Screenshot Romancing SaGa 3: Monica Mayhem!

[Garnef]

So while I am already currently doing a playthrough of this game (Well, 2 actually), they're mainly just for Skype and bordom. I think it'd be a cool idea try that one idea I had back when I made that whole "FftF Plays Romancing SaGa" thread, where I ultimately decide how my playthrough of Romancing SaGa goes. It went nowhere because we barely exited the first town after like 3 pages.

So some people probably have the question of "What the hell is Romancing SaGa?"

Romancing SaGa 3 is the third game in the Romancing SaGa series, as well as the 6th game in the SaGa series. Not counting the first game's remake on the PS2, it's the last game in the Romancing SaGa series. The game was released for the Super Nintendo in 1995, and was developed by Square. The game plays similarly to early Final Fantasy games, most particularly Final Fantasy II (NES), where characters level up based on how they play.

The game is essentially a nonlinear Final Fantasy game, although it was only released in Japan, sadly. There is a fantranslation, but it's only like 90% complete, which I'll be playing for this LP.

There are 8 playable main characters to choose from, and 22 other recruitable party members, totalling up to 30 playable characters overall. By the end of the game, we're only allowed to have 6 party members. The joy of doing this SSLP is that I can let you guys decide on my final party, starting with our main character.

Now before we pick our main character, the intro!

[spoiler=Intro]

Now to pick our main character!

[spoiler=Main Characters]

Each Main Character will have a prologue to go through, and then have complete freedom to travel the world. Let's go through our cast of main characters, then!

Male Choices:

Female Choices:

Note: You may recruit other playable characters once the game becomes non-linear. Monica and Mikhail can never be in the same party, and Katrina cannot be recruited if anyone else is the main character. Katrina also cannot recruit Mikhail and maybe Monica?

I look forward to your responses, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask away.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Garnef

[Melodi]

MONICA MONICA MONICA MONICA

[Enaluxeme]

Oh my god, most of them are adults, THIS IS BLASPHEMY!

...I would say Nikhail.

[Garnef]

Alrighty, we're picking Monica, then.

[spoiler=There's something else we must do before we continue our game.]

First of all, stats, we need to know what each stat does!

All of this info was taken from this walkthrough

Strength

(STR)

: Overall melee power with Spears, Both Swords, Staves, Kung Fu, and Axes. It also helps with the accuracy for Axes.

Dexterity(DEX)

: Affects the strength of bows and epees. It also determines accuracy .

Speed(SPD)

: This is how quickly you act in combat. It also improves Kung Fu.

Constitution(CON)

: Rumored to help with status recovery time but those aren't used so often where you'd drag a long fight out. Normally, a status effect used fucks you over pretty bad where you die. I'm looking at you, charm! This also helps with physical attack resistance.

Intelligence(INT)

: SOME techs use this but I really don't remember. This helps improve the power of magic as well as attack items that you can use in combat.

Will(WILL (hrrrrrr!))

: This is how resistant you are to magic and status effects brought by magic that are not charm. It also helps with the effectiveness of your own magic and how well you can put a status effect on an enemy.

Charisma(CHA)

: This is purely a character's resistance to charm effects, as well as how good they are at putting them on.

Hit Points(HP)

: Don't need to explain this one.

Tech Points(TP)

: Also called Waza Points by die-hard SaGa fans. This is used for weapon skills.

Magic Points(MP)

: Did you think you were going to use TP for magic as well? Nope! When you buy magic for someone they get like 5 MP to cast a basic spell with to raise it up. It's really damn hard to get MP crowns in this game or at least a little annoying. Magic's pretty crappy in this game as well besides healing and buffing and other neat things later.

Life Points(LP)

: The cornerstone of SaGa games past Romancing SaGa 1. Life points are basically how many times your character can suffer mortal hits (knocked unconcious, hit while unconcious, and drain skills) before disappearing and dying permanently. This is what you go for when you really want to get some shitty person out of your party, but that usually is only the Poet in this game. Life Points pay a key part in a spell later on, and there is also a quest that has some emphasis on it. Generally though, unless you really shouldn't be in a place you won't be losing too much of this. You can recover this with Inns (Hooray! Romancing SaGa 2 wouldn't let you) and some special items like Barrier Stones.

Now then, now we must decide our role. Role is very important as it determines how your character will grow. Here's the Roles, and what stats they increase:

Hunter

: +1 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +4 Speed, +1 Constitution, +3 Intelligence, +1 Will, +1 Charisma, +5 HP

Scholar

: +3 Dexterity, +2 Speed, +4 Intelligence, +3 Will, +1 Charisma

Royalty

: +3 Strength, +1 Speed, +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +3 Will, +2 Charisma, +20 HP

Fighter

: +4 Strength, +1 Speed, +4 Constitution, +1 Intelligence, +3 Will, +15 HP

Merchant

: +2 Strength, +4 Dexterity (What?), +3 Speed (What the hell?), +3 Constitution (mind is being blown here), +1 Charisma, +15 HP. Zoinks, those are great for just about any non magic user ever!

Now, choosing your weapon speciality also will affect your stats which is only logical.

Normal Swords

: +2 STR, +3 DEX, +2 SPD, +3 CON, +2 INT, +1 WILL, +3 CHA, +15 HP, +1 WP

Big Swords

: +3 STR, +2 DEX, +5 CON, +2 INT, +2 WILL, +1 CHA, +20 HP, +1 TP

Axes

: +1 STR (???), +1 DEX, +1 SPD, +4 CON, +1 INT, +2 WILL, +25 HP, +1 TP

Staves

: +3 STR, +2 DEX, +3 SPD, +2 CON, +3 INT, +1 CHA, +20 HP, +1 TP

Epees

: +1 STR, +4 DEX, +4 SPD, +1 CON, +3 INT, +4 CHA, +10 HP, +1 TP

Spears

: +4 STR, +2 DEX, +3 SPD, +4 CON, +2 INT, +1 CHA, +15 HP, +1 TP

Bows

: +2 STR, +6 Dex (Makes sense for once), +2 SPD, +2 CON, +2 WILL, +3 CHA, +5 HP, +1 TP

Kung Fu

: +4 STR, +3 SPD, +6 CON, +1 CHA, +30 HP, +1 TP

None

: +5 DEX, +5 INT. +2 WILL, +4 CHA

Now then, as a reference, here's Monica's base stats before selecting her Role and Specialty:

HP: 40

TP: 2

MP: 0

STR: 13

DEX: 12

SPD: 14

CON: 13

INT: 9

WILL: 14

CHAR: 19

Monica sort of acts as a middle ground character, as such, she can adapt well to most playstyles.

I look forward to your choices!

EDIT: Okay, so like I fucked up the quotes thing and don't know how to fix it, ignore the buggy quotes, people.

Edited January 10, 2016 by Nexas

[Garnef]

[spoiler=THE STORY BEGINS!]

Looks like the writer of that walkthrough got some things wrong with the stats. Regardless, all is good in the hood, since this means Monica has better stats than I thought she would.

AND WITH THAT, LET US BEGIN!

Our Journey Begins with Monica, dressed like a Disney Princess, looking out the window of her home.

"I wonder if brother is okay...."

She decides to walk back to her room, when....

MONICA DON'T OPEN THE DOOR, YOUR INNOCENCE WILL BE SHATTERED!

OH GOD NO!

Old Man: "Yes, there won't be a second chance."

WHY GOD WHY?!

OH THANK GOD!

Out of the frying pan of out of context scenes, and into the freezer of plot.

Old man: "Don't forget about me, Baron Godwin. No, I should call you Marquis Godwin."

Godwin: "Let's capture Monica as well. Just to buy some insurance...."

Old Man: "I see. That's our trump card."

And then Monica's like "FUCK" and goes to warn somebody.

News Flash: Godwin's a fuck!

Katrina: "Monica! What's wrong?"

Monica: "Baron Godwin and the minister...they are betraying Mikhail!"

"Mikhail's place." ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Monica: "Wait, I'll go myself. I know it's dangerous, but then I can notify my brother and avoid getting captured. You stay here and make sure no one notice that I'm gone. Hold as long as you can."

Katrina: "I see."

And so, Monica gets a change of clothes.

Monica: "When my brother returns, everything will be fine."

Katrina: "Be careful, Monica. Please arrive at Mikhail's camp safely."

AND SO, MONICA HEADS TO HER BROTHER'S SIDE...ON HORSE!

*5 Minutes Later*

FUCK, THE HORSE RAN OUT OF FUEL.

Welp, I guess we're moving on foot, now.

Oh yay, a village in the distance.

*Fade into the Town's pub*

Oh hey, a main character.

And then 4 more assholes walk into the pub.

And they're all main characters, oh man.

Game hasn't even started yet, has the ship sailed already?

Thomas: "Ah, I see. Sara, I need help to prepare some food. Master, I'll use the kitchen."

Ellen: "Seems so. And?"

Julian: "Wanna go together and have a look? We may buy something as well."

Get fucking wrecked, Julian.

Ellen: "I know we played bride games since childhood but that's something in the past."

And then suddenly Monica bursts through the entrance.

NEED MORE HORSEPOWER.

Wow Julian, you get friendzoned by one girl, and immediately go for the next, fucking rude.

And then Harid intervenes.

Harid: "You better think if you want to relate to her. This is Princess Monica, sister of Marquis Mikhail of Loanne. She wouldn't come to such a rural village soaked if things were not important."

We get it, no need to repeat what we already know.

Julian: "In this case, we have more of reason to help! Monica, what's wrong?"

Monica: "B-brother Mikhail, I must let him know of something quickly!"

Julian: "Master, I'll take the horse out."

Bartender: "It's dangerous to cross a monster filled forest at night!"

Julian: "But it is urgent! We have to go now!"

Ellen: "Master means it's dangeorus to alone, I'm going too."

Harid is not amused.

Ellen: *Addressing Harid* "Uncle, you are good at talking, but is your saber just for decoration?"

Harid: "It's been three months since Franz, the former Loanne Marquis died. There were troubled when it was decided that Mikhail would succeed the throne. Obviously, someone is aiming for the throne. And Mikhail is gone, so this is the best time to start a rebellion. If Mikhail loses, helping Monica won't lend us a penny!"

Harid's worrying about the important things.

Harid: "My doctrine is getting paid before working."

Holy fucking shit Julian, let Monica respond, this is why you can never get women.

*Ignores Julian's stupid dialogue*

Bartender: "I don't have any money, but I have this horse, are you fine with that?"

Harid: "I'm fine with that. What about you 4 scrubs, you coming along too?"

Julian: "Yep."

Thomas: "Yep."

Ellen: "Yep."

Sara: "Yep."

Ellen: "No you're not, sister."

Sara: "Fuck you, I'm going."

Bartender: "OH FUCK, NOW I REMEMBER YOU, DUDE. You're Tornado, right?"

Harid: "That I am, though call me Harid, Tornado is my slut name. Anyways, let's get going, this cutscene's getting too long."

THEN THE OTHER CHARACTERS INTRODUCE THEMSELVES:

Julian Naul

Ellen Carson

HER SISTER, Sara

Thomas Bent

WITH THEIR POWERS COMBINED, THEY'RE A BUNCH OF FUCKING SETTLERS.

THAT I WILL NOT BE DOING.

GOD DAMN THAT WAS A LONG ASS CUTSCENE. Luckilly, the only cutscene that long left will probably be the ending.

TO BE CONTINUED, NEXT TIME: ACTUAL PROGRESS, ALSO EVERYONE'S STATS....

Edited January 11, 2016 by Nexas

[Melodi]

BeNCH JULIAN IN FAVOR OF ELLEN AND MONICA AS LESBIANS

[Garnef]

BeNCH JULIAN IN FAVOR OF ELLEN AND MONICA AS LESBIANS

1 vote for Ellen in the final Party, 1 vote to bench Julian, then.

[spoiler=THE TRUE BEGINNING]

AND NOW WE ARE HERE:

Okay, let's go over the bios for our characters:

[spoiler=Characters]

JULIAN (Anime Boy)

Specialty: One-Handed Swords

Starting Techs:

- Parry: Evade Enemy Attack

Julian is a relatively balanced fighter, and should do decently well in just about any playstyle you use him in. I don't like him, because his personality is basically that of a generic anime protagonist.

ELLEN (A Waifu's Waifu)

Specialty: Axes, Martial Arts

Starting Techs:

- Tomahawk: Throw Axe, allowing you to hit Back Row enemies.

Ellen is a really good fighter. She's a character with high strength and average speed. She won't do too well as a mage, so just have her mainly use either Axes or Punch things to death. In terms of personality, she's shown to be protective of her sister, so protective that she lives in a different town, wow rude.

SARA (A Waifu's Waifu's Sister)

Specialty: Bows

She's okay at best. She could probably make a good magician if effort were put into her, and she's really not a horrible bow user. She learns bow techs typically very quickly, and masters them quickly as well. She's at least good to have around for a good portion of the game if you intend on getting a bow user to replace her with, since when you master a tech, you can transfer it to different characters. Her personality is the typical cowardly girl type character.

THOMAS (The Bank Engine)

Specialty: Lances, Bows, Water Magic

Starting Techs:

- Leg Sweep: Stun Target

Starting Magic:

- Squall (Water): Attack all enemies with Water.

Thomas is my personal favorite main character. Despite the game calling him a "settler," he's actually a merchant. Because he's a merchant, he's well versed in weaponry, as shown by having level 1 in everything, except for Lances and Bows at level 2, as well as having access to water magic right off the bat. Thomas in a lot of ways is a jack of all trades, but honestly, he has a tendency to be a little bit underwhelming compared to everyone else. Monica may be a true jack of all trades, but Thomas has potential for such. I wouldn't reccomend focusing on his bow skills, as he's better off as a lance wielder or a mage.

HARID (Mace Windex)

Specialty: One Handed Swords

Starting Techs:

- Parry

- Double Mist: Attack Twice, first attack always misses, but the second attack always hits.

- Leg Sweep (Harid has a Spear handy, but he's far better off exclusively using Swords.)

Weapon Exclusive Tech:

- Curved Sword: Demi Rune: High damaging attack.

Harid is an honest to god badass. He starts with badass stats, and remains on par with everyone else to the end. The only minor flaw with Harid is that he's stuck permanently wielding a curved sword that can be upgraded throughout the game. The only way to get his ultimate upgrade is to have him as the main character. Harid's personality is that he's Chuck Norris if Chuck Norris were played by Samuel L. Jackson, had a baby with Segata Sanshiro, and then moved to Egypt, in which Harid grew up to become Mohammod Avdol, and joined the stand users journey. After Vanilla Ice used his stand on Avdol, he ended up in the Romancing SaGa 3 universe, arms still intact. Harid then proceeded to sleep with the Romancing SaGa 3 equivelent of an Egyptian princess.

tl;dr: Get fucked, boss fights.

Alright, so the first thing we want to do is look through the menu:

The main thing we should click is "Form."

This is the formation menu, based on our formation, certain characters will have various minor but useful stat changes.

Free Fight: No Stat Changes

Whirlwind: Whole Party Moves Faster

Hunter Shift: Middle Member deals more Bow damage.

Desert Lance: One person attacks in the front, making certain enemies prioritize the front member.

Only 5 Party Members can fight at a time, while the 6th member stays behind and watch, still gaining battle experience. Though I'm gonna be fighting with Monica, soooo:

GET FUCKED, SARA:

There's some weird mechanics involving some mode called "commander mode" if your main character is the reserve party member. I decided to go with the Whirlwind Formation too.

This is the equipment menu. in the WPN section, the character can equip 4 items to use in battle, from weapons, to healing items. Because Monica originally is an Epee wielder, she starts with a Foil, which I will never use, she came with a super badass Battle Axe, which is meant to be a semi-mid game weapon. The Spirit Stone is just an item that hurts enemies.

The ARM section is where ALL armor goes.

So we get into a battle, and the battle system is simple, you choose whatever item is in that character's item list, and then click it to do your command:

Upon winning, Ellen's Axe rank increased, and Thomas's Spear rank increased.

This is both the best and worst mechanic in Romancing SaGa 3. Rather than traditional levels, your stats go up based on your performance in battles. This is good because it lets you focus on whatever you wish. It's an issue though, because there's still a level of RNG on wahtever stat goes up. That base stats in the menu for the character never visibly goes up, but acts as something that more determines that character's stat growth, and how well they should perform in the long run with those stats. The exceptions are HP, Tech, and Magic of course. A good determining factor for your stats however, is simply look at the character's HP, whihc should give you a good general basis on how good their stats are.

I'll defeat each enemy in this area, and increase everyone's levels a bit. I'll montage through the enemies in the area real quick:

Fey: Fuck these things early game, they have access to the spell "Wind Dart" which can one shot party members this early, due to their high damage.

Ground Wolf: Simple Goomba-like enemies. Your characters can make short work of them.

GOD DAMN IT I SPOKE TOO SOON, one KO'd Monica. Luckilly, after every battle, their HP is fully restored.

Bite Snake: Can poison, but poison goes away after a battle, so who cares.

Helldiver: They're a bit dodgey, but other than that, rather weak enemies.

Alright, that's all the enemies, while fighting all the enemies, our characters learn new techs! Techs are learned in the heat of battle. Certain characters learn techs faster than others. Point is, there's a random faster in learning skills that makes the game feel like an anime where you're in a tough spot, and you learn an attack that makes it easier to win the fight. When a character learns a skill, they need to master it. If this skill is mastered, they can then transfer the skill to another party member. For example, if Ellen mastered Tomahawk, then Monica could learn Tomahawk that way, instead of having to learn it randomly.

Techs Learned:

- Julian/Harid: Sweep Down: Damage an enemy, then seal its' attack.

- Monica: War Cry: Raise Attack.

- Ellen: Kick: Exactly what it says.

Anyways, TIME FOR THE FIRST BOSS!

Upon defeating the boss, we find the camp that Mikhail was in!

Monica: "Bro, go back to the castle with your army, you're about to get fucked up! Godwin and the minister are starting a rebellion."

Mikhail: "Really, you came all this way to tell me that? Well if you're here, and I'm here, who the fuck is guarding the castle? Better question, who is that strange crew of people behind you?"

Monica: "They escorted me here from Shinon forest."

Mikhail: "Coolio, I'll gather my soldiers and head back to the castle and wreck Godwin's shit. When I take back my castle, you 5 will be properly rewarded. Mikhail outtie...is what I would say if I didn't have another mission for you guys. I want you all to take my sister to the village of Podol."

Julian: "Isn't that where the vampire Earl, Leonid lives?"

Mikhail: "Yeah, he's more reliable than most humans, like 3/5 humans...I'm saying both your green haired companions suck, Monica."

Monica: "I agree. Thanks, with Harid at my side, I can't lose!"

Mikhail: "Harid? Oh, that guy? Yeah, I'll be taking him, he seems like a reliable soldier who could probably solo Godwin's army."

Monica: "What about my safety?"

Mikhail: "Are any of your other group members useful."

Monica: "Literally only Ellen. Thomas is neat, but Ellen is my favorite~."

Julian: "Are we gonna ignore that fact that we're taking Monica to see a vampire who targets only women?"

Julian: "I guess not?"

Thomas: "Julian, I will cover your hair in bleach if you don't shut up."

Julian: "Wow, rude. Hey Sara, wanna go to hang out later?"

Sara: "I like Thomas more."

Ellen: "Also, I'll sunset yellow overdrive your face if you flirt with my sister again."

Julian: "Point taken."

AND THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO BE CONTINUED ON FOR NOW.

NEXT TIME: Podol, the village with a vampire.

Edited January 14, 2016 by Nexas

[Garnef]

[spoiler=PART ELLEN]

TIME FOR THE ROAD TO PODOL!

Mihkail gave us some equipment: Potions, A Broadsword for Julian, a Small Shield that I'm giving Monica, and some attack enemy items.

Shields increase defence and evasion, but take up a weapon slot, a fair trade.

Of course, since Harid is now out of the party, I have to use Sara now.

Spider Rose: Not a hard enemy to work with, iirc can poison, but that's about it.

Goblin: Another easy enemy to deal with, not too much trouble.

Whirlwind: A somewhat tough enemy to fight early on. They become regular enemies later.

Techs Learned:

- Monica: Tomahawk*

- Monica: Skull Crush: Crush Enemy with Axe, Reduce's Enemy's Attack.

- Julian: Rude Sword: Odd Move Attack (NO IDEA WHAT THIS DOES, BUT IT FITS JULIAN'S PERSONALITY.)

- Sara: Id Break: Headshots Enemy, confusing them.

- Sara: Shadow Sew: Sew Enemy's Shadow, Paralyzing them.

* Also got rid of Ellen's Tomahawk.

OKAY, NOW WE'RE IN PODOL.

Inns restore all of your TP, MP, and LP.

Going into the pub, meanwhile:

There's several NPCs in this pub. Starting from left to right, except for the pub owner, minus the guy sitting at the same table as Monica, or the Bartender.

"We must improve our body and the blood for the Earl's sake."

"Leonid's most important trailer is the Holy grail that once held the holy king's blood."

"The Earl will call a new girl to the castle soon."

"Girls are rare, as many are bitten by the Earl."

"Vampires won't age or die. But they can't leave the castle, that's the law."

This is Young Boy.

Monica: "What the fuck did you just fucking say to me, you little bitch? I'll have you kno-"

*5 minutes later*

Monica: "...You're fucking dead, kid."

> Any info?

Bartender: "Leonid's castle is at the top of the hill to the north."

> Gossip

Monica: "How is business?"

Bartender: "It is getting better."

Our next location is Leonid's Castle, let's explore town a bit more.

"In this place, things like vampires really scare me."

"-to get the eternal beauty."

Podol's a pretty fucked up town if the foundation for it is getting bitten by a vampire.

I went to the armor shop and got some extra armor. There's also a magic shop in Podol, but I don't think I'll be giving any of these characters any magic.

That said, if you have any ideas for magic users, be sure to give me ideas!

NEXT TIME: We head off to Leonid's castle.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Nexas

[Garnef]

LET US CONTINUE!

[spoiler=PART SARA]

So Melo said I should give Sara some magic, since she has high intelligence and Thomas already has Water Magic.

I should probably go over Magic types, there's 6 Types of Magic:

Elemental:

- Fire

- Water

- Wind

- Earth

Special Magic:

- Sun

- Moon

While a character CAN use one elemental type and one special type, there's still a limited amount of magic slots to work with so I feel like it's more reccomended that a character only wields one type of magic.

The magic shop in Pidona sells Moon type magic, so I'll give that to Sara. I didn't have enough money, so I sold some excess equipment and a Sand of Mars, which I have 3 of.

MAGIC LEARNED:

- Sara: Shadow Bolt: Darkness Attack spell against one enemy.

- Sara: Moonglow: Magic Defence and Speed up on an ally.

When a character is able to use magic, they get 5 MP to work with initially, so converting characters into magic users takes time.

And now we climb up to Leonid's castle.

This hill has a lot of the same enemies, though I suppose it's not a bad place to train up Sara and Thomas's magic.

And so, we made it to Leonid's castle:

Place looks great.

Thanks creepy vampire man!

Leonid: "Not even your ancestor Hilda can compare! Sorry for the late introduction, I'm the lord of this castle, Leonid!"

Monica: "Nice to meet you, I'm Monica, Mikhail's sister and princess of Loanne. You know why we're here, right?"

Leonid: "Podol is boring, the only fun thing I have to do is collect rumors and gather information. To put it simply, yes, I know why you're here."

Monica: "Then you know about my stupid tool of a brother's situation, can you go help him out?"

Leonid: "Well, the thing about that is...."

*Cut to Harid literally murdering all of Godwin's army alone*

Leonid: "I don't think he needs my help. Though for the time being, you guys can stay here until Mikhail's whole issue blows over. Though that being said, this is a vampire castle. There ARE monsters here, so be careful, your rooms are to my left."

The party heads to their rooms to sleep, when this happens:

Wow rude Julian.

Julian: "Good night, Monica."

Ellen: "Good night, Monica."

Monica: "Good night, Ellen."

And then overnight:

Sara: "It's eerie...."

*Knock Knock*

Monica: "Holy fucking shit, Julian, who do you fucking think it is!"

Monica: "I got spooked, that's what. Can I stay in here tonight? Preferebly in the same bed as Ellen?"

Sara: "Monica is scared too?"

Thomas: "Very well, Monica. Julian and I will stand guard tonight so all three of you can rest properly."

Julian: "No can do, Tom, I need my beauty sleep."

Thomas: "I stand corrected...."

Julian: "Good, sleep is a requirement for me-"

Thomas: "I won't be standing guard, Julian will be standing guard while the four of us get some sleep."

Julian: "I hate you, Tom."

*THAT MORNING*

We could do that, but for now I'm just going to explore Leonid's castle for a bit and do some levelling.

War Bat: You're not suppose to fight these yet, so they're kinda tough, but beatable. Good to level on.

Strange Eye: A high evasive enemy that's weak to magic.

Melting Man: Immune to Water Magic. Otherwise, not that difficult.

Ghost: High Defence, Low Magic Defence. That's all there is to this enemy.

Found a chest with 400 gold, and grinded up the group a little more, so Sara could have more MP, because 5 MP is shit.

NEXT TIME: The Treasure Cave Near Pidona!

Edited January 16, 2016 by Nexas

[Garnef]

[spoiler=Part Monica]

This part's going to be lengthier than the other parts.

So on the way to Podol Cave, we get a glimpse of the game's overworld. I'll get into this later, but for now, let's address the elephant in the room:

This cave's got a few new enemies to work with, but otherwise, it's fairly simple, and has easy enemies for the most part. I'll go over the new encounters in this cave, all the treasure found in the cave, and any new techs our party members have learned. From what I remember, this cave lacks a boss.

Arachnoid: A bit defensive, but nothing too tough.

Skeleton: Another defensive but nothing too tough enemy. They drop an item called a Bone Breast which increases defence but makes you weak to fire attacks and arrow attacks.

Wrapper: Not hard at all, never had any trouble with them. I assume they're immune to water.

Brother: Upgraded Goblin, still weak.

Footparty: Best name ever. Otherwise, not that tough.

Gel: Another Easy enemy. it's best to hit it with magic, of course.

Nice amount of cash money.

Forgot to screencap me getting a Spirit Stone, nothing too spectacular.

THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM. There are only about 4 or 5 of them in the game, and from my understanding, they cannot be bought from shops. Life Canes can heal your party members 1 at a time, or you can heal everyone for almost 700 HP or so, however, the staff is broken after use. It's best saved for emergency use, or for the final boss.

MORE GOLD!

These are gauntlets, and they're going on Monica.

A-GOOOOLD!

Found another chest with 200G.

ANOTHER SHIELD!

These are rare items that are useful for later, but don't do anything right now.

And that's every chest in this cave!, let's head back to Pidona, and go talk to Leonid again!

Techs Learned:

- Ellen: Saming: Low Damage Punch, but blinds the enemy.

Now, before talking to Leonid, I'd reccomend looting your party members of their salves, since they're going to be leaving the party for a bit, aside from Monica, since of course, she's the main character.

On the way to Leonid's castle, I encountered a new enemy, though:

Rain Tiger: He's a bit dodgey, and it appears to be immune to water elemental attacks. It's a little tough as well.

Warrior Frog: Tougher than the usual prologue enemy. Can take quite a beating from all 5 party members.

Techs Learned:

- Thomas: Stone Stab: Stronger than normal attack.

Anyways, we make it to Leonid's Castle, at last.

Leonid: "You should head back immediately. By the time you get back, Mikhail should have the whole kingdom reclaimed."

Jump Cut to Mikhail congratulating everyone.

Mikhail: "In particular, Harid, Thomas, Julian, Ellen, and Sara. Though, none of you are my vassals, you have done a good job."

Monica: "Nonsense! My brother told me you nearly murdered all of Godwin's army on your own, that's pretty badass."

Monica: *Whisper* "I'm paying you extra for keeping Julian at bay."

Monica: "Thank you, Julian."

Julian: "No worries, my father always told me... No, it's nothing, it's been an honor protecting you, if you need protecting again, just tell m-"

Monica: "Don't flatter yourself."

Monica: "And I really enjoyed the journey with Ellen. Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge."

Monica: "Cheer up! You may be a wimp, but you're still better than Julian!"

Monica: "Well, if you want to say that, you can, even though it was everyone except for Julian's effort."

Harid's got a hard-on for the word "reward". He's all like "HA! GOT EMMM!"

Monica: "Harid pls"

So Harid's off to the town of Lance. Good to know.

Harid: "Well, be nicer to your sister. Harid is outtie. Take care, Monica!"

*Harid Leaves*

Monica: "Harid is such a bro. He's no Ellen, but dayam."

You look like Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII!

Katrina: "I got a haricut."

Katrina: "You should be executing me, in my opinion, but please, allow me to try and get it back!"

Mikhail: "Ergh, I really don't want you to leave, but..."

Mikhail: "Fine. I leave your misconduct in your own hands. However, until you get the Masquerade back., don't come back... I hate seeing you like this."

Monica: "Mikhail, what the fuck!"

Katrina: "Thank you for accepting my request. I'll get back the Masquerade for certain!"

Mikhail: "If they can take the Masquerade from you with just one person, what if they send an entire army?"

Mikhail: "That... doesn't answer my question... regardless, keep my question in mind. You may now leave, Katrina."

Monica: "Who are you calling in next, brother?"

Mikhail: "There was someone who came this morning, begging to be a part of the knights, and he seemed very determined to help the people."

Monica: "Oh god don't fucking tell me...."

Monica: "Fuuuuuuuuck."

Mikhail: "The reason I've called you up here today is to ask for a favor. We have set up a new troop called the 'Princess Guard' to protect Monica. Do you want to join?"

Monica: "Brother, are you shitting me, this idiot's gonna be my new bodyguard to replace Katrina?"

Julian: "I wanted to just join the Loanne knights, but why an honor such as guarding the Princess herself?"

Mikhail: "It is of the opinion of Monica and Harid. Do you accept?"

Monica: "I said that ironically!"

*Flashback*

Mikhail: "What is your opinion on Julian?"

Harid: "Well, you don't have to pay him upfront like me."

Monica: "Yeah yeah, he's okay I guess, but enough about Julian, let's talk about Ellen, have you SEEN her legs?"

*Flashfoward*

Monica: "Julian please-"

Julian: "THEN I'LL DO IT!"

Monica: "...don't join..."

*Julian Leaves Triumphantly*

Monica: "God fucking damn it."

So now we gain control of Monica again in Loanne Castle. I think now's a good cliffhanger to go on! Next time: More action! More stupid tools! More shitty Julian!

Edited January 25, 2016 by Nexas

[Melodi]

And so Mikhail loses his favorite knight to a silly trinket. Meanwhile, Monica winders why the most useless party member becomes a knight.

Keep up the great work Nex!

[Garnef]

Today, we're making a choice!

[spoiler=Part Poet]

Last time: Monica's stupid tool of a brother made bad choice after bad choice for the kingdom of Loanne.

Monica's now in her Princess outfit. Let's explore the castle a bit before progressing through the plot. Both those maids are uninteresting and just say "Good Morning."

Seems Monica's already made a name for herself as a good Princess.

Monica: "Julian, you're suppose to say "Hail Monica!" like all the other knights."

Monica: "This happened to the first Marquis Ferdinand, then the other ancestors.... And father, please give my brother strength."

Monica: "The fuck. Well, at least he's insisting that I stay, unlike his girlfriend. Hmm... lemme try something."

Mikhail: "Not now. Godwin's activities are still concerning me."

Monica: "I won't go far. Besides, I thought you hired Julian to protect me if I went outside? Are you seriously not going to use the new branch of knighthood that you just fucking made up?"

Mikhail: "Alright, just 2 hours, though."

Monica: "Yes, brother."

Mikhail: "By the way, Julian is now one of our vassals. You don't have to be too overly polite to call him."

Monica: "To be fair, he doesn't really deserve too much politeness anyways."

Julian: "Of course not, everyone calls me that."

Monica: "Do you read any books?"

Julian: "No, I.. I'm not good at that kind of things."

Monica: "Ha ha!"

Literally what the fuck does this mean.

Monica: "He can't fucking read, seriously? Wow, I might actually be feeling a little sorry for that idiot."

WHAT THE FU-

*Monica is grabbed by the bird and flown away*

Wow, Julian leaves for one second, and Monica immediately gets kidnapped, he's fucking shit.

Oh fuck, Godwin... I'm actually more glad to see you than I am Julian.

Monica: "Baron!!"

Godwin: "Don't think of escaping, Monica. or you will become pray to the monsters."

Let's ignore everything Godwin just said and explore this cave.

Poet: "Oh no! How could I meet such a beautiful person is such a place? I'm the travelling scholar who studies the Holy King's Chronicle. When I was loitering around, I got kidnapped! Ah! It's terrible! Anyways, how about a song?"

Well, this cave music is boring, I could use a new song.

Poet: "The black shadow of Loanne..."

Poet: "Fight and fight, for our friends. Oh glorious Loanne, Loanne."

Poet: "Let me travel with you."

NEW PARTY MEMBER:

POET (Mr. Mascot)

Specialty: None (He starts out with a staff.)

Starting Techs:

- Brain Split: Hit enemy's head to confuse them.

Poet's not a bad character, but he's not great either.He's the type of character that's reccomended for earlygame parties, but he can be useful later in the game. He benefits from being proficient in every weapon type, though, I prefer to just keep him with staves when I use him. He'll make a solid addition to any team. He's also the mascot of the Romancing SaGa series so that's a thing.

So now that we have Poet in the party, let's explore the cave some more. There doesn't seem to be many enemies in this cave, but there are two bosses in this cave. They're the same boss, from my understanding, so I'll only show one of them.

So after that battle, Julian is now in our party. I assume he also got kidnapped by a bird just like the Poet. After going through this door, I can see monsters. I've never actually been to this section of the cave before, but let's explore it anyways.

Ill Head: A somewhat annoying enemy, since it can absorb your HP. Aside from that, it's not too powerful.

Belladonna: Another not-so-though enemy. Shouldn't give you trouble, but has a lot of HP.

Ghost Fire: Annoying enemy that counters when you hit it with a physical attack.

Sadly, the end of this room is an alternate exit to another part of the prologue, so I'm gonna ignore that, and go this way!

At the end of this next room SHOULD have been another evil demon, but it looks like killing one kills the other, how about that.

GODWIN YOU FUCKER, LET'S DO THIS!

YEAH, I'LL FUCK YOU UP, BRO.

Monica: "Baron, please return to Loanne with us and face the trial. You are one of our few relatives, I'm sure that my brother won't mistreat you."

Godwin: "Monica, you have the heart of the Holy King. But if you know that I killed your father Franz, would you feel the same?"

Monica: "Are you fucking serious? So the rumor is real, then...."

Godwin: "Mikhail won't forgive me for what I did... This is already the end!"

*Godwin then causes an earthquake, and turns out the lights.*

Fucking hell, we're navigating by feel, now.

Julian: "Where?"

Monica: "Hear, do you not know how to navigate by hearing?"

Julian: "I do, I'm just badly oriented."

Monica: "Oww, my head, watch where you're going!"

Julian: "You okay?"

Monica: "I'm fine. Holy shit, it's so dark."

Poet: "Oh beautiful Loanne, my jewel anytime...! Oh, sorry for my good mood."

Monica: "I think I'm okay."

Poet: "Eh, the voice is the best this way. Ah... eh... ee... oh... oo!"

Julian: "Knowing Mikhail, help should arrive soon."

Poet: "Are you two lovers?"

Monica: "The fuck gave you that idea?"

Julian: "What gave you that idea?!"

Poet: "You two are so close together, I thought...."

Julian: "HOW CAN YOU EVEN KNOW THAT."

Poet: "From sound. From the sound, I can tell my surroundings roughly. Your breath shows that you're close together, and your heartbeats validate my judgement."

Julian: "Who do you think she is? She is Princess Monica of Loanne, sister of the Loanne Marquis. I'm definitely not her lover!"

Monica: "Furthermore, I love Ellen, not Julian!"

Julian: "Wait, you love Ellen!?"

Monica: "Well, we're gonna die here, we may as well throw all our secrets out there!"

Poet: "Really...."

Monica: "Alright, let's try to get out of here again, Julian where are you? Hold my hands real quick so we don't get separated, you're the only other powerhouse with us, and this Poet over here can already tell where he is."

Julian: "Yes, here, Princess."

Monica: "Thanks, you're more helpful that I thought at the least."

Julian: "Really? I'm glad to be helpful! And I can hold the hand of the Princess! ...But holding my hand is probably not as good for you. Hahaha!"

Monica: "Seriously dude? Stop trying to flatter yourself."

*Banging can be heard*

Julian: Hey! We're over here!"

Monica: "Oh thank god, we're not gonna die!"

Poet: "Goody!"

Mikhail: "Julian, since you rescued Monica, I'll forgive your mistake in letting her get kidnapped."

Poet: "I got some fairly precious experience. Well then, I'll depart from here."

*Poet Leaves*

*Monica heads back to her room*

Monica: "Huh, Mikhail actually did something on his own. Meanwhile Julian was actually useful, must be opposite day... hmm, I wonder what my brother has to say?"

Monica: "That guy? He's a bigger tool than you! What's he doing coming here?"

Mikhail: "He appears to be coming for his father's funeral, but it seems clear that his real target is you, Monica."

Monica: "Oh god, don't fucking tell me...."

Mikhail: "He's apparently trying to find a bride for his son. Just be prepared."

Monica: "Are you seriously doing this right now brother"

Mikhail: "Welcome to Loanne, Duke!"

Duke Zweig: "Mikhail! You've become a handsome man! When you came to Zweig last time, you were still a child! This must be Princess Monica!"

Monica: "Nice to meet you, I'm Monica!"

Duke Zweig: "Wow, you're way out of both mine and my son's league! Gwa ha ha!"

Mikhail: "Maybe you should think about it."

Monica: "...What...the fuck...."

OKAY, so it looks like we cannot complete this without making a choice.

> Ride the Boat to Zweig, and marry the Duke.

> Convince Julian to sneak you out of the Castle to get out of marriage.

I AWAIT YOUR RESPONSE!

There's a new poll up too, so be sure to vote!

Edited January 23, 2016 by Nexas

[Clarinets]

At first this seemed like an easy choice, but then I realized she'd be escaping with Julian. Still, I'm going to have to go with the escape option.

[Melodi]

In the name of adventures and also maybe getting rid of Julian, I SAY WE ESCAPE HELL YEAH

[Garnef]

Today, we're finishing up Monica's prologue.

[spoiler=Part Julian]

The votes say run away with Julian's help.

Julian: "....and is that what you want too?"

Monica: "Hell no! I love Ellen, you know that... can you help me escape."

Julian: "....This is for you own benefit. I'll have to go with you, though. If Mikhail found out I helped you escape, I'm sure I'd get charged with treason."

*And so Monica and Julian sneak off to Mules, a town near Loanne.*

FRESH AIR! Let's talk to some of the townspeople.

Monica: "So I suppose we're heading to Pidona then, Julian?"

Julian: "Not a bad idea. That's where Tom lives."

Monica: "I'll keep an eye out."

Loitering Girl: ....

[spoiler=Meanwhile in an alternate universe.]

Loitering Girl: "I said I can catcha!"

Monica: "Sorry little girl, I'm not playing any games right now...."

*Loitering Girl clings to Monica*

Loitering Girl: "You can't escape because I caught you!"

Monica: "Go play with your friends."

Loitering Girl: "...I don't have any friends...."

Monica: "...argh...What a pity, I'll be your friend...."

Loitering Girl: "I'll follow you!"

Monica: "Your name is?"

*Loitering Girl is caught off guard by this line of questioning.*

Loitering Girl: "My name is, is, is... Crepe!"

*Crepe has forced herself into the Party!*

[spoiler=New Party Member????]

Crepe??? (Loitering Girl)

Specialty: Epees

Starting Techs: None

She's a relatively tragic character to use. She's probably one of the worst possible choices for a party member in the game, considering there are far better Epee wielders to choose from, such as Monica if she's not the protagonist, or another early game party member you can get shortly after the prologue is over. Her name changes to another dessert item everytime she is recruited. She was a part of a sidequest that was taken out of the game due to time constraints, though, remnents of the sidequest still exist, and can be used to infer this girl's backstory. I'll get into her backstory later, but that'll be for another day.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled universe.

I never actually knew about this.

Welp, time to explore the pub.

Talking to the Poet has him rejoin the party. It seems like a good idea, but trust me, at this point in the game, it's basically a beginner's trap. The magician there sells wind magic, though, I'm not giving Monica or Julian that.

Talking to the Bartender gives a new option:

THIS COMMAND.

I can kick Julian out of the party now. Something annoying about the Poet and Crepe is that they'll refuse to leave until certain conditions are met, which is why I'm not recruiting them quite yet. For the time being, I'll keep Julian in the party just so I have some extra firepower.

The armor shop in Mules doesn't sell anything interesting either. So I guess we're off to the port.

Looks like everything went off without a hitch. I guess that's the end of Monica's prologue!

NEXT TIME: We explore the town of Pidona!

[Garnef]

[spoiler=Part Maximus]
I forgot to mention at the end of the previous part, in simple towns like Pidona and Mules, there's a particular town theme that plays depending on your main character, just to get things out of the way, here's all the main themes of each character.

Julian
Thomas
Mikhail
Harid
Ellen
Sara
Monica
Katrina



Julian: "Where shall we go first, Monica?"
Monica: "First of all, let's see what the people around this town have to say."



Monica: "There's a palace? Huh, Mikhail's never really talked to Pidona about anything, so I figured they weren't really the type of place to have a king. Let's have a visit to this "Claudius family" though, shall we?"



Monica: "I suppose I'll have to head to Librof later then, I'm interested in seeing just how it's changed over the years."
Julian: "You've been there?"
Monica: "Once when I was a child, it was kinda fun I guess?"


That Poet is stalking us holy shit.

Monica: "Oh wow, how interesting!"
Old Man: "But they were charged with the crime of misleading the people and were burned to death."
Monica: "........"
Old Man: "Seems like their family has moved to Lance."
Julian: "You alright, Monica?"
Monica: "Yeah...just dying inside...Lance, huh? That's where Harid said he was going, I'll should go there eventually and say hi."



Monica: "I'll have to check that out eventually, you got money for popcorn, Julian?"
Julian: "I have abou-"
Monica: "Oh who am I kidding, you were probably a knight for so little amount of time, you never got your first paycheck."
Julian: "...Can't deny the truth."



Monica: "And that would be where, exactly?"
Kid: "I don't know, I'm just a little boy!"



Blacksmith: "The symbolic spear was broken, and the master was killed."
Monica: "Is there anyone who works there anymore?"
Blacksmith: "Well, there's one more guy, and the daughter of the master."



Monica: "A vacation spot, huh?"
Man: "Searching for Black's Treasure is also fun too!"
Monica: "I could be up for a treasure hunt later, though, I'm more interested in Pidona, right now."



Monica: "...Is that honestly what you think?"
Man: "Yes, he's one of the smartest people I can think of!"
Monica: "Have you ever even met my br- er, the new Loanne marquis?"
Man: "Well, no, bu-"
Monica: "Then I believe this discussion is over."



Monica: "Hey! Talk to me!"
Robed Man: "........."
Monica: "Yeesh, this guy's weird."
Robed Man: ".........."
Monica: "Is it against your religion to talk or something?"
Robed Man: *Light Nod*
Monica: "Ah, my bad then, I'll leave you to your business."



Monica: "Can I pass through? Pretty please?"
Guard: "Are you perhaps of royal descent?"
Monica: ("Shit, if I tell them I am, they'll know I escaped the castle most likely.") "...no?"
Guard: "Then you may not pass."



Monica: "Are those perhaps those weird robed people that can't talk?"
Woman: "Yes. I believe the higher ups at the church can talk, though."
Monica: "Looks like we're going to take a visit somewhere, Julian."
Julian: "The Divine Church, I assume?"
Monica: "Of course."



Monica: ".........."
Julian: "What're you doing, Monica?"
Robed Man: "Ah, you two seem very interested, indeed? Mr. Green Hair, though, if you want to get into the church, you must learn silence!"

*Monica walks into the church, while flipping off Julian silently*

Robed Man: "She's gotten very good at silence in so little time! *Tear drop* They grow up so fast...."



Monica: "......." ("I see, so this is more of a cult, rather than a church.")



Monica: "........" ("Sounds more like he's trying to kill all of you.")



Monica: "........" ("Hmm, I shall take a visit to this Maximus guy myself, then.")



Maximus: "We must prepare ourselves to meet the Divine King. Your effort is needed, come, devote yourself to the church."
Monica: "......." ("This guy seems intimidating, like he could kill me at any second if he wanted too...I should probably get out of here.")

*Monica leaves the church*

Julian: "You find anything?"
Monica: "Just a bunch of weirdos. Whoever this Maximus guy is, he's clearly scamming people."



Monica: "Case in point."
Julian: "What do you mean, Monica?"
Monica: "Don't you get it, Julian? The Masquerade was what was stolen from Katrina, and that's one of the Holy King relics!"
Julian: "And?"
Monica: "I get the feeling we'll need to look into this later, the Maximus guy has to be related to the disappearence of the Masquerade, though."
Julian: "Argh, all of this is making my head hurt. Can we go see Tom?"
Monica: "Alrighty, where does he live, exactly?"



Julian: "Huzzah!"
Monica: "Looks pretty rundown aside from the windows...that's a lot of windows."



Julian: "Is Tom here?"
Thomas's Grandfather: "Ho, Thomas's acquaintences, eh? Thomas is in the first room to the left."



Julian: "Yo, Tom!"
Thomas: "I though I told you to stop coming he- ...why is the Princess with you?"
Monica: "It's a long story, that I doubt you'll be interested in. To summarise, can we live here for a little while, Thomas?"
Thomas: "W-why here!?"
Monica: "We've got nowhere else to stay...."
Thomas: "Did something happen to Loanne?"
Monica: "If by something happened, you mean "I ran away so I could avoid marriage" then yes, something did happen."
Thomas: "My answer is no."
Monica: "Why?! Can you at least travel with us for a while?"
Thomas: "First of all, someone's already taken the guest room, secondly, if I haven't finished my grandfather's work, then I can't even leave. Just look around the city or something."
Julian: "Wait, someone's taken the guest room?"

Thomas: "...Do not disturb them."

Monica: "I'm kinda curious as to who they are too."

*Party heads to the Guest Room*

Monica: "Heya, Sara!"

Julian: "Sara, what're you doing here?"

Sara: "Ellen didn't tell me where she was going, she simply said something along the lines of "Well, sister, I've got places to be and I don't want you to get hurt, so I want you to go to Pidona and live with Thomas for a little while, until I come back, okay? Thomas owes me a favor for last time I saved his ass," and so now, I'm here, living with Thomas."

Monica: "God, your sister's awesome."

Sara: "I know, right?! Her plans always work, she always cares for me!"

Monica: "She's hot as hell, she's got REALLY nice legs!"

Sara: "Uhh, I suppose."

Monica: "Wait, he let you live here, but why not me and Julian?"

*Several nights back, one rainy night.*

*A knock on Thomas's door*

Thomas: "Ugh, who could it be at this time of night?" *Answers*

Sara: "Hiya, Thomas!~"

Thomas: "Sara? What're you doing here?"

Sara: "Ellen said she had places to be, and told me to come here."

Thomas: "And why is that exactly?"

Sara: "Well, she said you could provide me with a place to stay...."

Thomas: "Ugh, seriously? Is this about that time she saved my ass that one time?"

Sara: "So you're not gonna help me?!" *Slight tears*

Thomas: "...ugh, I never said that, Sara."

Sara: "You didn't? But I thought-"

Thomas: "I never said I wasn't going to let you stay, did I? Just know this, if you were anyone but you, I wouldn't let you live here, okay? So wipe away those tears, please. You can borrow my cloak for tonight."

Sara: *Wipes away tears* "Thanks, Thomas."

*Unflashback*

Monica: "I suppose we'll never truly know the answer to that. Anyways, we're traveling around Pidona a bit, wanna come along, Sara?"

Sara: "Sure! I'd like that! Thomas is usually very busy, so things get boring around here sometimes...."

*SARA HAS JOINED THE PARTY*

*The group exits the house*

Note: Crepe appears in almost every town, but she's irrelevent to this event.

Monica: "Huh? Where's Thomas going?"

Sara: "We should follow him!"

Monica: "I'm still quite curious here."

Julian: "Hmm? Why's he going to the slums?"

Sara: "We should keep following him, I want to know what his hobbies are!"

Monica: "Wow, Julian, you were not kidding when you said slums."

Julian: "This is where the less fortunate people live. The economy in Pidona's kinda rough."

Sara: "But what would Thomas be doing in a place like this?"

Monica: "Seems, he went in here. You two ready? What we see in here may or may not be bad."

Julian: "I'm ready!"

Sara: "Let's go!"

Monica: "It's worse than I thought! A young man with white hair!"

Thomas: "Monica, Julian?! Why are you two here? ...Sara, you too?!"

Monica: "Sorry, Thomas, but we've followed you here. Now what deep dark secrets are you hiding here?!"

Thomas: "There's no need to worry, Monica, these two are my friends. I'm telling Muse here about our adventures in Loanne."

Muse: "Come on in! We haven't had many guests for such a long time!"

Kid: "We couldn't find her anywhere, and Gon went into the Devil King's Palace to look for her!"

Muse: "What?! Sharl, honey, please, go look for them! I wish I could but you know how I am in this condition!"

Sharl: "Yes, I shall."

Thomas: "I'm going too."

Monica: "I shall as well."

Julian: "I can just stand by and watch children get lost!"

Sara: "Where Thomas goes, I'll go!"

Sharl: "Thanks, you guys."

Sharl: "Mitch! What happened to Gon?!"

Mitch: "I don't know, Wa...ah"

Sharl: "Guys, we must hurry to the Devil Palace!"

*Talking to the group on the way to the Devil Palace*

Sharl: "The Devil Palace was a haven for thieves and rogues, but now it has turned into a den of monsters."

*Back to Gon*

Gon: "Mitch, answer me! No more hide and seek!"

*Back to Sharl*

Sharl: "Also, currently the members of the Divine Church are searching for the hidden treasures in the palace."

Monica: "So basically, we need to get in there, save Gon, and get out as fast as possible, right?"

Sharl: "Precisely."

Monica: "That I can do, let's get going!"

*THOMAS AND SHARL HAVE JOINED THE PARTY!*

[spoiler=New Character]

SHARL (Who Needs Arms...WITH MAGICS LIKE THESE?!)

Specialty: Spears, Fire Magic, Swords

Starting Techs:

- Aiming (Spear Tech): Hit with careful aiming, causing a critical hit.

Starting Magic:

- Air Slash: Slash with Air Sword.

- Self Burning: Cover self with Fire, when an enemy attacks you, you counter with Fire back.

- Feather Seal: Become Invisible.

- Fire Wall: Protect from all heat and cold attacks.

Don't let those really shitty Strength and Dexterity Stats deter you from Sharl, because he's really a fantastic fighter. At this point in the game, he's a much higher level than your characters for the time being, so despite his low strength and dexterity, he'll still do damage on par with your other party members. Even then, though, he start with AMAZING level 17 in Fire Magic to make up for those stats. 19 Intelligence and 17 Fire Magic level makes Sharl an extremely viable Fire Magic user later in the game. In terms of Personality, he appears to be a jump straight into danger to protect the ones he loves kinda guy.

NEXT TIME: It'll be time to enter the Devil's Palace!

Edited February 1, 2016 by Nexas

[Garnef]

[spoiler=Part Sharl]

Time to tackle the Devil Palace!

Monica: "Quite menacing...let's go!"

The Devil Palace is a little intimidating, but for the time being, it's nothing too bad. We'll be returning here eventually, but this quest is sort of like a preview of what's to come with this dungeon.

[spoiler=New Encounters]

Krypton: A neutrally powered enemy for this point in the game, shouldn't be too much trouble, but has quite a bit of HP for this point in the game.

Frisberg: FUCK these things. They can deal quite a bit at this point, and are quite tanky to anything not magic.

Rain Bee: Not that tough either, doesn't really pose a threat compared tot he previous enemies on this list, but can heal, so that's a thing.

Slime: Upgraded Gel, not much issue.

Exploring this place is kind of a disappointment, however.

Monica: "The fuck, why're these chests empty?!"

Sharl: "Like I said, the Divine Church has raided this place from time to time, in search of the Holy King relics, it makes sense that the treasure here would already be taken."

Monica: "Grrr..."

Thomas: "Any idea where to go, Sharl?"

Sharl: "Mitch and Gon promised me that if they ever came here alone, that this is as far as they'll go."

Monica: "So he shouldn't be deeper in this place, then. It's down to the door to our left, and the door to our right, then?"

Sharl: "Yeah, take your pick."

Monica: "Left door it is."

Sharl: "It's okay, Mitch is waiting back at Muse's."

Gon: "... I see... I was scared...."

Sharl: "It's fine... you've done a good job, Gon."

Gon: "With what?"

Sharl: "Getting here on your own. You're quite strong, you know that?"

Monica: "I like the idea of giving a pep talk to your kid or something, Sharl, but we should get out of here, and THEN, you can do that."

Sharl: "Agreed."

*The Group Heads off to leave the dungeon, WHEN SUDDENLY!*

Monica: "WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT?!"

Julian: "Thomas, explain this to me!"

Thomas: "I'm a merchant, not a miracle worker!"

Sara: "Guys, I'm scared, what should we do?!"

Sharl: "Tigerman... it's been a while."

Tigerman: "... Sharl...."

Monica: "That thing just talked... IT JUST TALKED!"

Sharl: "Tigerman, too many years has it been since our last encounter."

Gon: "You know this guy, Sharl?!"

Sharl: "This guy is my arch rival, my ultimate nemesis. TIGERMAN! IT IS TIME TO END OFF OUR RIVALRY, ONCE IN FOR ALL! ALL OR NOTHING!"

Tigerman: "Sharl...."

Julian: "Umm, Monica, a Skull Crush would be useful right about now."

Monica: "...Shit, I'm out of TP!"

Sara: "Me too! ...at least I still have magic!~"

Sharl: "Sara, I need you to cast Moonglow on me, I'll handle this."

Sharl: "...That was it? I didn't even get to attack him!"

Monica: "On the bright side, I got a new tech!"

Julian: "I finished him off, though!"

Sharl: "Your name's Julian, right?"

Julian: "Yes?"

Sharl: "I learned a new tech too."

Julian: "Oh?"

Sharl: "Yeah, it's called 'I don't give a fuck,' now let's get out of here."

Monica: "OH GOD, THERE'S MORE!"

Tigermen: "...Snarl...."

Sharl: "Huh, I guess that wasn't my rival from before. These things have been snarling the whole time. These are just normal monsters, how about that."

Monica: "So what was this about a Tigerman rival?"

Sharl: "If this situation tells us anything, that Tigerman is already dead probably, whoops."

*Party defeats the enemies and heads back to Pidona*

Thomas: "No problem, Sharl. I'm always happy to help."

Monica: "If you need more help, don't call Julian, he's incompetent at helping random people."

Julian: "Can't deny the truth."

Sara: "Bye Sharl!"

Sharl: "See ya guys later."

*Sharl leaves the party*

Monica: "So, anyone tired?"

Everyone: "Yes."

Monica: "Inn money's on me, then?"

Thomas: "I could just sleep at home... wait, no, I'd be too busy studying."

Sara: "Guess who's sleeping in the bed closest to Thomas's?~"

And so, the group goes to sleep at Pidona's inn.

New Techs Learned:

- Sara: Random Arrow: Hits All Enemies with Arrows.

- Monica: Big Logs Chop: Strong Against Plants.

NEXT TIME: More Pidona.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Nexas

[Garnef]

[spoiler=Part Nora]

Alrighty, it's time to explore more Pidona!

Monica: "You still busy, Thomas?"

Thomas: "No, not anymore. I'm free to travel with you now."

Monica: "Well then, why don't you tour me around town, then?"

Thomas: "It would be an honor."

Thomas: "This would be the blacksmith's shop."

Monica: "A source of weaponry, huh? Count me in!"

Thomas: "Indeed, it's been quite a long time since I've been here. I wonder if there's new stuff."

Monica: "Hellooooo? Anyone home?"

Julian: "This place seems empty."

Sara: "Creepy, too."

Thomas: "Hmm... do you guys hear that?"

Monica: "Hear what?"

Thomas: "Clanking."

Monica: "Now that I think about it... I do."

Thomas: Let's see what's downstairs, shall we?"

*CLANK CLANK CLANK*

*Female Blacksmith Runs off*

Male Blacksmith: "Nora!"

*Nora leaves, and Monica walks up to the Male Blacksmith*

Male Blacksmith: "Sorry but...."

Monica: "This is a very nice workshop. It is strange that there are only two craftsmen here."

Male Blacksmith: "It wasn't like this before... the first master of this workshop and the Holy King forged the magic spear Arakes together. It was said to be the best work. After the Holy King closed the Abyss gates, the spear became the symbol and decoration of the workshop. Craftsmen from all over the world came over to polish their skills. In the last 300 years, this workshop was the Number One in the world. However, after the war of Ludwig and Clemens, someone stole the Holy spear in the middle of chaos. The master left for a trip to search for the spear. 1 year later, it was said that the spear had been located and returned to Pidona. And, the master went to go and recover it... 3 days later, the master's corpse was found at the harbor. After master's death, the craftsmen left the workshop one by one."

Nora: "Ken, I'll also go on a trip to search for the master's enemy and the spear. I'll leave the things here to you!"

Ken: "You can't go alone! Don't you see what happened to your master, Nora?!"

Monica: "The stolen spear is the original, right?"

Nora: "Well duh!"

Thomas: "Got any clues?"

Nora: "The master has left two things. This red coral earring, and the name Jakal...."

Monica: "Red coral and Jakal? ...not ringing any bells, but hey, need some help? Multiple brains are better than one!"

Nora: "...this is true. Name's Nora, nice to meet you."

*Nora has joined the party*

[spoiler=A Smokin' New Character!]

Nora (My Waifu)

Specialty: Staves, Spears

Starting Techs:

- (Staff) Hard Hit: Powerful Strike with a back swing.

- (Staff) Rotation Hit: 2 hits while spinning the staff.

- (Spear) Double Stab: 2 fast stabs, for extra damage.

Nora is the best powerhouse in the game. 23 Strength and 24 Dexterity? She's fucking amazing! The rest pf her stats are either average or under average. Though, she's also got a good amount of HP. She's also one of the nicest looking characters in the game. She makes a very mediocre mage, though.

Nora: "So what's the first order of business, um...."

Monica: "Monica's my name, and getting Thomas to tour me around Pidona is my game."

Nora: "...I seeee."

Monica: "LET'S GO, THOMAS!"

Thomas: "Oh right, Pidona has politics, I forgot."

Monica: "It it anything interesting?"

Thomas: "Not at all."

*Goes Downstairs*

Monica: "Who's this guy?"

Thomas: "This guy manages the storage. His name is Egarots."

Monica: "What does he do?"

Egarots: "I shall explain! Got too many items to carry? I'll hold onto anything you don't need for you!"

Monica: "Ah, that'll be useful in the future."

Nora: "Unlike you, Ken and I haven't given up. We're confident a good job can be done if we just work together!"

Blacksmith: "That young man... he said such bright words... okay! I'll work once again!"

NOW FOR BLACKSMITH MECHANICS!

Throughout the world there are blacksmiths you can bring back to Pidona's smithy, and they can make armors and weapons for you. Ken always works on weapons, and when you get a blacksmith, you can choose what they work on. The more blacksmiths working on something, the faster weapons are made. I'm gonna have this guy work on armor.

Talking to Ken brings up this menu:

All he can do right now is make a Partisan, which is a pretty good lance for this point in the game. Talking to the new blacksmith allows him to make a headband, so I'll be having both blacksmiths doing that.

Overtime, these weapons are made, so let's come back later when it comes to that.

Thomas: "And that just about summarizes everything in Pidona."

Monica: "Interesting."

Julian: "What do we do, now?"

Monica: "Shall we head off elsewhere?"

Sara: "I wanna look for my sister!"

Monica: "I do too...."

Nora: "North of here is the town of Stanley, what say we head there?"

Monica: "That sounds like a good idea!"

Julian: "You comin' with us, Thomas and Sara?"

Thomas: "Eh, I'm not too busy right now, so sure, why not."

Sara: "I'm gonna join Monica in search of my sister!"

NEXT TIME: TO STANLEY!

[Garnef]

[spoiler=Part Fates Metaphor]

Alright, so at the beginning of each part, I'm going to post my current party, since once I gain access to more party members, I may cut out party changes.

Party: Monica, Julian, Sara, Thomas, Nora

And so, we head off from Pidona to the town of Stanley!

I'm no good at describing how things work, so I'll let this gif describe how the world map works in a nutshell.

WELCOME TO STANLEY!

Let's explore town.

Monica: ("There's another war?")

Nora: ("This place doesn't seem safe.")

Thomas: ("This seems like a good business opportunity.")

Julian: ("I hope those get dealt with later.")

Sara: ("....")

Monica: ("Mercenaries, huh? I bet Harid would love this place.")

Monica: ("So that war is preventing this place from selling weapons, huh?")

- Shonen

- Water Magic Teacher

- Pidona Blacksmith

Talking to the Pidona blacksmith takes you back to the Pidona armor shop, and lets you choose what that blacksmith works on. The weapons I'm having the blacksmiths make currently are incomplete.

Monica: "Hmm...."

Thomas: "Monica."

Monica: "Yes, Thomas?"

Thomas: "Might I suggest we check out Farce and see what's going on there?"

Monica: "Not a bad idea, very well, Thomas."

Monica: ("Ludwig? Where have I heard that name before....")

Monica: ("Seriously, the name Ludwig is ringing some kind of bell.")

Julian: ("Though, who do we side with?")

Monica: ("Lance? That's where Harid is.")

Thomas: ("Hmm, I wonder if Farce is recruiting too.")

Sara: ("Oh dear....")

- Pidona Blacksmith

- Fire Magic Teacher

Monica: "Hmm...."

Sara: "So we have to pick a side, huh?"

Julian: "I say we join Stanley's troops, we'll get more funds that way."

Thomas: "It seems like Farce has a more legitimate motivation for war though. Stanley blocked Farce's trade route after all. Personally, I think we should join them."

Nora: "Or you know, we could just join neither. It's not like this war is our problem."

CHOICE TIME!

- Join Stanley

- Join Farce

- Join Neither

Will update the thread with a poll.

Edited February 18, 2016 by Nexas

[Garnef]

Sorry for the long hiatus. Hope interest in this playthrough hasn't faded. >.>

[spoiler=PART FARCE]

The votes have been tallied.

Monica: "We're going to support Farce."

Nora: "Huh? Who made you leader?"

Monica: "I did. Plus, Thomas and I both think we should support Farce. Sara never voted, that means the majority is in favor of Farce."

Julian: "Alright then, let's go!"

Thomas: "Very well then."

Soldier: "So here's the first 1000G... well fight now!"

Monica: "Yeesh, chiil, I'm going."

This is the war minigame. You'll find yourself playing this a couple times in Harid's story, and you can play it as many times as you want in Mikhail's story. For the other characters though, I believe this and one other time is the only time this minigame is playable.

It's really just down to luck.If I were playing as Mihkail, I'd be able to do this better, but for other characters, you're limited on the commands you can give to the troops, as such, I won't really be explaining how to play this minigame, since quite frankly, I don't know how to either.

A Defensive Formation might work.

From my understanding, certain commands increase troop morale, and the more morale you have, the stronger your troops will be.

Oh wow.

Yaaay~

Soldier: "Yeah! We won! Here's your other 1000G!"

Thomas: "Now what, Monica?"

Julian: "I'm drowning in money!"

Monica: "I guess we'll see what people have to say around town."

Soldier: "... but nothing has changed. Why?"

*Almost everyone in town says this*

Nora: "Yikes, the atmosphere has gotten even worse here."

Sara: "Maybe we should go to Stanley?"

Thomas: "Not a bad suggestion, things may have changed there."

*The Party Goes to Stanley*

*Almost everyone in town says this*

Julian: "I guess things didn't end so well for either town, huh?"

Monica: "Right? I was hoping at the very least I'd remember who that Ludwig guy was, but since it seems like the nothing's really changed, shall we head back to Pidona?"

Thomas: "That's a good idea. The port in Pidona can take you almost anywhere in the world."

Sara: "So we're gonna travel the world?"

Nora: "No objections here, if it brings up closer to finding my father's murderer, I'm all for it."

Monica: "Let's go, then!"

Where should we go first?

-We've already been to Mules.

-We've already been to Farce.
-Monica doesn't wish to go to Zweig, but you people can vote for Zweig anyways.

TO BE CONTINUED.

Check it, there's a new poll too.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Garnef

[Clarinets]

Voted for Librof purely because it's my favorite name of the places you can travel to.

[BluBlaDe]

Awesome read, hopefully Sharl will be able to end his rivalry with Cheeatahmen and you didn't pick Mikhail but as a protagonist he is so broken, you can at anytime you want steal all the shit in the royal armory AND the gold too, I think you can get 10000 or was it 50000 without even doing anything.

[Garnef]

I guess we're going to Librof then.

[spoiler=Part Tatyana]

Monica: "What."

So let's head to Librof!

*Souffle has left the party*

Thomas: "Well that was stupid."

Yeah, attempting to go to Librof with her in the party makes her leave, and it relates to her unfinished sidequest.

Yay we're in Librof now.

Thomas: "Wilminton and Yamas, huh? I remember the businesses in Yamas being terrible, but not so much in Wilminton."

Sara: "Tatyana... what a nice name."

Monica: "Something else for us to handle?"

Monica: "RIGHT! Ludwig was that one guy in Pidona that was mentioned... the king I think?"

Julian: "Damn it, those guys again?"

Man: "They say that its height was about a million times of a person's height."

Nora: "Sounds intimidating."

Nora: "Get the fuck out of here and back to Pidona you lazy fuck."

*Weapons being made still aren't complete yet*

Bartender: "It seems that Lasaiev's daughter is running away from home."

Julian: "Stolen treasures, I presume, based on how they cleaned out the devil's castle."

Man: "It's a dangerous place, but Divine Church members risk their lives to go there just to visit the Divine Tower."

Thomas: "That's some serious dedication."

Woman: "Divine King. I wonder when this Divine King will really appear?"

Sara: "Church people are weird."

Man: "The leader Tiberius took the weapons and stood up against the kingdom. 10 years ago they battled at the Hamal Lake. The Gessiah Dynasty lost and was then destroyed."

Monica: "How tragic."

-Sun Magic Teacher

Monica: "Wow, she must be really young the- ooooohhhhh."

Thomas: "What is it?"

Monica: "That girl we encountered must've been Tatyana then."

Thomas: "Should we tell them?"

Monica: "The issues not really any of our business, I'm sure people will let them know of her presence someday."

(To put it simply, that's the unfinished sidequest that was taken out due to time constraints.)

Thomas: "So I guess we're gonna go check out what's at the Naj desert?"

Monica: "I suppose!"

NEXT TIME: Monica gets lost in the desert.

[BluBlaDe]

Kinda glad they took out the whole Tatyana side quest. She sure isn't an interesting character.