Today NIS America released a few screenshots and some character artwork for Rodea: The Sky Soldier and with these images came a bunch of new information about the title’s storyline and key characters.

Currently slated for release on the Wii U and 3DS in North America on September 22nd and in Europe on September 25th, Rodea: The Sky Soldier exists in a world where there were once two countries, Naga, the terrestrial machine empire, and Garuda, a floating kingdom in the sky. Before long, the Naga Empire started a war with Garuda in an effort to obtain the country’s crystallized Graviton energy and it is here where the story begins.

A full rundown of the story and character details from NIS America can be found below:

Princess Cecilia, the daughter of Emperor Geardo, ruler of Naga, attempts to flee to Garuda alongside her robot bodyguard, Rodea. Trapped by her pursuers, she entrusts Rodea with half of the Key of Time—an artifact that is integral to the success of Naga’s invasion. Using the remaining half of the Key’s power, she teleports Rodea to Garuda, depriving Naga of the intact Key of Time, thereby preventing the earthbound aggressor from successfully carrying out its invasion.

Since then 1,000 years have passed, and Garuda’s citizens regard Naga’s failed invasion, as well as the Naga Empire itself, as little more than a historical footnote in the pages of history. At a small village in Garuda, a young woman named Ion lives a peaceful life with her grandfather, where she spends her days tinkering with machines and inventing all sorts of odd gadgets. One day, Ion is surveying an ancient ruin when she discovers a deactivated, broken robot—Rodea. Though Ion repairs the damage to Rodea’s body, the damage to Rodea’s memories is too extensive. He remembers next to nothing about his past, save for his mission to save Garuda, and the face of a young woman who bears a striking resemblance to Ion.

As for the characters the company has described them as thus:

• Rodea – A humanoid robot with flight capabilities. He attempted to flee to Garuda alongside Princess Cecilia, but failed. After Princess Cecilia teleports him to safety, he suddenly finds himself waking up 1,000 years in the future thanks to Ion, who recovered his body and repaired him back to full functionality. With this new ally by his side, Rodea takes to the sky to defend Garuda against the Naga Empire once again.
• Ion – An enthusiastic young woman who enjoys tinkering with machinery. Her physical appearance is nearly identical to Rodea’s memory of Princess Cecilia. She finds Rodea, broken and deactivated, in an ancient ruin and restores him to working condition. With Rodea, she embarks on an adventure to stop the Naga Empire’s invasion.
• Princess Cecilia – The pure-hearted princess of the Naga Empire. She fled Naga with Rodea in an attempt to stop her father, Emperor Geardo, from invading Garuda. When that plan fails, she teleports Rodea to safety and is never seen again.
• Emperor Geardo – Geardo was once a kind father who showered his beloved daughter, Cecilia, with love and affection. It was for her sake and the sake of his empire that he spearheaded Naga’s development into a mechanized civilization. To this end, he has replaced the majority of his physical body with the most powerful technology his empire can produce, further cementing his status as an immeasurably legendary ruler.