The Adventure of Zelda

 No! Not that one!

Dragon Quest II comes bundled with Dragon Quest I, and it's a direct sequel. It just makes sense to play it now. It does a very unique thing when it comes to stats, and that's that they're based on the player's name. There's a calculator out there that indicates "Zelda" is the best name to have if you're going for HP and strength. Since I play on easy mode, I'm playing the third Zelda game! Fun fact: Zelda II came out a week before DQII.

"100 years ago, a Hero and his bride left Tintagel Castle after he saved the world from DragonLord. They traveled the planet, creating kingdoms as they went. When a beast no one has ever defeated, Father Time, appeared, they passed away, and their children inherited the kingdoms. And so the world was at peace. Until one day...

We're in the courtyard of Moonbrook Castle. The beautiful princess, Akina, is speaking to her father. And then the skies darkened. Monsters appeared in the castle and began to slaughter everyone. The guards stood no chance, and the King could barely take out one. He urged his daughter to run away to Castle Lorasia, but the young girl was too afraid. But one guard escaped. He made his way to Lorasia and informed the King. A man named Harkon has attacked. The soldier limped his way to the throne, and that was the last thing he ever did. And this is when I come in!

My name is Zelda, the Prince of Lorasia! I'm a descendant of the Hero Roto, and, unlike him, I'm more than willing to take the title. I never thought I would get that chance, but now's my time. It's Zelda time! But unlike my great grandpa, I'm not gonna rush headfirst into a fight. I'm smart and know it's better to stick a knife in your enemies' back. But my father has different plans. He called me to serve, and I'll do that, but the weapon he gave me is lame. A copper sword? Man! He told me to find my cousin in Samantora, to the northwest, before heading to Moonbrook, where another cousin is. Or was... And so I began my journey.

I should have learned some magic. I ran headlong to Samstown, and it didn't go well. The slimes and bats I could manage, but the giant rats were too much. And everything kept coming so fast. I couldn't keep up. I managed to stammer my way to Leftwayn. I spent time there getting my bearings. Sneaking isn't going well, so maybe I should knight it up? After managing to buy the most basic of shields, I went north to Samantora. I met my uncle, and he told me cousin Paulie also began a journey to save the world. He went east to the Spring of the Hero, so there I went. After fighting my way to the bottom, the priest told me Paul went to Lorasia to see me. And my dad said Paul went back home. And uncle said Paul never returned. But Paul's sister said he's probably nearby. It turns out he's been in Leftwayn the whole time! Uuuurrrrggggghhhhh!!!!

The path to Moonbrook goes underneath a channel south of Samstown. The priest there suggested we talk to his brother in a church south of Lorasia. Since Paulie needed some more training, we decided to head there. It was a bit of a waste since he only told us about the Silver Key, which is in the Lake Cave way out west. We went there, but we haven't found much of a use for it. But Paul learned Fireball, so it was worth it. We then went under the passage and came out to the delta area of Hamlin. It's a beautiful area, but Castle Moonbrook is nearby. It's protected by zombies, so we went carefully in after upgrading in town. There was a dog here that seemed sad but friendly.

Moonbrook was in utter ruins. It was heartbreaking. More zombies were around, as were a few sentient fires. One of whom was the ghost of the King. He told us about Akina and the curse placed on her. Harkon turned her into a dog... Hmm... Other flames told us about the Mirror of Ra, which I found in a poison swap thanks to one of the fires. Paul and I placed the Mirror before the dog in Hamelin, and it turned back into Akina! The three descendants of Roto are now together! If he was all powerful, imagine what three of him can do!? Despite her being unfit for combat, we took her to see her father's spirit. The two had a tearful farewell, and uncle Moonbrook went to the Gates of Heaven.

There's something about this that shook me. Before, I was expecting to storm into this hero role. I've been thinking this was going to be a fun weekend. But now, I'm unsure. I mean, I know we need to do this, so I'm not gonna run back home, but this is really serious. We're gonna need a way to travel, and I've heard about a special cloak nearby. After we beat this metal slime, we're gonna find it."

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Why did they give the dog a butthole!