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 Music: Filgaia Extra Land  The chapter opens on the world map, and we're immediately thrust into a tutorial on Class Skills, which we've just unlocked.  Each of our units starts with three skill slots, but more can be obtained. Every time you change your class, your skills are reset to empty, but you can save favorite lists to quickly set them back up.  Some skills take up multiple slots. Dandelion Shot OC, for example, takes up two whole slots. Leveling up various classes and equipping their skills is of vital importance to building effective units. But we don't have a lot of skills at the moment, so we're going to move on with the game for now.  After completing Act 1-2, the town of Poliasha has opened to us, and all previous locations have been locked. We proceed into town. Music: So Warm and Soft  The Poliasha NPCs are still pretty big on game mechanics chat, but there is some worthwhile dialog in here. We head into the shop first.   Did you guys come here from overseas, too? Well, in that case, here's some news for you. This came as a huge surprise to me, but unlike pretty much any country ever, they don't sell ARMs in the shops in Elesius! Apparently ARM sales were prohibited by law about fifteen years ago! And what's worse, the shops don't even have any Access Points! So basically, if you want to buy a new class, tough luck! You need official permission to use Access Points, and there's a ton of paperwork involved! It's like, are you serious?! I mean, ARMs are all over the place everywhere you go in Filgaia. What a pain in the neck this place is.So there's our explanation of exactly what ARMs are and how they work, with bonus info on how things are in Elesius specifically. The other dialog in the shop is pretty unimportant and for some reason looking at the shopkeeper makes me really mad, so we head out.  The Synth Shop here is closed too, so we head into the plaza.  Any Labyrinthia is hanging out here, so we talk to her.   It's a little late for lunch, I suppose, but how about a quick bite together? I'll be over there with Tony in just a moment. It's the two-story building at the far end of this street. Just follow the savory scent--you can't miss it! The Inn has been added as a destination, so we head inside.    Wow, that looks great! What?! You dunk the whole slice of bread into your soup?  Not really. I would hate for you to think that we were all so, um... What? What's wrong with that? It's way more tasty this way! You think so too, Tony, don't you? I'm with Clarissa here. Dunking your bread in the soup is the correct way to eat. Dunking an entire sandwich into a bowl of soup is even better.   ... Ah, yes... The explanation... Is it...difficult to talk about? No, it's just a long story. ... All I know right now is that you're a fugitive on the run and I happen to look like a dead princess. I can see how that might not be easy to explain, but think about us--how are we supposed to know what to believe? I do see your point... Well, I'll do my best.Music: Scholar's Facility (Senate)  While most of Filgaia had been mired in endless strife, the kingdom of Elesius had amended its customs to pursue policies of peace. The driving force behind this effort was Hrathnir, the current king. But just as everyone had begun to anticipate a new era of everlasting peace, a single incident cast a pall over the entire kingdom:  The stresses of leadership had taken a toll on King Hrathnir's health... So the princess led a small contingent to search for medicinal herbs in the mountains, where she was caught in a landslide. It had been thought that King Hrathnir was suffering from nothing more than fatigue, but after the death of his daughter, his condition worsened, leaving him unable to lead the nation. In his place, the duties of governance fell to a council of advisors whose membership drawn from the highborn houses of Elesius: The Council of Elder Statesmen. But the Council's policies differed from those of King Hrathnir. They preferred to rule through coercion. The Martial Guard was formed under the pretext of ensuring domestic tranquility. But in truth, they act as an arm of the Council, able to wreak havoc and suppress dissent without the approval of the king. Now, the peace and tranquility that Elesius had enjoyed is slipping away, slowly but surely, leaving a palpable sense of unease in its place.   The king's declining health, the Council's rise, and the formation of the Martial Guard... But it all stems from the death of the princess one year ago... ...And...that's the princess you say I look like? Not just "look like." You may as well be identical twins. And I would know, having had the privilege of serving as Her Highness's tutor. The same jade green eyes, the same honey-colored hair... This isn't good... Your resemblance to the late princess, you mean? That, and...well, everything. Elesius looked so tranquil, but now we know there's a darkness spreading over it... And there may be some who choose to hide in that darkness... Yeah... Mostly, but there was one other thing... What might that be? Well... When we first met, you said that you were a fugitive on the run...? Ah. So you're still stuck on that... Well, of course I am! How am I supposed to relax when I'm sitting across the table from an escaped fugitive? I can understand that... Perhaps even now, agents of the Council of Elder Statesmen are hunting me down? That is quite a statement... The incident with the princess a year ago... I too originally assumed it was a tragic accident, but I now know that it was an act of treachery. Do you have proof? Nothing that I can show, but I've heard the Council admit to ordering it with my own two ears. I see... So they've branded you as a criminal in order to suppress what you know. Mother, Father, forgive me... ... ... Is that something a prudent person would ask? Huh...? Oh...that. Well, not really, but... I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm afraid that I would have to refuse your assistance anyway. But... Your resemblance to Her Highness Alexia is so striking that even I mistook you for her. Were you to remain here, I fear that resemblance might get you entangled in some very dangerous situations. And I would hate for you to think ill of my beloved Elesius because of it. ... If nothing else, Labyrinthia is being more rational than you, Clarissa. She's made an accurate assessment of the situation you'd be placing yourself in. But the decision is yours, Clarissa. ...Yeah...Music: So Warm and Soft  We're put back into town. The game advances when we return to the inn.  Yes The room upstairs is all yours. I better see all you here in the mornin'--I cook a mean breakfast!Video: Poliasha Inn Music: None   Are you awake? I am if you need me to be.Music: Feelings Told Through Words  Sorry to disturb you... And there's something else I need to apologize for... ... Even though we're on an important quest, I failed to think things through, and I almost got us sidetracked again... That impulsive streak of yours... I know that it's coming from a good place. But it's a dangerous situation and, really, the politics of Elesius are none of our business. Maybe I'm being reckless... But the urge I feel to help as I learn more about this country... It can't just be me. I think Mother would've felt the same way. Hmm... Yes, Melissa probably would have. Don't I have a duty to keep Mother's dream alive? It's your dream too, after all. Indeed we have. Let's make Mother's dream come true one day, okay? I guess I just wanted to say that. Thanks, Felius. You always listen so patiently to my blathering. Good night... Clarissa goes back to bed, and the screen fades to black... Music: None  What is it?! Get dressed, now! Labyrinthia is waiting downstairs.Music: Under the Sky Scorched by War  What's going on...? The town has been set aflame... Oh no! Because of us...?!  I dunno what y'all have done, but this hasn't got nothin' to do with you. ...But... They're tryin' to make an example out of us. This ain't the first time Poliasha's burned--it happens all the time 'round here. There was some trouble over the tax levies a little while ago. They're probably lookin' for revenge. Attacks like these have become a fact of life in Elesius.  But what about you?! It'll be too suspicious if I'm not here when the soldiers arrive. Besides, I can buy you more time that way. And didn't I just tell ya? They're taxin' the hell out of us. It wouldn't be good business for them to kill me. Not that I'd go easily if they tried to drag me somewhere, mind you! But... We can't just... She says she'll be okay--we should trust her. Even if we did stay, attempting to fight off the Martial Guard would only bring more trouble to the lodge. At the moment, retreat does seem to be our best option.Felius and Labyrinthia leave.  ... Truly, the more I look at you, the more I realize how strongly you resemble the princess. That's why we can't let the Guard get their hands on you! I won't let the people of Elesius suffer through that tragedy again. We're miserable enough already. I'm so sorry, Ms. Ellen. Forgive me... I'll put the night's food and lodgings on your tab. Come back sometime and pay it off, all right?Clarissa leaves.  Well, it's time to show those bastards the fury of a woman scorned. There ain't no way they're takin' me quietly! What is it, Tony? ...The camera pans to the opposite end of the road.   Right now, the only place the roads 'round here lead to is Creedmore Prison. Clarissa! Our first priority is getting out of here! ...Though it doesn't look like it'll be that easy... Well, perhaps I can be of some service! I've got a brilliant strategy in mind, so hear me out, you two. D.E.R. is short for "Direct Event Report." It's a full analysis of the current situation and the way the battle will likely unfold. Relying on my D.E.R.s will help you make the tactical decisions needed to overcome even the most hopeless-looking of situations. They'll serve as a guide to what the best equipment, items, and classes will be for the battle ahead. Let's take a look at the Tactical Map we'll be fighting on.   It's important to note that the Martial Guard forces that attacked Poliasha seem quite powerful. If we attack them head-on, we may be faced with heavy casualties. These blocks can be moved by a Fantastica using the Object Attack skill. If we barricade the road with these blocks, we might be able to outflank the enemy without crossing a single sword with them. I think that would be the most effective approach to escaping from this map. ...It's extremely important that you adjust your units' classes for the battle situation ahead. You can change classes in the Tactics Screen before each battle, so keep my D.E.R.s in mind before setting foot on the battlefield. We're brought into the Tactics Screen, where we're now allowed to rewatch the D.E.R. if we need to. The D.E.R.s exist to give you some idea of what you'll need going into the fight, so you don't have to start over when you realize you really should have brought a certain class in with you. For this fight, following Labyrinthia's advice, we switch Clarissa and Felius both to Fantasticas. We leave Labyrinthia as an Arcanist and initiate the battle. Music: A Quick Night in Elesius  ...'Course, if you feel like puttin' up a fight, I'm not gonna stop you. It'd sure help make the job feel a bit more worthwhile! Besides, I'm gettin' pretty sick of patrollin' the outskirts of town anyway! As the battle begins, we send Clarissa forward to block the alleyway, as the D.E.R. recommended. The enemies in the alley are much higher levels than us, so it's a good idea to avoid fighting them.  Only a Fantastica (or someone with the Fantastica's Object Attack skill equipped) can attack objects to move or destroy them. The exception to this rule is treasure chests, which can be attacked by any unit.  This map has a narrow alley off to the side, allowing us to slip past the enemy. There are two enemies on the other end of this alley, but they're at our level, so we can take them on.  The enemies in the alley, meanwhile, get super confused when their path is blocked and just kind of rub against this building trying to walk through it and get to us. The AI in this game is kind of bad if you put a wall between you and the enemy.  The path we're taking has barrels blocking it, which can only be destroyed by someone with Object Attack. Labyrinthia can warp through them, but the rest of our party will need a Fantastica to bust through. This is the first time I noticed that this barrel is Class Level 5. He's also a male, apparently.  As we approach the other end of the path, the enemies on the other side attack us. They aren't dangerous though.  To fulfil our objective, we just need to get each of our units into the target zone, or the two spaces along this edge of the map.  When a unit ends its turn in the target area, they warp out of the battle and cannot be brought back in. So if you have a unit you want to use to help usher your other units across, you need to be careful of where they're standing at the end of their turns.  Ultimately, this battle is not difficult at all if you follow the D.E.R.'s advice. We easily get all of our units into the target area. Music: The Victorious and the Lost Ones  Music: The Dark Clouds Cover the Shadow of Evil  ...  Those poor villagers... ...They're probably being taken to prison. What for...? It's a warning from the Council, I imagine: if you try to fight us, you'll end up like this. They're using the prison as a threat. By virtue of its merely being there, it acts as a deterrent, sapping any would-be dissidents' wills to fight. ... ...Isn't there anything we can do to help this country? Clarissa... I want to do something! I want to rescue the people who have been so kind to us! Is that such a terrible idea? Only you can decide what you want to do, Clarissa. All I can offer is to protect you while you pursue those goals. If your hope is to restore peace to Elesius, you'll find no more fervent ally than I. If you insist on going, please let me join you. While I may not look it, I'm actually a very capable woman. I'll show you just how useful I can be. ...
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| ← # ? May 21, 2014 01:15 |
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