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Thuryl posted:The thing to keep in mind about Tamamo is however cute she might be, she's a monster trying to act like a human. Extra sometimes let you forget that. Extella doesn't. Servants have D&D alignments given. Nero is Chaotic Good. Tanamo? Neutral Evil. She's only on the "good guys" side because Hakunon is basically a good person. Sylphid posted:
I'm 90% sure this is a reference to an event in CCC. You see, in the Nasuverse Tamamo no Mae wasn't just a random monster, she was actually a part of Amaterasu split off from her to experience life among humans.  Well, in CCC when doing something to probe Tamamo Amaterasu notices this, somehow, and pulls Hakunon back through time to see what's up with this random human messing with a part of her. This is similar to the the line she says as her introduction. Yes, Nasu's played Dark Souls. Dr Pepper fucked around with this message at 23:08 on Jul 22, 2017 |
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Jul 22, 2017 22:56
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Dr Pepper posted:Servants have D&D alignments given. Nero is Chaotic Good. She is also very good at lying if she thinks it will get her what she wants though also bad at lying if she want the truth out quote:
Though Amaterasu is scarily strong and might be type SOL All she does to Hakuno is pull them into a dream visit to her mausoleum because trying to go there in person is fatal
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Jul 23, 2017 19:20
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Thuryl posted:I'd personally say she gets an even better showing in Extella than Extra; I found that her actual interactions with Hakuno during Extra could be a bit one-note despite an interesting backstory, while in Extella she displays more complexity. With the first update of Tamamo's route, I'm definitely hooked. She's always been more interesting and complex than Nero, and I'm glad to see that's true here. It's kind of funny how they're justifying Extella's backstory in an Extra route that never seemed to happen, though.
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Jul 23, 2017 21:08
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Sakura Here's a title screen I've never seen before, just from starting Orchid Words but not actually unlocking any of her lieutenants in the Side-Story menu. We'll come back to this later.  Before we begin her first stage, I should mention Tamamo is *really* weak, offensively. While she's decently nimble, her actual attacking power leaves more than a little to be desired. So, I would suggest raising her Bond Level to at least 2, and getting two open slots. One for Moon Crux attack, and one for regular. We need to compensate for her weakness, after all. Also, while it probably is not necessary on Medium, if you're going into Tamamo's Tale on Hard, I would highly recommend you run a few decently easy Free Battles (I used Flame Poem Stage 2) to level her up a bit. An absolutely miserable experience awaits if you're going in vanilla.  Orchid Words Stage 1  This is unexpected. I'd agreed to enter the battle, but I didn't think Caster would plan to rush right in on her own. I have to ask her to hold back. Caster is Caster. She shouldn't fight toe to toe. She's not that kind of Servant. She should stay in the castle anyway. As the ruler, she should just send her Servants into battle in her place. And she hasn't even mentioned the possibility of parleying with the enemy. She told me about the Regalia on our way here. It's the Royal Authority of SE.RA.PH, handed down by the Moon Cell. I don't mind it resting on Caster's hand. After all, nothing is impossible. But the enemy's in a whole different position. How could someone retaliate against the Sovereign of SE.RA.PH, who owns the Regalia? We should find that out before we charge off into battle... Umm, honey? Are you serious when you say that? Ooh... Our very first date since you've woken up, and THAT'S what comes out of your mouth. Tamamo is a little shocked, to be honest. You might say I'm Tamamortified! "Tamamortified". That's...something, all right. When she gets excited, she's quick with a joke, but they've not always good ones. She should stop and take a breath. Now that I think about it, is she...really thinking about conquering all of SE.RA.PH? By force? By defeating all resistance? Umm... Is she right in the head? Are you QUESTIONING me, to my FACE? I know I can SOUND foolish, but I HAVE thought this through. Now apologize! I HOPE she's thought it through. I have more to say, but we should definitely withdraw to the throne room first. The enemy is an Assassin Servant. If we come into direct combat, she'll be at a disadvantage. As a Master, her well-being is my responsibility... ...Oooh, Master. So sharp, so mindful, so charming. But...that's a different story. If you can't be reasonable about this, then...I will have no other option than to...yes, force you to stay by my side. ...Ohoho. Now then, right this way.★ ...What?  Maybe Elizabeth was on to something... Ohohoho...!! WHAT IS THIS...?! Can you hear me, Master? You're there, aren't you, inside my Regalia? ...I can hear Caster's voice. No, I can see her too. I can even feel the warmth from her body. Was I...sucked into her ring somehow? ...Now do you see it my way? Be a dear, stay right there and witness your wife at work. ★ Ohoho... I can feel...I can feel your breathing! Now we are one. Even on a dangerous battlefield, you won't get a scratch. Hmm, I knew this could be done, but now that I've done it, it's...quite nice, don't you think? My dearest, right by my side. Wrapped right around my finger. Ahh... I'll never let you go... Let's continue to caress each other like this forever. ♪ This is a strange feeling. It's not suffocating or cramped, but... Yes, it's fitting perfectly. Snug and secure. It's as if... I'm holding her hand, so tightly... Yes, yes. It's so much warmer than holding hands any other way... It feels like we're clasped close together, in secret... Now then, Master. Let us go forth, hand in hand. ♪   So welcome to the first stage of Orchid Words. We've got two of Nero's generals to deal with at the moment, Gawain and Nameless. My advice...  Ignore the concert area, as Elizabeth gets serious when it comes to having a concert hall. We can leave this place to her.    Nobody saw that, right? Well, good, it'll allow me to explain how the Command Spells work.  In the hypothetical event I were to get nuked and lose all my health in one shot, you have a few options. You can use one Command Spell / Seal to revive a Servant back to full health, as if nothing had happened. You can also use all three Spells at the same time to raise your Servant's life / EM gauge to their maximum (which is a considerable increase at level 15), for, let's say, about 5 minutes. You can access this option at any time by pausing the in-game action with the Options button and selecting the option. Be advised, however. If you choose this, and then lose all your health at a later point, that's defeat for you. Finally, if you've reached this screen via defeat, rather than just pressing a button, you can also choose to withdraw if things are going poorly. Hm...    Now, if you want my advice, I would advise going after Gawain first. Nameless is really dangerous, what with fast movement, attack, and ranged attacks that do a ton of damage. Gawain is much simpler. He may be a bit more powerful, but he's also considerably slower and has no ranged attacks. Tamamo can take much more advantage of her mobility and speed in a fight against him.  Tamamo has a few attacks at this point, that you're going to be using a lot of, since her normal attacks are really weak. S T is a silly, yet effective, clawing attack. This is her bread and butter attack. Tamamo moves while doing it, it's decently powerful, and comes out quickly.  Gawain's chivalric nature shines through, no matter what the battlefield. Good to know. More importantly, you're going to want to use this attack a fair bit, as Tamamo's use of the Regalia is going to be your major offensive weapon. To do that, obviously we need to find attacks capable of building it up quickly. This flamethrower attack is your ticket. S S T will bring it out, and you can rotate Tamamo around to catch enemies all around you. If you get lucky, a single use of this will build up the Moon Crux gauge like 20%, and it does a good job of keeping enemies away from you, as you cannot move at all while throwing this attack out.  As far as the Knight of Midheaven is concerned, he's still plenty dangerous. Most of his attacks hit really hard, and doesn't leave himself open a whole bunch for counterattacks. Your best bet is blocking his punishing combos, then taking advantage of his cooldown time to launch an attack of your own.  ...Maybe next time, Elizabeth. Stay focused, please. Look, the enemy's Regime Matrix is almost complete. Time to stop playing around...       Tamamo's Regalia is, to put it simply, quite over-powered. While Nero's was decent, the Regalia is like 90% of Tamamo's offensive ability.   She just throws out powerful projectile attacks like crazy, that are also poisoned, and because they're Regalia-based attacks, they pretty much always stagger.  Like when we fought her as Nero, just pressing T with Tamamo will cause her to pirouette and have her rabbit foot keychain-thing fire a bunch of poisoned projectiles all around her. Not only is it *quite* effective against single-targets, she can mow down mobs without a second thought. This is why you try to buff her Moon Crux attack as much as possible. It really, *really* hurts.  One of the things I find endlessly funny about Elizabeth is absolutely no one likes her. Everyone complains about her singing, doesn't like her personality, and / or finds her completely useless. But in spite of that, she always keeps going, with the love of her fans, both in-game and out. She's a saint.  Plants make an especially juicy target for the flamethrower move. Just make sure they're not at their "moving around" phase, and you'll do a ton of damage and get plenty of progress on your Moon Crux meter.  Tamamo's S S S T move is to throw a bunch of magical energy or something in a circle, and launch enemies near her into a tornado and throw them away. In spite of my description, it's not that effective an attack, since it doesn't do much damage and only has one hit in it. It's decent if you're surrounded, but generally doesn't have much utility.   But now we've gotta settle things with Nameless.  Now, hypothetically, if I wasn't wrecking his poo poo, I would be reiterating that Nameless is fast, decently powerful, and has projectile attacks that hurt a whole bunch. One thing I should also mention is AI oponents can pull off powerful combo moves out of their hat. Yeah, for example, if you were playing as Nameless, you'd have to press S S S S S T to fire his super-powerful explosive arrow. As an AI opponent, though, he can use it whenever. My advice for fighting him would be to keep the pressure up on him, and don't back off, except during his Moon Drive. His opening attacks are quick enough that you'll frequently lose match-ups against him, and losing those means being on the receiving end of a powerful combo. After defeating both of Nero's generals, however, the rest of the fight turned into a protracted mop-up operation. Note that, even if the game says to destroy the enemy Plants, you don't have to. You just have to complete the Regime Matrix. Other than that, nothing worthy of talk until the boss showed up, so...    So finally, Li Shuwen has appeared. As you might expect from a guy who is not armed with anything, he doesn't have a weapon, and he doesn't have any long-ranged attacks. However, he is a pretty fast attacker, and, while not overly powerful, he is a pretty quick combomeister. Oh yeah, and one thing not usually appreciated about Tamamo: she has a hell of a kicking leg. Chun-Li would be proud. As always, a good strategy is to wait until the AI exhausts a combo, then counterattack. Just beware of projectile goons who can stagger you. Nothing worse than gearing up for an attack,then getting staggered and hit with a counterattack from the guy you were guarding against. Overall, the most dangerous part about him is the sudden burst of speed he'll get from some of his moves. You can start running in while he's attacking, then all of a sudden one of his moves will take up further ahead than you thought he'd end up, and end up getting punished that way.  But Demon Fist or no, none can stand against a dancing fox demon.  Now that's a splendid date, indeed. Side Missions were 3/5, which is unacceptable.  Battle with an empress Thus the insolent Assassin falls, and peace reigns over the Empire. What a beautiful ending! Did you witness it from within, my love? My power? *nod* I witnessed every moment of it. A physically fragile Caster single-handedly fought an Assassin - and won. No wonder they say the Regalia rules over SE.RA.PH. Its power is no joke. No, no. Don't misunderstand. This is OUR power, yours AND mine. If we stay together, we have nothing to fear. Now please go ahead touching me, Master. Wrap yourself around me some more. Deeper and hotter... As if you're going to melt... Or if you want, you can tie me up with some straw rope. ★ Tie up Caster...I don't know if I COULD do that, but sometimes I have might have to. When I synced up with the Regalia, on top of being locked away, I could actually feel wrapping around Caster with my own consciousness. We really were as one. The more I think of wanting to protect her, the more her defensive power increases.Hm, Hakuno is bold as always. She really does enable Caster. Ohoho, you're kind as usual, my beloved. ★ Whereas I'm a bit strict. It's the perfect combination, really. You're the heart and I'm the fist. Between us both, we can govern all of SE.RA.PH. And the peace we build will last forever. ♪ No matter how many times I hear that, it always piques my interest. Does that mean you'll refrain from unleashing your full wrath, then? Oh, were you listening in...? A Servant who brazenly assumes she's an Emperor. But your oppression ends here. Forgive my presumption, but i have come to read your last rites. Here in your "Millennium Capital", full of poison and demons, no flowers dare to bloom. Know that none would ever applaud your reign. I am the Servant, Saber. I have descended from on high to stop your atrocities! Ha!It would seem our favorite Roman Emperor is no fan of Heian period architecture. Interesting. ...How futile. Saber...? I've seen her before... Her appearance is unmistakable. She's the other Servant I fought alongside in the Holy Grail War...! What? You remember that clearly, do you? I should give my ring a little pinch. But what if she is? She is just another foe. Our enemy! And we were enemies to begin with, if you recall. At least as far as I'm concerned. Remember that time when we were on our way to the Moon Cell core...? You shoved me from behind, and I fell all the way to the other side of the moon. I'm sure I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about.I'm sure... Incidentally, the "Far Side of the Moon" she speaks of, as I mentioned near the start of Flame Poem, is a whole other thing. Basically it's the garbage bin of the Moon Cell, where all kinds of wild and crazy things can go on, in the shadow of the more normal rules of the Moon's Holy Grail War. It is also a very phantasmal place (there's a good word, "phantasmal"), which does help explain why Tamamo wasn't sure if anything actually happened between the resolution of the Moon's Holy Grail War and Hakuno waking up at the start of this story. It also helps explain why Gilgamesh is allowed within the Moon Cell now, as CCC makes mention of the fact that he wouldn't normally be eligible to be summoned here, as he would be too powerful and stomp a mudhole in everyone else. Tamamo's still probably a bit sore about being shoved to the lunar equivalent of the ephemeral rear end End of Nowhere.  Praetor, does that sound familiar? ...Hm, I cannot seem to recall anything of the kind. *shakes head* Hakunon? No doubt about it. That's me, standing next to the red Saber. Same face, same look. Even the same breathing pattern. ...I know nothing is impossible, but still... I ask Caster what's going on. Free-spirited as she seems, Caster's actually very cunning and alert. She has to know what's happening here, if anyone does.I mean, fair point. Nero was on the warpath with basically no comprehension of how things happened, but Tamamo seems to know a decent bit about what's going on, and how we got to this point. Uh... Uuuhhh... Oh yes, yes. I forgot to tell you... You see, honey, for some reason, you've been split up into halves. One is your Mind, and the other's your Soul. ★ But please don't worry. The one I've fallen for is the beautiful Soul, which is you. So you see, there's nothing to worry about. ...I've actually heard of this. I believe there are three elements involved in building a digital shell for oneself. If I'm the Soul, then that must mean the one over there is indeed the Mind. I get it. That's why I have such a floaty sense of reality. The Mind controls the expressions of passion and emotion. I control the existence of true nature and instinct. ...Flaunting your intimacy, are you? I see that head of yours is as twisted as ever. But as you must understand, that all comes to an end this instant. This "Millennium Capital" nonsense is finished! We have no time for such petty feuds. The true threat...is approaching SE.RA.PH as we speak. "True threat". Saber must be talking about that giant monster I saw in the Moon Cell core. I nod in understanding. I notice the other Hakunon gives the same motion. Ohoho. Ohoho. Ah, how very interesting. Are you finished now? Really, what do you suppose that has to do with anything? As long as my Husband stays with me, that's all I need. Nothing else matters but to have my dearest close beside me forever. Everything else is trivial nonsense. I wouldn't trade that for anything, no matter what you think you can offer me. ...So you refuse to fight alongside me. In all sincerity, that pains me more than you know. So be it. Then I must strike down this evil Queen, who would rule SE.RA.PH only to indulge her own sinful whims. Even if it costs me the other Praetor. ...Praetor! Hm, but this is interesting. Nero is acting a lot more responsibly in this timeline, where Archimedes decided to try his luck betting on Tamamo's success. Recall that he oriented Nero around uniting the Regalia again, which brought her into conflict with Tamamo and all the assorted mayhem that followed. Here, though, Nero seems to be well aware of the stakes of what's going on, but conflict is inevitable anyway. How unfortunate... The other Regalia...! So YOU got the other one, Saber! Then I won't hesitate to use my full power! ...My Husband! Now, Moon Cell! If you would acknowledge our Royal Authority, then come! ...Deliver your power to the Queen of the Moon! You would summon your full strength? Then I shall do the same! Defend yourself!   The numbers...are on our side!  From a bold, linear motion to... ...a fierce attack based on pinpoint movement! I praise your defense, Caster! ...I had expected to best you easily face to face. It seems I underestimated you. I could have easily pressured you further, of course. And in the end, you would have fallen had I willed it so. However... Crushing you with the full measure of my strength, after that struggle with Assassin left you so exhausted, would be so very dull. And it would tarnish my good name, besides. ... I will leave you be for now, Caster. But know this: When next we meet, we shall settle every one of our differences for good and all. You, with all your power, care only for your own selfish desires...or is it that power that drives you toward such greed? With the world in flames around you, you would rather play the harlot than the heroine. How very pitiful. *teleports out* ...Selfish? Desires? Yes, yes, that's right! I will seize these lands with the one I love. I will rule them all, enjoy their finest delights, and... And what's wrong with any of that?Oy... Well, back to the throne.  The idol's words My apologies, dearest. I know we've just returned to the castle, but I'll be going on ahead to the sleeping area...My Room. I spent more mana than I thought, so now I'm terribly drowsy, and... Oh, you can join me, love. Or, if you're still groggy, please make yourself comfortable on this nice, relaxing throne. The castle, the throne, every atom in the air, it all belongs to you. ...Well, to you and I both. So please enjoy and relax to your heart's content. ♪ If you need anything, please let the maid know. I would love to treat you to a wondrous feast, but as a Queen, I'm kind of busy...so I let the maid handle all the minor details. Please use her to your liking. Now then, if you'll excuse me, I'll be nodding off. ♪ If you happen to sneak into my room while I'm asleep, I won't mind a bit. Just come on in. ♪ ...The castle, the throne, and everything else here belongs to me. To me and Caster, really. Why is that not sinking in yet? Maybe because everything feels so empty. I would be lying if I said I wasn't tired. Even though I slept for so long, just moving takes a lot out of me. The throne is padded and soft. These fine cushions remind me of Caster's skin. I have to will to stay awake at this point. But even so, I have a few things to think about. Caster's words. Saber's words. Even Archimedes' words. The "unknown threat" approaching SE.RA.PH...  Well, great, you made it back in one piece. ...Did you get a load of Caster out there? Crazy, right? Super-crazy. Weird and crazy. She wasn't like that before. At first, she was just a little down, but, um...that Regalia ring? Once she turned that thing on, she went fully tyrant. And that's how she is now. Anyone who goes against her ends up like this. Look, believe me when I say you're heading down a dead end here, and no good's gonna come of it. So...little squirrel. If you and I were to bring her down... I understand what Elizabeth is trying to say. I even understand where she's coming from. This situation isn't good for Caster, and she'll be in danger if she stays like this. It's true. I've known it ever since we reunited on the throne. But...that's neither here nor there. I don't want to stop Caster, or deny her anything. I want to let her do what she wants right now. Huh...? Are you serious? You're just going to let her do her thing? You remember how she was gonna handle you and Archimedes?! She has a point. But Caster must have a good reason for acting this way. ...What if she doesn't? No, what if she does, and she's hiding it from you? That's not possible. Caster always explains everything thoroughly. No matter what. If she ever held anything back, she wouldn't be the Caster I know. If that time ever comes...I will have to fulfill my responsibility as her Master. ...You really believe in her that much? Because... You know what means, right? Let's say if some situation occurred that broke the contract between a Servant and Master... If you messed up...Something that could break a Master-Servant contract would be formidable, indeed. The only things that could do that would be a Master using up all of their Command Spells, the Noble Phantasm Rule Breaker (used by Medea, FSN's Caster), or the death of either party. Let's hope it doesn't come to any of that. I know. That's why I have to fulfill my responsibility. Caster's sin is my sin. If she disappears, that'll be cause for me to disappear as well. ...You must be an idiot. You know you totally believe in her more than she does? You are one determined little squirrel. Besides...I'm a little... No, never mind. *sigh* Don't worry about it. If you're so stuck on her, you go ahead and do whatever. ...But don't come crying to me later.Hm...you know things are bad when ELIZABETH is the one making sense. Stay tuned... Sylphid fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Jul 25, 2017 |
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Jul 25, 2017 00:44
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Don't let the wannabe idol stir any distrust between servant and master, she's just jealous of Tamamo's fashion sense.
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Jul 25, 2017 14:20
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I can't help but think of Hakuno as constantly confused and mildly annoyed by everything because of the portrait you use for her. also drat tamamo you creepy
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Jul 25, 2017 16:51
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Tamamo doesn't even pretend that she isn't selfish and manipulative, while Nero is more unaware of how narcissistic she is
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Jul 25, 2017 18:10
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Robindaybird posted:Tamamo doesn't even pretend that she isn't selfish and manipulative, while Nero is more unaware of how narcissistic she is Oh, no, she is completely aware of it, she just doesn't consider it a bad thing. Like, one of the very first conversations you have with her in EXTRA, the question that raises the most affection points with her is basically "So why are you such a haughty bitch?" To which she replies "So you noticed!", beaming happily. Nero is awesome, she knows she is awesome, and she's not going to stop until YOU know she's awesome. But she's also crazy in love and that supersedes her ego a bit.
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Jul 26, 2017 03:37
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Passion So before we continue with Tamamo's story, allow me to speak a little about her. A bit of an introduction, if you will. Tamamo has been a staple of the EXTRA series, having starring roles in EXTRA, CCC, and, of course, this game. She describes herself as an Anti-Hero, and has always been playing the good wife shtick in all of her appearances thus far. Indeed, this casual outfit is straight from CCC, which I happen to like a lot. Suits her well. But as for Tamamo no Mae herself? She's definitely not as well known outside Japan / China than, say, Nero is outside of her (or his, whatever) country of origin. Tamamo's story itself originates during the Muromachi period of Japanese history (1336-1573 CE), specifically a collection of stories called the Otogizōshi. The nine-tailed Tamamo first appears in these stories as a fox demon who managed to possess a concubine named Daji, who was close to King Zhou, the last of China's Shang dynasty. Here she began a familiar pattern: ingratiating herself with a country's overlord, and through her natural demon-ness and troublemaking spirit, brought upon the downfall of the king and a rebellion by their subjects. After she had worked her magic in China, she was driven out by angry humans, and found her next home in India. Much the same thing happened, before rebounding BACK to China, now famous as a massive troublemaker, and you know, a fox demon. After fleeing China again, Tamamo next surfaces in Japan as Tamamo-no-Mae, a courtesan to Emperor Toba and one of his most trusted advisors. Doing what she does, she caused the emperor to fall gravely ill, and her identity was exposed by the emperor's astrologer. This time, however, the emperor was able to command soldiers loyal to him to kill the fleeing Tamamo, and she met her end on the plains of Nasu (northern Kanto). *Our* Tamamo, is no less troublesome, as we've seen. She will namedropping a few of those faces later this update, so just a heads-up on what she's talking about when we get to that. As far as her looks go, well...let's just say Arco Wada took a few liberties. By the way, most of this was gleamed off Wikipedia, so if anyone has more details on the mythological Tamamo, feel free to add.  Dinner Bell Time for a little quality time in Tamamo's Room. Heavens me, I'll heal your battle fatigue in a snap! No, there's no trick to it, aside from just being here in this room. Just relaxing and talking will naturally heal you, physically and mentally. This room was made just for that. ♡ Hm, well, Tamamo is on Nero's mind as much as the reverse. I doubt she'd want us talking about Archie. ...Saber, you say? Oh, she's strong, I'd say. She definitely made an impression in the Holy Grail War. But what does that have to do with anything? I have the Regalia and the shining, gorgeous Soul of my Master beside me. As long as I have both these things...I have nothing to fear from her. Not that I'd lower my guard, mind you, but let's keep her in perspective. If Saber is our greatest enemy, then we might be able to talk things out with her and combine our influence. I wonder what Caster thinks of that. Are you asking me to play nice with the traitor? Hold it right there, darling. Are you saying you're not satisfied with me alone? That's not it at all. I just want to avoid unnecessary conflict. Ah, why am I not surprised, dear? Your looks are as perfect as your heart is generous. To be so forgiving, even of treason... But... There's something about that I can't stand. Something about treason, I mean. Not about you. Either way, you've only made me more upset. If you show any more pity to this traitor, I'd be so furiouis. I...I don't even know.♡We should...probably keep that in mind. More importantly, what's for dinner? Even a 1/3 of a digital person needs to eat sometimes.  Piping-hot meat, white potatoes, fresh, savory omelettes, and teriyaki yellowtail, fished from the seas of SE.RA.PH. Carrot and daikon miso soup and boiled spinach, all made with vegetables from the western fields of the Capital. Oh, and white rice. It's not much, I'm afraid, but this is the cuisine your loving wife has painstakingly prepared. How do you like it, darling? ♡ It's truly, truly delicious. She's modest about her cooking skills, but I think she's extraordinary. ...And as I dig into the food, a strange feeling comes over me. Up until now, Caster the Servant and Caster the Queen have seemed like two different people. But now that I experience the full measure of her cooking skills, I realize that even as a Servant, she's an incomparable Queen. What seems to be the problem, honey? You're hesitating... Ohoho. No need to worry. Tomorrow, the day after, and every day after that, I'll put all my heart into my cooking. If you have a favorite, please don't hesitate to say so. I'll prepare it with a recipe book in hand! I hear curry's pretty popular in Japan... What?! You like curry? Why didn't you say so sooner?! Because... I am the best at that! See, as my friend Beni Enma says, "First you must learn the simplest things." I have TRAINED to make the world's best curry. Trained so hard I've shed blood on the beaches. Now, I can prepare 108 spices. And as soon as an Indian-like region appears in SE.RA.PH...! Cardamon, tumeric, and cumin! Even Garam masala! I will arrange the greatest spices and prepare them for you. Ohoho... This will be fun. Very fun...Man. Nero's speeches-on-demand have nothing on Tamamo going on about food. Food and Nasu go together a lot, actually. Incidentally, while all of the spices she mentioned are real stuff, "Beni Enma"? I have absolutely no clue who that is, and Google doesn't know either. I'd probably have to ask Nasu about that one. A lone Servant stands before me, her Queen-like presence concealed. Tamamo no Mae. When the subject turns to cooking, her expression lights up... She is truly the perfect wife, or at least I believe that looking at her now. Ah, I'm sorry. We should be doing more than talking right now, shouldn't we? If you'll excuse me a moment, my Husband... As she says that, Caster lightly taps her knees. How about a lap pillow?Yeah, sleepy time sounds about right right now.  On the warpath  I sense someone nearby. I open my eyes. I see a beautiful sight. Even awake, I feel like I'm still dreaming. Her eyes glow in gold. Her hair shines bright. The woman who stands and fights beside me. She's close to me. Incredibly close. Close enough that our lips are almost touching. Not what I expected to see first thing in the morning, but I guess nothing is impossible. ...Are you awake, my dear? I don't mind if you want to sleep in longer. I don't mind one bit. This is a dream. We're both in a dreamlike state. That proves it.I'm not sure that's exactly how it works, but let's see where this is gong... I don't bother arguing. She lies on top of me, pressing down. She's warm and comfortable, like a blanket. I'm a Servant who specializes in guarding the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor. I can play that role anytime. If you want to sleep in, please do. Same if you want to wake up early. Everything is all up to you, my Husband...A reference to Tamamo's time in China. The Yellow Emperor is the legendary progenitor of Chinese civilization. Wikipedia tells me he supposedly ruled ~4500 years ago. The Mausoleum itself, though, is a very real place. A former Guard of the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor. I remember that she can establish a secret connection with a certain negative energy, which guides luck from the Kunlun. She also has a mirror which can reflect the golden light of the sun. It's great that she has so many titles and jobs. You can't go wrong with branching out. Frankly, I wish I had more than one name. But that's neither here nor there.It's one of those reference-heavy updates, huh? Well, the Kunlun is a mountain range in Tibet, but that's not really what Hakuno was referring to. Simply put, the Kunlun is basically the Chinese equivalent of Mount Olympus, a place where various gods and goddesses hang out. And, frankly speaking, I don't think you need a special mirror to reflect the sun's "golden light", but the mirror she does have on her hand is none other than the famous Mirror of Uka, one of Japan's National Treasures, which in real life is supposedly kept at Izumo under *very* safe guard. Technically, it does count as a Noble Phantasm, but she mostly uses it for magical attacks. She can just whack people with it, though.  But you have to wonder...how long has she been there? ...Is that not allowed? I'm the Queen. Your wife. Everything in the Millennium Capital is mine. I can go wherever I please here. ...Or maybe this isn't allowed Well, glad to see you're awake. So let me say this. As part of an ancient tradition, a loving wife must say a certain phrase when her husband awakens... In other words... Good morning, Husband. I get up and respond with, "Morning. Looks like a nice day." Caster casually sidles toward me. And then she sticks with me. We're basically glued together. Such depravity on Hakuno's part, touching a fox woman's tail so brazenly. Still, it does warrant mention.  Oh no... And after you enjoyed the fluffiness of my tail with such love and intensity in the past! Now it's "a little warm"? What, do you only like it during the winter? That's beyond outrageous! My heart would be jumping right now if I weren't so busy shaking! You know what it's come down to now: Force.Well jeez. I didn't mean it like that... Huh? Force? Yes, yes. I, Caster, will seize anything I want at any chance I get. "Seize anything she wants"? Speaking of seizing, if I can stretch my hand a bit, I can grab her hypnotic, fluffy tail. But I'm 90% sure that's not what she means. All that aside, when I'm talking to Caster like this in My Room, nostalgia begins to rise up. Caster's the same as ever when she's in here, but once she goes out to the throne room, she shows her dangerous side. I have to find out why. ...I...am Tamamo no Mae, who stands by your side here in SE.RA.PH. This time for sure... I promise I will NEVER let you go again. I will serve you forever. And ever. In this form that you loved me in. Her words are melancholy, but full of genuine heart. This isn't her usual cheerful courtship. This is quiet, something she can't just laugh off. i feel like I've seen her say farewell like this before...in the middle of the Moon's Holy Grail War...or like in the middle of a fight, something from a dream I can't quite grasp... ...Is something the matter? Why are you staring at me like that, honey? Oh... Oh no, no... Look at you, you're the very epitome of heat... Like your soul itself is on fire... And that's... Oh... And those aloof....silent eyes... Ahh, I can't take it. I'm just going to devour you! I won't leave a crumb! Huh? I was just looking at her. I didn't even mean anything by it. How did it come to this? A real Hero always cleans her plate! ...Wait, am I a Hero? Whatever, i don't even care! The entire world belongs to me... So I declare from the very Millennium Capital! Even though you're my Master, here I hold you in my hands... No, in my tail. Ahh. It's so fluffy...! The fluff is getting out of control...! Stay! Stay, Caster! Ahh, if you handle my tail like that... Oh no, Master! But no, this is great. This is the first time I've felt like this...! Yes, yes. I understand my Husband's feelings! If you entrust yourself to me, I'll take care of everything. You'll live like King Zhou of Shang here in SE.RA.PH!Eehhhh, I'm not sure ending up like poor King Zhou will much work out in our favor. Ah, she finally said it. She really did say it. She's been telling me all this time that she's not that kind of woman, but this is like she's declaring she's Daji herself. I tell Caster to calm down and remember why we're here.But the situation continues to advance like a rolling boulder. Caster removes her sash, and she and I... Well, she's not wearing a sash at the moment, so I guess she unzips her coat, and well... she moves fast, doesn't she? Can't say    Never mind then. Nothing quite kills the mood like Elizabeth showing up. What have you been, night crawling? You trying to pull off some kind of weird Oriental fantasy, you...you fox?! ...And just like that, the boulder stops. Maybe I should thank Elizabeth for saving me. Or was I really in that much danger? Huh? Saving you? N-No, no, just get your head out of the clouds, will ya? I-I just came by because Karna handed me a package to deliver! And then I saw...you, and I flew on in! 'Cause I'm a dragon! It's not like...I was worried about you or anything. Ohoho... Oh, so that's what it is... Are you trying to be the girl next door, who steals the hero from the sassy, pushy heroine...? "Girl next door"...? So who's she supposed to be, the visiting princess? ...That's fine. That story's cliche, but I love it, little squirrel. ..How cheeky.  That sort of shock...looks just like the effect of an attack. Not sure if it's magecraft or a curse. Probably a curse. Is Caster the one who put that curse on her in the first place? And if so, what about the other Servants she has under her? Did she curse them too, to keep them under control? Well, I understand where she's coming from. It's heartless, but it does keep her in control. Still, that shock did seem pretty drastic. I hope Elizabeth's okay... Ahh, dammit! Am I dead? I thought I died. Good thing I'm a Demi-dragon, or I'd definitely be super-dead right now. But hey, I think she jolted the fat right out of my stomach. Keep that up, and I'll look great in no time! Okay. Looks like there's no need to worry. Caster might have been a little heavy-handed, but Elizabeth's sheer determination can't be stopped.See what I mean about Elizabeth being a saint? The world hates her and wants to bring her down, but she's much too powerful for anyone, including Tamamo. If Hakuno says it, you know it's gotta be true. Truly impressive. "Demi-dragon", is it? If you're insulated against electricity, you're more like an electric eel. Call yourself one of those from now on. And...aren't you going to thank me for all this healthy discipline? A maid cheekily mouthing off to a Queen. You don't think I'm done with you yet, do you? If you're used to electricity, then next up is fire. Should I roast you into a burnt little newt right here? Urgh... Thank you for disciplining me... Please forgive my atrocities, my Queen. ...Hmph. This no longer amuses me. Darling, please go on ahead to the throne room. I have breakfast on the table for you. Please take your time and enjoy, and I'll see you afterwards. Now, if you'll excuse me. Farewell. I'm the castle's maid. I'll just do my job, and you go on holding that stupid fox's hand. That's for the sake of SE.RA.PH. ...But thanks for the thought, anyway.Man, the sight of Nero must *really* tick Liz off, because she's like a totally different dragon idol so far in Orchid Words, huh? Much less crazy, though who knows how long that will hold up.   King of SE.RA.PH and Queen Caster, please forgive my intrusion. Now that we know a certain Emperor holds the other Regalia, there is no doubt she will oppose the Queen's rule. It would be wise to defeat this other Regalia wielder, Emperor Nero, as soon as possible. So you finally see it my way? Very well, then...though it is rather convenient for you that you have an excuse to come around. Still, you shameless scholar, I won't say "I told you so." I overrule my own edicts whenever I please, after all. It's only human. Delighted to hear that, Your Majesty. When you defeat the Emperor, you can reassemble the split Regalia. But Saber has built a base of her own, deep within her territory. Just like this Millennium Capital. In order to defeat the Emperor, you'll need to take the fight to her. Hmm... Unlike yesterday, Archimedes and Caster seem to be on the same page. Or rather, their interests now overlap. We are going to fight Saber...the Emperor. It's not something I wished for, but I don't think I can talk Caster out of it. There's also the "enemy" we encountered at the Moon Cell core. We need to prepare for it by putting the Regalia back together. So we have to make a move... ...Wait a minute. We're all talking about running off to invade somewhere. Don't we need to rescue the Emperor's little squirrel first? Shut your mouth, maid. I thought I told you to clean the oven. Go sulk in the soot, will you? I'm done cleaning the kitchen already! It's, like, breathtakingly clean right now! So how about a little gratitude? No, forget it. Forget the gratitude. Let's talk about the squirrel. See, now that I'm free, what you could have me do is...invade Saber's territory, throw a nice, big concert, and make the rescue while I'm there. ...There's no need for that. The master's Soul is right here. That being the case, there's no need to drag the Mind here too. In fact... It would happen much faster with only the Soul here. Huh?! ...Oh. I see. Yes, that makes sense, I suppose. ...Isn't this going too fast? I mean, Caster seems to know what she's talking about... Is it a compatibility issue? Maybe the Mind is better suited for Saber, and I'm better suited for Caster? What matters is the Regalia. Once we restore it, we won't have to conquer the Moon Cell the hard way. Instead of marching in sector by sector, we get our hands on her Regalia, and everything will fall right into place. And in the end, SE.RA.PH will belong to me! The Moon Cell itself will proclaim my sovereignty, and we shall rule forever in paradise! Ohoho, it's all so simple! And here I thought it would be so much trouble... Does our little Emperor not understand that everything in SE.RA.PH exists to please me? Her words are honest, and her intentions are pure. Some might say her desires are selfish, but I can't argue with her. And she's not wrong. If we do get our hands on the Reglia, all the little problems beneath her will sort themselves out. But then there's the unknown threat. From what Archimedes and Saber mentioned, Caster and I will eventually have to take care of it. Uniting the Regalia... If we do that, we'll take all of SE.RA.PH and the Moon Cell, and that does mean we'll take on the responsibility to protect it. Ohoho, it seems like my Husband agrees as well. How perfectly suitable. Shall we head off to battle, then? ♪ Hand in hand, we shall scatter the petals of the Roman rose and stain its soil with blood. Yes... Let us go together, dearest.Some time later...  So we're gonna forget about the other little squirrel. Did she really just say that? What the hell...? That fox has got to be nuts...I think that goes without saying. Well, before we sally forth, we should shoot the poo poo with Tamamo. There's always time for that.  D.U.T. Have you eaten all your breakfast? Oh, could it be, could it be? That you were so in love with me that you couldn't wait to see me? And you couldn't even wait until I finished changing? Ohohoho... I am so happy to hear that. It's true that I came in here for her. I wanted to see her face before the battle. Seeing her on the throne like that made me want to check up on her, so I'm glad she's back to her usual self while she's in here. Ahh! ★ Please, don't mention it! Ooh, you look so gorgeous when you thank me for a meal! She really does all she can to be what she thinks of as an ideal woman. Now, no apologies for coming in here. This isn't just My Room, it's Our Room. So you don't need to hold back. You can D.U.T. anytime you like in here. Or should I say...it's not too late to do it now. If you want, we can pick up where we left off, in all that secret sweetness... So much as I'd like to continue the flirting, we should probably establish what D.U.T. I mean, for all we know we could be signing away our soul in this dark, arcane process. Best to know what we're getting ourselves into. Should I have asked that question? I figured it was just some nonsense thing to say, but I questioned it on instinct. Nice of you to ask! Oooh, how typically sharp of you, honey. Then allow me to explain, my devious consort! "D.U.T." stands for "Dadum-Unintentional-Trouble". "Dadum" is the sound our hearts make when our love crosses the line. The moment our hands and feet slip. The trouble we get into... So sweet and sentimental, yet so intense. ★ And since we're on the subject, let me show you a little more... By the laws of the Millennium Capital, I hereby renounce my inhibitions! Now, to move in for my lucky kiss... Ow! Oh, no. Since Tamamo was getting out of control, I grabbed a paper fan and swung at her. Unintentionally... Unintentionally... Oh, oh, oh... That heart of yours... So lost sometimes, and yet so steady... Heavens me, it's been a long time since we've played around like this. I still love how unshakable you are... ♡Sounds like things could get pretty heavy soon. We should...we should move out now.
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Aug 4, 2017 05:50
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Sylphid posted:
Awwww.
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Aug 4, 2017 14:34
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Yeah that's tama for you. Evil as all get out but most of all a devoted wife. Also I am sad to see we're moving out Also just a reminder that Tama is a really good liar if she feels she has to lie about something
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Aug 4, 2017 16:31
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I'm not sure the "Beni" part, but "Enma" is the name of a Judge or Ruler in Hell in Buddhism.
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Aug 4, 2017 22:56
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Beni is a Japanese word for red that's almost never used outside of referring to, like, lipstick. It's generally considered to mean 'crimson' rather than plain 'red', from what I could find. Basically, in her diatribe about curry spices, Tamamo is just casually name dropping the Crimson Prince of Hell.
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Aug 4, 2017 23:57
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Worldwalker_Pure posted:Beni is a Japanese word for red that's almost never used outside of referring to, like, lipstick. It's generally considered to mean 'crimson' rather than plain 'red', from what I could find. She probably uses it since its a like, really old word or something, and she is a really ancient being after all.
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Aug 5, 2017 01:11
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Contact So, Fuyuki again. Make you're prepared with anti-Frost countermeasures, and select your missions appropriately. There's that mysterious Side Mission again, though... We'll get back to that, after we've finished all three main stories, and all but one of the Servant Side Stories. A story for many moons from now.  Orchid Words stage 2  Because of that, there are still unclaimed areas, called Neutral Sectors. I advise you attack at once and seize the Neutral Sectors before the enemy can. So, *very* occasionally, you'll have a gimmick like this in the game. Normally, when you start a map, all Sectors are either under your faction's control, or the enemy's. As you might expect, if Neutral Sectors are a thing, neither faction controls them, and you can seize them without a fight. How it works it quite simple, but in spite of that, this is a rather hard stage to get an EX rank on.  So we've got Nero's armies out in force today, but never mind that for now, here's how Neutral Sectors work. When you're in one of the special areas, there are three Lost Matrixes on in the area. Normally they're hidden, but the screen will start to get like this when you're close to one. All you have to do to reveal it is smack it a few times. Once you've revealed all three, a new Sector is added to Tamamo Land.  As you can see from the mini-map, Nero has brought out herself and Cu Chulainn, who will soon begin to invade that one Neutral Sector, and, assuming he takes that over, he'll then proceed to take over as many Neutral Sectors as he can. Best to put a stop to his rampage as soon as possible, but first, we'll take out that Plant, then take the Neutral Sector in the center the one just south of it. However...   Huh, kinda weird they let you fight the final boss of the first part of Tamamo's story as a regular enemy in the second stage...  Unfortunately, Nero's pretty tough, and more importantly, there's no particular sense in fighting her. Instead, although this is a Neutral Sector, we're going to withdraw from here. If you're going for the EX rank, it's good not to get too hung up on the details. From here, Nero will head northeast to the small Sector with a Phantasm Circuit in it. We'll leave her to that, and hoping she doesn't take it over before we finish the stage.  We'll instead be focusing our attention on one of Nero's Sectors, but unlike her, we won't take forever to conquer it.  See? Now we'll loop around, get the Phantasm Circuit on the way, and take out Cu Chulainn, before swinging back and taking the red Sectors at the bottom of the map.    So Cu is a pretty drat dangerous enemy, if only because he's probably the fastest attacker in the game and has quite a reach with his spear. Like with Nameless, you're better off constantly being in his face and not allowing him to use his speed to get an advantage over him. But, Tamamo does have one potent weapon against man or beast...   In addition to her repitoire of Chun-Li kicks, she has also has an explosive kick to the groin. Powerful on anyone, Grand Order confirms it's most effective against men. No really. Tamamo has two incarnations in Grand Order (regular Caster version, who unfortunately does not kick, and a Lancer version that does. Her "lance" is beach umbrella), and her Lancer Noble Phantasm is basically just a big ol' kick to the groin which does a ton of damage against any target, but inflicts extra damage against males. Tamamo is pretty good, is what I'm saying. After defeating the Hound of Chulainn, Nameless decided to show up as the level boss, and wouldn't you know it, we get a remix of EMIYA, which is more or less the character's official theme song. Actually, now that I think of it, a ton of characters have theme songs in this game. Nameless, the Main 3, Gilgamesh (we haven't heard his yet), Elizabeth, and the hidden character all have songs associated with them. Always nice. However, since we still have two Sectors not under our control we'll be ignoring the red-cloaked Archer for now. I just wish the AI could make that easier for me.  This is when a fight really comes alive. Tons of enemies, more than a few Aggressors, an enemy Servant, and a Plant to replace any enemy losses. Even funner when there's *two* enemy Servants in the same Sector with you. That can get more than a little dicey. However, shortly after this screenshot, I managed to turn things around and take over this Sector. Only one to go. For my new friends, however, I think they need a welcoming present.       A fox-induced nuclear explosion. Looks good to me.  Now our conquest is complete. Nero *has* to be close to finishing on her end, so let's just hope we can wrap this up quickly.  And indeed, we did. Side missions were 5/5, so it is an acceptable result all around. Part of the reason why this mission is tough to EX rank is it's a pretty small map, so you'll frequently get engaged in some pretty pitched battles with the enemy, so you have to move quickly and efficiently to make sure you clear the Sector requirement.  Encounter with the woman in white ...Oh. What is it? ...Oh, oh. ...Caster seems to be in a bashful mood. No, it's something else...She's humming. Whispering. ...Oh, oh... I tried to hold on, but...it only made me blush harder... Heavens me, oopsies. How disgraceful of me. But that's okay. I don't mind being disgraceful. Are you asking for more of what we did this morning, my dear? ...No, no. No need to say it. Of course you're asking. ...You are, right? Amazing. Her energy is amazing. I can tell she's really pushing for this. So for now, I vaguely nod. When I sit next to her like this, her eyes seem like the Sun itself. The golden colors are looking at me. Ah, just being here like this makes me feel like they're sucking me in... ...That's not fair, dear. I'm prepared and always will be. And you know I could just push you right over at any time... This is the Millennium Capital. A city I built for my own desires. Here we are, in my castle, in my keep, in my special room at the heart of it all, but you... You, with that silent stare of yours... I can't wait any longer! Are you teasing me? Are you baiting me?! Whatever challenge you want to give me, I'll take it! My Husband!! This is the second time we've been like this. It never works out until the third time. There's going to be some kind of interruption...right? Last time, Elizabeth flew in and kicked me, but not this time, and I don't think she's about to. So does that mean the coast is clear? ...Caster. Wait. ...The moment i try to stop, a feeling builds up, and my body starts shaking.   Even though we're in such different places, you continue to stare at me. Straight ahead, without averting your gaze. ...It's a maiden in white. She has brown skin, a tall and slender body, and unforgettable red eyes. She has the look of a warrior. No doubt about it. She's definitely someone who fights. "Someone who fights" is putting it mildly. I'm not so much a human as a walking calamity. I came to this planet to destroy it. I'll corrode all of SE.RA.PH and rule over it. I'll bring the Moon Cell to a halt and wipe away its civilizations. I was born to be an alien invader. I see. If she's an "alien", it's going to be hard for either of us to understand each other. And if she was born only to destroy, then I can see her living up to that. But... I do have questions. If she was born that way, born to destroy everything, then that's who she is. But is that really what she wants to do? Or does she want to give that up? ...Reasons. I have reasons... How strange. You look the same, but you have different natures. You ask the same questions, but with different meanings. You suggest I should stay who I am. That I shouldn't reject who I am, that I should seek a different path while living as who I am. ...But I don't have that option. I only destroy. I don't want to break lives apart, but in the end, they break anyway. I destroy civilizations. I destroy lives. That's my existence. It's futile to try and change that. You may as well give up... Questioning me is a waste of time. You should surrender as my Prisoner. How long do you intend to resist me...? This is so pointless... I...I feel so heavy... Ahh... When will I awaken from this dream?You know we had a scene like this in Flame Poem, and I don't think the game ever 100% explains how this happens. My guess is it's some sort of psychic connection both the Mind and Soul have with the Body, which Altera is in possession of, that allows her to interact and speak with both. Also, it's quite a contrast with Nero and her Praetor. Hakuno's Soul seems much more insightful and more on the ball with things, which elicited quite a different reaction from Altera. We haven't seen the Body too much, but don't you worry, we'll be seeing a LOT of her in Altera's story. ...i found you, my Husband! You flutter off just when we're having fun, and THIS is what happens! Coming out of nowhere to steal my prey. It makes my tail bristle! Very well, I'll scorch this little minx with the heat of my... Wait. You. What barbarian god are you? ... That presence. That pressure. I...remember it. From a long time ago. Ah, so this is how you present yourself, is it? An enemy of humanity, just like me. That "unknown threat" approaching SE.RA.PH? hmm. It's you, isn't it? ... The maiden in white doesn't respond to Caster's words. It's as if she has no words to respond with. The maiden in white doesn't respond to Caster's words. It's as if she has no words to respond with. She just stares out at Caster with a chilling gaze, and then...  ...It's my second experience with vertigo. When I open my eyes, Caster is right there. The maiden in white is nowhere to be seen. Was I dreaming? The maiden's words are still echoing in my mind, but Caster's reaction is what worries me the most. Caster called the maiden an "enemy of humanity"... ...No. I just wanted to say that. That little home wrecker was trying to dig her way into my Husband's head. I wanted to send her straight to Hell, but...I couldn't. ...She had quite a bit of power, I must say. No wonder Archimedes is all worked up about her. ...But she's our enemy. That's all there is to it. You cannot sympathize with her. Do you understand, my dearest darling? ...I can't really think of an argument. As Caster said, she felt extremely dangerous. But that might not be the whole story. Good thing you weren't up to anything pervy, huh? Not as long as I'm around... Maid. I don't remember demanding your services here. Gyaaah!! TI...NGL...ING... NO MORE! *pant* *pant* *pant* ...I can do it. I've trained myself to be completely lightning-proof... Your next show had better hit a million volts! ...Wait, no, never mind that. Anyway, what the hell? Are you just shocking me for no reason now? What're you, having a rough day? How presumptuous. Maybe I should start using two fingers. WHAAA! H-HEY, TH....IIISSS...REA...LLY...TIN...GLES...! I can see what a powerful shock it is. Eating another one like that, after this morning, must be dangerous even for Servants. This...is...nothing.... Off with you, maid. And be grateful for my Husband's mercy. He pities you too much to see you fried to a crisp. Ahh, such compassion. ... ...Thank goodness. Looks like she's stopping for now. I should be safe here myself, but I highly advise Elizabeth to leave the room. Caster clearly hates it if anyone else gets in here. ...I just...need to go...right? I...get...it... What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Cheer up, Erzabet. My apologies for that little display. Please just forget it ever happened. ...I suppose I won't pounce on you just now. Pleaes rest tonight and sleep well, my dear. That night Well, then... Everything has been the same as the last try up until this point. But this... This is new. Saber was so wretchedly emotional, and unpredictable for it. But Caster's desires are clear and simple. I've set the wheels in motion, and spared no effort to do it. Nothing left to do now but stand back and pray. ...Pray? Hehe, who am I praying to? Perhaps I should wish upon a "Star". Oh my, look who it is. I commend you, Lancer. So faithfully devoted to the tasks you shouldn't have. ... Karna, Lu Bu, Medusa, all glorious Servants who fight for the Queen. But here you are, stuck with the scullery work. Why do you obey? It's not as if the Queen will ever respect you. You could leave anytime you like. They'd never catch you. But here you stay. Well... Yeah, it's humiliating, but...but I guess I'm okay with it. I have a lot to make up for. The things I've done, well...I can't exactly work 'em off. ...Hm. If you show that meek expression of yours to the King, I'm sure mercy would find you. Ah, well. Let us end our game here. It's your turn now, Elizabeth. I'll remove the curse Caster placed on you. But you know...what you must do in return. ...Huh. So you were serious about giving me the spotlight. Are you more into dragons than foxes? Oh, don't be foolish. I despise both. But I do know how to appreciate a human body. Yours in particular has a certain symmetry. Now, show me your throat. Ah, this level of curse is child's play. I'll wipe it away without leaving a mark. If you want, I can even give you a little tune-up. That was what I missed last time. This time, I'll increase your spirit value so that you can properly wield the Regalia. ...Um, I only sort of get it, but okay, yeah, sure, I'll believe you. That fox is acting weird for sure. There's no way she'd just forget about the little squirrel, even if it is "just the Mind". I see. If that's what motivates you, fine. Ironic, but I suppose no one can see just how they'll fall into the abyss. No matter. You will seize the Regalia and become the new Sovereign. After that, do what you will. But make sure to fuse both pieces of the Regalia, the Queen's and the Emperor's. And when the third one arrives, you must connect them all. Not that I care, but why gather them all together if you're just gonna break 'em? Wouldn't one be good enough? It doesn't work that way, Lancer. If the Regalia isn't at its most complete, its most perfect, it cannot shut down the Moon Cell. The Regalia must be complete before it's broken. Only then will its destruction resonate across the entire system. Then, finally...that damnable Moon Cell will suffer the deadliest wound in its history. Do not forget. Connect all three pieces. ...Yeah, I get it. Screw making up for all my sins. I'm done playing that stupid game.So, there's something new... Archimedes and Elizabeth are partners in crime. We previously didn't see any association between the two of them, except for Elizabeth knowing about the Umbral Star between Stage 3 and 4 of Flame Poem. Wonder how that happened...  Ah... Ah... By the way, honey? As I lie there half-asleep, Caster speaks to me, flaunting a sinister smile. ...I have a premonition. Knowing that is an unforgiving battlefield, I sit up on the futon and face her. No no, you don't need to do that. I just have a simple question. ♡ Now then, I hope I'm wrong here, but you know how some women are, the way our thoughts always keep us up at night. So even at this hour, there's something I need to hear from you, all right, dear? Darling. During your little dizzy spell, what did you feel toward the woman in white? Was it admiration, by any chance? Well, honesty is the best policy, even with fox demons. Hmm. I hadn't thought of it that way, but now that Caster brings it up, I suppose I can't deny it. I can say, as the Soul of Hakunon, that the woman certainly made an impression on me. But even so, I have no intentions of cheating. Even if I do respect the maiden in white, I still have the heart of a lady. ...W-With wide-eyed innocence...you share your honest thoughts without any hesitation... Ah, my darling, you look so wonderful... Ahh, you have a deliciously gorgeous Soul. So pleasing, so appetizing, so ready to devour... *slurp* N-No, none of that. Calm down, Tamamo! Control the berserker cat within you, or you won't be the perfect wife anymore...!Tamamo is actually an incarnation of the goddess Amaterasu, and was born with 9 tails as a fox demon. She cut them off after years of training, and all 9 of her tails have the potential to become Heroic Spirits themselves, but we've only seen one of them, Tamamo Cat, show up thus far. Tamamo Cat is a Berserker, true to form, but is more cute and goofy than, say, a Lu Bu-style Berserker is. Caster is wrestling with her own desires. When I do that, I try to do it with my mouth closed. What are you saying, Rabbit?! This is all because of my Husband's charms! What? "Consent"? Oh, you mean "Go for the kill"?! Even if I hate her charisma, I can't be spiteful of my darling... No wife would begrudge anyone for flutting over her Husband... My Husband's sex appeal is out of control... Well, you are pure Soul, after all, so there's no helping that. You see beauty as it is, and unsightliness as it is. That's just the way you are. ...When I question that, I end up feeling like a fool. I, Tamamo, officially apologize. My regret is deeper than the sea... Please excuse me for waking you up. I won't bother you again. Goodnight, and I mean it this time... Ohohoho... Just what do you think you're doing, maiden in white? You think you can out-maiden a Japanese shrine maiden? Going for the old "dark-skinned shaman, overflowing with freshness" look, are you? Altera doesn't stand a chance. Sylphid fucked around with this message at 19:12 on Aug 9, 2017 |
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Aug 9, 2017 03:33
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Elizabeth's never ending quest to stop Tamamo from getting laid will never not amuse me.  Also, man, Hakuno's kind of an enabler for her.
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Aug 9, 2017 07:01
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Dr Pepper posted:Elizabeth's never ending quest to stop Tamamo from getting laid will never not amuse me. No one said your... Soul, I think it was, is very smart?  Tamamo reminds me of playing someone like Zhung Liang or someone in Dynasty Warriors. Never really my favorite playstyle, since I prefer just relying on normal attacks instead of Musou-style ones constantly... which, as mentioned earlier, is basically all of Tamamo's power. Gotta lean on that crutch!
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Aug 9, 2017 07:26
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The thing with Tamamo is she's actually alright against non-Servant enemies, since she has a lot of things to deal with them, and they're all generally big and slow enough for her to take advantage of her more powerful combos, but she's really not good in a pitched battle with another Servant, which is why I end up having to use the Regalia a bunch. Whereas most every other character can rely on their strength, or speed, or some combination thereof, Tamamo can't really rely on that. I mean, I knew it going in, but goddamn is Tamamo's Regalia powerful.
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Aug 9, 2017 08:14
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Sylphid posted:The thing with Tamamo is she's actually alright against non-Servant enemies, since she has a lot of things to deal with them, and they're all generally big and slow enough for her to take advantage of her more powerful combos, but she's really not good in a pitched battle with another Servant, which is why I end up having to use the Regalia a bunch. Whereas most every other character can rely on their strength, or speed, or some combination thereof, Tamamo can't really rely on that. It's important her Regalia is powerful, otherwise I have no idea how you'd win the game with her. I guess aside from just overgrinding her in Free battles or something, because boy, her normal form leaves a lot to be desired against anything that isn't a standard mook. Or maybe just for me, since I like to rely on simple, easy to spam combos.
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Aug 9, 2017 08:25
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I legitimately have no clue what any of you guys are talking about in regards to Tamamo's gameplay. I never had any trouble with her, whether I was fighting Servants or not. But then again, I did spam her flamethrower attack...
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Aug 9, 2017 08:44
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Sylphid posted:
I like how even right after being shocked, Elizabeth can't help but taunt Tamamo and only realizes half a second too late that taunting Tamamo in her current state of mind is a terrible idea.
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Aug 9, 2017 09:29
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knowing now Elizabeth and Archimedes are working together does make her snatching the Regalia in Nero's route less out of nowhere.
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Aug 9, 2017 14:44
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Robindaybird posted:knowing now Elizabeth and Archimedes are working together does make her snatching the Regalia in Nero's route less out of nowhere. I think that implies that even if they are 'working together', that it means you can trust Elizabeth to follow a plan.
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Aug 9, 2017 15:31
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Sun Up Late with Tamamo But later that night...  Oh, you've already fallen asleep... If that's the case... There's a cool breeze blowing through tonight, and it might get a bit chilly. So even if I...do this... Oomph. Ha. ...You won't be upset, will you, dear? Something...soft and warm nudges my back. In fact, it's being pushed up against me. At first, I'm not sure what I'm feeling, but two seconds later, I feel it out. Oh. So these must be Caster's. She's pressing up against my whole body. She has her arms wrapped around me from behind. She knows just where to hold me for maximum comfort, without any pain or discomfort at all. Oh my, oh my. Well, then... We're on our sides now, sharing the same futon. My heart is throbbing. Her body is so glamorous, so perfect, that some part of me might wonder if this is all too good to be true. ...You're...not awake, are you...? Then...I'm going to go...just a little bit further... Ah, now... Her legs. Her legs are wrapping around mine. She's like a spider. Not a gross kind of spider, but an elegant spinner, using her long, graceful legs to ensnare her prey. Please forgive me, my Husband. My...umm...my stress...needs to be relieved...so... Here, maybe if I... "Stress", huh? I'm amazed Caster gets stressed about anything, but I suppose it must get stressful acting like a stern Queen all the time. You'd never know by looking at her. She must hold it in. So if this is what she needs, I shouldn't say anything... The fox needs what it needs, but...we've also consider our need to get a nice sleep, right? Though, I'm thinking that's not in the cards this particular night... Should I really say this? It's kind of a cliche, but I can't think of anything else right now. Well, all right. I'll go for it. She won't be able to tell if I'm asleep or not, but she might get the message and ease off. Okay, then... "Uhhh... Can't take it anymore..." Hmm, that delivery could have been better... Fun fact, I initially thought my game froze seeing this, but nope. It's just a text box + expression without any text. ...Well, well... I may have been bad sneaking into bed with you, but your acting was worse, darling... And come on, trying to outfox me? That's a duel you don't want. And since we're both being animals, we need no words, do we? As she presses against me, I can feel her body go through sinister waves. Is this some kind of metamorphosis? The beautiful fox maiden is turning into an angry ghost girl with a grudge. Or something along those lines. Nature is red in tooth and claw. You're all out of luck tonight... Now you're in for a nightmare. Let's see how much you can REALLY take! I think that about says it all...  The attack begins   Hoho. Victory after victory. So gratifying. Witness my subjects. The flowers in the capital have all bloomed in triumph. *nod* ▂▂▃▃▂▂ ...Ooh. I wish everyone could gather here right now. Can't you just picture them shouting out, "Huzzah for freedom!"? Well, technically, the people aren't unified yet, but that's just nuance. The Millennium Capital's motto is, "Live free in paradise!" Whether we're talking military strategy, human nature, or just a nice cup of sake, what matters most are results, don't you think? As it was on Earth... More elegant than the Yin Dynasty, milder than the Heian era, one eternal land without a cloud in the sky. That's what this place should be. More like that. Just a bit... Just a bit more. And we will strike down anyone who dares to stand in our path.It should be noted tha the architecture of the Millennium Capital is based on Heian period architecture. An era of Japanese history that lasted from 794-1185 CE. This era was slightly before the era in which the stories of Tamamo no Mae started to get written.  Just as the Queen has said, I, Archimedes, am delighted to report the following. The Queen's undeniable victories have weakened the pretentious Emperor's campaign. Just a bit more, and then...all of SE.RA.PH will belong to our King and Queen, as one united world. We have already pinpointed the so-called Emperor's base. If we can topple that base... ...then there'll be no more obstacles, and the Capital can return to normal... Yes? Yes, and the Regalia will be as one again! You in particular understand the importance of that, Hakunon. Now then, my dearest, we are off to the battlefield. This time, we'll give that selfish Emperor her last rites. ...Now, to the final battle! Will this really be the final battle? It seems that way. If nothing else, this war will bring the Regalia back together. After I get back, I should apologize to Elizabeth for making her worry... Hmm. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Elizabeth since this morning...Uh-oh...when Elizabeth's not around, you know she's bound to get into some sort of trouble. Well, I have a feeling we'll be seeing her soon, even if Tamamo couldn't give less of a poo poo she's gone. Speaking of our fox demon...   Maybe call it a bond that'll pay dividends. Or...oh, let's not fight about it. Let me put it THIS way: It'll help us win the battle.♡ I'm sure you haven't forgotten, but we need to talk more about that "incident", your friendly little chat with the enemy leader. Talking to her here in this room is one thing, but on the battlefield, it could get you killed. So please promise me one thing: On the battlefield, do the smart thing and let me make all the decisions. While I am your Servant, I also rule an empire, and I can be as ruthless as the times require. ...Without a word, I nod my understanding. For all her vast empire, all her riches, what she fears losing the most is Hakunon. ...It means so much to me that you understand, Master. You're still not quite at your peak, you know. You're still the Soul, beautiful and fragile as you are. And you're at your most beautiful when you're at your most gentle and vulnerable. Seeing you that way brings me so much joy...and terror at the thought of losing you. So... I'm sorry if sound awful about this. The decisive battle is about to begin. I'm sorry if I've been too harsh with you, but please, just this once, let me take the lead.Awww  It's appreciated...Well, the only thing left to do is get ready for Stage 3. Like with Flame Poem Stage 3, there's not much of an intro, but a hell of a lot of outro. Once again, we shall make allowances. If you're playing on Hard, this is the first time you'll encounter Poison Sector Traps. The Viper Mantle is a good counter to this, even if it only has three anti-Poison uses, and there's a total of 5 Sector Traps you could potentially get hit by. Well, we'll muddle through, of this I'm sure.  Orchid Words Stage 3  I know this is sudden, honey, but I have to ask you something.♡ Do you like this kind of cityscape? With the old, masculine statues and the ancient stone walls? I mean, not that it REALLY matters. The Capital is the Capital, no matter where we are, and that's that. But you're a bit more picky than I am. So, which one strikes you more? The western capital or the eastern capital? Hakuno strikes me as an intelligent, fair-minded woman. Personally speaking, as much of a cop-out as it might be, I do agree with this sentiment. I like the stolid simplicity of eastern architecture, with its focus on symmetry and elegant design, but there's no denying the sheer scale and impact of western (if we're defining "western" as Roman, which seems appropriate in this setting) architecture, with its focus on wowing the on-looker. Oh, my dear Husband. This might be the capital of roses, but remember that MY capital has blossoms too. Your wandering words can't fool Tamamo. ★ I want you to make a decisive judgment, like the Master you are. ...So, which one's the prettiest? What happened to all that swagger? You look like a wounded animal right now. Seriously disappointing for the Queen of the Moon. Who's there?! Just like with Nero... An idol needs a stage, after all. Heh... Who's there? A pretty idol with impeccable timing, that's who. A tent of flowers in the city of water. My new outfit draws squeals from my unruly pigs. And of course, I come out on stage an hour late. Is there any Servant like me? I don't think so! Because if there was, it would be a real pain. Quick response, my little squirrel! By the way, you were supporting me, right?It's good to support all idols, as a matter of course.  But after this, I'll be the only diva. The dragon's daughter who sings at the center of SE.RA.PH. All life forms, all consciousness, will idolize ME!All idols need to have confetti on demand. I think that's part of the job description. *sigh* Been hitting the elixir, have we? I thought I told you to clean MY palace. Not the enemy's. You're still my maid, so do your job right!Tamamo's expression + voice on the "elixir" line really sells it. She is not amused by Liz's poo poo. Ah, that? I got bored, so I quit. Shoved my resignation letter right in Rider's face. I'm a solo act now. Not working for you or Saber. You're both beneath me. I'm a one-girl party for SE.RA.PH. Straight from the abyss, it is I, the princess of darkness, Dark Eli. Or Dark Eliza, if you want to be fancy! (Sparkle) ...See? No time for this poo poo. Dark Elizabeth... She never changes...Caster holds a cold, steady gaze. It looks like she's got nothing to say. Before I can stop myself, I mutter... Well, she *has* to be. I'm Dark Eli! Or Dark Eliza! Don't make me say it again, y-you rude little squirrel! ... Okay, let me put it all together. Caster treated Elizabeth unfairly, until Elizabeth couldn't take it anymore and revolted. Caster was the master to Elizabeth's servant, the Queen to her scullery maid. This is the moment where the tables turn. Maybe. But...if that is the case, there's one thing I don't understand. How did Elizabeth become free? How did she dispel the geas Caster cursed her with?I guess Tamamo's been dipping into the Northern European magic books, because "geas" are, let's say, magical, conditional binds attached to Celtic warriors. As long as a geas is attached to someone, violating it would be...troublesome, for the concerned party. Don't sweat the details. Point is, the fox's little slave girl is gone. Pretty naive, wasn't I? A maid looking for redemption? Ha! Like I could just wipe my sins away with a mop... I'll never be saved. I'll never be judged. And I'll never, ever be a good girl! So I'm going to destroy, violate, kill! I'll waste it all, just for myself! SE.RA.PH's going to be my own personal playground! You know what that means, right, Caster? I'm going to devour your useless little squirrel, cute as she is, and your Regalia too!I mean, maybe not a "Good" girl, but a "good" girl? Definitely. Elizabeth is and continues to be great. ...Steal the Regalia, you say? Who put that silly little thought in your head? Hmm, good question. Doesn't matter, though. I figured it out on my own. I mean, it's kind of weird, don't you think? You being Queen of SE.RA.PH? We're anti-heroes, bathed in blood. But if you can be the one... Then I can be the one too! I'll be the ruler! The greatest ruler ever! I've spilled just as much blood as you have! I'll be greater than any King ever. The Great King of Terror from Mars, the red planet that dwarfs the Moon Cell! "The Great King of Terror..." I swear I've heard that phrase somewhere before. Red planet. Mars. Someone else said that...I really wish I knew if Hakuno was actually referencing something someone said in this series, but I have no idea. Could just be a weird line. Hmph. Don't make me laugh, you little newt. You're just quoting astrology books to puff yourself up. You know what? I accept your resignation. Good luck finding your next job. May I suggest "comedian"? Come to think of it, I could use a court jester. With your skills, I could pay you top cash.To be fair, that probably wouldn't be a huge demotion from scullery maid. Might be more fun, too. Hell, no! I was born to be a diva! A singer! ...But you know what? Say what you want this time. I'll let it slide. All I have to say to you is, "I declare war". I'll take both Regalia. Don't underestimate my power...Caster. You'd better be ready. ...She disappeared. We're about to face Saber for the last time, and now this gets thrown into the mix. Dark Eli... Dark Eliza... Dark Elizabeth... Whatever. Regardless, she's serious about wanting the Regalia. Hmph. No need to worry. She's just someone else's puppet. She'll implode before we even know it. What a bird brain. A mediocre maid, and she'd have been a terrible jester, honestly. Not worth the chump change I would've paid her. Please try not to worry, dear. ♡ Once we take Saber's Regalia, our problems will all be solved, and we'll both be unstoppable. Now, off we go! And let nothing come between us! *nod*      On my honor as the Knight of the Sun! Let us do battle!So, if there's one thing the Gawain of the Fate series is famous for, is his peerlessness when the sun is shining. Few knights can even be a warm-up for him when he's powered by Numeral of the Saint.    Unfortunately for us, Tamamo is no such knight. He *really* does not gently caress around in this stage. Numeral of the Saint basically makes him invincible + does a hell of a lot of damage + invulnerable to stagger. Even with the Regalia, you stand essentially no chance of beating him like this. You have two alternatives: writhe beneath his attacks, dodging when you can and *very* slowly building up the Moon Crux gauge, or...  Since he follows you around, and ignores everything else except you, lure him up to Lu Bu's Sector and have these two gorillas smack each other about. Now, if we hang around, Gawain could cut through both him and us without a second's thought. However, following Karna's advice, we're going to lure him up here, quickly get the hell out of there, and support Medusa as much as we can against Li Shuwen's rampage. Of course, that's a secondary concern. Most important is getting control of sunlit Sectors.  Indicated here. Now, as you might expect, Gawain will eventually win his fight, and when he does, he's coming right after us. While that no doubt brutal fight is going on in the northeast, we've got to move quickly. In practice, though, it's *very* unlikely your needed conquests will be finished by the time their fight is over. However, if we time things right, we'll swoop in just after Lu Bu gets KO'd, and Gawain will be injured enough to make our victory much easier.  Now, once you've taken a few Sectors, you're mostly out of the danger of losing via too many enemy Sectors, so you can indulge yourself for a bit and help out Medusa. I like Medusa a lot, so we'll lend her what aid we can.  During the fight with Li Shuwen, I discovered Tamamo's final combo attack is *really* good. It's basically a regular version of her Regalia's projectile attacks. Basically, she throws out a bunch of shards of projectile ice that tears through crowds, and can inflict a lot of damage against single targets. Projectile attacks in this game can be *pretty* drat powerful, and Tamamo finally has a nice crowd control move.  I really don't like these bat things. Once they get a hit on you, they come in such large groups typically, that they can pretty well stunlock you for a while. It's more than a bit annoying... If they get you like this, just dash in the opposite direction whenever you see a chance, then EM to death. They have too much health to target individually.  Bummer. Lu Bu got defeated *just* after we arrived.  I wish Sir Gawain was a bit more injured, but still. Lu Bu did good work. We'll be able to wrap this up shortly.  Oh Nero. A card, even as an enemy. Shortly thereafter, I managed to bring him down, with the might of the Regalia. With his fall, I think we're about done with anything of interest on this map. Like with any other boss stage, remember to gather up the two Phantasm Circuits on the map, and fill up your health / EM gauge. No sense in not being as prepared as we can be against Nero.  Love when I catch a Plant like this. It only had two Aggressor protectors that were annihilated already, and it won't be spawning any more it is destroyed, and this land comes under my benevolent protection.  Enough goofing around. Time for the main event...  Burning rose Once we take care of "Emperor" Saber, I'll be able to grant our every little desire. So then what will you wish for, with your Royal Authority? Please say whatever you like. The Regalia. Once we restore it, I'm sure I'll be able to wish for anything I want, and the Moon Cell itself will give it to me. But on the spot, I can't think of anything in particular. It's an odd little paradox. Humans don't always want what they can easily have. Besides, I already have everything I want. If I had to choose a wish right now, I might wish for Caster's special breakfast, or for a nice present to give her, something she'd like. My Husband... Your gaze is making me dizzy... I...I think I'm getting a nosebleed! Do you have any greed in you at all? Ohoho! My Husband's Soul, passive in a way, but strong at the core. Anyway, forget all that! Be greedy! You can have ANYTHING, so go ahead and ask for it! Any amount of luxury. All kinds of riches. Infinite authority over immeasurable lands! The finest wines, the finest meals, the finest clothes, and palace, and bedsheets...the finest wife- Wait, you already have that. The finest wife, well... What about the finest husband? No matter. I already have her to stand by. ...Th-Those sudden words. That gaze. Ooh, you don't know what you do to me. Even though your wild side has faded, the charm of those silent eyes... It's something else. Ah, this...almost makes me forget what kind of danger we're in. You do cause me trouble sometimes, don't you?...Peeping, are you? What would your people think of you, Saber?  But if I might offer a whisper of praise, your tenacity has impressed me. Perhaps you could even face me woman to woman. You deserve to know I have held back with you until now. I held my blade askance for fear of harming the Praetor. And because you and I once fought as allies. But now...the time for half-measures has passed! Forgive me, my other Praetor! I shall free you from that shrew in fox's guise! ...You love your fancy speeches, don't you? The Moon Cell has chosen me, not you. Do you still not understand that? I used to envy your ignorant bliss, but now I just pity you. The midday sun has scorched Rome's sacred tree, and all its dreams with it. Let me empire swallow yours up and be done with it. Urrgh! You dare insult my divine ancestor, Romulus himself! You have reached the end of my patience! You invoke Apollo, but I am Venus in the flesh! I yield only to fine young ladies, not to you!I might have mentioned it in the previous arc, but Nero is bisexual (maybe like Tamamo? She loves Hakuno no matter what sex they are, but you can only be a man or a woman) but does prefer women. If there is one line I do know from EXTRA that was to the effect of that, she mentions that she does like men and women equally, but if she must choose, she'd choose women. A lover of the arts, you see. Also, as of Grand Order, divince ancestor Romulus looks like this. He's a...hammy fellow, as you might imagine. And yes, that is a tree he uses as a lance. Ooh, now you've said it! Too old, am I? I'm not even out of my twenties! There's no choice but to roast you alive... Taste the power of MY Regalia, Nero Claudius!   Okay, so I *really* wasn't expecting her to start in Regalia mode, and holy poo poo, she did a number on me. As an enemy, Nero's Regalia is *really* dangerous, because she can come up on you fast, and if one hit gets you, you're probably going to lose about a life bar worth of health on Hard. It hits *hard*. On Very Hard, if she gets you in a combo, you're done. There is 0% chance of withdrawl if she gets you, and she only needs two hits to completely drain your HP. I immediately had to withdraw and Code Cast heal, and then turned to my own Regalia.   So until this point, I hadn't used the Regalia's attack in air. It's a good attack, much like everything Tamamo's Regalia does, but I don't really see much need to use it, since her ground attacks are already plenty potent.  So Nero's actually a pretty tough enemy, like most every above-average speed enemy is in this game. Good range on her sword, and plenty of powerful techniques the AI will throw out more or less randomly. She is also pretty aggressive, and will always want to get in your face.   I mean, look at that poo poo! Regalia is no joke, yo.  So what is an animal that charges, and if it makes contact with any soft flesh, it'll leave more than a flesh wound? A bull. That's how I'd advise you treat Nero's Regalia. Stay the hell away from her in this form, since a bull doesn't need a whole lot of momentum to wreck your poo poo, and most importantly, bait her into attacking. When she's attacking, she's pretty committed to a lengthy attack, and you can safely disengage by getting to the opposite side of the arena.  And of course, she'll every now and then disengage and try to launch her Noble Phantasm. I trust you'll be able to stop it.  Really, dodging and dealing with the enemy's Regalia is 90% of this fight. As long as you're comfortable with how you deal with dodging its many powerful attacks, there's not a whole lot of threat Nero can pose to you.  And now, it's checkmate.   As expected, I took *way* too much damage, but in a way, I have no regrets. It's much better *seeing* how much damage an enemy can do rather than me telling you about it, right? Side missions were 3/3. For unknown reasons, I canceled Karna's and Archimedes' Side Missions. The world may never know why.
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Aug 11, 2017 05:17
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So on a scale of 1 to 10 how well did Tama eat us up
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Aug 11, 2017 12:54
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Sylphid posted:
Well, it's about bloody time.
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Aug 11, 2017 18:31
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Eliza's comment about the Great King of Terror seems to be referencing one of Nostradamus' Prophecies: "From the sky will come a great King of Terror; To bring back to life the great King of the Mongols, Before and after Mars to reign happily"
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Aug 11, 2017 18:42
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Yes, Angolmois, of video game and anime fame. He was supposed to attack in 1999, so he's not as famous anymore.
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Aug 12, 2017 01:19
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Concert Triumph Awww...  After going through Flame Poem, and experiencing all of Nero's pride and love, to bring her down like this...I just feel bad about it. Even though it had to be this way... I...have to...save SE.RA.PH... And the Earth...below it... But I... What do you mean about saving the Earth? All you did was fight me and lose. Why are you making it complicated? Let's just say I'm stronger than the Earth and leave it at that. Now prepare yourself, Emperor. ...We've been through so much together, but it's over now. Time for the moment of truth. Praetor...! The moment I witness it, I sympathize with her for doing the obvious. Hakunon stands and protects Saber. I've never had that kind of conviction, but if it were Caster's life at stake, I like to think I'd do the same thing.You would, in another world. Hakunon is always loyal to her Servants. ...Well, then. You're the side of my Husband who chose to stay with her. The Mind. The personality, in a sense. But what you're missing is your wisdom. Do you understand what's happened here? That Servant behind you just lost. There's no reason for you to defend her. She's about to lose her Regalia too. That means the one you SHOULD stand up for is...me, the one and only Caster. ...So repeat after me: "I choose Caster". Just say that, and then I'll... She never would. There's no way she's coming over to our side. She belongs next to Saber. She's decided to stay with her, just as I've decided to stay next to Caster, until the very end. There's no difference. ...Nero, you're... Her face slips just a tiny bit. I wonder if I'm the only one to notice. Her mood. Her tone. Even the way she stands and breathes. I spot all those cues. A number of cracks and peels form in Caster's "Queen" persona. I can almost see one or two of her millions of pent-up feelings slipping out. Y-You're...always taking from me, Nero. Just like last time. The Moon's Holy Grail War. At the end of it, the ones who made it to the Moon Cell core were my Husband...and you. I wasn't there. I was separated. You remember. I never saw what happened in that room. So... I thought I'd finally been chosen, out of everyone. When I saw that bright light shining on my finger, I knew it in my heart. But then...I saw you had the same ring. Imagine what that felt like. It was a shock, to say the least. ...But unfortunately for you, I DO win this time. You had your turn. Now it's mine! We're even. And if you have any objections, you can scream them from the depths of hell.  Ah, my lovely, feast your eyes! Both Regalia are mine! The Millennium Capital is no longer enough. We are the Sun! We will shine our flame over all things everywhere! ...I cannot bear to watch this. You are a monster! Your beauty beguiled us all, and concealed your cunning! *laugh* Yes, yes, exactly! Now you know what a monster I am. Cower before my shining visage! In the East, great Kings hear the whispers of deception. In the west, they hear the call of the huxian, the rise of the legendary fox! I was once the terror of humanity. Once, I wanted nothing more than to escape from that past... But I don't care anymore, not at all. If I can dream this fleeting dream, if I can have our kingdom... Then nothing else matters, my Husband. Our gazes lock in place. Most Wizards would wither at the mere light of Caster's eyes. I don't know whether her heart or her magic have the stronger hold on me, and I don't care. I don't look away from her gaze. I stare back into Caster's golden eyes as they cling to me. There are no other thoughts in my mind right now, nothing more important than her. ...*sigh* My, my. That you stare so longingly into the face of wretchedness... A bond for the ballads, to be sure. ...I yield. The strength of your magnificent unino is simply beyond my will to challenge. I will TEMPORARILY LEND YOU the Regalia. And may the good Master keep you honest with it. Farewell, Caster. I await your inevitable apology. And good day, other Praetor. You know, in Nero's side, I could imagine Tamamo living decently happily without having a Millennium Capital. She doesn't strike me as the type whose happiness depends on her own personal pride, but Nero, I dunno. Living like this might be a greater disgrace than perishing gloriously in combat. Well, as long as the other Hakuno is with her, she'll probably be happy enough. Well, we've gotten both Regalias, but didn't we forget something? Hmm. Apology? Don't hold your breath. You lost your lover at the last moment because you were too soft with your enemy. Goodbye, Saber. Pardon me for saying so, but you and I will never meet again.Scene break... Also, this may not be the most ridiculous / awesome scene in the game, but honestly, it's pretty high up there...  Concert Tour Just as one would expect from the Regalia's rightful owner, victory is once again yours. Very good, very good. But now the rest is up to me. Reintegrating the Regalia requires my unique skill as the system administrator. So please excuse my abruptness, but we must move with haste. You seem impatient, Archimedes. Do you care about the Regalia that much?You know, say what you will about Tamamo's impulsiveness, cruelty, or general dick-ishness, but she does have pretty good instincts about this fellow. It is necessary...for your rulership over all, that is, and for the tranquility of SE.RA.PH. Ah, the "the tranquility of SE.RA.PH." You make it all sound so serene. Your tongue spins like the blades of a pinwheel. A scholar must be eloquent, that his teachings be clear for future generations. Speaking of which, if we could move along... Once the Regalia is reunified, all will be as it should be. Prosperity will come to this world, and never again will your peace be threatened. We must begin! Raise your hand to the heavens and restore their true shape. Now, present the other Regalia from the false King! Archimedes seems slightly rushed. I'm not the only one who sees that. Caster sees it too. She stands beautifully as always, but I can see quivers of caution in her fingertips. No one says a word. Even the air stands still. The thrills and terrors of the battle with Saber have washed away. Caster's cold and vicious Queen persona is fading. Sensing what Archimedes is trying to do, she reverts to her natural self and... Please do not move a muscle, Master. Heavens me, I have a bad feeling abo- ?! Where did that voice come from...?!   Where did she even get that stupid platform from?!  ...Up above?! From right over our heads, Dark Eliza... Dark Elizabeth... She drops right in and grabs the ring. Wh-What?! You're acting like a flying...a flying dragon! What are you doing, young maid?! That is not a child's toy! Please don't make the mistake of putting it on! I'm no maid, thank you very much! I saw an opening, and I made my grand, dainty, sneaky entrance! And! I'm not Dark Elizabeth! I'm Dark Eliza! Or Dark Eli! You got that?! She scolds me. Dark Eli... Dark Eli... I'll just call her "Deli" for short.Another thing all sides of Hakuno have in common? Taking the piss out of Deli here. No matter how rough things get, you can always not take her seriously and be okay in the end. You're going to call me what now?! Come on, you can think of something better than that! Well... She's a picky little dragon. We all knew that. ...Not that I care about that, but hmm, you two have quite the rapport going, don't you? N-No, it's just... Well, just a little! I'm like the childhood friend who's sick of being treated like a kid! *ahem* Look, forget the name! I'm just looking out for myself here. Watch this! I'll prove to all of you, here and now, who deserves the Regalia the most! Well, let's see if it turns out a bit better this time...  Naturally. The amount of mana is tremendous...I don't need an analysis Code Cast to see the negative reaction. No matter how you look at it, the amount of mana is increasing at a dangerous level. No single Servant would be able to harness this much power safely. Even if Elizabeth had a proper Master, it's not something she could control. The mana starts focusing. Then it starts expanding. Then it starts degenerating...At this rate, Elizabeth and the Regalia will both shatter... You newt...! Take that off this instant! You'll be burned alive! Huh, Archimedes' mods worked. Maybe Altera and Tamamo have some competition... What?! Didn't think I could do this, did you, Caster? I made a few special adjustments just for this. No way it's going to blow up on me now. Are you seeing this, "Your Majesty"? I'm right there on your level now. ...Impossible... This CAN'T be possible. ANOTHER Regalia wielder? So that means...  I love all the cartoon effects that follow Elizabeth around. Then again, she's got good reason to be pretty pleased right now. Yes, yes. That's the face I wanted to see! Your towering pride crumbling down! And look, little squirrel...! I'm the Sovereign now! Everything... Everything belongs to me! Everything on the Moon belongs to me! No one else gets anything! All the castles, dresses, jewels, lives, blood, and mana... All mine! EVERYTHING...IS...MINE! ...Everything will belong to me! *laugh* *gasp* Elizabeth and Caster, princess and courtesan, facing each other from across the throne room. Both with the same destructive beauty, the monstrously royal gestures. Both of them anti-Heroic Spirits, both tainted by the supreme power of Royal Authority. Both of them, brazenly haughty Queens. Neither of them can ever help surrendering to their greed. They each want to be the tallest, most beautiful flower. They know their beauty makes others suffer. They want to seize power over everyone, entire countries' worth of people, and swallow everything whole. I see that now, as Elizabeth stands before Caster like she would with a mirror. Speaking of which, your "empire"? Shoddy at best. All this talk about enjoyment and prosperity, that's all it is. Just talk. Me, I'll take ALL of SE.RA.PH for myself and drink its blood and tears until it's dry. A ruler has to be cold, merciless, uncaring. I've got royal blood in me. I'm perfect for the job! Now it's time to show my subjects my unconditional love. I'll gently wring the taxes out of them until they're all shambling husks! This fantasy is beyond foolish! It's impossible to take that much control with just one Regalia! There's no point without the other pieces! Oh yeah. You're right. I forgot! Good thing the Queen's ring is right there. So since I've got one to spare, let me try something...*This* is where this scene starts becoming amazing / ridiculous. This entire scene (hell, one could argue this game), is like the Ookubo Rumi Power Hour. She's a fantastic voice actress for regular Elizabeth, all the incarnations of Elizabeth in Grand Order, and the amazingly goofy / lovable Rider of Black, Astolfo, in Fate/apocrypha and Grand Order.  Yeah, Archimedes *probably* didn't see this coming. He's got really crappy options in terms of goons who play into his primary objective... Huh? Seriously, what? All sparkly, and glistening... The sweetest little jewel I ever saw... Wait just a minute. Please. What kind of idiot would ever say a ring looks tasty...? W-Wait!  *munch* *munch* Sh-She ate it?! *munch* *munch* *munch* What...? Well, dragons do love shiny things. What was she supposed to do, with it sparkling that close to her mouth? They say dragons hoard treasure for no good reason. But maybe she HAS reasons. Maybe they're perfectly good reasons. Who am I to judge?I'm glad Hakuno could stay so calm and think things out. I wouldn't even know what to say. *munch* *munch* ...Hm...? Hm... Huh, I...fell like...my stomach's about to...  Ow. Ow. OW OW OW! Why... Am I...BURNING?! I'M BURNING!! The mana focuses and condenses. Elizabeth's body is about to explode. Servant or not, there's no way she can hold that much power inside her. The mana is out of control! It's an auto-defense system against unworthy wielders. So this is how it works from inside... No, now's not the time for analysis...! What to do, what to do...?! Aagh, it's pounding my stomach...! Hey, DJ, the amp volume's too high... NO, THAT'S NOT IT! NO NO NO NO NO...! NOOO...! In spite of her words, I do feel Tamamo has some kind of affection for Elizabeth. Maybe not much, but I get the feeling. Now...    ...Were you about to rush to her aid, dearest? No need. Our little newt just swallowed "her" ring whole. Even I didn't see that coming. What...? Does...this mean..it's been eradicated...? There's no sign...from the Regalia... It...has faded from within Elizabeth's body...entirely! ...It's gone? Half the symbol of the Moon Cell Automaton's Royal Authority? Gone, just like that? Oh... Oh... Why? Again...! Why, why, why?! After I navigated through SO many variables! YOU! Anti-Hero! How many times will you get in my way?! I can't take you anywhere! You embarrassment! You bottom-feeding, useless SERVANT...! *whimper* Why does it have to end this way...? What did I do wrong?!     I imagine the default look on everyone's faces, sans Elizabeth's, right now, is "You've got to be making GBS threads me". Wha...?See? Whose fault is this, huh? Not mine! So whose is it?! It's yours, your fault! You stupid, stupid, stupid...! ...Velber Bathory Erzebet!   Well... Well, um... I'd be saying "Third time's the charm" for Achimedes' big plan, but I'd say he has bigger problems right now... It comes out of nowhere. A powerful strike from the True Name of her Noble Phantasm being revealed straight-on. Archimedes doesn't have time to evade or even block it. All he can do is take it... This Noble Phantasm is more powerful than anything I've ever seen from Elizabeth. It blows Archimedes completely away, without leaving so much as a single speck of spiritron. The digital body of the Heroic Spirit Archimedes is completely erased. Did absorbing the Regalia upgrade her powers? Is the explanation that simple? Whatever the reason, Elizabeth is dangerous now, maybe to all of us. I feel a unique tension, something I can't describe in words, all around me. Caster takes on a combat stance. I can't say I blame her. *laugh* What now, huh? All that big talk, and what have you got to show for it? See how powerful I am? Just you watch, little squirrel. This is the new me. I'm Dark Eliza squared! So you listen to every word I say. With this power, I will... ...My Husband! The sky...it's splitting. Fractures run through it, like cracks in glass. ...It's not from Caster. It's from something strong enough to split the world. Wait, I know what this is... Why? Why are they coming here? Why...?! Darkness beyond SE.RA.PH...! The unknown territories, the Zero Dark Thirty... That's...! That's the intruder who seduced my Husband the other day! Why, why, why?! Why do you have a Regalia too?! ... Beyond the hole in the world... Another dimension, a pitch-black one. I can't see a thing inside it...until black lights come swarming outward. What are they? Attack programs? No, maybe they're something else... What they are is broken. The lights might have been attack programs once, but now they're warped, corrupted. They've been afflicted with a disease. Their old functions no longer work as designed. They just continue to run and run until their bodies crumble and break. This process is the embodiment of destruction, and it has trampled down many lives. ...They cannot be allowed to spread through SE.RA.PH. They are an incurable disease. A deadly poison. A virus that bites down and leeches off the world itself, a Void Cell...!  ...Don't misunderstand. I am your owner.  I stretch my hand out, but I can't reach far enough. The swarm rains down, annihilating everything in the area and swallowing up Elizabeth. Elizabeth, who had just displayed astonishing power, is gone in a heartbeat. The murky stream sweeps away the girl who swallowed the Regalia...  As the maiden in white gives the signal, the army stops in its tracks. "Maiden in white". Ah, of course I've seen her before. I...I am the Great King. I am destruction itself, falling like a star to crush all those beneath. ...Her brown skin, tall and slender body, and unforgettable red eyes. She has the look of a warrior. ...No doubt about it. She's definitely someone who fights. ...Destruction.   My Husband! That flash shaved off a piece of existence itself. It even destroyed the air. Just being near it makes my head pound and guts quiver. If Caster hadn't protected me, I don't know what would've happened. The Great King of Destruction. That's what she called herself. And I know she means exactly what she says. She is destruction personified. And her vow to crush the world is no empty boast. That wasn't a Noble Phantasm... That was her regular attack. It looks like she's specialized to attack this world. Caster's voice is serious. She holds onto her regal confidence, but I can see she's under pressure, much more so than with Saber. She's not just perturbed or confused. There's something deeper and darker churning inside. Something like... ... The red eyes gaze toward us. Like I know they have before. That vision in My Room. I saw her face, heard her voice. ...A Servant I shouldn't know. But still I remember her name. The Sword of Mars. The Scourge of God. A Servant who sleeps in the Zero Dark and can reach up to Heaven's throne. Her name is...Altera. ...The Heroic Spirit, Altera. Caster announces the name. It's not the first time I've heard someone say it. I hear a familiar voice. Who's speaking? Caster? No. It's the other person here. In other words... From beyond the break in the world, someone walks out of the darkness. At first, I can't see the figure's face. But I don't have to. I know what they look like. The same voice calls out... "This is not what you promised, Altera. I don't want to see this much destruction from you."It's...Hakunon's voice. If I heard my own voiced played back to me, it would sound just like that. And the voice belongs to the woman who stands beside Altera. A third. With you. Why am I not surprised? The three parts of the digital self, yes? Mind, Soul, and Body. I worried Master's Body might have disappeared somewhere. But you, Miss "Unknown Threat", you captured it, didn't you? Faced with such a powerful presence, Caster stands her ground unflinching. I'm impressed. I don't think she's ever met anyone this hellbent on destruction, not in the Holy Grail War and not in the Labyrinth. So what is this feeling? Could Caster...know her? The maiden in white. The warrior of destruction. Does she know who or what "Altera" is?The "Labyrinth" is a reference to CCC, as you might imagine. The main setting of the game was formally called the Sakura Labyrinth, named after its master, Sakura Matou, who took the name BB. Or BB-chan, if you're being exact. Wonders never cease. To see you appear as a proper Servant. Yes, I had an inkling since you set your little trap back in My Room, but...I never would have guessed anyone could ever be more sinful than I. You were once human yourself, yes? ...You'll speak when spoken to. What are you? Have you forgotten? Hmm, I suppose you wouldn't recognize me now. I've traveled to the High Heavens as well as the Underworld... There's no need for anyone to know who I am. As long as I'm here, the past is irrelevant. And the same to you, Servant. Burn like the beast you appear to be. Oh, aren't you even going to answer my question, Great King of Destruction? My Husband, join me. Hurry! I'll burn through my entire Moon Crux! ...We'll use it to...retreat!
Sylphid fucked around with this message at 04:04 on Aug 12, 2017 |
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Aug 12, 2017 03:51
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I'd ask what Elizabeth thought was going to happen there, but that might be giving her too much credit.
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Aug 12, 2017 11:02
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"Velber" Bathory Erzebet? I forgot again, is Velber the evil star thing, or was that something else? (Also, haha, Archimedes, sucks to be you, owned by a loli bait pop idol.)
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Aug 14, 2017 05:56
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Man, I wish Joan of Arc had a bigger role in this game, like one of Hakuno's wives or something. She was an ultimate badass IRL, and seeing her as just another sub-Lieutenant just sits wrongly with me.
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Aug 14, 2017 12:15
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Seaogre posted:"Velber" Bathory Erzebet? I forgot again, is Velber the evil star thing, or was that something else? It's the evil star thing, yes.
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Aug 14, 2017 13:28
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CommissarMega posted:Man, I wish Joan of Arc had a bigger role in this game, like one of Hakuno's wives or something. She was an ultimate badass IRL, and seeing her as just another sub-Lieutenant just sits wrongly with me. I imagine she wasn't considered for a protagonist slot, because Extella loosely follows after Extra (Doesn't seem like CCC happened?) and Jeanne wasn't involved in Extra/CCC - which is saying something that the Moon Cell's Grail War didn't need an impartial Ruler to carry out its will. But I guess it did have NPC Kirei, so... And I guess Jeanne gets to be a protagonist in Apocrypha, so she does get a share of the limelight that way.
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Aug 14, 2017 15:37
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CommissarMega posted:Man, I wish Joan of Arc had a bigger role in this game, like one of Hakuno's wives or something. She was an ultimate badass IRL, and seeing her as just another sub-Lieutenant just sits wrongly with me. I'm still trying to figure out how Jeanne ended up working for Atilla the god damned Hun.
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Aug 14, 2017 16:06
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I've heard it speculated that Extella comes from an "EXTRA Zero" scenario, which is roughly akin to how Capcom handled the plot of RE1. The result of both playthroughs (Chris, Jill, Barry, and Rebecca all survived) is canon, but it's not actually possible to do all that in a single run of the game. The fate of CCC is weird, but given Hakuno (and I think Nero at some point) bring it up, maybe it happened between the end of the HGW and Nero / Hakuno going into the Moon Cell core? I'll go with that. And there was some line from Nasu or someone involved with Extella's production considers Altera's route the most important in the game, which is why it's the longest. It is kinda a weird way to tell a story where important and memorable Servants like Jeanne, Gilgamesh, and Iskandar are introduced in Stage 4 of Flame Poem but don't really get any development or any kind of explanation as to what they're doing there until the third route, but that's Nasu for ya.
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Aug 14, 2017 20:25
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Sylphid posted:I've heard it speculated that Extella comes from an "EXTRA Zero" scenario, which is roughly akin to how Capcom handled the plot of RE1. The result of both playthroughs (Chris, Jill, Barry, and Rebecca all survived) is canon, but it's not actually possible to do all that in a single run of the game. The fate of CCC is weird, but given Hakuno (and I think Nero at some point) bring it up, maybe it happened between the end of the HGW and Nero / Hakuno going into the Moon Cell core? I'll go with that. I was wondering why Goldenrod was there and actually taking orders*, yeah. *for a given definition of taking orders. It's still Gilgamesh we're talking about. As for this situation, it kinda feels like two parallel universes got smashed together somehow, because Nero and Tamamo could not both have been Hakuno's servants during the Moon Cell HGW.
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Aug 14, 2017 21:32
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I think it's kind of explicitly stated in the beginning that parallel worlds are involved with that long explanation of it. The question of course is: how they ended up smashed up together.
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Aug 14, 2017 21:38
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I don't recall where but they did release an official statement on Extella's version of Extra where Nero was Hakuno's official servant while Caster served another master (Atrum Galliasta, F/SN Caster's original master) replacing the Rani/Rin bit, and was saved from deletion after her master ditched her to try and escape.
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Aug 14, 2017 22:57
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Argas posted:I don't recall where but they did release an official statement on Extella's version of Extra where Nero was Hakuno's official servant while Caster served another master (Atrum Galliasta, F/SN Caster's original master) replacing the Rani/Rin bit, and was saved from deletion after her master ditched her to try and escape. That's about what I figured, but Hakuno must have made quite an impression on Tamamo to have them already married in the time between Caster striking out on her own and the start of Extella.
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Aug 15, 2017 03:21
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