The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel - Class Warfare

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Stabbey_the_Clown: Sep 21, 2002; Are... are you quite sure you really want to say that?; Taco Defender

Level 1 Thief posted:

Okay, come on. That one's not on me are you serious Falcom.

Yeah, I know. There's even a bit in the first Crossbell game that mentions a bank teller doing a sepith exchange got Earth and Space mixed up. I was just clearing up your confusion. It's easier to tell the difference looking at the quartz in the orbment itself.

Dawgstar posted:

I'm glad I wasn't the only one using Laura's S-Craft as a panic button at this point.

Well, any time you think "this character is probably going to die before I can heal them" is a good time to break out an S-Craft. That's a "use it or lose it anyway" situation.

# ? Feb 9, 2019 05:12

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# ? Apr 27, 2024 14:21

Cyouni: Sep 30, 2014; without love it cannot be seen

Faint also gets a brief second of showing why it is the worst status ailment.

You're knocked out, so you don't get to act (or S-Break, relevant in this case).
You get auto-crit by anything that hits you.
It generally lasts long enough that it screws with your buffs.
Quite a few enemies have it as a chance to apply on attacks.

# ? Feb 9, 2019 18:51

Erpy: Jan 30, 2015; (insert title here)

Cyouni posted:

Faint also gets a brief second of showing why it is the worst status ailment.

You're knocked out, so you don't get to act (or S-Break, relevant in this case).
You get auto-crit by anything that hits you.
It generally lasts long enough that it screws with your buffs.
Quite a few enemies have it as a chance to apply on attacks.

Also shown in the video: the ailment can proc AGAIN if said enemy hits you again before it runs out and you get unlucky and if that happens, the timer resets, meaning you get permanently stunlocked.

# ? Feb 9, 2019 20:19

Dawgstar: Jul 15, 2017

Erpy posted:

Also shown in the video: the ailment can proc AGAIN if said enemy hits you again before it runs out and you get unlucky and if that happens, the timer resets, meaning you get permanently stunlocked.

I'm pretty sure I had that happen to me when during the big fight over the treasure chest Levell One got Heatwave out of. One walloped Rean, the other Laura. It was fun.

# ? Feb 9, 2019 20:43

Level 1 Thief: Dec 17, 2007; I'm busy, and I'm having fun.

16. Ape Escape

The confrontation over the stolen goods finishes up about how you might expect from a JRPG.

And with that crisis out of the way, that wraps up chapter 1! The books post will come before too long, though I dunno if it'll be before or after we get back to school. Either way, we've got plenty more to go, so stick around!

Level 1 Thief fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Feb 12, 2019

# ? Feb 12, 2019 04:05

Stabbey_the_Clown: Sep 21, 2002; Are... are you quite sure you really want to say that?; Taco Defender

- I forgot that the chest had a regular Golden Sphere in it. Not even a rare one with some stat boosts. Just regular. It is literally impossible to not have that spell available to you in the game at this point. That was some subtle trolling. I don't even think it's to make sure you have one for next chapter, because Jusis should have one too.

- Yikes, you spent all your sepith to unlock Laura's slots? *groan* Well, okay she is mandatory for the next dungeon, but other than that, at this point it would have been better to spend that on Rean or save it. It's clear that you unlocked more slots for her than you needed to, since you've stuck two attack spells on her, and those aren't a good use of the turns she gets with her slow speed. It probably won't be a problem, you just might not have as much sepith as you want in the next chapter.

- "I could take her if I got the jump on her..." Nope, not even before the upgraded slots (which don't really do much for her anyway).

- 10:30 - Great call on staying put. A surprisingly easy mistake to make there is to have Laura move to attack something, which puts her out of range of any buffs, and you NEED buffs. At least for right now, you're better off just having her do nothing than running off.

- Class SS is actually on the low end for S-Crafts, although the scale only goes from 2S to 4S.

- Alisa is very good in boss battles... when you're doing like anything other than just using her weak-rear end basic attack.

- Someone does eventually say VanDyck's name out loud. Like, really late on. If you really, really want to know, it's pronounced Van-die-kuh.

- About half the class has some family issues troubling them. I'll just say that Alisa's family issues are among the largest.

- When you went back, did you also re-do the "Day as a Merchant" sidequest with the right answers to S-Rank the chapter? EDIT: Oh, you didn't go that far back. Okay, fair enough.

Stabbey_the_Clown fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Feb 12, 2019

# ? Feb 12, 2019 17:53

Rabbi Raccoon: Mar 31, 2009; I stabbed you dude!

I really wish I had gone into these games knowing not to play them like Sky. Being a CP battery is like, the one thing Alissa excels at, so as a result I never really used her unless I had to and she was almost always dead weight. I had a VERY hard time in II, although part of that was the obscene health everything gets in the last half.

# ? Feb 12, 2019 18:11

Stabbey_the_Clown: Sep 21, 2002; Are... are you quite sure you really want to say that?; Taco Defender

Rabbi Raccoon posted:

I really wish I had gone into these games knowing not to play them like Sky. Being a CP battery is like, the one thing Alissa excels at, so as a result I never really used her unless I had to and she was almost always dead weight. I had a VERY hard time in II, although part of that was the obscene health everything gets in the last half.

She also excels at casting.

# ? Feb 12, 2019 21:23

Rabbi Raccoon: Mar 31, 2009; I stabbed you dude!

Stabbey_the_Clown posted:

She also excels at casting.

Yeah but Emma and Elliot are better at it, and Elliot can make you basically immortal and Emma can just straight up nuke some poo poo

# ? Feb 12, 2019 21:29

Cyouni: Sep 30, 2014; without love it cannot be seen

Alisa's really an insanely strong support. She gets some attack crafts which are bad (except one has Impede and is important by default), but she also gets the best CP-related support crafts, and no one else can provide those. Her offensive casting's decent, but more a filler in the turns where she's not throwing out her support skills. Her Master Quartz is just made for a support, and can help you recover after nearly getting wiped.

She's optimized for "make craft-users kill things incredibly hard".

# ? Feb 12, 2019 22:31

Erpy: Jan 30, 2015; (insert title here)

Emma and Elliot are practically never in the same party and since Cold Steel's quartz system severely constrains the number of arts you have access to, having a secondary caster is often very handy. Also, Alisa's second support craft is arguably better at making you immortal than Elliot's Resounding Beat since evasion is so much more effective than defense in this game and you don't need HP regen if stuff can't reliably hit you to begin with.

# ? Feb 12, 2019 22:35

Stabbey_the_Clown: Sep 21, 2002; Are... are you quite sure you really want to say that?; Taco Defender

Rabbi Raccoon posted:

Yeah but Emma and Elliot are better at it, and Elliot can make you basically immortal and Emma can just straight up nuke some poo poo

Sure, if they get turns. Alisa is the caster with the highest base speed, and that is definitely noticeable. In the late game with the right setup, she can essentially get an almost-free +50% ATS buff to her casting power thanks to (boring mechanics talk) the synergy between Angel level 5 and Golden Bell. With those, she can cast Fortuna twice and still get another turn immediately. Yes, you could give Angel+Golden Bell to someone else, but again, "highest base speed"..

# ? Feb 13, 2019 00:27

Level 1 Thief: Dec 17, 2007; I'm busy, and I'm having fun.

Pushing the next video to Thursday on account of having a Hell Week at work. How about reading a nice book instead?

# ? Feb 18, 2019 14:12

Level 1 Thief: Dec 17, 2007; I'm busy, and I'm having fun.

B1-1. Chapter 1 Books

Some more light reading music.

Sometimes, after you go on an adventure, which is just a small part of a larger adventure, which is either the first of four large adventures or the sixth of nine depending on how you look at it, you just want to kick back with a good book. And holy crap does Trails of Cold Steel have you covered.

Of course, before we can get to the fun parts, we do have to get through our assigned reading for school. Yawn.

Recommended Reading - Imperial Railways: A History

Imperial Railways: A History posted:

The Orbal Revolution of 50 years ago had a profound effect on Erebonia, much as it did on other nations on the continent. Much is made of its impact on weaponry, but I believe its influence on transport was equally noteworthy. Specifically, the Orbal Revolution allowed the creation of railways for the first time.

Before the Orbal Revolution, there were only three methods of transport available to Imperial citizens: horse, boat, and walking. Considering the sheer size of Erebonia, the situation was far from ideal.

Traveling from the Imperial capital of Heimdallr to Bareahard, the capital of the Kreuzen Province, for example, took ten days on foot and four days by horse. Such long journeys would be impossible to imagine for the Erebonian citizen of today.

Changing all that, however, was the Orbal Revolution's transformation of manufacturing, making the creation of mechanical engines possible for the first time. This marked a key turning point in the history of transportation, and Erebonia's first use of these engines was the invention of the train.

(Septian Calendar 1158)
The first orbally-powered vehicle to run on rail tracks was developed through the combined efforts of Professor G. Schmidt, a leading disciple of Professor Epstein, and the Reinford Factory, known at the time as a weapons manufacturer.

(Septian Calendar 1160)
The freight line between Roer City and the Sachsen Iron Mine was completed.

(Septian Calendar 1165)
The first passenger railway, connecting Heimdallr and Roer, began operation.

As a result of these developments, the concept of the "orbal railway" became widely known throughout the nation, and by 1175, a wide-reaching railway network had been created with Heimdallr at its center. This rail 'nexus' effectively connected the Imperial capital with all of the major provincial capitals.

This was followed soon after by the establishment of railways in other nations on the continent, eventually leading to the creation of Transcontinental Railroad twenty years ago, which has made transporting people, goods, and information all over the continent significantly easier.

There is no doubt that the orbally-powered airships invented in the Liberl Kingdom, and the family automobiles developed in the Calvard Republic are also wonderful inventions. However, a half a century after the Orbal Revolution, it is an incontestable fact that railways are the most important method of transport.

- S. Reinemann

We may as well check out the coveted paper that Newsboy Chris was hawking while we're at it. If it acts anything like it did in Trails in the Sky, it'll serve as a recap of our deeds (while pretending it's not mainly a recap) and a preview of areas we have yet to visit.

Imperial Chronicle: Issue 1

Issue 1 posted:

(Politics) Annual Budget Announced
The government today held a press conference to reveal its annual budget to the nation. At the same time, new plans to expand the military were announced, including the strengthening of the armored divisions, reaffirming earlier statements made by Chancellor Osborne.

With the neighboring Calvard Republic continuing to expand its own armed forces, this seems an appropriate reaction, and the duty of a great nation such as ours.

- Staff Writer

Reactions of the Imperial Diet
Both the House of Representatives and the House of Peers met to debate the budget in Heimdallr. The House of Representatives voted unanimously in favor of the budget and military expansion plan, but the House of Peers remained fiercely critical of both proposals throughout the debates.

"I pray that His Majesty decides in the best interests of this nation." (House of Peers President)

However, with His Majesty leaving decisions regarding the budget in the hands of the chancellor, it seems unlikely that it will be overturned.

Imperial Governor Regnitz Speaks
In response to an Imperial Chronicle reporter outside City Hall, Governor Regnitz had this to say about the budget debate:

"The proposals have my full approval. Much has been made of the military aspects, but taken as a whole, I feel the budget is remarkably well balanced. It seems apparent to me that His Excellency has a clear vision for how to proceed in modernizing this country." (Governor Regnitz)

(Society) The Imperial Transportation Act
It has been a year since the Imperial Transportation Act was enacted in Heimdallr. The law was drafted with the expectation that the number of orbal cars in the city would continue to increase, but how have our dear readers reacted to the bill?

"We have found that the majority seem to be in favor of the new law, though some have argued that giving the cars of commoners regard equal to that of the nobility makes little sense." (City Hall PR Representative who supported the law)

The Imperial government maintains that the law has been successful in reducing the number of motoring accidents, and aims to eventually introduce it in the rest of the country.

(Culture) Celdic Grand Market
The eastern town of Celdic is best known for the Grand Market, which is held regularly throughout the year. This year's spring market is bustling as usual and has attracted large numbers of tourists and merchants. But what is it that makes the market so lively?

"Because the town is located on a trade route that has long been vital to this nation," is the opinion of Otto, the market manager. He believes that Celdic's position as an interchange station, where passengers can transfer from the Transcontinental Railroad to national lines, makes it easily accessible for visitors from both outside and inside the country. Whatever the reason, the market's popularity is showing no signs of letting up.

(Spotlight) Welcome to the RF Store!
Our goal is to deliver the latest Reinford Group products. We're your one-stop orbal technology shop!

Enough of that, let's get to what we're all really here for: the novels. Each of the Trails games, except Sky the 3rd as far as I can tell (Trails in the Chest doesn't count), features a new lurid pulp novel that's drip-fed to you chapter by chapter as collectibles, in varying levels of absolutely insane to find. Most require you to talk to one specific NPC during one specific period of the plot and will never be available again.

Fortunately, they get less precious about any given novel in the sequels, allowing you to more easily read them without missing pivotal plot points because you didn't backtrack ten screens to talk to an orphan during a crisis or whatever. Enter Carnelia Reprint, a fresh distribution of the hidden novel in the original Trails in the Sky, which you can just buy like normal goddamned books in the Celdic Grand Market. I assume the rest of the chapters will be sold in the other towns Rean visits, but I guess we'll see.

Banned in the Erebonian Empire until just recently (I think, it might've been Gambler Jack)! It's the first two chapters of Carnelia!

Carnelia Reprint - Chapter 1: The Imperial Chronicle

Carnelia Chapter 1 posted:

I stood there, upright in front of the revolving door, scuffing the heels of my boots against the ground. Pulling slightly on the collar of my trench coat, I dropped my chin and gazed at my partial reflection in the curved glass. Aside from my short-cropped hair, I wore a modest-looking, double-breasted leather raincoat and a pair of special order, steel-reinforced boots, both of which at first glance appear to be the most common of common apparel. Yet, they were in fact, much more than the naked eye could detect.

My ordinary, average appearance--it was of just as much importance today as it had been on any other day in times past.

Not far off, the sound of footfalls echoed rhythmically like the steady beat of a pendulum swinging back and forth, as the throngs of those coming and going moved quickly along the cobblestone avenue, enveloped and tinged silver by the morning mist. At times, the calling voice of a street peddler disrupted the steady flow, but as soon as the hawking cry faded away, it would resume its course.

Each morning that I found myself setting foot in the Imperial city, I also found my surroundings to be unchanged and stained by the same somber tone of gray. Snatching up a magazine from the underarm of a street vendor, I tossed a few mira into the left hand poised expectantly behind his back.

The Imperial Chronicle; the magazine I read so often that even the ink bleeds were familiar. Roughly flipping open its cover, I scanned the headlines along the top of its monochrome pages. Then suddenly, my breath caught in my throat.

At the very bottom of the local news page, I found those letters, that sequence of characters which I had not heard nor seen since the time of that life-changing incident. My eyes instantly gravitated to the spot, and for a time, remained fixated.

"Ein Selnate." The very meaning of those letters became lost to my senses as I stood motionless, my gaze fixed on the same line of text, until it all seemed to coalesce into a single blotch of ink. After a few seconds of blank comprehension, my vision settled and I wrenched my eyes to the beginning of the article. As I began to read, my memories verged on a single point in my past, and then slowly started to run in reverse, heading for that fateful event three years prior when this name was first introduced to me.

It was on an afternoon all those years ago, on a day not unlike this one, where the capital was overshadowed by its typical gloomy aura. I was a little younger than now, a twenty-two-year old man who stood silently in front of the boutique door as usual, double checking his appearance before lightly treading over to Micht's Imperial Factory.

It was on this day that it had been arranged for me to receive a new job from Micht, the shop owner, himself. Although he was a drab middle-aged man, I, being the orbment enthusiast I was, had found myself as one of his few regular customers.

I headed down a dank alleyway and after passing through a partially rotted wooden gate, I could see the soft glow of the flickering orbal light just outside of the entrance of the factory whose structure was halfway below street level.

I first began receiving jobs from Micht about the time when dissension began to occur in society over the Hundred Days War. It was during this period that relations between the Liberl Kingdom and the Empire were at their worst and the importation of orbments had become almost non-existent. Conspiring with underground elements and planning a smuggling operation, Micht made me out to be his partner in crime. For the job which I received by his hand, was none other than that of the courier.

Being nothing more than a commoner in my teens at the time I met him and a juvie devoid of any connections in life besides, I naturally jumped at the opportunity without a moment's hesitation. Yet, even after relations with Liberl had returned to some degree of normalcy, I realized I was in no mood to give up my specialty which focused mainly on the delivery of stolen goods. The reason being: there was no job out there which could bring in the kind of mira this one did.

With an unrefined an inconspicuous appearance, I had countless times before, hidden items of various sorts in my hat and trousers and made my way hither and thither between the borders of these neighboring nations. And though to my delight, my wallet had become increasingly laden with a bounty of monetary rewards, I had routinely changed my alias as a precautionary measure. So much in fact, that these false names had built up into quite a list over the last few years. I had been known as Phil, the frivolous, Rooney, the trickster, and even Kris, the coward. However, Micht had always called me by one name: Toby. This was the identity I had used for my initial job and the one I liked above all others.

Carnelia Reprint - Chapter 2: The Train Station

Carnelia Chapter 2 posted:

"Hello there, Toby. You've come at just the right time."

Greeting me with these words, Micht shuffled slightly in his seat behind the counter. The baked confection he had been eating was ever so carefully placed atop his lap to prevent it from falling onto the floor. He smacked both of his powdered sugar-covered hands together with a clap, and a cloud of white particles puffed into the air. The smell of sweet spices and baked apple pervaded the dimly lit shop.

"We had an item dropped off no more than a few minutes ago," he continued.

Turning in his seat, Micht reached back and snatched up something wrapped in old magazine paper from off the shelf, tossing it to me. Knowing full well I wouldn't get any sort of answer, I asked anyway.

"What do we have this time?"

Laying out my railway and airship tickets, Micht ignored my question and said, "Make sure this gets to the same place as always." In his slow drawl he added, "It would be in your best interest to keep your involvement to a minimum by leaving the business side of things to me and focusing solely on getting the job done, Toby."

He leaned back in his chair and let out a deep sigh, the balls of his fingers kneading the bags under his eyes. Then, once again, his large hand extended down toward the unattended cake resting on his leg. Before the sweet treat could reach his watering mouth, I had already made my way out the door of his tiny shop.

As I walked, the waste paper-bundled package bounced around inside the folds of my bag. By the feel of its shape and weight as it beat steadily against my side, I concluded that the object in my possession was probably just more swag. It didn't make me nervous not to know what it was that I was carrying, for I had done this type of job many times before. And no matter what kind of trouble I found myself wrapped up in, I had always managed to come out unscathed.

In truth, my experience on the job had made me tough, and I had become well-versed in the art of orbal magic. So it was that when I laid eyes on that rough-looking trio at the station, I felt no more knots of uneasiness in the pit of my stomach than was necessary for someone of my abilities.

The platform for the train bound for Liberl was abustle with passengers awaiting its eventual arrival. Seeing that the benches were so crammed full of people that they could have very well been a tin of packed sardines, I resigned myself to standing near the entrance as I waited for the train to come in. Twisting my body in order to move the bag to my other shoulder, I noticed the figures of two men.

Heads bent together and conversing in an inaudible tone, they stood just beyond the ticket gate, right about where the horse head of the Imperial emblem lay embedded in the ground in a grand mosaic of tiles. After a short interim, another man approached and joined in the conversation.

From my own perspective, this was one ragtag group I most certainly couldn't have given a passing grade to based on looks. All three were extremely well-built and sported the same haircut. To put it mildly, they stuck out in the crowd like a bunch of sore thumbs.

Making sure to avoid eye-contact with them as they glanced in my direction, I slung my bag back onto my shoulder, and ever so calmly reached my hand into my pocket and ran the tips of my fingers across the surface of my orbment.

A woman's voice reverberated within the walls o fthe station notifying the passengers that the train had arrived. The low rumble of an orbal engine could be felt in the distance and after a few moments, a large vehicle was seen rolling up on the shoulder.

I muttered to myself, "All is well," but the sound of my voice was drowned out by the din of the massive machine. Brakes screeched, and a flash of black light reflected off the surface of the giant iron beast as it came sliding in across the rails. The immense vibration in the air emanating from the moving locomotive at its epicenter let me know that the orbal engine had been put into full-reverse in order to decelerate and bring the train to a grinding halt.

While being shoved to and fro by the waves of impatient travelers flooding out of the waiting area, I was swept toward one door of a passenger car. As we passed by the conductor, I caught another glimpse of the ticket gate. The men who were once there were now gone and the only thing that remained was the profile of the horse made of glossy tiles, glaring back at me in a shade of deep crimson.

Level 1 Thief fucked around with this message at 14:33 on Feb 18, 2019

# ? Feb 18, 2019 14:12

Level 1 Thief: Dec 17, 2007; I'm busy, and I'm having fun.

B1-2. Red Moon Rose 1-3

Banned books are fun, eventually, but it's time for the main event: Trails of Cold Steel's very own Red Moon Rose! Carnelia and Gambler Jack are entertaining enough (well, Carnelia gets there, those first chapters ... ehhhhhhhh) but this? This vampire murder mystery is absolutely my kind of poo poo. It's also WAY LONGER than either of those were, long enough that I had to split it out into its own post, so grab a snack or drink and get comfy as Alphonse (not from FMA) and Rose (not from FMA) begin their investigation.

Red Moon Rose - Chapter 1: The Red Moon

Red Moon Rose Chapter 1 posted:

Our story begins in Erebonia during the middle ages, some two hundred years ago. The War of the Lions had concluded in western Zemuria, and Emperor Dreichels, a driving force behind its resolution, had been deceased for over a decade.

The Imperial capital, Heimdallr, was a beautiful, traditional city with rows of cheerful red brick buildings that had earned it the nickname the "Vermillion Capital." In one back alley of the city, however, a solemn mood reigned. Soldiers in military uniforms paced up and down while a crowd of onlookers gathered to see what was going on. They clung to the edges of the scene, refusing to disperse no matter how many times they were asked.

At the center of the commotion lay a young woman. Her skin was shockingly pale, as if not a drop of blood ran through her veins. On her neck two dark red spots stood out in stark contrast to the pallid flesh.

Seeing this, a middle-aged soldier let out a loud sigh and took out his pocket watch. It was just after six. He gave a curt order to his subordinates to find out who she was, and the woman's body was swiftly carried away from the curious stares of the gawkers. After watching her safely borne away, he noticed a younger soldier following the woman with his eyes, as well.

"Al. Alphonse."

He tapped the young man on his shoulder. The soldier started, seeming to realize that he was still on duty.

"...Ah, sorry, Garrard."

Somewhat flustered, Alphonse adjusted his beret, then hung his head apologetically. Though snapped from his reverie, it was clear that he still had something on his mind.

"I believe I've told you before to address me as 'sir' while on duty. I am your commanding officer, after all,' Garrard said jokingly.

With a fond pat on the shoulder, Garrard reminded him to stay focused and then left to give orders to the rest of his subordinates. Alphonse quickly returned to his post, silently grateful for Garrard's characteristically thoughtful gesture. Watching this exchange was another young soldier the same age as Alphonse. Scowling unpleasantly, he gave an audible tut.

The girl's untimely demise, though shocking, was but one in a series of grisly murders that were the talk of the town. Most of the victims were young women who had been out at night, and they had all met their ends through loss of blood. Or, put another way, the victims had died after having all of the blood drained from their bodies.

Furthermore, all of the bodies which had been found had something else in common: each had bite marks on their neck, as if they had been pierced by incredibly sharp fangs.

It didn't take long for word of this to start to spread among the people of Heimdallr, and all who heard the rumors were quick to think of one of the many ancient legends which existed in Erebonia. Specifically, the legend that described immortal, monstrous creatures which roamed the land at night feeding on the blood of humans. It was these very legends that eventually became the inspiration for the mass killings' new moniker: The Vampire Murders.

<>

That night, after his duties were complete, Alphonse made his way to a small tavern tucked away in a corner of the capital by the name of Alegria to enjoy a late evening meal. As he sat down to his dinner, a pretty girl near his own age with a glossy chestnut ponytail studied him with obvious concern.

"S-So how is it, Alphie? Is it nice? I hope so. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out."

The girl, Lucca, had been Alphonse's friend since his arrival in Heimdallr about ten years before. A shy, nervous smile tugged at her lips as she continued to watch him. Alphonse felt a hot blush creep up his neck under her intense gaze, but he forced himself to eat. The beef stew she had made had a simple, yet comforting taste to it.

"Yeah," he assured her. "It's really good. You've really gotten the hang of this."

Lucca relaxed at his words, and with a few quick self-conscious glances at the rest of the tavern customers, she seated herself opposite to him. Her courage seemed spent after this gesture, though, and they sat in awkward silence for some time until she managed a hesitant, "H-How's work going these days?"

At the words "work" Alphonse's hand, which was carrying food to his mouth, instantly came to a halt. Despite the so-called Vampire Murders going on for quite some time, they had been unable to find a single clue to the culprit behind it all. The corpse of the woman from that afternoon flashed across his mind's eye, and the pleasant flavor of the stew died on his tongue.

So young...She must have had family, friends, perhaps even a partner, just like anyone else. She had had her whole life ahead of her, and yet that life had been brought to a sudden end--just like so many others before her. What the criminal had done was unforgivable, but the reprehensible nature of the crimes wasn't the only reason that Alphonse was obsessed with the case. Though, sadly for him, there was very little that he could do to solve it now that he had been removed from the investigation team.

Lucca's soft voice brought him back from his thoughts.

"Alphie, just...just don't go overdoing it, okay?"

Her kind words made Alphonse realize how tense his expression must have become. Her concern embarrassed him.

"I'm fine, honestly," he said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice.

Alphonse was a member of a unit of the Imperial Army popularly known as the Garrard Team, which was responsible for maintaining law and order in Heimdallr. Garrard, the team's commanding officer, had long cared for Alphonse like a father, and it was his recommendation that led Alphonse to join the army and become a member of the team. Since then, he lived in a dormitory near the army's guardhouse.

His meal at the tavern finished, he sketched Lucca a quick goodbye and took his usual route back towards the dormitory. An eerie red-colored moon hung full in the sky, bathing the brick buildings in a bewitching carmine glow. Walking along, Alphonse couldn't help but notice that the number of people on the streets at night was much smaller of late. Considering the culprit behind the Vampire Murders still hadn't been found, that was hardly surprising, though. And yet, despite the fact that barely anyone dared to take to the streets, new victims kept appearing one after another, as if to mock the soldiers who patrolled in the dead of night to keep them safe. The sense of fear in the city increased by the day, and was a deep unease shared by all, even the soldiers. Silently, he swore to himself yet again that he would stop at nothing to catch whoever was responsible and bring them to justice.

"...Hmm?"

Suddenly, Alphonse stopped in his tracks, his troubled thoughts interrupted by the sight of an unaccompanied woman walking ahead of him. The deep shadows blanketing the path made it difficult to be certain, but she seemed unsteady on her feet. To his further surprise, she then turned and disappeared down an even darker back alley.

Considering the ongoing Vampire Murders, it was hard to believe that anyone could be so careless. With a resolute air, Alphonse set about following the woman, determined to call out to her and try to prevent her from coming to any harm. He entered the back alley.

Gloom obscured all but the sharpest of angles. He squinted, willing his eyes to adjust. The soft outline of a woman's back took shape in the depths of the alley.

"Excuse me, miss, I'm not sure it's wise to be--"

Alphonse forgot what he was going to say. Something was wrong. Slowly, the woman turned to face him. Her head hung limply to the side, long hair masking her face. A hint of eyes could be seen through the wild locks, but they held no focus, no awareness. She opened her mouth and moaned.

Horrified by the disturbing figure before him, Alphonse froze. In an instant she was on him. Arms outstretched, she lunged and seized his neck in a crushing grip. Taken completely by surprise, he fell backwards, the weight of her pinning him down. Slowly, methodically, she began to squeeze.

"Gaaaah...?!" he croaked.

How could that seemingly lifeless woman be capable of such unnatural strength? No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pry her hands from around his windpipe. All his training, his youthful strength...none of it seemed to count for anything against those unyielding claws. Her fingers dug deeper still, and the already painful absence of air became indescribable agony.

From his low vantage point, Alphonse was able to see more of the woman's face now. It swam in and out of view of his oxygen-starved brain, but her pale flesh was almost luminous against the darkness of the night. Her lips were chapped and colorless. As she squeezed they began to part in a hungry leer, the edges splitting.

Dinner.

Although Alphonse could barely understand what was happening, his instincts knew exactly what the woman was about to do. He bucked and writhed desperately in her grip, but her hold was too great. Black began seeping into his vision. Even as he remembered the saber belted to his waist, he was too weak to draw it.

The blank-eyed woman thrust her face eagerly towards his neck, teeth bared and mouth yawning wide. Alphonse began to close his eyes. Death seemed his only choice. ...But just then, the world in his fading view exploded.

Red Moon Rose - Chapter 2: Vampire Hunter

Red Moon Rose Chapter 2 posted:

As the world blurred he caught a fleeting glimpse of a geometric shape pass before his eyes. It was the sole of a boot moving at incredible speed.

With a bone-crushing thud, the woman was thrown aside, and Alphonse's field of vision filled with the night sky. Free from the woman's grasping fingers, he coughed furiously, sucking in as much fresh air as his tortured throat could manage.

"Are you all right?" asked a clear voice beside him.

The source of it was a second woman, who he was certain had not been there moments ago. She wore a navy blue overcoat paired with a matching navy blue beret. Her ash-blond hair reached as far as her neck, and her features were dignified, though they still retained clear vestiges of childlike innocence. At a guess, she seemed to be roughly the same age as Alphonse himself.

Still busy processing the recent events, Alphonse made no reply to her query. The woman watched him for some time before coolly stating, "You appear to be mostly uninjured, at least. I'm glad to have arrived in time."

Seemingly satisfied he would survive, she turned away and studied the crumpled form of the woman who had attacked him.

"That," she said with a note of distaste, "is a ghoul--a thing a person becomes after their blood has been drained by a vampire."

As she spoke, she kicked her left boot against the ground. The tap-tap-tap seemed to punctuate each word. It appeared to be the boot that she had used to kick the woman--"ghoul"--away from him.

As he followed the restless drumming of her boot he suddenly thought, ...Vampire?

"I have no issue with you idling about, but I would prefer it if you stood aside before doing so. You are in my way."

Her words were sharp, but no sooner had she said them than a creaking sound filled the area. The ghoul, which had been motionless on the ground while they were talking, was now slowly rising. Its contorted body lifted from the cobblestones using only the power of its legs. It was a grotesque spectacle and utterly unnatural, and if the ghoul was bothered by the earlier blow, it showed no sign.

Without warning, the ghoul suddenly kicked at the ground like a wild beast and propelled itself towards them. Alphonse jerked to his feet and leaped forward to shield the blond woman...

The exact moment that the ghoul's nails reached Alphonse, the blond woman behind him calmly put her hand in her overcoat pocket. In one smooth motion she drew something out of it. It was a long, thin rapier. Its surface was a radiant silver polished to a mirror-like sheen that reflected the smoldering glow of the red moon. Without a moment's hesitation, she thrust the rapier forward. Its pointed end flew past his neck, piercing the ghoul's throat effortlessly.

With an equally smooth motion she withdrew the blade. The ghoul fell to the ground and didn't move again. The menacing aura it had been radiating dissipated into nothing.

Alphonse stood fixed to the spot, dumbfounded by what he had just witnessed. A small trickle of blood ran down his neck where the rapier had grazed it.

"I do believe that I told you to stand aside...I suppose you must not have heard me."

Sighing, she shook the ghoul's blood from her weapon before returning it to its scabbard.

"After all, if you had heard me and acted that way, regardless, I would be forced to conclude that you are most foolish, indeed."

Her blunt words and composed expression finally brought Alphonse back to his senses.

"I-I was just trying to keep you from getting hurt... But never mind that, what's going on here, anyway?! Who are you?! And why was that woman trying to--"

He had intended to finish his sentence with the words "eat me," but the possibility of what might have been was too terrifying to voice. What was clear to him was that the woman before him had saved his life, and stabbed the "ghoul" to do so. Looking at Alphonse's confused expression as he wrestled with the situation, she gave a resigned sigh.

"You appear to be a member of the military. I presume, then, that you are familiar with the so-called Vampire Murders?"

"Y-Yeah, of course."

"Well, then, if I were to tell you that those Vampire Murders really ARE the work of a vampire, would you believe me?"

Alphonse gaped at her. "...What?"

Without answering, she turned away from him and walked over to the ghoul. Gently, she lifted it from the ground so Alphonse could get a good look at the face. What had been a terrifying creature just moments ago was now a woman again. Her expression was completely peaceful--it was hard to believe she was the same woman who had attacked him earlier.

"Look closely here," the blond woman instructed.

She pointed at the corpse's neck. Specifically, at two red dots on its surface. They were completely consistent with the marks on all the other victims of the Vampire Murders.

"It certainly looks like a vampire bite, wouldn't you say?"

She said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Alphonse still looked puzzled, but she ignored him and continued.

"Humans who die as a result of having their blood sucked by vampires become ghouls, who then try to feast on other humans. This sword," she said, tapping the scabbard, "has been blessed by the church and is capable of putting them to rest."

Her words brought the bizarre spectacle he had just witnessed back to the front of his mind. While he was interested in the "church" part of her statement, he had more pressing questions to ask.

"...You're seriously saying that this was the work of a vampire? You really expect me to believe something so ridiculous?"

"Whether you choose to believe it or not, it is the truth. A very unfortunate truth, but the truth, nonetheless," she said in the same cool, disinterested tone.

Alphonse struggled with it. The "truth" as she presented it beggared belief. And yet...everything she said added up and seemed consistent. It was equally hard to believe that everything was a lie. He subconsciously touched his throat. The ache there only bolstered her position. He found himself willing to believe her.

"There is a vampire in this city. Of that I am certain. And I," she continued, placing a hand on her chest, "am here to put an end to it."

A period of silence followed. Undeterred, the woman began to talk again.

"...Still, this is not ordinarily a matter that laymen should be involved with, so I would recommend that you forget all that you have seen and heard here.

"...And I would prefer," she added with a meaningful glance, "if you kept all of this to yourself, as well." She turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Alphonse called after her. He swallowed, stood a little straighter. "Will you... Will you allow me to help you?"

The blond woman came to an abrupt halt. She turned her head to look at him. It was clear that his sudden question had caught her off guard. Slowly, she faced him completely.

"...Well, I certainly wasn't expecting you to propose something quite that ludicrous. What could I possibly stand to gain by allowing you to help me?" Her tone was as sharp as ever, but Alphonse was unfazed.

"Around ten years ago, both of my parents were killed. They died the exact same way as the victims of the Vampire Murders."

"...?!"

Shock showed through the woman's normally blank expression. Alphonse continued.

"I don't remember much about that day, but there's one thing that I can't forget. One thing that I'll NEVER be able to forget."

As he spoke, the memory returned vividly to him. Roughly ten years ago, Alphonse and his family had lived in a village in a remote region of the Empire. His father was a member of the army, serving in a unit stationed nearby, but it was an uneventful post, and they lived a quiet life. It was as normal and peaceful an existence as one could have until that fateful day when Alphonse returned from playing outside. It was then that he saw a site that would be burned into his memories, his dreams, forever. There in his home he found the corpses of his parents laying in a room stained with blood. Their bodies had been drained, and their necks were marked by strange bites.

The incident was so unpleasant and bizarre that even then, there were those who believed that it was the work of a vampire. The army conducted an investigation, but were unable to find any clues that would lead them to a suspect, and eventually the case was deemed unsolvable. Left with no living family, Alphonse was taken in by his father's best friend and fellow soldier in the army, Garrard, and ended up living in Heimdallr.

If what she was saying was true, and vampires really did exist, then maybe one WAS actually responsible for his parents' deaths. From the look on her face, it seemed she too thought that could be the case.

Alphonse shook his head, though it was more for himself.

"It doesn't really matter if it was the work of a vampire or not. I feel as though by solving this case, I'll finally be able to move on from what happened that day. That's why..."

Another long silence fell between them. The blond woman seemed to be deep in thought, and Alphonse waited patiently for her reply. Eventually, she let out a short sigh.

"...As part of the army, you have access to restricted information on the murders. Perhaps your assistance might allow me to find the vampire more quickly."

She put her hand inside her coat and took out a short sword with the same silvery glow as the rapier she had used earlier.

"This will allow you to fight against ghouls and vampires. If you'll be cooperating with me, I expect you to protect yourself."

Alphonse glanced at her face. Her expression clearly said that she wouldn't brook any nonsense. His resolve would need to be firm and unwavering, and he would need to be prepared to encounter more ghouls like the one from before. Furthermore, he would have to be ready to face the vampire that lurked in the city once and for all...

With a resolute air, he accepted the sword from her. "My name's Alphonse, but everyone just calls me Al."

The blond woman looked down at her now empty hand, and the corners of her lips quirked up slightly. She raised the edges of the skirt underneath her coat and gave him a respectful curtsy.

"My name is Rose. I imagine that our time together will be brief, but I look forward to working with you, nonetheless."

Red Moon Rose - Chapter 3: Foreboding

Red Moon Rose Chapter 3 posted:

The next morning, Alphonse found himself in his commanding officer's--Garrard's--office. He had come to request permission to independently investigate the Vampire Murders.

Garrard scratched his head before giving Alphonse a questioning look, his eyes filled with the kind of vitality one would expect from a much younger man.

"...You want to pursue that case all on your own?"

Alphonse cleared his throat nervously. He was well aware that what he was asking was completely unreasonable.

"Not on my own. A civilian has agreed to help me conduct my investigation. The two of us will be working together."

It sounded pretty weak to him, but Rose had been adamant that they keep the truth of the matter to themselves.

"It wouldn't be to the benefit of society for the existence of vampires to become widely known," she had insisted. "As such, try and arrange for us to be able to investigate the murders by ourselves, without interruption." Aside from a cool "Farewell for now," those had been her last words before disappearing into the night.

And what she said made sense. There was simply no way that Garrard would believe that vampires existed, even if it was his surrogate son trying to persuade him. After all, despite seeing a ghoul with his very own eyes, part of Alphonse still wanted to believe that it had all been a dream.

To compound the problem further, for reasons that Alphonse wasn't privy to, Rose seemed opposed to anything other than investigating the matter covertly. As such, her joining the team formed to officially investigate the murders was off the table. Alphonse was therefore left with no choice but to propose that the two of them investigate together in secret.

Alphonse was not surprised, then, to see Garrard's less-than-willing expression.

"Listen, Al. As your guardian, I've got a responsibility to look after you. That's why I want to raise you to be a fine soldier, and why I don't want you putting your life in danger for no good reason."

Alphonse flushed. He'd already been removed from the team investigating the murders, as well as taken off night patrol duty. Garrard was well aware of his fixation with the case. That was exactly why he was afraid that Alphonse might end up going too far in his attempts to solve it and get injured--or worse.

"Garrard...sir, I understand exactly what you're trying to say, and I appreciate your concern, but..."

"Hmm..."

Seeing Alphonse's determination, Garrard hesitated. The boy standing before him was calm with clear eyes. Where previously there had been recklessness, now purpose and resolve seemed to rule. After a lengthy silence, he let out a sigh of resignation.

"...You really do take after your father."

He smiled fondly, but quickly switched to his official, commanding officer voice.

"I expect you to give your utmost to successfully solving the mystery behind these murders. However, I will approve of this mission only on the condition that you report daily on the results of your investigation."

"Garr--"

Alphonse almost responded in his usual, casual tone, but caught himself just in time. He coughed, cleared his throat, and stood to attention. Garrard chuckled.

"Just be sure not to put yourself needlessly in danger, understood? And if anything happens, inform me immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

Alphonse gave a deep bow, grateful for his guardian's kindness.

<>

"I see that everything went well. That is good news."

The two of them were in the corner of the shopping district where the first victim of the Vampire Murders had been found. It was the middle of the day, but the alleyway in which they stood was gloomy and draped in shadows by the looming buildings that surrounded it. The second he had stepped into the narrow passageway, Rose had appeared out of nowhere just like the previous day.

Because the place where Alphonse had been attacked by the ghoul the previous night was currently under investigation by the Garrard Team, they thought it best to steer clear of it for the rest of the day. As such, they had decided to examine the scene of an earlier murder instead.

Unlike the previous night, Rose had neither her coat nor her sword with her. Instead, she wore a simple dress in the local style. Anyone seeing her for the first time wouldn't be able to tell that she was anything more than a perfectly ordinary girl.

According to Rose, neither vampires nor ghouls were able to operate in daylight and thus battle-ready wear was unnecessary. Everyday clothing also had the benefit of allaying suspicion by blending in, she said. It was fine logic in theory, but with Alphonse still garbed in his military uniform they made for an unusual pairing. As such, Alphonse couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when he realized how few people were in the surrounding area.

The scene of the first murder still had a solemn air about it. Alphonse set about scouring the area, and as he mused over the case details involving the victim, a question came to mind.

"Thinking about it...I never heard about any of the earlier victims turning into ghouls. Is that because you've been defeating them?"

Rose shook her head. "No, in previous cases I was able to purify the bodies with Thaumaturgy before they turned into ghouls. I would rather not harm the bodies of the deceased if I can help it."

Thaumaturgy, as Rose explained it, was the collective name for special techniques used by a small number of people belonging to the Septian Church. The power of Thaumaturgy was also apparently the reason why Rose's rapier and Alphonse's short sword were capable of defeating ghouls and vampires. Curious, Alphonse asked Rose if she was connected to the church, to which she responded, "Feel free to think of it that way."

He itched to probe her more on the subject, but she began explaining the particulars about ghouls, so he let it drop. Since the murders had started, it seemed that the time it took for a corpse to turn into a ghoul was decreasing with every kill. Alphonse's encounter with the ghoul the previous night was the first occasion that she had been unable to purify the victim in time. As such, she had been left with no choice but to fight.

"Still, that possibility was well within my expectations. It's not the first time it has happened, after all. That someone like yourself would appear and try to get involved certainly wasn't, however," Rose said with a giggle, causing Alphonse's ears to turn pink at the tips.

"A-Anyway..." he said, crouching down to inspect the ground level. "Have you managed to gather anything about the culprit from your previous investigations?"

Rose nodded. "Judging by the bite marks left on the victims, I believe that the vampire is likely male. Furthermore, despite victims being found all across the city, the bite marks look the same as one another. That suggests the work of a single vampire. Beyond that, however..."

Rose fell silent.

"Is something bothering you?" Alphonse said without thinking.

"...Yes, actually. It may be possible that the vampire lurking in the city is..."

She stopped mid-sentence. Her gaze was focused on something behind Alphonse. Turning around, he saw a young man in a military uniform much like himself. It was someone he knew.

"Elroy? What are you doing here...?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," the other man grumbled.

Elroy was a fellow member of the Garrard Team who had joined around the same time as Alphonse did. That combined with the two being roughly the same age, one might expect them to get along well, but in reality they usually ended up arguing about everything. It had been like that for almost as long as Alphonse had known him.

"I'd heard you'd formed a separate team to check up on the murders, but I had no idea that it was just a pretext to be meeting a woman during working hours," Elroy sneered.

Alphonse stifled his annoyance. At least it seemed as if the other man hadn't overheard their earlier conversation.

Clearing his throat, Alphonse said evenly, "She's a civilian who's assisting with my investigation, so knock it off. And you? What are you doing here?"

"Hmph. Nothing in particular, I just happened to be passing by. We've got to patrol a much wider area now thanks to all this 'vampire' nonsense."

Alphonse stood and gave him a cold look.

"Watch what you're saying. People in this area have lost family and friends because of these murders."

Elroy snorted and cast an uncaring glance at the spot where the first victim had been found.

"Hah. I mean, seriously? 'Vampire Murders'? We're supposed to be the Imperial army, not a bunch of country bracers. Are we seriously considering the possibility that fairy tale creatures like that exist? And besides, what kind of idiot goes out at night when there's a serial killer on the loose? They were asking for it, if you ask me. People need to stay in their drat homes and stop making more work for us."

"You son of a...!"

Enraged by the sheer callousness of Elroy's words, Alphonse started towards him...or tried to, rather. Strong, unyielding fingers held him by the arm.

Completely expressionless, and without so much as a glance to Elroy, Rose whispered, "Arguing with him serves no purpose. That time would be better spent investigating."

She spoke calmly, but her words were sharp and dismissive. What she said was right, though, and hearing it was enough for Alphonse to cool his temper. As she said, they had more important things to be doing. He had sworn that he would solve these murders and put the past behind him, and that needed to be his foremost priority. He took a deep breath to regain his composure. The reassuring weight of the silver sword hidden in his uniform further reminded him of what he needed to do.

Watching them, Elroy gave a bored, derisive laugh.

"Oh, and 'civilian helper' or whatever you are, don't you go wandering around at night, either. The last thing the army needs is more dead bodies to clear up." And with a mocking wave, he left them.

<>

After their inspection of the first crime scene, Alphonse and Rose spent the remainder of the day scrutinizing the scenes of the second and third murders, but in the end their search yielded no fruit. After reporting their progress to Garrard, he made his way to the Alegria where he had promised to meet Rose to discuss how they would proceed with their investigation.

The city around him was bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun when Alphonse finally stepped into the sparsely populated tavern. He found Rose sitting at a table near one of the windows. Once again she was wearing the navy coat from their first meeting. It seemed safe to assume that the rapier she used that night was inside it, too.

"Evening," she called out to him. "I was expecting you to be here sooner."

Alphonse didn't reply. He was too busy staring at the girl sitting opposite her.

"What's wrong, Lucca?"

Lucca turned at the sound of her name, eyes so wide and moist that tears threatened to fall at any moment.

"A-Alphie! Just what is this woman to you?!"

"Wh-What?"

Perplexed, he looked over in Rose's direction as if seeking an explanation. Rose favored him with a bland expression.

"All I did was walk into this tavern and state, 'I would like an out-of-the-way table to discuss the future with Al,' and she has been pressing me with endless questions ever since."

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders as if she understood the situation no better than Alphonse did. Seeing this, he let out an even greater sigh.

Before Lucca could launch into another interrogation, Alphonse set about explaining Rose's role as a civilian helper aiding an army investigation, and after several reassurances, he was eventually able to clear up the misunderstanding. Lucca's relief seemed to fill her with renewed energy. Cheerfully, she bounded up from their table and made her way into the back of the tavern again. With her departure, so too left the gazes of the other curious and amused patrons. Rose and Alphonse bent to discussing their investigation.

Vampires, Rose elaborated, were only able to use their powers at night. During the day, they were no different from ordinary humans. Unfortunately, this meant that even if they were to encounter one, neither of them would be able to tell. If they hoped to end the murders, they would first need to find some kind of clue to the vampire's true identity.

At one point during the conversation, Alphonse went pale at the thought that they might have to exhume the corpses of previous victims in order to reinvestigate them, but Rose assured him that would not be necessary. To his great relief, she had already checked them thoroughly for clues. Even that gruesome task had yielded little more information than the similarities between the bite marks, though.

Their vampire foe was a cunning one. The number of bodies and the lack of clues all pointed towards a careful killer who more than likely was living right there among them as an ordinary human.

After working their way through the simple meal that Lucca brought them, Rose casually glanced over to the back of the tavern.

"You seem rather close to that girl," she murmured.

It took a few moments for Alphonse to realize who Rose was referring to.

"Yeah...I suppose you could say that. I've known her for ten years now, after all."

He had first met Lucca when he was brought to Heimdallr by Garrard. Initially, he had stayed in a house near the tavern, and being brought by it often, the two of them quickly became friends. As an orphan, Lucca's support over the years meant more to him than words could express.

Telling Rose all of this, Alphonse could feel his cheeks heating. He began fidgeting awkwardly.

"...I'm a little envious," Rose said.

As she spoke, Alphonse noticed a change in her expression and tone. Usually, she said things sharply or with an air of cool detachment. Her face also rarely betrayed her inner thoughts. Now, though, he thought he caught a hint of loneliness. Unable to let this pass unnoticed, Alphonse opened his mouth to comment.

Suddenly, Rose jumped out of her seat. Her chair fell to the ground with a crash. Once again the two of them became the subject of a room full of gazes, but she paid that fact no mind and stared out of the window, her eyes opened wide.

"Wh-What is it? What's wrong?" Alphonse whispered loudly.

"It's nearby. I can sense it."

"It? What do you mean?!"

"The vampire!" she hissed.

No sooner had she said it, she raced over to the tavern's owner, who was busy at the back of the building. Alphonse chased after her. He had never seen her in such a panicked state before.

"Where is the young lady who was here earlier?!" Rose asked the puzzled tavern owner, who didn't appear to have any idea who she was referring to. It was then that Alphonse realized that he didn't see Lucca anywhere--and hadn't seen her since she brought them her food a half hour before. After telling this to the owner, he finally seemed to realize what he was being asked.

"Now that you mention it, I would have expected her to be back by now. I asked her to run an errand over at the grocery store opposite here."

Alphonse and Rose exchanged a glance and instantly understood what the other was thinking. Overcome with a sense of great foreboding, the two of them rushed out of the shop without saying a word.

# ? Feb 18, 2019 14:14

Stabbey_the_Clown: Sep 21, 2002; Are... are you quite sure you really want to say that?; Taco Defender

That was a good choice of music. A word of warning though, it may not be a good idea to look up Cold Steel music, there could be spoilers in either the title or images for certain things. If you want, I could find you some good choices of light reading music which are spoiler-free and pass those along.

# ? Feb 18, 2019 19:45

claw game handjob: Mar 27, 2007; pinch pinch scrape pinch
ow ow fuck it's caught
i'm bleeding
JESUS TURN IT OFF
WHY ARE YOU STILL SMILING

Stabbey_the_Clown posted:

That was a good choice of music. A word of warning though, it may not be a good idea to look up Cold Steel music, there could be spoilers in either the title or images for certain things. If you want, I could find you some good choices of light reading music which are spoiler-free and pass those along.

Don't worry, I've got this covered since I already bought the album. :v:

# ? Feb 18, 2019 23:30

Level 1 Thief: Dec 17, 2007; I'm busy, and I'm having fun.

17. Feels Like Just Yesterday

We finally return to school for a chance to catch up with the rest of the class! Well, mostly just Gaius. Jusis and Machias both harrumph a lot, Fie's napping and Emma's trying her wise old sage act with mixed results.

Stabbey_the_Clown posted:

That was a good choice of music. A word of warning though, it may not be a good idea to look up Cold Steel music, there could be spoilers in either the title or images for certain things. If you want, I could find you some good choices of light reading music which are spoiler-free and pass those along.

I'll keep that in mind, but I'm not too worried about it to be honest. I haven't ventured too far besides like putting an occasional album on shuffle in Spotify where I'm not looking at it anyway. It's also not going to be entirely Cold Steel songs, though it should all be thematically appropriate (make of that what you will).

Level 1 Thief fucked around with this message at 12:32 on Feb 22, 2019

# ? Feb 22, 2019 11:52

Stabbey_the_Clown: Sep 21, 2002; Are... are you quite sure you really want to say that?; Taco Defender

- You went back to get the �part of a set� item, so you should probably also fish (offscreen if you want). Fishing points can be spent to buy a complete set, the easiest set to get. That set will be needed the same place as the other sets.
- You�ll also want to do some cooking. You used a Stimulant to cure Faint, but all those items do is cure a status. Many food items can both cure a status and heal so you won't have to choose between healing and curing a status. Some foods also offer stat buffs.
- Later on you can use food in creative ways. One trick I sometimes use is to eat a �one-turn� boost to STR (or ATS) when I have 200 CP, and then unleash an immediate +50% damage S-Craft without having to lose CP with a Motivate.

- Yeah, they said "gravity manipulation". It's Falcom's hand-wave to justify how those giant unaerodynamic bricks of airships can stay in the air.
- If you answer Orbal Arts, Neithardt says that those are really more of just another tool in a soldier's arsenal.
- Later games do imply that the girls also get computer science (no word on whether the boys also get cooking).
- "If I go to the salon, can I do that sparkle thing?" :laffo:

I really like your commentary.
- Because you're not on a NG+, you'll have to suss out a few of the questions blindly, but you can boost your score if you're diligent. Midterms are many videos away, though.
- It is kinda silly how weeks pass after a field study and yet apparently no one gets around to discussing those things because everything has to happen on-screen. It happens a few more times too.
- Yay, you're starting to talk to all NPC's twice. Pretty much everyone with a name has at least a second line of dialogue after talking to them once. There's even one hidden quest in this game that only shows up if you talk to an NPC twice. (It's in Chapter three.)
- The great thing about these games is that most NPC's get mini-mini story arcs. I think every named student at Trista gets involved in at least one quest.
- Yep, Thomas and Lottie give rewards after every 5 things you give them, but you do need to have at least one on hand to hand over. All dishes have a Unique and Peculiar variant.
- I think the Medal of Friendship is "get a bunch of character notes". Those are acquired just from talking to students/staff and sometimes through bonding events.
- Mint's clumsiness is legendary. She's one of the better NPC's to keep track of.

Stabbey_the_Clown fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Feb 22, 2019

# ? Feb 22, 2019 14:57

Stabbey_the_Clown: Sep 21, 2002; Are... are you quite sure you really want to say that?; Taco Defender

Am I killing all possible discussion? Do my posts have too many things so that no one else feels like they can contribute anything to the conversation? Should I greatly reduce the amount of things I comment on?

# ? Feb 23, 2019 13:59

FrantzX: Jan 28, 2007

You are comprehensive, but I don't think that's a problem. I think that the biggest thing killing comments is the fact that there was a failed LP of this game and most people watching this LP were also watching that LP. Comments are likely going to be low until we catch up.

# ? Feb 23, 2019 20:33

NGDBSS: Dec 30, 2009

That said, I eagerly await the LP's reactions to an upcoming scene and its musical sting. :allears:

When they reach it they'll know.

# ? Feb 24, 2019 00:07

Level 1 Thief: Dec 17, 2007; I'm busy, and I'm having fun.

No idea how much overlap there is with the other LP but for whatever reason (probably my own fault, I'm bad at following up on forum threads) my threads have never attracted a lot in the way of comments even when everything's going totally smoothly. Views on these videos have been really steady so I assume it's all fine :shrug:

Level 1 Thief fucked around with this message at 13:44 on Feb 24, 2019

# ? Feb 24, 2019 13:34

Dawgstar: Jul 15, 2017

For what it's worth, I'm following along and enjoying it, but I've only played the game once and generally don't have a lot to comment on besides something like "I thought Fie was really funny here."

# ? Feb 24, 2019 15:59

Erpy: Jan 30, 2015; (insert title here)

- The flight field thing is Trails' justification for a lot of stuff. It allows bulky vehicles to glide through the air without issues, it allows passengers to get on deck without getting blown off and since (in case of engine failure) it dissipates gradually crashes are more survivable too unless you're really, really high in the air and are going very, very fast.

- I love how Jusis likes to addres Patrick as "the third son of the Hyarms family", kind of rubbing in the fact he's not even the main heir to his father's position. Nobody is better at being a casual dick to people than Jusis. XD

- Since you've already figured out Alisa's identity, you should be able to determine what's weighing on her mind since the end of the last field trip.

- Being able to tell what ingredients are used in a meal by tasting it isn't special in Zemuria. Everyone could do it in Sky.

- Naw, given what he has to put up with, Instructor Makarov has definitely earned the right to badmouth Mint every once in a while. (which he fully makes use of throughout the game and it's glorious) Like Stabbey said, Mint is great. As time goes on her antics slowly start stretching the laws of probability before they start violating the laws of physics, just because.

- Well, most people "like" Sara, but nobody seems to respect Sara's teaching qualities and that includes her students. Just wait until Fie starts getting more screentime.

- You'll eventually get a rough estimate of where Jurai SEZ is. Just keep the name in mind since it'll pop up later in the game.

Stabbey_the_Clown posted:

Am I killing all possible discussion? Do my posts have too many things so that no one else feels like they can contribute anything to the conversation? Should I greatly reduce the amount of things I comment on?

Naw, I don't think that's it. The "Talking to everyone"-style of playing is an acquired taste and I imagine those who aren't overly invested in the NPCs might not feel like commenting on episodes where the LPers just talk to and comment on everyone.

# ? Feb 24, 2019 20:03

Level 1 Thief: Dec 17, 2007; I'm busy, and I'm having fun.

18. Sidequest Club: Brain Sage

Crow ~~Armstrong~~Armbrust continues his reign of terror.

# ? Feb 26, 2019 02:15

Cyouni: Sep 30, 2014; without love it cannot be seen

I like your new avatar.

(I'll comment on the video later.)

# ? Feb 26, 2019 06:03

NGDBSS: Dec 30, 2009

At some point you two need to start archiving all your crazy speculation to see how wildly off track most of it gets. And to see which parts actually landed by blind chance.

# ? Feb 26, 2019 08:31

claw game handjob: Mar 27, 2007; pinch pinch scrape pinch
ow ow fuck it's caught
i'm bleeding
JESUS TURN IT OFF
WHY ARE YOU STILL SMILING

NGDBSS posted:

At some point you two need to start archiving all your crazy speculation to see how wildly off track most of it gets. And to see which parts actually landed by blind chance.

Good news, there's some of that poo poo in the video we just recorded!

# ? Feb 26, 2019 10:51

Stabbey_the_Clown: Sep 21, 2002; Are... are you quite sure you really want to say that?; Taco Defender

- Wow, I can't believe you blew that gimmie of a free AP point. Or that you blew it twice.
- Once you've faced death together with someone on a field study, you're free to just walk into their room if they're in.
- Elliot's Wind Orchestra concert he mentioned is probably his most interesting free time event. By that I mean most of his others aren't worth seeing with a limited bonding point supply.
- Becky was working part-time at the boutique, that's what she meant by raking in the dough from part-time jobs.
- Ugh, please no kitty ears. If nothing else, it's a terrible use of tedious-to-acquire U-Material.
- I think the idea behind the bonding-point books isn't that they don't know those things, but that it lets Rean talk to them about one of their interests (off-screen).
- Groundbait refreshes an empty fishing spot with three more attempts. You can't use it until the spot is depleted.

# ? Feb 26, 2019 14:47

Erpy: Jan 30, 2015; (insert title here)

You missed some AP when you failed to figure out Crow's trick the first time.

Angelica's line about enlisting Rean's help contained no innuendo whatsoever since Rean isn't her type. You learned who IS her type during that cutscene just before Class VII went into the old schoolhouse for the first time during the prologue. The answer: everything with ovaries.

You can't buy Mishi Plushes. The only way to get one is to play a mini-game in the final chapter together with a male character. (if it's with a female character, Rean gives the plush away)

Radio Trista isn't the only radio station in the country, actually. Just the only one the playable cast listens to. Two others will get name-dropped later on in the game.

The joke is that Crow's deliberately losing as an excuse to pass around candy.

Regarding Fie, it's worth remembering she's 15, much younger than most of the other members of Class VII. Also, the game all but states that Fie is severely lacking in even the basic Sunday School department other students take for granted. So Emma's appraisal of Fie's academics isn't really meant as an insult.

# ? Feb 26, 2019 15:59

BearDrivingTruck: Oct 15, 2011; You see the most shocking sights sometimes

Erpy posted:

Regarding Fie, it's worth remembering she's 15, much younger than most of the other members of Class VII. Also, the game all but states that Fie is severely lacking in even the basic Sunday School department other students take for granted. So Emma's appraisal of Fie's academics isn't really meant as an insult.

And even then, it's more a matter of what she knows at the moment and a bit of apathy, since (I'm putting this in spoilers even though it has literally zero plot relevance) while she doesn't rank very high on the midterms next chapter, she still beats out a good handful of named NPCs who are the usual age for a Thors student).

# ? Feb 26, 2019 16:55

Level 1 Thief: Dec 17, 2007; I'm busy, and I'm having fun.

19. Sidequest Club: Booked Solid

OBS Studio updated with a few more options, and one of them (hook rate) helped a lot with whatever Cold Steel's been doing to it. The framerate should be a lot better now! As a consequence Windows decided to set my mic volume to max without warning so I'm clipping pretty badly at a bunch of spots in this one. It's on the list of things to check now.

Update schedule's gonna be "when it's done" for a bit, sorry. I'm hoping to get it back(?) to a predictable 2 a week before too much longer.

Level 1 Thief fucked around with this message at 11:16 on Mar 11, 2019

# ? Mar 11, 2019 08:09

Erpy: Jan 30, 2015; (insert title here)

"Grumpy, but usually right" isn't too far off with Loggins. He's kinda like Agate; a former delinquent who got put back on track after having the crap beaten out of him by someone wiser but still clings to his tough-guy image because he gets embarrassed acting like a softy.

Fishing after the schoolhouse doesn't change anything. The fish in the pond update based on chapter, not on the time of day.

Angelica's as subtle as you'd expect from a chick who wears a biker suit in class while everyone else's forced to wear school uniforms. And the fact that the orbal bike is kind of unique (it's not one-of-a-kind in the world, but it's not commercially available either at this point) is no impediment to forming an official club (which it is) since it just allows her to invite others (as long as they have ovaries) to share the bike with her during the ride.

10:40 ;"And he knows it." Yes, yes he does.

The reason the vice principal hates Sara and Makarov gets off scot-free is because Sara flaunts her terribleness for everyone to see while Makarov's more subtle about it. XD (both are actually ridiculously competent in their chosen fields)

Insight status is nothing to sniff at. The 10% unbalance bonus is nice, but the real kicker is the flat 50% boost it gives to evasion. As the game goes on, evasion becomes a much more reliable way to keep characters alive than defensive buffs.

Finishing Blow is guaranteed to trigger if its damage would finish off the opponent. Otherwise, it's not used.

I believe you can actually hold down the run button in order to climb ladders faster. (and there's always Turbo mode)

Little tip for the Zero arts turn bonus if you have a party with more than 4 members: if the turn bonus lands on a party member with crappy arts you can switch another character in on that turn and have them let it rip with a free art. Or you can tag out an art user before the turn bonus and then tag them back in on the turn bonus. This is most useful in the sequel where certain arts drain your entire EP pool in one go, but it's still handy in this game too where higher level arts are extremely costly. (you can use the same trick for critical turns if you want a battle quote with a specific member)

Instead of focussing down sealed/sleeping enemies and letting their buddies get a hit in, it's better to just leave them be and focus on the ones that aren't out of the fight for several rounds.

The boss at the end of this dungeon becomes a lot easier if you level Rean to 15 before fighting it since it'll allow you to perform the "Lock enemies down with Rean until they die"-strategy that's so popular with folks playing this game. Or at least allow you to get some breathing space if you need it.

# ? Mar 11, 2019 14:37

Stabbey_the_Clown: Sep 21, 2002; Are... are you quite sure you really want to say that?; Taco Defender

It's fine, life stuff comes first. I didn't notice any significant audio problems either.

- Ferris already took a dislike to Alisa from the start, but it would be worse if she knew who Alisa's family was.
- "Constant practice at swimming without rest can kill you." ... :allears:

- Waiting until after finishing the schoolhouse doesn't change anything about the fishing, but it will help give Rean back some CP if he used it up on the boss, so it's not a bad idea, with the practical exam coming immediately after.
- On a clean playthrough, it can be a struggle to get enough sepith to open up everyone's slots, so you need to prioritize. For a blind playthrough, it's not always obvious who will be on your party for the next field study, so you don't want to go overboard unlocking slots on people during a free day and then discover that THEY won't be with you, but Locky McAllSlotsLocked will be.
- I would wait until the next field study where Laura is a member before opening up her last slot, she has a lot open already.
- The game has actually already given you a hint about why Crow, Towa, George and Angelica know each other, but that was quite a while ago, and it's easy to overlook.
- This game actually explains what "dessins" are later. Well, in an optional event.
- Your idea to get Rean up to 200 CP for the S-Break on a critical turn was a good plan. On your second stab at it, the enemy was sealed though, and the AI ended their turns quickly.

Erpy posted:

The boss at the end of this dungeon becomes a lot easier if you level Rean to 15 before fighting it since it'll allow you to perform the "Lock enemies down with Rean until they die"-strategy that's so popular with folks playing this game. Or at least allow you to get some breathing space if you need it.

On my first playthrough, I overlevelled and Rean was level 15 before the Chapter 1 boss. I didn't use it there, but the strategy you mentioned is REALLY effective on the Chapter 2 boss.

Stabbey_the_Clown fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Mar 11, 2019

# ? Mar 11, 2019 16:28

Ubiquitous_: Nov 20, 2013; by Reene

I picked up the PS4 remaster thanks to this LP. The Turbo Mode makes a lot of the tedium of the game very bearable. Digging the music and gameplay improvements on Trails in the Sky.

Side note: DO NOT fish in Turbo Mode. It makes that minigame way harder.

# ? Apr 24, 2019 18:24

Level 1 Thief: Dec 17, 2007; I'm busy, and I'm having fun.

We're back! I hope you're excited to fight ... this ... thing ...

20. Sidequest Club: Prank'd
- F2. Ch.2 Bonding Event Wrap-Up

After another excursion into the monster pit, Rean looks to have a nice, relaxing evening -- but of course, you should never let your guard down at anime school.

Never say never, but I think we're back for real! This video was actually recorded at the same time as 19, and the friendship wrap-up considerably after. Since then we've gotten a solid backlog again and I made some significant audio editing improvements. I'm feeling a lot better about the whole thing now, so please enjoy!

# ? May 3, 2019 08:55

claw game handjob: Mar 27, 2007; pinch pinch scrape pinch
ow ow fuck it's caught
i'm bleeding
JESUS TURN IT OFF
WHY ARE YOU STILL SMILING

Get ready to hear me start referring to all sorts of other freak-on-a-leash JRPGs than just "hey so Lightning Returns" over and over!

# ? May 3, 2019 09:07

FrantzX: Jan 28, 2007

I'm glad to see this continuing.

# ? May 3, 2019 22:04

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# ? Apr 27, 2024 14:21

Admiral H. Curtiss: May 11, 2010; I think there are a bunch of people who can create trailing images. I know some who could do this as if they were just going out for a stroll.

I think you also missed talking to the people in the book club side of the student union building.

And yeah, nice to see this return.

# ? May 4, 2019 01:44

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel - Class Warfare

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