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LordHippoman
May 30, 2013

I, frankly, want this smug Jagen to be my avatar on all forms of social media immediately.

Pureauthor posted:

In BD I got so used to fighting Asterisk holders for boss fights that 'normal' bosses like the Behemoth just ended up feeling weird and out of place.

I entirely forgot this boss even existed and was genuinely surprised when the LP got to it.

:siren: Update on last page :siren:

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hey girl you up
May 21, 2001

Forum Nice Guy

Greyarc posted:

It's weak to lightning, shockingly enough.
don't think i didn't see this

Blueberry Pancakes
Aug 18, 2012

Jack in!! MegaMan, Execute!
Behemoth is kind of a dick.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
I notice he's got the standard behemoth coloring, if not the shape.

Rainuwastaken
Oct 30, 2012

Another blue ribbon for Hecarim.
Edea is a pretty rude girl. Ringabel did nothing wrong!

Blueberry Pancakes
Aug 18, 2012

Jack in!! MegaMan, Execute!
Yeah, she's on his case a bit unfairly at times.

Omobono
Feb 19, 2013

That's it! No more hiding in tomato crates! It's time to show that idiota Germany how a real nation fights!

For pasta~! CHARGE!

Considering the amount of times she needs to step on his case a 95% accuracy is absolutely acceptable.
I mean, when you manage to turn calling you out into a Pavlovian response, and a fairly accurate one at that, you have no one but yourself to blame for the times when it fires unfairly.

Greyarc
Dec 29, 2016

Entry 67: The Grand New Ship

With no other immediate changes, the party returns to the surface of the ship.



Oh, it's you, Datz. And the proprietress...



The ship's stopped sinking. It's no longer at a lean, either.



Ringabel, uninterested in conversation, gets distracted by something over at the ship's helm.

Actually, they all say they've had it with this ramshackle ship.

I... guess they weren't very attached to the homes they presumably lived in for generations. :psyduck:



Edea, already bored, decides to go see what Ringabel's up to.

Legend has it that Grandship was built by pirates. Perhaps that blood is still in us.

Well, at least everyone is safe. That's a relief.



Edea lets out a cheer. When all's said and done, she and Ringabel get along surprisingly well.

Hey, stop fooling around, Ringabel. You, too, Edea!



Like I said, quit messing around. This isn't ours to tinker with.

The residents have left the ship, and don't appear to be coming back.

Women are drawn to men with a wild streak, and a hint of danger in their eyes.



Alright, then.

Edea cheers as Ringabel turns back around and presses the big glowy button.

*click*

From beneath them, Grandship's engine revs up.







The ship wobbles dangerously from side to side, as if getting its bearings.

Then, ever so slowly...







It flies.



Happy holidays, folks. Bravely Default got you an airship.

Hey! It's taking off! This is an airship!

How on earth does a ship this large get airborne!?

Amazing! We're up so high!

A-amazing...

Well I'll be... She can get up to twice the altitude of the Eschalot.

We could probably cross over into the duchy on this, Edea.

Easily!

Yay! Now we can go and awaken the Earth Crystal!



[img]https://lpix.org/2703269/agnes_happy.png[img][/img] Yes!

That settles it. I'm staying, too.

You want to go with us?



After the false alarm in the Prologue/Chapter 1, we finally have our real flying vehicle.



This is a great moment, especially if you don't know what's coming.



Considering its size and Bravely Default's influences, it was likely inspired by Final Fantasy 3's Invincible.



Turning what seems to be a town into your airship is already strange enough (the main other example I can think of is Final Fantasy 8).



It's also appropriately over the top for this game to give you not just an airship, but a millenia-old flying pirate city infested with fish demons and powered by ancient religious machinery.



Grandship provides the last icon on the map sidebar. If you're on the world map but not on the ship, pressing it summons the ship.



If you're already onboard, it brings up this menu. Entering allows you to access Grandship's interior, the former town.




Autopilot will instantly transport you to any location you've already been.



Handy to save a bit of time, though Grandship is so much faster than the Eschalot it's no big deal to just fly around the world manually.



Right. It's going to be dangerous.

Datz, Zatz, it's best if you two took the proprietress and left the ship.

Though it kills me to say farewell to her cooking.

No more desserts...

It can't be helped, you two. Besides, these two have their mission as Shieldbearers.

Huh? Mission? Oh, right! Hey, don't worry about that.

Our current orders are to escort the vestal of wind and keep her safe.

What? Since when?

Since you guys helped us out. The orders came from Commander Goodman himself.

That's why the two of us both came to Grandship to tip a few back.

The old house is full of the new Shieldbearers who came to take over for us.

Then I guess that just leaves the proprietress. We'll have to convince her to take shelter.

Yeah, good luck with that. Maybe when Mount Karka freezes over.

You'll be lucky if she doesn't beat you for asking.

"I'm Grandship born and raised! If you don't like it, get the heck off my boat!"

Bah ha ha! Too perfect! That's her answer, guaranteed.

An uncanny likeness.

Still, the danger is too great. It is for her own sake that we ask--

Look, my bet is that seeing you all stirred something inside her. Inspired her.

Besides, you really think you can live without her cooking now that you've had it?

A fate grimmer than a thousand deaths!

"Ain't that the truth?" ...Tee hee.

Bah ha ha! You're not bad, yourself! Look, you leave her to us.

Between the three of us, we'll keep this boat safe when you're away, no matter what!

...Then you have my thanks, Datz, Zatz.

Think nothing of it! You just rest easy and leave this crate to us!



As promised, Zatz, Datz, and the Proprietress are sticking around in the ship.



The party's got a good little support team going now. Zatz or Datz being taught to pilot the ship also explains how the airship comes whenever called on the world map.



With all the other townsfolk gone (except our reliable friend Adventurer), Grandship's shops are now run by Datz (items and the inn) and Zatz (armory and magic).



Despite us owning the ship, they charge a nominal fee for beds, maybe to cover maintenance costs.



It's been some time since we've bought Norende stuff from the Adventurer, so let's buy some junk that'll probably never get used. This accessory makes it more likely the party will start battles with +1 BP.



This feels like it should have a chance to enrage the opponent and make them attack only the wearer.



This makes it less likely the enemy will start battles with +1 BP, nevermind the knowledge that monsters apparently are very protective of kittens.



Possibly useful in some battles, but also probably not worth taking an inventory slot, considering how many other battle options there are.



The Proprietress, at least, continues to not charge us.

The Engine Room dungeon is also still accessible, and as infested with monsters as ever. Checking the ship's wheel takes you back to the world map.

As a sidenote, it is possible to do Praline's sidequest after Grandship flies; patrons will appear in the tavern during the relevant section, then disappear afterwards.



I could gaze upon every woman in the world at once from Grandship's deck!

I'm coming, my sweets! There's not a one of you more than ten minutes away from me now!

The long wait is over!

Yours is a one-track mind, and that track isn't even a good one.

Still, it's weird coming home after so long.

Eternia, Land of Immortality... It's cold there year-round, right?

Right! And I'm not kidding when I say cold. Bundle up, everybody!

Edea, what, um... What is snow like?

I fear I've never seen it before.

Well, for one, it's at the top of my "white as snow" list!

It's like white fluffy crystals raining from the sky.

I see. That sounds quite romantic, actually.

It's like bits of cotton candy falling from the heavens. It still melts on your tongue, but it's salty, not sweet.

Is...that so?

It does start as evaporated sea water, after all.

[img]https://lpix.org/2703269/agnes_happy.png[img][/img] Ah, of course! And the sea is certainly salty.

And that's not all. Sometimes, when it snows, fish fall from the sky!

Fish? Really?

Ah ha ha, don't tease the poor girl, Ringabel! Be nice.

......!

You were deceiving me!?

Ha ha, sorry I didn't pipe up sooner. If you still have questions, I'll give you real answers.

Honestly, Edea! So, what color is snow, really?

Yeah, that's a good spot to drop the conversation.



Northward, to Eternia!

As the party approaches the continent...



...Alternis bursts into a meeting, out of breath.

We've just received word that Grandship has vanished!

......

Vanished? You mean to say it has sunk?

We know little as yet, but it seems Grandship's inhabitants have evacuated en masse.

And according to what we have heard from them, Grandship did not sink, it simply...vanished.

How is such a thing possible?

Alternis, where is the wind vestal now?

After a brief stop in the Kingdom of Caldisla, she entered Grandship before it vanished. Her current whereabouts are unknown.

Muster our forces with haste! I will have every last soldier be made ready for war!



Our land of Eternia is an inviolable realm ringed with lofty highlands. Surely, even one such as the wind vestal could not--

It is my hope I make much of naught. Yet we cannot leave matters to hope or chance, for we now have but one crystal under our control.

Could it be your lordship's daughter is providing the vestal with information about our defenses?

Victor! Hold your tongue!

No, his fear is not without merit.

So, Alternis is decent enough at tracking the party to know when they made trips to Caldisla (back and forth and back and forth). Yet he missed the moment when a ship the size of a city lifted out of the ocean and flew away? Was he taking a bathroom break or something? I guess it would take him a while to get that armor off and on again.



Anyway, now we're in our enemy's headquarters. Can't wait to see how they fail at strategy this time!




There are a few landing spots scattered throughout Eternia. This looks goo--

Hm!?





It seems we won't be docking here. Take us to Southmoor, to the south!




The landing area to the northwest gives a similar result. Eternia's defense is present, at least, thanks to Braev's quick thinking/paranoia.



Let's slip south past their huge anti-air(?) cannons.

...Why did they construct those? They must be expecting one of the other countries to catch up and build an airship sooner or later.



Edea finally gets Ringabel to fly to Southmoor, which, as she guessed, is undefended.

As Ringabel prepares the ship for landing...



...A soldier rushes into the Council of SixThree's meeting.

An enormous flying vessel has been sighted over Southmoor! And it appears poised to alight there!

Ill tidings? I fail to see how such a vague report is anything of the sort.

S-suffice to say, sir, it's a veritable fortress -- far beyond the size of an airship!

Could it be...? Lord Marshal!

This is the wind vestal's doing.

Do you mean to suggest Grandship has taken flight? That it has surmounted the highlands that defend our land?



How do our defenses presently stand?

They stand ready for war as your lordship commanded. And our troops in Frostpeak Passage and artillery at the summit are prepared to engage at any moment.

We shall join the defense effort. Victor, is the demon child ready for war?

I beg you, call her not a "demon child." That is, if you hold your life dear.

Hmph.

And whether Victoria goes to war is not for either of us to decide. The decision is hers alone.

But is she not receiving treatment as we speak? When she worked her magic upon me, she seemed more than ready for battle.

Her fits grow in frequency of late. Is she not nearing her limit?



Viktor does not look nearly as confident as he sounds.

And that concludes Chapter 3.



Before leaving, here's one last shot from the deck of Grandship, slightly changed now that it's in the sky rather than the sea.


Next: Final crystal, final continent, final showdown. Will the party make it? What secrets will Eternia have in store?

--

Event Viewer
Main Scenario:
Grandship Rises!
Grandship Vanishes
Grandship Strikes

Sub-Scenario:
Cannot Alight

Party Chat:
Ain't That the Truth?
The Ice of Eternia


D's Journal: Ringabel posted:

Grandship has stopped sinking. It seems it will not founder after all. While wandering about in the council hall, I found a switch glowing with a faint light. Curiosity got the better of me, and I flicked it on impulsively. What a shock it was to learn that Grandship could fly...
(A BIG shock! -Edea)

D's Journal: The Proprietress posted:

She was wholly unperturbed by the panic surrounding the sinking Grandship, and caused Datz much grief when she refused to evacuate. She opted to stay on at the Drunken Pig even after Grandship became a gigantic airship when orichalcum was cast into its engine. She has been cooking up tasty treats for us ever since.

D's Journal: Datz posted:

After Grandship became a gigantic airship, Datz and Zatz left the Shieldbearers to join its crew, and have traveled with us ever since.

D's Journal: Zatz posted:

After the Fire Crystal was awakened and with the civil war between the Shieldbearers and Swordbearers near an end, Grandship began to sink. Zatz and Datz rushed to see the proprietress, and helped evacuate the people on board. After Grandship became a gigantic airship, Datz and Zatz left the Shieldbearers to join its crew, and have traveled with us ever since.

D's Journal: The Sinking State, Grandship posted:

Grandship Takes Flight:
As written in the ancient texts, feeding orichalcum to the engine room furnace caused Grandship to rise, or rather, soar into the sky. It can sail far higher than the Eschalot--high enough to surmount the Eternian Highlands. With its people evacuated, Grandship now presents us with the perfect opportunity.

D's Journal: Eternia Region posted:

Eternia Region:
Located north of Eisenberg, northwest of Caldisla, and west of Florem, this region consists entirely of a large land mass with the highest elevations anywhere in Luxendarc. The steep encircling mountains make passage to and from the outside world quite difficult. Known as the Land of Immortality since ancient times, it is a realm shrouded in mystery.


Greyarc fucked around with this message at 02:27 on Apr 21, 2018

Greyarc
Dec 29, 2016

Also, I'm going to be busy the next couple weeks, plus I've finally run out of buffer entries (I still have raw material extending well into chapter 4), so there'll be a delay before starting the next chapter.

Stabbey_the_Clown
Sep 21, 2002

Are... are you quite sure you really want to say that?
Taco Defender
Once again, I have to be baffled at how exactly Eternia gets around the world if the only way in is to fly, but their own airships can't get high enough.

I guess they might keep their offensive airships down at the coast level, and keep all their high-altitude airships up on the highlands and ferry troops down to transfer, then turn the high-altitude airships around and fly it back up?

Blademaster_Aio
Jan 22, 2017

Stabbey_the_Clown posted:

Once again, I have to be baffled at how exactly Eternia gets around the world if the only way in is to fly, but their own airships can't get high enough.

I guess they might keep their offensive airships down at the coast level, and keep all their high-altitude airships up on the highlands and ferry troops down to transfer, then turn the high-altitude airships around and fly it back up?

They probably have a port - I mean, they needed something before airships right, for trade and the like.

Whether they have a port won't matter much to us, since it's probably very well guarded.

Blueberry Pancakes
Aug 18, 2012

Jack in!! MegaMan, Execute!

Greyarc posted:

As a sidenote, it is possible to do Praline's sidequest after Grandship flies; patrons will appear in the tavern during the relevant section, then disappear afterwards.

This is one of the most jarring things in the game for sure.

Regalingualius
Jan 7, 2012

We gazed into the eyes of madness... And all we found was horny.




Hobgoblin2099 posted:

This is one of the most jarring things in the game for sure.

Oh just you wait. :unsmigghh:

GimmickMan
Dec 27, 2011

The ship having been a flying fortress all along makes the council look amazingly incompetent.

kw0134
Apr 19, 2003

I buy feet pics🍆

At least it's in good company, "leaders who are incompetent" and "ancient artifact whose use and purpose time has forgotten" are well worn cliches even in the FF franchise, never mind in the broader fantasy genre.

Kith
Sep 17, 2009

You never learn anything
by doing it right.


I enjoy that the big bad evil general dude is smart enough to recognize that this band of plucky young heroes has consistently foiled his forces' efforts and that underestimating them is a really loving bad idea, so he orders everything to go on full alert as soon as he loses track of them. Not enough stories have antagonists that take the heroes seriously until they're busy fighting The Final Battle™.

Commander Keene
Dec 21, 2016

Faster than the others



I think the only other time "city airship" has been done in the FF franchise is FF8, but Breath of Fire 2 had TownShip as your second airship.

Blademaster_Aio
Jan 22, 2017

I actually like how Victoria is called a demon child by Alternis.

It's very likely Victor insisted she should be given a seat (like a poster earlier mentioned), and her combat potential is there, I guess.

Blueberry Pancakes
Aug 18, 2012

Jack in!! MegaMan, Execute!

Blademaster_Aio posted:

I actually like how Victoria is called a demon child by Alternis.

If the shoe fits...

Rigged Death Trap
Feb 13, 2012

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Commander Keene posted:

I think the only other time "city airship" has been done in the FF franchise is FF8, but Breath of Fire 2 had TownShip as your second airship.

Ff5 also has the city that floats up into the air.
Not much of an airship though.

Patter Song
Mar 26, 2010

Hereby it is manifest that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man.
Fun Shoe
Time for an all-out assault on Eternia.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
I have to say, I did not believe a Garden could fly, and I never thought of Grandship as a particularly airworthy sort, either. Yet here it is, large as life and just as bold.

Regalingualius
Jan 7, 2012

We gazed into the eyes of madness... And all we found was horny.




The airship in Bravely Second is an even more unlikely candidate, but that’s all I’m saying on the matter.

DGM_2
Jun 13, 2012

Rigged Death Trap posted:

Ff5 also has the city that floats up into the air.
Not much of an airship though.

Lunar had this too.

Bliss Authority
Jul 6, 2011

I'm not saying it was witches

but it was witches

Welp. I got this for Christmas and managed to find the turbospoilers, so I’ll not inflict them on you. I will say it’s a wild ride and that I’m watching this thread with great interest.

Irritated Goat
Mar 12, 2005

This post is pathetic.
This is pretty much where I stopped. My 3DS card with my saves died and I really don't want to get all the way back up to this point again.

I've kind of heard the "turbospoilers" so I'm curious how it shakes out.

S_o_S93
Jun 21, 2017
That gag calling the Megalixer an object of worship is one of the best little pieces of writing in the game and I love it.

Blademaster_Aio
Jan 22, 2017

A jab at players who hoard healing items?

'I am saving this item for an emergency'

It is now an emergency

'But what if there is a bigger emergency?'

Silegna
Aug 20, 2013

Hey, heads up. I'm about to unleash my rage.

Blademaster_Aio posted:

A jab at players who hoard healing items?

'I am saving this item for an emergency'

It is now an emergency

'But what if there is a bigger emergency?'

"It's the final boss!"

'What if there's a secret super boss?'

"It's the secret Super Boss!"

'What if there's a second secret boss?'

terrenblade
Oct 29, 2012

Blademaster_Aio posted:

A jab at players who hoard healing items?

'I am saving this item for an emergency'

It is now an emergency

'But what if there is a bigger emergency?'

But what if a Magic Jar asks for one?

RandomMagus
May 3, 2017

terrenblade posted:

But what if a Magic Jar asks for one?

I reload my game. Screw those guys.

Natural 20
Sep 17, 2007

Wearer of Compasses. Slayer of Gods. Champion of the Colosseum. Heart of the Void.
Saviour of Hallownest.

Silegna posted:

"It's the final boss!"

'What if there's a secret super boss?'

"It's the secret Super Boss!"

'What if there's a second secret boss?'

Sort of related.

When I played Resident Evil 4, you get a rocket launcher midway through the game. It takes up drat near half your inventory space and is a gigantic pain to have around.

I held onto that thing for the entire game, figuring that even on boss fights that were killing me, I still needed to save it for the final boss.

I got to the final boss, convinced myself that there was no way it could be the final boss, killed it with a knife and as the credits rolled I realised what had happened.

Omobono
Feb 19, 2013

That's it! No more hiding in tomato crates! It's time to show that idiota Germany how a real nation fights!

For pasta~! CHARGE!

Etrian Odyssey and Persona trained me out of that poo poo.
Two or three people running out of SP during a boss fight? gently caress it, Soma and press the assault.

It helps that in Etrian everything is farmable and that in Persona you have good options when you're not action constrained.

Blademaster_Aio
Jan 22, 2017

Omobono posted:

Etrian Odyssey and Persona trained me out of that poo poo.
Two or three people running out of SP during a boss fight? gently caress it, Soma and press the assault.

It helps that in Etrian everything is farmable and that in Persona you have good options when you're not action constrained.

I haven't been able to kick that mindset even in those games.

It would probably make things easier if I kicked that mindset though.

And Bravely Deafult is here poking fun at that mindset.

Commander Keene
Dec 21, 2016

Faster than the others



I'm an odd case. I don't really like buying or using items at all in RPGs; I prefer to survive on each character's skillset. But once I decide to actually use an item, anything's fair game. I usually end each RPG I play with max stacks of lesser healing items as a consequence.

TheGreatEvilKing
Mar 28, 2016





I just figure if the item will get me past whatever I'll be ready for the final boss.

I can't remember what I was playing that broke me out of that habit.

AweStriker
Oct 6, 2014

Blademaster_Aio posted:

A jab at players who hoard healing items?

'I am saving this item for an emergency'

It is now an emergency

'But what if there is a bigger emergency?'

"I'm out of MP!"

Blademaster_Aio
Jan 22, 2017


This was on spot.

Silegna posted:

"It's the final boss!"

'What if there's a secret super boss?'

"It's the secret Super Boss!"

'What if there's a second secret boss?'

And incredibly funny.

Greyarc
Dec 29, 2016

Entry 68: The Land of Immortal Mistakes



We rejoin the party as they land their airship in the southern outskirts of Eternia.



The crystal lies in Everlast Tower.

Isn't it in some manner of temple?

There are no crystal temples in the Duchy of Eternia.



We must reach the city before we can get to the tower. And that means a trip through Frostpeak Passage.

The army has special defensive units stationed there to prevent any intruders. It will be a fierce fight, so I suggest we prepare before setting out.

Edea's got a plan of action all set: Frostpeak Passage (fighting!) -> Eternia City (fighting?) -> ??? (probably fighting) -> Everlast Tower/Earth Crystal (definitely fighting).



I want you to take the proprietress and flee in the ship if worse comes to worst.

Understood.

You can count on us!

Eternia's hunkered down into defensive posture, giving the party time to return to Caldisla to stock up.



Seems the war in Eisenberg's wrapping up.

Word of the party's excursions is all over the city.

Norende was a fine village. Peaceful. I hope the day I can see it again isn't far off.

His Highness spoke of redoubling his efforts to support Norende's recovery, going forward.

How's Norende doing now?



It's pretty far along. All the shops are maxed out at level 11 except one. That last one offers bonus effects for special attacks, which is nice but not pressing.



Here's a view of Norende without the gameplay stuff, to better show how leveling the shops develops the town. The upper center with an unleveled shop is conspicuously empty.



A junior guardsman's badge, eh? A sense of fun is coming back to Caldisla. Of hope, I suppose.

Egil's fitting in well with the locals.



Ringabel's attempts to introduce himself to his biggest fan seem to be continually foiled by Edea.



Mm, the sea breeze smells fine. Seeing the clear blue water reminds me of old times.

The locals have such faith in us that, to them, our victory is pretty much guaranteed by this point.



We'll do what we can. Peace Through Punching team, away!



The party makes a quick stop to Yulyana's to check in with the sage, but he seems to be out at the moment. Maybe he's getting food.



Back at their landing spot in Eternia, the party can virtually see the city from where they are -- currently blocked by a massive guarded gate.



We'll have to go the long way around, via the Frostpeak Passage Edea mentioned earlier. The long road starts west of the landing area, then curves south and doubles back around towards the city.



Almost immediately, it's clear this won't be a leisurely stroll.



As Edea guessed, Eternia has lined the passage with defenses.



On top of that, the local wildlife is nothing to sneeze at.



Mainly because you can't sneeze, because you're paralyzed.



In fact, most of the stuff around here has nasty status effects they'll throw at you.



Even the food.



Last but not least, these terrible things.



If you decide to grind around here and use physical attacks, be prepared to kill things fast, because otherwise these mushrooms, especially alongside the radishes, can ruin the party's day.



Halfway through the passage is an unusual roadblock.



Nothing the party can't punch their way through.



This mini-boss is a recolor of the golems from the wind and fire temples.



It dances like a ballerina.



Its attacks also do ice/water damage, which means they have no effect on Iceflame shieldbearer healer Tiz.



Eventually Edea gets fed up with its antics and cuts it in two.



Given the presence of golems in the wind temple, the Eternian variety/ies are likely modeled after preexisting Crystalist technology.



The passage cleared, the party continues on. Meanwhile, in a different part of the continent...



The wind vestal and three others have been sighted leaving that enormous vessel!

They've already fought their way through Frostpeak Passage and are now approaching the city!

Have we received word from the forces deployed to the various lands?

I'm afraid there has been no reply from any quarter.

Then there is no hope of reinforcements.

......

:sun:



Surely you don't mean that, Lord Marshal!

It could very well have a serious impact on those receiving treatment in the city.

There is naught else to do... Should the tower be destroyed, the linked cables place the Earth Crystal in jeopardy.

Grh...

Order all defensive units to intercept the wind vestal at the three passages from the city.

Yes, your Lordship.



In the time it took Braev to plan, the party made it to the other side of the gate. The passage turned out to only be a slight delay.



They approach the city's boundary expecting trouble... But there are no soldiers, nor other defenses.



On the contrary, the city seems peaceful.



It is.

Then how about a rundown of the popular date spots? I'll escort you to whichever you wish.

Actually, I'd rather not.

This city is unlike any I have seen before.

It is a curious town, indeed, yet I hadn't noticed till I'd been away for some time.

Edea, what are those stretching toward the city from up on that cliff over there?



The cables stretch between healing towers throughout the city, allowing patients to receive the latest treatments.

That is why few in this land die of illness and disease. The people live in good health everlasting.

Appearances would indicate otherwise.

Waves that amplify the effect of white magic... Is such a thing truly produced here in this land?

Well, the more precise term would be extracted rather than produced.

Before I left Eternia, I was thankful for their beneficence. I harbored not a doubt in my mind, but now...

......

Edea, from where does this cable--

Edea! I thought that might be you!

Hm?



Oh, um...

I was worried when I heard you'd been assigned to the Sky Knights. What a relief to see you safe and sound. Oh, and I heard about your mother, too.

My mother? Has something happened to her?

Nobody told you? She was recently admitted to the Central Healing Tower.

The Central Healing Tower!? What happened?

You really have no idea, do you? Well, you'd better go pay her a visit, then.



We'll be doing that shortly.

Tiz's line about appearances not matching Eternia's reputation isn't immediately obvious. Do the townspeople look unhealthy? Or is he thinking about all the Eternians he's left in less-than-optimal health?




Because the wind vestal's plotting and Edea's treason are being kept out of the public eye, the town is open to us.



It's easy to miss this resident of town. It's Eternia's official welcome hare!



And while you're at it, come talk to me, too. We need to catch up!

We're in Edea territory now, so she's taking lead.

Some call Eternia the Land of Immortality. A place where none need perish of disease... Or so the name suggests.

Got to say, Eternia is much less militant authoritarian than expected. Then again, maybe their troubles run under their surface.



Have you heard? They've shut the valve to the white magic cables! What does that mean for the patients at the Central Healing Tower, I wonder? I do worry...

Their health care system sounds great, though it's not so great if they can just turn it off on a whim.



Even with some hangups, though, it sounds like it's still better than how things used to be around here.



A good start to the shopping scene, though at this point even -aga spells pale in comparison to physical abilities most of the time.



The local defensive gear is made from adamant, described in detail here on the item entry for Adamant Armor.



Using refined specialty animal parts gives the sense the Eternians have developed a culture forged by a harsh, hostile environment.



The monsters here are terrifying, but the Eternians have mastered them and now turned their gaze outwards, to greener territories.



Critical to the success of Eternia is their mastery of magic, which has likely played a role in everything from everyday comfort to battling hostile mushrooms to healing every ill once amplified.



Chatting with the Adventurer nets us another new friend. If they're going to add abilities and such based on online features, it's good they at least offered an offline way to make use of the stuff for when their servers inevitably go down.



It's taking a while, but we're getting there, buddy.



There's another exit out of town to the west, but the party refuses to go that way. A neat detail is that each party member has unique dialogue for checking, depending on who's in front:

I guess that white building is the Central Healing Tower where Edea's mother is.

Let us pay Edea's mother a visit.

It would be an honor to make your mother's acquaintance, Edea.


Next: Let's meet the family! What could go wrong?

--

Event Viewer
Main Scenario:
Grandship Alights in Eternia
Mustering against the Wind Vestal
Duchy of Eternia, Land of Immortality


D's Journal: Duchy of Eternia posted:

Land of Immortality:
The duchy's medical facilities all receive healing waves via the white magic cables. Dubbed the Land of Immortality, Eternia has all but banished sickness through the latest medical advances, and people in countless numbers wish to come to this seemingly enchanted land.

D's Journal: City of Eternia posted:




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EponymousMrYar
Jan 4, 2015

The enemy of my enemy is my enemy.
I can just smell the taste of man's hubris over nature with all this.

Everlast tower? Immortality? White Magic cables? Surviving off of monster gubbins when you're local wildlife are silver wolves, mandragora's and chaos-spore mushrooms?

Yup. So much hubris.

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