Friday, July 21, 2023

The Phantom City

Yep. This game is a real quick play.

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"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

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Final dungeon rush tomorrow!

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