[spoilers] Why am I helping these people?

[Velorien]

I'm in the second half of the game and I find myself confused. We're investigating the Forbidden Magick Research Lab after it deliberately backed the usurper against us, the legitimate ruler. It's run by Lord Phaesus, who currently appears to be the main villain. It has a stated goal of "summon and control the Dragon", AKA "weaponise the most dangerous thing in the world". It's probably behind the pawn enslavement in some way as well (but I haven't got that far, so please don't spoil it for me). These people are clearly the bad guys. And yet for some reason, our investigation takes the shape of *helping the villain's second-in-command with his research*.

Did I miss some dialogue somewhere which explains how this makes any sense at all?

[Chuck P]

Hey, I'm reviving this thread cause I'm at the same point in the story and it's really baffling. I don't think you missed any dialogue, it's just that nonsensical. But then this game is not very well written, so it's par for the course. My best guess is maybe our character is not supposed to know these are the bad guys and is helping them unwittingly even if it's obvious to the player?

[SkinnyDipper]

A poor remake of the original DD1 for fun and $$$

[Vinnolo]

battahl story section is completely rushed and makes little sense

[Dracojinn]

i think the goal at the time is "find out the secret of the godsway"
and somehow they are obivious to your identity as the real arisen, and i suppose helping them is a good way to gain information
fair warning, the MQ in past entering batthal is quite light on content and the point of urgency comes up fairly quick and unexpectantly.
the MQ in bathal only requires a little travel, very little material gathering and a day wating(which you can skip by just resting once)

[Kami]

Originally posted by Velorien:

Did I miss some dialogue somewhere which explains how this makes any sense at all?

No, this game's story loses all sense as soon as Brant sends you to Battahl after the coronation.

[Zeel Ara]

It's bizarre too, because the story up until Battahl is actually pretty good. And then it just turns to absolute crap as soon as you pass that gate.

[rane]

Phaesus is not a villain though.

He just works with (not: for) the Queen, who (the Queen) is kind of an obstacle in the first part of the game, to your law-given throne. He doesn't really give a damn about what she's doing with what he drops off for her use in exchange for pawns. He cares about the people he employs, he doesn't really have anything against you (and the people in his lab clearly know who you are as there's at least one dude who will go "oh hey Arisen, check this out [exposition]". His actual goals are in fact strikingly in line with your goals, it's just since he's not an universe-bending Arisen he has to make do with really substandard means.

Really the only thing against him is that he and his people treat pawns like ♥♥♥♥ and it's an entire moral discourse on its own, given that almost all Pawns aren't really people, and they don't have a will or a "soul" of their own (key exceptions: main pawn in both games' endings and Selene). Pawns are merely an Arisen's baby steps to creating life and working world; just a flesh puppet that is life-like but not life until the Arisen himself grows.
Hell, from what we know of pawns, they might not even care about the abuse, it's not their world so the worst that happens is what, they go poof and back to their own arisen?

[Butcher]

The game was obviously rushed, even more rushed than first one. There likely was planned midgame referenced through multiple guards as they search for ancient doors (not a single one is accessible, all of them are blocked by rocks). I dare to say perhaps originally there were supposed to be consequences for getting or not getting support in brandt quests.

[Grr. [SG CMD] Majah Lazah]

You're missing about 50% of bakbattahl and 30% of Vernworth so Tsujimoto could keep his q1 superstition alive, and as long as the q1 keeps making money, Capcom will keep rushing games to do it, just like Konami and Bandai used to do.

[AI Sin || SinNoAria]

You are investigating them, basically like a spy. The part that doesn't quite make sense is the quest description of taking the godsway (you know, the item you are acting like a spy to obtain) to Phaesus. And the deus ex machina section.

Pawns generally don't have wills of their own. They might still be people, but they lack self will. With exceptions.

As for the whole villain thing. The second in command person isn't really a huge villain. Working for someone doesn't necessarily mean sharing their ideology. That said, he isn't necessarily a good person either. Part of it does have to do with how the people think. Or values != Their values.

[Raven]

I wish I could understand the story. The first half just quit. The second half just happens for what reason? It's like that is a third half and I missed the second half of the story to connect it all together.

[Witch ~]

Yep. The story takes a deeeeeeeep dive into nonsense as soon as you pass the gate to the desert land