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Stage 13: Hot Earth Elenoa: I remember this place… Arc: You’ve been here before? Elenoa: Yes, when Diva became Balzar...This is the Forgotten Hell. Arc: The Forgotten Hell…  (Urge to make Metal Gear jokes...rising…) Elenoa: It changes its appearance all the time. It was different when I was here last time...Brother...Here, take the holy sword. I’m not fit to use it… Arc: Thank you.  Arc starts the battle equipped with the holy sword, which only uses the ATK stat this time around. The treasure chest directly west of the party’s starting location is an indirect damage only caster weapon (I no longer remember who off the top of my head and I sold it like an idiot to clear inventory space); the other treasures are stat-boosting consumables.  Arc: Balzar…? It can’t be!  Balzar: ….. Dieno: Brother!? Elenoa: Diva cast off Balzar’s armor! Don’t let him fool you! (This is a reveal that doesn’t make sense if you didn’t play the skippable prologue.) Arc: Well, let’s get him!  Balzar only hits once in either range and isn’t that much tougher than the Lich. Dieno: And for this my brother…  Elenoa: …..  Dieno: Zavel! Where are you hiding!? Zavel: Calm down. This farce is past. I’ll take you to the demon world! Stage 14: Last Stand  Docatti: The demon world...No matter how many times I come here, I always feel icky. Zavel: You hate it that much? That’s too bad, since you will stay here for all eternity. Arc: Zavel! Where are you! Don’t hide from me! Zavel: I’m right here, actually. (The camera pans up to show Zavel.) Zavel: This is where you fall! (The screen flashes white, and when that light fades, several minions have appeared to block the way.)  (Image courtesy of the online walkthrough I’ve been consulting to make this LP.) It’s a straight shot from the starting position to the objective, but if you were like me and hurried through the stages, it’s time to slow down and feed Arc all the kills, which will get easier as he levels and gains more stats..  Zavel: No matter if you hold the holy sword, I will crush you humans like insects! Prepare to die! It took me longer to fight this boss than I needed to, as I forgot to give Godaar and Docatti the gear I picked up in the previous stages and they seem to guarantee critical hits, which is what is necessary to chop through this guy’s 150 HP + 75 HP/turn health regeneration quickly. He is also capable of one- or two-shotting all of the party (except anybody lucky enough to have leveled past 20 and is in their best gear), so the best strategy is to have everybody load up on the best gear (even the stuff I had passed up earlier as not practical), position everyone to move in and do damage one turn later, and to unload once that turn comes up. Zavel: How vexing...Now I must sleep for another thousand years before I can be resurrected again...But! Someday...I will rise again…When that day comes...I will rule the world and my demons will cover the land...Until then...you have your hard-earned peace! Farewell…... (One fade to white later, the party finds themselves standing in a green field with all dead units back to life.) Ferio: The castle has vanished...It’s like everything was a dream…  Lucieda: Is it over…? Arc: Was what he said about coming again in a thousand years true? And what is going to happen if he does? I am worried about the future. (I think a thousand years of guaranteed non-demonic influence is pretty sweet, all things considered. And in a thousand years Arc might not even have any descendants to his name or ones that are as heroic as he has been, plus the country of Fersaria may have long since passed into the mists of time, so I don’t know what he’s stressing about.) Elenoa: ….…  Docatti: Highness, let’s return to the capital. Everybody is waiting for you.  Arina: That’s right! Since it’s over now, we have so much to talk about!  Arc: Okay...Let’s go. For real now, I wanna go home!  (The screen fades out.) Arc: But after all that the coronation was thrown off schedule… Arina: Well, I suppose we should be going back to our archipel, then. Lucieda: I should be heading back to the forest, too. Everyone is probably worried about me by now. Docatti: I think I’ll kick back here. After all I should stay close to you young uns. I’ll bring my wife here, too. Group (Arc, Ferio, Dieno, Arina): A, a wife!?  Lucieda: Docatti...you are married!? Docatti: Yeah. Is that so surprising? Lucieda: But, I can’t imagine you having a wife… Docatti: That’s pretty rude! I should lock you up for fifteen years to teach you some manners! Arc: Calm down. Anyway, your family is welcome here, Docatti. Docatti: Thanks! I’ll go and get her from our village at once! Ferio: Everyone, let’s meet up at the capital later, okay? Dieno: Naturally. Highness, I will be going back to the capital with you. Arc: Right, we’re off. I’ll see you guys at the capital! After an overview of every character’s name, class, ending level, body count, and favorite weapon (probably weighted towards which weapon the unit attacked the most with, as some of them got “unknown”  )--Pamila ended up being my highest level character by virtue of having flyer movement and most enemies being weak to magic attacks, but even she didn’t hit max level by the end--there’s one last “cutscene”: Arc: The coronation, at last...Only one year ago I’d never have imagined I’d become king. Still I wonder if it’s really okay? Ferio: Everyone supports you. There is no need to worry. I’m sure you will be a fine king. Arc: King...That’s what I’ll be after this…...do you remember?  Ferio: ? Arc: What I told you when we returned from the demon world last time…I may be king, but I’m a human called Arc, as well. Let’s keep that in our minds, together. Ferio: ...Soon you will be a king. But, to me, the man called Arc is a lot more important. And that’s why I’m going to stay with you as long as I can. Arc: Thank you...I wonder what if the others will feel the same way. Ferio: Well, let’s go. Everyone is waiting for you.  Arc: You’re right. Here goes! Ferio: Yes! After that, the game shows a final montage of everyone the game considers a main character (i.e. not Iwan, Godaar, Vir, Liesa, or Pamila) as the credits roll.  Arc is finally crowned by Ferio, and I assume they marry shortly after this.  Elenoa has no shortage of suitors, either, much to her consternation.  Dieno supervises the rebuilding of various places ruined by the black army.  Docatti actually made it to the capital with his wife (who, to my slight disappointment, isn’t a Tolkien dwarf--i.e., one that looks indistinguishable from male dwarves). One assumes the s.o. was in charge of the directions.  The elves and sirens have become closer allies after this trial by fire.  Raia takes the time to truly grieve and lay her beloved to rest.  King Arc and Queen Ferio look over the land they are now responsible for. Arc isn’t sure he’s fit to rule just by birthright, but Ferio is confident he’s more than proved himself a worthy king.  I think Arc, surrounded by his friends, will do just fine and be remembered in history as a wise and just ruler. Final remarks: This game feels a bit less like a sequel and more like an expansion pack, what with you just picking up all your old buddies (except Randia, who got stuck holding up the fort), only 1 new character, 3 of the 14 stages being flashbacks, no class promotions, and very little custom dialogue, but the gameplay has been streamlined from the previous game in a very fun way and you could theoretically clear it all in one or two sittings. I enjoyed it for what it was, though I was irritated that the fan translation chose a font in which the letter m was barely distinguishable from the letter n or h. dotchan fucked around with this message at 14:07 on Jan 3, 2021 |
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Sep 17, 2020 02:21
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Status update The fan translation of Farland Story 3 once again used that awful font where lowercase h, n, and m are barely distinguishable and the English version also overtuned enemy stats to make everything except extremely conservative play viable--everything aggros from miles away, hits stupidly hard from the word go and has ridiculous crit chances. I couldn’t get past Stage freaking 5 without resorting to the in-game debug mode that let me warp in and out of enemy range and the game only gets less fun from there. The original Japanese version doesn't have any of these problems, except one: I only understand enough Japanese to navigate the menus and get a very vague sense of the plot. This being one of the games that didn't come out in Chinese, this is the only other option I have to showcase this game. So, for now, I'm going to put the LP on hold until I either 1) find someone fluent enough in Japanese to help translate or 2) enough of you guys don't care about the plot for me to move forward with a gameplay only showcase. Meanwhile, I'm going to take this opportunity to play ahead on the other fan translations to see if I run into the same issue, and if I do, I'll be running into a language barrier again for Farland Story 6 and 7 (4 and 5 have Chinese versions that hopefully don't pull the same shenanigans), so whatever decision I come to for this game will carry forward into future versions. ETA: English versions of Farland Story 6 and 7 are even worse--it's now possible to game over on Stage 1 entirely due to circumstances beyond my control. Thanks, I hate it! 
dotchan fucked around with this message at 04:23 on Jan 19, 2021 |
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Sep 18, 2020 19:02
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The 'make games harder in localisation' thing will always be weird to me. But yeah I don't feel like the gameplay is compelling enough to show by itself. You could try seeing if you can cheat yourself infinite health or double health from outside the game with Cheat Engine or the like maybe.
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Sep 20, 2020 17:59
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Polsy posted:The 'make games harder in localisation' thing will always be weird to me. I get why they wanted to do it because the original game is practically brainless to play through, but I suspect whoever "rebalanced" Farland Story 3 did not playtest it very far because in addition to boosted stats they gave a bunch of things indirect damage weapons before I had any means of counterattacking from that range.
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Sep 20, 2020 20:03
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 OST I was hoping to have the very nice person I found on Discord to get me through the entire script, but I haven’t heard from them in months and they have yet to reply to my previous poke, so to avoid this LP from dying due to lack of activity I’m just going to rely on Google Translate to fill in what little I can guess based on my Chinese fluency and the tiny bit I picked up watching subtitled anime. For those of you who want to follow along the original text, I will be putting those screencaps in their own folder. This time, the game comes with an opening cinematic that plays if you leave the game alone for a bit. I grabbed this from the English version since it’s available right from the beginning. Opening text crawl posted:When people die, they go to the land of the dead. The game proper opens on a dark screen.  Young Lady: Who am I?..Who am I?..Where am I?...[somebody] please answer [me]...hey! ???: Fana… Young Lady: Fana?...I’m [called]...Fana!? ???: Indeed. You were born for me, for the sake of my power. Fana: Who are you? ???: I am Demetor. The god of darkness. Fana: Demetor?...  Fana wakes to find herself in Fersaria Castle. Fana: ...where am I [now]? Ferio: You look like you’ve been through quite a bit. Fana: …[and] you are? Ferio: I am Ferio. You were passed out unconscious near Fersaria Castle. Fana: Fersaria[, huh]...? Ferio: By the way, aren’t you hungry? Fana (as Ferio walks over to the table to get food): What sort of place is this? I...can’t figure anything out… Ferio (turns around): Huh? Fana: [Like I said,] everything’s a complete blank to me… Ferio: … Fana (surprised): ! Oh, ‘Fana’...[that’s my name, I think.] Ferio: ‘Fana’? Fana: Say, [do you have any idea] how I got here? [If you do, please] explain it to me. Ferio: Don’t you remember? Fana: All I know is [that I’m] Fana and nothing else. Ferio: I see. Say, can you walk? Fana: Uh huh. Ferio: I’d like you to come with me. (Ferio leads the way out of the room and into the room next door and Fana follows behind; next door, Mohad is already there.) Mohad: Your Majesty! Ferio (coming in): What’s the matter? (Not wanting to be seen, Fana hides behind Mohad as he turns his attention to Ferio.) Mohad: If it isn’t Your Highness the Queen. You haven’t seen His Majesty [lately], have you? Ferio: His Majesty has gone missing again? Mohad: Indeed...my, my, it’s been two years since His Majesty ascended the throne, but I haven’t had a day where I wasn’t on pins and needles since...no, I’m just rambling… (turns around) Anyway, where in the world is His Majesty? Sir Docatti and Sir Deino have gone on an adventure as well… *grumbles* Huh?!? Is it just me [or]...? Maybe I’m just old, but recently...how odd...heh... (Mohad leaves the room; after that, Ferio approaches the bookcase at the back of the room.) Ferio: Looks like [Mohad’s] gone. Ark, you can hear me, right? I have a favor to ask. Ark: … Ferio: You’re not there, huh. If that’s the case, may I tell Mr. Mohad about the [secret] room behind the bookshelf? Ark: [It’s] Ferio, huh? Ferio: Mr. Mohad isn’t here any more. Ark: What’s your request? Ferio: C’mon, Ark. I’m not Mr. Mohad. Trust me. (The bookshelf moves aside and Ark walks out of the doorway hidden behind it.) Ark: All right, he really isn’t here! He’s such a nag...huh, who’s the kid? Fana: Um...I… Ark: What’s the matter with you, kid? Fana: I’d like the archbishop of the next town over to meet her. This little one...doesn’t remember anything about herself, so I wonder if His Grace might know something [we don’t]. Ark: I see. Well, then, let’s go. Stage 1: Lost Memories  Ferio: Surely, the Archbishop [must] know something. Fana: Ok… Arc: Things have become bothersome recently because some of the monsters have gone feral. Both of you, stick close to me.  (Maps courtesy of a Japanese online walkthrough.) The stages are much smaller this time around, so there’s no longer a mini-map option.  On the upside, the game shows a lot more information on the stage map: clicking on any tile shows you what terrain type it is and what sort of bonuses you get by standing on it, and attacking a unit also gives you the stats of the terrain that the unit occupies should you commit to the attack (this display, however, truncates a bit of information so it doesn’t tell you stat standing on a castle tile also heals 20% of a unit’s max HP per turn). I send Fana (class: Sorcerer, currently equipped with a magic ring that only attacks at melee range) to collect the treasure (probably should have had Arc to do it but oh well) while Arc and Ferio make their way west.  The battle only ends after you move a unit into the town, as going there is the actual objective rather than defeating any enemies and there is no custom dialogue. (I don’t think there is any custom dialogue in the game so I will not make a special note of that unless I get proven otherwise.) Arc: Finally made it. Characters introduced in this update:  - An amnesiac girl who is the target of the self proclaimed god of darkness for reasons as yet unknown.
dotchan fucked around with this message at 18:54 on Jun 26, 2021 |
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Jan 18, 2021 06:10
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 Archbishop: What can you remember? Fana: I don’t.remember anything at all. Archbishop: [What about] where you’re from? Nothing? That ring? Is that a sorcerer’s ring? Are you a sorceress? Fana: I...I have no idea. Archbishop: Well...I’m at my wits end. Ferio (noticing the person behind the archbishop): Oh? Who’s that? Archbishop: Oh, dear, how rude of me. Narcisse, please introduce yourself. (Narcisse walks forward.) Narcisse: My name is Narcisse. It is an honor to be acquainted. I am serving under His Grace. Ferio: I see. Archbishop: Let’s get back on track. Fana, what a nice-sounding [name]. Is that what you’re called, dear? Fana: I don’t know, but I can’t stop thinking about it--in my dreams, somebody keeps calling me that. Elenoa (from off screen): Big brother! Arc: Elenoa?! What’s wrong?? Elenoa: The castle...the capitol… Ac: What happened to the castle!?! Elenoa: Somebody... Voice (from offscreen):  Please hand the child over. Arc: Who’s there!?  Dotchan’s Notes About Moon RunesIn the Japanese version, this character speaks using katakana, which is usually shorthand for someone who either isn’t fluent in Japanese and/or a robot and often gets localized as speaking in all caps. (In the case of this guy, he also speaks gratuitous English for some reason.  ) Since I tend to parse all caps as shouting, I used the emote instead. Demon Army Captain: I have already informed Lord Demetor. Please hand the child over. Fana: Demeter…? Arc: …? Demon Army Captain: Oh! Is it just me, or is it a bit noisy in here? Arc: ??? Elenoa: Big brother! Hurry! Arc: Oh...OK. Demon Army Captain: Grr! Are you ridiculing me? I won’t let that go unanswered! Whoever goes against Lord Demetor should all die! Arc: Whatever that is, that’s definitely the enemy! Narcisse: Your Grace! Please hide in a safe place! Leave everything up to me!  Stage 2: The demon army returns  The pews offer better defense than the carpet and the minions can attack from ranged, so stick close to those while you head for the final enemy, who won’t move and instead wait for your party to draw near. Narcisse’s addition to the party makes this easier, since he is also a healer and, as a priest, can heal from up to two tiles away, and Fana can one-shot the minions so if you want to feed everyone else more experience have her hang back. If you’re  Attacking the Demon Army Captain for the first time gets the taunt: “ HA! Have a taste of my magic sword ‘Fujiyama’s’ power! “ I reload to make sure there’s no custom taunt for different characters, then I feed the kill to Elenoa. Demon Army Captain: Woah! Let’s call it a draw for now, [but] the next time we meet, I won’t let you get away! Arc: Just what was that thing…? Elenoa: Big Brother, nobody’s [left] at the castle...hurry! Arc: Got it. Elenoa: Arc, let us make haste. Arc: Hold on...if [Fana] is their target, then Ferio should stay here with her. Ferio: Very well, but [you] be careful [as well], Arc. Narcisse: Allow me to go instead; I know a thing or two. Elenoa: I’ll go as well. [After all,] the Captain of the Royal Guard shouldn't be far from her liege, right? Arc: All right! Let’s go!  Arc: Dammit! There’s monsters here, too! Characters introduced this update:  - The (unnamed) archbishop of the town next to the capitol. - The archbishop’s apprentice; joins the party after witnessing a demon attack on his chapel. - A minion of the forces of evil; implied to be some kind of magitek robot due to his verbal tic (in Japanese, he speaks in all katakana except for the occasional bit of gratuitous English).
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Jan 19, 2021 14:36
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Stage 3: Broken Peace The carpet offers no defense boosts at all, while the chairs have the best defense buff along with a regen. The revive item at the end of the hallway is probably worth getting in case of emergency at least for this stage, since Narcisse is your only healer here. I send Arc to grab the chest while Elenoa catches up on levels, which took a while because the robots can hit from ranged and the last one standing does nothing except continually flee.  Arc: Is that all the enemies? Where is everyone?! Elenoa: I don’t see anybody anywhere near here! Arc: Elenoa, look for survivors with Narcisse. I’ll head for the chapel. Elenoa: Got it.  Arc: It’s you!? Zavel: So you [still] remember [me], son of man? I didn’t think we’d meet again so soon. Arc: This can’t be! I’m sure [I destroyed you]... Zavel: We shall flourish forever! Lord Demetor, the God of Darkness, is eternal! Arc: God of Darkness…? Zavel: The door to the demon realm has been opened! Arc: What!? Zavel: This sword, as the key to that realm, is now useless! Arc: You! What the hell do you think you’re doing! Dotchan’s Notes About Moon RunesArc uses the super rude pronoun 貴樣 (kisama) here. Don’t try this at home, kids! (The base of the sword flashes white, and then…)  Arc: The sword! Zavel: You’re next…  (As far as I can tell, this is a scene that happens “in-engine”, since it runs at the same speed that I set all animations; however, there’s no damage number displayed--Arc just gets lasered and keels over.) Demetor (over a black screen): Arc...can you overcome the darkness? Arc: W-who’s there…? Demetor: I am Demetor. The time is nearing when Fana will come [to me]. Arc: Fana…[you mean] that young lady? Demeter: Foolish man...you should throw away that [worthless] conscience of yours...well, good luck protecting [the ones you love]... Arc: Hold it. Just who do you think you are, and what are you up to? Demetor: My name is Demetor. As for my goal, you will find out what it is...if you live that long…  Mohad: Are you all right, Your Majesty? Arc: Is that you, Mohad? Mohad: Indeed. Arc: I see...forgive me. Ferio: Just what happened back there? Arc: The seal to the demon realm has been broken. Ferio: [What do you mean,] the seal[‘s broken]...? Arc: Zavel lives...and the sword...has been shattered… Ferio: How could that be…? Arc: By the way, Mohad, is everyone okay? Mohad: Yes. Everyone was evacuated...but those [demons] soon vanished [as well]. Arc: Perhaps [they did so] because they fulfilled their goal…[I wonder] what they plan to do now...just who [or what] is this ‘Demetor’ [anyway]...? Fana: ‘Demetor’...oh, the God of Darkness! Arc: You know this [as well]? He also claimed [to be] such [himself]... Archbishop: The God of Darkness!? Fana: Does Your Grace also know [something]? Archbishop: Aren’t you familiar with the legends? “When the God of Darkness revives, the world shall be covered in darkness”... Narcisse: “Only the sun which has fallen into night can save the world from darkness.” Ferio: [That is,] place the five magic stones given to us from the gods into Ra’s third eye...this is a legend quite famous among us clergy. Archbishop: Indeed. You will need the magic stones to save the world from Demetor the God of Darkness. Arc: [What] magic stones? Archbishop: They are full of powerful magic and hidden all over the world. Arc: And with them, I can save the world from demonic creatures? Archbishop: Yes. Perhaps, once [the stones] pass through the demonic door, it will be sealed. Narcisse: There are five magic stones in all. Four are on this earth, and the last is said to be held by the Sun God Ra. Archbishop: Go [seek] the old man who lives in the woods to the north of here if you’d like to get [some] leads. Narcisse: [You mean] Elder Isaac, right?  Narcisse: Elder Issac lives in the depths of this forest. Arc: Doesn’t look like going further in will be that easy. Narcisse: I wonder if the Elder is all right…? Arc: Looks like we’ve got no choice but to eliminate [everything in our way] Characters introduced this update:  - the last boss of FS2, this time back as a minion of the new big bad.
dotchan fucked around with this message at 16:57 on Jan 22, 2021 |
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Jan 21, 2021 18:06
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Stage 4: The Beginning of a New Journey I split the party in two in order to grab the treasures (the thing on the right being restorative medicine) and stick close to the trees as that gives better defense, assigning a healer to each half of the party as well. Even though the Japanese version is much easier compared to the fan translation, it’s still possible to get swarmed and die if you charge ahead too quickly, so take your time.  Arc: All right, that’s it for the threats. Narcisse: Look, there’s the [elder’s] house. Arc: It’d be rude if all of us barged in, so I’ll go see [the elder] with Narcisse. Pardon me, but would the rest of you wait outside? Ferio: Got it.  Isaac: Are you the one who defeated the monsters [outside]...is that [you,] Narcisse? Narcisse: Long time no see. Isaac: Did you need something from me today? Or...is it your guest here? Arc: Pardon me. I am Ark and I [do] have a request. Isaac: Oho, how wonderful that the king of a[n entire] country comes begging [like this]. Well, what is it? Arc: I’d like to know where the magic stones are [located]. Isaac: Hahahaha...you [serious]? Arc: Yes. Isaac: It’s impossible [to get] the magic stones. Cease [your quest at once]. Narcisse: Please. I [ask this] as well. Isaac: In that case, would you bring me the legendary sword that sleeps in Eur cave [first]? Arc: [There’s...another..] legendary sword? Isaac: That’s right. I won’t tell you unless you succeed. The stories [out there] about getting magic stones are mere fabrications. Arc: I see. Then, I’ll be there and back before you know it. (Arc turns to leave.) Isaac: Ah--hold on a tic. Before that, you need to get permission from the Chief of Coop Village. Arc: Where is this Coop Village? Isaac: You don’t know, huh? Narcisse over there might have some idea.  Narcisse: This must be Coop VIllage. Arc: Has the reach of the demonic forces gotten this far? Elenoa: No turning back now. Arc: True enough...eh? What’s that over there…? (The camera pans to the right, revealing two new characters, one of whom looks very familiar.) Arina: Your Majesty!? And Your Highness! Ferio: Arina! What are you doing here? Arina: I’ll explain later, help this kid [here] first--oh, and help me as well. Arc: Got it! Hurry on over this way! Arina: OK! C’mon, Primm, let’s go! Primm: O-tay! Dotchan’s Notes About Moon RunesPrimm has something of a lisp, turning words with -s- and -ts- sounds into -ch- instead. This is another way fictionland characterizes the way little kids talk so the implication is that she’s very young. I decided to “localize” this by using the verbal tic my baby bro had as a kidlet--he had trouble forming k and g sounds, turning them into t and d sounds instead.  Characters introduced this update:  : A wise elder who sends Arc and company on the trail of yet another legendary sword as a test of strength/character before he’s willing to give any information about the MacGuffins we need to defeat the Big Bad. : A young girl who is accompanying Arina for some reason.
dotchan fucked around with this message at 12:38 on Jun 13, 2021 |
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Jan 23, 2021 07:13
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All your videos have gone private, and Day 16 on Farland Saga 2 is a copy of the previous entry, so you know.
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Jan 23, 2021 10:01
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Tallgeese posted:All your videos have gone private I didn't think anybody even still watched those videos! quote:and Day 16 on Farland Saga 2 is a copy of the previous entry, so you know. Oops, fixed.
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Jan 23, 2021 17:44
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Stage 5: Recapturing Coop Village This is the first stage where a shop is available (on the southeast corner of the map), but complicating this is the presence of robbers, who can and will steal your gold if they get a hit in on their turn, and only Arina and Primm are in range to deal with those robbers until you can schlep the rest of the party in that direction. Arina can attack from ranged, but Primm can only counterattack from ranged; for her to do damage on an ally turn she has to get up close and personal. The robots and the two-headed wolves at the southern end have both melee and ranged damage, so use the trees for cover and bring plenty of healing units before you try to clear that part out.  Something that the map doesn’t show for whatever reason is that there is a hidden treasure chest containing 3000 gold on the patch of dirt immediately to the west of Arc’s starting location. The shop has the following for sale: * Broad Sword - a sword upgrade for Arc and Elenoa * Ice Ring - a sidegrade for Fana (it only attacks at ranged) * Heavy Mace - an upgrade for Ferio * Medicine - consumable item that heals HP If you collected all of the treasure and killed everything on the previous maps, you should have enough money to buy at least two of the weapons - I suggest the sword and the ring; if you still have enough money after that, I suggest you buy the mace. The battle ends after you kill the final enemy.  Arc: Are you okay, Arina? Arina: Thanks for the help. Arc: By the way, who’s the kid…? Arina: I met her while on my travels… Primm: I’m finding my mommy and daddy! Ferio: So you get separated from your parents, you poor dear? Arc: [And] what’s your name? Primm: I’m Primm! Arina: Your Majesty, don’t you feel bad about this kid? Arc: Okay. Little one, why don’t you travel with us? That way, you might be able to see your parents again. Primm: Yaay! You’re the best! Arc: All right, where’s the chief’s house? Arina: Have business with the chief, do you? In that case, he lives in that big house right over there. Arc: Over there, huh. Thanks. Then, I’m going in. Everyone please wait here.  Arc: Something ailing you[, miss]? Chief’s Wife: Pardon me for being dressed like this. If it’s my husband you seek, he’s gone to the forest to find herbs for me. However, with the monsters [rampaging, I fear]... Arc: The forest, huh. I see. I will find your husband and bring him back [for you]. Chief’s Wife: If you’d please…  Arc: ...is what she told me, [which is why] I’m asking everyone to find the chief. Elenoa: We’d better hurry; looks like the monsters here have gone feral as well. Characters introduced this update:  The Coop Village chief’s wife
dotchan fucked around with this message at 16:37 on Jan 25, 2021 |
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Jan 24, 2021 21:38
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Stage 6: The Fight to Save the Chief Take your time defeating the enemies--even if the chief drops dead, it won’t lead to a game over (and you don’t want him taking too much EXP anyway). The treasures are, from south to north, a consumable that boosts defense, a consumable that heals HP, and the same sword that was for sale in the previous stage. If anybody moves next to the chief, they get a bit of dialogue from him:  Chief: I’m too hurt to move. Get away from here while the monsters aren’t coming after you! I’m not about to leave an injured man to his fate, especially not since by the time I trigger this dialogue there are only two monsters left.  Arc: Are you all right? Chief: Ooh...I shouldn’t have let my guard down… Arc: Shall we return to the village? Chief: I’ve broken my leg...I can’t walk. Narcisse: I can take care of that. Chief: If it’s not too much trouble...  (One implied exposition dump later) Chief: ...I see. In that case, I permit you to enter the cave. Arc: Thank you very much. Chief: You saw me safely home and saved my village from monsters. I can’t even begin to repay you. Arc: How’s the missus doing? Chief’s Wife: Thanks to the medicinal herbs my husband brought for me, I feel much better. You have my gratitude [as well]. Arc: That’s a relief. Now, if you’ll excuse me… Chief: There is a guardian who protects the sword. Be careful. Chief’s Wife: Do your best. Arc: I will.  Arc: There’s the legendary sword… Arina: There’s lots of monsters in this cave. Characters introduced this update:  The chief of Coop village, who gives the party permission to seek the legendary sword after they rescue him from monsters
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Jan 25, 2021 20:32
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Stage 7: The Awakening Legend Whoever you send up the left side to collect the treasure chests (that contain a defense boosting item, 3000g, and an attack boosting item), it’s fine to leave them there since they won’t be able to make it back in time. Both the double-headed dogs and the mini-boss guarding the sword can attack and counterattack from ranged so position you people carefully, using the xx shaped wooden fencing that can be stood on for additional defense to your advantage. Approaching the miniboss triggers some dialogue:  Arc: That must be the guardian! Primm: Eww, I hate snateys! I got lazy with positioning so I only had two people attack the miniboss while the healers kept them topped up.  Arc: Phew! Managed to beat that [somehow].  Arc: Is this...the legendary sword…?  Isaac: That is indeed the real deal. Arc: So… Isaac: Yes? Arc: [Now] will you tell me where the magic stones are? Isaac: Actually, I have no idea! Arc: What!? Isaac: If I knew, I’d been out the door to get them already. Narcisse: B-but… Isaac: Let me finish. What I do know is that the great tree in the Elven Forest Arc: The great tree, huh? [That’s news to me.] Isaac: You’ll see once you go to the Elven Forest. The great tree can converse with both elves and men alike. Arc: The Elven Forest, huh...I see. Thank you very much. Isaac: [That reminds me,] take this sword with you. You’ll need it [on your quest] to gather the magic stones.  (Arc receives the Legendary Sword!) This is a sword that gets added to Arc’s inventory, but he can’t use it yet--and not just because we’re not in battle right now, but because the sword is specific to the “Hero” class. As heroic as his bearing is, his class is still “  Arc: It’s been quite a while since we’ve been here. Ferio: It has, hasn’t it? Arc: As far as where the great tree is, Elder Isaac said we’d know it when we saw it. Arina: “We’d know it when we saw it” my foot! We’ve already been [looking] for two hours! Narcisse: He’s always been like that. Ferio: [You listened to him], so you came this way, right, Arc? Arc: Yeah, I was thinking that Lucida might have some idea [of where it is]. Arina: It’s [spooky] quiet around here. Someone should have come out of the village to greet us by now. Arc: That is very strange...say, that’s--! (Lucieda approaches the party from the south; when I played this game for the first time, I was only able to recognize her as one of the elves because the sprite is too tiny and she’s only seen from behind until her face portrait pops up.) Arc: Lucieda, is that [really] you? Lucieda: Your Majesty!? What are you doing here? Arc: I’ve been looking for you. [And you?] Why are you in such a panic? Lucieda: The village...the monsters...I’ve already evacuated everyone [else]...please, help me! Arc: What? [That’s terrible!] Everyone, with me! Dotchan’s Notes About Moon RunesIn a lot of East Asian languages (Japanese included) the pragmatics of the culture means that you don’t necessarily spell out that something unpleasant is happening. When Lucieda was telling Arc about her plight, she literally said something like “The village, by the monsters was…” and left the rest up to our imaginations. Similarly, back in Farland Saga 2, when Radish was talking about ghosts, her opening line was just “[something] appeared!” without even having an explicit subject.
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Jan 28, 2021 17:25
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Stage 8: The Great Tree of the Elven Forest This is technically a “Defeat X” map (where X is the giant monstrous tree to the south of the party’s starting location) but I’m the kind of completionist who likes to kill everything so I split my party in two as to clear out all of the minions and then meet up at the boss. Luceida starts with a melee weapon, so she’s at a slight disadvantage as a point attacker since so many creatures now do ranged damage. This means letting her hang back while other people soften up the enemy so she can catch up on levels. Engaging the boss gets some dialogue:  Luceida: Watch out! That’s the culprit [behind the attack on the village]! Arc: And what a creature it is. All right, let’s take it down I feed the kill to Luceida but I also let as many people get a hit in as I can.  Arc: Got rid of it somehow. But how and when did this thing [show up]...? Luceida: I don’t know. Recently, I’ve been receiving word that there’s strange shadows lurking about. Arc: No matter what [else is going on], I’m [just] glad you’re okay. Luceida: Once again you’ve been a great help. By the way, do you have some business with me? I’ll do whatever I can for you. Arc: I’ll explain later, but [right now] I’d like to go to the Great Tree and I don’t know where that is. Luceida: I see. Few people know about the Great Tree--only we Elves go to it [regularly]--[how did you know about it]? Arc: Isaac told me. He [also] said that I’d know it when I saw it… Luceida: Oh, isn’t that one of my father’s old friends? And as much of a nasty [prankster] as ever, I see… Arc: Good grief...anyway, would you be able to come up with a way [for me] to [see] the Great Tree? Luceida: With pleasure. (We don’t get to see the plan in action, only the result:)  Great Tree: So you’ve come, seeker of the Magic Stones… Arc: Do you know where they are? Great Tree: I do indeed. Please listen [carefully] to what I’m about to tell you. Great Tree: First, the sword to collect magic stones...you know it as the legendary sword…[it] is absolutely necessary [to your quest]; without it, the keeper made by the gods [to protect the stones] cannot be defeated. Arc: The gods, [huh…] Great Tree: More will be revealed to you in due time. After you have found the first stone, you shall know where the next stone lies. You there, the one called Narcisse… Narcisse: Yes? Great Tree: I am quite familiar with your kind. You should know the location of the next magic stone. Narcisse: I...I do. Great Tree: Arc. Head to the cave south of here. The first magic stone lies within. Arc: I see. Thank you very much. Great Tree: Take care. (One implied travel montage fade-out/fade-in later…)  Arc: What a creepy cave… Ferio: Say, what’s that red glow over there?
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Jan 29, 2021 17:54
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Stage 9: The Magic Stone Make your way to the magic stone (the purple sprite immediately to the west of the party’s starting position); on the next turn, robots will warp in to attack us and the Demon General will taunt us:  Demon General: HAHAHA! So this is the “magic stone”, eh? Arc: Y-you [again]!? Demon General: Thanks for doing [our] legwork; you idiots didn’t even realize you were being followed. Arc: I get it, you were the ones who released monsters into the village, weren’t you!? Demon General: Hey, now! It’s rude to mess with my polite [little] pets! Arc: I’ll defeat those “pets” [of yours]! Demon General: *shrieks* I’ll kill you all! Got to hell! I am so done with you! Arc: I don’t think so! After this, more robots will warp in from behind the party. As usually, I split my forces so I can fight on both fronts. Targeting the Demon General for the first time yields another taunt (“ Can’t rely on anybody these days! [Very well,] I’ll deal with you myself! ”) but he’s not very tough; I feed the kill to Luceida. Demon General: Oh! Times up. Until we meet again! Bye! Arc: Hey! H-hold it! (The Demon General vanishes.) Arc: drat it, he got away… Ferio: Arc, [just] grab the Magic Stone, would you? Arc: Oh, right.  Arc: This must be the Magic Stone...huh? What’s carved on [the statue]? Ferio: These runes are from a dead language. Unfortunately, I can’t read that. Narcisse: “The moon goddess Rene shall appear henceforth” Arc: Narcisse, you can [really] read that? Narcisse: Elder Isaac taught me [how]. Arc: I see...I wonder what this text means, though... Narcisse: If I had to guess, the next magic stone could be in Rene’s temple. Ferio: It’s recorded in the scriptures--a temple was erected where Rene manifested on this earth. To get to that temple, we’ll have to cross the ocean. Arc: To the harbor, then! Dotchan’s Notes About Moon RunesThe actual katakana for the moon goddess’ name is リーネ, so I went with a “close enough” transliteration rather than a 100% accurate one.  Arc: To get to the harbor, we’ll have to pass through this desert...and there are quite a few monsters here as well… Ferio: Oh, yeah, Docatti and Dieno had been heading to this area to clear the monsters out. I wonder if they haven’t gone home yet--if not, we might be able to rendezvous with them. Arc: Huh, you’re right...I hope they’re okay. (The camera pans eastward, and we see two very familiar sprites close to an oasis town.) Docatti: I’m sick of this...how did we get surrounded? Dieno: I’m too tired to move, how about you? Docatti: Let’s get a boat at a harbor. The land route is no longer viable. Dieno: I guess we’ve no choice...I’d like to get back to the capitol as soon as possible. Docatti: You mean you’d like to get back to see Her Highness the Royal Guard. Dieno: W-what are you walking about? Me [and her]...aren’t like that… Docatti: Haha, His Majesty’s friends are as honorable as he is[, it seems]. dotchan fucked around with this message at 13:08 on Jun 13, 2021 |
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Feb 3, 2021 00:38
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Stage10: Beyond the Sea of Hot Sand Docatti and Dieno start the battle in player control, and the town they are near offers some health regeneration; the objective is simply to reach the harbor (which is ), but I usually slaughter everything so I can get EXP and money. Parking Arc next to Dieno or Docatti gives us a mini-skit on the next turn:  Dieno: Your Majesty!? Ark: Is that you, Dieno? And Docatti! Docatti: Dear me...out on [another] one of your incognito vacations, Your Majesty? Arc: No, it’s different this time...anyway, let’s take down these [monsters] and head to the harbor. Attacking the mini-boss stationed on the destination town yields some dialogue:  Goblin:Hold it right there, Arc! It’s time I paid you back hundredfold for the hate I’ve been carrying for three years! Arc: What are you talking about? Goblin: Allow me to remind you! I used to be a captain of the demonic forces under the Black Knight! However, thanks to you, I am now forced to live like a barbarian in the middle of nowhere! Do you remember me now?? Arc: Nope. Goblin: ….. Arc: I’ve forgotten [all that]. Goblin: T-therefore… Arc: I’ve no recollection of ever seeing you before. Goblin: *screeches* I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you--! At level 14, it takes a while to chop down the goblin’s health bar (plus he regenerates a bit on every turn), so I take this opportunity to feed almost everybody experience before letting Primm have the last hit.  Arc: Well, I'm still not sure, but I [apparently] have to collect five magic stones. Docatti: Okay, I think I understand the gist. In that case, sign me up as well. Arc: Thanks, that’d be helpful. Dieno, what about you? Dieno: Well… Elenoa: You’re not coming with us? Dieno: Huh? I-I’m coming. Of course I’d come! Arc: [Looks like] everybody’s traveling together again. Docatti: Leave [guarding] the castle to Mohad and Randia. Arc: Alright, let's go find a ship right away.  Arc: Excuse me...huh, weird. Ferio: Is nobody there? (The camera pans upward to show a young man in a bandanna standing across a table from an older man.) Tack: What the gently caress is wrong with you! Hook: You’re the one who hosed up, moron! (The camera goes back to Arc.) Arc: Hello…? Tack (from offscreen): I’m leaving this house [forever]! Hook (from offscreen): Go ahead! And don’t you dare come back! You’re no grandson of mine! (Tack storms out, necessitating Arc to dodge out of his path.) Arc: Watch it! That was close… Ferio Wonder what that was about…? (Arc and Ferio approach Hook.) Arc: Um..excuse me. Hook: What da ya want at this time of day? Arc: We’d like to cross the sea. Hook: Sorry, but I’m not doing any sailing today. Ferio: [Please,] we’re in a hurry. Hook: I didn’t realize that[, but…] Arc: Please. Hook: Look at me--I’ve hurt my back; I’m useless to you. If you need a boat, get Tack. Arc: [Who’s] Tack? Hook: The idiot who just ran out [the door there]. Just wait a bit; he’ll come [crawling] back once he’s hungry. Arc: That doesn’t seem practical… Hook: Then bring him back [yourself]. Ferio: Back? [From where?] Hook: Couldn’t have gone far. Arc: Guess that’s all we can do, then. (The party is back on map again, but this time gathered around the harbor.) Arc: Oh, man...how many more of these wild creatures will we have to beat back? Ferio: It’s best if we brought [Tack] back [home] as soon as possible. Characters introduced this update:  A goblin who swore revenge on Arc; too bad Arc has no idea who this goblin even is. A sailor who runs away from home after a falling out with his father. Tack’s grandfather, who is too injured to provide his sailing services to the party.
dotchan fucked around with this message at 13:13 on Jun 13, 2021 |
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Feb 4, 2021 01:25
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Stage 11: The 101st Runaway [Incident] This stage feels like a filler whose only purpose is to pad for length, but whatever, I don’t mind the extra exp and gold.  The harbor only offers healing items, so I decide to save my money until I can find a weapon shop. I send Arina to grab the money at the far north end and march the rest of the party towards Tack, clearing out the monsters on the way. Targeting Tack with anybody yields some dialogue:  Tack: What, did Gramps tell you to come here? I ain’t goin’ back with ya. Arc: I’m afraid not; we’d like to cross the sea as soon as possible. Tack: Geh, why am I not surprised? In that case, come get me back yourself! Arc: Very well, I’ll be your opponent! Tack:All right! Bring it! Targeting Tack with anybody other than Arc will not be effective, plus Tack will complain “Hey, hey! This is [supposed to be] a one-on-one fight!”, but Arc can still heal (via the healers or items) as much as he likes, so this is still not a fair duel.  Tack: Color me surprised...ya actually pulled it off. Fana: Please...we’re in a hurry. Tack: ……(Dang, she’s a cutie!) Fana: Uh...is something wrong? Tack: N-no! Since ya asked so nicely, I’d be glad to [help]! Fana: …? Thanks…? Tack: *chuckles* Arc: ……  Tack: C’mon, move it! Get on board before this boat leaves [without ya]! (The characters board one by one. When Fana’s about to follow suit, Tack speaks up again.) Tack: L-look out; take care ta watch yer footing [there]. Fana: Thanks, that’s very sweet of you. Tack: *chuckles* Luceida: This doesn’t feel very fair [somehow]. Arina: Seriously, how rude.  Tack: All righty, then! Heave ho! (The ship sails offscreen. One fade-out/fade-in later, it pulls into a different port.)  Tack: Land, ho! Phew, what a trip! (One implied disembarking later, the party has spread themselves out next to the town where they had docked.) Arc: What a trip [indeed]. Thanks. Tack: No sweat! By the way, hope you don’t mind me askin’, but can I come with ya? Arc: Sure, but...what for? Tack: Yer tough. I can’t go home anymore anyway, so I might as well get a feel for the land; surely, I’d be of use ta ya. Arc: This will surely be a perilous journey. Tack: No problem, that’s precisely what I’m looking towards. Arc: Well, we could certainly use a guide... Tack: That settles it! Nice ta meetcha. Miss Fana, if there's anything I can do, let me know! Fana: O-okay... (*shudders*) Docatti: Before going to the temple, I want to stop by [in] town. Narcisse: Who knows? We might even get some [new] information. Arc: Let’s ask the [people in] those houses over there first, maybe they’ve seen something. Tack: [Speaking of,]which house [ya starting with]? Fana: What about the closest one? Tack: Yeah! Good idea! That’s Fana for ya! Ferio: Anyway, let’s get going.
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Feb 4, 2021 14:13
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Stage 12: Towards a Distant Light The objective is to reach the small house on the northwest corner of the map (where an army is parked) while defeating all of the enemies in the way (including an ambush in the woods past the bridge) and the southern forces will move up to engage us so this time the only person I split from the party is Arina.  The port sells a ring upgrade for Fana and a weapon upgrade for Luceida as well as healing and revive items. (In retrospect, I should have bought more healing items. Oh, well.)  Old Woman: I can’t even begin to thank you [enough]... Arc: No problem. By the way, don't you know the way to the city? Old Woman: Yes, I know. But before [we head out], have some tea. Arc: Since you insist. Old Woman: Don’t talk like that. You see, I’ve already got a pot going. There’s enough for everyone outside too. Go ahead, it’s a bit chilly out today. If only this house were big enough for everyone… (She walks offscreen and comes back.) Old Woman: So, is it tasty? Arc: Yeah...*chokes* Old Woman: *snickers* Arc: Erk…[my] body… Old Woman (now with an evil-looking smirk): You killed my darling little creatures[; turnabout is fair play]. Arc: You...poisoned… Old Woman: Heheheh...don’t worry, you won’t die. Soon, the demon realm will manifest, and here will be Demon City. Arc: Wh..at… Old Woman: You won't be able to move [before the poison kicks in]…I'll treasure you as slaves in place of my beloved monsters. Arc: Ugh… *screams* (Arc turns into a gray wolf.) Primm (from offscreen): Hold it right there! Old Women: Eh!? I’m sure everyone had the tea...are you some kind of monster? [Wait,] I heard that slaves had escaped from the base… Primm: Dib everybody batt! Old Woman: Heh, heh, heh, sorry, but I’ve got too big of a grudge on this lot to just kill them. They need to suffer a slow, painful death as weak little monsters! Ahahahaha! (The Old Woman disappears.) Arc (  ): Primm...you’re...Primm: I’m sorry [I didn't say anything]...I wasn’t meaning to lie… Arc ( ): Are you...some kind of monster?Primm: Nope. I’m still a people...after they taughted me, they made me worted at their base. Arc ( ):And you’re [still] looking for your parents…Primm: I tried to run away, but they found me and turned me into a slime using their [weird] magit. Arc ( ): ...Can’t we be changed back[, then]?Primm: I’m sorry… Arc ( ): …..Primm: Holy water might do it, maybe. It was a long time ago when I was changed, so it’s too late for me, but if you guys [tried it]... Arc ( ): So have you seen holy water anywhere?Primm: In the base [where I was held]. I tould go and get some. Arc ( ): I see...inside the base, huh…Primm: I’ll be otay. I’m used to [being like this]; since [the change] only happened halfway, it’s useful for lots of stuff.  Narration: Primm changed class to “Shapeshifter”! Primm can use “transform”!  Primm: Here’s the Demon Army base. Arc ( ): Okay, let’s head out! Fana, it’s dangerous, so please stay behind me.Arina ( ): I’m flattered, but I’m Arina.Arc ( ): Oh…Ferio ( ): Be careful, Arc, we can’t tell who is who.Arc ( ): Good point. I’ll be on alert.Dieno ( ): Easier said than done...at least you two can still understand each other.Arc ( ): Huh, you’re right. I can understand you as well, Dieno. I wonder how.Dieno ( ): Eh!?! Y-you can!? (How convenient.)Characters introduced this update:  An old woman who lives alone in a cabin. After poisoning Arc and company with a transformation brew, she reveals herself to have been in charge of the monsters who attacked the party earlier.
dotchan fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Feb 6, 2021 |
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Feb 5, 2021 15:42
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Stage 13: Seeking the Holy Water Though everyone except Primm has been transformed into a wolf, the attackers still hit as hard as they did before and healers can still heal, so I send Docatti to grab the treasure (an axe upgrade he’ll be able to use once he’s human) and have everyone else march towards the objective. Primm, meanwhile, has reverted to level 1 as a result of her class change but retained all of her stat gains so far; she’s also gained “transform” in her command menu, but this isn’t going to be relevant until the next stage. As soon as a unit reaches the door in front of the holy water, a skit plays out:  Demon Army Captain: Welcome, everyone. Arc ( ): Not again…Demon Army Captain: Quite a funky look you’ve got there; it’d be a shame for you to revert to your [original] forms, so I can’t [let you] open [the way to] the holy water!Arc ( ): I’d like to see you try [and stop us]!The doorway makes it a pain in the butt to surround this miniboss, so I only had two units whale on him and then moved Primm in to eat the kill.  Demon Army Captain: Oh my gods! You broke my [sword] Fujiyama!? Arc ( ): How do you like that, huh?Demon Army Captain: Godsdammit! I won’t forget this [insult]! (He vanishes.) Arc ( ): drat, how is that guy so fast…Ferio ( ): Arc, [just] get the holy water for everyone.Arc ( ): Got it.(One fade-in, fade-out later, the map has changed to a vast plane and the camera pans up to show a number of enemies as well as the party, who has reverted to human form.)  Tack: Yeah, back to normal! Arc Everyone, you should make sure you have your weapons properly equipped. Arina: Let’s hurry back to town. ???: If you thought you could leave our base so messed up without issue, you’ve got another think coming. Arc: Who’s there!? ???: It’s useless even if you know. Come, I’ll feed your corpses to the earth! Characters introduced this update:  : This horrific-looking creature blocks the party’s way back to civilization.
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Feb 6, 2021 16:58
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Stage 14: The Shadow of the Creeping Threat My first order of business was to figure out exactly what Primm’s skillset is, and as it turns out, “Transform” is an even better version of the skill from Pokemon: not only does Primm turn into whoever she’s copying, she also copies all of their stats and equipment, and she can change back whenever she likes! However, she gains no EXP in this state, so I’m not planning to use it often. As usual, the miniboss taunts the party as soon as any unit attacks him:  ???: Don’t be shy! I’ll deal with you myself! He only has melee attacks so he’s pretty much a total nonissue; I feed the kill to Primm.  Arc: All right, we defeated him. ???: Hm...Let’s take a look at the faces of those who [dared to] oppose us...pretty good looking! Arc: What!? ???: Fools, that was my shadow [you defeated]. Oh, well. I will overlook [your actions] for now. Arc: Just what are you!? Orlos: My name is Orlos. I am Lord Demetor’s right hand servant and his army’s strategist. I look forward to our next meeting… (One fade-out, fade-in later, we are dumped into the next stage without any additional fanfare.) 
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Feb 9, 2021 20:52
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Stage 15: The Occupied City It’s a fairly straightforward map except for a minor ambush once you pass the two houses that have a bucket in the middle and some of the enemies start running away from you once you’ve whittled down their numbers enough..  The shop has some stuff we already have (but would be a good place to get them if you passed up on them earlier) and some new stuff; I buy everything I don’t already have except the axe upgrade for Docatti since I prefer a weapon that attacks both from melee and ranged before continuing the cleanup of the enemy forces.  Arc: Did we get rid of all of them? Elenoa: Looks like everything [we didn’t take down] ran away. Arc: All right, time to gather some intel.  Arc: Do you have any information about the temple in the mountains? Resident A: What!? You want to go there? You can’t. The doors are shut [tight] and no one has gone in [for ages]. Arc: Really? Resident A: Really. Oh, by the way, there was a scholar named Elisha who was enthusiastically investigating this [temple as well]. Arc: A scholar, huh? Resident A: That reminds me, last night was drinking quite a bit and going on about how he’d finally gotten his hands on the key to entering the temple. I went out this morning and saw no sign of him; I wonder if he’s okay? Arc: A key…[hm…] Resident A: What a weirdo. [I told him] bandits would be coming out soon[, but…] Tack: Hmm? Someone rushed in… Resident B: Oh, no! There’s a bald scholar[ly-looking] fellow being surrounded by bandits! Tack: Sounds like somebody needs our help. Arc: Indeed. Let’s go.  Arc: What can you see, Arina? Arina: I see the scholar over there, surrounded by bandits. dotchan fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Feb 12, 2021 |
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Feb 11, 2021 19:00
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Stage 16: Regarding Sake and Scholars I send Arina to grab the weapon upgrade for Elenoa (even though it turns out she can’t equip it yet) and send everyone towards “rescuing” Elisha, who mechanically speaking isn’t in peril until we talk to him:  Arc: Are you okay? Elisha: I’m fine, but ‘Samuel’s Moon’ [isn’t]... Ferio: [What’s a] ‘Samuel’s Moon’? Elisha: It’s the largest jewel in the world; without it, you wouldn't be able to unlock the secrets of the temple. Arc: I see, so you must be the scholar who wishes to study the temple. Elisha: Indeed. Perhaps due to drinking too much last night, I passed out in the middle of nowhere. Then bandits showed up and robbed me of the Samuel’s Moon that I was finally able to get my hands on. Tack: What, so this is all [a result of your] drunken shenanigans? Fana: Don’t say such mean things! Tack: Ack, no, what I meant was, um...that Samuel-whatever you were talking about, you need us to get it back [for you]? Elisha: Would you, please? [Besides,] you all look like you have something to do with [investigating] the temple as well. Arc: We do, let’s go. ...after this, he joins our party and can be ordered around like anything else, but it takes me a turn to realize this so he eats a ton of damage before I move him out of the way. Meanwhile, the forest between Elisha and the boss is so dense that Arina manages to catch up somewhere around me triggering the boss taunt mini-skit:  Bandit: Who’s there? Oh...you again. There something ya want? Arc: Give back the jewel! Bandit: What’s this, some brats who want to play the hero? If ya want it back, take it by force! Fortunately, having two healers means I can keep up with his counterattacks and it’s not long before I take him out.  Arc: Is this ‘Samuel’s Moon’? Elisha: Indeed. By the way, when’s the next night there’ll be a full moon? Lucieda: Tonight. Elisha: What? Are you for real!? Arc: Something the matter? Elisha: This jewel must be used in the temple on a night where there’s a full moon. Tack: Wow, you really shouldn’t have gotten drunk. Fana: I hate it when people talk like that. Tack: Ack, no, what I meant was, um… Arc: All right, let’s hurry to the temple!  Elisha: There it is, the moon goddess’s temple. Arc: It’s eerily quiet… Fana: But something about it feels familiar for some reason. Ferio: If you go inside, you might remember something. Elisha: Then let’s go in.  Elisha: At first glance, the temple is unchanging, but the mechanism [to trigger its inner workings] is large. Everyone, please listen to me. Lucieda: What do you need us to do? Elisha: Be careful and don’t die. Ferio: ….. Elisha: Was there something I said that you didn’t get? Ferio: So what [specifically] should I do? Elisha: First of all, both ends of each of the two rooms [to either side] needs to have someone in it. Elenoa: How? Elisha: Climb this wall here. Docatti: I can’t do that! Primm: It’s otay. I can tlimb through the little hole over there. Elisha: Then I leave that up to you. Once inside, you'll see that there are two buttons. Press the one on the right--[and only] the [one on the] right, got it? Primm: The right side, dot it. Ellisha: Also, put the "Samuel's Moon" on the pole in the opposite room, but this time on the left side. Arina: Leave that to me. Elisha: There may be monsters inside. Please be careful. Characters introduced this update:  A scholar whose specialty is studying ancient ruins, he finds the way forward (and has it stolen from him) just as the party needs to head to the temple. The leader of the bandits who robbed Elisha.dotchan fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Feb 12, 2021 |
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Feb 12, 2021 21:36
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Stage 17: The Temple Floating In the Moonlight I don’t think this game is that strict about the order of operations, but since I don’t want to replay this map again if I can help it I will follow Elisha’s instructions; to that end, I’ll be splitting the party to assist Primm and Arina as they make their way up each side of the room and then reconvening everyone back into the middle so they can be ready for the inevitable ambush. Stepping on the proper switch and on the correct pillar yields a bit of dialogue; Primm says “Pressing the button…bip!” and Arina says “The gem goes...here.”. Then, the screen shakes, the center door opens, and the following dialogue plays:  Elisha: Alright, the door has opened. I'm excited just imagining what could be inside. Ferio: Arc…it looks like Elisha doesn’t know about the magic stones. Arc: I’ll explain once I find the one [in this temple]. Robots will spawn in to attack the party once we approach the altar where the magic stone is on display, but they’re not any tougher than the ones we took care of on the way in, so I clear them out and send a unit next to the stone, triggering the stage end cutscene:  Arc: This is the second magic stone… Elisha: Something is written on there...I can’t read it… Narcisse: The tower closest to the sun…defeat that tower’s guardian…the text is too faded to read beyond that. Ferio: We’ll have to go to the Sun’s Tower for sure. Tack: Why not? Let’s get going. Lucieda: Hold on. I could use a break. Tack: You can't be serious. The future of the whole world is in our hands! Fana: But I’m also all tuckered out… Tack: Well, in that case…*chuckles* Arina: Aren’t you being a little odd? Arc: Then, let's return to the city and take a short break.  Arc: All right, let’s head to the Sun’s Tower...but before that, let’s see Elisha safely back to town. Elisha: I’m not going back. Ferio: Is something the matter? Elisha: I’ve heard you talking about gathering the five magic stones. As a scholar, there’s no way I’m missing out on witnessing such a legendary event! Ferio: But it’ll be dangerous… Elisha: Nevertheless, I refuse to go back. Besides, as a scholar, I could help you on a thing or two in your travels. Arc: You’ve got a point...all right, you’ve convinced me. But please get away [safely] if it gets [too] dangerous. Elisha: Yeah, yeah.
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Feb 12, 2021 21:40
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Stage 18: The Way to the [Next] Magic Stone The treasure chest is not only empty, going there triggers an ambush; Arina doesn’t need the extra EXP for now so I decide to leave that area unexplored.  The shop offers a ring Dieno is already wearing, a weapon upgrade for Tack (which I get), and some restorative items (which I pass up on). The woods near the shop also hides an ambush, but it’s not too much of an issue for me to deal with. The stage doesn’t end until a unit enters the town on the far east end of the map (and therefore you’d at least need to defeat the minion parked on said town):  Arc: I'm glad there was a city on the other side of the mountains. Lucieda: Hm!? Who’s there!? Hoja: Sorry about that, didn’t mean to take you by surprise. Arc: Are you from this city? Hoja: Yes. However, on my way home, it seemed that monsters started wandering around, so I couldn't easily get back. Arina: So...what should we do? Tack: What decision is there to make? We beat them up, of course! Arc: That’s the only way to go. Let’s get started.  Arina: I wonder why that guy didn’t go back before [the monsters took over]... Arc: This city brings us closer to the Sun’s Tower… Arina: There are monsters everywhere we go. Elisha: The monsters have gotten [more] feral these days. Tack: Stop mumbling and [help me] get rid of these things already. Characters introduced this update:  - A summoner who is accompanied by the party back into his home town after it was taken over by monsters.
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Feb 13, 2021 21:35
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Stage 19: The Mysterious Summoner Hoja joins our party as another caster, but he can only attack from range, and he joins the party at level 20 when I’d still like to feed EXP to other party members. Meanwhile, some of the enemies run away from us, making completing the objective of “defeat all enemies” slightly more annoying.  The town shop offers a side-grade for Hoja (the tooltip claims that it reduces enemy defense, but other than bosses I’m generally going through bosses too quickly for this to be an issue so I skip it) and an upgrade for Arc and Elenoa (I only have enough money to buy one so I get it for Arc) as well as the usual selection of healing items (pass). Shopping done, I finish off the remainder of the enemies.  Arc: Are you all right, Elisha? Elisha (wincing): Ergh...I got careless… Narcisse: That’s quite the injury, but [fortunately] not life-threatening. Elisha: Phew...looks like I got in your way after all… Arc: Don’t say that. Let’s get you some [more] proper medical attention.  Arc: How is Elisha faring? Ferio: It’s not a terrible injury, but let’s stay here and see how it turns out. Arc: That’s a relief. Hoja: Everyone, let’s stay at this hotel. Arc: Yeah, we’ll take a break.  Hotel Lady: Only this large room is available today. Arc: No problem. Hotel Lady: Well, then, take your time. (She walks offscreen.) Arc: This okay, everybody? Lucieda: It’s not like we have anywhere else we could go... Tack: Let’s just hurry up and sleep. Docatti: Agreed. (Darkness falls.) Ferio: Hey, Arc… Arc: ….. Ferio: Do you hear something? Arc: …..? (Some indeterminate amount of time passes; when Arc opens his eyes again, Boja is standing next to Fana’s bed.) Boja: Looks like you’re awake. Arc: Boja...what are you doing!? Boja: Gotten a bit careless, I see. Then it’s my chance to take these two magic stones and Fana as well. Arc: How did you [know about] the magic stones...it can’t be!? (Fana vanishes.) Arc: Fana!? You...you must be one of Demetor’s minions! Boja: Minion, huh…? I suppose you could say that. Arc: Gerk...everyone! Wake up! dotchan fucked around with this message at 13:32 on Jun 13, 2021 |
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Feb 14, 2021 19:20
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Stage 20: The [Great] Inn Offensive Each row of beds is considered a solid row that is only open at the right end, making it slightly annoying to gather my party, now down Fana and Elisha thanks to plot. I don’t know if buying a weapon for Boja would give it to him on this stage, but it doesn’t matter for now since attacking him yields the following event:  Boja: Hm...looks like I’ve underestimated you. Nevertheless, you’re finished. To the demon realm with you! (With that, the party vanishes.) Boja: Hehehe... Ferio (over a dark screen): Where are we...?  Arc: What is this place? Ferio: Hey, do you hear footsteps? (A man in a turban comes in from offscreen and opens all of the prison doors.) Arc: Who might you be? Asheed: I’ll explain later. Hurry! Characters introduced this update:  - A warrior who rescues the party after they are captured by Boja, who turned out to be evil.
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Feb 15, 2021 19:44
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Stage 21: At the Bottom of the Abyss Only the top left corner of the map is relevant, and your actual goal is to make it to the staircase, but as always I clear everything out anyway for the EXP.  Arc: Where are we?? ….. Ferio: This...isn’t our world!! Arc: [You mean we’re in…] the demon realm…? ??: It’s been a while, Arc.  Diva: You look like you’ve been having a rough time. Arc: Diva!? Dieno: Big brother!! Diva: How have you been, Dieno? Arc: Why in the world [are you here]? Dieno: Aren’t you supposed to be dead? Diva: I’ll explain later. For now, come with me--this goes for you as well, Sir Asheed. Asheed: You know me? Diva: Of course. But, please, time is short. This way. Arc: But… Diva: Relax. I’m no longer seeking demonic power. Arc: ...very well. I will go with you. Asheed: Understood. Diva: All right, gather around me...okay, that’s good. Here we go.   Diva: Here they are. [as you ordered,] Lord Elmess. Elmess: Good work. I am Elmess, the greatest of the gods, who rules courage. Arc: You know us? Elmess: Indeed. I don’t have time [to explain much] so I’ll be brief: this is the celestial realm. You were originally in the demonic realm… Ferio: Does that mean we’ve died? Elmess: No. People go to the realm of the dead when they pass away. You fell into the demonic realms because of Boja, did you not? Arc: We did. Asheed: Boja!? It can’t be! Elmess: I'm afraid it is, Asheed...it looks like you are in for a difficult journey… Asheed: What about these people? Elmess: Hm...usually, humans aren’t [even] allowed to come here… Arc: But Diva [seems familiar with this place]... Elmess: [Usually] demonic creatures will be reborn in the demonic realm when they perish in the mortal realm, but because he repented before he died he was able to be reborn [here] in the celestial realm. Arc: Can’t we go back to the mortal realms? Elmess: It may be possible with Life Beads. Arc: [What are] Life Beads? Elmess: They were originally used to bring people to the heavenly realms, but now they’re [largely] in Demetor’s hands, used to summon powerful demons to the mortal realm. Diva: The celestial realm used to have three beads, [each] held by 3 goddesses. Now only two of them remain, and both are under Demetor’s control. Elmess: Arc, are you gathering the magic stones? Arc: [Yes, but] how did you know? Elmess: That sword you wield is testament to that [quest]. We cannot fight [Demetor] directly; will you lend us your strength? Arc: I’d be glad to. Elmess: You have my gratitude. I will guide you to the goddess’ temple. (Fade to black.) Elmess (over a dark screen): I need to tell you one more thing...when we gods die, we are reborn in the mortal realm as guardian deities for the people [there]...  Diva: Did you know, Arc? This is the temple of Rene the moon goddess. Now, thanks to its bead of light having been stolen, demons are controlling the goddesses. Arc: What should we do [then]? Diva: Find the bead of light and take it with you while you fight Rene. That way, Rene will be restored to sanity. (Beat.) Tack: Ergh, this sucks. Do gods just make us do all the work and sit around watching? Not much of a god if that’s the case. Asheed: It’s not for no reason that Lord Elmess avoids direct wars with Demetor. Tack: Eh, really!? Asheed: The god of darkness is the [former] Almighty who once ruled the heavens. And also the father of the [current] Almighty. So making war against the god of darkness is tantamount to patricide, a mortal sin even for the gods. And should the Almighty commit such a sin… Tack: Oh, hell, it’s all too complicated. So long as I can help Fana, whatever. Characters introduced this update:  - The god of courage; gives the party a giant exposition dump and points them towards their next objective.
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Feb 16, 2021 21:16
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Stage 22: Moonlight Since the treasure chest (which contains a bead of light) is guarded by a fairly large contingent, I decide against splitting the party and have everyone move as one giant death ball. Engaging the boss yields no dialogue but she has the most unique gimmick so far--she is healed by all ranged attacks and some of her attacks and counterattacks heal her as well, making it a bit tricky to surround her and wear her own. I don’t mind, though, because Elenoa has gained enough levels to equip her new sword (which also advances her to the Amazoness class) and I take this opportunity to feed her, Primm, and Asheed experience.  Rene: W-who are you…? Arc: I’ll explain later. Right now, [please] head over to [where] Lord Elmess [resides]. Diva: Next is Efross, the goddess of life. Are you ready?  Diva At last, a bead of life, and as suspected, the monsters have it. Please find it and help Efross, [who is also] the goddess of the land. Arc: Got it. Characters introduced this update:  - The goddess of the moon, who was under Demetor’s control until we beat the brainwashing out of her.
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Feb 17, 2021 17:28
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Stage 23: Life on Earth The battle starts with the party pre-split on each side of the map, so I have them reconvene to tackle the treasure chest (which contains a life bead) and fight the boss.  The unit in the upper right corner turns out to be a friendly shop offering restorative items (pass), an axe upgrade for Docatti (buy), and the same weapon upgrade for Tack that I already got in Stage 18 (pass). There is no dialogue for engaging the boss (unless you haven’t collected the life bead, then Diva yells at you from offscreen that you haven’t done so) and though she does take damage from ranged, she gets healed by Arc, Asheed, Elenoa, Lucieda, Primm and Tack’s weapons for some reason plus she can double hit on attack and counterattack. I decide that feeding Elenoa experience can wait until a future map and end the battle once I’ve figured out who can do real damage to Efross.  Efross: Ah...I--I...you [there, do you know]...me...? Diva: Have you come to your senses? We haven’t heard from you in a while. Efross: That voice...Diva, is that you? Diva: Yes. Please go to Lord Elmess. Good job, Arc. I will now summon you [back as well]. Arc: If you’d please.  Elmess: You’ve done well in retrieving [the life beads]. You have my thanks. Arc: Happy to help. Elmess: As promised, you shall be returned to the mortal realm. Is that alright with you, Asheed? Asheed: That’s fine. Elmess: Come see me [again] once you have reached the mortal realm. I will have something to tell you then. Arc: Such as? Elmess: The guardians of the magic stones have failed. While this makes the stones easier to collect, this will bear ill if the demon army gets ahead of you. Please hurry. Arc: Got it. Elmess: I almost forgot, please also take care of Fana as well. Arc: Do you know something about Fana [that I don’t]? Elmess: You will know once the time is right. For now, it’s time for you to return to the moral realm. Diva: Arc, [saving the world] will be up to you. Arc: You can rely on me. Diva: Dieno, keep your chin up. Dieno: Brother…  Arc: Looks like we’ve made it back…[but] where are we? Ferio: [All I can tell is that] this is a port town somewhere; other than that… Tack: There’s demonic troops wherever it goes..I’ve had enough already. Demon Army Captain: Oh? What familiar-looking people over there. Arc: Everyone, proceed carefully. Characters introduced this update:  - The goddess of life and earth, who was under Demetor’s control until we beat the brainwashing out of her.
dotchan fucked around with this message at 13:42 on Jun 13, 2021 |
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Feb 19, 2021 04:02
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Stage 24: Back on [Solid] Ground I want my party to stick together to make it more convenient to pass things to one another should the shop offer something I’d like to buy so I have everyone move approximately counterclockwise across the map towards the Demon Army Commander. This engages some ambush thieves hiding in the pine trees. The shop offers a weapon upgrade for Asheed (buy), a sword that is not as strong but can attack twice (Arc has it already and it wouldn’t be much better than the weapon Elenoa is wielding so I pass) and the usual selection of items (pass). I was all raring to fight the boss when this happens:  Demon Army Captain: Hey, you! [Are you] Asheed!? Asheed: [Yes,] is there something on my face? Demon Army Captain: [That] you [of all people] showed up here... Asheed: Oh? Then, let’s have at it. Demon Army Captain: My new sword hasn't arrived yet. Maybe next time. Asheed: Don’t gently caress with me! Get ready! Demon Army Captain: [Time to] beat a strategic retreat. Bye! (The Demon Army Captain vanishes.) Arc: Asheed, just who are you…? Asheed: [I suppose] this is the time to explain. It may be difficult for you to understand, but I’m not from this era--rather, I’m from about 300 years into the future. Ferio: What does that mean? Asheed: I serve the third goddess, Ra the goddess of the sun. The man you know as Boja is a worshipper of the dark god Demetor. 300 years from now, he will revive Demetor using the power of a comet, turning this world into the demon realm. Narcisse: The comet is said to recur every 300 years...and it’s supposed to do so this year... Lucieda: We elves are long-lived enough to remember [the previous recurrence]; [the comet] is indeed due to arrive soon. Ferio: “The night when the sun falls”...that’s [talking about] the comet, isn’t it? Asheed: Yes, Boja created a door into time using Demetor’s power and found Fana in a certain era. Arc: Why did he go after Fana [anyway]? Asheed: In ancient times, Demetor the god of darkness coveted the magic stones and thus slew Ra the goddess of light. Ferio: “Darkness is light, light is darkness...light is born of the darkness, darkness seeks the light”...this is written in the most famous of the sacred texts. Demeter must have sought Ra’s power. Asheed: [And] Ra has been reborn in this realm. Task: N-no way… Asheed: Fana is the sun goddess Ra’s incarnation. I had been waging war with them to protect Lady Fana, but thanks to Boja I fell into the demon realm. [Fortunately,] Lady Fana was able to escape into this era in the meantime. Ferio: According to the sacred texts, Ra has the last magic stone, but Fana possessed no such thing. Asheed:I’ve also been wondering about that [myself]. Nevertheless, they clearly had some purpose in going after Lady Fana. Besides, she has already fallen into their hands… Arc: What should we do now? Asheed: They don’t yet have the remaining magic stones...you must get them before they do. Ferio: The Sun Tower...looks like we’ll have to cross the oceans once more. Tack: Will it help Fana if we go there? Asheed: I don’t know, but [Demetor’s minions] might...no, surely they would show up. Tack: All right, I’ll get us a ship! Wait right here! Lucieda (over a black screen): Oh dear, that kid sure ran off with great enthusiasm. Docatti: If only he’d act more normally. Arc: Agreed. Ferio: He’s already [gone and] come back while you’ve been chatting. Tack: Yo! I see a ship coming this way!  Arc: What a relaxing trip it’s been. Ferio: Yeah. Elenoa: How are we getting to the Sun Tower? Ferio: Good question...the tides around the Sun Tower are so strong this time of year that nobody sails near it. Arc: Is that so...the best plan might be to dock at the nearest port, get our own boat, and head in ourselves. (Tack runs in from offscreen.) Tack: We’ve got trouble! Pirates! Arc: What!? Elenoa: Let’s go, brother! Arc: What a place to fall prey to pirates. All right, let’s drive them off! dotchan fucked around with this message at 17:37 on Jun 13, 2021 |
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Feb 20, 2021 19:14
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Stage 25: Lady Pirate Proceed slowly: additional pirates will be pouring in from the north end of the map (the bridge between the two ships make for an excellent choke point). The leftmost treasure chest in the top row contains 1000g and the lower right treasure chest contains a weapon upgrade for Narcisse that also class changes him to High Priest; the remainder are empty. Attacking the boss for the first time gets the following dialogue:  Leah: Looks like we’ve got some live ones here! Leah cannot counterattack from ranged, making her quite easy to take down even if she’s capable of double-hitting; I feed the kill to Elenoa.  Tack: Lena? That can’t be [you, could it]? Leah: Who[‘s there]? Tack: I’m Tack. Hook’s grandson? Leah: I see...I didn’t want you to see me like this… Tack: Why are you doing this! What about Leore? What happened to Villada!? Leah: Please, anyone...help that kid...I can’t stay conscious… Tack: What...what the hell happened? Leah: Monsters… Tack: Did you say monsters!?  Leah: I've released the ship you were on, but is that alright? Aren’t you in a hurry to go somewhere? Arc: You can’t be too careful when it comes to monsters. [What about you?] What happened and where? Leah: A storm was brewing that night...my husband Villada and my daughter Leore were returning by boat...that was when that bastard showed up…Villada was lost to a giant creature...Leore went into shock and hasn’t regained consciousness... Tack: Is Villada...dead? (Leah walks next to the bed.) Leah: Yeah...then, I went on a desperate search to find any medicine or [even] magic for Lenore, and even [became] a pirate... Ferio: The magic stones might [help]... Tack: That’s right! That might be a cure... Leah: Is there a way to cure this child!? Arc; I don’t know, but it’s worth a shot to try the power of the magic stones, but to do that I’d have to go to the Sun Tower. Leah: I see. Indeed, no ship would want to go there at this time of year, but don’t worry, I’ll give you a ride. Arc: Now, hold on a minute… Leah: I’m not being impulsive. Aside from Villada, I’m the only person who could cross those rough tides. Tack: You!? Arc: Thank you very much. When can we set out? Leah: At once!  Leah: There, we’ve made landfall. The Sun Tower is a short walk from here. Arc: Thank you so much. Leah: As much as I’d like to go with you, I’ve gotten a little notorious around these parts[, so…] Tack: [Yeah, it’d be better if] you waited on the boat. Leah: If you’d please. By the way, Tack, hold on to this. Tack: [What’s with] this sword? Leah: This is something your father entrusted to me before he passed away to give you once you’ve become a proper adult. Tack: [My] dad, huh… Arc: It has the sun carved on it. Asheed: This once belonged to the sun goddess Ra. Ferio: I’ve read about it in the sacred texts. Tack: Ergh! I’ve had it! Gimme that and scram! Leah: Your father found this near the Sun Tower. Here, take it. Tack: Thanks, got it! Arc: Okay, let’s go, everyone! (Narration: Tack received the Sun Sword!) Characters introduced this update::  - The leader of the pirates who attacked the party; she is revealed to be an old family friend of Tack’s who’d resorted to piracy in order to find a cure for her comatose daughter.
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Feb 22, 2021 22:54
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Because there wasn’t a lot of text to translate for a couple of stages, I decided to keep going with gameplay until I hit a long(er) cutscene. Stage 26: The Sun Tower  The sword that Tack was given in the previous stage class changes him from “Sailor” to “Captain” but I forget to do that until the next map. I send Primm (with Narcisse as a healer) to deal with the lower half of the map (this gains her more levels than I’d expected because an ambush spawns at the southernmost end) while the rest of the party deathballs it way to the east before circling around to the objective (marked in red).   The two stores on this map only sell curative items; I end up buying one because Ferio eats a death by being too close to the front lines. There is no dialogue for moving onto the next map. Stage 27: Corridor of Death  The treasure chests are as follows: the top right treasure chest is a weapon upgrade for Ferio, the top left treasure chest is a weapon upgrade for Docatti that’s also his class change item, the bottom left treasure chests is a consumable that increases magic defense by 3 (which I feed to Docatti) and one that increases dexterity (which I feed to Narcisse) and the bottom right is a consumable that increases power (which I feed to Lisa) and one that increases defense (which I feed to Dieno). There is no dialogue for engaging the unique minion (who is rather fragile) so I feed the kill to Primm and move on with the plot, which requires someone to actually go on the tile with the staircase that the minion was guarding. Stage 28: Further Up  This turned out to be a much cleverer map than I’d anticipated--instead of having regular minions to act as the ambush, the ambush lies in the treasure chests themselves: most of them are mimics, and they can steal quite a bit of money from your party if not killed quickly! The non-mimic chests heave the following treasure: the far bottom right chests are (from the top) a power-boosting consumable and a defense-boosting consumable (both of which get fed to Ferio); the far bottom left chests are a magic defense-boosting consumable (that goes on Docatti), a magic attack-boosting consumable (currently unused because I can’t make up my mind on who to feed it to yet) and a dexterity-boosting consumable (which goes on Dieno); the middle left only had one real treasure chest containing a weapon (and class) upgrade for Dieno; the middle right only one real treasure chest containing 2000 g; the top left had one real chest containing 3000g; the top right had one real treasure chest containing a defense-boosting consumable (Ferio again). Going up any of the staircases yield the following dialogue:  Arc: Hey, there are [some] stairs over there. Tack: Any one [of these] is fine, right? I’m going on up.  Tack: Aww, man, everybody picked a different set of stairs. (Given Tack’s own lack of concern about which set of stairs to take, what did he think would happen?) Stage 29: Three Paths  Alas, there are no alternate paths for this stage, and this is always the starting position for your party members. The treasure chests are as follows: the middle left treasure chests are two mimics and a max HP-boosting consumable (fed to Arc); the middle right treasure chests are two mimics and a defense-boosting consumable (Dieno); the top two treasure chests are mimics. The stage boss is a very familiar face indeed:  Arc: Not again… Demon Army Captain: Welcome! How nice of you to have come here. I have a delicious-looking magic stone here. Asheed: Is that so? Then I’m not letting you get away [from me this time]. Demon Army Captain: That’s my line. I’m different from before--I’ll send you all to hell with my [new] magic sword “Geisha”! Arc: Likewise! He can one-shot Arc from almost full health, so I have whoever is closest wear him down and then feed the kill to Tack. .  Demon Army Captain: H-how did I lose…Arc: That’s magic stone number three. Tack: Let’s hurry up and get this to Leah.  Ferio: I’m going to use the magic stone’s power to cast restorative magic now. Leah: If you’d please. (There is a bright flash of light, then Leore turns, wakes, and sits up.) Leore: …..? Leah: Leore...you... Leore: Mom, why are you crying? Leah: Oh, thank goodness… Leore: What’s going on? Oh, Tack? Tack: Yo, how’re ya doin’? *chuckles* Leore: What’s with everyone? And Tack, you also look like you were crying… Leah’s subordinate (over a black screen): Hey, boss lady! We’ve got trouble! Leah: What? And didn’t I tell you to stop calling me that? Leah’s subordinate: A huge group of m-monsters just showed up! Leah: What!? Arc: Ferio, Tack, let’s go. Ferio: Miss Leah, leave things up to us. Tack: Got it. I’ll kill them all! Characters introduced this update:  - Leah and Villada’s daughter, who fell in the same monster attack that killed Villada.
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Feb 26, 2021 07:19
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Stage 30: The Defense of Pirate Island This is a fairly straightforward “kill everything that moves” map; I send Deino and Ferio to the right to cover that side of the map and have everyone else move southward. The treasures are as follows: the flowers do not have a treasure and in fact hide a mimic ambush; the other visible chest holds an attack-boosting consumable (which I feed to Narcisse). Once I finish off the last enemy, the screen goes dark, and given the ensuing dialogue I assume this is supposed to represent Arc’s mind: Demetor: Arc… Arc: Who’s there!? Demetor: Hahahahaha...have you realized how powerful the magic stones are [yet]? Arc: Is that [you,] Demetor!? Demeter: That’s the god of darkness[, if you please]. Not to mention the new ruler of Arc: I knew it! You bastards, you were the one [who fell] to] the demon realm! Demetor: Tomorrow night, at the temple of Ra, I will make that power mine, and thanks to the magic stones the demon world will dominate to the ends of the earth! Arc: Like I’m going to [sit around and just] let that happen! Demetor: *chuckles* [Bring it.] I’ll need you and the magic stones [you hold] for my ritual. Arc: What are you talking about? Demetor: It's up to you to stop the ritual [if you’d like]. You’ll see once you come to the Temple of Ra. I'll be waiting...hahahaha... (The scene returns back to the overworld map.) Ferio: Arc, what’s wrong? Arc: Demetor just spoke to me. [He said] it’s up to us whether we stop or proceed with the ritual. Tack: Then let’s go stop it[, of course]! Arc: Indeed. Everyone, would you lend me your strength? Tack: Do ya even hafta ask? Docatti: Of course. Elenoa: Brother, don’t act like we’re strangers. Arina: That’s right; after all, we’ve been with you since the very start. Lucieda: Of course. Dieno: I will go with you, Your Majesty. Asheed: My wish is the same as everyone else’s. Prim: Me, too! Ferio: I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again--I’ll always follow you wherever you go. Arc: ...thanks, everyone. Narcisse: I’ve found the next magic stone; it’s in a cave close by. Arc: All right! Let’s go, everybody!
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Mar 1, 2021 19:55
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Stage 31: Underwater Vein Only Arina can cross the water tiles, so I have everyone converge up the thin bridge between the two lakes before splitting up again.  The shop only had stat-boosting items and curatives to offer; not knowing how many stages are left, I decide to sit on my money for now. The treasure chests are from left to right a magic defense-boosting consumable and 4000 gold respectively. The map ends once a unit moves into the tunnel on the lower right hand path.  Boja: You’re late. I got [my hands on] the magic stone first. Arc: Boja!? Hasheed: If I could beat you [before], I can chase you down wherever you go [now]. Boja: I can’t believe it, now way! Was it you that took them out of the demon realm, Asheed? To have come this far…do you hate me that much? Then, let’s have it out, but your opponent will be this guy! Asheed: Are you running away!? Boja: I do not wish to fight you. If nothing else, remember that. Asheed: As if your wishes mean anything to me! Boja: Why won’t you understand? Why won’t you see the world as it [really] is? Asheed: Hold it! Boja: If you wish to see the truth, come to Ra’s temple. (Boja disappears.)
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Mar 2, 2021 21:06
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Stage 32: Cause and Effect Since I only have two healers and I don’t want to end the battle before I’ve gotten all the treasure chests, I split the party in half and start tackling each “branch” of this cave from top to bottom. The treasure chests are as follows: the top row of treasures was a dexterity-boosting item (which I am saving because nobody particularly needs it right now and I’m expecting to get more party members) and a mimic; the middle row of treasures was nothing (i.e. empty), 4000 g and a mimic; and the bottom row of treasures was an attack-boosting item (which goes on Ferio) and a mimic. The battle ends as soon as all enemies (including mimics) are defeated):  Docatti: [I wonder] what the hell that bastard was talking about. Arc: “I’ll see the world [as it really is”, he said...could that really be true? Tack: Even if it is, it’s not gonna stop us. Arc: Good point. Now that this has happened, we have no choice but to head to Ra’s Temple. Asheed: …… Arc: Something the matter, Asheed? Asheed: ...nevermind, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about how to get to Ra’s Temple [as] quickly [as possible].  Asheed: Ra’s Temple is straight ahead. Arc: I hope nothing happens on the way there. Tack: I don’t think so...something weird[’s going on]... Arc: Something the matter? Tack: There’s no wind, but the waves keep rolling. I’ve never seen anything like this before. (The screen begins to shake violently.) Arc: W-what!? Tack: There’s something in the w-water!! Poseidon: Hand over the magic stone... Arc: What is that thing!? Tack: It’s him! This is the bastard who attacked Leah and killed Villada! Asheed: This...this is one of the gods who has fallen due to the dark god’s magic! Poseidon: Once anyone has all the magic stones, the ritual can begin...now, hurry up and hand them over! Arc: I shall never hand them over to you, you bastard! Poseidon: Then...die! Tack: I’m gonna take you down to avenge Villada!
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Mar 3, 2021 20:00
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Stage 33: The Turbulent Sea God Once again, only Arina can cross the water, so I have my lower leveled non-healer characters take the front lines while said healers back them up and wait for the enemy to approach. Because Primm was already close to the party average, I decided to transform her into one of the healers for extra safety, but it turns out she still gains experience when healing allies! In addition to his regular attacks that can hit from both melee and ranged, Poseidon has a special attack:  (Narration: Poseidon churned the waves!) Arc: Erk! (Narration: Arc and company took damage!) By now I’d whittled away almost all of the minions (who were also capable of healing, so that took longer than expected) so I finished off the stragglers and fed the kill to Dieno.  Poseidon: No matter how you resist, it's too late...Ra has been revived… Arc: Ra has [what]!? Poseidon: And with Ra’s reappearance, I [too] will once again manifest on this earth… Asheed: The Sun God? [No!] Tack: You bastard! What’s gonna happen to Fana! (Poseidon vanishes.) Arc: He’s gone… Asheed: The bastard...is he planning to revive Ra and steal her power for Demetor? Tack: If that happens...what does that mean for Fana!? Asheed: It may mean that she would never be reborn again… Tack: T-that can’t be… Asheed: That must never come to pass. Behold, the temple is in sight!  Arc: Um, is that the temple of Ra that you can make out in the valley over there? Asheed: I believe so, but 300 years from now, it’s completely ruined… Arc: Either way, it doesn’t look like we’re in for an easy trip.
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Mar 5, 2021 23:51
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Stage 34: Ra’s Temple There’s nothing particular about this map as far as I can tell; I deathball my way to the northeast where I assume my objective lies.  The shop sells a weapon upgrade for Asheed (buy), and consumables that increase max HP, strength, and intelligence respectively (pass on all three). Ra’s temple is two tiles wide and therefore the battle ends as soon as a unit steps on either tile, so if you want to go for a total enemy kill make sure to do that first. Stage 35: The Conclusion  Once again, it’s time to deathball. The treasure chests are all mimics. Zavel takes up multiple squares and can attack from ranged, so I engage his taunt while cleaning up his minions:  Zavel: Aww, and I was having such a nice nap, too! Arc: Is that so! Well, I’ll settle things [between us] this time! Zavel: Good luck...maybe I’ll be able to go back to sleep! Zavel hits appropriately hard; fortunately, I’d turned Prim into a backup healer so only Lucieda eats a death. I feed the kill to Docatti.  Zavel: *chuckles* I’ll be back...no matter how many times [you destroy me]... (He vanishes.) Arc: And I will not allow the demon realm to manifest in the mortal realm...all right, everyone, let’s hurry on up! The stage doesn’t end until a unit lands on the stair tile to the north of where Zavel had been.
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Mar 9, 2021 02:00
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Stage 36: The God-Slaying Sword The side paths on this stage are short enough that I decide to stay as one giant death ball.  The shop only sells stat-boosting consumables and healing items; not knowing how much of the game is still left, I pass up on buying anything this time. (If this turns out to be the last shop I can always load this save file and stock up.) The treasure chests are as follows: the top three treasure chests are all mimics; the middle two treasure chests are a max HP-boosting item (fed to Arc) and a strength-boosting item (fed to Narcisse); the bottom two chests are a mimic and 4000 gold. I trigger the boss taunt dialogue on the way to the last chest:  Arc: It’s you…! Orlos: So you remember me? *chuckles* Arc: And what’s so funny about that!? Orlos: Nothing, just thinking how far you’ve come wielding your sword in such a half-assed manner. It seems Zavel’s not as good as he claimed. But he’s saved us some time. The ritual will start soon. Arc: Do you mean the ritual to revive the demon realm? We’ll definitely put a stop to that! Orlos: On the contrary...the ritual cannot begin without you...or more specifically, that lady priestess over there. Ferio: Huh!? Arc: Ferio!? Why!? (Oi, it was only a couple years ago that Ferio was the MacGuffin to open the demon world…but I guess Arc has to play dumb so that somebody can exposition that to him for the players who aren’t familiar with FS1.) Orlos: There’s no time to explain. Just give up and die! Orlos hits too hard to risk putting Arc anywhere near him; I feed the kill to Docatti.  Orlos: Looks like this is the end for me...but so long as Lord Demetor lives, someday, we shall... (Orlos vanishes.) Arc: What do you want with Ferio!? Elmess: Arc, can you hear me? Arc: That voice--! Elmess: It is I, Elmess. That sword...I grant you the ability to use it to its full power. (Narration: Arc has class changed to Hero!) Arc:T-this is...! Elmess: You are now qualified to use God Slayer, a sword that can even kill a god. The final hour is drawing near...Asheed? Asheed: Here. Elmess: It will be difficult, but please bear with it a little longer. Asheed: ...I shall. Elmess: That said, Arc, I leave it up to you...  Boja: So you showed up after all. It seems we have no choice but to fight. Asheed: It is my mission. Boja: As it is mine. This time, I’ll send you to hell [myself]. Stage 36: The God-Slaying Sword The side paths on this stage are short enough that I decide to stay as one giant death ball. The shop only sells stat-boosting consumables and healing items; not knowing how much of the game is still left, I pass up on buying anything this time. (If this turns out to be the last shop I can always load this save file and stock up.) The treasure chests are as follows: the top three treasure chests are all mimics; the middle two treasure chests are a max HP-boosting item (fed to Arc) and a strength-boosting item (fed to Narcisse); the bottom two chests are a mimic and 4000 gold. I trigger the boss taunt dialogue on the way to the last chest: Arc: It’s you…! Orlos: So you remember me? *chuckles* Arc: And what’s so funny about that!? Orlos: Nothing, just thinking how far you’ve come wielding your sword in such a half-assed manner. It seems Zavel’s not as good as he claimed. But he’s saved us some time. The ritual will start soon. Arc: Do you mean the ritual to revive the demon realm? We’ll definitely put a stop to that! Orlos: On the contrary...the ritual cannot begin without you...or more specifically, that lady priestess over there. Ferio: Huh!? Arc: Ferio!? Why!? (Oi, it was only a couple years ago that Ferio was the MacGuffin to open the demon world…but I guess Arc has to play dumb so that somebody can exposition that to him for the players who aren’t familiar with FS1.) Orlos: There’s no time to explain. Just give up and die! Orlos hits too hard to risk putting Arc anywhere near him; I feed the kill to Docatti. Orlos: Looks like this is the end for me...but so long as Lord Demetor lives, someday, we shall... (Orlos vanishes.) Arc: What do you want with Ferio!? Elmess: Arc, can you hear me? Arc: That voice--! Elmess: It is I, Elmess. That sword...I grant you the ability to use it to its full power. (Narration: Arc has class changed to Hero!) Arc:T-this is...! Elmess: You are now qualified to use God Slayer, a sword that can even kill a god. The final hour is drawing near...Asheed? Asheed: Here. Elmess: It will be difficult, but please bear with it a little longer. Asheed: ...I shall. Elmess: That said, Arc, I leave it up to you... Boja: So you showed up after all. It seems we have no choice but to fight. Asheed: It is my mission. Boja: As it is mine. This time, I’ll send you to hell [myself].
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Mar 11, 2021 05:12
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Stage 37: Separate Paths I slowly work my way through Boja’s minions before tackling him to avoid getting surrounded and TPK’d.  Boja: Don’t be shy! Know the power of darkness as I do! Despite hitting like a truck (and having a chance to outright kill a unit) and not taking damage from Arina, Boja otherwise has paper-thin defenses against everyone except Arc and therefore flees from the party and summons reinforcements on his turns if there is no one near him. I wanted to give Arc the kill but he only does 5 damage a turn and I didn’t want to risk a game over with a counterattack so Ferio ends up taking the last hit.  Boja: What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to stop me? Tack: I’ll do it right now! Asheed: Please wait [a moment]! Before that, I’d like to talk [to him]... Boja: What’s there to say now? Asheed: I could see the world...but I just couldn't do it like my brother... Tack: B-brother!? Boja: You still...would call me ‘brother’...? Asheed: …… Boja: Stop that...hurry, get out of here... Asheed: But… Boja: Why are you hesitating? If you don’t end it [now], the meteor will...arrive... Asheed: The meteor? Boja: If you won’t stop [me]...I’ll do it myself… Asheed: No, wait! (Boja disappears in a flash of light.) Arc: What the hell was that…? Asheed: I’m sorry, but no comment. Arc: Why did Boja...I mean, your brother[, do what he did]? Asheed: It’s because we differed in opinion...in our time, the world is about to be ruined due to overpopulation. I seek to save people with the sun god’s power, but my brother… Deino: ….. Arc: So that’s how it was… Demetor: Are you done with your [little] sob story? (An angelic creature appears along with Fana.) Tack: Miss Fana! Arc: Is that...Demetor!? Demetor: At last, all of the actors have assembled. Arc: What? Demetor: Haven’t you heard? This holy ritual is about to start, and Fana and Ferio are the stars. Ferio: Me? Arc: What are you talking about! Demetor: Haven’t you noticed yet? Arc: ? Demetor: Fana has royal blood running through her veins. I gave Boja the power to use the doors of time to pull her from 50 years from now. Haven’t you realized yet, Arc? You and Ferio had a child, and Fana is the child of that child! Arc: You don’t mean…! Demetor: That’s right. Fana is your granddaughter. And the only person in the world who has the sun goddess Ra as her patron deity. My body will be revived 300 years from now thanks to the power of the meteor, and Ra will be reborn by the 5 magic stones on this very night. However, Ferio, that’s what your blood is for. Ferio: [What about] my [blood]? Demetor: By cutting herself off from your blood and abandoning her body, Fana will transform into the true Ra. By the way, here’s a souvenir from the realm of the dead: once I have the power of Ra and collect the magic stones, humans will be the ones who will be sent to the demon realm and we demons will rule the earth instead. Arc: Like I’d let you do such a thing! Demetor: The comet is already approaching directly above us. Come on. Ferio: Arc, my body…[is moving] on its own… Arc: Ferio! (Ferio walks up to Demetor.) Demetor: There are already three magic stones here. The other two are as good as mine. I think I’ll go to the roof and enjoy the view. (Demetor vanishes and a large contingent of minions are summoned between the party and where Ferio and Fana are standing.) Arc: Dammit, that bastard! Tack: Let’s go! Characters introduced this update:  : The god of darkness who has been manipulating events to guarantee his takeover of the mortal realm.
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Mar 12, 2021 07:09
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| # ? Apr 28, 2024 22:47 |
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Stage 38: The Sun Goddess’ Sorrow I blow through the minions blocking the way fairly quickly, which triggers the next cutscene:  Ferio: Stop! I refuse to attack Fana! Diva: Arc, can you hear me? I’m sending you a pearl of light. Use this to return Fana to her right mind. Arc: Is that [you,] Diva? Got it! Ferio! Get away from Fana! Ferio: I...okay. (Narration: Received Pearl of Light!) At this point Ferio is once again controllable as an allied unit, and just in time too, since Fana hits like a truck and can kill Arc with a critical hit. Fortunately, she also takes a ton of damage so I end up being able to feed Arc the last hit.  Ferio: Fana...hold on! Fana: Eh? I...   Ferio: Fana’s tear[, it]...! Lucieda: This must be the final magic stone. Elmess: That’s correct. Ferio: Lord Elmess? Elmess: At long last it is time for the final battle.Are you ready, arc? Retrieve the magic stones from Demetor, then of the five statues, pluck the eyes of the third. That way, the doorway to the demon realm will be sealed. Arc: Understood.  Demetor: Even if Elmess did intervene, it was a [minor] hindrance at best. You still have no chance of victory. Now, then, hand over the magic stones. Arc: No, [you] hand over [your] magic stones! Demetor: Very well. Come and get it if you can! Arc: Bring it on!
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Mar 13, 2021 23:26
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