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Update 25: Sweet Lady Hello again, everyone. Last time we got into a fight with Xapan. Everything was going good until  happened. The Dark Knights invaded killing everyone the could find and setting fire to everything else. Oh, and Catiua was kidnapped. I left out the post-battle spoils and level up screenshots from the end of the last update because going straight into the victory fanfare after hearing Gildas's scream was a little off putting. We did get some noteworthy loot though, the lizardmen we fought last time dropped their classmarks. Footsoldier's Mark is the mark for the lizardman only class, Hoplite. We won't be using it for awhile since now is not the time for grinding.  Continuing the theme of things that could have been in a previous update, there's an optional scene I forgot about. I think the picture of the guillotine and title spell out what we are about to see.  The Duke is doing his best to pump up the crowd.  A time of nightmare, oppression, and darkness ends with the death of this man!  The faceless crowd isn't holding back. Although something is odd.  The game does have a set of face portraits for generic citizen for just this type of situation.  I guess someone was lazy and forgot.  Be done with it. Quiet, quiet. Brave Walister clansmen. I hear your cries all too clearly.... For they are my own! Galgastani friends! Know that all suffering, yours and ours, flowed forth from this man. With his blood, let us wash away all bile and rancor. Let his life pay the debt upon our hearts.  War's over folks. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here.  A clergyman arrives to give Balbatos is last rites and sacrament, with the executioner only a few step behind him.   It was not I who started this war. All of you took up arms with me. Despicable! Even with your last breath, you seek to place the blame upon these people, your subjects? I pity you, Ronwey. We are more alike than you can know, sitting behind our castle walls. We talk much of how the world should be, yet never stoop to dirty our own hands. That's what Knights are for, is it not? Yet as much as you tell yourself the people are yours, you are wrong. They do not dance upon our palms. It is we who dance upon theirs. Mark my end well, Ronwey, for it will be yours.   The executioner ascends the stairs...  ...and readies his axe.    As the blade drops the scene fades out. The actual start to this update begins, once again, with the Duke.  Who has taken up residences in Balbatos's old keep. It's kind of a creepy move but it is strategically sound.   It's the Bakram, your grace. They've marched on Rhime! What? That's absurd! Our riders send word that the battle is already joined.  No, your grace. The Xenobian Knights have managed to hold her walls. But they cannot long last against the Bakram siege. They've requested immediate reinforcements. Very well. Summon Leonar! Begging your grace's pardon. Sir Leonar rode for Almorica at daybreak. Yes...yes of course. Bring quill and parchment. Leonar must know of this. Ready the fasters courser in Coritanae! At once, your Grace!   Remember, there was a treaty in place to prevent this sort of thing. With Balbatos gone, old alliances turn to ash.  But with the fall of Galgastan, everything has changed.  While all this was happening we made our way to Almorica in pursuit of Xapan. On the way there we made sure to restock at the nearest shop because we a now locked into a series of battle that will conclude the chapter. We also made sure that Denam had the best equipment available.   We find Xapan well prepared for our arrival.  What kind of title is "Hero-butcher?" Are people going around telling tales of Denam, the valiant and noble slaughter of the defenseless? If so, than Valeria is one hosed up place.  Xapan, you coward! What have you done with my sister?  Ignoring Denam, Xapan turns to the elderly sorcerer.  Aye, well enough. I don't give a fig for no bounty, long as his head rolls. I had old friends at Balmamusa. They'll rest better with him beneath the earth.  Pardon the parley, Denam. Had a few matters needed tending. Your sister's safe and sound within the castle. But you'll not be leaving with her, exceptin' by force.  Well, since everyone is in agreement. Let's get to it then.  This is a bit of a misnomer. You only have to defeat Ramidos to end the fight. Xapan is just a bonus.  Donnalto makes a plea. That you, Abuna? Feh. Thought you kept better company. A man of cloth abetting in such...carnage. But then the church has never shied from a good blood-letting, has it?  It was Leonar and the Duke who slew the people of Balmamusa, not us or the Galgastani. I swear it in the name of the Great Father!  Balbatos and Brantyn can scarce void their bowels without speaking Philaha's name. Well I'm not having any of it! Your god is just another faerie tale! Tell me, what god would visit war on his people? And a holy war, that's the richest of them all!  Well she's got our number.  Having been but in his place Donnalto has nothing else to do for the rest of the battle.  Arycelle gives it a go. Maybe she can do better. Arycelle? Now this is a surprise. I thought you dead. But it's not like the Thunder Maiden to betray the Resistance over a pretty young face, hero or no.  The massacre was the duke's plot. I had it from the lips of his own men! Denam tried to stop them. He's innocent! If it is as you say - Leonar lied to us? I know. I didn't want to believe it, but I can no longer deny the truth.  It appears Ramidos is more likely to believe in tales of Leonar falsehoods over ones of a almighty deities.  Nevertheless, the battle continues. Our targets have surrounded themselves with an ample supply of knights, archers, wizards, and clerics. Also a lone, out of place Terror Knight. I think she's lost.  As for Ramidos, her class is basically an enhanced version of the wizard class and it's an enemy only class. By the way, she has a very nice ring.  If you don't want to spend the time crafting one I would recommend obtaining it somehow. She can drop it, but like all enemy equipment it's not a 100% guaranteed drop.  She also has a high hit rate on her status effect spells. So in short order most of the party will be stunned.  But before we can deal with her we have to get to her.  Right now we have to deal with these two Knights, but we have to be careful and not let ourself be boged down while fighting them. This is fight has one more trick to throw at us.  These cleric are not going to make this easy, but Arycelle and Sara can easily one shot them at this point with Tremendous Shot.    Get used to seeing finishers used like regular attacks because that's going to be the norm from now on. Not that Voltare cares.  Staticpulse is feeling a little devilish.  So he puts an enemy to sleep with some of his dark magic.   Prowler sneaks in and takes care of one of the knights.  While Denam pushes back the other. Denam has the Knockback skill which increases the odds of doing what he just did. Why am I mentioning this? Let's just say this skill is going to be invaluable in the near future.     All these casters are making it difficult to progress.  While we slowly march forward it appears as if Xapan has chosen his first target.  He chose poorly.  Then he readies up Berserk. This is bad, our units are still all bunched up and Xapan can hit like truck. He is a berserker after all.  To make things worse the remaining Knight uses Phalanx, so we're not getting rid of him for a while. If you wondering if this game had anything else hidden up its sleeve, it does.  This battle introduces the new concept enemy reinforcements, it's kind of self-explanatory. This fight is now a race against time. Mathematically specking there has to be a limit to the enemy reinforcements, but we're not sticking around long enough to see it.  Priority one, take out Xapan.  One double attack later he's down below half HP.  Xapan then wastes is Berserk on a counterattack, so he only does 25% of his normal damage. This makers the first time a Berserker lived long enough do use their trade make skill.  Not that Xapan going to be around long enough to gloat.  One last attack and he's out of here.   He teleports away and this time there are no interruptions.  It was nice of that one enemy Staicpulse put to sleep to stand back up for Xapan's departure despite the fact that he's still out of it.  Cake Attack throws some alcohol Prowler's way. What? This was to cure his stun. There not drinking on the job or anything.  We're going to solve the Knight and reinforcement problems with the same solution.  We're going to ignore them and have Prowler charge forward with no regard to his personal safety to kill Ramidos.  While he makes his suicide charge more reinforcements arrive.  They're not very effective.  But they just keep coming. This is their home base after all.   The enemy wizards are letting Prowler have it.  They're not going to let him do as he pleases.  But the war took my sons and their sons. I joined the resistance to end this madness.  If I could better the lives of the Walister through battle alone, I would fight till my last breath. When the Duke named me Hero of Goylat, I thought it might somehow further our cause. But the Duke uses men as a cattleman uses his kine---quick to slaughter when his hunger needs sating. How can you not recognize him for the creature he is?  I really like how much characterization the game gives one off characters like Ramidos. Even though she doesn't know the truth behind Balmamusa, you can tell she can probably see Ronway for the type of man he is. But at the same time see knows the world is full of, and for the most part run by, people like the Duke. She has accepted this fact, while Denam is still too young to see realize it. What would you sacrifice to sate your ambition?  I would never wage war for my own profit! Surrender and give the lie to my words! Or do you value your own life above your companions?  Ramidos goes to show Denam the truth behind her words by finishing off Prowler, but he manages to cling to life.  Enemy reinforcements continue to pour in. They have us outnumbered and completely surrounded.   On his last leg and with no time to spare Prowler does what he must.  The spirits have...told me everything. Forgive me, Denam. The Wheel finally...comes round. With luck, I'll find my sons waiting.  May her spirit find peace.  Congratulations  A new medicine crafting book, yeah.  And no Ramidos didn't drop her ring.  Next Time: Denam does the manliest thing he can think of, getting beat up by a jerk. ____________________________________________________________ If you were wondering what would of happened if we had killed Ramidos first. All that happens is Xapan says this: Fat lot of good she was, the mealy old hag!Then the fight ends. ____________________________________________________________ Warren Report Bakram Invade Countless Civilians Killed Ramidos Mendoza
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| ← # ? Jul 9, 2013 22:14 |
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