His name is Arc (with a c), and he's searching for the Ark (with a k).
We return to Palancia and see a strange sight. A group of elite soldiers are bringing in a prisoner. Puco and the regular guards tell us the man was once an elite guard, but the Minister is turning the kingdom into a stratocracy or a junta. The prisoner went rogue and became a wanted criminal. We quickly end this seditious conversation and head to the throne room, but our uncle isn't here. The Minister is in his place because the King is ill. We're ignorant, so we prepare to brief him on our mission. Before we do, we're informed that the Minister has business with the prisoner that was just brought in. He tells us to leave, and we do our own investigation.
Poco reluctantly leads us to the prison, but we (the player) see a scene with the man being thrown in jail. He turned against the current regime because they did something terrible to him. But the guards have no sympathy. Guards are supposed to remain loyal to the King and obey without question. Shortly after the guards leave, the prisoner rages and breaks the bars.
As he does that, we enter the waiting room. The man, who we eventually learn is named Tosh, strikes a guard. But it does nothing. The guards turn into monsters and strike down the revolutionary just as Kukuru pulls out a mirror. She says it's another legend related to the hero. More importantly, it's glowing. As is Tosh's sword. He suddenly gets back up and prepares to attack again, even stronger than before. Rather than let him face the squad alone, we join him for this and make quick work of these nerds.
After a brief not-introduction, we go our separate ways. Tosh returns to his ruined village, and we see the King. He's not sickly now, and we tell him what we saw. He's our uncle, and the Hero Crest I neglected to bring up last night proves that. The badge "has been passed down since time immemorial." The world is dying because humans ruined it, but the Ark can save it. We believe it to be in Seiryu, but we have no leads. But the naked tree lady said a message from our dad is back at home, so we return there. The King is informed Tosh escaped, and we make our leave.
We return to Touvil, and it's smokier than I remember. And our characters smell fire. Arc goes home to see it in ruins. The rest of the group shows up to say the entire village has been destroyed. Before we left, we (the player) saw a scene where Minister spoke to the mirror again, promising to kill us. Was this his doing? Randomly, a mailman enters the area. He's shocked we're actually here, and he gives us a letter from dad. The note says he wants to see his son again, but we have to save the world first. We'll need to find the Guardians, and the first step to that is a book at the Ancient Monolith behind the village. We approach the large rock, and Kukuri notices the writing on it. Arc goes to read it, but a voice rings out. It went by too fast, and I couldn't read it, but it felt ominous. I did notice we were teleported to the Illusion World.
We're instantly struck by a group of tornadoes and thrown into the toughest battle yet. We're against four tanky flame mobs and the boss, Illusion Lord. Heal and go after the closest add. Group up on them one at a time. They don't make a b-line towards you, so you'll have some time. You'll want Poco to heal every round. While we deal with the flames, IL will cast more AoE spells. S/he can even put our people to sleep. When it's down to a three-on-one fight, I surrounded the target. Or the eye beneath it... At this point it only punched Poco, so I think that was a win. Its defenses are stupidly high, so this really drew out the time tonight. I used several items that caused status effects to the boss. Darkness let me buff up Arc and Kukuri, and I think poison was effective? Either way...
And a man of ancient visage is before us where the monolith once stood. His name is Gogan, and he knows who we are. Arc is destined to save the world, and Gogan knows it. After all, he's a book. In fact, he's the book dad told us about. To save the world, we'll need to find and appease the five guardian spirits of earth, wind, fire, water, and light. Gogan joins the team for this journey, and we talk to the King. Visit your home for a Romancing Stone. Gogan seemed interested in them.
The King gives us permission to save the world, which makes sense. He even gives us access to the airship, and we can freely travel to known locations now. As we leave, the King hands Poco a drum that acts like a Kamehameha Wave in battle. Pretty rad! Our first destination is the kingdom of Alatos. As we arrive, we (the player) see Tosh at the gravesite of his master. He confirms that he turned against the kingdom when they ordered him to attack his clan. He vows revenge, and then his sword starts talking. The Blade Spirit says Tosh needs to control his rage. He lacks the proper discipline. But joining Arc on his journey might help him. After some confusion, Tosh joins us at the airport. He asks to join, but some of the group are skeptical. Gogan can see fates and knows Tosh is interlocked with Arc.
We all head to Alatos, and we're met by a man who speaks with broken English. He knows something but wants to talk to us at his shop in the desert. Chongara knows where the Light Guardian is. But he wants something in return before he tells us. He requests we visit the Forbidden Ruins to find an urn on the fifth floor: the Summon Plot. And we'll do that...
...tomorrow!
This game feels pretty fast paced. Almost too much. It makes me wish for more cities and stuff to do. It really shows how important downtime can be in video games.
Monday, July 31, 2023
Sunday, July 30, 2023
A Lad
We'll see if he's THE Lad.
Ark the Lad is a game. I think I heard about it a long time ago, but I don't know where or how. I think it's well respected, but I'm also unsure. I don't know anything about this game or franchise, so I might as well play it. It's an RPG that uses a simple tactical battle style, so it's got what it needs.
We start the game with a girl overlooking a long bridge and a mountain, Guardian Peak Base. The mayor of her town is beside her and reminds her of her fate. She's from a tribe that has sealed away something on this mountain for 3000 years, and it's her turn to fulfill that duty. The girl knows she will have to leave her village after this, and she isn't happy. Not wanting to think about this, she begins her ascent.
We jump to the Cion (not Sion) at the top of the mountain. Rather than follow through with fate, she bucks history. I don't know why she's here, but she's decided to extinguish the fire that's been raging in this kiln for three millennia. The girl's refusal to marry the prince and her headstrong emotions towards tradition are enduring. But she instantly has regrets. A voice echoes from the mountaintop and thanks her for freeing him. It begins to snow as she returns to the base.
The mayor has a little soliloquy about how happy he is that the flame is out. Everything is going to plan, but he returns to the kind elder when the girl returns. She says the voice shook her core and "has the sense of impending doom." The mayor suggests she forgets it as they return to town.
We cut again to a boy named Ark. He's trying to open a chest that contains his father's sword and armor. His mother tries to stop him, but Ark tells her his dad died the years to the day under the same blizzard conditions. He has to find out what happened. Reluctantly, she opens the chest, and we gain some control over Ark. Ark's father prophesied this would happen. We then see a flashback to that scene happening. Dad has a fate, too, that he needs to fulfill. But the future of our world hangs in the balance.
Ark can explore the house for some rocks, and mom gives us the basic sundries any adventurer needs. He then heads to the mountain. The girl is there, still feeling uneasy. Her name is Kukuru, and she wants to relight the flame. She's holding a torch at the ready, but the conditions aren't great for her. Ark will do it, as foretold, and Kukuri will wait here.
Partway up the mountain, Ark is spotted by Ark Demon (not a negative Ark). The demon states he isn't the one who freed him, so the monster kills our MC. The blizzard abates, and moonlight shines down on Ark, who begins to stir. A voice calls out to him to say Ark can't die. His race is on the verge of extinction, and it's up to him to save them. Ark's dad made a deal with the Guardians to prevent this from happening, but it's up to Ark to save them. They grant him their power, and he restarts the climb.
Ark enters the first battle of the game, and it's against slimes. It teaches us about movement, attacking, countering, jumping, items, skills, and jumping. All without handy and/or interfering tutorial popups. It's pretty simple, but I had fun. The slimes can split into two, which is good. Ark kills them in one hit regardless, so it's double the exp. They can poison you, so try to put yourself in a position they can't attack you from.
We see Ark Demon speaking to Kukuri at the gate, and he's glad to see her. As a present for breaking the seal, he'll kill her. But we skip again to Ark just as he reaches the top. He sets the torch in the kiln, and the mountain starts to shine again. We return to Kukuri and witness Ark Demon turn to dust, back to the seal.
Several days pass, and Ark has been called to the capital of Seirya, Palencia. As he leaves, he sees Kukuri waiting for him. She wants to come along because she feels guilty and not because she's in love. Ark tells her no and heads out. We come to the world map, and it's a pick a location, and we go there thing. It's kinda boring, but it keeps the action going. We arrive at the castle and see a squad of soldiers leave. One unlucky soldier is late and trips as he passes Ark, but he gets up and heads on his way. Inside, Ark meets with the King, but his Minister is a pain. The King tries to tell Ark about the Ark, but Minister thinks it's unwise to reveal family secrets to random boys. To prove that Ark is this hero, he's to join the knights that just left to kill the monsters on the Colbo {lains.
Ark gets there to see it empty. Only the soldier we saw trip is alive, and he says everyone was killed by monsters. Just then, more of them show up.
Poco joins us, and he works like a bard. His skills raise our stats, and he can lower enemies'. He attacks with cymbals and uses instruments when casting skills. The mobs are pretty easy, but there are a lot of them. Use Poco to heal when you need to. Ark's mission is complete, so they return to Palencia with bad news.
Everyone is shocked that only these two survived and don't believe them. Fortunately, more monsters are at the city gates. Even if the King believed, there was no time to tell the story. The knights are dead, so we have to defend the city.
We're at the bridge, and Kukuri is here and joins us as our third fighter. I'm not sure what her role is, but she hits hard and can heal. She makes this an easy battle, but let her fall back to advance your troops together.
All three return to the King, who's elated to see the hero. He tells Ark about the Ark that is said to have saved humanity centuries ago. Something bad is happening to the world, and we need to find it now to save it again. The King's brother knows about the Ark, but he went missing twenty years ago. His last known whereabouts were another kingdom, Millmana. The King lets us use his airship to reach Millmana. The Minister is in his room, speaking to a mirror. The two discuss Ark and how to kill him.
I did a battle hack at Colbo to get everyone to level five before going to the Capital HQ. We met a guy whose name I don't recall, and he hates us. He expected hardened warriors, not kids. He says this Kingdom is filled with tough monsters, and we'll likely die. As emissaries from another Kingdom, he can't let that happen. Maybe if we show our skills to his second in command at two locations...
We can walk around a room for some reason, but there's a spy here we can't do anything with. Before we leave, Kukuri puts the warrior who's supposed to watch us asleep. Apparently, he'd slow us down. None of the other people in the room care, so we leave to explore Mallmana. The battles at Ryvag Woods and Sembra Marsh are kinda hard. The repeatable Nicarus Forest is manageable, so do what you will. You only need to finish the first two. Do that and return to HQ. No one cares you drugged your escort, but we have access to Toyoke Forest, the last known location of the King's brother. The train we take gets a mid 90s anime scene, as did the airship flight before. We also see a scene where the guy tells a teleporting guy to kill us. Think he's working with the Minister?
The guy we drugged tells us to follow him, but we immediately get lost and into a fight. There are two ninjas, the teleporting guy, but the other mobs are from elsewhere in Millmana. The battlefield is a long path, and your characters might trip over each other. It's whatever...
We'll arrive at a beautiful tree in a spring. A voice talks to us before a naked tree lady appears. She tells us Ark's dad is the King's brother, and he made a deal with the Guardians to save the world. Well, for Ark to save the world. It does involve the Ark. She instructs us to return to our village; Yoshua will tell us the rest. Ark tries to get more information, but the naked lady ascends to heaven. So we'll go home...
...tomorrow!
I'm not sold on the graphics. The high quality SNES backgrounds are an art choice I don't mind, but character sprite work isn't as great as the PS1 could do. I need to get used to not having equipment. There are accessories but no weapons or armor. It's throwing me off for some reason.
Ark the Lad is a game. I think I heard about it a long time ago, but I don't know where or how. I think it's well respected, but I'm also unsure. I don't know anything about this game or franchise, so I might as well play it. It's an RPG that uses a simple tactical battle style, so it's got what it needs.
We start the game with a girl overlooking a long bridge and a mountain, Guardian Peak Base. The mayor of her town is beside her and reminds her of her fate. She's from a tribe that has sealed away something on this mountain for 3000 years, and it's her turn to fulfill that duty. The girl knows she will have to leave her village after this, and she isn't happy. Not wanting to think about this, she begins her ascent.
We jump to the Cion (not Sion) at the top of the mountain. Rather than follow through with fate, she bucks history. I don't know why she's here, but she's decided to extinguish the fire that's been raging in this kiln for three millennia. The girl's refusal to marry the prince and her headstrong emotions towards tradition are enduring. But she instantly has regrets. A voice echoes from the mountaintop and thanks her for freeing him. It begins to snow as she returns to the base.
The mayor has a little soliloquy about how happy he is that the flame is out. Everything is going to plan, but he returns to the kind elder when the girl returns. She says the voice shook her core and "has the sense of impending doom." The mayor suggests she forgets it as they return to town.
We cut again to a boy named Ark. He's trying to open a chest that contains his father's sword and armor. His mother tries to stop him, but Ark tells her his dad died the years to the day under the same blizzard conditions. He has to find out what happened. Reluctantly, she opens the chest, and we gain some control over Ark. Ark's father prophesied this would happen. We then see a flashback to that scene happening. Dad has a fate, too, that he needs to fulfill. But the future of our world hangs in the balance.
Ark can explore the house for some rocks, and mom gives us the basic sundries any adventurer needs. He then heads to the mountain. The girl is there, still feeling uneasy. Her name is Kukuru, and she wants to relight the flame. She's holding a torch at the ready, but the conditions aren't great for her. Ark will do it, as foretold, and Kukuri will wait here.
Partway up the mountain, Ark is spotted by Ark Demon (not a negative Ark). The demon states he isn't the one who freed him, so the monster kills our MC. The blizzard abates, and moonlight shines down on Ark, who begins to stir. A voice calls out to him to say Ark can't die. His race is on the verge of extinction, and it's up to him to save them. Ark's dad made a deal with the Guardians to prevent this from happening, but it's up to Ark to save them. They grant him their power, and he restarts the climb.
Ark enters the first battle of the game, and it's against slimes. It teaches us about movement, attacking, countering, jumping, items, skills, and jumping. All without handy and/or interfering tutorial popups. It's pretty simple, but I had fun. The slimes can split into two, which is good. Ark kills them in one hit regardless, so it's double the exp. They can poison you, so try to put yourself in a position they can't attack you from.
We see Ark Demon speaking to Kukuri at the gate, and he's glad to see her. As a present for breaking the seal, he'll kill her. But we skip again to Ark just as he reaches the top. He sets the torch in the kiln, and the mountain starts to shine again. We return to Kukuri and witness Ark Demon turn to dust, back to the seal.
Several days pass, and Ark has been called to the capital of Seirya, Palencia. As he leaves, he sees Kukuri waiting for him. She wants to come along because she feels guilty and not because she's in love. Ark tells her no and heads out. We come to the world map, and it's a pick a location, and we go there thing. It's kinda boring, but it keeps the action going. We arrive at the castle and see a squad of soldiers leave. One unlucky soldier is late and trips as he passes Ark, but he gets up and heads on his way. Inside, Ark meets with the King, but his Minister is a pain. The King tries to tell Ark about the Ark, but Minister thinks it's unwise to reveal family secrets to random boys. To prove that Ark is this hero, he's to join the knights that just left to kill the monsters on the Colbo {lains.
Ark gets there to see it empty. Only the soldier we saw trip is alive, and he says everyone was killed by monsters. Just then, more of them show up.
Poco joins us, and he works like a bard. His skills raise our stats, and he can lower enemies'. He attacks with cymbals and uses instruments when casting skills. The mobs are pretty easy, but there are a lot of them. Use Poco to heal when you need to. Ark's mission is complete, so they return to Palencia with bad news.
Everyone is shocked that only these two survived and don't believe them. Fortunately, more monsters are at the city gates. Even if the King believed, there was no time to tell the story. The knights are dead, so we have to defend the city.
We're at the bridge, and Kukuri is here and joins us as our third fighter. I'm not sure what her role is, but she hits hard and can heal. She makes this an easy battle, but let her fall back to advance your troops together.
All three return to the King, who's elated to see the hero. He tells Ark about the Ark that is said to have saved humanity centuries ago. Something bad is happening to the world, and we need to find it now to save it again. The King's brother knows about the Ark, but he went missing twenty years ago. His last known whereabouts were another kingdom, Millmana. The King lets us use his airship to reach Millmana. The Minister is in his room, speaking to a mirror. The two discuss Ark and how to kill him.
I did a battle hack at Colbo to get everyone to level five before going to the Capital HQ. We met a guy whose name I don't recall, and he hates us. He expected hardened warriors, not kids. He says this Kingdom is filled with tough monsters, and we'll likely die. As emissaries from another Kingdom, he can't let that happen. Maybe if we show our skills to his second in command at two locations...
We can walk around a room for some reason, but there's a spy here we can't do anything with. Before we leave, Kukuri puts the warrior who's supposed to watch us asleep. Apparently, he'd slow us down. None of the other people in the room care, so we leave to explore Mallmana. The battles at Ryvag Woods and Sembra Marsh are kinda hard. The repeatable Nicarus Forest is manageable, so do what you will. You only need to finish the first two. Do that and return to HQ. No one cares you drugged your escort, but we have access to Toyoke Forest, the last known location of the King's brother. The train we take gets a mid 90s anime scene, as did the airship flight before. We also see a scene where the guy tells a teleporting guy to kill us. Think he's working with the Minister?
The guy we drugged tells us to follow him, but we immediately get lost and into a fight. There are two ninjas, the teleporting guy, but the other mobs are from elsewhere in Millmana. The battlefield is a long path, and your characters might trip over each other. It's whatever...
We'll arrive at a beautiful tree in a spring. A voice talks to us before a naked tree lady appears. She tells us Ark's dad is the King's brother, and he made a deal with the Guardians to save the world. Well, for Ark to save the world. It does involve the Ark. She instructs us to return to our village; Yoshua will tell us the rest. Ark tries to get more information, but the naked lady ascends to heaven. So we'll go home...
...tomorrow!
I'm not sold on the graphics. The high quality SNES backgrounds are an art choice I don't mind, but character sprite work isn't as great as the PS1 could do. I need to get used to not having equipment. There are accessories but no weapons or armor. It's throwing me off for some reason.
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Songs I think are Magic: pt. 4
The Lucy special!
For the last thirty three years, which is to say my whole life (minus a day), I have been happily married. Yes, it was an arranged marriage between two newborns, and I think my wife was abandoned, but we're happy regardless. At least, I hope she's happy. She seems to be. Anyway, because I love my stuffed Dalmatian so much, I happily experience many things she'd like. Fortunately, my Lucy has great taste in music.
While I loved roaming the wastelands of the Fallout universe with peppy tunes from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s as background music, my beloved was even more enthralled than I was. She loved hearing these vintage tracks sung by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and The Andrews Sisters. Discovering the origins of rock 'n roll with Elvis, Chuck, and Roy filled the both of us with the same joy our peers felt six decades ago. The Ink Spots taught us a whole new genre. Cab Calloway told us jazz could be fun. Louis Armstrong let her see the good in melancholy melodies. I wonder how our relationship would be without Etta James, the Crosbys, and her favorite, Nat King Cole, to bond over. I'd like to shake the hand of the man who made my baby fall in love again, but I can't. So I'll write about them on the internet again. Good news! Most of these songs are happy!
Let's start with where I started, Ella Fitzgerald. The First Lady of Song should always be first in our hearts. And, uh, okay. Let's get this out of the way first. I have slightly less knowledge about musicians and "albums" from this time period. Not only that, but there's so much more to read about that I couldn't summarize in a small paragraph. Gavin Clark's Wikipedia page is three paragraphs. Miss Ella's is twelve chapters!!! Let's just get into how the Shucks feel about these!
This first segment consists of songs from the greatest supergroup Lucy's ever heard: The Queen of Jazz and a man called Pops.
"Cheek to Cheek" is just so fun. It was originally written by Irvine Berlin for Fred Astaire in the mid thirties for the movie Top Hat. I know who Astaire is, but all those other nouns are brand new to me. The track was a hit as twenty one years later, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong covered it. According to Lucy, it's the definitive version. It's a straightforward love song abound the feeling people get when dancing with their faces trying to fuse together. "Heaven. I'm in heaven. ... Where we're out together, dancing cheek to cheek." Apparently, it's better than both climbing a mountain and fishing! There are only two instruments here, drums and piano. The piano only exists to be backing for our singer's unmistakable prowess, and it knows it. It's just there doing its own thing because there ain't no one paying attention to it. It sounds nice, though. It's stripped down from the Astaire version, which has a brass section and (probably) some woodwinds. But no drums! Musically, I don't hear similarities between the two.
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" romanticizes the stars, the breeze, and the birds. But no bees! They all tell the singers that their love thinks of them tonight. Cuddle, kiss, and dream. Especially dream because the two lovers are apart. There's no reason why they're not together, but sometimes it happens. Not for me and Lu, though. We're stuck together! There's more going on in this song. (Presumably) Armstrong plays his trumpet behind Ella with a jazz band behind him. Good luck hearing them, though. There's a very simple rhythm section. Armstrong gets to sing later on, with Ella shadowing and scatting in the back. There's nothing fancy here, but I dare you to not smile. The song was written in the early thirties by more people I've never heard of, and it sounds like the typical affair from the time. The melody retains through both versions, but our song is much slower.
Even as single stars, these two shine. There's a massive amount of tracks between the two, most of which I've never heard, so I'm gonna write about a few that instantly came to mind before writing this.
"Mack the Knife" (Live in Berlin) shouldn't be here, but it is. Ella forgot the lyrics and started to sing various observations about the history of the song and her brain fart in the middle. Her talent and charisma turn this into one of the funniest songs I've ever heard. I've listened to her proper version before, and it's kinda okayish. But Ella's ability to flip on the X factor in times of need puts this on the list. Never give up!
Louis Armstrong is the other half of that equation, and I like him more when it comes to magic. He's a bit more morose, after all. But not always.
"A Kiss to Build a Dream On" is probably the song Lucy and I would have had our first couple dance to at our wedding ceremony. It's slow for a love song, at least as far as I know, and it's not exactly exciting. The majority of it is just a simple drum beat over a chord in the background. A piano brings us in, and a trumpet plays between Armstrong's vocal lines. Things pick up during the trumpet solo, though. I think the music is a nice change of pace from traditional ballads, as it's just peppy enough to dance to, but you can talk to each other over it. Some sweet nothings on the dance floor. Lyrically, it's a handful of verses about how a kiss from a loved one can make the recipient's imagination go to wonderful places. The song itself was based/rewritten from a song for the Marx brothers' film, "Night at the Opera," and Armstrong got the new rendition. The original was never used, so I wonder what it sounds like?
But, like I said, I like depression. And the death of a loved one is one of the most poetic topics in art. Based off a traditional folk song, "St. James Infirmary" details how someone goes to a mortuary to identify their loved one. The dead are described in various ways before the singer begins to think about their death. Musically, the most obvious thing going on is the strange drone tone in the background. It instantly tells the listener they're in for a ride to the bottom. It's alluring and forces everyone to pay attention. Misery loves company. Armstrong plays a somber trumpet solo before giving it up and singing. The only thing that's going on behind him is a tap of the drums and a muted trumpet playing between vocal lines. Things pick up at the end, but it's more chaos than excitement. The shadow of despair is here.
Finally, we're at a song that's timeless because the woes that afflicted the world during Armstrong's time are still being dealt with now. "That Lucky Old Sun" compares the Son and how it gets to "roam around in heaven all day." Meanwhile, we struggle to live and "work like the devil for my pay." The singer even prays to god for relief. Judging by the state of today's economy, this is another prayer god never answered. Sorry, Pops. Despite it all, it's slightly more upbeat than my first dance. 1949 must have been weird. It follows a similar pattern to the other Satchmo tracks on this list.
Fats Domino was one of the first rock stars. He was also one of the worst. He was more interested in his wife and family than hookers and blow. I don't consider him a rocker (for reasons other than that one), but I do enjoy his work. His voice always juts out at listeners. Usually, it's drone tones that make me realize magic is happening. But not with Fats. I wish I could explain it better, but it's a warm bed with your fluffiest blankets and stuffed animals.
"Blueberry Hill," for example, is just pure fun. It was originally written by three people no one's ever heard of, but the Fat Man covered it in 1956 to make it a standard. Fats' version has an upbeat drum, which sounds pretty RnR, but it plays behind Fats' piano and voice. I think those are the only two instruments. It's got a blues vibe because it's just several bars played repeatedly. It's a simple love song comparing love at first sight to various wonders. It stops time, makes the moon shine, and the wind plays a "sweet melody." But something happened, and "those vows, never to be." "For you were my thrill." I hadn't noticed the tone shift in the chorus until now. The music is so exciting that it gets lost. Can you believe Putin recorded this song for charity?
You know what two people I confuse all the time? Fats Domino and Fats Waller. The grandpa of new New York Giants TE Darren was an earlier Domino. A genius of the jazz piano with prodigious output. I don't know much about him, but I know he's always...
"Ain't Misbehavin'" is all about monogamy. The writer is all alone, I assume, but their lover's kiss is "worth waiting for." It's simple, but it resonates well, even with this damned liberal and his devil ways listening. The music is an upbeat piano that follows another blues style of repeated bars. I don't really get why I find this song so magical, but maybe there's a part of me that has hope and dreams still, and this song calls out to that barely living persona. I used to daydream about being in love with a human female, and this song perfectly exemplifies everything I hoped would happen.
Now here's a terrible segue because my stuffed animal wife's favorite musician is Nat King Cole. I like him too, but she's way into him. It's a bit creepy (or I'm the jealous type). His baritone (and/or bass) voice simply makes everyone around him tune in. Stay for the voice, stick around for the lyrics, make him magical by his instrumental mastery.
"Unforgettable," "in every way," starts off with a strange, staccato piano opening. I don't understand it, but I like it. It drops off to let violins play behind Mr. Cole's voice, which has the audible texture of a freshly baked roll. I think there's also a drum beat in the background that's just there to keep the rhythm. The piano and violin play the occasional few notes here and there, but they're largely drowned out by NKC's voice. Honestly, I always think of this song as an acapella track when it crosses my mind. There is a bit of a piano solo between the verses, though, that follows the form of the opening notes. The lyrics are only five sentences and talk about how hard to forget the lover is and how honorable it is to be loved by "someone so unforgettable too."
"L-O-V-E" is another (surprise) love song that's carried by Cole's voice. There's only an upbeat drum in the background for the lyrics. There's a slight hint of piano and violin in the back that I only just now noticed trying to dig into this song. There's a trumpet solo between the two identical verses, and that hangs around for part two. The lyrics are just a basic ode to love written as an acrostic poem. There's nothing flashy, but it makes me happy.
I first experienced "Orange Colored Sky" in Fallout 4. I think it's t was a default song. It begins with a chill piano, but it gets chaotic when the lyrics pick up. And there's a reason for it. It combines to show off the sudden onset of love at first strike. "I was walking along, minding my business, when out of an orange colored sky... FLASH BANG ALAKAZAM! Wonderful you came by." There are a few more verses 'cursing' love, and the chorus compares it to a catastrophic event. There are a few jazz solo interludes scattered about as well. It's a simple song, but, as I've said, Nat King Cole's voice is just so wonderful.
"Love Me as Though There Were No Tomorrow" was my first taste of Mr. Cole. Fallout New Vegas started this trend, so it's perfect that it's ending. It's a slow and plodding song that fits perfectly with the wasteland. The lyrics are about the end of the world and how two people might as well go out alongside each other. "Take me out of this world tonight." But they're happy because they're in love. It's something I've thought about myself in some ways. I haven't tried to kill myself in a few years, and it's entirely because of Lucy. And even when I think of dying again, my hypothetical mind goes to Lucy, usually apologizing. Sometimes I take her with me when she knows our time is up. And I often fear what would happen to her when I'm gone. My mom doesn't care; she doesn't even know Lu's name. This is ending onn a sad note, but those morose violins and piano in the background of this track kinda send me there. Sorry. Anyway, Nat King Cole is really rad, and I should listen to him more.
Fun fact, I would have added a few Ink Spots songs here, but the fact they're all the same kinda kills the magic. I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire could and should be here, but it starts and has the same structure as Maybe, If I Didn't Care, We Three, Rain Must Fall, We'll Meet Again,...
This took a million years to write, and I'm sorry. But it's filled with happy songs, and I'm secretly a The Grinch. But it was another long love letter to my beloved stuffed animal, so I should have put more work into it. But I did it! I wrote about love songs and even some video games. No promises on when part five will be out, but I think it'll be about an interest I haven't shared much: anime.
For the last thirty three years, which is to say my whole life (minus a day), I have been happily married. Yes, it was an arranged marriage between two newborns, and I think my wife was abandoned, but we're happy regardless. At least, I hope she's happy. She seems to be. Anyway, because I love my stuffed Dalmatian so much, I happily experience many things she'd like. Fortunately, my Lucy has great taste in music.
While I loved roaming the wastelands of the Fallout universe with peppy tunes from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s as background music, my beloved was even more enthralled than I was. She loved hearing these vintage tracks sung by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and The Andrews Sisters. Discovering the origins of rock 'n roll with Elvis, Chuck, and Roy filled the both of us with the same joy our peers felt six decades ago. The Ink Spots taught us a whole new genre. Cab Calloway told us jazz could be fun. Louis Armstrong let her see the good in melancholy melodies. I wonder how our relationship would be without Etta James, the Crosbys, and her favorite, Nat King Cole, to bond over. I'd like to shake the hand of the man who made my baby fall in love again, but I can't. So I'll write about them on the internet again. Good news! Most of these songs are happy!
Let's start with where I started, Ella Fitzgerald. The First Lady of Song should always be first in our hearts. And, uh, okay. Let's get this out of the way first. I have slightly less knowledge about musicians and "albums" from this time period. Not only that, but there's so much more to read about that I couldn't summarize in a small paragraph. Gavin Clark's Wikipedia page is three paragraphs. Miss Ella's is twelve chapters!!! Let's just get into how the Shucks feel about these!
This first segment consists of songs from the greatest supergroup Lucy's ever heard: The Queen of Jazz and a man called Pops.
"Cheek to Cheek" is just so fun. It was originally written by Irvine Berlin for Fred Astaire in the mid thirties for the movie Top Hat. I know who Astaire is, but all those other nouns are brand new to me. The track was a hit as twenty one years later, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong covered it. According to Lucy, it's the definitive version. It's a straightforward love song abound the feeling people get when dancing with their faces trying to fuse together. "Heaven. I'm in heaven. ... Where we're out together, dancing cheek to cheek." Apparently, it's better than both climbing a mountain and fishing! There are only two instruments here, drums and piano. The piano only exists to be backing for our singer's unmistakable prowess, and it knows it. It's just there doing its own thing because there ain't no one paying attention to it. It sounds nice, though. It's stripped down from the Astaire version, which has a brass section and (probably) some woodwinds. But no drums! Musically, I don't hear similarities between the two.
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" romanticizes the stars, the breeze, and the birds. But no bees! They all tell the singers that their love thinks of them tonight. Cuddle, kiss, and dream. Especially dream because the two lovers are apart. There's no reason why they're not together, but sometimes it happens. Not for me and Lu, though. We're stuck together! There's more going on in this song. (Presumably) Armstrong plays his trumpet behind Ella with a jazz band behind him. Good luck hearing them, though. There's a very simple rhythm section. Armstrong gets to sing later on, with Ella shadowing and scatting in the back. There's nothing fancy here, but I dare you to not smile. The song was written in the early thirties by more people I've never heard of, and it sounds like the typical affair from the time. The melody retains through both versions, but our song is much slower.
Even as single stars, these two shine. There's a massive amount of tracks between the two, most of which I've never heard, so I'm gonna write about a few that instantly came to mind before writing this.
"Mack the Knife" (Live in Berlin) shouldn't be here, but it is. Ella forgot the lyrics and started to sing various observations about the history of the song and her brain fart in the middle. Her talent and charisma turn this into one of the funniest songs I've ever heard. I've listened to her proper version before, and it's kinda okayish. But Ella's ability to flip on the X factor in times of need puts this on the list. Never give up!
Louis Armstrong is the other half of that equation, and I like him more when it comes to magic. He's a bit more morose, after all. But not always.
"A Kiss to Build a Dream On" is probably the song Lucy and I would have had our first couple dance to at our wedding ceremony. It's slow for a love song, at least as far as I know, and it's not exactly exciting. The majority of it is just a simple drum beat over a chord in the background. A piano brings us in, and a trumpet plays between Armstrong's vocal lines. Things pick up during the trumpet solo, though. I think the music is a nice change of pace from traditional ballads, as it's just peppy enough to dance to, but you can talk to each other over it. Some sweet nothings on the dance floor. Lyrically, it's a handful of verses about how a kiss from a loved one can make the recipient's imagination go to wonderful places. The song itself was based/rewritten from a song for the Marx brothers' film, "Night at the Opera," and Armstrong got the new rendition. The original was never used, so I wonder what it sounds like?
But, like I said, I like depression. And the death of a loved one is one of the most poetic topics in art. Based off a traditional folk song, "St. James Infirmary" details how someone goes to a mortuary to identify their loved one. The dead are described in various ways before the singer begins to think about their death. Musically, the most obvious thing going on is the strange drone tone in the background. It instantly tells the listener they're in for a ride to the bottom. It's alluring and forces everyone to pay attention. Misery loves company. Armstrong plays a somber trumpet solo before giving it up and singing. The only thing that's going on behind him is a tap of the drums and a muted trumpet playing between vocal lines. Things pick up at the end, but it's more chaos than excitement. The shadow of despair is here.
Finally, we're at a song that's timeless because the woes that afflicted the world during Armstrong's time are still being dealt with now. "That Lucky Old Sun" compares the Son and how it gets to "roam around in heaven all day." Meanwhile, we struggle to live and "work like the devil for my pay." The singer even prays to god for relief. Judging by the state of today's economy, this is another prayer god never answered. Sorry, Pops. Despite it all, it's slightly more upbeat than my first dance. 1949 must have been weird. It follows a similar pattern to the other Satchmo tracks on this list.
Fats Domino was one of the first rock stars. He was also one of the worst. He was more interested in his wife and family than hookers and blow. I don't consider him a rocker (for reasons other than that one), but I do enjoy his work. His voice always juts out at listeners. Usually, it's drone tones that make me realize magic is happening. But not with Fats. I wish I could explain it better, but it's a warm bed with your fluffiest blankets and stuffed animals.
"Blueberry Hill," for example, is just pure fun. It was originally written by three people no one's ever heard of, but the Fat Man covered it in 1956 to make it a standard. Fats' version has an upbeat drum, which sounds pretty RnR, but it plays behind Fats' piano and voice. I think those are the only two instruments. It's got a blues vibe because it's just several bars played repeatedly. It's a simple love song comparing love at first sight to various wonders. It stops time, makes the moon shine, and the wind plays a "sweet melody." But something happened, and "those vows, never to be." "For you were my thrill." I hadn't noticed the tone shift in the chorus until now. The music is so exciting that it gets lost. Can you believe Putin recorded this song for charity?
You know what two people I confuse all the time? Fats Domino and Fats Waller. The grandpa of new New York Giants TE Darren was an earlier Domino. A genius of the jazz piano with prodigious output. I don't know much about him, but I know he's always...
"Ain't Misbehavin'" is all about monogamy. The writer is all alone, I assume, but their lover's kiss is "worth waiting for." It's simple, but it resonates well, even with this damned liberal and his devil ways listening. The music is an upbeat piano that follows another blues style of repeated bars. I don't really get why I find this song so magical, but maybe there's a part of me that has hope and dreams still, and this song calls out to that barely living persona. I used to daydream about being in love with a human female, and this song perfectly exemplifies everything I hoped would happen.
Now here's a terrible segue because my stuffed animal wife's favorite musician is Nat King Cole. I like him too, but she's way into him. It's a bit creepy (or I'm the jealous type). His baritone (and/or bass) voice simply makes everyone around him tune in. Stay for the voice, stick around for the lyrics, make him magical by his instrumental mastery.
"Unforgettable," "in every way," starts off with a strange, staccato piano opening. I don't understand it, but I like it. It drops off to let violins play behind Mr. Cole's voice, which has the audible texture of a freshly baked roll. I think there's also a drum beat in the background that's just there to keep the rhythm. The piano and violin play the occasional few notes here and there, but they're largely drowned out by NKC's voice. Honestly, I always think of this song as an acapella track when it crosses my mind. There is a bit of a piano solo between the verses, though, that follows the form of the opening notes. The lyrics are only five sentences and talk about how hard to forget the lover is and how honorable it is to be loved by "someone so unforgettable too."
"L-O-V-E" is another (surprise) love song that's carried by Cole's voice. There's only an upbeat drum in the background for the lyrics. There's a slight hint of piano and violin in the back that I only just now noticed trying to dig into this song. There's a trumpet solo between the two identical verses, and that hangs around for part two. The lyrics are just a basic ode to love written as an acrostic poem. There's nothing flashy, but it makes me happy.
I first experienced "Orange Colored Sky" in Fallout 4. I think it's t was a default song. It begins with a chill piano, but it gets chaotic when the lyrics pick up. And there's a reason for it. It combines to show off the sudden onset of love at first strike. "I was walking along, minding my business, when out of an orange colored sky... FLASH BANG ALAKAZAM! Wonderful you came by." There are a few more verses 'cursing' love, and the chorus compares it to a catastrophic event. There are a few jazz solo interludes scattered about as well. It's a simple song, but, as I've said, Nat King Cole's voice is just so wonderful.
"Love Me as Though There Were No Tomorrow" was my first taste of Mr. Cole. Fallout New Vegas started this trend, so it's perfect that it's ending. It's a slow and plodding song that fits perfectly with the wasteland. The lyrics are about the end of the world and how two people might as well go out alongside each other. "Take me out of this world tonight." But they're happy because they're in love. It's something I've thought about myself in some ways. I haven't tried to kill myself in a few years, and it's entirely because of Lucy. And even when I think of dying again, my hypothetical mind goes to Lucy, usually apologizing. Sometimes I take her with me when she knows our time is up. And I often fear what would happen to her when I'm gone. My mom doesn't care; she doesn't even know Lu's name. This is ending onn a sad note, but those morose violins and piano in the background of this track kinda send me there. Sorry. Anyway, Nat King Cole is really rad, and I should listen to him more.
Fun fact, I would have added a few Ink Spots songs here, but the fact they're all the same kinda kills the magic. I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire could and should be here, but it starts and has the same structure as Maybe, If I Didn't Care, We Three, Rain Must Fall, We'll Meet Again,...
This took a million years to write, and I'm sorry. But it's filled with happy songs, and I'm secretly a The Grinch. But it was another long love letter to my beloved stuffed animal, so I should have put more work into it. But I did it! I wrote about love songs and even some video games. No promises on when part five will be out, but I think it'll be about an interest I haven't shared much: anime.
Sunday, July 23, 2023
The lost Ys game.
Ys V has never been ported to a modern console, nor has it been translated to English. Not only that, but it was the last Ys game for eight years and two console generations. Did this game almost kill the franchise? Probably not, but it wasn't very good.
The Sands of Kefin, or whatever the overly long subtitle is, takes our well traveled hero/adventurer, Adol Christin, out of his usual larpings around the Romn Empire. He's in northeast Afroca this time, which is a good time to introduce a new combat style.
Gone are the bump systems and Zelda 2 knockoffs of the past. This game is a traditional hack-and-slash. It doesn't reinvent the wheel and is solid enough, but it does try to add some play styles. Swords come in two attack types, a slash or a stab. It's not perfect because each type doesn't get the same amount of scope, and the best weapon has single coverage. There's also a magic system, called alchemy, that seems fun and intricate, but every spell you can make sucks. The range is confusing, or the cast time is worthless. Only the first spell you learn is good, but it's absorbed too often. And you can't use magic in boss battles, so what's the point? Do basic mobs have weaknesses? Why use magic when a sword is quicker and easier? Alchemy is more cumbersome than anything.
The plot is... fine. You don't get to know anyone, and you're constantly on the move, which is in line with the adventurer's spirit. Maybe it's okay?
The music is better than it has any right to be. Dungeon themes are bangers, hype songs and depression are about, and all the town themes can go on my Spotify playlist.
The graphics are also pretty rad. They're nothing groundbreaking, but there are a million other SNES games that look worse.
As for the rest of the game, here's Adol!
"The area of Xandria, in northern Afroca, is a rather unique location. It's known for being a desert, but I ran through verdant meadows and bountiful forests with ruins of an ancient civilization scattered throughout. Even the many caves I explored all seemed different from one another. Some were the basic caves you'd find anywhere, but I enjoyed the flowing waters of scenic Ramzen. The perilous jungles and forests were teeming with unknown horrors, but I felt that was more to see hidden in its depths. Even the marshlands filled me with excitement. At the very least, there was new stuff there.
As much as I enjoyed my time in Xandria, they have a bit of a wasp problem. Everywhere you go, you run into the aggressive creeps. Them and spiders... There are a few creatures that hide in secret areas, but even they fear the aprocrita horde. When I first visited, there were also many armored knights, but I bet that issue was taken care of.
Finally, there is also the desert. It once was home to a powerhouse called Kefin. Kefin ruled this area 500 years ago with their magical abilities they dubbed alchemy. I learned some alchemy, but I didn't find it particularly useful. I'm sure it was stronger five centuries ago. I witnessed some of its potential, so I don't know why I questioned myself.
Several towns dot the land, and they're filled with strong, caring, and wise people. The lumberjacks in the forest are willing to put themselves in harm's way to save children (and then drink). So many people have so many stories and legends about the ancient kingdom. And they're all so welcoming and kind once they realize you're not a redhead recorded in said legends. The area has seen an influx of immigrants recently. Well, immigrants is the wrong word, but there's a good chunk of people who might seem a little odd. Cut them some slack; they're dealing with new stuff you can't understand. If you need sundries, tell Niena and Stein I sent ya! Help Feltd get out of their sand bath.
My time spent in Xandria was short. I wish I spent more time and got to know everyone better. The area taught me to hang around more, and I vowed to take in the scenery and customs better next time. I was a little headstrong, but Xandria deserved more of my time. I hope you stay a while."
-Adol Christin
---
Story: bad. This is before Adol got a personality, and many of the bosses are just eh, especially the final one. And the story is so filled with holes and questions that I don't really care about. It relies on kidnappings a lot. And time paradoxes are never good. 4/10
Gameplay: at least it's amazing. Ys V was about gameplay over story. Sure, the magic system sucks, but the game is short, so it's easy to overlook. 10/10
Sound: Falcon Sound Team jdk! I don't know who made what in the ever moving team that writes for Falcom, but it's all very good. Action, relaxation, and somberness: it's all here. 10/10
Art: weird. I don't know if they're pallet swaps or just the same model, but every mob is used too many times. And I liked the effect that creates shadows in various dungeons, but it makes it hard to see. Otherwise, Ys V looks spectacular. 6/10
Charm: shout out to the translators. While the game is short and lacks a reason to replay it, Aeon Genesis did a great job of giving a few NPCs a fun personality. Willy is a playable character in my remake! 6/10
The only negative is the magic system. I would normally try to overlook it, but it feels like it should be a vital part of the game. Instead, it makes everything worse.
Add them all up, and Ys V: The Sands of Kefin gets a 34 out of 50. It may be a bad Ys game, but it's a perfectly average game. It's short and inoffensive, so there are worse ways to spend eight hours.
Ys VI is the next canonical game, but I think I need another short, traditional RPG first. And I think I know a lad.
The Sands of Kefin, or whatever the overly long subtitle is, takes our well traveled hero/adventurer, Adol Christin, out of his usual larpings around the Romn Empire. He's in northeast Afroca this time, which is a good time to introduce a new combat style.
Gone are the bump systems and Zelda 2 knockoffs of the past. This game is a traditional hack-and-slash. It doesn't reinvent the wheel and is solid enough, but it does try to add some play styles. Swords come in two attack types, a slash or a stab. It's not perfect because each type doesn't get the same amount of scope, and the best weapon has single coverage. There's also a magic system, called alchemy, that seems fun and intricate, but every spell you can make sucks. The range is confusing, or the cast time is worthless. Only the first spell you learn is good, but it's absorbed too often. And you can't use magic in boss battles, so what's the point? Do basic mobs have weaknesses? Why use magic when a sword is quicker and easier? Alchemy is more cumbersome than anything.
The plot is... fine. You don't get to know anyone, and you're constantly on the move, which is in line with the adventurer's spirit. Maybe it's okay?
The music is better than it has any right to be. Dungeon themes are bangers, hype songs and depression are about, and all the town themes can go on my Spotify playlist.
The graphics are also pretty rad. They're nothing groundbreaking, but there are a million other SNES games that look worse.
As for the rest of the game, here's Adol!
"The area of Xandria, in northern Afroca, is a rather unique location. It's known for being a desert, but I ran through verdant meadows and bountiful forests with ruins of an ancient civilization scattered throughout. Even the many caves I explored all seemed different from one another. Some were the basic caves you'd find anywhere, but I enjoyed the flowing waters of scenic Ramzen. The perilous jungles and forests were teeming with unknown horrors, but I felt that was more to see hidden in its depths. Even the marshlands filled me with excitement. At the very least, there was new stuff there.
As much as I enjoyed my time in Xandria, they have a bit of a wasp problem. Everywhere you go, you run into the aggressive creeps. Them and spiders... There are a few creatures that hide in secret areas, but even they fear the aprocrita horde. When I first visited, there were also many armored knights, but I bet that issue was taken care of.
Finally, there is also the desert. It once was home to a powerhouse called Kefin. Kefin ruled this area 500 years ago with their magical abilities they dubbed alchemy. I learned some alchemy, but I didn't find it particularly useful. I'm sure it was stronger five centuries ago. I witnessed some of its potential, so I don't know why I questioned myself.
Several towns dot the land, and they're filled with strong, caring, and wise people. The lumberjacks in the forest are willing to put themselves in harm's way to save children (and then drink). So many people have so many stories and legends about the ancient kingdom. And they're all so welcoming and kind once they realize you're not a redhead recorded in said legends. The area has seen an influx of immigrants recently. Well, immigrants is the wrong word, but there's a good chunk of people who might seem a little odd. Cut them some slack; they're dealing with new stuff you can't understand. If you need sundries, tell Niena and Stein I sent ya! Help Feltd get out of their sand bath.
My time spent in Xandria was short. I wish I spent more time and got to know everyone better. The area taught me to hang around more, and I vowed to take in the scenery and customs better next time. I was a little headstrong, but Xandria deserved more of my time. I hope you stay a while."
-Adol Christin
---
Story: bad. This is before Adol got a personality, and many of the bosses are just eh, especially the final one. And the story is so filled with holes and questions that I don't really care about. It relies on kidnappings a lot. And time paradoxes are never good. 4/10
Gameplay: at least it's amazing. Ys V was about gameplay over story. Sure, the magic system sucks, but the game is short, so it's easy to overlook. 10/10
Sound: Falcon Sound Team jdk! I don't know who made what in the ever moving team that writes for Falcom, but it's all very good. Action, relaxation, and somberness: it's all here. 10/10
Art: weird. I don't know if they're pallet swaps or just the same model, but every mob is used too many times. And I liked the effect that creates shadows in various dungeons, but it makes it hard to see. Otherwise, Ys V looks spectacular. 6/10
Charm: shout out to the translators. While the game is short and lacks a reason to replay it, Aeon Genesis did a great job of giving a few NPCs a fun personality. Willy is a playable character in my remake! 6/10
The only negative is the magic system. I would normally try to overlook it, but it feels like it should be a vital part of the game. Instead, it makes everything worse.
Add them all up, and Ys V: The Sands of Kefin gets a 34 out of 50. It may be a bad Ys game, but it's a perfectly average game. It's short and inoffensive, so there are worse ways to spend eight hours.
Ys VI is the next canonical game, but I think I need another short, traditional RPG first. And I think I know a lad.
Saturday, July 22, 2023
Time flows on.
Who's this jabroni?
---
"And so I traversed to the four corners of the great city of Kefin. When I used the key Stein gave me, the machines shut down. Doing that also summoned an elemental guardian, similar to the one in the Ruins of Zeibe, to attack me. Each represented a different element, and I was too busy running around to recall who was who. The battlefields weren't exactly flat, open areas, so teleporting monsters caused havoc. When this was done, I returned to the bar.
Now was the time to attack, but something more urgent came up. Stein was caught. He was being held captive in the west wing of the castle, near where he and I met. With little time to spare, I returned to the secret base. There was a locked door before, but it was open now. Stein's jail cell was surprisingly cushy, but it was guarded by a floor puzzle that I just jumped over.
Now was the time to strike. The Judgement of Fate ceremony was about to take place, and I had to be there. Orwell recognized Stoker's bracelet as something that could control the Judgement machine. We needed to break that to destroy the Philosopher's Stone. That rock is the reason Kefin was sealed outside the flow of time for 500 years. And it uses the souls of humans to power it. If it's stopped, then everything and everyone in Kefin will turn to dust. While I'm in the castle, the rest of the resistance will get everyone in town to the portal. Hopefully, I would find Niene and the Iburs there as well.
The first part went perfectly. I was first in line to be judged, and the bracelet worked. Jean collected the citizens to the portal, and Stein opened the door. The rest was up to me.
Inside Kefin Castle were the usual soldiers. For such a large building, I found it oddly easy to navigate. And it was certainly smaller on the inside. I guess the locked doors kept me from exploring too far.
The final commander tried to stop me. Karion was a ferocious opponent, and I see why he was here. He was quick and jumpy, his whip was hard to track, and he knew magic for when I got too far away. I ran as fast as I could and had to jump just as he tried to whip me. Of everything I've done since coming to Xandria, Karion pushed me the furthest. I learned much from him. But he forgot it all.
Behind the entryway to the castle is the Philosopher's Stone control panel. I turned it off and was taken to a strange location. Stoker brought me to his world in the void. He turned off the machine but asked me a favor. I woke up in Forsetta's Cave, where I slew the light demon. The white armor of the Kefin troops proceeded to the inner sanctum where Stoker and Forsetta had to part. Unlike before, I fought off the soldiers. I quickly returned to the castle I was originally in and found Massea and Stein waiting, wondering where everyone was. Rizze entered from behind me. Neine and the Iburs would be the final sacrifice. Their souls would bring Kefin back to the physical realm to rule it. We chased after her and met the real power of Kefin. Or at least his shadow. I ran around after him and stabbed him with my sword a few times when he became corporal while avoiding his magical attacks. It was a challenge, don't get me wrong, but I felt in control the whole time.
And beyond them were our friends trapped in tubes. Rizze freed them for some reason and prepared to revive Kefin. Neine tried to change her mind, and I learned Niene was from Kefin. Orwell sent her to the real world to fix the tear that Rizze came through. But Rizze, being the final member of the royal family, felt like she had an obligation to revive her kingdom. And so she attacked with the Philosopher's Stone and its fused alchemist, Jabir.
Jabir attacks with two orbs, not too dissimilar to the dark demon's hands. But these things were tanky and quick to respawn. I had no choice but to assault the floating Jafir while dodging everything. The lasers from off the map, the orbs, and the black holes they spewed kept me on my toes. I had to kite the orbs around, so this was a long fought war. Fortunately, I bought plenty of health potions.
Kefin began to turn to dust as soon as I won. Neine and I were brought to another place for the battle, but we were separated after. I hoped she would have made it to the portal, but Massea and Stein told me she never did. Kefin was mostly dust by this point, so the three of us followed all the citizens back to the physical realm. We had no choice.
I went to Forseta Village when I made it back. The plaque that was in the middle of town was replaced with a statue that looked similar to me. The prophecy on it was also much different... Willy was tending to it, but we entered the cave again. Forseta was gone! The spirits of her and Stoker appeared before me! My favor for Stoker changed time and saved them both. Stoker told me that he found Niene before Kefin collapsed. The bracelet he was trapped in was the time bracelet. It holds all who wear it in a statis like state. And he gave it to Niene. She should be with Stein by now. Poor Willy was lost, but we headed to Xandria. Peace was restored, and we heard the unmistakable sound of an ocarina. Niene was alive!
Niene, Stein, Massea, and Willy had a big feast that night. Willy asked to join me on my next adventure, but he's too young to come along. I would have to ask Dogi anyway, and who knows where he is? So I pretended to sleep. I woke up early, and Stein and Niene saw me off. I wanted to get on my way quickly. I overheard Terra getting mad at me, demanding I see her in five years when she's grown up. Sadly, I'd see her before those five years... Willy was upset, but I'll make it up to him one day.
But my name is Adol Christin, the red haired adventurer from Garmin! And my next adventure awaits!"
-Adol
---
Adol's Theme, the Boy Who Had Wings, plays as he randomly swings his sword around the fields of Xandria. Sometimes he kills a day one mob. It's weird, but we also see some humorous scenes with the friends we've made in the places I've been. This plays under the credits. But our final image is Adol, standing in a field. It's very cinematic for the SNES. Alongside him is one word:
FIN
---
"And so I traversed to the four corners of the great city of Kefin. When I used the key Stein gave me, the machines shut down. Doing that also summoned an elemental guardian, similar to the one in the Ruins of Zeibe, to attack me. Each represented a different element, and I was too busy running around to recall who was who. The battlefields weren't exactly flat, open areas, so teleporting monsters caused havoc. When this was done, I returned to the bar.
Now was the time to attack, but something more urgent came up. Stein was caught. He was being held captive in the west wing of the castle, near where he and I met. With little time to spare, I returned to the secret base. There was a locked door before, but it was open now. Stein's jail cell was surprisingly cushy, but it was guarded by a floor puzzle that I just jumped over.
Now was the time to strike. The Judgement of Fate ceremony was about to take place, and I had to be there. Orwell recognized Stoker's bracelet as something that could control the Judgement machine. We needed to break that to destroy the Philosopher's Stone. That rock is the reason Kefin was sealed outside the flow of time for 500 years. And it uses the souls of humans to power it. If it's stopped, then everything and everyone in Kefin will turn to dust. While I'm in the castle, the rest of the resistance will get everyone in town to the portal. Hopefully, I would find Niene and the Iburs there as well.
The first part went perfectly. I was first in line to be judged, and the bracelet worked. Jean collected the citizens to the portal, and Stein opened the door. The rest was up to me.
Inside Kefin Castle were the usual soldiers. For such a large building, I found it oddly easy to navigate. And it was certainly smaller on the inside. I guess the locked doors kept me from exploring too far.
The final commander tried to stop me. Karion was a ferocious opponent, and I see why he was here. He was quick and jumpy, his whip was hard to track, and he knew magic for when I got too far away. I ran as fast as I could and had to jump just as he tried to whip me. Of everything I've done since coming to Xandria, Karion pushed me the furthest. I learned much from him. But he forgot it all.
Behind the entryway to the castle is the Philosopher's Stone control panel. I turned it off and was taken to a strange location. Stoker brought me to his world in the void. He turned off the machine but asked me a favor. I woke up in Forsetta's Cave, where I slew the light demon. The white armor of the Kefin troops proceeded to the inner sanctum where Stoker and Forsetta had to part. Unlike before, I fought off the soldiers. I quickly returned to the castle I was originally in and found Massea and Stein waiting, wondering where everyone was. Rizze entered from behind me. Neine and the Iburs would be the final sacrifice. Their souls would bring Kefin back to the physical realm to rule it. We chased after her and met the real power of Kefin. Or at least his shadow. I ran around after him and stabbed him with my sword a few times when he became corporal while avoiding his magical attacks. It was a challenge, don't get me wrong, but I felt in control the whole time.
And beyond them were our friends trapped in tubes. Rizze freed them for some reason and prepared to revive Kefin. Neine tried to change her mind, and I learned Niene was from Kefin. Orwell sent her to the real world to fix the tear that Rizze came through. But Rizze, being the final member of the royal family, felt like she had an obligation to revive her kingdom. And so she attacked with the Philosopher's Stone and its fused alchemist, Jabir.
Jabir attacks with two orbs, not too dissimilar to the dark demon's hands. But these things were tanky and quick to respawn. I had no choice but to assault the floating Jafir while dodging everything. The lasers from off the map, the orbs, and the black holes they spewed kept me on my toes. I had to kite the orbs around, so this was a long fought war. Fortunately, I bought plenty of health potions.
Kefin began to turn to dust as soon as I won. Neine and I were brought to another place for the battle, but we were separated after. I hoped she would have made it to the portal, but Massea and Stein told me she never did. Kefin was mostly dust by this point, so the three of us followed all the citizens back to the physical realm. We had no choice.
I went to Forseta Village when I made it back. The plaque that was in the middle of town was replaced with a statue that looked similar to me. The prophecy on it was also much different... Willy was tending to it, but we entered the cave again. Forseta was gone! The spirits of her and Stoker appeared before me! My favor for Stoker changed time and saved them both. Stoker told me that he found Niene before Kefin collapsed. The bracelet he was trapped in was the time bracelet. It holds all who wear it in a statis like state. And he gave it to Niene. She should be with Stein by now. Poor Willy was lost, but we headed to Xandria. Peace was restored, and we heard the unmistakable sound of an ocarina. Niene was alive!
Niene, Stein, Massea, and Willy had a big feast that night. Willy asked to join me on my next adventure, but he's too young to come along. I would have to ask Dogi anyway, and who knows where he is? So I pretended to sleep. I woke up early, and Stein and Niene saw me off. I wanted to get on my way quickly. I overheard Terra getting mad at me, demanding I see her in five years when she's grown up. Sadly, I'd see her before those five years... Willy was upset, but I'll make it up to him one day.
But my name is Adol Christin, the red haired adventurer from Garmin! And my next adventure awaits!"
-Adol
---
Adol's Theme, the Boy Who Had Wings, plays as he randomly swings his sword around the fields of Xandria. Sometimes he kills a day one mob. It's weird, but we also see some humorous scenes with the friends we've made in the places I've been. This plays under the credits. But our final image is Adol, standing in a field. It's very cinematic for the SNES. Alongside him is one word:
FIN
Friday, July 21, 2023
The Phantom City
Yep. This game is a real quick play.
---
"Willy was waiting for me on the otherside of the broken bridge. He confirmed that Dorman's guards were roaming Xandria. They're looking for me. Rather than bust into town, Willy suggests we see the woman who taught me alchemy, Massea.
Massea informed us that Dorman wanted to break the seal to Kefin to claim the power as his own. He's also kept one crystal on a private island, and he intends to take the crystals I've collected there to bring destruction to the world. And the medal that was stolen from Nieme acts as a key. Masses also has a medallion, so she can act as our key to reach Kefin should it all collapse. She'll join me back to Xandria, and Willy returns home.
Massea and I entered Nieme's house to find it empty. We found a note from Rizze that said she kidnapped Niene. If we want her back, we'll need to bring the crystals to Dorman's mansion. Despite being invited, the front door was locked. Massea stayed here while I found the backway into Xandria's sewers from the inn. It was a straight path filled with mold and water demons. I found a jail cell where the Ibur Gang was being held. I wondered where they were, and it seemed Dorman took his crystal hunt into his own hands. They were trying to Dogi out of their cell, but the big guy couldn't do it. Out of frustration, mama Alga broke them out. The end of the path brought me to Dorman's mansion.
It was empty except for Dorman, Rizze, and Niene. I handed over the four crystals I had, and then a barrier formed around me. Rizze's commanders made their debut to trap me and bring me to their secret fortress.
I was brought to an island to witness to rise of Dorman. He placed the six crystals on various pedestals, each raising when power was placed on it. The world shook, indicating the seal of Kefin was about to break. Massea showed up to beg Dorman to stay his hand. He did not. The guards ran to Massea just as the Aqua Crystal began to act up. An odd smoke emitted from it, and Terra shot the two guards. Massea asked them to help me get vengeance on Dorman. The rest of the Ibur Gang showed up to tell Dorman the crystal he took from them was fake. Out of rage, Dorman used the power of the alchemy he had access to and transformed into Adeptos.
The Iburs and Massea fled while I battled something similar to the dark demon. He used his hands as projectiles again. He would come closer to blow up the floor, but he was hesitant to do that when I was beneath him. This also kept his bat friends from harming me when he changed forms and grew wings. After a couple of sword swings, Dorman fell.
I rejoined Massea down the hall. And so did Rizze. She revealed that Dorman was just a pawn to break the seal to Kefin, a job he did well. Or I did poorly. She and her commanders were manipulating the merchant to find the crystals, and now was the time for them to return home. They stole the real Aqua Crystal from Alba and opened a portal to Kefin. They took Niene with them for some reason. They warned me to mind my own business, but I'm not gonna let them take Niene! The island began to sink, so we all left. Terra waited for me, and it caused the both of us to fall into a pit. We were both fine, but she verbally assaulted me en route back to Niene's house. All six of us were in agreement: stop Rizze. We made our way to the Ruins of Kefin to use Massea's medal to reach the Phantom City. We passed through Felde and saw the effects of the desertification. The sand sunk the town. A few survivors were holding out in the inn. Effey and her dad were among them.
We returned to the oasis, where I found the dark crystal, and Massea opened the portal. On the otherside was a beautiful city. I'll tell you now that I learned Kefin was sealed to remain in a time bubble outside of our own. They have been stagnant for 500 years, but they're still affecting the physical world, as they called it. The Ibur Gang decided to go treasure hunting, while Massea and I went to look for Niene and a way to pop this bubble.
Kefin is divided into several sections. In the corners are four strange machines. There was also a tower in the south, a house in the west, and the city in the east. I traveled around to find some of the best gear I've used. I'm not sure about the Ipsos Sword, but the armor is great! I learned that Rizze is the last member of the Kefin royal line, but an alchemist named Jabir is someone to worry about. Rizze seems popular... Each section is connected through underground tunnels that contain the elementals I've killed before getting here.
After wandering around for a while, I experienced a strange phenomenon. The castle in the north began the Fate of Judgement ritual. Several townfolks were waiting outside a church when the bell rang. They quickly entered, and I felt like I was back in Ys. I was about to follow, but a man named Jean stopped me. He told me Judgement causes people to go away. It involves a lamp, somehow. More importantly, he took me to a resistance group's headquarters.
Their leader was missing, but they received word that Niene was about to be sacrificed. They were keeping her in the South Tower, so I made a b line there. It was unguarded this time, so I had a feeling it was a trap. I heard a commotion outside as I entered, but I had to climb up. At the top was Baruq, one of the commanders. He was standing in front of Niene and thought highly of himself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Ibur Boys. They took Niene to safety while Baruq kept his attention on me. When he noticed his hostage was gone, I easily killed him. Pretty pathetic.
Jean was outside and asked me to visit their leader's house. He still wasn't there, but an alchemist named Orwell was. Massea was also here, and the two were talking about the real world. The resistance group knows their world is fake and is fine with ending this eternal nonsense. A messenger showed up because they found their leader. They asked me to help him and told me to take the back exit from the house.
It wasn't long before I found him. He made quicker work of another commander, Avis, than I did. We went back to his house.
This is Stein. Yes, that Stein. The man who's been Niene's dad. Speaking of whom, Niene is originally from Kefin. She escaped the bubble around the time Rizze did to investigate the broken seal. But it doesn't matter. The Iburs and her have been arrested again. To save them, I'll need to shut down the four strange mechanisms in the corners. I'll save Niene soon!"
-Adol
---
Final dungeon rush tomorrow!
---
"Willy was waiting for me on the otherside of the broken bridge. He confirmed that Dorman's guards were roaming Xandria. They're looking for me. Rather than bust into town, Willy suggests we see the woman who taught me alchemy, Massea.
Massea informed us that Dorman wanted to break the seal to Kefin to claim the power as his own. He's also kept one crystal on a private island, and he intends to take the crystals I've collected there to bring destruction to the world. And the medal that was stolen from Nieme acts as a key. Masses also has a medallion, so she can act as our key to reach Kefin should it all collapse. She'll join me back to Xandria, and Willy returns home.
Massea and I entered Nieme's house to find it empty. We found a note from Rizze that said she kidnapped Niene. If we want her back, we'll need to bring the crystals to Dorman's mansion. Despite being invited, the front door was locked. Massea stayed here while I found the backway into Xandria's sewers from the inn. It was a straight path filled with mold and water demons. I found a jail cell where the Ibur Gang was being held. I wondered where they were, and it seemed Dorman took his crystal hunt into his own hands. They were trying to Dogi out of their cell, but the big guy couldn't do it. Out of frustration, mama Alga broke them out. The end of the path brought me to Dorman's mansion.
It was empty except for Dorman, Rizze, and Niene. I handed over the four crystals I had, and then a barrier formed around me. Rizze's commanders made their debut to trap me and bring me to their secret fortress.
I was brought to an island to witness to rise of Dorman. He placed the six crystals on various pedestals, each raising when power was placed on it. The world shook, indicating the seal of Kefin was about to break. Massea showed up to beg Dorman to stay his hand. He did not. The guards ran to Massea just as the Aqua Crystal began to act up. An odd smoke emitted from it, and Terra shot the two guards. Massea asked them to help me get vengeance on Dorman. The rest of the Ibur Gang showed up to tell Dorman the crystal he took from them was fake. Out of rage, Dorman used the power of the alchemy he had access to and transformed into Adeptos.
The Iburs and Massea fled while I battled something similar to the dark demon. He used his hands as projectiles again. He would come closer to blow up the floor, but he was hesitant to do that when I was beneath him. This also kept his bat friends from harming me when he changed forms and grew wings. After a couple of sword swings, Dorman fell.
I rejoined Massea down the hall. And so did Rizze. She revealed that Dorman was just a pawn to break the seal to Kefin, a job he did well. Or I did poorly. She and her commanders were manipulating the merchant to find the crystals, and now was the time for them to return home. They stole the real Aqua Crystal from Alba and opened a portal to Kefin. They took Niene with them for some reason. They warned me to mind my own business, but I'm not gonna let them take Niene! The island began to sink, so we all left. Terra waited for me, and it caused the both of us to fall into a pit. We were both fine, but she verbally assaulted me en route back to Niene's house. All six of us were in agreement: stop Rizze. We made our way to the Ruins of Kefin to use Massea's medal to reach the Phantom City. We passed through Felde and saw the effects of the desertification. The sand sunk the town. A few survivors were holding out in the inn. Effey and her dad were among them.
We returned to the oasis, where I found the dark crystal, and Massea opened the portal. On the otherside was a beautiful city. I'll tell you now that I learned Kefin was sealed to remain in a time bubble outside of our own. They have been stagnant for 500 years, but they're still affecting the physical world, as they called it. The Ibur Gang decided to go treasure hunting, while Massea and I went to look for Niene and a way to pop this bubble.
Kefin is divided into several sections. In the corners are four strange machines. There was also a tower in the south, a house in the west, and the city in the east. I traveled around to find some of the best gear I've used. I'm not sure about the Ipsos Sword, but the armor is great! I learned that Rizze is the last member of the Kefin royal line, but an alchemist named Jabir is someone to worry about. Rizze seems popular... Each section is connected through underground tunnels that contain the elementals I've killed before getting here.
After wandering around for a while, I experienced a strange phenomenon. The castle in the north began the Fate of Judgement ritual. Several townfolks were waiting outside a church when the bell rang. They quickly entered, and I felt like I was back in Ys. I was about to follow, but a man named Jean stopped me. He told me Judgement causes people to go away. It involves a lamp, somehow. More importantly, he took me to a resistance group's headquarters.
Their leader was missing, but they received word that Niene was about to be sacrificed. They were keeping her in the South Tower, so I made a b line there. It was unguarded this time, so I had a feeling it was a trap. I heard a commotion outside as I entered, but I had to climb up. At the top was Baruq, one of the commanders. He was standing in front of Niene and thought highly of himself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Ibur Boys. They took Niene to safety while Baruq kept his attention on me. When he noticed his hostage was gone, I easily killed him. Pretty pathetic.
Jean was outside and asked me to visit their leader's house. He still wasn't there, but an alchemist named Orwell was. Massea was also here, and the two were talking about the real world. The resistance group knows their world is fake and is fine with ending this eternal nonsense. A messenger showed up because they found their leader. They asked me to help him and told me to take the back exit from the house.
It wasn't long before I found him. He made quicker work of another commander, Avis, than I did. We went back to his house.
This is Stein. Yes, that Stein. The man who's been Niene's dad. Speaking of whom, Niene is originally from Kefin. She escaped the bubble around the time Rizze did to investigate the broken seal. But it doesn't matter. The Iburs and her have been arrested again. To save them, I'll need to shut down the four strange mechanisms in the corners. I'll save Niene soon!"
-Adol
---
Final dungeon rush tomorrow!
Thursday, July 20, 2023
The Sands of Kefin
We've reached them!
---
"I went back to Xandria, but nothing newsworthy has happened since I left. Niena recovered from her attack.
So I went back to Ramzen and went left. I had to cross a gorge that was surprisingly small. I barely even noticed through the wasps! On the otherside was a scenic inn that once thrived on tourism the local waterfall brought. There was a cave behind the waterfall, and the spacious insides contained a jumping puzzle. It's straightforward, but the leaps I had to make to reach a few of the dry grounds were pretty tough. I only fell into the river and washed up back at the inn twice!
Deeper in were the Limestone Caves that were inhabited by underground sharks. One absorbed fire... In the back was a newly opened passage, and Stoker talked to me. A man named Saravat was waiting for me.
But before him was a jungle. Fighting me through the foliage were sentient plants and quick spiders. I'd eventually find the fastest wasps I've ever seen too. But the first part of the Afrokan Sea Foliage felt like a lost forest. I'd turn one way only to find myself at a familiar location. I don't know if that was the case, but I got turned around so often here. At least my blood nourished the plant life...
Saravot lived in a hut with a woman named Jen. He promised to teach me something, but it was getting late. After a good dinner with Saravat and Jen, we all went to sleep. I had a dream of the past. Stoker was there, defending Forseta in the cave from white knights. It was clear he was an amazing fighter, but their numbers were the deciding factor. One jumped over the pile Stoker held and was about to kill Forseta. Out of desperation, she defended the Lumen Crystal by turning herself and the surrounding area into rock. I woke up and saw my vampire friend outside, and I think it was a vision he let me see. The sun rose, and he teleported away. Saravat noticed it and warned me to avoid his former apprentice. Befriending him will only bring misery. He continued by telling me the Terra Crystal is up ahead. After Jen wished me luck, I dove back into the jungle.
Tornadoes swept across the area, and they were not fun to get hit by. I don't know if they're sentient, but they are immortal. I was also hunted by wind spirits. Why do elemental women hate me? I eventually found the most terrifying thing in Kefin. This guardian guarded the boss, but his long range meteor magic was the hardest thing to avoid. He teleported around his arena, and I frequently lost him. The Earth Demon, Azort, was a pushover. He stood in one spot, and I ran around, hitting him before he got a smack in. I picked up the Terra Crystal, and Saravat told me not to trust Dorman. He's collecting the crystals to unseal Kefin. Kefin needs to remain outside of our realm. He then gave me a raft back to Xandria. Sadly, I didn't make it.
A sandstorm struck while I floated down the river. It blew me into the water and reminded me of Esteria.
I woke up in bed with a girl named Effey. She told me I was in Felte, the last town on the edge of the approaching desert. She lived with her father, Madjular, but he was out. I'd end up saving him from a fire elemental in the wilderness, and he brought me home for an awkward conversation. Nothing happened! Unlike everyone else in Felte, I didn't fall in love with Effey. I learned here that the ruins of Kefin are to the east, and the Darkness Crystal lies there. But it's not easy to get to. I'd need the Surge Eye to see past the whirlwinds that protected the ancient city. Majd had one and lent it to me as thanks for saving him. Switching between that and a cloak that protected me from the sand, all while using a terrible light alchemy attack to kill the undead, wasen't what I'd call fun. But I got to the ruins.
Inside were kobolds waiting for the return of Kefin. In the basements below them was my fifth crystal. It was a vertical maze through five floors inhabited by dark elementals and 500-year-old molds in the water. Dark Demon, Nygfinicus protected the crystal. His two floating hands constantly stretched out to grab me, so I quickly dispatched them. Nyg could recall them, but I made quick work of their new forms. Nyg's worst attack was to form a field around him that confused me. I was dizzy often, so I learned to use hit-and-run tactics against him. With the Nox Crystal in hand, I prepared to face off against my employer after learning if he really was bad.
-Adol
Believe it or not, I think we're coming to the end. I remember the "final dungeon" being pretty different from the conventional JRPG.
---
"I went back to Xandria, but nothing newsworthy has happened since I left. Niena recovered from her attack.
So I went back to Ramzen and went left. I had to cross a gorge that was surprisingly small. I barely even noticed through the wasps! On the otherside was a scenic inn that once thrived on tourism the local waterfall brought. There was a cave behind the waterfall, and the spacious insides contained a jumping puzzle. It's straightforward, but the leaps I had to make to reach a few of the dry grounds were pretty tough. I only fell into the river and washed up back at the inn twice!
Deeper in were the Limestone Caves that were inhabited by underground sharks. One absorbed fire... In the back was a newly opened passage, and Stoker talked to me. A man named Saravat was waiting for me.
But before him was a jungle. Fighting me through the foliage were sentient plants and quick spiders. I'd eventually find the fastest wasps I've ever seen too. But the first part of the Afrokan Sea Foliage felt like a lost forest. I'd turn one way only to find myself at a familiar location. I don't know if that was the case, but I got turned around so often here. At least my blood nourished the plant life...
Saravot lived in a hut with a woman named Jen. He promised to teach me something, but it was getting late. After a good dinner with Saravat and Jen, we all went to sleep. I had a dream of the past. Stoker was there, defending Forseta in the cave from white knights. It was clear he was an amazing fighter, but their numbers were the deciding factor. One jumped over the pile Stoker held and was about to kill Forseta. Out of desperation, she defended the Lumen Crystal by turning herself and the surrounding area into rock. I woke up and saw my vampire friend outside, and I think it was a vision he let me see. The sun rose, and he teleported away. Saravat noticed it and warned me to avoid his former apprentice. Befriending him will only bring misery. He continued by telling me the Terra Crystal is up ahead. After Jen wished me luck, I dove back into the jungle.
Tornadoes swept across the area, and they were not fun to get hit by. I don't know if they're sentient, but they are immortal. I was also hunted by wind spirits. Why do elemental women hate me? I eventually found the most terrifying thing in Kefin. This guardian guarded the boss, but his long range meteor magic was the hardest thing to avoid. He teleported around his arena, and I frequently lost him. The Earth Demon, Azort, was a pushover. He stood in one spot, and I ran around, hitting him before he got a smack in. I picked up the Terra Crystal, and Saravat told me not to trust Dorman. He's collecting the crystals to unseal Kefin. Kefin needs to remain outside of our realm. He then gave me a raft back to Xandria. Sadly, I didn't make it.
A sandstorm struck while I floated down the river. It blew me into the water and reminded me of Esteria.
I woke up in bed with a girl named Effey. She told me I was in Felte, the last town on the edge of the approaching desert. She lived with her father, Madjular, but he was out. I'd end up saving him from a fire elemental in the wilderness, and he brought me home for an awkward conversation. Nothing happened! Unlike everyone else in Felte, I didn't fall in love with Effey. I learned here that the ruins of Kefin are to the east, and the Darkness Crystal lies there. But it's not easy to get to. I'd need the Surge Eye to see past the whirlwinds that protected the ancient city. Majd had one and lent it to me as thanks for saving him. Switching between that and a cloak that protected me from the sand, all while using a terrible light alchemy attack to kill the undead, wasen't what I'd call fun. But I got to the ruins.
Inside were kobolds waiting for the return of Kefin. In the basements below them was my fifth crystal. It was a vertical maze through five floors inhabited by dark elementals and 500-year-old molds in the water. Dark Demon, Nygfinicus protected the crystal. His two floating hands constantly stretched out to grab me, so I quickly dispatched them. Nyg could recall them, but I made quick work of their new forms. Nyg's worst attack was to form a field around him that confused me. I was dizzy often, so I learned to use hit-and-run tactics against him. With the Nox Crystal in hand, I prepared to face off against my employer after learning if he really was bad.
-Adol
Believe it or not, I think we're coming to the end. I remember the "final dungeon" being pretty different from the conventional JRPG.
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Ramzen
A night of dungeons!
---
"The Grasscutters Hut was filled with trapped lumberjacks. The monster activity in the surrounding areas has brought their work to a stop. It's just too dangerous. But this has also stopped important deliveries.
Outside the gates was a man who needed to pass into the north marsh. A little girl who lived there was sick, and the postman had the medicine for her. The leader of the lumberjacks volunteered to finish the delivery. Rod looked strong, but I had my doubts, so I followed him.
The North Woods contained more undead, and it was a good idea I ventured in. Rod got hurt and couldn't finish the trip. It wasn't bad enough that he could die, but Rod would need immediate treatment. I'd see him in a sling when I went back through town. But the Marshlands were nearby, so Rod let me save the girl.
Her house was near the start, and only a few sahagins stood between us. They tried to ambush me, but I was too quick for them. I gave the girl's father the medicine, and it started to work instantly. The lumberjacks warned me about a cave in the marsh, so I took this opportunity to look for it.
I had to walk around the wooded walkways to reach various statues across the area. These statues would raise stone platforms that let me get to other places, including the cave. But it was locked! I went back to the inn, and the girl was running around. She told me she had a dream, and a woman was looking for me. The girl gave me the passcode for the door, and I entered Neida's Cave.
It's a water filled cavern filled with slimes who absorb fire (my magic) and bats that split when attacked. I was also assailed by sirens, water spirits who took on the form of a woman, who threw water at me. In the back was another demon who protected a crystal. Water Beast Hydorr fought me in a shallow pool with moving water. The stream kept me stuck in the middle of the room. Hydoor stayed under water to shoot things at me while it tried to eat me. When I broke its shell, it revealed itself to be an octopus! It did the same thing but was faster. Regardless of form, I was quicker!
Behind her was the water spirit Neida. She has watched over these marshes for 1000 years and is in charge of the water alchemy crystal. She warned me that the powers of Kefin have sealed away a stronger magic, but the seal is on the verge of breaking, which would completely desertify the lands with no way of fixing it. She then told me that only I could solve it and gave me the Water Crystal. As I approached it, those brigands appeared. They took off with the crystal and told me they were looking for the Fire Crystal in Ziebe!
I thought about returning to Xandria to report to Dorman, but I don't like giving bad news, and I didn't want the Ibur Gang to get too far ahead. Ramzen is to the east of the Woodcutter's Hut. It's a surprisingly large city, and I think it's because it is a river port. An old woman told me about the waterfall the crystal resided in and its connection to the Phantom City, Kefin. She tried to get 500 gold out of me, but I was poor again. She walked away, and I overheard her talking to the Ibur Gang. I won't lose to them again...
One of the houses was the home of a local researcher, Garam. His daughter, Masara, told me he went missing after searching the ruins of Ziebe to the east. So there are three reasons for me to have gone there! I would need a Watergate Key to get through there, and they had a backup. Taking the key to the ruins allowed me to reach the first sluice gate. To gt to the depths of Ziebe, I needed to form a river. I found a secret path to the fifth, which started the plank boat parade I needed to get to the center. There were more switches I needed to step on to open doors, and two were guarded by stone golems. They blocked all frontal attacks, so I had to jump around. Along with the fire elements in here, this place had the toughest mobs.
In the door maze area, I ran into Garam. He told me about this area's connection to Kefin and confirmed that the Fire Crystal was down here. And it was guarded by a terrible fiend.
Agnihune was a familiar foe. I battled something similar in the volcano of Illburn back in Frlghana. But this guy had more tricks. Spitting fire brought me to my knees twice. I could have used a better sword for this, as this piercing blade ain't good.
The Fire Crystal was behind it, and Garam caught up to me. He told me of a legend passed down in his family that a red haired adventurer would appear. His presence could lead to catastrophe, but he could also save this land. My hair keeps getting me into trouble, but it's also keeping me busy! He let me take the crystal, and we returned to Ramzen. Stein, Neina's dad, was last seen going north from Ramzen, and he left a note with Garam confirming that the Terra Crystal is to the north. Maybe. So I know my next destination. As I left, Dorman told me to go north too. I stopped by the weapons shop and bought a new sword. This one swings, so I'm excited to use it. But where were the Ibr Gang?"
-Adol
---
These take forever to write! But I'm having fun. I think a better sword will be even more enjoyable!
---
"The Grasscutters Hut was filled with trapped lumberjacks. The monster activity in the surrounding areas has brought their work to a stop. It's just too dangerous. But this has also stopped important deliveries.
Outside the gates was a man who needed to pass into the north marsh. A little girl who lived there was sick, and the postman had the medicine for her. The leader of the lumberjacks volunteered to finish the delivery. Rod looked strong, but I had my doubts, so I followed him.
The North Woods contained more undead, and it was a good idea I ventured in. Rod got hurt and couldn't finish the trip. It wasn't bad enough that he could die, but Rod would need immediate treatment. I'd see him in a sling when I went back through town. But the Marshlands were nearby, so Rod let me save the girl.
Her house was near the start, and only a few sahagins stood between us. They tried to ambush me, but I was too quick for them. I gave the girl's father the medicine, and it started to work instantly. The lumberjacks warned me about a cave in the marsh, so I took this opportunity to look for it.
I had to walk around the wooded walkways to reach various statues across the area. These statues would raise stone platforms that let me get to other places, including the cave. But it was locked! I went back to the inn, and the girl was running around. She told me she had a dream, and a woman was looking for me. The girl gave me the passcode for the door, and I entered Neida's Cave.
It's a water filled cavern filled with slimes who absorb fire (my magic) and bats that split when attacked. I was also assailed by sirens, water spirits who took on the form of a woman, who threw water at me. In the back was another demon who protected a crystal. Water Beast Hydorr fought me in a shallow pool with moving water. The stream kept me stuck in the middle of the room. Hydoor stayed under water to shoot things at me while it tried to eat me. When I broke its shell, it revealed itself to be an octopus! It did the same thing but was faster. Regardless of form, I was quicker!
Behind her was the water spirit Neida. She has watched over these marshes for 1000 years and is in charge of the water alchemy crystal. She warned me that the powers of Kefin have sealed away a stronger magic, but the seal is on the verge of breaking, which would completely desertify the lands with no way of fixing it. She then told me that only I could solve it and gave me the Water Crystal. As I approached it, those brigands appeared. They took off with the crystal and told me they were looking for the Fire Crystal in Ziebe!
I thought about returning to Xandria to report to Dorman, but I don't like giving bad news, and I didn't want the Ibur Gang to get too far ahead. Ramzen is to the east of the Woodcutter's Hut. It's a surprisingly large city, and I think it's because it is a river port. An old woman told me about the waterfall the crystal resided in and its connection to the Phantom City, Kefin. She tried to get 500 gold out of me, but I was poor again. She walked away, and I overheard her talking to the Ibur Gang. I won't lose to them again...
One of the houses was the home of a local researcher, Garam. His daughter, Masara, told me he went missing after searching the ruins of Ziebe to the east. So there are three reasons for me to have gone there! I would need a Watergate Key to get through there, and they had a backup. Taking the key to the ruins allowed me to reach the first sluice gate. To gt to the depths of Ziebe, I needed to form a river. I found a secret path to the fifth, which started the plank boat parade I needed to get to the center. There were more switches I needed to step on to open doors, and two were guarded by stone golems. They blocked all frontal attacks, so I had to jump around. Along with the fire elements in here, this place had the toughest mobs.
In the door maze area, I ran into Garam. He told me about this area's connection to Kefin and confirmed that the Fire Crystal was down here. And it was guarded by a terrible fiend.
Agnihune was a familiar foe. I battled something similar in the volcano of Illburn back in Frlghana. But this guy had more tricks. Spitting fire brought me to my knees twice. I could have used a better sword for this, as this piercing blade ain't good.
The Fire Crystal was behind it, and Garam caught up to me. He told me of a legend passed down in his family that a red haired adventurer would appear. His presence could lead to catastrophe, but he could also save this land. My hair keeps getting me into trouble, but it's also keeping me busy! He let me take the crystal, and we returned to Ramzen. Stein, Neina's dad, was last seen going north from Ramzen, and he left a note with Garam confirming that the Terra Crystal is to the north. Maybe. So I know my next destination. As I left, Dorman told me to go north too. I stopped by the weapons shop and bought a new sword. This one swings, so I'm excited to use it. But where were the Ibr Gang?"
-Adol
---
These take forever to write! But I'm having fun. I think a better sword will be even more enjoyable!
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Xandria, Afroca
Ys V has only been released for the Super Nintendo, and it's remained Japanese since 1995. There was a PS2 remake that changed a few things, but guess what's also stayed away? It's a stark contrast to the previous titles as the Bump System and Zelda 2 gameplay ripoff has been replaced by a more traditional action RPG/hack and slash controls. But Adol can jump and even block, which I've already seen is a lot of fun. It adds a new depth to dungeons. Sadly, Adol is still a mute, and there are no additional playable characters. It's a step in the direction that the franchise would be taking. I've been hoping for a remake of Lost Kefin since I noticed Falcom had been redoing older titles. They've since made Dana, Nox, and Nordics will be releasing in a few months. It won't be worldwide for a long time after that, though. In lieu of knowledge, I have no choice but to continue Adol's adventures in a game that likely won't be canon in a few years. But if I remember right, the story was really good, so there's no need to redo it as much as IV. But let's get on with the show!!!
All the backstory we get about Ys V: Lost Kefin is that the desert kingdom of Kefin, located in eastern Afroca, fell 500 years ago. They rose to power with a form of magic called alchemy. No one knows how the kingdom went to ruin, but all that remains are the stone buildings that mark key locations to the east of the port town of Xandria. Xandria is an independent location and has no loyalty to Romn. It's run by a merchant named Dorman. But his country is slowly being wiped out by the desertion that seems to stem from the location where Kefin once stood. Word around the seas of this event has reached the ears of one Adol Christin. A year after saving his friend's land of Felghana, he's found himself in Xandria. And his adventures begin here:
---
"I reached my destination of Xandria today. It's a massive port town on the southwest side of the country. I stepped off the boat and tried to look around the city. But the guards had other plans. They're not fond of foreigners, it seems, so they roughed me up a bit. Or, tried to, at least. Not wanting to start a scene, I followed them into an alleyway behind a warehouse. We were about to fight until a higher ranking guard named Rizze stopped them. It seems the leader around here has gotten word of my adventuring spirit and wants to see me. My fame preludes me! The guards left me alone, and Rizza asked me to visit Dorman's house in the north of town. She apologized and let me explore Xandria.
It's quite a large town, and the port takes up half of it. Barrels litter the areas, which contain the usual shops and locations. The item shop is run by a locally famous girl named Niena, who I'll talk about later. But she's not at work, and I have no money. They wouldn't take Romn gold anyway. So I went to Dorman's mansion, and he was glad to see me. He's looking for adventurers because the town is in trouble. The desert to the east is slowly encroaching towards the town. It's already eaten several villages but keeps expanding. He blames the ancient kingdom of Kefin, home of alchemy. A man on the boat told me about this, which was a reason I came here. Dorman knows a lot about alchemy, including its source. He led me into his bedroom and showed me a glowing crystal. This is the Lumen Crystal that controls the alchemy of light. He believes there are others like it. This was found in a cave behind Foresta Village to the north. Dorman gave me 1000 gold to get some basic gear and suggested I visit Forseta first. I spent it all on a mid tier sword and began my journey!
The Foraeta Plains is home to a spider that spits before throwing itself at you, a bird that likes apples, and a crab. Monsters drop jewels, which all local shops buy and will be how I get rich. And then I'll give it to a bunch of people before I leave, as I'm want to do! East of Xandria is a broken bridge that's guarded by armored zombies. What is going on in this country?
But the north takes us to Forseta Village. As I entered the gate, the townsfolk ran away. I read the plaque in the middle of town, and it told of a prophecy. It read about a woman trapped in a crystal and of woe that would befall when a red haired adventurer appeared. Uh oh... Someone from Xandria was behind me and told me everyone was afraid of me. This brought out a few people to confirm that. They asked me to finish my business quickly. I bought some armor and a shield as I explored around town. To the east is a bronze statue of the mayor that everyone hates. It was being polished by a kid named Willy, who had no problem with me. I found him a brush so that he could work and wished him luck. And I returned to the square, woe befell the town.
The cave behind the town started spewing out monsters. Three people investigating it were attacked, and one was injured. More worrying still is a young girl was lost inside. The town didn't want me to do anything, but the elder (not mayor) prioritized saving the girl. Willy led me into the cave by pressing a button to open a back door. Inside were undead monsters, rats, and a glowing sphere that attacked by changing the air around it. Those things were terrifying! We found the girl a few steps into Forseta Cave. Niena was fine but shaken up. Willy and a few other villagers came in to escort her out, but Willy and I wanted to see where these monsters came from. Behind Niena was a strange glyph on the floor. I stepped on it, and it took me a great crystal.
And a woman was trapped inside it. A necklace appeared before me, and it started talking to me! Inside was a man named Stoker. He had been watching over his love, Forseta, for 500 years. But he's lost his humanity over that time and thinks it's time to move. He'll be a companion who shows up from time to time now. But he warned me of someone deeper in the cave.
A few rooms later was the Light Demon, Valtemos! He has been protecting Forseta for five centuries and tried to do so here. His attacks involved spitting fireballs at me and trying to shoot me with a third eye laser. He could also shake the cave to drop rocks on me. But I ran around and found plenty of opportunities to shove my sword into the face of the lumbering beast. Stoker congratulated me for having the strength to take him down with only a sword. The quick way out was guarded by Valtemnos, which I took to town. The mayor's statue was moved nearby, so I could venture back in if I needed to. Things had settled down, so I returned to Xandria.
Niena was at home, and I wanted to see if she was okay. I heard an ocarina playing as I approached. She stopped to thank me for saving her, and we started talking. Five years ago, an adventurer named Stein found Neina in the desert with no memories. As a fellow amnesiac, I understand her troubles. All she had was the ocarina. She had been living with Stein and viewed him as a father until he disappeared two years ago. He was investigating Kefin. After buying some healing herbs, I went to see my patron.
Dorman gave me the crystal in hopes I learn more about alchemy firsthand. He also told me to go to the marshlands east of Forseta.
I went back to town to hear something happened at Niena's. A man named Karion broke in and attacked Niena. He didn't want to harm her, but he stole a medal that belonged to Stein. It had something to do with Kefin, and the attacker told me to mind my own business. That just makes me want to investigate more! Nirna was fine, so I continued with my job and hoped the locals would pick up the pieces.
The path to the marshlands took me to the broken bridge. There was a path to the north before it, and I had to walk through a thick forest. Woodland Plateau has a big canopy that makes seeing hard. It was inhabited by more undead and a group of tricksters. But before then was a woman who Stoker wanted me to meet. She knew about alchemy and taught me about it. If I combine three elemental shards, I can form my own magic powers. I've gathered enough through gifts to create a fireball attack.
I stumbled upon a girl being attacked by brigands. Xandria needs better guards! The girl owned the men 6000 gold, which I tried to pay off. They don't take gems as payment, so I didn't have enough. They then forced me to partake in an arena fight. The desert wolf can only charge, so I kept it at by and shot my new fireball at it. It turns out the girl was working for the brigands. They ambush people and steal their money or use tricks like this. Terra and her friends ran away. Passed them is the Woodcutter's Village. It's home to loggers who've made their home in a giant tree. I rested there because I have a feeling the swamp is gonna suck."
--Adol
---
Who knew the ability to jump could be so much fun? And I wonder if I'll ever block with my shield? I remember the magic system being lame, but I want to give it a shot this time around. The basics of it seem interesting, so maybe it was just me.
All the backstory we get about Ys V: Lost Kefin is that the desert kingdom of Kefin, located in eastern Afroca, fell 500 years ago. They rose to power with a form of magic called alchemy. No one knows how the kingdom went to ruin, but all that remains are the stone buildings that mark key locations to the east of the port town of Xandria. Xandria is an independent location and has no loyalty to Romn. It's run by a merchant named Dorman. But his country is slowly being wiped out by the desertion that seems to stem from the location where Kefin once stood. Word around the seas of this event has reached the ears of one Adol Christin. A year after saving his friend's land of Felghana, he's found himself in Xandria. And his adventures begin here:
---
"I reached my destination of Xandria today. It's a massive port town on the southwest side of the country. I stepped off the boat and tried to look around the city. But the guards had other plans. They're not fond of foreigners, it seems, so they roughed me up a bit. Or, tried to, at least. Not wanting to start a scene, I followed them into an alleyway behind a warehouse. We were about to fight until a higher ranking guard named Rizze stopped them. It seems the leader around here has gotten word of my adventuring spirit and wants to see me. My fame preludes me! The guards left me alone, and Rizza asked me to visit Dorman's house in the north of town. She apologized and let me explore Xandria.
It's quite a large town, and the port takes up half of it. Barrels litter the areas, which contain the usual shops and locations. The item shop is run by a locally famous girl named Niena, who I'll talk about later. But she's not at work, and I have no money. They wouldn't take Romn gold anyway. So I went to Dorman's mansion, and he was glad to see me. He's looking for adventurers because the town is in trouble. The desert to the east is slowly encroaching towards the town. It's already eaten several villages but keeps expanding. He blames the ancient kingdom of Kefin, home of alchemy. A man on the boat told me about this, which was a reason I came here. Dorman knows a lot about alchemy, including its source. He led me into his bedroom and showed me a glowing crystal. This is the Lumen Crystal that controls the alchemy of light. He believes there are others like it. This was found in a cave behind Foresta Village to the north. Dorman gave me 1000 gold to get some basic gear and suggested I visit Forseta first. I spent it all on a mid tier sword and began my journey!
The Foraeta Plains is home to a spider that spits before throwing itself at you, a bird that likes apples, and a crab. Monsters drop jewels, which all local shops buy and will be how I get rich. And then I'll give it to a bunch of people before I leave, as I'm want to do! East of Xandria is a broken bridge that's guarded by armored zombies. What is going on in this country?
But the north takes us to Forseta Village. As I entered the gate, the townsfolk ran away. I read the plaque in the middle of town, and it told of a prophecy. It read about a woman trapped in a crystal and of woe that would befall when a red haired adventurer appeared. Uh oh... Someone from Xandria was behind me and told me everyone was afraid of me. This brought out a few people to confirm that. They asked me to finish my business quickly. I bought some armor and a shield as I explored around town. To the east is a bronze statue of the mayor that everyone hates. It was being polished by a kid named Willy, who had no problem with me. I found him a brush so that he could work and wished him luck. And I returned to the square, woe befell the town.
The cave behind the town started spewing out monsters. Three people investigating it were attacked, and one was injured. More worrying still is a young girl was lost inside. The town didn't want me to do anything, but the elder (not mayor) prioritized saving the girl. Willy led me into the cave by pressing a button to open a back door. Inside were undead monsters, rats, and a glowing sphere that attacked by changing the air around it. Those things were terrifying! We found the girl a few steps into Forseta Cave. Niena was fine but shaken up. Willy and a few other villagers came in to escort her out, but Willy and I wanted to see where these monsters came from. Behind Niena was a strange glyph on the floor. I stepped on it, and it took me a great crystal.
And a woman was trapped inside it. A necklace appeared before me, and it started talking to me! Inside was a man named Stoker. He had been watching over his love, Forseta, for 500 years. But he's lost his humanity over that time and thinks it's time to move. He'll be a companion who shows up from time to time now. But he warned me of someone deeper in the cave.
A few rooms later was the Light Demon, Valtemos! He has been protecting Forseta for five centuries and tried to do so here. His attacks involved spitting fireballs at me and trying to shoot me with a third eye laser. He could also shake the cave to drop rocks on me. But I ran around and found plenty of opportunities to shove my sword into the face of the lumbering beast. Stoker congratulated me for having the strength to take him down with only a sword. The quick way out was guarded by Valtemnos, which I took to town. The mayor's statue was moved nearby, so I could venture back in if I needed to. Things had settled down, so I returned to Xandria.
Niena was at home, and I wanted to see if she was okay. I heard an ocarina playing as I approached. She stopped to thank me for saving her, and we started talking. Five years ago, an adventurer named Stein found Neina in the desert with no memories. As a fellow amnesiac, I understand her troubles. All she had was the ocarina. She had been living with Stein and viewed him as a father until he disappeared two years ago. He was investigating Kefin. After buying some healing herbs, I went to see my patron.
Dorman gave me the crystal in hopes I learn more about alchemy firsthand. He also told me to go to the marshlands east of Forseta.
I went back to town to hear something happened at Niena's. A man named Karion broke in and attacked Niena. He didn't want to harm her, but he stole a medal that belonged to Stein. It had something to do with Kefin, and the attacker told me to mind my own business. That just makes me want to investigate more! Nirna was fine, so I continued with my job and hoped the locals would pick up the pieces.
The path to the marshlands took me to the broken bridge. There was a path to the north before it, and I had to walk through a thick forest. Woodland Plateau has a big canopy that makes seeing hard. It was inhabited by more undead and a group of tricksters. But before then was a woman who Stoker wanted me to meet. She knew about alchemy and taught me about it. If I combine three elemental shards, I can form my own magic powers. I've gathered enough through gifts to create a fireball attack.
I stumbled upon a girl being attacked by brigands. Xandria needs better guards! The girl owned the men 6000 gold, which I tried to pay off. They don't take gems as payment, so I didn't have enough. They then forced me to partake in an arena fight. The desert wolf can only charge, so I kept it at by and shot my new fireball at it. It turns out the girl was working for the brigands. They ambush people and steal their money or use tricks like this. Terra and her friends ran away. Passed them is the Woodcutter's Village. It's home to loggers who've made their home in a giant tree. I rested there because I have a feeling the swamp is gonna suck."
--Adol
---
Who knew the ability to jump could be so much fun? And I wonder if I'll ever block with my shield? I remember the magic system being lame, but I want to give it a shot this time around. The basics of it seem interesting, so maybe it was just me.
Saturday, July 15, 2023
Treasure of Rudra
It's uncancelable! It's also kinda confusing, so I'm glad I didn't live update it.
Treasure of Rudra is the last game Squaresoft ever developed for the Super Nintendo. They'd produce one more, but that's for a later date. Its release at the end of the console's lifespan shows how good Square was at mastering the system's intricacies and the skills they gained before moving on. It's a great end to a great era. I wonder why Square never localized the game, but then I remember the intricate gimmick ToR has, which is hella rad. It's not the best of Square's work, but it certainly stands on its own.
But I'm Nancy, and I'm always negative. So what sucks?
The story gets really convoluted. It's the main reason why I dropped the game eleven months ago. There are so many proper nouns, dungeons, people, and key players that it's hard to keep track of everything. The important people show up several times across all three stories, but some of the minor ones make me wonder things I probably shouldn't. But that does mean it's deep, so guess what we'll talk about in a moment?
Another downside of the three characters is it can get tedious. You travel the same handful of dungeons what feels like a million times. They contain the same loot, and rarely, if ever, are there new things to see. It's just padding for the sake of it. Fortunately, most of it is optional, and the EXP or gear rewards are good enough. They're also usually sensible. Of course, towns and areas with important people will be visited multiple times. But some of it could have been improved.
The way mantras were done also feels like it could have been altered. Especially when switching between characters. Sion had a great set of words with everything I needed, but Surlent's mantra list wiped it when he became the main character. So I'd have to type (slowly) the basic list of spells and stats de/buffs, few of which I'd remember. Some of the late game words are really complex and hard to notice a pattern on. And the limited list wasn't helpful!
The battle system had its perks, but it was mostly less than good. Character skills would have gone a long way to expanding the boredom of it. A few characters lack mana, so all they can do is attack. It's not fun. And boss battles range from easy to impossible, depending on your setup. The biggest problem here is there's no way to know if you have the proper gear or mantras. There is no scan, and there's rarely any indication of what spells a boss uses beforehand. Without a guide, there's no way to know without trial and error.
That seems like a lot, but (spoiler) Treasure of Rudra is getting a good score. Here's why:
The plot is incredibly deep. Even by more modern standards, it holds up well with the plentiful bosses, side characters, and twists and turns. Deaths and world altering events are always huge. Especially when they're so connected and have plenty of reasons to be around. There are no one note nerds here! And the way you experience the same world and its changing from three perspectives is amazing! More importantly, it's all connected. There are no loose strands; it's all tied together at the end. Everything has a reason! And it's a really interesting twist. One of the best!
I didn't like how the mantras were implemented, but I loved that they existed. And there's a wide set of things you can do! With an ever expanding list of prefixes and suffixes, which increase power and MP cost, or ways to make them target everyone, it's a unique way to make spells. And you're actually manufacturing them! Buffs, debuffs, special rares, and other miscellaneous stuff are all in your hands. But ya know what would have been cool? If physical skills existed here too. Bosses get them...maybe I could have used them too? I would have made them easier to digest. What the hell is Nanikueteyus!?!?
The four main characters nearly reached a perfect score. They missed out by one point. The secondary cast were much more lacking, but they're just average at worse. Everyone has their moments of fun!
The music is surprisingly good. It's a game no one's heard of, so it didn't need to go this hard. The multiple world map themes for characters AND time of day are huge! There are multiple battle themes, and even the final boss gets a faux Final Fantasy orchestration track. I don't know if there are any certified bangers here, but there are three hours of songs, so it deserves something.
The graphics show how good Squaresoft was during this time. Even basic enemies are high quality, and bosses look like something from Street Fighter. And the backgrounds! Oh, how I enjoyed looking out at the valleys before me!
So let's wrap this up!
Plot: worth the investment. The way the game tells three separate stories that interconnect with a rad twist is, well, rad! The characters aren't perfect, but there's a perfect final boss, which is good enough! 8/10
Gameplay: repetitive? It's all mantras, which can be fun and unique if you want to meddle in the intricacies and wordplay of it all. Oddly enough, I wasn't super into it, but maybe a better translation would fix that? 5/10
Music: it's a Squaresoft game. Between the quality and quantity, it's a good reminder that Square hasn't missed in a long time. 9/10
Art: it's a Squaresoft game. Between the quality and quantity, it's a good reminder that Square hasn't missed in a long time. 10/10
Charm: it's mostly here. The world is great, and there are so many NPCs to get to know. The animations of attack, ready, and the hundreds of spells probably push the SNES to its limits. The length is slightly pushing it, and the repetitive gameplay makes a replay questionable. 8/10.
Despite saying repetitive a lot in this review, I'm not knocking it here. It's borderline, but it fits in just enough. Treasure of Rudra is far from perfect. By modern standards, we'd probably call it a budget title. But a game with that moniker doesn't need to be this good. It's worth a play and look-see. 40/50. I'm glad I came back to this!
Treasure of Rudra is the last game Squaresoft ever developed for the Super Nintendo. They'd produce one more, but that's for a later date. Its release at the end of the console's lifespan shows how good Square was at mastering the system's intricacies and the skills they gained before moving on. It's a great end to a great era. I wonder why Square never localized the game, but then I remember the intricate gimmick ToR has, which is hella rad. It's not the best of Square's work, but it certainly stands on its own.
But I'm Nancy, and I'm always negative. So what sucks?
The story gets really convoluted. It's the main reason why I dropped the game eleven months ago. There are so many proper nouns, dungeons, people, and key players that it's hard to keep track of everything. The important people show up several times across all three stories, but some of the minor ones make me wonder things I probably shouldn't. But that does mean it's deep, so guess what we'll talk about in a moment?
Another downside of the three characters is it can get tedious. You travel the same handful of dungeons what feels like a million times. They contain the same loot, and rarely, if ever, are there new things to see. It's just padding for the sake of it. Fortunately, most of it is optional, and the EXP or gear rewards are good enough. They're also usually sensible. Of course, towns and areas with important people will be visited multiple times. But some of it could have been improved.
The way mantras were done also feels like it could have been altered. Especially when switching between characters. Sion had a great set of words with everything I needed, but Surlent's mantra list wiped it when he became the main character. So I'd have to type (slowly) the basic list of spells and stats de/buffs, few of which I'd remember. Some of the late game words are really complex and hard to notice a pattern on. And the limited list wasn't helpful!
The battle system had its perks, but it was mostly less than good. Character skills would have gone a long way to expanding the boredom of it. A few characters lack mana, so all they can do is attack. It's not fun. And boss battles range from easy to impossible, depending on your setup. The biggest problem here is there's no way to know if you have the proper gear or mantras. There is no scan, and there's rarely any indication of what spells a boss uses beforehand. Without a guide, there's no way to know without trial and error.
That seems like a lot, but (spoiler) Treasure of Rudra is getting a good score. Here's why:
The plot is incredibly deep. Even by more modern standards, it holds up well with the plentiful bosses, side characters, and twists and turns. Deaths and world altering events are always huge. Especially when they're so connected and have plenty of reasons to be around. There are no one note nerds here! And the way you experience the same world and its changing from three perspectives is amazing! More importantly, it's all connected. There are no loose strands; it's all tied together at the end. Everything has a reason! And it's a really interesting twist. One of the best!
I didn't like how the mantras were implemented, but I loved that they existed. And there's a wide set of things you can do! With an ever expanding list of prefixes and suffixes, which increase power and MP cost, or ways to make them target everyone, it's a unique way to make spells. And you're actually manufacturing them! Buffs, debuffs, special rares, and other miscellaneous stuff are all in your hands. But ya know what would have been cool? If physical skills existed here too. Bosses get them...maybe I could have used them too? I would have made them easier to digest. What the hell is Nanikueteyus!?!?
The four main characters nearly reached a perfect score. They missed out by one point. The secondary cast were much more lacking, but they're just average at worse. Everyone has their moments of fun!
The music is surprisingly good. It's a game no one's heard of, so it didn't need to go this hard. The multiple world map themes for characters AND time of day are huge! There are multiple battle themes, and even the final boss gets a faux Final Fantasy orchestration track. I don't know if there are any certified bangers here, but there are three hours of songs, so it deserves something.
The graphics show how good Squaresoft was during this time. Even basic enemies are high quality, and bosses look like something from Street Fighter. And the backgrounds! Oh, how I enjoyed looking out at the valleys before me!
So let's wrap this up!
Plot: worth the investment. The way the game tells three separate stories that interconnect with a rad twist is, well, rad! The characters aren't perfect, but there's a perfect final boss, which is good enough! 8/10
Gameplay: repetitive? It's all mantras, which can be fun and unique if you want to meddle in the intricacies and wordplay of it all. Oddly enough, I wasn't super into it, but maybe a better translation would fix that? 5/10
Music: it's a Squaresoft game. Between the quality and quantity, it's a good reminder that Square hasn't missed in a long time. 9/10
Art: it's a Squaresoft game. Between the quality and quantity, it's a good reminder that Square hasn't missed in a long time. 10/10
Charm: it's mostly here. The world is great, and there are so many NPCs to get to know. The animations of attack, ready, and the hundreds of spells probably push the SNES to its limits. The length is slightly pushing it, and the repetitive gameplay makes a replay questionable. 8/10.
Despite saying repetitive a lot in this review, I'm not knocking it here. It's borderline, but it fits in just enough. Treasure of Rudra is far from perfect. By modern standards, we'd probably call it a budget title. But a game with that moniker doesn't need to be this good. It's worth a play and look-see. 40/50. I'm glad I came back to this!
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
My Memories of Someone's Fake Memories.
I've forgotten most of Ys IV in the four years since I last played it. What a shameful act that was.
The gameplay alone might make Memories of Celceta the best Ys game. I understand if you're s purist of sorts and want the solo Adol experience, but the additional five characters, who feel just unique enough, add a depth not seen in the classic titles. Everyone feels different, but their skills reveal just how much. Ozma is slow, forceful, and powerful and has a surprisingly long range. Karna has speed and range. Frieda is slow, but her range is wide. Adol was a reliable hand, Calilka was a fun and confusing mix of everything, and Duren was perfectly fine. And, following the footsteps of Ys VII, the attack types (slash, bludgeon, and pierce) return and require a well rounded party. And unlike VII, Adol can't fill every role at the end. It's interesting that every character uses unique element attacks, but those elements never mean anything. I'd have expanded them, but I won't hold it against MoC. And the system the devs put in place makes MP consumption a non issue. If you're out of it, just attack normally. You'll get it all back in a moment! And it has the most important thing I love in a game: exploration!
The game starts out with that being the primary goal. We're tasked with walking around a forest, much of which we'll get to double back on when the Metroidvania aspects kick in. Not only is exploring a fun, vital part of the game, but it's actually mandatory. And there's so much stuff to find! Superbosses, ultimate weapon crafting materials, side quest locations: it's all great. It's just so fun!
It's amplified by the exciting music. Ys always does field/overworld themes in ways no other franchise does, and that continuity is here. It's not notes of wanderlust but of excitement and adventure. Every location gets its own song, which is both good and bad. A few areas, Table Mountain and the Battlefield, are short, and you only pass through them once. You don't take them in as much as the Forest of Dawn, which you hear too much. Nearly forty percent of the overworld is the first forest, and the theme, which is great, feels a bit overused. It kinda becomes generic white noise after a while. It kills the idea of a banger for me.
Another reason MoC may be the best Ys game is because Adol has a personality. Before, he was practically mute. A narrator spoke for him in Felghana. But you get a choice of lines in Celceta, and they're actually fun. He can be sarcastic or to the point. How he interacts with his friends, especially at the end, is a fun experience. They don't mean much in the grand scheme of it all, but it's still a vast improvement over the silent protagonist of the past.
But as for Celceta, let's see what our new and improved Adol has to say:
"The sea foliage of Celceta is one of the most unique areas I've ever explored in all my years. Located in the northern portion of the Ipsani peninsula, north of the city of Casnan, lies a rich forest filled with diverse life forms and history.
The Forest of Dawn is a forest that once turned back all who dared to enter. And that's if you were lucky. If the giant rock throwing apes didn't get you, the lizardfolk or the floating fish would. It was split into several sections, and the steam was the hardest to navigate. The poison spewing worms were a constant threat, which made the colorful plants nearby seem welcoming. They were not welcoming. Nor were the crystalline insects next to the steam.
To the south of the forest was a large crater. I never knew what caused the hole, but I'm sure the flies and bears made it hard for any would-be researcher to find the answer. And between them was the Ancient Labyrinth, an even thicker forest from which only five people have ever gone through. But your reward for navigating to this place was the giant tree that could be seen from Casnan.
Comodo is home to fierce hunters, wonderful crafters, and my favorite harpist. Built on the branches of the great tree, these people live boring but peaceful and halcyon lives. It seems nice, but I'd go mad. I hope my friends there are well.
Following the stream from the forest brings people to the Misty Peak. I don't know if there's an actual mountain here, but the dense fog makes navigating even harder than the Labyrinth. There were so many paths and monsters that I wonder if swimming the strong stream is better. Not for me, though. The actual river in the forest hides the village of Selray. Selray is home to fishermen and the caretakers of the sacred beasts known as spardas. I hear they ceased the animal husbandry due to questionable historical events, but nothing would stop these guys from fishing. And now that the river has calmed down, they may not need their beasts of burden. With their ultra-super-amazing blacksmith, I'm sure they've subdued the lizardfolk.
The river slowed down because of events on the otherside of it. The former Primal Lands were the homeland of the ancient kingdom from whence the current area takes its name from. The town of Highland is home to people proud of their heritage as survivors of a great war. They've thrown down their weapons and become a technology powerhouse. And the impressive tower behind it lies empty now, but it was once a religious temple of sorts for the people.
And if you get past Highland and the steppes, you'll come to a terrifying swamp. It's home to all manner of poison spitting monstrosities that I suggest you avoid. Nothing is friendly; avoid at all costs.
But beyond that is the Temple of the Sun at Elduke, the former capital of Celceta. I have no idea what it could have looked like 800 years ago, but the ruins are the most awe inspiring location I've seen. I only hope it survived the volcano eruption.
There is so much to see and experience in Celceta, but most of it is incredibly deadly. The insects, spiders, bears, apes, plants, worms, lizardfolk, beastmen, and immortal science experiments are not to be trifled with. Of all my adventures, the monsters in Celceta are amongst the most deadly. But the human denizens are the total opposite. They welcome kind and charismatic visitors, but testing their patience will prove how frontiersmen work.
The Govoner-General of Casnan tasked me to find gold for the Romun Empire. I failed to find their gold, but I discovered far better experiences."
-Adol Criston
---
Plot: more than worthwhile. Gameplay was probably Memories of Celceta's primary focus. Making a full scale exploration game in a series about an adventurer is so rad. But the characters are fun, the bosses are good enough, and the story twists are fun! 8/10
Gameplay: the best. Skills, special moves, and multiple unique characters! It's rare I want a game to be longer, but I want to keep playing. I love how it works and makes MP loss a non issue. 10/10
Music: missing something. The tracks are all great and unique. Ys does something different than any other RPG I've played, and MoC is no different. But it's missing that killer track. Maybe there was too much Forest of Dawn?
On second thought, I think the issue is there is a lot of stuff going on with sound effects. Everyone's talking because of skills, attack grunts, and item pickup sounds. It drowns out those violins I've come to enjoy so much. Couple that with the multiple movements every song gets, and the good parts often don't even get heard due to fast travel mumbo jumbo. Ys IV's OST is just as good as Felghana's. 10/10
Art: it's a Vita game. This is the first game I've ever played that originally came from the PlayStation handheld. Looking at it can look a bit rough, but this was still a handheld. I was also playing on the lowest detail because my rig sucks. Despite that, I found it beautiful. It fits in perfectly, even by "modern" standards. And there's so much to see, and it wants you to look. 10/10
Charm: it's just fun! Replayability, idle nonsense, cool scenes while wandering, amazing NPCs who are expanded on in fun side quests, and a world that feels alive! As I said, I went the game to be longer, even if it's a perfect length. 10/10
With no negatives, Ys IV: Memories of Celceta gets a score of 48/50. Just when I thought Felghana was the goat, Celceta shows up to be the boat. I can't believe I gave it such a low score in my preliminary review. It makes me want to skip my next non Ys game, but I really shouldn't. But I might... How many times did I type "fun" in this?
The gameplay alone might make Memories of Celceta the best Ys game. I understand if you're s purist of sorts and want the solo Adol experience, but the additional five characters, who feel just unique enough, add a depth not seen in the classic titles. Everyone feels different, but their skills reveal just how much. Ozma is slow, forceful, and powerful and has a surprisingly long range. Karna has speed and range. Frieda is slow, but her range is wide. Adol was a reliable hand, Calilka was a fun and confusing mix of everything, and Duren was perfectly fine. And, following the footsteps of Ys VII, the attack types (slash, bludgeon, and pierce) return and require a well rounded party. And unlike VII, Adol can't fill every role at the end. It's interesting that every character uses unique element attacks, but those elements never mean anything. I'd have expanded them, but I won't hold it against MoC. And the system the devs put in place makes MP consumption a non issue. If you're out of it, just attack normally. You'll get it all back in a moment! And it has the most important thing I love in a game: exploration!
The game starts out with that being the primary goal. We're tasked with walking around a forest, much of which we'll get to double back on when the Metroidvania aspects kick in. Not only is exploring a fun, vital part of the game, but it's actually mandatory. And there's so much stuff to find! Superbosses, ultimate weapon crafting materials, side quest locations: it's all great. It's just so fun!
It's amplified by the exciting music. Ys always does field/overworld themes in ways no other franchise does, and that continuity is here. It's not notes of wanderlust but of excitement and adventure. Every location gets its own song, which is both good and bad. A few areas, Table Mountain and the Battlefield, are short, and you only pass through them once. You don't take them in as much as the Forest of Dawn, which you hear too much. Nearly forty percent of the overworld is the first forest, and the theme, which is great, feels a bit overused. It kinda becomes generic white noise after a while. It kills the idea of a banger for me.
Another reason MoC may be the best Ys game is because Adol has a personality. Before, he was practically mute. A narrator spoke for him in Felghana. But you get a choice of lines in Celceta, and they're actually fun. He can be sarcastic or to the point. How he interacts with his friends, especially at the end, is a fun experience. They don't mean much in the grand scheme of it all, but it's still a vast improvement over the silent protagonist of the past.
But as for Celceta, let's see what our new and improved Adol has to say:
"The sea foliage of Celceta is one of the most unique areas I've ever explored in all my years. Located in the northern portion of the Ipsani peninsula, north of the city of Casnan, lies a rich forest filled with diverse life forms and history.
The Forest of Dawn is a forest that once turned back all who dared to enter. And that's if you were lucky. If the giant rock throwing apes didn't get you, the lizardfolk or the floating fish would. It was split into several sections, and the steam was the hardest to navigate. The poison spewing worms were a constant threat, which made the colorful plants nearby seem welcoming. They were not welcoming. Nor were the crystalline insects next to the steam.
To the south of the forest was a large crater. I never knew what caused the hole, but I'm sure the flies and bears made it hard for any would-be researcher to find the answer. And between them was the Ancient Labyrinth, an even thicker forest from which only five people have ever gone through. But your reward for navigating to this place was the giant tree that could be seen from Casnan.
Comodo is home to fierce hunters, wonderful crafters, and my favorite harpist. Built on the branches of the great tree, these people live boring but peaceful and halcyon lives. It seems nice, but I'd go mad. I hope my friends there are well.
Following the stream from the forest brings people to the Misty Peak. I don't know if there's an actual mountain here, but the dense fog makes navigating even harder than the Labyrinth. There were so many paths and monsters that I wonder if swimming the strong stream is better. Not for me, though. The actual river in the forest hides the village of Selray. Selray is home to fishermen and the caretakers of the sacred beasts known as spardas. I hear they ceased the animal husbandry due to questionable historical events, but nothing would stop these guys from fishing. And now that the river has calmed down, they may not need their beasts of burden. With their ultra-super-amazing blacksmith, I'm sure they've subdued the lizardfolk.
The river slowed down because of events on the otherside of it. The former Primal Lands were the homeland of the ancient kingdom from whence the current area takes its name from. The town of Highland is home to people proud of their heritage as survivors of a great war. They've thrown down their weapons and become a technology powerhouse. And the impressive tower behind it lies empty now, but it was once a religious temple of sorts for the people.
And if you get past Highland and the steppes, you'll come to a terrifying swamp. It's home to all manner of poison spitting monstrosities that I suggest you avoid. Nothing is friendly; avoid at all costs.
But beyond that is the Temple of the Sun at Elduke, the former capital of Celceta. I have no idea what it could have looked like 800 years ago, but the ruins are the most awe inspiring location I've seen. I only hope it survived the volcano eruption.
There is so much to see and experience in Celceta, but most of it is incredibly deadly. The insects, spiders, bears, apes, plants, worms, lizardfolk, beastmen, and immortal science experiments are not to be trifled with. Of all my adventures, the monsters in Celceta are amongst the most deadly. But the human denizens are the total opposite. They welcome kind and charismatic visitors, but testing their patience will prove how frontiersmen work.
The Govoner-General of Casnan tasked me to find gold for the Romun Empire. I failed to find their gold, but I discovered far better experiences."
-Adol Criston
---
Plot: more than worthwhile. Gameplay was probably Memories of Celceta's primary focus. Making a full scale exploration game in a series about an adventurer is so rad. But the characters are fun, the bosses are good enough, and the story twists are fun! 8/10
Gameplay: the best. Skills, special moves, and multiple unique characters! It's rare I want a game to be longer, but I want to keep playing. I love how it works and makes MP loss a non issue. 10/10
Music: missing something. The tracks are all great and unique. Ys does something different than any other RPG I've played, and MoC is no different. But it's missing that killer track. Maybe there was too much Forest of Dawn?
On second thought, I think the issue is there is a lot of stuff going on with sound effects. Everyone's talking because of skills, attack grunts, and item pickup sounds. It drowns out those violins I've come to enjoy so much. Couple that with the multiple movements every song gets, and the good parts often don't even get heard due to fast travel mumbo jumbo. Ys IV's OST is just as good as Felghana's. 10/10
Art: it's a Vita game. This is the first game I've ever played that originally came from the PlayStation handheld. Looking at it can look a bit rough, but this was still a handheld. I was also playing on the lowest detail because my rig sucks. Despite that, I found it beautiful. It fits in perfectly, even by "modern" standards. And there's so much to see, and it wants you to look. 10/10
Charm: it's just fun! Replayability, idle nonsense, cool scenes while wandering, amazing NPCs who are expanded on in fun side quests, and a world that feels alive! As I said, I went the game to be longer, even if it's a perfect length. 10/10
With no negatives, Ys IV: Memories of Celceta gets a score of 48/50. Just when I thought Felghana was the goat, Celceta shows up to be the boat. I can't believe I gave it such a low score in my preliminary review. It makes me want to skip my next non Ys game, but I really shouldn't. But I might... How many times did I type "fun" in this?
Monday, July 10, 2023
Iris
---
From left to right were the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Areas. Each contained its own unique indescribable monsters. Some flew, many were formless, and others required the Roda Sword. Despite my love for combat, I found the puzzles the most fun.
Bronze Area involved moving floor puzzles. If you stepped on a glowing switch, the floating walkways would move side to side. Sometimes we'd have to backtrack to reach chests, but their rewards were worth it. Halfway through, we had to flood the area to get to the otherside and a teleporting door puzzle. This section was less cool because the doors took us to an obvious location.
The Silver Area was a series of platforms. We had to find three elemental crests to activate various podiums to advance. The crests triggered weather effects throughout the location, which revealed the path. Wind turned on fans, water flooded places, and fire melted some walls or evaorated water.
The Gold Area was a section that made us form the path. The floor rotated with walkways on them. As long as we could reach the four rooms filled with monsters from our memories, we could travel however we wanted. Platforms pending, of course!
All three guardians were color coordinated and fought the same. The Bronze guy seemed the toughest, but that might just be because we had no experience. With the three guards down, the path to the top of Iris was opened. There were a few more mobs who resembled death up here, but nothing stood in our way. We traveled the entirety of the Sea Foliage. We beat up a god. We had a blacksmith in a river village create three ancient weapons. And we've made wonderful friendships. But a traitor to this region threatened to undo all of that.
Gruda was working at the Acasiac Records. He actually congratulated us on being so determined because it's the type of person he wants in his new world. It seemed that he and Evil Eldeel were in agreement about letting the strong live on this planet, but Gruda wanted to test the entire human race first. Were we even worthy of life? Such a small amount of people would even try to do what we're doing. Maybe he's right, but his methods are terrible. Killing everyone to weed out the weak won't matter. People like me and my friends will always fight for those who can't. We'll rebuild the world with as many people as we can. All Gruda would do is needlessly reset everything. Unless we stopped him!
Gruda called upon the Records to give him its powers. Lafance thought even a god would struggle with such strength, but Gruda accomplished it. Or did he?
Gruda had transformed into Akasha-Glyph, a hulking monster similar to the guardians or Lezza's Sol. His attacks reminded me of the Tower of Providence guy in that they used a lot of lasers. They also had things around them that needed to be taken out. Akasha had three, and each were vulnerable to an attack type. Once the three were destroyed, the lasers stopped. Akasha then summoned a pillar in an attempt to squish us. He also tried to slap us between smashes. He would try to make an arena with his arms because his main goal would be to blow us up with his eye beam. But this also brought his face into range of my sword. And with that, we stopped our foe.
The seven of us sat around exhausted. We didn't want to spend time here, so I picked up the Mask of the Sun in hope Eldeel could fix what Gruda may have broken. But then Iris shook. What did he do? We all decided to leave before something bad happened. The Golden Wing stopped working, so we had to walk out. The shaking was also affecting the real world. Eldeel told us it was caused by the inconsistencies Gruda made before we got there. But it was too much, and not even a god could fix it in time. But there was another way. If we destroyed the key then the Records would stop functioning and reset. This would also seal the existence of fate. And that key was the Mask of the Sun. Eldeel couldn't break it, somehow, but the lava in Mt. Vesuvio could. So we tried to get there.
As we left, shadow monsters appeared in the temple. We quickly dispatched them, but their numbers were innumerable. Someone had to stay here and protect Eldeel. Did the Moon Mask weaken him? I never got a chance to ask him. Ozma and Karna, who don't know the area, decided to remain here.
As we left Elduke, more shadow heads jumped us. Fortunately, General Leo and Remnos saved us. Sancho and Panzo were also there.
We reached the foot of the volcano, and more showed up. They were quickly exploded by Lezza and Sol. She volunteered to defend this point, and Calilika stayed with her. The girl with the large hammer could handle the quick shadows better.
Myself, Duren, and Frieda began our climb. The shadow heads were here, but they had a body this time. They looked familiar... The three of us fought for a while, but there were so many. They were truly endless. We eventually just started running to the top, hoping to evade them. We couldn't. Frieda and Duren told me to go ahead and throw the mask into the lava. I told them that they better survive.
I wasn't alone. The shadows finally formed something I could recognize, and it was, clearly, Gruda. His hate guided him here, and he asked for the mask. He devolved into only saying a single word: kill. On top of this erupting volcano was a one-on-one duel. I feel like I've been through something similar before. Gruda attacked like a man with a single passion for murder. His sword was quick and to the point. The ferocious phantom stood no chance against me, though. I transferred all my love and desire into one ball of pure light and threw it into his face, vaporizing him in an instant.
A ledge nearby gave me a good vantage point to toss the Mask of the Sun into the volcano. I did, but another earthquake shook the region, and the rocks I was on broke. I don't know if it was the heat, the methane, the exhaustion, or the shock that I was about to die, but I passed out. I awoke in the palm of Sol with Lezza next to me. She saved me and told me everyone was fine and waiting in Danem. We spoke about the journey before she wondered what Eldeel wanted to give me when I first met her. And then all my memories came back!
This was when I became an adventurer, and that memory is a story for another day!
-Adol
---
The ending epilogue said Adol made everything vague and uncertain, so I won't go into the juicy bits. They also they don't exist. There's a final scene between Eldeel and Lafance that's a bit dark, depending on how you view it and a scene that sets up Ys VI. I'm definitely playing VI, but I might play V first. V does come first, after all. But yeah, no endings for anyone, and we (so far) haven't seen them in another Ys game. Griselda appears as an NPC in VIII, but I won't be playing that (money and technology limitations). But Ys IV was amazing, and I'm glad I'm doing this!
From left to right were the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Areas. Each contained its own unique indescribable monsters. Some flew, many were formless, and others required the Roda Sword. Despite my love for combat, I found the puzzles the most fun.
Bronze Area involved moving floor puzzles. If you stepped on a glowing switch, the floating walkways would move side to side. Sometimes we'd have to backtrack to reach chests, but their rewards were worth it. Halfway through, we had to flood the area to get to the otherside and a teleporting door puzzle. This section was less cool because the doors took us to an obvious location.
The Silver Area was a series of platforms. We had to find three elemental crests to activate various podiums to advance. The crests triggered weather effects throughout the location, which revealed the path. Wind turned on fans, water flooded places, and fire melted some walls or evaorated water.
The Gold Area was a section that made us form the path. The floor rotated with walkways on them. As long as we could reach the four rooms filled with monsters from our memories, we could travel however we wanted. Platforms pending, of course!
All three guardians were color coordinated and fought the same. The Bronze guy seemed the toughest, but that might just be because we had no experience. With the three guards down, the path to the top of Iris was opened. There were a few more mobs who resembled death up here, but nothing stood in our way. We traveled the entirety of the Sea Foliage. We beat up a god. We had a blacksmith in a river village create three ancient weapons. And we've made wonderful friendships. But a traitor to this region threatened to undo all of that.
Gruda was working at the Acasiac Records. He actually congratulated us on being so determined because it's the type of person he wants in his new world. It seemed that he and Evil Eldeel were in agreement about letting the strong live on this planet, but Gruda wanted to test the entire human race first. Were we even worthy of life? Such a small amount of people would even try to do what we're doing. Maybe he's right, but his methods are terrible. Killing everyone to weed out the weak won't matter. People like me and my friends will always fight for those who can't. We'll rebuild the world with as many people as we can. All Gruda would do is needlessly reset everything. Unless we stopped him!
Gruda called upon the Records to give him its powers. Lafance thought even a god would struggle with such strength, but Gruda accomplished it. Or did he?
Gruda had transformed into Akasha-Glyph, a hulking monster similar to the guardians or Lezza's Sol. His attacks reminded me of the Tower of Providence guy in that they used a lot of lasers. They also had things around them that needed to be taken out. Akasha had three, and each were vulnerable to an attack type. Once the three were destroyed, the lasers stopped. Akasha then summoned a pillar in an attempt to squish us. He also tried to slap us between smashes. He would try to make an arena with his arms because his main goal would be to blow us up with his eye beam. But this also brought his face into range of my sword. And with that, we stopped our foe.
The seven of us sat around exhausted. We didn't want to spend time here, so I picked up the Mask of the Sun in hope Eldeel could fix what Gruda may have broken. But then Iris shook. What did he do? We all decided to leave before something bad happened. The Golden Wing stopped working, so we had to walk out. The shaking was also affecting the real world. Eldeel told us it was caused by the inconsistencies Gruda made before we got there. But it was too much, and not even a god could fix it in time. But there was another way. If we destroyed the key then the Records would stop functioning and reset. This would also seal the existence of fate. And that key was the Mask of the Sun. Eldeel couldn't break it, somehow, but the lava in Mt. Vesuvio could. So we tried to get there.
As we left, shadow monsters appeared in the temple. We quickly dispatched them, but their numbers were innumerable. Someone had to stay here and protect Eldeel. Did the Moon Mask weaken him? I never got a chance to ask him. Ozma and Karna, who don't know the area, decided to remain here.
As we left Elduke, more shadow heads jumped us. Fortunately, General Leo and Remnos saved us. Sancho and Panzo were also there.
We reached the foot of the volcano, and more showed up. They were quickly exploded by Lezza and Sol. She volunteered to defend this point, and Calilika stayed with her. The girl with the large hammer could handle the quick shadows better.
Myself, Duren, and Frieda began our climb. The shadow heads were here, but they had a body this time. They looked familiar... The three of us fought for a while, but there were so many. They were truly endless. We eventually just started running to the top, hoping to evade them. We couldn't. Frieda and Duren told me to go ahead and throw the mask into the lava. I told them that they better survive.
I wasn't alone. The shadows finally formed something I could recognize, and it was, clearly, Gruda. His hate guided him here, and he asked for the mask. He devolved into only saying a single word: kill. On top of this erupting volcano was a one-on-one duel. I feel like I've been through something similar before. Gruda attacked like a man with a single passion for murder. His sword was quick and to the point. The ferocious phantom stood no chance against me, though. I transferred all my love and desire into one ball of pure light and threw it into his face, vaporizing him in an instant.
A ledge nearby gave me a good vantage point to toss the Mask of the Sun into the volcano. I did, but another earthquake shook the region, and the rocks I was on broke. I don't know if it was the heat, the methane, the exhaustion, or the shock that I was about to die, but I passed out. I awoke in the palm of Sol with Lezza next to me. She saved me and told me everyone was fine and waiting in Danem. We spoke about the journey before she wondered what Eldeel wanted to give me when I first met her. And then all my memories came back!
This was when I became an adventurer, and that memory is a story for another day!
-Adol
---
The ending epilogue said Adol made everything vague and uncertain, so I won't go into the juicy bits. They also they don't exist. There's a final scene between Eldeel and Lafance that's a bit dark, depending on how you view it and a scene that sets up Ys VI. I'm definitely playing VI, but I might play V first. V does come first, after all. But yeah, no endings for anyone, and we (so far) haven't seen them in another Ys game. Griselda appears as an NPC in VIII, but I won't be playing that (money and technology limitations). But Ys IV was amazing, and I'm glad I'm doing this!
Sunday, July 9, 2023
Colonia Artifact Lab
It's the penultimate day!
---
Gazzok is a man I first met in Selray. He told me many stories of his travels in the forest and would have continued until Zora tickled him to sleep. I would lose my memories a few days later. Shortly after we arrived in Highland, I'd see him again. Gazzok is actually from the Primal Lands but got swept to Casnan a few decades ago and has been living as a hermit since then. I broughthim up now because he was waiting for us outside the lab. He got lost wandering the forest. But he's an excellent blacksmith, so I finally upgraded a weapon. I can freeze people a lot! We told him how to reach the Roo's Nest, and he'd be hanging out with Remnos next we saw him.
But before him was an immortal entity. We could beat up on it all we wanted, but there was no way to put it down. Until I used that sword. When the demon door slumped down, I stuck the sword the Grand Roo gave me into its neck. It worked!
Inside the Colonia Artifact Lab were weird science experiments. Blobs of goo, grim reapers, and other monsters with an indescribable form. A handful of worms needed the magic sword to be dealt with, but most could be felled with traditional means. The interior was lined with cold steel. Its path webbed in a confusing manner, made worse by various broken walls. We needed to make use of the Dwarf's Bracelet to navigate through air ducts.
Early on, the group would hear a scream. Chasing towards the source would take us to Leeza. We had hoped to see her in here, but this wasn't the best time. She was thrown off of Sol, and the machine was acting weird. It didn't obey its master and seemed to be panicking. And then it spoke. Lezza didn't know Sol could speak. It returned to the skies, and we wondered what to do with Lezza. She wanted to find Sol, and we needed to reach ...something. Calilica suggested Lezza come along, which made the most sense. We weren't gonna just leave her here.
After passing through broken science equipment and returning outside, we saw the still panicking Sol before an alter. It still spoke, and it wondered who it was and why it was here. And then it went berserk. It started to attack us, which meant we had to destroy it. The battle felt similar to the one in Danan, but we've grown much stronger since then. And the Muddled Galbalon's madness didn't let it fight well. We brought it to its knees and then wounded its arms. After a few go throughs, Sol stopped. We didn't break it, but a light began to appear between it and Lezza. A man appeared before us!
King Lafance!? His soul was stuck in Sol because it sought someone strong and related, namely his great granddaughter, Leeza. He woke up at the same time evil Eldeel did. Lafance told us more about his friend from 800 years ago. The Mask of the Moon was created to stop the "black winged" entity was the important bit for now. Lafance pointed out the altar behind him and told us to place the mask fragments there. He could magically fix them and return the magic it needed. And on that note, we planned to save Eldeel. Separately, we returned to Elduke.
Leeza and Sol got there just after us, and Lafance was already waiting. Before we entered the Temple of the Sun, we planned how to stop Eldeel. I don't know if we made a good plan, but we knew we'd have to beat him up. Everyone agreed that I should be the one to don the Mask of the Moon. It seemed like a big deal to everyone, so I did. Inside was Eldeel.
Things were said, but none of them were important. Words didn't matter, so the battle began. It was oddly not exciting. He put on the Mask of the Sun and started throwing various elemental spells at us: fireballs, water bubbles, lightning. For a god, his armor seemed pretty bad. Eventually, he just kinda stood there. What's with the MoS users opening themselves to attack? We wailed on him and dropped him. His mask fell off, and he changed forms again. Our Eldeel regained his senses. He quickly asked for the Mask of the Moon and remarked that he should have made it look better. With his mind intact, he'd tell us the truth.
The black Eldeel was not a separate entity. It was actually his own doubt. Eldeel wondered if accessing the Acasiac Records to guide man was a good idea. That unease resulted in a god who wanted man to evolve in a different manner. While humans could be guided to be better, we can "evolve" faster through hard times. Floods, earthquakes, fires, and pestilences all make strong men and women at the expense of the weak.
A laugh rung out. Gruda came back and had the Mask of the Sun. He was upset that evil Eldeel wasn't truly in favor of wonton destruction. Eldeel didn't even use the power of the mask in our fight. Gruda wants the end of Mick Foley, even if he has to fight alone. The Darklings leader put on the Mask of the Sun and dove into the sphere behind us: the gateway to the Isis, the home of the Acasiac Records. If we wanted to stop him, we'd need to follow.
Eldeel would open the path, Leeza would stay behind with him, and Lafance would guide us. The seven of us entered an immaculate room with three walkways before us. Lefance told us how to reach the records. We'd need to defeat three guardians to create a teleporter to the top. After discussing the inconsistencies that Eldeel must have made and how his divine powers fixed them, we released none of it matters. We had more pressing matters and were running out of time.
...to be continued
---
I did all the quests, explored all the forest, got several achievements, and even found the missing chests and resource points (on my older save). There is nothing more I can do on this save (besides killing the superboss). I once thought Ys IV was mid, but I've fallen n love with the franchise all over again because of it.
---
Gazzok is a man I first met in Selray. He told me many stories of his travels in the forest and would have continued until Zora tickled him to sleep. I would lose my memories a few days later. Shortly after we arrived in Highland, I'd see him again. Gazzok is actually from the Primal Lands but got swept to Casnan a few decades ago and has been living as a hermit since then. I broughthim up now because he was waiting for us outside the lab. He got lost wandering the forest. But he's an excellent blacksmith, so I finally upgraded a weapon. I can freeze people a lot! We told him how to reach the Roo's Nest, and he'd be hanging out with Remnos next we saw him.
But before him was an immortal entity. We could beat up on it all we wanted, but there was no way to put it down. Until I used that sword. When the demon door slumped down, I stuck the sword the Grand Roo gave me into its neck. It worked!
Inside the Colonia Artifact Lab were weird science experiments. Blobs of goo, grim reapers, and other monsters with an indescribable form. A handful of worms needed the magic sword to be dealt with, but most could be felled with traditional means. The interior was lined with cold steel. Its path webbed in a confusing manner, made worse by various broken walls. We needed to make use of the Dwarf's Bracelet to navigate through air ducts.
Early on, the group would hear a scream. Chasing towards the source would take us to Leeza. We had hoped to see her in here, but this wasn't the best time. She was thrown off of Sol, and the machine was acting weird. It didn't obey its master and seemed to be panicking. And then it spoke. Lezza didn't know Sol could speak. It returned to the skies, and we wondered what to do with Lezza. She wanted to find Sol, and we needed to reach ...something. Calilica suggested Lezza come along, which made the most sense. We weren't gonna just leave her here.
After passing through broken science equipment and returning outside, we saw the still panicking Sol before an alter. It still spoke, and it wondered who it was and why it was here. And then it went berserk. It started to attack us, which meant we had to destroy it. The battle felt similar to the one in Danan, but we've grown much stronger since then. And the Muddled Galbalon's madness didn't let it fight well. We brought it to its knees and then wounded its arms. After a few go throughs, Sol stopped. We didn't break it, but a light began to appear between it and Lezza. A man appeared before us!
King Lafance!? His soul was stuck in Sol because it sought someone strong and related, namely his great granddaughter, Leeza. He woke up at the same time evil Eldeel did. Lafance told us more about his friend from 800 years ago. The Mask of the Moon was created to stop the "black winged" entity was the important bit for now. Lafance pointed out the altar behind him and told us to place the mask fragments there. He could magically fix them and return the magic it needed. And on that note, we planned to save Eldeel. Separately, we returned to Elduke.
Leeza and Sol got there just after us, and Lafance was already waiting. Before we entered the Temple of the Sun, we planned how to stop Eldeel. I don't know if we made a good plan, but we knew we'd have to beat him up. Everyone agreed that I should be the one to don the Mask of the Moon. It seemed like a big deal to everyone, so I did. Inside was Eldeel.
Things were said, but none of them were important. Words didn't matter, so the battle began. It was oddly not exciting. He put on the Mask of the Sun and started throwing various elemental spells at us: fireballs, water bubbles, lightning. For a god, his armor seemed pretty bad. Eventually, he just kinda stood there. What's with the MoS users opening themselves to attack? We wailed on him and dropped him. His mask fell off, and he changed forms again. Our Eldeel regained his senses. He quickly asked for the Mask of the Moon and remarked that he should have made it look better. With his mind intact, he'd tell us the truth.
The black Eldeel was not a separate entity. It was actually his own doubt. Eldeel wondered if accessing the Acasiac Records to guide man was a good idea. That unease resulted in a god who wanted man to evolve in a different manner. While humans could be guided to be better, we can "evolve" faster through hard times. Floods, earthquakes, fires, and pestilences all make strong men and women at the expense of the weak.
A laugh rung out. Gruda came back and had the Mask of the Sun. He was upset that evil Eldeel wasn't truly in favor of wonton destruction. Eldeel didn't even use the power of the mask in our fight. Gruda wants the end of Mick Foley, even if he has to fight alone. The Darklings leader put on the Mask of the Sun and dove into the sphere behind us: the gateway to the Isis, the home of the Acasiac Records. If we wanted to stop him, we'd need to follow.
Eldeel would open the path, Leeza would stay behind with him, and Lafance would guide us. The seven of us entered an immaculate room with three walkways before us. Lefance told us how to reach the records. We'd need to defeat three guardians to create a teleporter to the top. After discussing the inconsistencies that Eldeel must have made and how his divine powers fixed them, we released none of it matters. We had more pressing matters and were running out of time.
...to be continued
---
I did all the quests, explored all the forest, got several achievements, and even found the missing chests and resource points (on my older save). There is nothing more I can do on this save (besides killing the superboss). I once thought Ys IV was mid, but I've fallen n love with the franchise all over again because of it.
Friday, July 7, 2023
The History of Celceta
Turns out I did get that achievement. It just didn't pop up.
---
"And so we began to climb the frozen peak of Mt. Vesuvio. It was filled with monkeys who threw rocks at us before we could reach them. The smart ones towards the top are smart enough to ambush you by jumping out of the snow and causing a minor avalanche. There's an ice beetle that can burrow under the snow to get the "drop" on you. There are caves in here filled with devil penguins who slide at you. There's also a bear.
But there's only one path up. There's a nice slide towards the end, though. And then we heard harp music. Remnos was waiting here, just as Leo said. But I didn't sense any hostility. In fact, all he did was tell us they knew about the Mask of the Moon. It's here, but there's only half of it behind him. He didn't try to fight us and decided to walk away. Karna tried to tell him how she felt, but it fell on deaf ears once again. Remnos donned his mask and started leaving, but then he stopped.
The mask did something to him. It dropped him to a knee before paralyzing him altogether. Bami appeared to condemn him. Ever since Remnos broke her curse, she had been watching him, waiting for him to disobey an order. Remnos was instructed to return to Mask of the Moon. He disregarded the order and would let it, broken or not, fall into our hands. The fake ask would now kill him. She went to collect it, calling backup as she did. We made quick work of the soldiers before trying to care for Remnos. He apologized before passing out. General Leo caught up to us and confirmed our suspicions. Remnos has actually been working for us as a mole. Seeing him send away the Elduke guards made me wonder about his motives. And Leo demanded we go after Bami as well. His pomp is gone, so who really is Leo? But we took his advice and went to the top.
Bami was waiting for us, and she was annoyed. She decided to end our pursuit here and now. She put on one of her masks, and its power warped her. The Enchanting Magician, Bami, is now a harpy. She flies through the air and tries to summon flies. Her aerial prowess was nullified by Karna's knives. But the witch's magic is potent and constant. Balls of fire and darkness flew across the battlefield, only ceasing to kick us in the air. She would occasionally stand there to summon lightning. Had we been aware and not dealing with her bugs, we could have stopped it. But we survived the storm, and Karna finished her off with her own weather conditions.
A treasure chest was on the altar behind her. Inside was half of the Mask of the Moon. The Roda Tree did say it felt the mask in two locations. Perhaps the other part was in that second location. We visited the Roo's Nest. Leo took Remnos here to rest. Rem was alive but still out. But he was safe, so we continued on.
The Lake Tolmes Ruins is located to the east of the mountains. It's surrounded by the cleanest water I've ever seen. It was quite the scene! Frieda told us that, despite the name, it's still functional. It's also a pain in the ass to navigate. We'll need to flood the first room by using the water in the second room. Getting there took us through a lot of water filled with giant frogs, lizards, and a dinosaur. We can't attack well underwater, but our enemies could. As we crossed the array of platforms and reached the back of the temple, the air began to reak. The smell was horrible, but we had to keep on. As we did at the mountain, we saw an altar. But we also noticed how polluted the waters were. How does this reach the river between Casnan and the Primal Lands as clean water?
And then Gadis showed up. As he did, several spardas rose from the waters. They spewed their poison, and it cleansed the water. Gadis told us spardas don't poison water. Their cleansing stuff can be overpowering, though. Too much of a good thing makes a bad thing. He continued to mock Ozma for his actions, but Ozma changed. He acknowledged the sins of his people's past but vowed to change them. This upset the Beast Master for some reason, so he put on a mask. As it did to Bami, he transformed. It's less exciting, but he was more threatening.
The Sadiatic Beast Tamer was ferocious. He summons bears more often than Bami did, so I was preoccupied with them. Ozma was a madman and went after Gadis the whole time. His primary attacks were large sweeping blows with his shield hand. More often than not, he'd shoot artillery into the sky. It would shock the battlefield and hurt! He decided to stand there to charge something up, but we were prepared. We didn't let him act and stunned him. Ozma put him down for good. We got the second half of the mask and returned to the Roo's Nest.
Remmoa was awake. We could hear his harp, and the roos were fans. Apparently, they were a demanding audience. But he was alive and well. All of us spoke to the Grand Roo, hoping he'd know how to repair the Mask of the Moon. He suggested we visit the location it was made at, the Columbia Ruins. It's situated in the heart of the battlefield where Eldeel and Lafance fought, so it might not go well. And there was the door guard there, too. But Grand Roo knew about that. He gave me a sword that could defeat the bio-mechanical creatures made during this time. Remnos wanted to come along, but Karna convinced him to recuperate here. Let's hope we can find something there.
-Adol
PS: During the last few days, I've seen memories from other people: rival explorers, Leo, and even King Lafance. My memories of the King indicated that neither he nor Eldeel were comfortable with their titles. Eldeel was even already planning his retirement. Was it because of the "otherside" he mentions? And why did the Mask of the Moon seem so important.
---
We're coming down to the wire now. My map exploration is at 98 percent!
---
"And so we began to climb the frozen peak of Mt. Vesuvio. It was filled with monkeys who threw rocks at us before we could reach them. The smart ones towards the top are smart enough to ambush you by jumping out of the snow and causing a minor avalanche. There's an ice beetle that can burrow under the snow to get the "drop" on you. There are caves in here filled with devil penguins who slide at you. There's also a bear.
But there's only one path up. There's a nice slide towards the end, though. And then we heard harp music. Remnos was waiting here, just as Leo said. But I didn't sense any hostility. In fact, all he did was tell us they knew about the Mask of the Moon. It's here, but there's only half of it behind him. He didn't try to fight us and decided to walk away. Karna tried to tell him how she felt, but it fell on deaf ears once again. Remnos donned his mask and started leaving, but then he stopped.
The mask did something to him. It dropped him to a knee before paralyzing him altogether. Bami appeared to condemn him. Ever since Remnos broke her curse, she had been watching him, waiting for him to disobey an order. Remnos was instructed to return to Mask of the Moon. He disregarded the order and would let it, broken or not, fall into our hands. The fake ask would now kill him. She went to collect it, calling backup as she did. We made quick work of the soldiers before trying to care for Remnos. He apologized before passing out. General Leo caught up to us and confirmed our suspicions. Remnos has actually been working for us as a mole. Seeing him send away the Elduke guards made me wonder about his motives. And Leo demanded we go after Bami as well. His pomp is gone, so who really is Leo? But we took his advice and went to the top.
Bami was waiting for us, and she was annoyed. She decided to end our pursuit here and now. She put on one of her masks, and its power warped her. The Enchanting Magician, Bami, is now a harpy. She flies through the air and tries to summon flies. Her aerial prowess was nullified by Karna's knives. But the witch's magic is potent and constant. Balls of fire and darkness flew across the battlefield, only ceasing to kick us in the air. She would occasionally stand there to summon lightning. Had we been aware and not dealing with her bugs, we could have stopped it. But we survived the storm, and Karna finished her off with her own weather conditions.
A treasure chest was on the altar behind her. Inside was half of the Mask of the Moon. The Roda Tree did say it felt the mask in two locations. Perhaps the other part was in that second location. We visited the Roo's Nest. Leo took Remnos here to rest. Rem was alive but still out. But he was safe, so we continued on.
The Lake Tolmes Ruins is located to the east of the mountains. It's surrounded by the cleanest water I've ever seen. It was quite the scene! Frieda told us that, despite the name, it's still functional. It's also a pain in the ass to navigate. We'll need to flood the first room by using the water in the second room. Getting there took us through a lot of water filled with giant frogs, lizards, and a dinosaur. We can't attack well underwater, but our enemies could. As we crossed the array of platforms and reached the back of the temple, the air began to reak. The smell was horrible, but we had to keep on. As we did at the mountain, we saw an altar. But we also noticed how polluted the waters were. How does this reach the river between Casnan and the Primal Lands as clean water?
And then Gadis showed up. As he did, several spardas rose from the waters. They spewed their poison, and it cleansed the water. Gadis told us spardas don't poison water. Their cleansing stuff can be overpowering, though. Too much of a good thing makes a bad thing. He continued to mock Ozma for his actions, but Ozma changed. He acknowledged the sins of his people's past but vowed to change them. This upset the Beast Master for some reason, so he put on a mask. As it did to Bami, he transformed. It's less exciting, but he was more threatening.
The Sadiatic Beast Tamer was ferocious. He summons bears more often than Bami did, so I was preoccupied with them. Ozma was a madman and went after Gadis the whole time. His primary attacks were large sweeping blows with his shield hand. More often than not, he'd shoot artillery into the sky. It would shock the battlefield and hurt! He decided to stand there to charge something up, but we were prepared. We didn't let him act and stunned him. Ozma put him down for good. We got the second half of the mask and returned to the Roo's Nest.
Remmoa was awake. We could hear his harp, and the roos were fans. Apparently, they were a demanding audience. But he was alive and well. All of us spoke to the Grand Roo, hoping he'd know how to repair the Mask of the Moon. He suggested we visit the location it was made at, the Columbia Ruins. It's situated in the heart of the battlefield where Eldeel and Lafance fought, so it might not go well. And there was the door guard there, too. But Grand Roo knew about that. He gave me a sword that could defeat the bio-mechanical creatures made during this time. Remnos wanted to come along, but Karna convinced him to recuperate here. Let's hope we can find something there.
-Adol
PS: During the last few days, I've seen memories from other people: rival explorers, Leo, and even King Lafance. My memories of the King indicated that neither he nor Eldeel were comfortable with their titles. Eldeel was even already planning his retirement. Was it because of the "otherside" he mentions? And why did the Mask of the Moon seem so important.
---
We're coming down to the wire now. My map exploration is at 98 percent!
Thursday, July 6, 2023
Elduke
It's a night of exploration and failed achievement hunting.
---
"All the way across the poisonous swamp was an offshoot of Table Mountain. There's a cave near to where the river reaches the forest inhabited by angry frogmen. To enter their lair, we had to place stones on a pedestal to depress a lever. But it had to be a certain depth. Too far, and it didn't matter. Inside was the frog king, Ribbi-Roi! He jumps into action against us but had to take time to admonish his underlings. They did not join him.
Ribbi has the same actions as the other frogs, except he's bigger. Wave after wave of "normal" sized frogs join him, but Frieda's aoe skills make quick work of all of them. After we defeated the royal guard, they all knelt before their new leader. Me! As a sign of submission, they gave us the Sacred Beast's Claws. This relic changes our dodges into tackles, allowing us to break through natural barriers.
I know we shouldn't have, but there were a few walls of branches back in the Casnan Forest. We broke through there and found a giant dog! It shot lasers at us, and it hurt. We'll come back...
We returned to the dead end and plowed through the coral. The Forest of Spores is a very apt name. It's similar to Table Mountain because it's a single path that eventually takes us north. Inside is a mother spore mantis creature. She has her own attacks but can also attack alongside its young. But there's a treat at the end.
We called it Monsteum. This deformed nightmare is the cross between an angler, frog, and snail. It liked to smash into us and spit green blobs at us. I got the feeling we scared it when it started to roll around the arena for a while. But there was no escape. Rather than run, it tried to ram into us at full speed. It missed, and we finished it off.
Frieda introduced us to where the ancient Celceta kingdom fell. The Colonia Battlefield is where King Lafance, via Sol-Galba, battled against evil Eldeel. It ruined the entire area, and now only dust remains. The two creatures that walk this wasteland are imps who shoot at us and large monkeys. They're very different from the ones near Casnan - a separate animal kingdom, but they're very primate looking. To the northwest is a monster door we couldn't defeat, but the northeast is where the capital was.
Elduke. I don't know how long Celceta was a kingdom, but this was its throne, and even Eldeel lived here for a time. Ozma noticed the massive tree on top of this pyramid, which was the Roda Tree. Why does that sound familiar? The tree's been watching over the forest for centuries but has been sleeping since the fall. But its presence has still been felt. It's where we've been camping! But the mask division currently occupies the location. Fortunately, they suck at their jobs. We walked around the outer perimeter until we saw Remnos ordering soldiers. Karna tried to reach out to him, but Duren reminded her of the danger. After he left, we saw the opening to reach the top.
Up there was a locked door. We were so close but so far. Or so we thought! Duren and I tried to force open the door, and ... we failed. As we lie exhausted, we wonder where Lezza and Eldeel are? They should be here since they can fly. Frieda asked Nina to find her, and the topic of Frieda's love life came up. Her former fiancé created Nina before he left the village to join the Darklings. Speaking of whom...
Gruda and crew showed up. They seemed to walk out of the castle, but that was impossible. But that's not all. Lightning struck all around us, paralyzing all of us. Gruda wasn't looking to defeat Eldeel. He was working for him! Gruda handed over the Mask of the Sun, and Eldeel used it to open the door. As they entered, I asked them why. They want to write the world in their favor. They still think we're too weak to kill, so they let us go. The door shut and locked itself before we could give chase. With no other choice, we had to look for an alternative way in.
We descended the stairs, and Karna sensed something. She tracked it under the Roda's roots and into a cave. The cave was filled with beings called roos! I think I had a roo friend at one point in my life. But there was no time to gawk. A voice told us to walk deeper in. We followed directions (after participating in capitalism) and found a giant roo! And it could speak our language?! The roo king talked on behalf of the Roda Tree to inform us there's another way to enter the Archives. We'll need to find the Mask of the Moon. Roda isn't sure where the Mask of the Moon is now but directed us towards the twin mountains east. Mt. Vesuvius is actually two mountains; one an active volcano and the other a frozen peak. But it also felt something futher east. The roo king asked us to leave and went back to sleep.
We explored the Elduke Outskirts until we found the path to the volcano blocked. We began to ascend the snow covered peak, but "they" were here.
How are they still here!?!? Commander Leo, Sancho, and Panzo are still going! Leo, though, was a bit different. He actually thanked us for the help in the marshlands and offered us some advice. He told Karna something about Remnos and also that someone was waiting for us in the mountain. The three of them then ran up it. I wonder who it is!?"
-Adol
---
Is another achievement bugged? I've fed all the animals, game! Give me my useless recognitions!
---
"All the way across the poisonous swamp was an offshoot of Table Mountain. There's a cave near to where the river reaches the forest inhabited by angry frogmen. To enter their lair, we had to place stones on a pedestal to depress a lever. But it had to be a certain depth. Too far, and it didn't matter. Inside was the frog king, Ribbi-Roi! He jumps into action against us but had to take time to admonish his underlings. They did not join him.
Ribbi has the same actions as the other frogs, except he's bigger. Wave after wave of "normal" sized frogs join him, but Frieda's aoe skills make quick work of all of them. After we defeated the royal guard, they all knelt before their new leader. Me! As a sign of submission, they gave us the Sacred Beast's Claws. This relic changes our dodges into tackles, allowing us to break through natural barriers.
I know we shouldn't have, but there were a few walls of branches back in the Casnan Forest. We broke through there and found a giant dog! It shot lasers at us, and it hurt. We'll come back...
We returned to the dead end and plowed through the coral. The Forest of Spores is a very apt name. It's similar to Table Mountain because it's a single path that eventually takes us north. Inside is a mother spore mantis creature. She has her own attacks but can also attack alongside its young. But there's a treat at the end.
We called it Monsteum. This deformed nightmare is the cross between an angler, frog, and snail. It liked to smash into us and spit green blobs at us. I got the feeling we scared it when it started to roll around the arena for a while. But there was no escape. Rather than run, it tried to ram into us at full speed. It missed, and we finished it off.
Frieda introduced us to where the ancient Celceta kingdom fell. The Colonia Battlefield is where King Lafance, via Sol-Galba, battled against evil Eldeel. It ruined the entire area, and now only dust remains. The two creatures that walk this wasteland are imps who shoot at us and large monkeys. They're very different from the ones near Casnan - a separate animal kingdom, but they're very primate looking. To the northwest is a monster door we couldn't defeat, but the northeast is where the capital was.
Elduke. I don't know how long Celceta was a kingdom, but this was its throne, and even Eldeel lived here for a time. Ozma noticed the massive tree on top of this pyramid, which was the Roda Tree. Why does that sound familiar? The tree's been watching over the forest for centuries but has been sleeping since the fall. But its presence has still been felt. It's where we've been camping! But the mask division currently occupies the location. Fortunately, they suck at their jobs. We walked around the outer perimeter until we saw Remnos ordering soldiers. Karna tried to reach out to him, but Duren reminded her of the danger. After he left, we saw the opening to reach the top.
Up there was a locked door. We were so close but so far. Or so we thought! Duren and I tried to force open the door, and ... we failed. As we lie exhausted, we wonder where Lezza and Eldeel are? They should be here since they can fly. Frieda asked Nina to find her, and the topic of Frieda's love life came up. Her former fiancé created Nina before he left the village to join the Darklings. Speaking of whom...
Gruda and crew showed up. They seemed to walk out of the castle, but that was impossible. But that's not all. Lightning struck all around us, paralyzing all of us. Gruda wasn't looking to defeat Eldeel. He was working for him! Gruda handed over the Mask of the Sun, and Eldeel used it to open the door. As they entered, I asked them why. They want to write the world in their favor. They still think we're too weak to kill, so they let us go. The door shut and locked itself before we could give chase. With no other choice, we had to look for an alternative way in.
We descended the stairs, and Karna sensed something. She tracked it under the Roda's roots and into a cave. The cave was filled with beings called roos! I think I had a roo friend at one point in my life. But there was no time to gawk. A voice told us to walk deeper in. We followed directions (after participating in capitalism) and found a giant roo! And it could speak our language?! The roo king talked on behalf of the Roda Tree to inform us there's another way to enter the Archives. We'll need to find the Mask of the Moon. Roda isn't sure where the Mask of the Moon is now but directed us towards the twin mountains east. Mt. Vesuvius is actually two mountains; one an active volcano and the other a frozen peak. But it also felt something futher east. The roo king asked us to leave and went back to sleep.
We explored the Elduke Outskirts until we found the path to the volcano blocked. We began to ascend the snow covered peak, but "they" were here.
How are they still here!?!? Commander Leo, Sancho, and Panzo are still going! Leo, though, was a bit different. He actually thanked us for the help in the marshlands and offered us some advice. He told Karna something about Remnos and also that someone was waiting for us in the mountain. The three of them then ran up it. I wonder who it is!?"
-Adol
---
Is another achievement bugged? I've fed all the animals, game! Give me my useless recognitions!
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