After last night's events, we return home. We can skip through the mountain pass and come back at the training yard. Slash suggests the higher up have finished their attack plan, so we head to the strategy room.
Inside are all the big wigs, us, and our old pal Monsen. We're informed that we know Tren's plan to attack our northern fortress to the frigid north, Glarefrost. The good thing about this location is its strategic defense front. The only way, via land, to reach us is through a narrow mountain path called Silver Ravine. We are to assist the defense of Glarefrost. Before we leave, Monsen tells us what he knows of the past attacks. Every time Tren has attacked, they've used ten derringer cannons in the middle of the night. Slash has some things to say at this point. Namely, how would Monsen know of the exact number? They attacked at night with no onlookers. The mechanic has low charisma, so he doesn't even try to defend himself. He instantly tells us that he's been paid off by Barclyss to steal information. As the guards prepare to arrest him, he pulls out a bomb and blows up the wall to the outside. Somehow, he survives, and we have the option to chase after him. I did and found him about to leave on a small boat with an expense robot of his. Since he won't win a fight against us, he attacks us with the bot and escapes.
The robot isn't that strong. Don't use lightning, but you can use delay. It resists most things, but Slash's Circut Breaker works well. He can charge an attack, but if struck while doing so, the attack will fail. However, he will put up a shield most of the time that gets progressively stronger as the battle goes on while charging. Even if it does go off, it didn't one shot anyone, so keep your HP high. Monsen got away, so I suspect we'll see him again. We return to Slash's room for the night and head out to the northern city of Newport in the morning.
Our first stop is Sandria Jara to get a boat. We get to the docks to see a ship that looks familiar. Slash seems annoyed, Xero is indifferent, but Enda is excited. We get a light show and a dazzling pose off as we meet with Captain Sandra again! Blaze has paid her to sail us across the ocean, so we get aboard and gain control of the ship! We can still only cross the shallow areas, but it's something. We can get back to foggy Camdren, but I didn't check if anything new was there. Can we get back to Tren? There are a few new places to go, but I docked at Newport.
We'll enter the city alongside a line of sailors and a dog. We're here to rest, but they've come on land to drink! Before we hit the hey, search around for loose items. There's a lot of them, and one of them is a new crafting book. Equipment III can be found in town. There's also a child who asks for a monster ray from an upcoming mob. If we get one, he'll trade it for a summon shard. Sounds safe! There is also new equipment, including claws, so I guess ol' Burns will be back? Regardless, head to the inn. Blaze has prepaid, so we get a free sleep. But before we do that...
Enda and Xero wonder what could have made Monsen change from the cute boy they used to know to this monster? Slash thinks greed has something to do with it. There's one more thing they want to discuss. Before we left Blaze HQ, Slash admired to killing his wife. They want to figure out what he meant by that. To be fair, they should. Sandra enters the room to bring some drunken brevity to the situation, but I wish she didn't. Slash tells us that thirty years ago, he was still living in Tren with his wife. Before the war started, the two were peaceful. But as it began and wages on, Bradley began to feel guilty about his countries atrocities. He and his wife moved away, which helped a little, but the tinge was still there. One night, during a thunderstorm, the once happy couple got into a big argument. Slash decided that then was the time to leave and fight for what he felt was right. His wife was furious and even wanted him to go. As he got to the door, though, she changed her mind. She became sorrowful and begged him to stay. Slash told her he didn't love her anymore and left. The current Slash has a soliloquy about regret while we see his past self run back home that same night. He opened the door and saw that his wife had hung herself. He believes he is to blame for this suicide. Xero and Enda don't think it's his fault, but I doubt it changes anything. With that bomb dropped, they head to bed.
They wake up and are waiting outside for the sailors to deal with their hangover. They do, and Sandra is last. She tells her crew to head home as she's joining us. Slash tries to warn her this is a classified military action, but she doesn't care. We have our four person team back. North of Newport is an igloo that houses a single Floe monster. It wants to see our bestiary, and it'll give us rewards based on how much we've seen. I think it's seen, but it could be rayed. It's mostly stat items and shards for now, but I'll be back. Travel west to the Silver Ravine.
There is no boss, but it's a long road ahead. There are four monsters in here. Two can be killed in one shot, the floes and floating ice guys. But the other two can be a doozy. Scorched Ice should be hit with Slash's Shell Break, but I never did find a good strategy for the other one. You need to turn a few of those other ones into shards, by the way. They're an ingredient for a good bit of armor. There are also a few puzzles along the way. You'll need to push a snowball into a hole to make a bridge and then pass a frozen floor. Remember, you can move the snowballs in your path to get across and to reach the stat items in the treasure chests. The goal is to travel west, so make sure you've gone everywhere else first. I don't know if it means anything, but we can find an area filled with frozen dead guys from ages past. Once we leave the ravine, we need to travel the long world map road south to Glarefrost.
We're introduced to some front scouts, who'll tell us their boss is waiting for Slash in the main hall. But before that, I looked for treasure. There's now gear to buy, and I wish I had waited to craft the Horn Helms. They're cheaper than crafting, somehow... Not only that, but I should have brought two more dark mineral crafting materials. I could have made Slash a much stronger weapon already. But make for the keep and head to the second floor. The second door is where we need to go, and we'll see Asera in there. But first, there's some tension between Slash and boss guy (I need to learn to remember names). Everyone feels worried, but then the two have a laugh because they're old war buddies. The boss tells us that Garin once saved his entire troops' life and offers to tell us the story. I said yes, and once upon a time, the boss was defending a keep when the Tren launched cannon fire at them. While the shells sailed through the air, Garin showed up, used a lot of lightning spells, and detonated them all in the air. This gave the boss time to get free, while Gain bought more time. He protected against a second valley pretty well, but the third strike hit him dead on. Xero is confused because Slash told him he was at Maple Fort a few weeks ago, so how could he be dead? Slash says Garin will reveal how in time. But before anything else happens, they ask Asera to guide us to our room at the inn. She rejoins the party, and we head there. But I'll see what's next...
...tomorrow!
Also, Asera is a man. Who knew?
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