I did not power through... What bug bit me is still bitting me. Everything feels fine, except my head is still wonky. Maybe tomorrow. I did play some and even got through two dungeons.
After escaping Hellena Prison last night, the party of mercenary Dart, his friend, Shana, and knight of Basil, Lavitz, attempt to retrace their steps. Sadly, the road back to Seles is blocked by enemy troops. Not sure how they managed to beat us here, but they did. Because of the blockade, we go around via the plains.
I don’t know why they’re called plains since this isn’t very flat, but okay. Also, why is the ocean in the background when the world map says we’re inland? It’s a good thing it’s pretty, or I’d be upset. Seriously, the backgrounds in this game, battle and field, are top-notch. Star Ocean 3, a mid-late PS2 game, looks worse than this. My gawking aside, as the party enters the “plains”, they’re still being chased by guards from Hellena. A lone arrow comes from stage right and strikes Lavitz in the foot. He claims, "‘tis but a scratch", but he’s not moving as well as he was. They quickly struggle through the pain and advance forward and hide behind a tree at a fork in the road as a group of guards catch up. Flustered by a bird confusing them, the guards run off to the right, giving the party a chance to go left.
Here is another fork. Up goes to a river we can’t do anything about, and down goes to a nice cozy, but dusty, hut. Who’s tending to this horse? In the hut, Shana, who’s become a medic of sorts, nurses Lavitz’ wound. He’s now back to full strength. More importantly, Dart fills his friend in on why he left five years ago. Eighteen years ago, his first home of Neet was raised by the Black Monster. His family escaped to a nearby cave, but his father went back to find more survivors. His mother, after giving her son one last hug, followed suit. Dart spent the night in the cave and woke up to a “foreign land” where everything was burnt down. In the rubble, he found his father’s keepsake, a red gem. Dart took it and, byways never explained, came to Seles. Five years ago, we went looking for revenge. It’s also not explained why he was near the village before the dragon attacked, to begin with. Was he returning home, or is it just happenstance? That is the only bit of plot tonight, and I apologize. Sickness sucks.
After taking the time to rest and restore my HP, Lavitz suggests they all go to the capital, Bale, as they may have more information on the Black Monster. At the very least, it’s safer than out in the open when being chased by a tyrannical king.
To exit the plains, go left from the hut to see a tree about to fall. Return to the hut, find an ax, chop the tree down, and return to the river we were at earlier. The field tree will calmly float into place, allowing the party to cross with no difficulty. Seems pretty lucky to me. Before we leave, Lavitz meets a family who blames him and the army for disposing them from their village. Lavitz, a man of honor, feeds their hungry child and offers the family a place to stay at his (and his mom’s) house. A true knight of chivalry! I make a note that this is my new favorite music. I wish the Spotify album had English titles...
We return to the world map but only for a short walk, as we enter the Limestone Caves. I don’t know how that family is going to get through this place, but it’s a straight forward dungeon for healthy adventurers. The thing to look out for here is the Ugly Balloons who can poison your characters. If you catch a frog on the lower jumping stones puzzle, it’ll give you a poison resist accessory. On one of the jump paths, Lavitz, still tending to his wound, nearly falls to his death. Dart is able to save him, and the knight thanks Dart for saving him once more. The two bro-out while Shana feels left out. I’d ship Dart and Lavitz. He seems like a fun character, and I'm curious how he plays out. I find him to be a bit slow in combat, and his damage and HP aren’t drastically higher than Darts, so far, but I’m optimistic I’ll be using him for a while.
But now's not the future, now is now. After we learn of HP restoring Rock Fireflies, at the end of the dungeon lies the “often talked about cave guardian”, Uroboros, a giant snake. He looks tougher than he actually is. He mostly uses single target attacks that, while hit hard, can be healed off easy with a guard or two. After enough damage is taken, he retreats into his cave, where he can only be hit by Shana’s terrible bow attacks or with magic items. I use this time to guard/restore HP until he comes out, and Lavitz gets the killing blow. At least until Dart gets the cutscene treatment and gives his final blow. As the party celebrates their victory and walk away, the snake sprouts back up and goes to eat a straggling Shana. Suddenly, a bright white light emanates from her head. The light not only stops the monster but annihilates the serpent. It is here we remember the opening cutscene where, presumably, Shana glows when that rock was placed near her. Confused but unable to answer any would-be questions, the party carries on. As we reach the gate of Basil...
...I call it a night. I want to play more, but I fear my headache will make me want to not write. I also worry about the impression the game'll make on ill me. I feel better than when I woke up, and better still than the day before, so the bug seems to be losing to my immune system. I’ll hope to be at full strength on Friday. Maybe sooner, but let's be reasonable. This is a long game; we might be here a while.
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