From one Ark to another.

It's the Ark of Napishtim! 

I've been playing Pokémon Infinite Fusion this week, and I must say, it was so much fun. I'm not calling it peak Pokemon, but making my stuffed animal family into canon pocket monsters was a dream come true. For future reference:

Lucy: Arcanine/Sylvian

Snoopy: Stoutland (not in Fusion)

Rin: Jolteon/Luxray

Renji: sorry, son

Ushio: Aegisslash/Ursaring

Spike: sorry, son

Schala: Espeon/Lolpunny

I love you! 

But it's time to return to my summer odyssey! Adol has more adventures to go on, so let's see what this ark and Napishtim are. I boot up the game and see the wonderful anime cutscene that showcases stuff we're about to witness. 

Two young sisters, Olha and Isha, are on the beach. We can see they have long ears and tails while Olha plays a flute/ocarina for her younger sibling. One notices something is off with the winds surrounding her homeland, and the camera pans over to see a young man lying facedown in the sand. Adol washed ashore again... 

"I woke up in a warm bed in Redha Village. The sisters who brought me here convinced the village chief, Ord, a massive mammoth of a man, to let me rest here. He couldn't argue too much with the priestesses, so he's allowed me to recoup. I tried to ask more, but the winds that knocked me off my ship wreaked my body, so I passed out. 

I woke up and saw the youngest of the siblings return my gear. I think I scared her because she ran away. But I felt good enough to walk, so I took my first steps into this new land! I found Olha lost in prayer in her chambers. She was glad I survived and told me I was out for three days! I then asked her about the area. We're currently on an archipelago named the Cannon Islands. I reached my goal! Her people, the Redhans, lived on a separate island from the many Eresians who've also washed ashore in the area. The two "tribes" never saw eye-to-eye, but the relationship soured recently. The third island is a sacred one, where the local god, Alma, is said to reside. Alma is the one Olha was praying to when I interrupted her. I let her get back to it and started my adventures here! 

Redhan Village is filled with people with long ears and tails, and they all hate me. Talking to people gave me plenty of information. Namely that the bridge between the two communities is down. Everyone has a job in this town, and mine's to leave. I found a fellow Eresian, Kevin, who's a merchant from across the straight. The guard out front of the village told me not to go northwest because terrifying monsters reside there. But Ord is at the broken bridge to the northeast, so I went there... After nearly dying in that area was told not to go, of course. 

In the Woods of Quatera were squirrels, insects with knives for noses, tank beetles, and flowers that spit poison at you. They're very effective with that. After a painfully long trek, I found Ord. He informed me that the humans across likely burned the bridge. The same day they did that, the village was ransacked. So I was stuck here. I went back to Redha, but Olha left to pray at a different sacred site. To the southeast is The Fountain of Prayer. She was there and said the waters of this area were what healed me. I guess I owe Alma a favor. But the priestess was busy, so I left. 

To the southwest of the village is the Moonlight Beach. Isha was there but didn't stay long. She went back home, but she wasn't there when I returned. I was worried, so I followed her to the fountain. Olha wasn't there, but something else was. 

The locals told me this was the Wandering Calamity, Demi-Galba. I've already found a galbalon!? As I should have expected, my basic long sword barely did any damage. I did manage to knock it down, but Isha walked up to me as it began to move. My sword was broken, and I didn't have much strength left. Sleeping for three days does that to a man. Fortunately, backup arrived. Olha shot it with an arrow, and the beast fell apart. After everyone thanked me, we went back to Redhan. 

Ten years ago, three of these wandering calamities attacked. Many villagers died, including the sisters' parents. But they learned how to defeat these things: Emolas. Olha's arrow as tipped with that metal. Ord took me aside and explained much of this. He also gave me a sword, the Livart. It felt similar to Genos' in Felghana. He also gave me a job. I was to navigate across the straight to reach the human town. The area behind the fountain leads to a road that takes me beneath the waters. He started to tell me something else but opted against it. He did request that I investigate a missing mirror. That was what was stolen when the bridge collapsed. It's not in Redha, so it must be there. As I left, Olha asked me to find Ur. Ur is Ord's son who went missing with the mirror. Isha gave me a bracelet I keep to this day as I left as well. The villagers, hearing of my heroics, were much warmer to me now. I suspect I'll be back here a lot. 

Ord was correct. Mythos Path was right where he said it was. Inside were shadow bugs that seemed to suck me in. Avoid them. But I wasn't alone. A fellow human was down here, a black haired man with a halberd. He was shady and knew who I was. He wasn't into my do gooder tendencies, so he attacked me. He was quick and jumpy, but so was I. I had no problem defeating Geis. Ultimately, he seemed fine enough, so we parted. He went towards the village...

But I soon came to the exit. Two men, Xaxon and Lloyd, were looking for stone. Lloyd feared that they'd have to loot the ruins and annoy the Redhans, but the thought was lost when they noticed me. They were amazed that a new face fought through the tunnels and suggested I speak to the Cannon de facto leader. Xaxon went to the bridge and blamed the Redhans for destroying it. I started to walk to Rimorage...

-Adol

---

And so our Caribbean vacation has begun! Adol was washed ashore, looking for answers from adventures past. Will he find them?