with her. The Grandcypher crew tracks down Orchis on Lumacie Archipelago. Lyria and Io offer their friendship to Orchis. The doll begins showing a desire to stay with her newfound friends. When the Black Knight asks about the doll's behavior, she is told that Orchis acted like a normal girl around the skyfaring crew. The Black Knight is surprised by their claims, having only thought the doll to be completely emotionless.
- When Orchis is placed within the custody of the Prime Minister of Erste, Freesia, the Grandcypher crew forms an alliance with the Black Knight to track her down.
- Freesia plans to use Orchis and Lyria to summon Akasha, a primal beast with the power to alter history. Her plan is to restore the Erste Kingdom back to its glory days by erasing the Astrals from history. Orchis, under mind control, nearly uses Lyria to gain access to Akasha's power. Memories of the crew trying to reach out to her flashes back in her mind and she breaks from Freesia's control, stopping herself from committing a tragedy.
- When Freesia's initial plan fails, she flees to Agastia to turn the souls of its residents into pseudo-Astral energy to awaken Akasha. The Grandcypher crew depart for the Erste Empire capital to put an end to her scheme.
- After the battle at the Erste Empire capital, a showdown between the Black Knight and the crew takes place in Mephorash. The victor determines the fate of Orchis. Even though Black Knight grew to have feelings for the doll Orchis, she refuses to back down from her dream of reviving her best friend from the past. She's conflicted and uses the duel to determine the fate of the young girl.
- Ultimately, the Grandcypher crew emerges victorious. Despite her loss, the Black Knight is relieved, even though it means she may not see her best friend again. Regardless, Orchis tries to sacrifice herself, wanting to return her body to its original owner and fulfill Black Knight's dream. She claims that nothing ever belonged to her in the first place. The princess hears of the girl's tough decision and reveals that she (along with Adam) made preparations for the new soul.
- Using Deus Ex Machina, the soul of the princess returns to her human body. The new soul that grew within the vessel is then transferred into a golem body. The "doll" acquires her new name, Orchid. With a body and name that she could finally call her own, Orchid demands Apollo to treat her as her own person and no longer as a substitute, to which she agrees.
ARC 1: GIRL IN BLUE
- What the Astrals truly are is an enigma. Though they sound like they may be super-powered beings, similar to deities that can live nigh immortal, they can also be killed much like mortals. Orchis is a half-human and half-Astral hybrid. Orchis's father is an Astral, but when he first met her mother Viola, a mortal skydweller, he appeared to be about the same age. To know who Orchid is, you need to understand the background of the original Princess Orchis (with an "s".)
- The Erste Kingdom and its royal family was involved in a tragic accident with the primal beast Deus Ex Machina. Freesia used dark essence, a crystal with artificial Astral power, to lift the seal on the primal. The primal went on a rampage, killing the king and queen. Princess Orchis survived, but had her soul drawn out. At the time, the truth of her state was only known by Adam, a loyal subject of the Erste Kingdom. Official reports claimed that Orchis had disappeared and that her parents were killed outside the country. In reality, she was hidden by the Erste Empire. Erste Kingdom then turned into a militaristic empire and the capital was moved from Ravi Island to Agastia Island.
- The empty shell Orchis stopped aging and became void of all emotion. In exchange, she awakened the power of the Astrals. Apollonia, childhood friend of the princess, became determined to restore Orchis to her original self. Little did she know that a blank soul resided within the empty shell. And little did she know that the soul was developing a personality of her own. As the newfound life grew within the empty shell, the original soul of the princess remained displaced, drifting around in nothingness.
- Ten years after the incident, the Black Knight (Apollo) takes the doll Orchis as her charge and hires two mercenaries, Sturm and Drang to work along with her. The Grandcypher crew tracks down Orchis on Lumacie Archipelago. Lyria and Io offer their friendship to Orchis. The doll begins showing a desire to stay with her newfound friends. When the Black Knight asks about the doll's behavior, she is told that Orchis acted like a normal girl around the skyfaring crew. The Black Knight is surprised by their claims, having only thought the doll to be completely emotionless.
- When Orchis is placed within the custody of the Prime Minister of Erste, Freesia, the Grandcypher crew forms an alliance with the Black Knight to track her down.
- Freesia plans to use Orchis and Lyria to summon Akasha, a primal beast with the power to alter history. Her plan is to restore the Erste Kingdom back to its glory days by erasing the Astrals from history. Orchis, under mind control, nearly uses Lyria to gain access to Akasha's power. Memories of the crew trying to reach out to her flashes back in her mind and she breaks from Freesia's control, stopping herself from committing a tragedy.
- When Freesia's initial plan fails, she flees to Agastia to turn the souls of its residents into pseudo-Astral energy to awaken Akasha. The Grandcypher crew depart for the Erste Empire capital to put an end to her scheme.
- After the battle at the Erste Empire capital, a showdown between the Black Knight and the crew takes place in Mephorash. The victor determines the fate of Orchis. Even though Black Knight grew to have feelings for the doll Orchis, she refuses to back down from her dream of reviving her best friend from the past. She's conflicted and uses the duel to determine the fate of the young girl.
- Ultimately, the Grandcypher crew emerges victorious. Despite her loss, the Black Knight is relieved, even though it means she may not see her best friend again. Regardless, Orchis tries to sacrifice herself, wanting to return her body to its original owner and fulfill Black Knight's dream. She claims that nothing ever belonged to her in the first place. The princess hears of the girl's tough decision and reveals that she (along with Adam) made preparations for the new soul.
- Using Deus Ex Machina, the soul of the princess returns to her human body. The new soul that grew within the vessel is then transferred into a golem body. The "doll" acquires her new name, Orchid. With a body and name that she could finally call her own, Orchid demands Apollo to treat her as her own person and no longer as a substitute, to which she agrees.