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Let's Play Tactics Ogre TKOL: Death of the Archer


Route Split  

8 members have voted

  1. 1. Which route do we take

    • Route A (Cybil)
      2
    • Route B (Rictor)
      6


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That guy's named Sitri, fitting for a guy who want to avenge his love or stuff.
Don't you love how the water level is only relevant in a tiny part of the map ?

...why was there a fan in the water? Why is the katana not looking like a katana ?

Bromance route here we go ! I think.

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The people have spoken, and we're gonna tell Cybil's cryptic ass that we're done being her groupie. Soon we'll have a new sorceress pal anyway!

Part 8 (Solea-Sufrir): The Possession

Spoiler

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Last time, we were having a spirited debate with Cybil on the ethics of mermaid torture. Since y'all decided that's not cool, we're gonna tell her off. This leads to us hurting more mermaids than the other route.

 

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Quote

Alphonse: You never explain yourself, and I'm tired of listening without question. I'm not your puppet. However, I will repay my debt to you. I'll find the sanctuary on my own and return with details on the spear."

Cybil: "Alright. I'll trust you. But, there's on time to waste. Got it?"

Alphonse: "Yes...and afterwards......we part company."

 

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Now that we've handed in our two weeks notice, it's time to chat with our only true friend in all this.

Quote

Alphonse: "It's still raining..."

Ivanna: "The savage winds still rage. They may not subside for some time...Alphonse, what will you do now?"

Alphonse: "Ivanna, have you heard of the Temple of Sufrir?"

Ivanna: "Yes. It's off the tip of the Numida Peninsula. I heard that it sank into the ocean because of geologic instability. In fact, Yema Bay was supposedly once a lake."

Alphonse: "I see. So the Temple of Sufrir is located near Yema Bay. I've heard that after the temple sank into the sea, an underwater cave connecting Anser and Tinea was discovered. I'm considering going to Arena Island by that route."

Ivanna: "I heard there are many beasts that dwell inside. Don't you think it's too dangerous?"

Alphonse: "I know. But, if there's a chance...I want to give it a try."

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Ivanna's gone and read Al like a book.

Quote

Ivanna: "Is that the only reason?"

Alphonse: "What do you mean by that?"

Ivanna: "Aren't you still meditating on Rictor's words...?"

Alphonse: "That's true. I'd like to speak with Rictor again. But don't worry about me...I'm fine. I haven't forgotten my promise to Cybil. I have no intention of rejoining my former comrades."

Ivanna: "I see. Rictor may know something..."

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I thought we covered that when she first join us, Alphonse.

Quote

Alphonse: "Ivanna, why did you decide to come with me? Don't you want to avenge your father's death?"

Ivanna: "The White Fang Troops have a hand in all of this. My uncle must be plotting something. I think it's best to stay with you for now. Don't get me wrong...I do want to know the truth of my father's death, but I want to help you, to."

Alphonse: "Why?"

Ivanna: "I don't know. My sword instructor used to tell me that destructive power can never win against protective power. I became a knight to protect Rananculus, but after meeting you at Vespa, I decided to fight alongside you and your comrades."

Alphonse: "Thanks, Ivanna..."

Ivanna: "Let's go settle the matter with your friend, and then we'll fulfill your agreement with Cybil."

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We can move onward now, but before we do, we have a few matters to attend.

 

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First, we've got some more new weapons and items. If you weren't lucky enough to get whips and spears in a treasure space, now's your chance!

 

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Next, every element has new spells available. The most notable are Molten Blade (increases weapon damage) and Faith (exorcism spell that works only on knocked-out undead); all the other new spells are gimmicky and generally unhelpful.

 

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One of the non-humans available in this town is the Cerberus, another beast unit. These guys are the most dragon-like of the beasts; they have a breath attack that functions nearly exactly like a dragon's and their stats are rather similar as well. They're probably the strongest of the beasties in terms of pure combat ability, but they have poor mobility even compared the Griffins, who at least can fly. Probably a bit more useful than the other critters, but still not phenomenal in the long run.

 

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Over in the human class tree, we've unlocked two of the female-only classes. Let's start with the better of the two, the Valkyrie. Like the previous game, Valkyrie's are defined by their flexibility, and while they tapered off towards the end of LUCT, in TKOL they're actually quite viable all the way to the end. Their growths are, admittedly, fairly average and basic; while it's not terrible to let someone grow in this class, it's usually better to grind them up in other classes instead. As far as actual combat ability goes, however, they're quite versatile and effective; not only has their spell list been improved, but their preference for spears is arguably even more of a boon than before, and they have one of the best non-flying movement types and good movement range. They also provide a bonus to the Mental Gauge of nearby male units; I have no idea how much the bonus actually does, but I figure any bonus is a good thing. Any female Knights you have will have a nice time in this class; female magic users, however, have an arguably even better one that'll come later.

 

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While the Valkyrie is quite a nifty class, the same isn't true for the Witch. While Witches were perfectly viable in the previous game, their status effect spells have seen some nasty nerfs to overall effectiveness that makes it a lot harder to do their jobs; even having a unique always-equipped Charm spell, Fascination, isn't really enough to justify this unit over others. Their other spells are reasonably useful, especially stuff like Molten Blade and Fluid Magic; unfortunately, there are better classes that can equip those spells while also being able to contribute damage or accomplish other tasks. Their growths are also pretty bad, with terrible Strength and no bonus to Intelligence. They don't even have their previously-good movement anymore, and are stuck with the same slow shit most other casters have to deal with. The only real niche this class has is casting support spells before you get those better classes, and even that's of dubious utility considering a lot of the best support spells aren't available yet.

 

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Still, our mage here can go into this class briefly just to show it off a bit, I suppose.

 

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Huh. Well, that's not quite right.

 

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Okay, I'm certain y'all had already figured out what I was doing the moment I hired this girl. It's the Ogre series mascot and everyone's favorite wicked witch, Deneb! Her recruitment this time around is rather unorthodox; you've gotta hire a generic female soldier, name her Deneb, and get her access to the Witch class, causing her to get possessed by the real Deneb. Funnily enough, you can repeat the process if Deneb dies to re-recruit her; I guess a body snatcher doesn't really care how many bodies she goes through.

 

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As Deneb says herself, she is not just an ordinary Witch! While she's still largely limited to support magic, she can also equip summon magic; while we don't have any right now, this is a big deal, since it means she's not just limited to spamming Fluid Magic constantly like most Witches are. She also has an actually good Intelligence growth, and her Temptation spell is one of the few status effect spells with a halfway-decent hit rate. While other lategame mages will usually outshine her, getting her this early means she won't have to compete for space with them.

 

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Even if you don't intend to actually use Deneb, you should at least still recruit her to unlock the secret shop in Scabellum. This shop remains open even if she dies.

 

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It sells a lot of highly desirable items, though most are fairly expensive as well. It also gives us the chance to sell those Glass Pumpkins we keep finding, though I'll save what that gets us for when we have five of them.

 

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While we're in Scabellum, we may as well look at the Octopus we can recruit from here. This particular beast thrives in the water, and is actually fairly effective there (unlike the last game, where it sucked even in its element); unfortunately, it still sucks on land, and it won't be long before water-heavy battles become a thing of the past. It also has kinda dreadful movement, which makes it hard to effectively use. It's not entirely worthless, but it has a very limited niche and I can't see much point in bothering with it.

 

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As we move towards our goal, we're interrupted at the little church we were rescued at.

 

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Quote

Alphonse: "......"

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Hey now, that's not six feet apart at all. Social distancing is important, Eleanor!

 

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Quote

Eleanor: "Alphonse, are you having second thoughts?"

Alphonse: "No, it's not that. It's the way she does things...I know she has her reasons, but I can't tell what's right or wrong anymore. She may be right about one thing, though...the way things are going. I never thought much about what I wanted to do. I began my military training at 12 and became a knight at 14. It was the usual path for the son of an aristocrat like me...But look at me now...I am no longer a knight. I don't understand what Rictor is thinking, and I can't follow Cybil's orders...This isn't how it should be..."

Eleanor: "Alphonse, there must be a legitimate reason why you disagree with her. Confront her about it. You can't always run away from difficult situations. Maybe if you had explained things to her, you could have found a solution."

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Alphonse always needs to repeat people's words back to them to understand them.

 

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He's a little slow sometimes, Eleanor, but I'm sure it'll get through eventually.

 

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Whoa, that got romantic pretty fast! I guess with only two scenes to her name so far we need to really accelerate into Eleanor's role and Al's love interest.

 

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Probably. Can't imagine they'd spend this much time on someone who didn't matter.

 

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This does have something of an effect later in the game. The best option is to lean into the romance.

 

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I guess that's it for these lovebirds for now.

 

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Aw, thanks for the support.

 

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Alright, enough dillydallying, it's time for BATTLE.

 

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I dunno, I guess the Dragons are kinda tough, but the Gremlins?

 

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Hey, it's that useless old man who was hanging out with Rictor!

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Orson: "Master Lasanti asked me to join you, but first things first...Let's defeat them and then we'll talk."

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We'll be bringing this useless old man into battle with us. If we want to recruit him, he must survive, though in practice he shouldn't be in any real danger.

 

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They probably only look strong because of your severe arthritis, Orson.

 

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This is another Kill All Enemies chapter. It's actually a pretty decently fun battle, especially compared to the more obnoxious one on the A path.

 

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Like all guests so far, Orson will meander around and accomplish relatively little. Unlike previous guests, even if he was more proactive, he'd still accomplish very little.

 

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I grabbed most of the treasures, and got some fairly decent finds out of it. I won't say no to a free bow.

 

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Gremlins in TKOL no longer have their impressive Strength, and as such are not much better than Fairies on the offense. These ones don't even have their special powers that make them at least a little better!

 

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The Dragons can be remarkably tanky, so it pays to use magic on them, as their resistance to it is fairly poor.

 

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While their breath attacks are fairly damaging (and now have an AoE once they level enough), the basic elemental dragons aren't much good at basic melee attacks.

 

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One of the treasure spaces gave a fairly useful accessory. It increases your movement a little bit, which is perfect for warriors who have to wear a ton of bulky gear to do their jobs.

 

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As we can see, Dragons have some pretty damaging breath attacks. The chance for the status effect to go off seems to have dropped a bit, like most status effects, but the damage is sizable, especially as they level up.

 

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This particular spot always yields an Ice Wand. TKOL is a little more generous with staves that have a Use effect, and the effects tend to be a bit more potent; this particular staff allows the wielder to cast the Ice Field spell for no MP. Unfortunately, using it this way has a chance of breaking it, which makes these use effects even more impractical than the ones in the last game. The staff also provides a +20 to Intelligence, which is sizable at this point in the game, so at least it's still good for something.

 

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With all that out of the way, there's not much point in sticking around.

 

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Where'd these dragons get money?

 

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Alphonse is very impressed with Orson's ability to do nothing in particular.

Quote

Alphonse: "I see you haven't let your skills diminish. Tell me. What is Rictor up to? Weren't we sent here to drive away the troops from the North?"

Orson: "We were sent to investigate the goal of the northern troops, but we haven't been able to uncover much information. When we heard that you left Urodela, Master Lasanti ordered me to join you."

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While I labeled this route as Rictor's route, it actually takes us a little while to reunite with him. You'll see why eventually.

 

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Well, that seems unnecessary.

Quote

Alphonse: "Really...? But why...?"

Orson: "Your actions should be punished, but you refused to rejoin us. Is there no stopping you? My last order from Commander Lasanti was to help you, even though you made yourself his enemy. So, will you allow me to join you?"

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You can turn Orson down. While Orson himself is relatively useless, he at least comes with some decent items you might want to poach, and there's no real benefit to kicking him out.

 

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Quote

Alphonse: "Is that so...Sorry I doubted you."

Orson: "Don't worry about it. Even though your decisions may conflict with the beliefs of your friends, don't let that stop you from forging your own destiny. Never yield in the face of opposition. Thus is the path of determining your own future. Now, it's best we be on our way."

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Well, that was a lot of stuff all at once! Next time, we'll be trying to handle the mermaid situation as diplomatically as the B route allows, and wonder who thought two water-heavy battles in a row was a good and cool design decision.

 

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Here come the bromaaaaaance.

I dunno if Deneb's recruitment here is more bullshit than in LUCT or not.
... how is the chocolate shield not melting.

Does all the monster units sucks or what ? 😞

I gotta ask ...is Eleanor... ? Way too many flags.

 

 

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12 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Last time, we were having a spirited debate with Cybil on the ethics of mermaid torture. Since y'all decided that's not cool, we're gonna tell her off. This leads to us hurting more mermaids than the other route.

One of the reasons for the split point making more sense to have happened before this, but eh.

(At the very least, it's not as bad as a genocide happening AND us getting accused of it regardless of our choice)

 

12 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

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14fu9j.jpg

 

12 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Where'd these dragons get money?

I guess they used to get an allowance from their old uncle. Maybe.

 

12 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Next time, we'll be trying to handle the mermaid situation as diplomatically as the B route allows, and wonder who thought two water-heavy battles in a row was a good and cool design decision.

Probably someone who liked Mermaids Octopi.

Edited by Golb89
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Yeesh I haven't said a thing lately. I did vote though.

On 6/21/2020 at 5:11 AM, epilepsyduck said:

Last time, we were having a spirited debate with Cybil on the ethics of mermaid torture. Since y'all decided that's not cool, we're gonna tell her off. This leads to us hurting more mermaids than the other route.

Dammit, I fell for the trap!

On 6/21/2020 at 5:11 AM, epilepsyduck said:

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Now that we've handed in our two weeks notice, it's time to chat with our only true friend in all this.

Nice of Alphonse to not cause too much disruption to Cybil's work but doing so.

On 6/21/2020 at 5:11 AM, epilepsyduck said:

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Okay, I'm certain y'all had already figured out what I was doing the moment I hired this girl. It's the Ogre series mascot and everyone's favorite wicked witch, Deneb! Her recruitment this time around is rather unorthodox; you've gotta hire a generic female soldier, name her Deneb, and get her access to the Witch class, causing her to get possessed by the real Deneb. Funnily enough, you can repeat the process if Deneb dies to re-recruit her; I guess a body snatcher doesn't really care how many bodies she goes through.

That right there is a cute call for a secret.

Have to give them credit for that one.

Even though it sucks for the woman who happened to be named Deneb.

On 6/21/2020 at 5:11 AM, epilepsyduck said:

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As Deneb says herself, she is not just an ordinary Witch! While she's still largely limited to support magic, she can also equip summon magic; while we don't have any right now, this is a big deal, since it means she's not just limited to spamming Fluid Magic constantly like most Witches are. She also has an actually good Intelligence growth, and her Temptation spell is one of the few status effect spells with a halfway-decent hit rate. While other lategame mages will usually outshine her, getting her this early means she won't have to compete for space with them.

Will they outshine her by sheer power or is there something else she misses out on?

On 6/21/2020 at 5:11 AM, epilepsyduck said:

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Aw, thanks for the support.

Alphonse and Eleanor got B rank support!

On 6/21/2020 at 5:11 AM, epilepsyduck said:

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Where'd these dragons get money?

I assume the last poor mofo who came to the wrong neighbourhood.

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On 6/21/2020 at 6:11 AM, epilepsyduck said:

Their growths are also pretty bad, with terrible Strength and no bonus to Intelligence.

As i mentioned already, growths are kinda meaningless when most of your leveling comes from training: heck, even in LUCT you'd be levelling your witches in the archer class instead to make them viable.

 

On 6/21/2020 at 6:11 AM, epilepsyduck said:

Her recruitment this time around is rather unorthodox; you've gotta hire a generic female soldier, name her Deneb, and get her access to the Witch class, causing her to get possessed by the real Deneb.

By that logic, changing ANY of your units into ANY class will cause them to be "possessed" by someone else too, seeing how drastically different their portrait becomes.

 

On 6/21/2020 at 11:01 AM, B.Leu said:

I dunno if Deneb's recruitment here is more bullshit than in LUCT or not.

I'd say OB64 is way worse... simply because you apparently can't recruit her at all there (she's only playable in the tutorial)

 

2 hours ago, Dayni said:

Even though it sucks for the woman who happened to be named Deneb.

I'd say male units who get turned into Wizards, Tamers, Priests and Swordmasters have it MUCH worse...

Spoiler

... though i suppose nothing beats Liches on that front.

 

Edited by Golb89
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20 hours ago, Dayni said:

Will they outshine her by sheer power or is there something else she misses out on?

Mostly a matter of versatility; she doesn't have access to regular attack spells, while most other high-end casting characters do, and most of them can also equip all of Deneb's non-Temptation spells aside from maybe some edge cases. That said, summon magic does dominate the endgame enough to make multiple summoners worthwhile, and Temptation is one of the most consistent status effect abilities, so Deneb's never entirely redundant.

Her main competition is exclusive to the path we didn't take, anyway, so she'll be around a while.

18 hours ago, Golb89 said:

By that logic, changing ANY of your units into ANY class will cause them to be "possessed" by someone else too, seeing how drastically different their portrait becomes.

It's canon in-universe that Deneb's done the body snatcher routine before, so it's definitely more than just a regular class change or, like, a disguise or whatever. Generics changing appearance constantly is clearly not the same thing at all.

After Alphonse split with Cybil over his desire not to harm the mermaids, he finds himself with two whole chapters worth of mermaid slaughter in store. Can he ever show his hypocritical face to his sudden love interest again?

Part 9 (Arena-Rana): Deneb's Drought

Spoiler

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No real need to dawdle much longer. Let's find ourselves a mermaid!

 

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There's one! Mission accomplished, now we can leave.

 

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I'm sure she's eager to share that information, Al.

Quote

Alphonse: "I need to speak with your leader. Can you help us?"

Minerva: "Reveal the location of our home? Are you crazy?! You'll kill every last one of us."

Alphonse: "Wait. I have no intention of harming any of you."

Minerva: "I don't trust humans! Everyone, lend me a hand!"

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She summons many water-friendly pals to her side.

 

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Unfortunately, I was an idiot who forgot to switch my classes around and just decided to leave everyone as-is for now. This battle's not too hard, thankfully, and I'm sure I learned my lesson from this.

 

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While Minerva claims she'll "guard this place with her life", in practice you can get her to surrender by getting her health below 20. This is slightly harder to consistently do, since we no longer can chip with thrown rocks, but as long as you're careful you should be able to end this relatively peacefully. Killing her causes a later recruit to refuse to join you, so it's best to spare her if you can.

 

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This fight always starts out rainy, which is very bad for us and very good for the mermaids. To even the odds, you gotta cast the Clear Sky spell.

 

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This causes some Groudon levels of weather changing. And to think, even very basic magic users have access to such power!

 

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While the Mermaids are stronger in the water, they're honestly not great fighters even with this advantage. Not terrible, though, and their mobility through it still presents a problem.

 

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Our Wizard friend finally has enough Intelligence to cast AoE spells, which is a huge boon. Won't be too long before she can do it without needing equipment bonuses!

 

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Speaking of AoEs, the boss not only is high enough level to use Lullaby, but has enough Intelligence to give it an AoE effect.

 

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While she manages to knock both of them out, this is pretty uncommon; Lullaby seems to have a terrible hit rate most of the time.

 

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By contrast, Deneb's special Temptation spell has an oddly decent hit rate compared to other status spells, making it more worth gambling on if you've got the MP. I don't know what stat, if any, governs status hit rates anymore (maybe Agility?), but this spells seems to have a higher base hit regardless.

 

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The animation for it is a bit flirtier than the one for the generic Witch's version of the spell, Fascination.

 

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Funnily enough, Charmed enemies not only fight for you, but they'll also heal you and use items from the enemy inventory for you. Since they have a seemingly infinite supply, this is quite handy!

 

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One of the two Hawkmen carries a rather nice shield, so you should kill him before taking care of the boss. Everyone else's drops are decent, but not irreplaceable.

 

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Our charmed mermaid friend chose to stab the boss through another mermaid, who then stabbed back at her through the same mermaid. I bet she's wondering why she bothered to help Minerva right about now.

 

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With the one truly desirable item acquired, it's time to ditch this place.

 

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Maybe you should've fired all those other mermaids and picked up more birdboys. They're better anyway.

 

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The Ice Shield here is a decently strong shield, especially useful if you're going up against a lot of fire-element attacks. even if you aren't, it's superior to the generic Tower Shield.

 

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Hopefully now that we've calmed her with our weapons, she'll listen to us.

 

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Ah, I suppose not. And to think, we actually save this girl on the A path!

 

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She leaves via the sea itself.

 

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I suppose we must've followed her, since this opens up the next area. Onward!

 

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Not pictured; a boat.

 

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Hey, we haven't said a single swear or done anything deserving of more than an E rating!

Quote

Aerial: "For what reason have you intruded on our territory? I suggest you leave immediately if you want to live."

Alphonse: "We don't want to fight with you. We just want to speak with your leader. Tell me where she is."

Aerial: "You don't want to fight? Then, how did Minerva get hurt? To you, the welfare of others is insignificant in the pursuit of you selfish ambitions. You are our enemies, and have invaded our ocean. I am the strongest of my kind. Do you dare face me?!"

Alphonse: "Is there no way to avoid this?!"

This convo and the next few with this character actually differs a fair bit if Minerva was killed; namely, The Strongest Mermaid is a lot angrier.

 

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Anyway, guess who didn't change anyone's classes and also impatiently charged into battle instead of waiting on the starting island?

 

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Unfortunately for her, Aerial must lose as demanded by the plot. Like Minerva, she surrenders at under 20 HP, but unlike Minerva she survives even if she hits 0.

 

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Please don't follow my example on this; unlike the last fight, this one's actually somewhat tricky and it's better to just wait for them to come to you.

 

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Still, at least our Hawkman isn't feeling the pain.

 

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Unlike the last game, Octopi aren't ridiculously squishy and can take a punch like other beasties (at least while they're in the water). This improves their usability a fair bit, though not enough to make them super attractive.

 

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Getting rid of Aerial should be top priority, but these Fairies are a close second purely because of their tendency to heal their allies with items.

 

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Hidden on this spot is the Ice Blade, a nice complement to the Ice Shield and a weapon with similar power to the Hyacinth Fan.

 

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The Octopus has a Strangling Tentacles technique that does nasty damage with spear-like range. It also has a chance of causing Confusion.

 

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Due to my poor strategies, I very nearly lost my Cleric to this attack. Though I suppose I do have resurrection items.

 

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Unlike the last fight, I ended up being a bit merciless to the boss's cronies. They tend to heal her and each other when given a chance, so it's not a bad strategy.

 

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Once we'd finished them all off, it was simple taking her down.

 

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You can ask her forgiveness yourself later, ya Disney wannabe.

 

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The most exciting item drop of all; money!

 

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Quote

Aerial: "You may have defeated me, but I'll never reveal the location of our sanctuary. I'll endure any disgrace."

 

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"I mean, your friends sure, but not you."

Quote

Alphonse: "Please, tell your leader that I wish to speak with her."

Aerial: "You keep me alive out of pity?"

Alphonse: "I'd like it if we can resolve things peacefully."

Aerial: "You're too soft! Are you truly a knight? By leaving this unfinished, it may come back to haunt you. Have you thought of that? You may one day find my spear protruding from your back. Your sympathy is nothing but a liability."

Sheesh, most people would be less irate at the thought of being spared.

 

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Oh. Well, that was easy!

Quote

Aerial: "You can't be serious!"

Mermaid Girl: "She also asked that they be welcomed as guests and treated with hospitality. Aerial, you are to receive treatment for your wounds and then join us later."

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:(

Quote

Mermaid Girl: "Are you the leader of these soldiers?"

Alphonse: "Yes, I am. My name is Alphonse."

aDGmWUW.png?1

The next bits of dialogue are pretty long, so I'll be saving them for later. We'll be back to meet this mysterious mermaid leader and discover the secrets of this badass spear that everyone wants but no one can find.

 

Edited by epilepsyduck
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2 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

It's canon in-universe that Deneb's done the body snatcher routine before

First i've heard of it, if anything i'd say she's the Viki and/or Jeanne (Suikoden) of the OB/TO universe (i.e. time travel and/or immortality)

 

2 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

After Alphonse split with Cybil over his desire not to harm the mermaids, he finds himself with two whole chapters worth of mermaid slaughter in store.

 

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The irony of what happens in both path are funny.

Holy damn, those mermaids give the same feelings as the faeries from Chrono Cross.
Good thing the leader seems to be smart!

1 hour ago, Golb89 said:

i'd say she's the Viki and/or Jeanne (Suikoden) of the OB/TO universe (i.e. time travel and/or immortality)

Viki and Jeanne are better tho

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Had a few hiccups getting this posted, but we're back! We'll be chatting with the mermaid leader and learning about that cool bit of loot they've been hiding, before returning to our mysterious benefactor and telling her all we've learned.

Part 10 (Rana-Arena-Urodela): A Fishy Story

Spoiler

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Our escort brings us to the leader of the mermaids, but not before advising Alphonse not to shriek obscenities at everyone.

 

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Who here might be the leader? I can't even begin to guess.

 

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Quote

Pink Mermaid: "the ocean. Please share what you have to say."

Alphonse: "I...I promised someone that I'd help them find the Sacred Spear."

Chloeri: "...The Sacred Spear? I see...For you humans, those events are long passed. I don't blame you, though. Your time on this earth is limited. For that reason, you can easily forget mistakes of the past. Forgetting permits hope to return and strength to be rebuilt. In that sense, I envy you. Everyone has their own perspective. I won't blame the people of this generation for sorrows of the past. Please understand..."

42JYDQj.png?1

Not sure that's the best thing to lead with, given the reputation y'all have.

Quote

Alphonse: "I'm from Lodis. I thought you might know something about the spear. That's why I'm here. I've read that the Sacred Spear is a treasure from God which was bestowed upon the mermaids, but that's all I know."

Chloeri: "That's correct. It was ours."

Alphonse: "Please tell me...What is the story of the Sacred Spear?"

Chloeri: "Alright. I'll tell you everything I know."

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Flashback time!

Quote

Chloeri: "400 years ago, mermaids lived peacefully around this island. That changed when people arrived. They burned forests and built villages. Conflicts erupted when they disturbed our quiet ocean. The quarreling never ceased, and finally a battle began for control of the island. I took up arms alongside the other mermaids."

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Even back when she was just a grunt, Chloeri was too good for a generic color scheme.

 

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Quote

Mermaid Soldier: "No. Even with your life in their hands, they'd continue to attack. They are blood-thirsty goblins. They think everything in this world is theirs for the taking. Why?! Why does God allow such creatures to exist on this earth? Don't do anything rash. We'll stand by you and protect this ocean."

Mermaid Leader: "Chloeri, that kind of thinking will get us nowhere. What will remain when the fighting is over? Instead, we must find a way to survive."

Chloeri: "Are you saying that we should let the humans win, that we should endure that kind of humiliation?

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Quote

Chloeri: "It is we who are the soul of the sea. As such, we will eventually become one again with the water and wind. Are we so insignificant? Answer me!!! Is there no place for us on this earth? Will you turn your back on us and let us fade from existence?"

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Quote

Chloeri: "but instead I found a spear. It was a beautiful, black spear, bestowed upon us by God. It drew on the power of thunder and lightning, and could pierce metal armor. The war started anew, and ten years passed...

I guess God doesn't only care about humans if he's willing to give the mermaids a kickass spear.

 

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Damn, seems like shit got pretty nasty.

 

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I guess we're gonna see that spear in action.

 

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Hey! It definitely doesn't do that when I finally get to play with it! What a ripoff!

 

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"The TV remote I mean. Must've fallen into the water somewhere."

Quote

Chloeri: "Look once more. I doubt any human could have entered this sanctuary. Who took the spear from here, then? And why?"

Mermaid: "Has someone betrayed us? They may have conspired with humans..."

Chloeri: "Impossible...Why would anyone want to risk their life for the enemy?! Our leader sacrificed herself for our sake. The spear is the key to our victory!"

0AYrST5.png?1

Really gotta find more creative and unique names for all these mermaids. It must get confusing when someone asks for "Mermaid Soldier".

Quote

Chloeri: "Protect our ocean! I'll be right there..."

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Quote

Chloeri: "love with a human. But, such love was forbidden. She hoped that hostilities would subside if the war ended, and so, one night, she entered the sanctuary and stole the Sacred Spear for her loved one.

Dunno what mermaids see in human men in all these stories. You've got much more appealing dating options all around you, sister!

 

jOEKnQv.png?1

Quote

Chloeri: "After losing the spear, we could no longer withstand their attacks. So we escaped to the west. Complicated tides, thick forests, and swampy land...These natural barriers have protected this small sea. You see, we don't have the spear anymore."

Alphonse: "And what happened to her?"

Chloeri: "I don't know. Both she and the spear disappeared. But, I received no word that the humans had obtained it."

Alphonse: "There's no other clues to its whereabouts, are there?"

Chloeri: "Well...

1d21cn0.png?2gvBGp4P.png?1

While this lead was a bit of a dud, at least it gave us a new one.

Quote

Alphonse: "What's her name?"

Chloeri: "The mermaid that disappeared...

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Hm, doesn't ring a bell.

 

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Ah, seems like we've stumbled into some juicy family drama!

Quote

Chloeri: "If you find her, please tell her that we are no longer angry, and that we await her return. ...Will you do this for me?"

Alphonse: "Can you so easily forgive someon who betrayed you?"

Chloeri: "Because of the power of the spear, we continued to fight and lost many more of our kind. As our former leader said, self-preservation should have been more of a concern. If you find the spear, keep it. It's no longer of use to us."

Alphonse: "Why is that...?"

GnWckUg.png?1

Says the mermaid soldier.

Quote

Mermaid Soldier: "Allow me to see you off. Where are you headed?"

Alphonse: "I guess I'll return to Urodela first. There's someone waiting for me...If she believes in me, that is."

nrTihbl.png?1

Like Alphonse said, we've gotta head back to Urodela to tell her that we still don't have the spear.

 

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Before we can, though, we're interrupted.

 

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Ah, I see. Come to yell at us some more?

 

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Quote

Alphonse: "Yes. I have to decide what to do next. Don't worry, I won't bother you again."

Aerial: "I've heard of the spear, but I didn't know the story behind it. Even if you loved someone, how could you sacrifice your own kind? I don't understand. What was she thinking...? Is there someone who you'd protect... ...even if it cost you everything?"

Alphonse: "I'm not sure...I don't think that can be answered by someone who hasn't faced those circumstances."

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Oh, I'm sure you're still mad about that.

 

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Oh. Well, that's a lot more reasonable than before!

 

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Yeah, those borderline-genocidal wars do tend to lead to a lot of wacky misunderstandings.

 

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Something to note is that Aerial won't offer this if Minerva died, at least not on the B Path. The A Path sees us trying to save Minerva, so who knows if she'd be more forgiving there.

Quote

Aerial: "Our leader has already given me permission. With your words and actions...I want you to prove that there are humans we can trust."

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You can turn this offer down, but it's not like there's any good reason to do that, is there?

 

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I guess we're buds now?

 

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Or I guess not.

 

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So anyway, Aerial's, like, fine? She's fine. In the water battles she can actually be a surprisingly helpful ally, but there's really not that many of those, and on land she's mediocre at best. Still, she has good gear for you to filch, and there's at least some niche for her to fill.

 

zVPPK14.png?1

Mermaids in general are kinda overspecialized, sadly; they're pretty much only effective in the water, but by the time you can recruit one you've done, like, two-thirds of the game's water-heavy battles. They do acceptably on snowy terrain, which does become annoyingly common late in the game, but even then, they're pale imitations of the Valkyrie class, who actively specialize in such terrain and are never useless even outside of that. Their special abilities include Lullaby, a crappy Sleep spell that rarely works, and Cheer, an ability that increases an ally's Agility by a big amount; while that's certainly useful, it's generally not enough to make letting them flop around on land worthwhile. They've got kinda crappy Strength for a suppose fighter class, too, and being demihumans means they can't just train in another class to fix it. Aerial's pretty much the only one of these gals you need to bother with.

 

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As we passed through Solea, I spotted another demihuman up for hire, the Fairy. Like LUCT, Fairies are support-oriented and make for terrible fighters, and they even have all the same abilities they had in the last game. They're arguably slightly worse off here, unfortunately; their abilities now cost SP, and while for other classes that's mostly beneficial compared to losing their HP, for the Fairy it means they can no longer spam their turn-restore move every turn. Still, unlike the Mermaid, their niche is more broadly useful, so having one around is acceptable as long as the rest of the party can pick up the slack. I won't be hiring one, however, as there are special Fairy recruits to find who bring rare items with them if recruited in the right locations.

 

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Anyway, that's enough class discussion, it's time for more plot stuff.

 

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Damn, you've just been hanging out in this shack the whole time huh?

 

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Quote

Alphonse: "Sorry I was gone so long. Any luck finding new information on Berevra?"

Cybil: "I've heard some stories about mermaids falling in love with humans, but nothing specific. Unfortunately, we don't have the slightest hint as to where she might be."

Alphonse: "The sad love story of a human and a mermaid, and the weapon of God...The White Fang Troops have yet to act. Neither has the Order of the Sacred Flame, which was dispatched from Scabellum. I wonder if Rictor's men who appeared at Urodela that night were chasing after members of the White Fang Troops."

Cybil: "What do you mean by that?"

Alphonse: "Before you saved me at Formido, a man, Nichart, was asking me about our true purpose on this island. At the time I knew nothing. I thought we were sent here to investigate the White Fang Troops. But, I wonder how much Rictor knew..."

Cybil: "I have no idea.

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Rude. We're trying to help you, jerk!

Quote

Alphonse: "?"

Cybil: "You've brought the information as promised. You're free to go and do as you please, whether that be rejoining your comrades or returning home."

Alphonse: "I have no place with them, or in my hometown. They don't mean anything to me anymore."

8arlUr6.png?2

Both him and you keep saying this, but I dunno. Alphonse hasn't shown himself to be nearly the asset y'all make him out to be, at least not yet.

Quote

Alphonse: "Rictor expected a lot out of me. He wanted me as both a subordinate and a friend...He wanted someone that he could rely on."

Cybil: "That's what he expected, huh?"

Alphonse: "Have you ever thought about doing what is expected of you? I...I worry too much about what others think, and put their wishes ahead of my own. Once I realized this I couldn't stomach it anymore. Who am...? I wondered. I'm not here to fulfill someone else's expectations. That's why I needed to get away for a while. I needed time alone."

Cybil: "Don't let your emotions sway you. They drain your energy and blur your judgement. Be calm and make an objective decision. What is it that you want to do in this world? Once you've decided on your direction in life, find a way to work towards that goal."

pT6XwCN.png?2

Quote

Cybil: "For what?"

Alphonse: "...You'll probably say this is childish, but I feel so  powerless...I'm not as strong as people think. There's nothing I can do. That's why I did as Rictor expected of me...to be recognized, for a sense of direction. I wanted to become storng...to gain power and status. But, what then? What purpose would it all serve? ...You saved my life. We had a deal, and I held up my end of the bargain. But, things are different now. I sincerely want to help you. That is, of course, if you'll let me..."

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Does that mean you'll stop giving me orders and being all cryptic and untrustworthy?

Quote

Cybil: "I think it's best if you lead your own comrades. I prefer to operate alone. Contact me if the need arises."

Alphonse: "Thanks, Cybil."

Cybil: "First, we must find the mermaid with the golden scales. Surely she's attracted attention somewhere. If someone's seen her, rumors may have spread..."

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In case you were wondering how Alphonse's surprise love interest was gonna figure into the wider plot, well, there's your answer.

 

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Quote

Cybil: "You're the one who told me that. Why's that suddenly so important?"

Alphonse: "There's something I need to look into.

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We'll have to come back to get to Solea, but I'm certain we'll have an uneventful and pleasant evening and can rapidly jump into a relationship with a girl we've spent maybe a few hours with, tops.

 

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Being blond has it's advantage !

Leader is gone, with a spear at her place, gee what could possibly have happened.

Gotta say, I agree, why the hech did that mermaid do that.
Well, called it about Miss Love Interest!

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7 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

HJ7vml9.png?1

Quote

Chloeri: "but instead I found a spear. It was a beautiful, black spear, bestowed upon us by God. It drew on the power of thunder and lightning, and could pierce metal armor. The war started anew, and ten years passed...

Well that's not suspicious at all.

7 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Dunno what mermaids see in human men in all these stories. You've got much more appealing dating options all around you, sister!

I mean, maybe regular fish are boring partners.

Also, there's enough records that cetaceans can also be jerks.

Is it the octopi?

7 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

GnWckUg.png?1

Says the mermaid soldier.

I mean, considering you got here, there was no point in not training for combat I guess?

And at least they didn't pun mermaidon.

7 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

zVPPK14.png?1

Mermaids in general are kinda overspecialized, sadly; they're pretty much only effective in the water, but by the time you can recruit one you've done, like, two-thirds of the game's water-heavy battles. They do acceptably on snowy terrain, which does become annoyingly common late in the game, but even then, they're pale imitations of the Valkyrie class, who actively specialize in such terrain and are never useless even outside of that. Their special abilities include Lullaby, a crappy Sleep spell that rarely works, and Cheer, an ability that increases an ally's Agility by a big amount; while that's certainly useful, it's generally not enough to make letting them flop around on land worthwhile. They've got kinda crappy Strength for a suppose fighter class, too, and being demihumans means they can't just train in another class to fix it. Aerial's pretty much the only one of these gals you need to bother with.

That's a bit disappointing then. Do they move fine in snow maps out of curiosity?

7 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

WQXsugp.png?1

We'll have to come back to get to Solea, but I'm certain we'll have an uneventful and pleasant evening and can rapidly jump into a relationship with a girl we've spent maybe a few hours with, tops.

To be fair, that A support might work out.

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15 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

So anyway, Aerial's, like, fine? She's fine. In the water battles she can actually be a surprisingly helpful ally, but there's really not that many of those, and on land she's mediocre at best. Still, she has good gear for you to filch, and there's at least some niche for her to fill.

Aerial's showcasing video:

Maybe.

 

8 hours ago, Dayni said:

I mean, maybe regular fish are boring partners.

Seems so.

 

8 hours ago, Dayni said:

Also, there's enough records that cetaceans can also be jerks.

True dat.

tenor.gif?itemid=16554694

 

8 hours ago, Dayni said:

Is it the octopi?

Maybe...?

Edited by Golb89
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  • 2 weeks later...

Not one of you caught on that I was saying the mermaids should date each other instead of humans smh my head.

Sorry for the delays, y'all. My desk chair broke, which is as good a reason to procrastinate as any!

Alphonse remembers the tantalizing plot hook Eleanor dropped way back when they first met, and decides there's no better way to kickstart his budding relationship with her than by marching straight back to grill her about it. Can their blossoming love survive this, and also some dragons?

Part 11 (Solea): Robin's Hood

Spoiler

tNkoF8A.png?1

Solea has turned red, indicating the game wants us to go there. This can only lead to positive things, surely.

 

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Eleanor, in a display of true extravagance, has an entire second outfit to wear, which is more than the vast majority of characters in this game can say.

 

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This outfit also comes with a new portrait. Truly the Kachua of the game, and I don't know if that's a compliment or not.

Quote

Eleanor: "Me?...No reason. But, why are you here?"

Alphonse: "We can discuss that later."

SdwbjAD.png?1

Whoa, what could've happened?

 

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The reveal that this oft-mentioned but so-far-unaccounted-for priest is an asshole was so shocking that we needed to move inside for it.

 

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Somehow I doubt that, Eleanor. Don't beat yourself up.

Quote

Eleanor: "I didn't do as I was told to... Alphonse, what are you doing? You came here because you found the sanctuary, right? Did things go smoothly... with her?"

Alphonse: "I talked to her as you suggested. I guess I was worried for nothing. She's a very reasonable person. Nothing seems to have changed since I was here last...I'm sorry for what happened then. I was confused and didn't understand why I felt as I did."

Eleanor: "That's alright."

Alphonse: "Thank you, Eleanor. Listen, Eleanor. I want to ask you about something. You told me before that you had seen a golden mermaid."

Eleanor: "...I may have said that. Mermaids usually live in the ocean to the west, but sometimes they are seen closer to where people live.

Alphonse: "Listen. I'm looking for one mermaid in particular, one with golden scales. Do you remember anything?"

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Seems like Eleanor doesn't appreciate being used as a source of mermaid trivia and nothing more.

 

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You could probably make a drinking game of how many times Al repeats other people's words to him in confusion. You might die, but you could do it!

Quote

Eleanor: "I have nothing to tell you...Are you just using me? I won't tell you anything!"

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"Eleanor, this is your house, not mine. You should be kicking me out, not running away!"

 

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As Eleanor flees, Cybil suddenly appears to warn us of an attack. Dunno where she came from, but I guess I'm grateful she's here regardless.

 

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It seems like Eleanor has walked into quite the colorful ambush.

 

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Quote

Karcist: "You're Eleanor Olato, right? Father Hamen told me that you're very knowledgeable about mermaids. We're searching for one, and Commander Briffaut would like to speak to you. Please come with us."

Eleanor: "Why?! Why did he tell you...?"

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Thankfully for Eleanor, the first person to pester her about mermaids is here to help.

 

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Whoa, who said anything about getting rough before now?  You're the ones escalating things, asshole.

Quote

Eleanor: "..."

Karcist: "If you won't come, then you leave us no choice... Capture that girl! We can't afford to let her share what she knows with anyone. Do whatever's necessary to keep her quiet."

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I mean, she's right next to them, so they're probably going to deal with her first. Still, I'm sure Eleanor will appreciate the rescue.

 

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Our other pals all start out from this area rather than the church. I guess they were waiting outside this whole time.

 

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This particular escort mission, unlike the ones in LUCT, requires Eleanor's survival. Fortunately, unlike people like Byan or Sisteena, Eleanor is smart enough to run away from danger instead of towards it, so at least half the work is done for us.

 

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Most of the enemies probably won't ever catch her, leaving you free to deal with them.

 

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The Archers are another story, as they will shoot her and prioritize her over other targets. The damage is perfectly manageable if you have healers, but it might still pay off to take them out early.

 

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One of the Archers, in particular, drops a unique piece of equipment. Always remember to grab all the droppables before you kill the boss!

 

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Eleanor, at one point, decided to abandon the safety of my forces and take a swim. I'm sure that'll stop you from becoming a human pincushion.

 

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While Deneb's ability to cast summons is possibly her best trait, Temptation is a lot of fun to play with. Girl's truly living up to the spirit of Haborym in the most unexpected way.

 

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Killing one of the Archers nets you the Sherwood Hat, part of a hunting-themed equipment set. Each of these items are useful, but the Hat is admittedly the weakest of the quartet; it's not really any better than the headgear we can currently buy in the shops. Still, I appreciate a theme, so I'll keep the hat around until we get the other set pieces.

 

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The Water Dragon is carrying a useful item, and while he drops it if he dies, I figured I may as well grab a dragon recruit solely so we eventually have one.

 

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Our Hawkman got to Level 10 in this fight, learning Thunder Arrow, a copy of Canopus's old Wind Shot. It's quite handy.

 

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With all the important bits out of the way, we can finally take down this jerk.

 

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Rictor's made it clear that ship has mostly sailed by now. Though obviously not forever given we're on the B route.

 

udDUVqD.png?1

So, you remember Fafnir (or Fafniel) in LUCT? That one sword dropped by that one guy which, while perfectly useful, was eclipsed by weapons gained before and after it even though it was a dragonslayer? TKOL heared our pain and decided to fork it over long before we have anything better. It'll still be outclassed eventually, but getting it this early gives it some room to be useful.

 

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We get to keep our new dragon pal, and also his cool bracelet, the Dragon Eyes. This allows non-dragons to use Dragon Breath attacks, using their own element to decide the element of the attack. Since Breath attacks are better than they were in LUCT, this is quite nice, though it does make the dragons themselves a bit less appealing.

 

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Quote

Eleanor: "......"

PG30r58.png?1

I didn't correctly capture this, but Cybil was in the room earlier. Nice of her to fill Eleanor in so we don't have to!

Quote

Eleanor: "You're looking for the golden mermaid, and you have a message for her from the mermaid leader, right? ...I know Berevra, the golden mermaid...I know where she is."

Alphonse: "What's that?"

Eleanor: "Berevra gave me this necklace. I never met my real parents. My step-parents were very kind, but I had no friends among the villagers. That's why I was always alone on the beach near our village, watching the ocean. We talked and swam...It was so much fun. But one day, she came and told me she wouldn't be able to see me anymore. The volcanic activity on the seafloor was worsening."

Alphonse: "Do you remember where she said she was going?"

Eleanor: "It's been many years. I can't guarantee that she'll still be there. Besides, she might not want to see anyone...But, do you plan on going anyway?"

Alphonse: "I'll go meet her alone, and I won't tell anyone where she is. Don't worry, Eleanor. I'll come back. I promise..."

i32xm5E.png?1pW11wFR.png?1

Oh? Is that a new party member I smell?

Quote

Alphonse: "I need your help, but I don't want to put you in danger. That's why..."

Eleanor: "'That's why...' what? Listen, Alphonse, don't you know? I want to be with you. So...take me with you."

KUU9c0P.png?1

As is usual, being nice to Eleanor and leaning into the romance is preferred, as it effects a gift she gives us later. I admittedly don't know if this particular choice effects that, but better safe than sorry.

 

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Quote

Eleanor: "I don't want to be a burden, so please teach me how to fight."

Alphonse: "If you like."

Party member get!

 

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Before we end things tonight, let's check some important details.

 

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First, there's our Dragon. Dragons aren't too different from LUCT, but the fact their low speed no longer leads to them have glacial turncounts makes them a lot better. Their breath attacks now have an AoE at higher levels, and Fire Breath now has a confusion effect instead of a make-equipment-bad effect, putting it on par with Water and Thunder dragon breaths (Earth dragons are still terrible). All that said, the elemental dragons still aren't anything to write home about; the four special dragon classes are all much better and much more unique, so maybe hold out and try to recruit those instead of handraising one from this weaker base form. Unless you want some of the emblems, it'll usually turn out stronger for not having to spend time in this form.

 

S9ItvpR.png?1zq0wNHF.png?10RzPWu9.png?1KjstqyY.png?1

New equipment is available in the shops; it turns out that there are other crossbows than the Bow Gun, and I'm an idiot who forgot. The Greasy Boots and the Armlets are the best new items here, and the Spell Robe is rather nice as well.

 

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Only Wind, Virtue and Bane have new spells today; Haste (which isn't quite as good as before due to not providing additional turns anymore), Heal Plus and Exorcism (which are obviously useful), and Brain Sap (an Osmose-like spell that drains MP; ok, but not as good as later MP-battery spells). Compared to LUCT, TKOL is showering us in useufl items and magic, all very early in the game!

 

0hTb8Ke.png?1

Next time, there's a volcano, and we go into the volcano, and Eleanor probably dies a few times in the volcano. Stay tuned!

 

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8 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Not one of you caught on that I was saying the mermaids should date each other instead of humans smh my head.

Counts under regular fish. 😛

8 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:
Quote

Alphonse: "Thank you, Eleanor. Listen, Eleanor. I want to ask you about something. You told me before that you had seen a golden mermaid."

Eleanor: "...I may have said that. Mermaids usually live in the ocean to the west, but sometimes they are seen closer to where people live.

Alphonse: "Listen. I'm looking for one mermaid in particular, one with golden scales. Do you remember anything?"

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Seems like Eleanor doesn't appreciate being used as a source of mermaid trivia and nothing more.

You know that is understandable.

Exposition receiver continuously coming to ask for information would make her feel like she's just used.

8 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

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"Eleanor, this is your house, not mine. You should be kicking me out, not running away!"

"This place is clearly cursed, I'm okay with losing it."

8 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

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Eleanor, at one point, decided to abandon the safety of my forces and take a swim. I'm sure that'll stop you from becoming a human pincushion.

If only she could hold her breath underwater, it could raise her avoid.

8 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Wvm1NpL.png?1

Quote

Eleanor: "I don't want to be a burden, so please teach me how to fight."

Alphonse: "If you like."

Party member get!

A Support get!

Also I wasn't anticipating her joining.

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14 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

This outfit also comes with a new portrait. Truly the Kachua of the game, and I don't know if that's a compliment or not.

Hey, at least Eleanor has good reasons to whine! (And does so in a reasonable manner, mostly)

 

14 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

You could probably make a drinking game of how many times Al repeats other people's words to him in confusion. You might die, but you could do it!

Who said noone hadn't already tried that?

 

14 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Fortunately, unlike people like Byan or Sisteena, Eleanor is smart enough to run away from danger instead of towards it, so at least half the work is done for us.

See? How could you compare her to Kachua?!

 

14 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

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Wasn't he already our enemy though?

(And beside, we DO want to "thank" him for what happened at Formido anyway)

 

14 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

i32xm5E.png?1pW11wFR.png?1

Quote

Alphonse: "I need your help, but I don't want to put you in danger. That's why..."

Eleanor: "'That's why...' what? Listen, Alphonse, don't you know? I want to be with you. So...take me with you."

KUU9c0P.png?1

Wvm1NpL.png?1

Quote

Eleanor: "I don't want to be a burden, so please teach me how to fight."

Alphonse: "If you like."

8b.jpg

 

14 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

S9ItvpR.png?1

New equipment is available in the shops; it turns out that there are other crossbows than the Bow Gun, and I'm an idiot who forgot.

To be fair, i'm pretty sure a "composite bow" is NOT a crossbow.

 

14 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Next time, there's a volcano, and we go into the volcano, and Eleanor probably dies a few times in the volcano. Stay tuned!

Next episode preview:

3.jpg

(Maybe)

Edited by Golb89
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  • 2 weeks later...

[Addendum]

(Is it considered a double post if the double has been posted 10 days later?)

On 6/21/2020 at 6:11 AM, epilepsyduck said:

Last time, we were having a spirited debate with Cybil on the ethics of mermaid torture. Since y'all decided that's not cool, we're gonna tell her off. This leads to us hurting more mermaids than the other route.

0b90912f-8aad-404d-94a9-3d5c2ab8bd74.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow, we've gotten super off schedule again. Oops!

Before we stuck Alphonse in the time chamber, he was busy saving Eleanor from some dudes. Now we're gonna endanger her by taking her to an actual, active volcano, and get her further embroiled in our drama with our former bossfriend.

Part 12 (Aquila): The Floor Is Lava

Spoiler

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After so much time spent in water-heavy battles, Alphonse decides its time to heat things up.

 

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I dunno, Eleanor. I'd be cool with it taking longer if it means not having to run around next to active lava flows.

 

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Wow, great shortcut, Eleanor. Did you have to deal with this last time you were here?

 

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While mobility in this map is frustratingly limited, the number of flying enemies means the battle will largely be happening around where you start on the map.

 

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Alphonse felt the need to remind everyone that lava is bad.

 

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There's no boss, though thanks to the mobility issues the dragons have you'll probably be fighting them last, if that makes them count.

 

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All the winged lads will be you opponents first. The Gremlins are pretty wimpy, at least.

 

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The little bastards are annoyingly evasive, though, so AoE spells are your best bet for taking care of them.

 

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Eleanor is still a prime target to the AI, though unlike last time she'll simply retreat if she loses all her HP. If you leveled up too much, she's practically guaranteed to get knocked out, but since we're a pretty low level none of the foes threaten her too bad.

 

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I charmed this dog here (don't think about how that works), and he demonstrates that Mesmerize ability on his own pals.

 

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It's a reasonably damaging ability, though the real draw is that chance to cause the Confusion status, which is very similar to Charm.

 

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One of the birdboys has an excellent shield, the Thunder Shield. This thing's actually pretty endgame worthy, and while this isn't the only copy available, getting one early is pretty nice. He doesn't drop it, though, so make sure you've got someone who can chat with him!

 

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As well as someone to patch up his likely-low HP after you're done beating him into submission friendship!

 

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The other birdboy will mostly just fly around pestering poor Eleanor, so don't feel any remorse about taking him out.

 

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The Dragons, with there terrible mobility, are forced to go the long way around to engage us, meaning they'll be fighting us without backup from their buddies, who are generally all dead by the time they get there.

 

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Eleanor decides to prove herself to Alphonse by hurting the dragon's feelings a bit.

 

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The other treasure spots are random (though they at least tend to give nicer items than previous ones), but this one always hands you the Volcaetus spear, a significant upgrade over the Pike and Trident spears we have.

 

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Of course, if you try to grab it during the actual battle like I did, anyone you send for it will be taking a bit of a break from the actual fight. It's probably better to just get it during training.

 

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There's not really much else to say about this fight, so let's get to the part where all the evil critters are dead.

 

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Aside from the Thunder Shield, there isn't a whole lot to be gained from these guys.

 

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Speaking of. I'll keep the chicken it's attached to for now; multiple fliers is generally a good thing to have.

 

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Another one of those Quest Mode books. I guess I should get around to showing that off soon.

 

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Wow, this place looks a lot less volcanic then wherever we just were. Aquila is a very localized volcano.

Quote

Eleanor: "East of Aquila, where the mid-summer sun warms the ocean..."

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Guess Rictor's gonna escalate our little grudge now that we're directly working against him .

Quote

Rictor: "You're Eleanor, aren't you? Father Hamen asked us to find you. He's been very worried since you disappeared."

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Ah, the elusive priest himself finally appears.

 

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Quote

Father Hamen: "You haven't done anything wrong. That man must have said something to you, right? Come on, let's go back to the church together."

Alphonse: "...Eleanor, do you want to go back?"

Father Hamen: "Don't say anything to her. This is between me and her. She's like a daughter to me. You have nothing to do with this. Why did you tempt her in the first place? Listen, Eleanor. I hated the idea from the beginning, but you were so kind that you insisted we save that man who had washed up on the beach."

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Good for you, Eleanor, standing up for what you want.

 

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This is impossible to really convey in still images, but he just slapped Eleanor. So far Hamen's proved to be a huge asshole.

 

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EUGH! I certainly hope that doesn't mean what it sounds like.

 

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Dude was about to slap her again after saying that. It's almost a pity this guy isn't a boss, he's a real fucker.

Quote

Father Hamen: "Why do you come between us? I do this because I love her. I don't want to have to chastise her. This is what's best for her. Now, give my Eleanor back to me."

Alphonse: "Do you think you can change her mind with violence? There's no way I'll let you have her! She came here of her own free will, and I'm glad she's by my side... You can't change that."

Father Hamen: "And what about you military men? You've always determined people's futures by force...Commander Lasanti...Please. She's my daughter. Please take her back from that reckless youth."

Rictor: "Calm down, Father Hamen...I understand your concern. But the wind here is strong and dangerous. Please stand back and leave this to us."

wNwTEG3.png?1

Try me, circa 6th Grade.

Quote

Rictor: "and here I find you again. Listen. I don't know how much information you have, but if the stories I've heard are true, then the Sacred Spear, Longicolnis, is no ordinary spear."

Alphonse: "Longicolnis?"

zbVahmK.png?1

God, you became smug when we stopped being pals. To think, this is the path where you're (kind of) a good guy!

Quote

Rictor: "That woman has not been truthful with you. The Sacred Spear, Longicolnis...The legendary spear fashioned by God from the horn of a fallen angel. It has pierced even the Sacred Demon.

MRQa8Xu.png?1

I mean, the spear was theirs first, wasn't it? Not just racist, but factually inaccurate smh.

Quote

Alphonse: "...How do you know so much about the Sacred Spear?"

Rictor: "Did you seriously believe that our mission was to investigate and drive out the White Fang Troops that invaded this island? Just give her to me, already. You don't want to cause trouble, do you? Maybe you've taken a liking to her, but we need her more than you. You may not know this, but her mother is the mermaid who stole the Sacred Spear."

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Who could've seen this wild plot development coming?

 

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Quote

Rictor: "Have you forgotten my warning? Get in our way, and you'll be regarded as my enemy."

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A generic Soldier runs up and knocks Alphonse out. Curse these soldiers and their sudden competence in cutscenes!

 

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How are our lovebirds gonna get out of this one?

 

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By... whatever that was, of course! A bit reminiscent of my tactics towards the end of LUCT, really.

 

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A necklace can never just be a necklace in these games, huh? Always gotta be some sort of magical doodad.

Quote

Eleanor: "Oh, no...! Alphonse...I...I..."

 

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Seems like there's only one way out of here.

 

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I'm sure you'll do better without a crossbow bolt sticking out of your chest like last time.

 

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So where to now? More water levels?

 

0kOoikv.png?1

No, just more cutscenes. We'll have to come back to talk to Eleanor's fish mom, and hopefully it won't take a month this time!

 

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6 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

WrZqutG.png?1

After so much time spent in water-heavy battles, Alphonse decides its time to heat things up.

In a place that really sounds like it should be water based.

6 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

lXIfU2G.png?1

Eleanor decides to prove herself to Alphonse by hurting the dragon's feelings a bit.

She must have spoiled the end of the Hobbit.

6 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

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Good for you, Eleanor, standing up for what you want.

Nice to see that she's not so doubtful about it either.

Hopefully she wan't be given a reason to take back the last sentence.

6 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

FFz87EC.png?1

This is impossible to really convey in still images, but he just slapped Eleanor. So far Hamen's proved to be a huge asshole.

Add him to the list.

6 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

3UM6L2D.png?1A5ADpM8.png?1

EUGH! I certainly hope that doesn't mean what it sounds like.

Even as I would think he's just manipulative and acting like he's a perfect father figure he intends to slap her multiple times. Haman should be a boss we fight. And massacre.

6 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

z52KGrZ.png?1

Dude was about to slap her again after saying that. It's almost a pity this guy isn't a boss, he's a real fucker.

Okay, tKoL, I thought you might be cool, but that's just being a buzzkill.

6 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

MRQa8Xu.png?1

I mean, the spear was theirs first, wasn't it? Not just racist, but factually inaccurate smh.

It's also not impossible the mermaids weren't worthy either in the present due to some action in the past. So it could be accurate now, but I doubt that's what he's getting at.

Certainly doesn't make this guy worthy though.

6 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

0kOoikv.png?1

No, just more cutscenes. We'll have to come back to talk to Eleanor's fish mom, and hopefully it won't take a month this time!

Eleanor really didn't want to have Alphonse over to see her parents, but pressing times and all that.

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8 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Wow, we've gotten super off schedule again. Oops!

You are alive!

tumblr_nqiai6lm1v1qz64n4o1_540.gif

Err... who are you again?

tumblr_nq5lfeTrT81sk47ceo2_500.gif

 

7 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

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A generic Soldier runs up and knocks Alphonse out. Curse these soldiers and their sudden competence in cutscenes!

Pretty sure they are the same Justin and Lara that fought alongside you in the first tutorial battle.

Spoiler

(And which you'll encounter again in route A, though i'm not sure if that's the case in route B too)

 

1 hour ago, Dayni said:

In a place that really sounds like it should be water based.

Aquila means "eagle" in italian, and several locations in ths game have italian/latin names (Rana=frog, Vespa=wasp etc)

 

1 hour ago, Dayni said:

Add him to the list.

Right beside Clifford.

 

1 hour ago, Dayni said:

Haman should be a boss we fight. And massacre.

Unlike Clifford...

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On 7/1/2020 at 3:52 AM, epilepsyduck said:

Dunno what mermaids see in human men in all these stories. You've got much more appealing dating options all around you, sister!

– Because of the cultural heritage, in nowadays society, the Men are the "navel" (ὀμφᾰλός, umbilicus) of the world. Couple of myths tell about the nefarious consequences for the Man who had fallen in love with a female being. Besides we can't even imagine how it could be otherwise…

– Shouldn't there be also the MermenTo be fair, there is the "vodník" (Hastrman, same creature as Aquarian or Nix) in Czech, Slovene and Slovak folklore; his bride is either a water maiden or a girl he had drowned or who was cursed by her parents.

––—–‐

Quote

On 08/01/2020 at 03:48  PM, Dayni said:
Even as I would think he's just manipulative and acting like he's a perfect father figure he intends to slap her multiple times.

Something like this? uyKfFIA.gif

Edited by WolfTwin
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On 8/1/2020 at 11:07 AM, epilepsyduck said:

Alphonse felt the need to remind everyone that lava is bad.

I mean we live in a continent where passing through multiple rivers of lava because it's the shortest way is a legit move.

Brain damage are a thing !

On 8/1/2020 at 11:07 AM, epilepsyduck said:

Who could've seen this wild plot development coming?

The real twist is that mermaids have vaginas and wombs duh !

That priest look and act like a pedo.

On 8/1/2020 at 11:07 AM, epilepsyduck said:

A generic Soldier runs up and knocks Alphonse out. Curse these soldiers and their sudden competence in cutscenes!

Silly emperor notto this shitto again

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