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Regalingualius
Jan 7, 2012

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




One incredibly annoying thing to note with Genomes: the character attempting to learn them not only has to live through the attack, they also have to not be afflicted by either any status ailments that prevent them from taking action... or any ailments, period (it's been forever since I last played).

That being said, some of them are incredibly useful for trivializing what would otherwise be fairly difficult bosses. I forget if I had Arcanist's Status Ailment Amp equipped, but I do remember my Vampire having a decently reliable chance of successfully paralyzing a surprising number of bosses by spamming one of their Genomes.

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Greyarc
Dec 29, 2016

They need to survive the attack and be able to take action afterwards. So getting silenced is fine, getting put to sleep is not.

NGDBSS posted:

It's finally time for this Awkward Zombie gag.

I was waiting for it. :hai:

Pureauthor
Jul 8, 2010

ASK ME ABOUT KISSING A GHOST
Tbfair that is every 'playable unit can learn attacks from the enemy' gag.

Blademaster_Aio
Jan 22, 2017

It's a job with a classy outfit / supposed to be super hot outfit, and it can barf monster digestive juices. Truly the epitome of attractive.

As a side note, I do not like blue mage type jobs because collecting their spells is a pain.

GimmickMan
Dec 27, 2011

The original female outfit is so stupid that I would call the censorship an improvement because the belts are less noticeable. Also, at least they're wearing clothes now. It's cold out there in the mountains, woman!

Greyarc
Dec 29, 2016

Entry 77: Where the Earth Sleeps, Vanquished

After the war between the templar's forces and the Orthodoxy fifteen years ago, the temple of earth, with the crystal inside, was moved to the top of Everlast Tower. Or the tower was carved out underneath. The exact method is not clear.



The Orthodoxy's last plan was an attempt at the Grand Ritual, which would provide them great power at the possible cost of the crystal itself.



Braev's forces invaded, barely stopping the ritual in time. They set up a network of cables to safely channel away the now out of control crystal's energies.



Fifteen years later, without a vestal to guide it, the earth crystal has entered hibernation and grown vulnerable to dark influence.



The cables still pump out its energies -- or they did until the party arrived and Braev halted the operation. But what is the state of the crystal now?



This question can be seen as hypothetical if you've viewed all the optional background scenes, or in line with the player's thoughts if you haven't.

How awful! What do they think the crystal is, some kind of toy!?

Forgive me.

No, Edea. Why should you repent for the sins of your father? Now, let's get on with the Rite of Awakening.

*Roar*

Ah! What's that on the crystal!?



That's Gigas Lich!

It's the Propogator of Doom as told of in the sacred texts of the Orthodoxy!

Well, whatever it is, here it comes!



A gigas is a giant from Greek myth. A lich is a magician powerful enough to trap their mind and soul in a jar and enter a state of undeath, gaining a twisted version of immortality. The only way to defeat a lich is to destroy the object containing its soul -- kinda like Voldemort.

The lich is a new monster type developed in just the past century, inspired by older ideas of magic-users and ghosts. It's been popularized so much by works like Dungeons and Dragons that pretty much every nerd nowadays knows what a lich is.



Oh, did the boss fall off the platform?



C'mon big guy, you can make it!



There you go.



Gigas Lich, despite his size, specializes in magic rather than physical attacks.



He routinely casts death (instantly kills character) and fear (character cannot use Brave).



Spiritmaster's Fairy Ward protects against both, taking most of the danger out of this fight.



Every turn, in addition to the boss's action, he casts Negative Power, buffing his attack by 10% every turn (up to 150%). This can be dispelled if you have black magic equipped.



The boss absorbs earth and is weak to light. At low health he'll start casting Quaga on himself, but it hardly makes a difference.



If you want to make the fight even easier, you can use healing items to damage the boss for huge amounts, similar to Zombie Dragon. Really, if you've done Vampire Castle, this guy's a piece of cake no matter how you slice him.



Wait, we're defeating a lich by beating him up? Maybe he stored his soul on his person. Maybe this is a particularly stupid lich.



Gigas Lich drops this. Presumably he took it back from the pirates, returning it to its rightful people. Until we took it.



The anchor itself. Interesting material, presumably solid stone.



Agnès stole these. This Gigas may have become an undead lich, but he obviously still had pride in his heritage. But Gigas Lich also tossed away his mortality. Was he still considered part of the 'rightful' people after his undeath?



Where did this proud giant go wrong? Was it lust for the power of the crystal? Like many things in Bravely Default, a scenario is hinted at but never elaborated on.

Let's move on.



For better or worse, I believe the Eternian Forces would have guarded the crystal from such threats. Maybe it took advantage of their weakened state to slip in unnoticed.

Save your jabbering for later. We have a crystal to awaken!

After Agnès changes into her vestal gear:



......

What's wrong?

It's...it's really nothing, but time and time again, the duchy's people have warned us not to awaken the crystal.

Agnès...

...I know, I ought not let it bother me. Now, let us begin, Airy.

The duchy had a talent for making bad decisions. Besides, we're doing this with Yulyana, Mahzer (who was Braev's main confidant), and DeRosso's blessing.



Agnès's fourth round with the crystal is similar to the first three.



The crystal reacts to prayer, despite being hooked up to the white magic cables.



And as it breaks off its calcified shell...



...and begins to wake...



The cables loosen and begin to fall away.







Nnh...hnngh...

Not yet! Just a little longer!

Rgh...!



The earth crystal's power is, for the first time in fifteen years, once again its own.

More! Keep going!





Finally:

Stop! That's it!



The crystal is reawakened.



See? Nothing went wrong. Everything's going according to plan.

Holy smokes! That was by far the brightest of the four crystals!

Agnès turns around, stumbling.



Yes... Thank you, Tiz.

Now all four of Luxendarc's crystals have been awakened! Nice work, everyone!

[img]https://lpix.org/2703269/agnes_happy.png[img][/img] What a joyous day. Now, perhaps, the world--

Is the Great Chasm gone!?

Nuh-uh. Awakening all four crystals should have caused a pillar of light to rise somewhere in our world.

It's the Holy Pillar--the First Light, divine source of life and the origin of this world and the heavens above!



...the First Light will spread across the world. And its divine light, born of the awakened crystals, will sweep away all darkness.

And the Great Chasm should vanish along with the darkness.

So all we need to do is take you into the Pillar of Light?

*nods*

Then, let's go! That is where this will all end!

Lead the way!

I'm with you!



The group's rallied together. One final step, and they'll have completed their mission. What's left to stand in their way?



Agnès has come to terms with her role in Crystalism, Ringabel's enjoying being along for the ride, and Edea has reached peace with her family and home country. But under Tiz's calm exterior, he's still an emotional wreck.

By interrupting Agnès in their moment of triumph, Tiz makes it clear that for him, what he's lost still rules his actions and his emotions. Filling the Great Chasm won't bring Til or the rest of his friends and family back, but hopefully it will still give him a measure of peace.



Airy's brooch is now complete. Pretty satisfying to see all four sides finally lit.




The party says goodbye to the earth crystal and exits Everlast Tower.




Outside, the three quest markers are for the three possible airship landing zones.

Sure enough, once we call Grandship, everyone's there to meet us.



You did it, eh! Well done!

Well, it's not as if we had it easy here. You should've seen the hail of cannon fire!

Oh, and by the way, we saw a black airship bearing southwest a short while ago.

Probably a bunch of deserters. Always happens when an enemy is vanquished.



Somehow I doubt it's refugees. The party may have destroyed the establishment, but the vast majority of Eternia remains untouched by their wrath.

One guess who has an airship and painted the whole thing black.



The party's raring to go, but there are a few last things to take care of before we get to the climactic bits.

First on the list is to buy more supplies from Norende.



Once the Pillar of Light appears, the Adventurer will say this no matter where in the world you speak to them.



Lu Bu was a real person, a military general from ancient China. The horse mentioned was named the Red Hare, and both are considered legendarily great examples of man and horse, respectively.



Now this sounds right up Tiz's alley.



No mention of this being from the land of Wa, but it likely is. The design is based off Japanese demons.



Another item possibly from Wa given that swordmasters seem to originate from there.



This was more useful in the original Japanese game version before the addition of the Encounter Rate slider. Still might come in handy for dedicated grinding sessions.



Next on the list is Norende itself: it's finally done! :toot:



The restoration effort is complete.

Congratulations, Tiz!

Makes all that hard work worthwhile, eh?

Thank you all... Really, thank you.

Ah ha ha, look at that... I'm actually getting a little misty. *sniff*

Little wonder. This has been Tiz's personal cause for so long. A long, slow effort to build up brick by brick what the Great Chasm stole in an instant.

You began the process alone, from absolutely nothing. Truly impressive work.

I wasn't alone. Not really. So many people came together to help bring Norende back. If not for them, I'd have given up in those times when it all felt impossibly big.

Tiz...

I wasn't sure if people would even come to live here. Whether any of this actually meant something... All those times I nearly gave the village up for lost.

Everything I could do felt tiny. Just a tiny little step along an endless path...

Not so endless now, is it?

[img]https://lpix.org/2703269/agnes_happy.png[img][/img] One step in front of the next, you've seen it through!

I'm so... *sniffle* I'm just so proud of yoooooou! *hooonk*

Thanks...

Thank you all so much!

Best of all, once the Great Chasm gets filled in, the town can expand out even more. That's a pretty good way to for things to end.


Next: The finish line.

--

Event Viewer
Main Scenario:
The Propagator of Doom
The Earth Crystal
Awakening the Earth Crystal
The Black Airship

Party Chat:
Norende Restored

Commander Keene
Dec 21, 2016

Faster than the others



Greyarc posted:



Wait, we're defeating a lich by beating him up? Maybe he stored his soul on his person. Maybe this is a particularly stupid lich.
Well, in D&D you can destroy the lich's body, which as long as you don't destroy the phylactery (soul-jar) is basically just an inconvenience to the lich. It simply needs to re-form it over the course of the next week or so. In the meantime, the party can take all its stuff or (in this case) set an apparently impenetrable barrier around the thing it's trying to steal/use. Either way, Gigas Lich is no longer a threat to the party's goals.

Do not pursue!

Greyarc posted:

I wasn't alone. Not really. So many people came together to help bring Norende back. If not for them, I'd have given up in those times when it all felt impossibly big.
Yep. An amazing turnout of an entire two people. Granted, that's because Greyarc seems not to be using the Internet features of this game; you can get more villagers by connecting to the game servers once a day (refreshes at midnight Japan Time, 11 AM Eastern Time), or by Streetpass (good luck now that the game's 4 years old). I have at least 100 in my Norende - still a piddling amount by real-life standards, but absolutely gigantic by JRPG town standards.

werbear
Jan 14, 2017
Ah, the old JRPG sin of throwing out a boss that definitely needs more lore but just doesn't get it. Because at the end of a dungeon there needs to be a cool boss, right?
Right?

Quantum Toast
Feb 13, 2012

This was about the point that I started thinking it was a shame the first three crystal bosses weren't Tiamat, Kraken and Marilith.

Commander Keene
Dec 21, 2016

Faster than the others



Quantum Toast posted:

This was about the point that I started thinking it was a shame the first three crystal bosses weren't Tiamat, Kraken and Marilith.
Don't you mean Kary?

Rosalie_A
Oct 30, 2011
Fun fact about Gigas Lich. Because it's undead you can hurt it with healing items.

This was covered. Elixirs in particular knock out 9999, which is nice.

Unless you happen to use Bravely Second to ignore the damage cap for a one hit kill.

Dartonus
Apr 1, 2011

It only gets worse from here on in...

Trasson posted:

Fun fact about Gigas Lich. Because it's undead you can hurt it with healing items.

This was covered. Elixirs in particular knock out 9999, which is nice.

Unless you happen to use Bravely Second to ignore the damage cap for a one hit kill.

Similarly:
Most of not all bosses are resistant to BP drain effects, to try to prevent the player from denying the bosses turns. This does not apply to effects that add BP like the Performer’s abilities, as those would let the boss go multiple times.

Except it turns out adding BP is a form of Healing, so those abilities drain BP from Gigas Lich instead.

Greyarc
Dec 29, 2016

Commander Keene posted:

Yep. An amazing turnout of an entire two people. Granted, that's because Greyarc seems not to be using the Internet features of this game; you can get more villagers by connecting to the game servers once a day (refreshes at midnight Japan Time, 11 AM Eastern Time), or by Streetpass (good luck now that the game's 4 years old).

Yeah, mentioned it way earlier but I won't be covering online stuff since it contains no story content. Story is what gives me the drive to put together and post LP things.

Dartonus posted:

Except it turns out adding BP is a form of Healing, so those abilities drain BP from Gigas Lich instead.

Interesting! Hadn't heard about that, but it makes sense. Gigas Lich just can't catch a break.

Blueberry Pancakes
Aug 18, 2012

Jack in!! MegaMan, Execute!
I can't remember if I asked to talk about Norende's bosses already. Or if I already did. :psyduck:

Blademaster_Aio
Jan 22, 2017

I think we can Phoenix down the lich. I dunno. There was a really easy way to cheese the fight.

Greyarc
Dec 29, 2016

Hobgoblin2099 posted:

I can't remember if I asked to talk about Norende's bosses already. Or if I already did. :psyduck:

Hm... that request does sound vaguely familiar.

I don't mind doing a brief overview of it later, since I've already got some bosses available on my other save. It would just be a quick "hey here's the gist of it, here's a couple examples", though. And doing the rest of Bravely Default's story takes priority.

Commander Keene
Dec 21, 2016

Faster than the others



Blademaster_Aio posted:

I think we can Phoenix down the lich. I dunno. There was a really easy way to cheese the fight.
Trasson mentioned that Bravely Second + Elixir is a one-shot.

Although it wouldn't be the first boss who could be killed with a Phoenix Down.

Andyzero
May 22, 2009

I used to spoil, I'm sorry.
Things Edea will never say to her father.

"Before we activated the Wind Crystal, the wind didn't blow. The sea was dead and nobody could sail before the Water Crystal, and everything was turning into lava before activating the Fire Crystal. What's going to happen to the earth if we don't activate the Earth Crystal? I mean, sucking up power for universal health care is great, but we're screwed if there aren't any crops."

"Say, the other Crystal have been covered with darkness and gunge. What is the status of the Earth Crystal? Do we have a way of maintaining it so this doesn't happen?"

"Dad, does the word "War Crimes" mean anything to you? Even if there's a reason you're doing this, Ominas Crowe was not only setting fire to civilian houses, but OUR OWN TROOPS. Were you sanctioning this? Was there any way I could stop him without turning against Eternia? Did you want me to rally our troops and arrest him? "

"SPEAKING of our troops, I've been seeing Eternia killing nuns and children. And yes, SEEING. This isn't propaganda. I've literally watched with my own eyeballs our troops and leaders go "Dang, I love killing women and children" and actually doing it. Multiple times."

Andyzero fucked around with this message at 19:09 on May 5, 2018

Pureauthor
Jul 8, 2010

ASK ME ABOUT KISSING A GHOST
"Also one of your top commanders is a sexual predator who drugs women and leads them to his rape basement to do unspeakable things to them. Which I have empirical evidence of because he drugged me."

Blueberry Pancakes
Aug 18, 2012

Jack in!! MegaMan, Execute!
Heinkel seems somewhat more reasonable than the rest of the Sky Knights; why'd he let them go so crazy on Caldisla?

The Black Blades was about the only group that wasn't just full on crazy, I think. Barbarossa wasn't even doing anything wrong.

Regalingualius
Jan 7, 2012

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




The Black Blades had Qada on board, though.

Blueberry Pancakes
Aug 18, 2012

Jack in!! MegaMan, Execute!
Yeah, but as opposed to Ancheim or Florem, the worst element of the Black Blades wasn't in charge. Kamiizumi was intentionally keeping Qada on a tight leash because he knew how lovely of a person he was.

Granted, that was AFTER the war crimes thing, so it wasn't a perfect situation.

EponymousMrYar
Jan 4, 2015

The enemy of my enemy is my enemy.

Hobgoblin2099 posted:

Heinkel seems somewhat more reasonable than the rest of the Sky Knights; why'd he let them go so crazy on Caldisla?

Considering he had no compunctions against using a hostage to bait the party into a trap it's likely that the only reason he's more reasonable than Barres and Holly was because there were no civilians in his way during his one-man charge on the palace.

Ends justifying the means and whatnot.

Blademaster_Aio
Jan 22, 2017

Hobgoblin2099 posted:

Yeah, but as opposed to Ancheim or Florem, the worst element of the Black Blades wasn't in charge. Kamiizumi was intentionally keeping Qada on a tight leash because he knew how lovely of a person he was.

Granted, that was AFTER the war crimes thing, so it wasn't a perfect situation.

Well I'm pretty sure Qada did that behind his back, without his permission, with the intention that the results will justify everything. It didn't work and Kamiizumi had him working on neutralizing the whole thing.

cdyoung
Mar 2, 2012

Andyzero posted:

Things Edea will never say to her father.

"Before we activated the Wind Crystal, the wind didn't blow. The sea was dead and nobody could sail before the Water Crystal, and everything was turning into lava before activating the Fire Crystal. What's going to happen to the earth if we don't activate the Earth Crystal? I mean, sucking up power for universal health care is great, but we're screwed if there aren't any crops."


If I remember FFI and FFV correctly:

Wind crystal: The wind stops blowing, birds stop flying, eventually the air stagnates.
Water crystal: The waters stop flowing, boats cannot navigate the seas, fish and sea life drown and rot.
Fire Crystal: The herth flames stop giving off heat and light, the world eventually freezes in darkness.
Earth crystal: The very soil stops being fertile, crops and plants wither and die and the lands begin to fester and rot.

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!

In 5, weren't boats screwed by the lack of winds, not by the water crystal? You'd think that an unnaturally calm sea would be optimal sailing condition if not for the need of sails. Syldra and the steam (or whatever) boats had no problem moving around.

FeyerbrandX
Oct 9, 2012

Omobono posted:

In 5, weren't boats screwed by the lack of winds, not by the water crystal? You'd think that an unnaturally calm sea would be optimal sailing condition if not for the need of sails. Syldra and the steam (or whatever) boats had no problem moving around.

Correct, but this game Tainted Water Crystal = Toxic acid seas.

Andyzero
May 22, 2009

I used to spoil, I'm sorry.
Eternia clearly knows about how the Crystals affect the environment, they've been planning strategy around it. "Oh hey, there's ships again, that means the Vestal got to the Water Crystal."

If the crops were failing, it would make Eternia look TOO dumb (on top of what they're doing already.)

If the writers wanted to make this a greyer issue, they could have had Eternia have a method to keep the Crystals powers in the environment without "worshipping" the Crystal. One could then argue that the other temples and nations were refusing Eternia's methods.

But ultimately, this either doesn't occur to the writers or they're actively avoiding it.

I love this game. But because I love it, it makes the derp moments so much more frustrating.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

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

Clapping Larry
Yeah, it's weird how even in the heart of a fortified empire there's still this monstrous thing hanging out around the crystal.

Greyarc
Dec 29, 2016

Entry 78: The Light, Awakened

There's one last thing to see before heading to the ending: A third version of Kamiizumi's death scene.



This occurs only if you defeat him after the earth crystal.

Master!

Edea runs over and holds Kamiizumi up.

Ngh... You have already set foot on the path of carnage. No wonder I could not stop you...

...Forgive me, Braev...

The screen blacks out.



Master...

Tough luck for those hoping for more info. We're already well aware of the party being a force of unstoppable carnage.



And that covers it. We're ready to roll.

Holy Pillar, here we come.



It might be dangerous to take Grandship in, though.



Let's take the trusty Eschalot instead.



We had best think of something else.

...All right, nevermind. Grandship it is.



As the Grandship reaches the edge of the light, a loud, steady humming noise fills the ship.



We'll be fine! Let's head on in! But only if everyone is ready. Once we go in, there's no turning back.

I'm not even sure what'll happen. I mean, this is a first for me, too!

So, if you have anything you need to do, now's the time. Well? Everyone ready?



If we delay, Airy will remind us we don't have much time. But no need for that...

We're ready.

Okay, then, here we go!

Ringabel takes the Grandship forward. As they head in, the noise increases in intensity...




It's so beautiful.



The light's faded a soft glow, and the noise has become a gentle, almost melodic hum. Looks like Airy was right.

This light...it feels so warm.

I know. And so gentle, and somehow familiar, too.



If you say so! You be careful now!



Datz, Zatz, and the Proprietress leave. Not that going to another part of the ship will help if something actually goes wrong, but hey.



Once it is completely full, the light will begin to spread across all the world, sweeping away the darkness!

Stay there and keep watch, okay? Oh, and keep steady at the helm! We'll have to start all over again if we move out of the light!

Right! Leave it to me!

I need to start meditating so I can focus. Don't bother me till I'm done!

I mean, who knows what might happen if I lose my focus?

Understood!

Okay, here goes! O wondrous and beautiful First Light, my brooch awaits your divine radiance!



But not long after Airy's brooch begins to shine, the ship starts shaking.

Hm? So much for smooth sailing.



I think she will hold together unless it gets much--

*CRASH*

Worse!?



It almost sounded like something large hitting the ship. But what--

It's getting worse!



It's Datz and Zatz! To the deck, quick!

The party rushes out...



Just as Alternis is cornering the other three.

That noise earlier must've been Alternis's airship ramming Grandship.



Maybe he should've explained this "folly" and why it's considered such--

You know, nevermind, it's a little late for that now.

And I am here to stop you before you bring ruin unto this world!

Alternis! Stop this insanity! It's already over!

Silence! This is not over until I say it is!

*SHUDDER SHUDDER*

Eek!

If anything were to happen to Airy right now...! Ringabel, go back to the bridge!

Right!

First, you must get by me!

The ship's shuddering is getting worse by the minute. If Alternis's plan was to stop our ship by force, it might actually be working.



This is a long time coming. The party couldn't stand a chance against Alternis earlier. But now?



Alternis starts off combat with a little hop to get his footing. Huh.



In the middle of the first turn, Ringabel pauses to worry about the ship.

This ship shall go crashing down along with all on board!

Alternis may be melodramatic, but his method for stopping this Unstoppable Force of a party is...actually decent.



Dark Knights specialize in dark-based attacks, believe it or not. Dark elemental protection is a must in this battle.



Second turn, Alternis pipes up.

You know not the Lord Marshal's mind!

We've already settled the matter between us! You have no business interfering now!

Settled the matter? Nothing has been settled! All you have is a false set of understanding.

Like every other high-ranking person in Eternia, Alternis underestimates Braev's pride and overestimates Braev's social skills. Braev should have been the one to explain what was going on. He had perfect opportunities and still failed. In the end, the party was forced to search out DeRosso and scour the abandoned Everlast Tower for information.

The party knows more than Alternis thinks, but at this point, it doesn't matter. He's not interested in talking with us, anyway.

Now, talking at us, well...



With dark elemental protection, Alternis is easy. Without it... Don't go without it.



At this point there are a few different ways to protect against his attacks, so you can mix and match!



Third turn. Alternis is taking this opportunity to vent.

You have become the bane of Eternia... Nay, all the world! Never again shall you deceive Edea!

I've no interest in your foul, twisted beliefs. It is my sworn task to save the world from ruin. And I shall not fall before my task is done!



Alternis tries -- and fails -- to attack Agnès at this point. The Wind Vestal remains serene.



Fourth turn.

These traitorous scum have deceived you! Join me now in defeating the vestal!

How could you say such a thing!? Agnès has become a dear friend of mine.

Rgh!

Alternis cares about Edea a lot, we've picked up that much. But for all his concern, does he understand Edea at all?

He treats her like a little girl -- Braev's darling daughter, who needs to be reprimanded and sent home. But what he fails to understand is that what he sees as childish misbehaviour is actually Edea being an adult with opinions formed from her own experiences. And unsurprisingly, most adults -- especially proud, stubborn ones -- do not enjoy being treated like children.



Fifth turn has Ringabel warning about the ship. The game really wants you to feel rushed this battle, which is funny for reasons we're about to find out.

She won't hold up much longer!

We're not done here yet. A couple of turns later, Alternis has more to say.



...I survived on muddied waters and gritty sands. But what choice does one have when abandoned soon after birth!?

Hatred for this accursed world had been my sustenance. That is, until the grand marshal saved me! He took me in and raised me as if I were his own! To help him fulfill his ideals became my purpose...my will to live!

And now, you fools...you have...!

Ah yes, the perfect place to put tragic backstory: seven turns into a battle that you're encouraged to rush and can easily be won in half the time.



Adding insult to injury, the Wind Vestal takes advantage of Alternis's monologue to steal his spare sword.

This is really not Alternis's day.



The next turn, Alternis's desperation hits its peak.

Did we not grow up together!? Did we not enjoy the closeness of family!? I...I had thought that once I had proven myself...



"Take" her? What, did he think Braev would hand Edea off, and Edea would blush demurely and swoon at the prospect of being Alternis's wife?

Alternis is not in love with Edea. He's in love with the idea of Edea. The idea of idealized Edea Lee. It's as ridiculous an idea as that last sentence was.

Don't be a fool! Now's not the time for such rubbish!

Rubbish...? ...Arrrgh!!

Point proven. When Alternis comes face-to-face with reality and discovers not the idealized-waifu Edea in front of him, but Edea the person, he loses it.

It should go without saying that this reaction is unacceptable. Turns out the edgy dark knight was the immature one all along.



Minus Strike is the one attack to watch out for. As shown, it's pretty much guaranteed to one-shot any character.

Also, for some reason, Alternis has decided he really hates Ringabel.



He tries to pull the same move on Agnès the next turn, but no go.



And then he's taken down by the very woman he just confessed to. This sort of thing happens when you take rejection badly and get violent, man.



After the battle ends, he backs away, severely injured.



The ship is shaking near-constantly now. By the look of it, we've drifted back to the edge of the Pillar of Light.

A-Alternis.

Ngh...gah...

The ship shakes again, hard enough to knock apart Alternis's damaged helm.

And with a dull clank...

The helmet finally comes off.





Wait, how does he maintain his pompadour under--



Nevermind. Not the time.





Edea turns back to Alternis.

Alternis, your face...



Alternis gets to his feet, hobbling backwards.



As Alternis backs into the side of the ship, it shakes again--



Sending the weakened Alternis overboard before he can catch himself.

Alternis!



Edea takes a few steps forward to try and save him, but it's too late.



Tiz notices something on the ground and grabs it.

He dropped this journal.



It looks identical to Ringabel's.



The ship shakes again, harder than ever.

Eeek!

The ship cannot withstand much more of this!

Back to the bridge! We'll talk about this later, Ringabel!

Right...

Agnès and Tiz run back inside, followed by Ringabel. Edea starts to follow, then turns back.



Things didn't have to turn out this way. But Alternis was unwilling to talk, unwilling to be open to change. The ideals that saved him from a terrible childhood ended up becoming a crutch which he was unable to leave behind. In the end, he left himself no choice but to fail.

Edea finally turns to head in after the others.



Luckily, Airy's managed to maintain her concentration. Looks like we returned just in time.

The ship has never shaken like this before! What's happening!?

The ship won't respond! She's out of control!

How can this be!?

It's as if we're being drawn in by an invisible force!

Drawn in!?

Airy! Airy, what's happening!? Can you not sweep away the darkness!?

Answer me! Airy!












--

Event Viewer
Main Scenario:
The Holy Pillar
Into the Holy Pillar
The First Light
Dark Knight Alternis Dim
The Man Behind the Mask
The Second Journal
Out of Control

Sub-Scenario:
The Swordmaster's Fate - C

Greyarc
Dec 29, 2016

And that wraps up Bravely Default.

The game ended the way it lived: without a decent explanation. Especially strange to get all that stuff with Ringabel and Alternis at the last second.

Oh well. I guess what matters is that we saved the world and only a few people died, most of them terrible.

Thanks for reading, guys!

Greyarc
Dec 29, 2016

It's Not Unaccept



Let's Play Bravely Default: Where the Fairy Flies!

Bravely Default is a JRPG currently exclusive to the 3DS, created

originally intended as a side Final


What Is This Game
Friendship

saving shiny crystals.Widely hailed

massive flaws, especially in the latter part of the game. can't recommend

repetition, and

I can't_______umbing repetition_______________attempt.

How
Focus

D's Journal
________


  • Entry 1: New Game
















EponymousMrYar
Jan 4, 2015

The enemy of my enemy is my enemy.
Let's do the time warp again!?

Again?!

ultrafilter
Aug 23, 2007

It's okay if you have any questions.


No asterisk for beating Alternis? That doesn't fit with what we're used to.

Pureauthor
Jul 8, 2010

ASK ME ABOUT KISSING A GHOST
Please note that Alternis talks about wanting to take Edea as his bride, etc when Edea literally does not even know what Alternis looks like.

Commander Keene
Dec 21, 2016

Faster than the others



ultrafilter posted:

No asterisk for beating Alternis? That doesn't fit with what we're used to.
Yeah, even the plot-mandated ones (the Sky Knights and Braev) gave asterisks.

Pureauthor posted:

Please note that Alternis talks about wanting to take Edea as his bride, etc when Edea literally does not even know what Alternis looks like.
I guess he wore his armor all the time. I mean, the last Dark Knight protagonist Final Fantasy had even wore it while sleeping.

PassingPie
Aug 18, 2013
He just said he was abandoned shortly after his birth, and he and Edea were raised like brother and sister. It's not like he was the dark knight when he was five, how did he manage to hide his face from Edea for their entire lives?

You can be generous and assume that he wasn't taken in by Edea's family until his late teens, but then that bit about being raised together doesn't work.

YggiDee
Sep 12, 2007

WASP CREW
Also they sound EXACTLY THE SAME

IMJack
Apr 16, 2003

Royalty is a continuous ripping and tearing motion.


Fun Shoe
Does that face ring a bell?

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Commander Keene
Dec 21, 2016

Faster than the others



PassingPie posted:

He just said he was abandoned shortly after his birth, and he and Edea were raised like brother and sister. It's not like he was the dark knight when he was five, how did he manage to hide his face from Edea for their entire lives?

You can be generous and assume that he wasn't taken in by Edea's family until his late teens, but then that bit about being raised together doesn't work.
Yeah, even the protagonists aren't immune to Plot-Mandated Stupidity, and the whole Ringabel-Alternis deal is one of the bigger plot holes in the game.

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