Metaplot / Yu-Gi-Oh! Abyss

Albaz and Ecclesia

Seeking out the final marks,
the mighty and the pure.
Until we find the branded pair
our search, it shall endure.

The Abyss storyline (sometimes also called the Branded or the Albaz storyline) is a metaplot in the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, and the third fully realized storyline after Duel Terminal and World Legacy. Introduced in 2020's "Rise of the Duelist" booster set, the first set of Series 11, the story spans the "Dogmatika", "Tri-Brigade", "Springan", "Branded", "Despia", "Swordsoul", "Icejade", "Therion", "Spright", and "Bystial" archetypes, all of whom revolve around a central character: "Fallen of Albaz" and his draconic forms, collectively known as the "Albaz Dragons".

The story is set in a Science Fantasy world known as The Abyss, a distant continent isolated from the rest of the world. At the center of The Abyss is a massive dimensional rift referred to as the "Hole", the origins and details of which none who live knows, but is guarded by the Dogmatika Nation, a country ruled over by the titular religious organization.

One day, the Hole suddenly expels a mysterious entity, a strange human who has no memory of his name or past. However, within him dwells an immense power: the ability to fuse with other living entities to transform into demonic dragons of supreme might. The advent of this young man begins to turn the wheels of fate as all who exist on the continent of The Abyss are brought together on a crash course of destiny that will determine the future of the world.

As per previous card storylines, story details are available via card artwork and the Japan-exclusive books The Valuable Book EX 2 and The Valuable Book EX 3.

The storyline received an animated short in the promotional video Yu-Gi-Oh! CARD GAME: THE CHRONICLES, which can be seen here.

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This metaplot provides examples of:

• A Boy and His X: Gender-flipped; in this metaplot, it is "a girl and her shapeshifting boy-dragon companion".
• And Now for Someone Completely Different: The Therion and Spright arcs are focused entirely on Kitt's adventures with them and have very little to do with the core plotline up until the "Photon Hypernova" cards depict them fighting Bystial Alba Los.
• All Your Powers Combined: After Albaz's dragon transformation powers are stolen by Aluber, Kosmochlor and Chengying perform a Heroic Sacrifice to bestow their last strength to Albaz, granting him the power to transform into Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon, a combination of Albaz, the Swordsoul's, and the Icejade's powers.
• All There in the Manual: The Valuable Book EX 3 reveals that the Supreme Sovereign Serpent of Golgonda is actually a relative of the Swordsouls, which was once part of their ranks before being banished after a bloody war. Longyuan remained in contact with the Serpent in secret and plotted with it to destroy the other Swordsouls, which is how Longyuan got the idea to split up the Swordsouls' powers into blades and why Longyuan and the Serpent fuse near the end of the story.
• Arc Symbol: Red and purple rhombuses, the physical form of the Hole and Hole energy.
• Big Bad Ensemble: Aluber and the Dogmatika Order with Maximus and Quem at the helm form the core villain unit of the story. Longyuan also gets in on the action after his treachery towards the Swordsouls.
• Big Damn Heroes:
  • When Ecclesia and Albaz are assaulted by the Supreme Sovereign Serpent Golgonda, Fleurdelis, Theo, and Adin arrive at the nick of time and smite the beast to save them, in spite of injuries sustained from escaping the Dogmatika order.
  • In the midst of the heroes' Darkest Hour, when Albaz and the Tri-Brigade are seemingly all that stands against the villains and their massive army of Despians and Bystials, a series of these take place one after another, leading up to the metaplot's Grand Finale:
    • First, Aegirine arrives to exact vengeance on Longyuan.
    • Then, the Springans, newly empowered by the energy of the Sprights, arrive to deal with the Despia/Bystial combined army, with Sargas, combined with Regulus and the Exblowrer into Gigantic "Champion" Sargas, teaming up with Shuraig to deal with Alba Los.
    • Finally, Kitt brings in the newly finished Rindbrumm to help Albaz save Ecclesia.
• Bittersweet Ending: On the bitter side, Aluber managed to get away with stealing Albaz's draconic powers for himself and Ad Libitum serves him, both of them apparently escaped during the aftermath of the final battle, and Quem is listlessly wandering the Abyss on her own. Not to mention that Fluerdelis, Kosmochlor, and Chengying have all lost their lives in the conflict. On the sweet side, Maximus in his Dis Pater form has been slain, Aegirine has finally avenged her people by slaying Longyuan herself (though also tinged bitter as she recluses herself and the remaining Icejades away from the world, permanently), and Albaz and Ecclesia survived the final battle, riding off together to explore a vast, newly-opened land using the sentient eye of the 317th Holy Saint of Dogmatika as a guide, with the blessing of all the friends they have made during their travels.
• The Bus Came Back: The Tri-Brigade, who were last seen fighting off Despia Quaeritis in "Branded Opening", return for the final confrontation against Aluber and the Bystial in "Tri-Brigade Last Stand".
• Cool Ship:
  • The Springans Ship - Exblowrer, used by the Springans to cross the Gold Golgonda desert.
  • Sprind the Irondash Dragon is a flying machine generated by Albaz's power to also cross the Gold Golgonda desert.
• Darkest Hour: The "Dimension Force" and "Darkwing Blast" installments introduce some very dark turns to the story. Albaz is ejected from Alba-Lenatus, losing what's left of his power in the process and depowering him into Albaz the Ashen. Fleurdelis, the Iris Swordsoul, falls in her attempt to defeat the Despias, seemingly dead, and in her despair, Ecclesia is corrupted by the Despias into Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous. Albaz, left powerless but unwilling to back down, joins the surviving Tri-Brigade forces and confronts Aluber and his almighty Bystial forces as they loom over the Springans' home of Golgonda.
• Demonic Possession:
  • After Fleurdelis falls in battle against the Despias, they claim Ecclesia for themselves, corrupting her into Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous. Albaz manages to defeat her and turn her back just in time for them to fuse into Albion the Sanctifire Dragon.
  • Fleurdelis's body is taken by the Despias after her defeat, transforming her into Despian Luluwalilith. However, Fleurdelis's soul manages to temporarily retake control of her body during the final battle and strike down Bystial Dis Pater once and for all, sealing the heroes' victory.
• Fusion Dance:
  • In addition to Albaz himself, Albaz and Aluber unwillingly fuse with each other during their duel as Mirrorjade and Lubellion, causing them to become Alba-Lenatus the Abyss Dragon.
  • Longyuan combines with the Supreme Sovereign Serpent of Golgonda to become The Abyss Dragon Swordsoul.
• Heel–Face Turn: Fleurdelis, Theo, and Adin reject the Dogmatika religion by sealing their Stigmata and team up with the Swordsouls, becoming The Iris Swordsoul and The Golden Swordsoul respectively.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: The Tri-Brigade are feared by the Dogmatika Order for their ability to nullify the miracles granted by the Stigmata, and are thus portrayed as villains by the religious group. However, they prove to be allies worth their weight when they come to Albaz and Ecclesia's aid, rescuing them from the wrath of the Dogmatika Order, and ultimately join Albaz the Ashen in the final showdown.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Kosmochlor and Chengying, already gravely wounded by Longyuan and Aluber, grant the last of their might to Albaz with their dying breaths, granting him the power to become Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon.
• Last Episode, New Character: Guiding Quem, the Virtuous, a living amalgamate of the souls of the Dogmatika Saints, is formed as a byproduct of the finale's events, then promptly leaves the scene for reasons unknown.
• Lighter and Softer: While it still has plenty of tragic and dark plot developments, it also has several moments of levity compared to the World Legacy storyline immediately preceding it, such as the focus on Albaz and Ecclesia's bond, Kitt and the Springans providing some comic relief, and ultimately ends on a mostly happy ending with Ecclesia being completely freed from her brainwashing and getting to reunite with Albaz.
• Power Tattoo: All believers of Dogmatika are gifted with a Stigmata, a crest that bestows upon them magical power via the Dogmatika Nexus. It later turns out that the Stigmata are a sealed Brand that contains the latent power of the Hole. When Dogmatika Maximus triggers the Day of Calamity, the Stigmata become miniature Holes and consume their bearers, transforming them into the Despia. Albaz and Ecclesia later make it their mission to seal the Brands and stop Maximus's reign of terror.
• The Power of Friendship: Ecclesia manages to calm Albaz by appealing to their bond together after exposure to the Hole's energies transforms him into Albion the Branded Dragon and temporarily drives him insane.
• Power Nullifier: The energy weapons of the Tri-Brigade have the ability to negate the effects of the Stigmata and the Brands. Tri-Brigade Kitt and the Springans go on their own quest to find the source of their power in hopes of putting an end to Despia and the power of the Hole.
• Power Parasite: Aluber steals Albaz's powers during their confrontation at the Enion Cradle, depowering Albaz while allowing Aluber to transform into Lubellion the Searing Dragon.
• Religion of Evil: The Dogmatika religion is nothing but bad news; they draw on the power of the Hole for their magical might, and their first instinct upon coming in contact with Albaz is to order his execution. Maximus, leader of the sect, also triggers the Day of Calamity, transforming the Dogmatika Nation's denizens into the Despias.
• Sequel Hook:
  • Despite having a relatively positive finale, several cards from "Cyberstorm Access" imply a continuation of the plot. Aluber survives as "The Bystial Aluber", the mysterious soul of Quem that has been biding its time in White Relic of Dogmatika has been freed and given form as "Guiding Quem, the Virtuous", the mysterious Argyros, creator of the Sprights, has been reborn as "Fallen of Argyros", and "Etude of the Branded" reveals that Ad Libitium of Despia has been serving under Aluber. The concept art for "A New Frontier" also mentions that Albaz and Kitt randomly found the sentient eye of the 317th Holy Saint of Dogmatika wandering around, which Albaz and Ecclesia are now using to guide them to their next destination.
  • The announcement of Complete File - Story of White features new artwork of Albaz and Ecclesia in a variation of the outfits they wore in "New Frontier", both in a combat situation. Albaz's left eye is now open, the Springan that previously resided in Ecclesia's hammer is now burning while perched on his shoulder, and Albaz appears to be using a more ornate version of the iceblade dagger he received from Kosmochlor and Chengying. Meanwhile, Ecclesia is wielding a new hammer shaped like the head of Granguignol the Dusk Dragon that seems to be able to also channel lightning; Ecclesia herself is also sprouting a pair of stained glass wings and translucent pink horns that seems to be giving her the power of Not Quite Flight and reference the time she spent as Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous and Albion the Sanctifire Dragon. Furthermore, a new card is included in the product, unofficially translated as "Dogmatikalamity Alba System", implying that the Dogmatika Nation might still exist in some capacity.
• Tournament Arc: In order to find the source of the Tri-Brigade's power, the Springans are forced into trial by combat against the Therions in their airborne colosseum.
• Two Lines, No Waiting: Following the Golgonda arc, the story splits into two distinct plotlines, with the main plotline following Albaz and Eccelsia and a sideplot starring Kitt's journey to locate the power that will stop the Hole. The two plotlines finally rejoin during the final battle, with the Springans, now armed with Therion and Spright power, coming in at the last minute to lay the smackdown on the Bystial while Kitt helps the de-powered Albaz defeat Blazing Cartesia.
• Whole-Plot Reference: The Abyss storyline loosely is based on William Blake's poems, with the various characters in the storyline fitting into the roles of the characters from the poems. The protagonists, representing the positives of organized religion, aligning with a pro-science faction in the Tri-Brigade, while the Dogmatika represents the evils of organized religion.

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