Grancel

Grancel (グランセル地方) is a region in the east of Liberl. It borders on Valleria Lake to the west, the Zeiss region in the southwest, the Calvard Republic to the east and the Rolent region to the north. Its provincial capital is also the capital of Liberl Kingdom, the City of Grancel.

Background
The entire region is enclosed by the Ahnenburg Wall, a robust rampart that dates back to possibly earlier than the Hundred Days War. During the war, Erebonian forces laid siege to the capital city but are unable to break through. The defenses helped keep the region under Liberlian control for the remainder of the war.

Gurune Gate lies in the northern half of the wall while Sanktheim Gate is located at the southern half. These two gates are the only way in and out of Grancel on land.

The city is divided into four blocks- the southern block houses the Bracer Guild's Grancel branch, weapons store, orbment workshop, the Fisherman's Guild headquarters, and a café; the eastern block houses the city's department store, the History Museum, and the Calvard and Erebonian embassies; the western block is mostly residential, although it also houses the Liberl News office and leads to Grancel Harbor; finally, the northern block houses the hotel and leads to Grancel Castle.

Grancel Castle overlooks Valleria Lake. It houses the ruling Auslese family, with Queen Alicia II as the current ruler. Princess Klaudia, as of Trails in the Sky SC, is next in line to the throne. Beneath the castle is the Aureole Ruins, left behind by the mysterious Zemurian civilization. Access has been restricted since the failed coup d'etat.

The Royal Avenue is a circumferential road that connects the city and the two massive gates at the wall. The Erbe Scenic Route leads to the Erbe Royal Villa, the residence of the Royal Family.

History
During the Hundred Days War, Grancel was the only region not controlled by Erebonia due to its robust defenses. With the successful aerial counterattack at the Haken Gate, the Erebonian forces in Liberl were cut off, unable to break through the Ahnenburg Wall any further.

Grancel Castle was placed on lockdown by the Intelligence Division, using security threats to seize de facto control. With the help of the Royal Guard and the Bracer Guild, the castle was liberated.

Grancel came under attack by Ouroboros forces led by four Enforcer agents. The defenders suffered heavy casualties under the overwhelming power of the Enforcers, enhanced jaegers, and archaisms. The Enforcers nearly succeeded in capturing Queen Alicia II and Princess Klaudia, but Lt. Col. Cid and Richard arrived just in time to intercept them. In the city, a battalion of special operations troops under Captain Amalthea engaged the jaegers and archaisms terrorizing the city. Ouroboros forces withdrew from the capital, having failed to secure the objective.

The events of the main story are kickstarted in Grancel as Kevin Graham is called there to investigate and retrieve if necessary, the Recluse Cube. He seals it away in Grancels Primal Ground after confirming its activity, but later is drawn into its world, Phantasma after confronting Gilbert Stein in the docks.

A copy of Grancel is created to serve as Phantasma's Second Plane, confusing the party into thinking they made it out, but eventually discovering the truth. As they wander through the city, they notice the architecture is changed, the city is deserted and strange undead are roaming around. As they progress, the time of day rapidly changes to night and ghosts appear. Eventually they escape the plane by entering the castle and the Sealed Area within.

Locations
Places City of Grancel, also known as the Royal Capital, is the capital and largest city of Liberl. What the city lacks in size compared to the capitals of Liberl's neighboring nations Erebonia and Calvard, with a population of just around 300,000 people, it makes up for it with its rich history. Erbe Royal Villa is a private villa owned by the Liberlian Royal Family. It is primarily used by members of the royal family whenever they want to get away for some personal thinking time or if they want to relax.

Military installations Sanktheim Gate and Gurune Gate are border gates that serves as a guarded checkpoint between Zeiss region in the southwest and the Rolent region in the north. The gate is part of the Ahnenburg Wall.