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Hello and welcome to my LP of Lost Odyssey! What is this game? Lost Odyssey is a 2007/8 Xbox 360 JRPG developed by Mistwalker Studios and FeelPlus, with a story written by Hironobu Sakaguchi (the creator of the Final Fantasy series). It’s notable for having a relatively adult and character driven story, a (mostly) strong cast of characters, and looking absolutely gorgeous for the time. There is also a series of short stories, called the Thousand Years of Dreams, that can be found throughout the game. In my opinion, they’re very well written and add a lot of depth to the characters. In contrast to the strong and relatively unique story, the gameplay is pretty traditional with only a few variations on your typical JRPG combat. It’s also a bit of a physical monstrosity, as it’s one of only two Xbox 360 games to use four separate discs. Still, these are pretty minor gripes and it's a pretty enjoyable game in general. How will this LP work? I’ll be doing a screenshot LP for the most part, but will also put in videos of any cutscenes, battles, etc. that I think would be improved by watching rather than reading. Any videos will be marked with a banner at either end, so just skip through to the 2nd banner if you decide to watch them instead of reading the transcriptions. Will this be a 100% LP? Almost certainly not. I’ll be aiming to do all of the optional dungeons and get all of the Thousand Years of Dreams stories, but there are a *lot* of sidequests and small errands in this game and I can’t guarantee that I’ll end up doing all of them. What’s the spoiler policy? Because the game’s plot is pretty strong, I’m going to say no talking about actual spoilers. Speculation is fine, but if you know what’s coming, please leave it for others to find out as we go. If there’s something you feel I’ve missed, feel free to post it, just err on the side of spoiler tagging. Updates  1: Opening 2: Wohl Highlands Exploration  3: Escorted Through Uhra 4: Meeting with Gongora 5: Finishing Up in Uhra 6: Skills and Combat  7: Ipsilon Mountains Ascent 8: Ipsilon Mountains Peak 9: Ipsilon Mountains Descent  10: Grand Staff Construction Site 11: The Sea of Baus 12: Captured! 13: The Obligatory Stealth Section 14: Jansen's Folly  15: Exploring Numara 16: One Last Time 17: Something's Rotten in the State of Uhra 18: The Funeral 19: The Crimson Forest 20: It's a Miracle 21: Spies! 22: Escaping Numara 23: Sailing the High Seas  24: Tosca Village 25: A Homecoming, of a Sort 26: Confronting the Sorceress 27: The Black Cave  1: Hanna's Departure Video /Transcript 2: A Hero's Return Video / Transcript 3: In the Mind of a Captive Video / Transcript 4: A Mother Comes Home Video / Transcript 5: White Flowers Video / Transcript 6: Little Liar Video / Transcript 7: The Upstreamers Video / Transcript 8: They Live in Shells Video / Transcript 9: The Talkative Mercenary Video/Transcript 10: Letters From a Weakling Video/Transcript 11: Don't Forget Me Now, You Hear? Video/Transcript 12: Elegy Island Video/Transcript 13: Seth's Dream Part 1 Video/Transcript 14: The Hero Video/ Transcript 15: The Bread of Grandma Coto Video/Transcript 16: So Long, Friend Video/Transcript 17: The Tragedy of the Butcher General Video/Transcript OOrochi fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Aug 2, 2021 |
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Feb 19, 2021 05:35
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[Reserved in case I need it]
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Feb 19, 2021 05:36
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Update 1: Opening Watch This! (This will be revealed just after the cutscene, but for ease of writing/reference, the golden soldiers are from the country of Uhra and the black ones are from the country of Khent)  We open on a dark puddle, that is quickly run through by a number of strange looking vehicles. .png) They rush through a canyon towards an opening. .png) .png) .png) And quickly come to a halt, open their backs and a bunch of armored men with very questionable headgear come pouring out. .png) They run through the canyon and out onto an open field, supported by a few large machines. .png) A number of them charge ahead towards an unseen enemy .png) .png) And what appear to be giant swords come falling out of the sky and impale some them. .png) As more men fall, the camera pans upward to show a lot of swords flying through the sky before arcing back down. .png) As their foes finally come in to view, one guy closes in on the enemy ranks. .png) .png) Before a sword falls down and impales him as well, leaving a Khent soldier free to finish him off. .png) Even more of the Uhrans charge forwards .png) .png) And it does not go well for them. The Khent soldiers essentially cut them to pieces in a number of brutal ways. .png) Though the Uhrans do take out a few of the Khents as well. .png) But while all this carnage has been going on, one of the supporting machines enters the fray. .png) It lowers a giant arm and spins it, scything through the entire crowd surrounding it, leading to a cheer and resurgence from the Uhran soldiers. .png) Who are quickly dismayed when they see that Khent has brought their own machines. .png) Across the lines, the Khent machines bring blades down and crush the Uhran ones.. .png) Fade in to the Khent soldiers walking over a carpet of fallen Uhrans, cleaning up any of them who can still move. .png) When there’s a flash of blue light and one of the Uhrans is lifted back to his feet in the middle of a crowd of confused Khent soldiers. .png) The Uhrans have brought in a new construct, massive towers manned by mages that send out healing bolts across the battlefield. Everywhere one lands, the dead and dying stand back up and get back into the fray. .png) .png) The camera follows their charge and goes beyond the Uhrans, and on to a very different looking man as he cuts through a bunch of Khent soldiers. .png) After he charges through a particularly dense crowd, the camera swings around to rest on his face before swinging around as he steps off of the pile of corpses as new music swells. .png) With that pretty seamless transition, we enter the tutorial fight and learn our mystery man’s name: Kaim. Most of the mechanics are pretty simple and I’ll explain the rest when they’re relevant. For now, the only things we can do are attack the surrounding soldiers or use an item. .png) When we attack, Kaim slices through a number of soldiers at once. .png) While they ineffectually try to retaliate. Occasionally one or 2 of them get a small amount of damage in by attacking Kaim from behind, but it’s not enough to matter. After about three rounds, they bring in one of their machines. .png) Instead of just a blade, this one is also armed with 2 flamethrower pods, which it proceeds to use to roast Kaim. .png) But he just takes it and then swirls his sword to clear the flame from around him. .png) And with that it’s time for the tutorial boss. There are 2 targetable Heavy Tank Units, which are totally identical. .png) Choose one to attack, Kaim runs up and slices it, and a line pops up saying that its defense system has been activated. As most people who have played an RPG before can tell you, this is a sign to attack the other unit. That said, the only penalty this time is that you’ll do essentially no damage. .png) After a little bit of this back and forth, the construct will spend its turn raising its blade instead of attacking. While this is supposed to be a signal to use the newly unlocked defend command, you don’t *have* to do so. .png) Though the blade attack that comes next turn does hurt a lot, Kaim has enough hp that you can brute force your way through. .png) .png) Once both units are defeated and explode off of the side of the construct, it is wracked with electricity and its blade falls to the ground. This opens up a new target, the tank’s magic engine. .png) Attacking it starts a new cutscene where Kaim runs up the arm, jumps in the air, .png) .png) And plunges his sword into the bright red eye on the tank, before backflipping off and watching the tank explode in front of him. .png) He turns around and starts to walk away but is quickly surrounded again by the Khent soldiers. .png) But the bright day suddenly turns dark as the sky is filled with dark clouds .png) .png) Which open to reveal lava and massive chunks of rock that begin to rain down and obliterate everything. .png) The constructs aren’t safe and melt under the falling lava. .png) Which quickly catches up to the fleeing soldiers and engulfs them. .png) The scene zooms out to show the absolutely massive scale at which this is happening as more and more men succumb to the lava. .png) .png) A few Uhrans try and flee, but Kaim simply stands there, transfixed by the devastation. .png) Until the dustclouds reach him and everything goes white. .png) Afterwards, the scene cuts to the plains, now covered with slightly cooled lava and the remains of both man and machine. .png) .png) And Kaim, surrounded blackened bones, stands up and walks away, none the worse for wear.
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Feb 19, 2021 05:36
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OH MAN, I love this game!!! Very excited to see it get an LP. It deserves one 
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Feb 19, 2021 06:07
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Hmmmm... an unspeaking character named Kaim who kills a lot of people in the middle of an extremely brutal war featuring weird combatants... Is Yoko Taro in the credits anywhere? 
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Feb 20, 2021 00:57
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PurpleXVI posted:Hmmmm... an unspeaking character named Kaim who kills a lot of people in the middle of an extremely brutal war featuring weird combatants... I was about to ask this as well.
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Feb 20, 2021 01:17
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PurpleXVI posted:Hmmmm... an unspeaking character named Kaim who kills a lot of people in the middle of an extremely brutal war featuring weird combatants... ...in a big open field which is then obliterated by an attack from the sky. Strong Drakengard chapter 5 energy here.
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Feb 20, 2021 03:28
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This game is great although I am somewhat mad that my second-hand copy had one of the later discs scratched so badly it was unplayable, and I never found a replacement at a sensible price. Looking forward to seeing how it ends!
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Feb 20, 2021 23:09
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Lost Odyssey is a fascinating amalgamation of elements that have aged like wine and elements that have aged like milk, equal parts inspired and cringey, and I love it, although I can't stand parts of it. It's probably a lot better in back compat on the Xboxes Series which will do wonders for load times and such.
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Feb 21, 2021 01:29
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PurpleXVI posted:Hmmmm... an unspeaking character named Kaim who kills a lot of people in the middle of an extremely brutal war featuring weird combatants... Ha, sadly not. One of the studios, Feelgood Inc., did get absorbed at the same time and by the same company that absorbed Cavia. Bob Smith posted:This game is great although I am somewhat mad that my second-hand copy had one of the later discs scratched so badly it was unplayable, and I never found a replacement at a sensible price. Yeah, this was a big worry I had before starting. Thankfully, everything seems to be A-OK right now. Fedule posted:Lost Odyssey is a fascinating amalgamation of elements that have aged like wine and elements that have aged like milk, equal parts inspired and cringey, and I love it, although I can't stand parts of it. It's probably a lot better in back compat on the Xboxes Series which will do wonders for load times and such. The wine/milk analogy is great, pretty perfectly describes the situation of the game. I'm just doing it on an Xbox One, and the load times are pretty reasonable. At least they're way better than I remember them being on the 360.
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Feb 21, 2021 05:12
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Update 2: Wohl Highlands Exploration After that intense introduction, we’re given full control of Kaim as he wanders through the aftermath of the meteor strike.  First things first, we’re going to go hit up the save point just to the right of the spawn. As part of its traditional design, the only way to save your progress in Lost Odyssey is to use one of these save points. The game is fairly liberal with them, but it can still be an occasional pain to find one in a long area. They also don’t do anything like heal you or restore your MP. However, quitting and reloading *does* heal you, so if you’re willing to spend the extra 10-15 seconds doing that then you can use the save points as healing stations as well. .png) After saving, we continue down the path and are quickly popped into another cutscene as Kaim passes the wreckage of a Khent magic tank. .png) Which collapses and makes a ton of noise. .png) And wakes up these 2 guys who had been lying on the ground next to its base. .png) They charge towards Kaim and we’re put into our first real combat. .png) As the name implies, these enemies are the insane survivors of the meteor strike, and as such have the exact same stats that they did before losing their minds. They’re the only enemy in the Wohl Highlands and are really nothing to write home about. They’ll come in groups of 2-3, but don’t pose a threat at all. .png) Kaim still kills them in a single hit. .png) And because we don’t automatically guard like Kaim did in the tutorial fight, they can deal a paltry amount of damage when they attack back. .png) Once we finish off the 2nd soldier, we’re brought to the results screen. It’s pretty typical, with the most notable feature being that we can gain both experience (on the right, above Kaim’s HP and MP) and SP (Skill Points). SP is related to learning skills later on, but for now we don’t have anything we can learn from. .png) After the fight, we continue a bit further down the path and come upon another piece of wreckage. This one brings up a “Ram” prompt, and when pressed, Kaim half-heartedly shoulder checks the junk and makes it collapse. .png) Revealing an item! This is just a basic healing item, but it’s always nice to find things. .png) Just to the left, there’s another destroyed magic tank for Kaim to ram. Doing so knocks its arm over and creates a bridge over the hot magma to progress with. .png) .png) And once we do that, there’s a quick cutscene where Kaim notices a gleam on the ground and picks up our first Ring. In this game, equipping a Ring gives you a bonus to your attacks and unlocks a little quicktime event as part of them. .png) When you attack, a ring will appear around the enemy. Holding down the right trigger during the attack animation causes a second ring to shrink down as you approach. Releasing the trigger stops the shrinking ring and gives you bonuses depending on when you do so. Releasing it right when the rings overlap gives you a Perfect and a strong effect from your equipped ring, doing it when the rings partially overlap gives you a Good and a small effect from your ring, and either releasing too early or holding the trigger too long gives you a Bad result and makes your ring have no effect on the attack. .png) As an example, the Bruiser Ring we just got boosts the physical damage of Kaim’s attacks. With it equipped, a Perfect result makes Kaim do about 125 damage a hit, a Good result does about 106 damage, and a Bad does 96. So depending on what you have equipped, the effects can be very significant. You can also change rings and any other equipment at any time during combat without taking up your turn, so adapting your rings and accessories to whatever you’re fighting ends up being a big part of the strategy for difficult fights. .png) After equipping the new Ring, we continue down the path, beat up a few more Khent Soliders, and ram a few more magic tanks for consumables. .png) Additionally, near the end of the area we can see another glimmer on the ground. Picking it up gets us a Name Plate. The symbol on the left designates it as a key item, so we’ll just stow it in our inventory for now and continue on to the next screen. .png) In the next area, we find a box. If we run into it .png) It falls apart and gives us another consumable. There are a couple of these crates scattered around with nothing important in them. .png) Other than the boxes and random battles, this area is pretty much just a straight shot forwards while you enjoy the music and the view. .png) .png) Entering the next screen yet another cutscene where Kaim walks in to view and encounters two Uhran soldiers combing through the rubble and grumbling to each other. .png) Until one turns sideways and notices Kaim just staring at them.  : Hey! Hey! What? That guy over there. He’s still alive!.png) They run over to Kaim. .png) What’s your name? Your unit?.jpg) Second Lieutenant Kaim Argonar. Commander, 17th platoon, Armored Magic Troopers. It’s a miracle you made it. Come with me, this way.The two soldiers start leading Kaim down the canyon. .png) Yeah… Amazing he made it out safe. Especially in that outfit.Kaim graciously doesn’t respond to the jibe and follows the soldiers out to the edge of the Highlands. .png) Here we come upon yet more chests, a couple of shellshocked soldiers and a few medics tending to their wounds. .png) Opening one chest gives us our first crafting materials. The only things you can craft are different types of Ring, and the recipe for any Ring is unlocked by finding any one of the components needed to make it. These whetstones would allow us to make another Bruiser Ring if we wanted, but there’s no reason to do so just yet so we’ll wait. .png) Other than this guy’s long description, none of the soldiers are particularly notable. .png) So we’ll just head on and board the armored cars to get out of here. We’re pulling out. Let’s move!.png) On the car, we find a few more troops and medics hard at work. However, going towards the back of the car starts a small cutscene.  .png) Kaim sees a woman dressed differently from the soldiers and medics sitting in the back. .png) She seems pretty deep in thought, .png) .png) But when she looks up at Kaim she only pauses a moment before making a gasp of recognition. .png) One of the medics notices the two staring at each other.  That’s Officer Seth Balmore with the 43rd Magic Division. She’s like you… She got out in one piece. : Really, you two are walking miracles..png) Kaim is seemingly unimpressed and just sits down on the other side of the car. .jpg) Hey ya…. I….png) Kaim doesn’t respond and we’re instead shown a number of cars driving through the night. .png) .png) Day breaks as the cars approach the walls of Uhra. .png) And when they stop, Kaim is approached by one of the Uhran soldiers. Hmm? The Council wishes to hear from a survivor, sir.Seth gets up as well, making to follow Kaim. Sorry, not you, Officer Balmore. Hey, I’m a survivor, too! The Council has only summoned Lieutenant Argonar. Sit down and shut up. Hmph. Well, that’s just weird..png) Kaim looks back and the two survivors share a meaningful look before he follows the escort soldiers off the car.  .png) We’re given back control of Kaim just outside the doors to the elevator. However, instead of heading inside, we will be ending this update here.
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Feb 21, 2021 05:15
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I've heard good things about this game, so I'm on board. Kaim sure isn't much of a talker yet, but I'm sure someone will come along and join the party soon that will be chattier.
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Feb 21, 2021 08:27
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Ha ha, I like that the soldiers diss Kaim's anime-rear end outfit. Though he's within his rights to comment on their stupid brass band helmets in return.
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Feb 21, 2021 08:42
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I remember a youtuber - I think it was ThorHighHeels - really gush about this game in one of his videos. Looks good so far, just a bit too anime for my tastes. Thanks for LPing this! Interested in seeing where it goes.
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Feb 21, 2021 11:34
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Bob Smith posted:This game is great although I am somewhat mad that my second-hand copy had one of the later discs scratched so badly it was unplayable, and I never found a replacement at a sensible price. I loved this game at the time and still have a couple of the music tracks on my everyday playlist.
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Feb 21, 2021 11:50
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 This is strong 0s gaming technology here.
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Feb 21, 2021 12:14
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PurpleXVI posted:Ha ha, I like that the soldiers diss Kaim's anime-rear end outfit. Yeah, that's a pot-kettle-black situation right there if there ever was one.
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Feb 21, 2021 19:16
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Not afraid to admit the side stories of this game brought me to tears. Good game.
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Feb 21, 2021 23:38
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Painfully underrated game, happy to see it getting attention.
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Feb 22, 2021 02:19
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cardinale posted:If I remember correctly, it was because in some versions of the game package, the fourth disc came in a paper envelope rather than on a spindle and there was some kind of glue residue from the envelope that messed the disc up. On the advice of gamefaqs I boiled my disc in a saucepan of water and it actually rendered it playable. Oh my god, that's wonderful. Captainsalami posted:Not afraid to admit the side stories of this game brought me to tears. Good game. 100% same. I think that they're probably the biggest reason this game stuck with me over the years.
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Feb 22, 2021 04:03
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cardinale posted:If I remember correctly, it was because in some versions of the game package, the fourth disc came in a paper envelope rather than on a spindle and there was some kind of glue residue from the envelope that messed the disc up. On the advice of gamefaqs I boiled my disc in a saucepan of water and it actually rendered it playable. Yeah, my copy was like that: three discs on spindles and the last (fourth) in an envelope, just thrown into the case. The fourth disc constantly had reading problems and it was about 2-3x slower to read by the drive even when it worked, but in the end it managed to survive to the end of the game somehow. But it was defo touch and go there on a few occasions. The one thing I wish is for this game to somehow by miracle get a PC version because I no longer have an XBOX console I could play it on. Probably not going to happen though, but I keep holding out hope. Also, the best music track in the game which you never really end up listening all the way through because of where it plays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YDipkGmTzQ
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Feb 23, 2021 12:07
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I'm not at all into JRPGs and never so much as saw this game being played, but somehow I came across the main theme some years ago, and it's one of my favourite tracks of video game music ever. Nobuo Uematsu is so loving good, and that track sounds like he's channelling equal parts Basil Poledouris and Ennio Morricone. Goddamn fantastic piece.
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Feb 25, 2021 12:17
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Update 3: Escorted Through Uhra Welcome back! Last time we survived a giant meteor strike, got picked up by some friendly soldiers, and then summoned to report how we survived to The Council. This time we’ll be escorted through Uhra by said friendly soldiers. .png) But first, we’ll be running aaallllllll the way back to the entrance of the area and climbing up this lookout post. .png) And that’s because there’s a trash can hidden up here with a Seed in it. Seeds are this game’s main hidden collectable and there are 99 of them spread out across the world. Collect enough of them and you can eventually exchange them for specific prizes. However, they are hidden everywhere and often in containers that are nearly unnoticeable. Which brings me to one thing I’ll be doing. This game, like Blue Dragon before it, is absolutely lousy with chests and item collection points. This area alone has 5 separate ones and there’s another screen in this update that has 13. Because that’s not interesting for anyone to read about, I’ll mention any unique/important ones, but will just skip over all of the others. So for most areas, just append an invisible “And I found like 8 containers of random crafting materials and 200 G”. .png) Anyway, with that little rant out of the way we’ll actually follow the soldiers inside the wall. Lieutenant Argonar, please take the central lift. The monorail is waiting up above.However, instead of doing that we’ll pop over and talk to the guy on the right. .png)  He said he dropped it through the gap while he was going up on the lift, but when he went back to fetch it, it was gone.This is the first of many side quests that we’ll encounter and we’ll be resolving it almost immediately. .png) To do so, we just need to pop onto the lift. It’s a little hard to see, but the missing helmet is actually caught on the lift structure on the right side of the screen. .png) So once we arrive at the top of the lift, we’ll immediately turn around and go back down. Which also provokes an angry outburst from one of the soldiers. .png) But once we get back down, there’s a new Ram prompt on this section of structure. Kaim’s shoulder check is somehow able to shake the whole thing enough to knock the helmet loose and it clatters down to the floor. .png) Wow, it was stuck on there? I will return the helmet to the soldier. Thank you so much! Oh, right, I better repay you.Colen then gives us an Antidote Brooch, which is our first accessory. All accessories have one or more skills attached to them and are a core part of customizing your characters. That said, I’ll go into more detail on that a bit later when it’s a bit more relevant. .png) When we go back up, one of the escorts grumbles at us again before heading out into the station itself. .png) .png) The only notable thing in here is the monorail, so after a brief bit of futzing around we’ll hop right on. .png) Inside, our escorts want to talk with Kaim. Hey, you’re that guy, right? The soldier that can’t die..jpg) … The 17th Division? That was the front line! They were smack in the middle of the Wohl Highlands. No one could’ve survived that meteor crash. But here you are, without a scratch. Beg your pardon, Lieutenant, but it’s really strange. The few we were able to save were far from the center of the impact. And even those men were seriously injured. It’s just… it’s hard to believe that anyone could have survived that inferno. Then don’t believe it. The Council won’t like that attitude. …And come on, tell us. How’d you make it? ….png) With that awkward ending, we’re free to explore the car. There are a good number of NPCs here who talk about things like fallout from the meteor strike and people being afraid that another meteor could strike Uhra itself, while others are confident that their Magic Energy could protect the republic. When we reach the end of the car, another cutscene starts. Watch this .png) Kaim lounges against one of the walls .png) Before turning to look out the window as the camera zooms out. .png) To a shot of the monorail going over the city. .png) We get some close ups of the Uhrans themselves. .png) Interspersed with shots of this glowing purple pendulum. .png) Eventually it follows a series of pipes trough the city, .png) To a shot of the capital building and its surroundings. .png) Where the title splash comes in. .png) It cuts pretty quickly to Kaim getting off the monorail. .png) .png) He pauses, and stares at the torch atop one of the magic structures. .png) The shot keeps zooming in on the flame until it fades to black. .png) A number of sparks appear on the screen. .png) And a gruff new narrator starts talking. .png) .png) The scene then fades to black and fades in to a new area. .png)  Is it true that the Khents have requested a truce? Indeed. We heard that enough men were committed to cover the Wohl Highlands and that most of the Khent force were eliminated. This war was started by them. It’s only right they withdraw. We’ve also lost a tremendous number of troops. After suffering such a devastating loss, if the Gohtza were to strike now there would be no way that we could defend our country. And there are also whispers that Gohtza was pulling strings behind the invasion..png) (about half of the dialogue in this scene has a split screen with Gongora’s, the guy on the left, reaction) What makes you think that the Gohtza were involved? We have confirmed that a large amount of military hardware has been moved from Gohtza to Khent. We assume that Gohtza plans to use Khent to keep things stirred up and destabilize Uhra. Are you saying that even the meteor crash was a Gohtzan plot? My Lord, I have some disturbing information on that subject. We suspect that a situation at Grand Staff may have caused the meteor crash..png) This is not confirmed, but magic energy may have leaked out of Grand Staff, interfered with something in outer space, and precipitated this disaster. Gongora. Yes, My lord. The Grand Staff falls under your jurisdiction. Do you have anything to say? Nothing for the moment. Where did you get this information? Construction of Grand Staff is going smoothly. Now that the forces of Uhra have suffered such devastating losses, I think we have no other way to protect our land except with the magic energy that Grand Staff will provide. We should hold off on debating the pros and cons of Grand Staff until we’ve thoroughly reviewed the world’s current situation. What you say makes sense. But our plan to use magic energy is a double-edged sword. With all sorts of rumors flying around, we might want to halt construction of Grand Staff. What?! Only temporarily. As soon as it’s clear that Grand Staff had nothing to do with the meteor collision, we’ll resume construction immediately, Gongora..png) Gongora silently acquiesces and the scene fades to black.  .png) We’re then popped back over to Kaim in the central station of the monorail. .png) We’ll be following the soldiers shortly. But first, there’s another glowing thing on the ground. .png) Pick it up and we get an Engraved Ring. This is for another quick sidequest that we can resolve immediately. .png) We also handle PA system announcements, monorail status reports, and lost and found services here. Let me know if you need anything.We just need to head down the elevator and talk to this guy. Hm? I believe we just had someone inquire about this earlier. The ring was a gift from the owner’s fiancé. He was a young soldier, and he was quite distraught. I’m sure this will make him very happy. I was asked to present a certain item to whomever brought the ring here, so please, take this.For our good deed, we receive a Cure-All. It’s a consumable that can be used to cure any status ailment. Though it’s nowhere near as useful as the brooch we got earlier, it’s still nice to get for sure. .png) With both of those quick side quests out of the way, it’s time to go meet the council. There are 2 quick screens between the station and the council chambers, but there’s nothing too important in them. Once we arrive, we’re quickly taken inside. .png) .png) Lieutenant Kaim Argonar. We thank you for a job well done. I am Roxian. Chairman of the Central Council of Uhra. … Well, Lieutenant, it seems people are calling you “the Immortal.” We’ve heard there were almost no survivors from Uhra or Khent after the meteor crashed on the Highlands. And yet you appear to be unharmed, even though you were presumably at the precise point of impact. Tell me: How did you survive? I don’t know. My Lord, please allow me to explain. Fine. Speak. Thank you, My Lord. Actually, this man is immortal thanks to my magic energy. He is under a spell of immortality that I conjured. Hmm. I wish to know more. This immortality spell. How does it work? I don’t know. What? Are you saying that you don’t know about the spell cast on you? I don’t remember. I recall nothing..png) Then what can you tell us, Gongora? With all due respect, My Lord, this spell is a curse. It is said that merely hearing it brings death near. For the safety of everyone, it is better that the spell be kept secret. Hmm. Very well. Since I trust your studied opinion, I shall take your word that we should not know the spell. Death is determined by fate, and one cannot fight it.….png) Gongora gives a pointed look back towards Kaim. Lieutenant, since it seems that you cannot be killed, the Council would like to bestow a special mission on you. We want you to go to Grand Staff. My Lord! Gongora, you cannot keep this hidden any longer. Till now, construction has been left up to you. But we’ve lost contact with the site. It’s just that… Gongora. Until we can confirm that Grand Staff project is safe, construction shall be suspended. Yes, My Lord. So, now, Lieutenant Argonar. … You know of Grand Staff, under construction in the Sea of Baus? I’ve heard that it’s a magic staff. Yes, it is. As you just heard, all communications with the site have been cut off for some time now. Considering the danger from magic energy leaks, we suspect that no one can investigate the possible cause except someone immortal. Well, there is someone else. What did you say? At the Wohl Highlands. Another Immortal. Her name is Balmore. Hmmmm. Well, then. This other one shall accompany you. I shall summon her. Quickly, make the arrangements! Right away, My Lord. My Lord, pardon me for saying this. But I am building Grand Staff for the sake of our nation and its people. Enough! We will await Kaim’s return and report. Of course, My Lord. You are dismissed, Lieutentant.We’re then led back outside the Council chambers. .png) I have word from Chairman Roxian that you are offduty until official orders come from the Council. There’s a fine inn just along this street for you to stay and wait for your orders. We have already arranged for the Council to contact you there..png) The inn is just down the street, but we’ll end things just before heading inside. Next time we’ll get a little bit more involved in the politics of Uhra.
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Feb 25, 2021 22:50
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ivantod posted:Also, the best music track in the game which you never really end up listening all the way through because of where it plays: Wow, I had never actually listened to the 2nd half of that. It absolutely slaps.
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Feb 25, 2021 22:53
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Hi Eyebrows!
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Feb 25, 2021 23:50
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"so how'd you make this dude immortal? that could be real handy" "uhhhhhhhhhhhh... can't tell because of... a curse, yes, a curse" "well okay, we certainly won't ask any more questions about that"
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Feb 26, 2021 00:02
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Can't be too careful with curses. Nasty things.
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Feb 26, 2021 00:06
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I mean they have only had magic for like thirty years, basically flailing in the dark with that poo poo.
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Feb 26, 2021 00:48
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This Gongora fellows seems completely trustworthy
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Feb 26, 2021 01:39
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"Also, there's this other immortal woman." "That's interesting, but I'm certainly not going to ask Gongara about there being multiple immortal people wandering around." This council is clearly far too busy to ask even basic questions about incredibly important things.
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Feb 26, 2021 03:07
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I recall enjoying this game a while ago after buying it used at Gamestop, even though the guy working there tried to talk me out of buying it since he found one small event in the game boring. I did find the difficulty somewhat front-loaded, being able to change gear mid-battle is very strong but it did not lessen the game any. Also, the first 30 seconds of Dark Saint from the soundtrack is one of my favorite video game music sections.
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Feb 26, 2021 04:04
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You are receiving this broadcast as a dream...We are transmitting from the year one nine... nine nine ...You are receiving this broadcast in order t
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Nissin Cup Nudist posted:This Gongora fellows seems completely trustworthy Complete agreement. Always place your trust in Freddie Mercury's mustache and it will never lead you astray.
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Feb 26, 2021 04:48
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OOrochi posted:Wow, I had never actually listened to the 2nd half of that. It absolutely slaps. I know, nobody ever does, that's why I posted it! Because this music plays on the map screen, everybody just quickly selects their destination and moves on so most people end up playing through the whole game never ever hearing that awesome second half! Me included, mind you---I only listened to this whole thing for the first time several years after finishing the game!
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Feb 26, 2021 12:37
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Update 4: Meeting with Gongora Welcome back! Last time we were escorted through the city and received an assignment from the Council. This time, things will get a little more complicated. .png) The scene flashes back to the Council chambers. And now, Councilors. I propose that Gongora be removed from Grand Staff project, with control transferred to this Council. My Lord!? In addition, until Lieutenant Argonar completes his investigation, I propose that Gongora be confined to his residence under surveillance.png) .png) At this, all of the other councilors flash looks of concern towards Roxian. Those who disagree with my proposal, raise your hands now. It appears I have no choice but to agree. Argh. I see there are no objections. It is decided..png) We come back to Kaim inside of the inn, and immediately go talk with the innkeeper.  Welcome. The Council has told me about you. Please enjoy your stay.Immediately after talking to him, the screen fades to black yet again. Narrator: As Kaim slips into deep sleep, his dream unfolds… A dream? Or his past? At this moment, there is no way he could know. .png) The dream fades in on a child standing on a cliff overlooking the sea.  A hand comes into view with heavy breathing as the point of view rushes towards her. .png) Just before we reach her, the child turns around and everything seems to move in slow motion. .png) As she turns back around and falls over the cliff. .png) .png) The point of view character is horrified, screams, and starts beating their fists on the rock while screaming. .png) Soon a woman’s voice cuts in, sobbing over the girl. .png) The point of view character stumbles towards her with an unsteady arm out and puts a hand on her shoulder. .png) She turns her head just enough to see a tear roll down her cheek. .png) .png) .png) When suddenly the scene goes white and Kaim wakes with a scream. .png) .png) He sits there for a few moments, just staring at his hand and breathing heavily. .png) .png) Before falling onto it and sobbing. .png) Eventually he stops crying and his face resumes its normal stoic expression, but not before a single tear rolls down his cheek as well. .png) He walks out the door and the scene fades to black. .png) This unlocks the first story in the Thousand Years of Dreams, which are a collection of short stories mostly about Kaim’s past that can be found throughout the game. I think that they’re all pretty interesting and absolutely deserve to be watched/read.  Video /Transcript With that finished, we’re left a little bit aimless. .png) However, looting is always a good idea and this chest in the room across the hall has another accessory in it. .png) We’ll hold any messages that come for you here, so please, don’t hesitate to take a stroll outside. I’m sure you’d like to forget the horrors of the battlefield.Since there’s nothing better to do, might as well follow the Innkeeper’s suggestion and take a walk outside. Doing so starts yet another cutscene. .png) Kaim walks through the crowds on Main Street. .png) .jpg) Oops…. Sorry…. Look out!... Coming through!And bowling through the crowds behind him is this guy. .png) .png) Kaim notices the man following him through a mirror. .png) And takes a detour into an alley. .png) The man follows .png) And Kaim ever so diplomatically slams him against the wall. Wait! Wait, wait! Let go! My throat! My throat! drat! Why are you following me? You! You’re Kaim Argonar! I mean, Lord Gongora asked me to do it. *cough* It’s the truth! I’m supposed to tell you to go to his manor. He has something important to tell you..png) At that, Kaim drops the man. You are? Jansen. Messenger for Lord Gongora. At your service..png) Kaim turns and walks away without a word. What an attitude. Jeez whiz….png) And Jansen runs off in the other direction. .png) The path to Gongora’s mansion is just north of the inn. .png) Cut through a residential area with a nice park. .png) And we arrive at Gongora’s appropriately described mansion. However, when we approach the guard we’re told that Tolten is currently having an audience with Gongora and that we need to wait. .png) We cut inside to see Tolten (in the gold armor) commiserating with Gongora about Roxian. Thank you, Your Majesty. It is much more than I could have asked. Your father would have been pleased. : I could never fill my father’s shoes. And now that Uhra is a republic, I am simply a citizen like everyone else. I am no longer “Your Majesty.” I respect the royal blood that flows in your veins. It is only fitting that I offer the respect you’re due.: Do not be foolish. People will think you are a dissident who wants to restore the monarchy..png) At that Gongora bows even further. : You taught me the rudiments of magic. I can not help but be kind to you in return..png) …: It makes me angry, Gongora. Our entire nation has benefited from magic energy, yet he does not understand the significance of Grand Staff. If we can increase magic energy with Grand Staff, just think how much better our people’s lives would be! We would no longer need soldiers. You have seen the future of Uhra, and how Grand Staff can make it happen. Roxian’s vision is too narrow for our nation to grow.:… I am sorry you had to witness that. There is no need to apologize. I’m happy Your Highness understands. But even if they stop Grand Staff, we could develop a newer and far better magic engine.: Please let me know what you need, Gongora. I can help you. I am unworthy, Your Highness..png) .png) Gongora bows again, and the scene changes to outside the front gate. .png) .png) Tolten notices Kaim waiting there and time slows for a moment as they pass. .png) At his car, pauses and turns to look at the back of Kaim’s head again before getting in and leaving..png) While Kaim, who has been studiously not watching anything, takes a backwards glance as he is escorted inside the building himself. .png) Inside, Kaim finds Gongora still in his study. Good. You’re here..png) Kaim kneels and kisses Gongora’s hand. I asked you here for only one reason..png) .png) Kaim does a double take and notices a familiar sleeve sticking out from behind a pillar. Hold on. What is it?.png) Oh, oh no, great. Here he comes…Jansen turns to walk out. .png) And jumps back as Kaim shoves his sword in his face. .png) You really are short-tempered. Hey, I don’t have a sword, okay? Easy! Why are you here? I told you, I’m just a messenger. I came to see if you’d really come or not… Which you have. So that’s good!.png) Hmph Thanks. A little late though. We can use him. He’s cunning and quick, and he has many connections. I want you to take him on your investigation of Grand Staff. No way, Sir. You know, I thought he’d say that, my Lord. Hee hee. Issues! Hello! Look, this other immortal joining the investigation… she might be dangerous. Why? The woman was once a pirate. I don’t know how it happened, but she’s now a soldier for our army. Well, the past is the past, and I know little else about her. Take Jansen with you. He can help keep her in check. Despite what else he may be, he has a healthy respect for women..png) Jansen eases down onto a couch. .png) Kaim and Gongora are not amused. Hmmm. Pirate?.png) While Kaim is briefly lost in thought, Gongora furrows his brow and gives Kaim a look. All right. Understood.Kaim starts to walk off. All right then, I’ll be there early. Oh yeah, you can count on it..png) I can’t leave here for a while. The Grand Staff is my life’s work. So if something is wrong, I want you, with your immortal powers, to find out what it is. Understood?Kaim nods You’ll be briefed later. You should go now. *yawn* I’ll be right behind ya..png) Kaim leaves and Gongora turns back to Jansen Oh he’s going to be fun to work with..png) Whoa. Nice. But you know, My Lord, I’ve been thinking… working with that guy is like playing with fire. I mean, did you see his eyes? I mean, that’s creepy. I got a bad feeling about this whole thing. I mean, this little guarantee is not gonna be enough, I’m afraid, for me to keep an eye on him. You’re gonna have to give me a little bit more, you know what I’m saying?.png) There’s a brief moment where Gongora and Jansen just stare at each other. You’re already under a magic contract. Don’t get greedy..png) To demonstrate his point, Gongora makes the candles explode in a ball of flame. Whoa, hey, okay. That’s some serious mojo buddy! Easy, easy! Is your fee still unsatisfactory? Okay, not funny! I’m not laughing, okay? I didn’t stick my neck out for this… okay?.png) Jansen stomps off, muttering to himself. .png) And Gongora chuckles to himself as the scene fades out. .png) After that, we’re given free reign to wander Gongora’s mansion. There’s a hallway that wraps around the whole thing, and the center of the mansion is occupied by this research lab and a bunch of attendants with the strange robes and masks. .png) There’s a giant magical engine in the middle that looks pretty cool, but the big thing to do in the mansion is go through the northern door to the store room. .png) In the store room there are a bunch of chests including another two accessories (the Berseker Necklace and Hawkeye). Additionally, you can pull the crate in the background out and go behind it to get 3 magma fragments, enough to make a Flame Ring. .png) After that brief bit of looting, we’ll head back outside. Interestingly, if we talk to the guards now, they’ll say that, by direct orders from the Council, no one is allowed to see Gongora. Anyway, with all of that done we’ll be ending this update here. Next time we’ll finish up in Uhra and finally head on out.
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Feb 28, 2021 16:46
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That story hit too close to home...  And unless Gongora ALSO immortal, he clearly didn't give Kaim his immortality. I think Gongora is not eloquent enough to be truly untrustworthy.
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Feb 28, 2021 19:36
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cardinale posted:If I remember correctly, it was because in some versions of the game package, the fourth disc came in a paper envelope rather than on a spindle and there was some kind of glue residue from the envelope that messed the disc up.
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Feb 28, 2021 19:53
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Im guessing that the prince/king/royal dude and Kaim having the same face model is simply a coincidence, right?
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Mar 1, 2021 04:35
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I can't tell if Gongora is covering up for Kaim being immortal so Kaim isn't experimented on or not at this point.
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Mar 1, 2021 05:38
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Schwartzcough posted:That story hit too close to home... Yeah, I think that Hanna's Departure is one of the more powerful stories, especially when combined with the nightmare Kaim had just before unlocking it. The two also do a great job at showing another side to Kaim's character since he's just been completely stoic about everything so far. Deadmeat5150 posted:Im guessing that the prince/king/royal dude and Kaim having the same face model is simply a coincidence, right? I believe so. As far as I know, at least.
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Mar 1, 2021 16:34
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Lost Odyssey Update 5: Finishing Up in Uhra Welcome back! Last time we maybe got a glimpse into Kaim’s past and then had a private meeting with Gongora and our new “companion” Jansen. This time we’ll be finishing up the last few things to do in Uhra before finally heading out. .png) Just outside of Gongora’s manor, Kaim runs into Seth Balmore. .jpg) Hey! I’ve been looking everywhere for you..png) Kaim slows and looks at her, but keeps on walking. I heard about the Grand Staff investigation. Looks like we both got the short end of the stick. It’s not enough that we just keep surviving, eh?.png) Seth does a flip over Kaim. .png) Seth pops up and starts darting around Kaim. .png) Nothing to do with you. Oh really? Say, haven’t we met somewhere before? Hmm? (annoyed elipses) Nothing to worry about if you can’t remember. Neither can I. You too, huh? I can’t recall a thing..png) People say I used to be a pirate. But isn’t it strange that both of us lost our memory and are immortal? Maybe we met a long time ago. I sort of get that feeling when I look at you..png) .png)  .png) Kaim takes a swipe at Seth after that last remark, but she backflips out of the way. .png) Tomorrow? You still haven’t been contacted by the Council? You set out for Grand Staff tomorrow morning. I thought you would have heard by now. Oh, and by the way I’ll be joining you on your little trip. So, you are going with me, then? Being late is strictly forbidden..png) Seth then blows Kaim a kiss before taking off running. .png) And Kaim just watches her leave with a bemused look on his face. .png) When we pop back to the inn, the innkeeper lets us know that we are to report to the Great Gate for our next mission. Unlike what Seth said, we can actually head there immediately and leave. But instead, we’ll be knocking out all of the side quests and other minor things we can do. .png) .png) First up is this tavern just down the street from the inn. There is some interesting NPC chatter in here, including some people speculating whether the previous king was assassinated, and whether Chairman Roxian or Gongora was responsible. But what we’re here for is the soldier drinking at the bar. .png)  I kind of feel like a heel, thinking about all my dead buddies, but having another chance to see your family… well, that’s a great feeling. I didn’t think I’d actually make it out of this alive, after all. I have no idea what I’m gonna do when it’s time to knock on my family’s front door.Approaching him automatically starts a conversation and unlocks another of the Thousand Years of Dreams.  Video / Transcript .png) If we leave the tavern and return, the soldier at the bar disappears and two new guys appear upstairs. Approaching them also triggers a conversation. .png)  I have no idea why they kept on acting that way, really. Video / Transcript .png) And we’re still not done with the tavern! Leaving and returning once more spawns this father-son pair at the bar. .png)  Come on, dad! I gotta get you home already! Video / Transcript .png) Next up is the residential area between the main street and Gongora’s mansion. .png) Going near the family on the left bench starts a scene where Kaim just kinda stares at them before unlocking a 4th story from the Thousand Years of Dreams.  Video / Transcript .png) Right next to that family are another two women watching the children play. The one we care about is the ominously named Sad Martha.  He’s such a lively young boy. I can’t keep up with him at my age.We have the option to give her the name plate that we found back in the Wohl Highlands. I sent this charm off with my son. It can only mean one thing… I knew it. I was kidding myself before, really, but I knew it. This was my grandfather’s name plate. A souvenir from a war long ago that he miraculously survived. He told me that a fellow soldier saved his life in that war. But I suppose his name plate wasn’t enough to do the same for my son. Thank you for taking the trouble to bring this to me. There are so many families in this war with nothing to remember their departed by. It may not be much, but I want you to have this. I hope you make it to retirement, soldier.She then gives us 2 Poison Oils, which are a crafting component for a ring that lets us inflict poison with a basic attack. .png) As we head towards the Great Gate, our next stop is on the 2nd floor of the monorail station where this father and daughter have appeared. Just like in the tavern, getting near them starts another conversation. .png)  I’m not the boss of anything, really. I’m glad she’s proud of me, though. Everything I do, I do for her. Video / Transcript .png) After that final trip down memory lane, we’ll take a quick monorail ride back over to the Great Gate. .png) There’s one last side quest to do before we head out. Down on the first floor of the elevator tower, you can see a soldier standing by a wall of controls in the background. .png) When we talk to him, he asks if we know how to work the cargo lift system. Saying we do starts up a little minigame. .png) Each of the three platforms has three positions it can be in, and each lever moves two of the three platforms. The goal of the game is to make all three platforms be at the lowest point of their cycle at the same time. It also resets after 6 moves, so you can’t mess things up too badly if you have no idea what’s going on. The correct sequence is ACBAA and doing that lets us ride the lifts up. .png) On the third platform we find our reward, a Platinum Gauntlet accessory. After we grab this guy, it’s finally time to head out towards Grand Staff. .png) .png) .png) Just outside the gates we see Seth pacing around while Kaim leans against the wall. Why aren’t we leaving? We should’ve already been gone by now. I’m waiting for somebody. What? Who? There’s somebody else on the team. Huh? I haven’t heard about that. I have. (said in just about the most resigned tone of voice possible).png) There’s a brief wait, but eventually the gate opens up .png) And out stumbles Jansen, supported by three women, slurring every word, and absolutely hammered. Eeh heh heh heh… thanks… you guys are seeing triple..png) Yeah. Whoa! Baby. What a woman. I can’t believe my luck! Ugh.. He reeks of booze! Why are you late? Can’t you tell? A man’s gotta do certain “things” before leaving on a mission like this, and I did what I had to do. Ugh, what a jerk… Thank you, my lovelies. .png) .png)  We’ll miss you! Oh Jansen, come back to us! We still have that bottle for you! I know, I know… Oh, don’t say that… That’s so nice… Aww, you girls… I am already missing you….png) Fifteen for her, for her, for her. That’s forty-five minutes. That’s… Gah! Like we would wait for you, you worthless drunk!.png) Thank you for bringing him to us..png) Seth flips each of the women a coin and they start trying to get her attention instead. She refuses them and shoos them back inside while Jansen drunkenly waves goodbye. As soon as they’re gone, she turns back to Kaim. .png) Hey, that’s not nice. I’m going to com in real handy! You can count on it!.png) Seth shoves some supplies into Jansen’s hands before stomping off as Jansen mutters to himself. .png) But eventually he turns to Kaim who’s just been standing here watching everything happen. .png) With that done, we get control of an actual party. It’s noticeable earlier, but I like the little details of everyone coming slightly leveled and that Jansen has a lower level than the two immortals do. I equip everyone up with the accessories and a few Flame Rings that I could make with materials found throughout Uhra. .png) As we head down the road to leave, .png) A car pulls up .png) And drops off this guy. In town, there was an item shop that we could go inside of, but not buy anything from because the shopkeeper was traveling. As luck would have it, that’s who we just ran into. .png) He has a variety of elemental attack items and a few accessories, but nothing that we don’t already have access to. I buy a few bombs to cover anything that’s missing, but don’t spend much over all. .png) After that, we take just about 5 steps further down the road and finally reach the world map. Next time we’ll start our trek through the Ipsilon Mountains!
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Mar 4, 2021 04:51
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