The Sands of Kefin

We've reached them!

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"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.