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 Welcome to the Royal Argonian Hunting Grounds. The key features are argon lizards and Charmles.   "Of course I do! Of course I shall take the field! I'm ROYALTY! Fine wine is still fine even if it's corked, you know!" "That's right, Your Highly Esteemed Highness, your cork may be doubtful but you haven't lost your bottle!" "How dare you!? I know you're making fun of me!"  "Like, ones with lots of eyes. Or slimy, gooey ones. I can't even stand looking at them." Upon approaching the argon lizard, it runs the hell off.  "Hmm, come to think of it, the Chancellor said somethinga bout approaching them from behind so as not to frighten them off." Well it peeks over its shoulder so clearly that plan has a flaw.  You know this game has a walk speed and a run speed? Before now you've not had a need to walk. Charmles makes you walk instead of run. What a buster.  Killer Moths have some MP so presumably they do something with it. Orc Kings have MP and I know how they use it.  "Returning from the royal hunting ground with an Argon heart proves that you are worthy to be the future king of Argonia."So that's the initiation. It's not just defeating one of these lizards, but proving it.  Anyway, walking does work, and I blame Charmles that I can't just blindly run at it.   Argon Lizards are minibosses. They have high defense and relatively high attack but they never do anything more damaging than regular attacks so they're minor nuisances. Because they're dragons, Eight can rip through them with Dragon Slash.  Charmles shows up in battles against the Argon Lizards. He doesn't really help.  He shows up in the party line-up but you can't actually target him.  He usually runs in the first or second turn.  The Lizards have War Cry but since they're alone it's no danger.  "Looks like the Argon lizards aren't anything to worry about after all." What an intense stare on Eight. I think he's thinking about just offing Charmles here. I used plurals on purpose for describing the fight, as we have to do this several times because Charmles is a poo poo. "This from a guy who runs at the slightest hint of danger? Don't make me laugh..."  "Hm, that's a good question. It all started on my fifth birthday. I'd just been tucked into bed and was getting snuggly when I felt something strange under the covers. I pulled back my blanket..." Well, um, yeah, if he isn't lying or exxagerating, then this would be really really strange. "Your fifth birthday? So they were a present from someone?" "Don't be so utterly ridiculous!" Jessica has two conversations here for some reason. "I mean, just imagine if he got hurt, or killed, you know? We can't have a that happening! Not until after King Clavius gives us the magic mirror, at least." "Well ,well... A salamango, eh? The Chancellor said that Argon lizards absolutely adore these. A sleeping lizard will wake up at the slightest whiff of one, apparently! I suppose that's proof enough!" Wait hold on can't I hold it through the cutscene?  "Now then, Eight, do you suppose you could lure it out somehow?"... ... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-  Orc Kings can cast Zing.  BUT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU DIE IN THE GAME YOU DIE IN REAL LIFE  Angelo gets a level and pumps yet more points in his bow skill.  Okay, I have to go all the way back to grab another salamango and then toss it and then I can get the lizard.  It's the same as the first.  The lizards actually do drop the hearts, much like how the Trap Box dropped the Venus' Tear.  oh gently caress you That thing on the left is the lizard, as extracting the heart doesn't actually kill them it seems. "The only way I'll get the respect I deserve is by returning with the biggest Argon heart the world has ever seen." Hocus Chimaeras can cast magic.  The danger is the same as the previous chimeras.  "Now this is an order, Eight! Lure that lizard out for me immediately!" Yangus finally hits his long-term goal of Stainless steal Sickle. This doubles its stealing rate from 1/4 to 1/2 the normal drop rate, and it boosts the damage from normal to a bonus 20%, and it still is at 0 MP. It's an incredible move, being a free boost to damage that can snag free things.  Tossing the salamango from the bridge works so it's not that much work to toss it over. And you can fall off of the bridge, too.  Charmles isn't actually affected by Kabuff and spells like it. I forget if the Argon lizards can even hit him, since he flees super-fast.  Otherwise, same as the last two.  "If only there were some more Argon lizards! Then we could fight them all and see if we got a bigger one..." "Someone's pleased with himself. How much longer have we got to baby-sit this sissy?" "Anyway. I'm hungry now."  So they do. This counts as a rest and the team is fully healed, at least.  The next morning, Eight awakens to the sound of...  Horseplay.  That's my horse  I'm glad the finacees are getting along swimmingly.  "Prince! Please restrain yourself! Medea is... I mean... My horse isn't accustomed to being ridden!" It must suck to discover your future son-in-law is Charmles. "Shut up! I'll show you how to break in a horse!" "Calm down! Stop bucking! Stop! I'm going to fall!" Medea doesn't listen and launches Charmles to the ground.  "You stubborn beast! You should be honoured to have a taste of my crop! I'll teach you some proper respect for your rider!" "That's MY horse! Stop this at once!"  Charmles trying to look and sound authoritative just comes off... wrong.  Luckily old green man whipped by son in law (.avi) is interrupted.  Apparently Yangus has found something.   Belive it or not, this pun was basically the same in Japan, in that the same word can refer to the nose or to flowers. After this line, a roar echoes though!  "...one. One o' them lizards!" "Forget the stupid horse! We've got to catch that lizard!" Well, uh, hello there, big boy.   Great Argon Lizard code: This is the sum total of Charmles's contributions.  One 'ratle puts even Yangus far above its agility. That's what cool, hip people like me call it, 'ratle.  Eight builds his tension. This will be the last boss for a long time that we can so freely do this. I'm gonna savor it.  The Great Argon Lizard mostly attacks, or uses this fancier higher-damage attack. A single Midheal undoes it with ease. Mow Down does hit the entire party but he never bothered in this fight.  Well that was most of the boss in one hit. Dragon Slash is incredibly good at its job.  Yangus and Angelo are less impressive at damage, but every bit counts. 100% drops aren't open to Steal Sickle or its upgrade, or else we'd get in the weird situation of doubling quest items like Argon hearts or the Venus' Tear. It's here because both levels of Sap landed and Stainless is Yangus's best single-target damage option at the moment.  Anyway one more Dragon Slash levels the Great Argon Lizard. It's not a hard boss. If anything, it makes you think you've gotten really strong. It makes you put your guard down before the next boss puts the fear of God into you. But that's for a later time.  Eight picks up Fullheal at level 27.  And of course, a massive Argon heart to match the massive lizard.  "I can just see their faces now! 'Oh Charmles! How wonderful! What a hero you are!' They'd better, after all I went through to get it!" NEXT TIME: How Bazaar.
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| ← # ? Apr 8, 2016 16:40 |
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