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 King of Rurafan: I see...I didn’t expect for there to be a coup… Winna (blue screening): A c-coup!? (thinking) Please don’t get me involved in your personal affairs...aren’t you supposed to talk about [giving me] treasure? King of Rurafan: So that’s how it is...I thought the long war would end soon...Princess Kushina, you must be worried about your family! Kushina: Indeed. However, I must offer my apologies that your emissaries were treated so [badly]. Heathcliff (sad): Father...Sardis’ Grand Chamberlain, Paul, sacrificed himself to save us. King of Rurafan: Hm. This event has caused great losses for our two nations. What’s most important is to be cautious of the one called Geruda, or else we don’t know what he’ll do [next]... Heathcliff: Father! Geruda mentioned that the count is after the ‘Fairy’s Pearl’. King of Rurafan: Did you say the ‘Fairy’s Pearl’? If that’s true, then we must immediately send troops to strengthen defenses everywhere. Heathcliff: That reminds me, Father, where’s Aaron? King of Rurafan: Aaron is at Henry’s...I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Heathcliff: It might be better to recall him to the palace! I’ll go get him. Kushina: I’ll go with you. I don’t think it’s that safe to go by yourself. Heathcliff (surprised): W-why do you say that? Winna (grinning a mile wide): Then I guess I’ll say goodbye to you guys [from] here… Kushina (putting on a fake smile): Where do you think you’re going? Winna (like a kicked puppy): What do you mean ‘w-where’? I mean I’m leaving. King of Rurafan: How about this--I will have Baccus accompany you as your bodyguard. Is Baccus here? (A silver-haired young man comes in.) Baccus: I am. King of Rurafan: I realize you’re very busy, but I [still] hope you can accompany Heath to where Henry is. Baccus: Got it, I’ve already gotten word of what’s going on from the guard over there. Princess Kushina, it’s nice to meet you, and you are…? Winna: I’m Winna. Baccus (smiling): Nice to meet you, Winna! King of Rurafan: Henry’s home is to the north of the palace, plus it’s a ways from here. You look tired, rest up a bit before setting out!  Stage 3: The Ever-Pursuing Shadow Baccus: Oh, it doesn’t look good, Heath. That’s the banner of the Sardis army! Kushina: You call him ‘Heath’? Heathcliff: Baccus is my swordsmanship instructor, [so] if the busybody vassals aren’t around, we call each other ‘Heath’ and ‘Baccus’. Winna: Baccus isn’t big on ceremony, huh! Baccus: You don’t have to make fun of me, brat! Kushina: How do I put this [delicately]? At any rate, Winna isn’t wrong. Also, the troops over there aren’t Sardis’, but Geruda’s, got it? Baccus (sighs): Yes...I got it. I apologize, Princess Kushina. Heathcliff: But...having all these troops come in without us noticing...however, Aaron is with Henry, so I think he’ll be fine… Baccus: That old man can create ‘The Bonds of the Earth’, so he’s not a normal character. Anyway, things don’t look too abnormal here. Kushina: [What do you mean,] create ‘The Bonds of the Earth’? Heath: It’s something that happened a long time ago. When Rurafan was still under Sardis rule, Henry built temples on each corner of the continent. There he placed Fairy Pearls and created the world’s greatest sealing medium...that’s ‘The Bonds of the Earth’. Kushina: Is that so? If he’s that amazing, then there should be no problem. Let’s hurry on over!  We get another melee fighter into our ranks, but I still only have one healer, so I keep everyone mostly together as I make my way first to the shop and then to the tree surrounded by slimes; that turns out to hold a Vodka. (The two slimes on the east side of the map are also sitting on chests that also contain Vodkas.) Once the first batch of enemies are defeated, a mini-skit plays: Baccus: It’s already dark, so let’s stay the night here! Winna (like a kicked puppy): I’m so tired…  Kushina: *yells* Heath (worried): What’s wrong, Kushina? Kushina (sad): N-nothing. It was just a bad dream. No big deal! Baccus: You should rest some more. Kushina: I’m fine, really. Let’s go!  (Baccus: Hm...what shall I buy?) The store still doesn’t offer anything new, so I’m going to hold onto my cash. The stage ends as soon as any unit reaches the town in the northeast corner. Baccus: The atmosphere doesn’t seem right. Heathcliff: You’re too paranoid. Let’s go in and take a look! Characters introduced this update:  The (as of yet unnamed) king of Rurafan. Rurafan’s premiere swordsman who is ordered by the king to accompany the party.
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Nov 3, 2021 01:43
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Heathcliff (over a dark screen): Professor Henry!...strange. Did he go out? I don’t think he’s home. Winna (freaked out): Urgh...it’s so cold...I’ve got the chills. Baccus: Things don’t seem right. Heath, let’s split up. Heathcliff: S-sure… Kushina (angry): You’re a guy, aren’t you! Be direct when you talk and stop stuttering! Heathcliff: O-okay… Baccus: I’ll check the second floor. Brat, you come with me. Winna (big mad): Hmph, honestly! Stop treating me like your personal slave! (A pause.) Kushina (over a dark screen): Do you smell something strange, like maybe it’s on fire? Heathcliff: It’s from that room over there, could it be...that’s impossible! Henry is Rurafan’s greatest magician. Him and Aaron have to be fine.  Henry (in pain): *screams* Henry (surprised): P-professor Henry!? Henry (in pain): P-prince Heath! D-don’t come any closer! Get out of here, quick! Kushina (nervous): W-what’s wrong? (A man dressed like a vampire teleports in.) Jil (  ): Oh! What rare guests. Aren’t you Crown Prince Heath? And that is...aren’t you Princess Kushina?Kushina (angry): Who [the heck] are you!? Jil ( ): I am Jil, formerly a royal magician of Sardis, but those court idiots couldn’t understand my advanced research.Kushina (angry): I’ve heard of you. You’re that arrogant sorcerer who was exiled for rearching forbidden magic! Jil ( ): What an honor that you recognize me, Princess. However, you don’t have to worry [about me], my new master is quite generous.Kushina (angry): Geruda[, right]? Jil ( ): *chuckles* What do you think?Heathcliff (angry): Just what did you do to Professor Henry? Jil ( ): Oh, those furious eyes of yours are so terrifying. I didn’t do anything, really, I only gave him eternal life because he has extraordinary strength.Heathcliff (surprised): Y-you didn’t...and Aaron!? Jil ( ): Ah, that’s right. There was a hot-blooded young brat that I transformed into a horse. He’s with the ‘Mirror of Orlos’.Kushina: [What’s a] Mirror of Orlos? Jil ( ): *chuckles* It’s a mirror created by the mage[craft] world’s high priest Orlos. Whosoever is shown the mirror by a caster will be transformed to the caster’s liking…[and] I happen to find him being like that quite pleasing.Heathcliff (angry): What did you do to Aaron? Jil ( ): ...I almost forgot, I’ll use him to deal with you and play with you a bit.Heathcliff (angry): Don’t run away! Henry (in pain): He’s already spelled it out for you...get going! Heathcliff (surprised): Professor Henry? Henry (in pain): *heaves*...it feels wonderful. Who knew that the power of darkness would be so amazing? (Henry transforms into a zombie.) Kushina (nervous): Aww, man...why’d things turn out this way? Stage 4: The Frenzied Hall (The camera pans southeast to the stairs, where Baccus and Winna have just arrived.) Baccus: Uh-oh, better meet [back] up with Heath as soon as possible. Winna (blue screening): W-willow the wisps!!  With the party split at the beginning of the battle, I slowly regather my party into one unit before clearing whatever’s left and grabbing the treasure boxes (from left to right: consumables that increase intelligence, agility, defense, physical attack, and magic defense respectively). Henry will teleport to the bottom of the map if any unit tries to attack him; once there, he doesn’t have anything to say to us.  I feed the kill to Kushina. (The party is gathered before Henry as he lays dying.) Henry (weak): Forgive me, Prince Heath. I knew it was you, but couldn’t control…! Baccus: Sir Henry! You aren’t going to… Heathcliff (sad): Professor Henry...where’s Aaron? Henry (weak): He escaped...Your Highness, please forgive me...Aaron defended me valiantly… Kushina: Let’s not talk about that now...we’ve gotta get out of this house before it collapses. Henry (weak): No, I’m at my limit. Your Highness! They want the Fairy’s Pearl...you must get it before they... *groans* Kushina (sad): Please don’t talk any more! Henry (weak): Your Highness...you must stop Geruda and protect the four Fairy Pearls...no, the world. If you go south from here, there is a temple to the fire god… Heathcliff (sad): Okay, okay, Henry! Henry (weak): You must find Prince Aaron. You can do it. You’re so amazing…[you’re] stronger than anyone. No matter what anyone else says, I believe in you. (Henry dies.) Heathcliff (sad): Professor Henry... Kushina (sad): Heath… (One scene change later, the party is back in Rurafan Castle.) King of Rurafan (yelling): What did you say? Henry’s...and even Aaron… Baccus: I’ve already ordered the troops guarding the border to prepare for war. Your Majesty, the enemy is quite strong. King of Rurafan (calming down): You’re right. Send all of the [other] troops to seek Aaron. At least now we know that Geruda is specifically after the Fairy’s Pearl. We must defend them no matter what; we must not let that bastard succeed. Heathcliff: Father… King of Rurafan: What is it, Heathcliff? Heathcliff: The Bonds of the Earth are sustained by the Fairy’s Pearls, right? And the Bonds of the Earth are what keeps Sardis sealed. So why would Geruda want the Fairy’s Pearls so badly that he’d start a coup for them? (Ah, yes, ‘As You Know’. For all the times I’m inclined to give the writers’ credit for skipping exposition when it isn’t called for, they pull stuff like this.) King of Rurafan: ….. Heathcliff: Just what is Geruda planning, Father! King of Rurafan: He’s after the Silver Wings. Kushina: Your Majesty, I heard that for human beings to ascend to godhood, they need the power of the Silver Wings, but they are sealed by the Bonds of the Earth. Your Majesty! Please tell me just what the Silver Wings are for! King of Rurafan: Princess Kushina, many tragedies happened in the history of our two nations, and the inciting incident was over the Silver Wings. Baccus: Your Majesty, would you like me to explain on your behalf? King of Rurafan: It’s fine, I shall explain! Listen closely--over half of the land in Rurafan had been devastated by fire and the nation almost fell. The cause of this crisis was the Silver Wings. Kushina (shocked): How could that be! Heathcliff (shocked): …… King of Rurafan: Not only are Silver Wings a flying machine, it sleeps deep in the heart of Sardis, and a terrifying amalgamation of [all] weapons. Kushina (shocked): H-how could that be! King of Rurafan: I heard that even the King of Sardis feared that terrible power. I believe Geruda’s main goal is to restore that might! (Nobody says anything for a moment while they take it all in. Then…) Kushina: Your Majesty… King of Rurafan: ...yes? Kushina: Would you grant me the task of protecting the Fairy’s Pearl? Heath (surprised): Kushina!? King of Rurafan: What are you talking about? I won’t allow it! You’re just a young girl. Kushina: That’s right, I am indeed still a child, but what child wasn’t born from their parents? You [of all people] ought to understand how I feel about Geruda taking my family away from me. Heathcliff (sad): ….. Rurafan: Hm. As I see it, I still cannot allow it. You are, for the time being, the sole heir to Sardis. If anything happened to you, what would I tell the King of Sardis? Heathcliff (putting on a brave face): Father! King of Rurafan: Yes? Heathcliff: I would like to go as well. King of Rurafan: Heath, even you… Heathcliff: ….. King of Rurafan: Alright! I got it. Since you insist, then I shall allow you to bear the burden of defending the Fairy’s Pearl. Baccus, please continue your work of protection. Baccus: Understood, Your Majesty. Winna: Hmm...oh, King! I’ve got a teeny tiny request. King of Rurafan: What sort of request? Heath: Oh, Father, it’s like this. (Heath walks up next to the king and delivers an implied exposition dump.) King of Rurafan: So that’s how it is. Winna, my son’s word is my own. I will honor this promise. Winna (happy): Really? Wonderful! So where’s the treasure? King of Rurafan: I just put the entire nation under martial law, so even I can’t open the vault willy nilly, whatever shall be done? Winna (like a kicked puppy): Huh? King? King of Rurafan: How about this--[since] you’ve already helped my son quite a bit, if it’s possible please accompany them until they have the Fairy’s Pearls. Winna (like a kicked puppy): Eh? King of Rurafan: Of course, I will grant you a great gift as well. In my vaults lies a treasure called ‘Samuel’s Moon’. Winna (happy): Samuel’s Moon--isn’t that the greatest weapon in the land? King of Rurafan: So you’ve agreed, right? Winna (blue screening): *sobs* You two ganged up to bully me. G-got it! Fine, I’ll go! King of Rurafan: Thanks. I leave it in your capable hands, Winna. Be careful in your travels! Characters introduced this update:  A former court magician of Sardis, exiled for research into forbidden magic. A skilled craftsman(?) who made the game’s MacGuffin, forcibly transformed by Jil into a zombie.
dotchan fucked around with this message at 22:55 on Nov 6, 2021 |
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Nov 6, 2021 22:48
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 Stage 5: The Search for the Temple Kushina: Where’s the temple? Bucca: Hey, brat, can you see the temple? Winna (like a kicked puppy): ‘B-brat’!? (thinking: Fine! For the treasure!) Isn’t that it over there? Kushina: Is it? Then let’s go!  The island has a hidden treasure (tile occupied by the Slime in the screenshot) containing a Vodka. The horned demons can fly and therefore cross water; position your units so you’re not swarmed.  The store right in front of the objective sells upgrades for Heath and Kushina as well as the usual offerings of restorative items; I buy the upgrades. The map ends as soon as any unit moves into the tiles occupied by the temple. Kushina: It doesn’t look like Geruda’s caught up [to us] yet. Heathcliff: If we don’t hurry, those guys are sure to do so. Before that, we have to… Kushina: We can worry about that when it happens! Nevermind Geruda. Heathcliff (sad): It’d be best if we didn’t run into Geruda right now. Kushina (angry): Heath, with that level of cowardice, are you still worthy of being a prince of a country!? Baccus: Yo, if we don’t hurry, Geruda really will catch up to us, let’s hurry in!
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Nov 9, 2021 00:48
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 Stage 6: The Temple of the Fire God Kushina: This must be the temple to the fire god! (A large number of spirits appear all over the temple.) Heathcliff (surprised): W-who are you? Fire Spirit: I am the guardian spirit who protects the Fire Pearl. If someone covets the Fire Pearl, they will be immolated by the flames from the heavens. Baccus: You! What are you talking about! Winna: He means ‘don’t come close or I’ll burn you’. Heathcliff (nervously): No exceptions, huh? Kushina (smiling): You can go ahead and try negotiating with them...but I don’t think they’ll listen. Bacchus: Then we have to fight.  Dot’s Notes About Moon Runes In the original language, this fire spirit speaks in a mix of kanji and katakana (which, as I noted in FS3, is used as shorthand for ‘talks like a foreigner/robot/alien/otherworldly being’). There may also be weird grammar shenanigans going on, but I’m not sure. I haven’t bothered with fancying up the spirit’s speech too much in localization because the best I could do would be to render it in Ye Olde Fancy.  Keep your melee fighters away from the walls, as the spirits have a ranged attack. The treasures are nothing special, just restorative items. Salamander (the main spirit in charge) has nothing to say when any unit approaches.  Though I would have liked to clear out all of the remaining mooks first, Salamander jammed itself in the doorway and I don’t have any units with ranged attacks, so I just fed the kill to Heathcliff. Salamander: Now you are my master. I shall transform myself and endeavor to labor on your behalf. Kushina: What’s going on [now]? Winna: Oh, in other words, if anything happens, he’ll help us. Heathcliff: Now, we’ve gotten one of the Fairy’s Pearls. Next is… Baccus: I hear that there are temples on each corner of the continent and Fairy Pearls are in there. But, only the great Sorcerer Henry knew of the exact locales of those temples. Winna: Then let’s go east first! Kushina: Why go that way first? Winna: Because I live there. Heathcliff (surprised): What kind of reason is that!? Baccus: Forget it, it doesn’t matter...if we don’t move, things won’t get resolved. If [she] wants to go east, let’s go east! At any rate, let’s get out of here first… Characters introduced this update:  A fairy/spirit/elemental charged with guarding the fire pearl.
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Nov 11, 2021 04:49
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Winna (over a dark screen, like a kicked puppy): It’s already dark… Baccus: I remember there being a village ahead. ???: Kushina...Kushina?  Baccus (yelling): Geruda’s troops!? Heathcliff (surprised): Did [they] catch up to us!? Winna (big mad): Don’t just talk! Hurry up and attack him! Kushina: Hold it! Heathcliff (surprised): Kushina? (There’s a pause.) Kushina (sadly): Big brother? Heathcliff (surprised): !? Kushina (sadly): Is that you, Ackbar? You’re alright! Heathcliff (surprised): ‘Big brother’? Then he’s [really] your… Ackbar: Kushina…[and] over there are...people of Rurafan? Kushina (sadly): That’s right! Because of Geruda’s pursuit, [but] thanks to the help of Rurafan...that reminds me! Brother! What were you doing here? Ackbar: I’ve come to welcome you [back]! Come here, Kushina! Go with me to the new Sardis! Kushina (sadly): Big brother…? Heathcliff (angry): Did you…? Akbar: Looks like you’ve already gotten the Fire Pearl...hm...forget it. I don’t want to be violent in front of Kushina. Kushina (surprised): Brother...what are you talking about? Are you joking? Heathcliff (yelling): Kushina! Fall back! Akbar: I’ll leave the Fire Pearl with you for now. Kushina, come here! Come back with me to Sardis. (Kushina walks forward a few steps.) Heathcliff (on alert): Kushina! Don’t go over there! Kushina (sad): I don’t know...what I should do… Baccus: Prince Akbar...what happened to your father? Akbar: My father...the former king is no longer alive. He has handed Sardis to me and peacefully gone to the next world. Winna (big mad): ...did you kill the king? Akbar: Think what you like. Kushina...Rurafan will disappear from this world, and all that will remain is Sardis, which possesses the Silver Wings. If you don’t wish to die, then follow me! Kushina (nervously): Brother, did you [really murder] father...why!? Heathcliff (angry): I won’t...I’ll never hand Kushina over to you! Akbar: Hahah, forget it, you’re trembling while you talk! [But] seeing such courage from you, I’ll let it pass for today. However, I will come for Kushina [someday]...listen to me, Kushina. Don’t overthink things. The situation will change soon. (Akbar walks off.) Heathcliff (sad): Kushina… Kushina (sad): Brother...why? Heathcliff (sad): ….. Kushina (sad): It’s like he’s become a totally different person. From when I was little, Brother has been constantly ill, and rarely [even] gets out of bed, [so] why… Heathcliff (sad): Kushina, are you alright…! Kushina (back to normal): No problem. Don’t worry, Geruda’s just been lied to by Geruda. I’m sure he’ll come to his senses. Winna (like a kicked puppy): If only that were true… Kushina (smiling): Alright, let’s press on! Stage 7: The Creepy Forest  There’s only one path to the goal, so I deathball my way through the enemies. The battle ends as soon as any unit enters the village at the end of the path. Winna (like a kicked puppy): What thick energy! I’m starting to feel uncomfortable and dizzy. Kushina: What are you talking about...hm. Now that you mention it, I think you’re right. Just breathing makes my throat want to burn up. Heathcliff: Just what is going on? From what I remember, this was a beautiful place full of squirrels and birds running about everywhere! Baccus: There is the scent of a creature of darkness. Heathcliff: [What] creatures of darkness? Baccus: I smell blood, dust, and wet earth...it’s him. Kushina: ‘Him’? Who’s he? Baccus: [A] vampire, the son of darkness, and the prince of the night. I’ve finally found him… Winna: What? You know him? Baccus: It’s a long story...let’s look for a place to rest in this village tonight first! Winna: There’s a house over there, let’s go ask [them].
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Nov 18, 2021 01:19
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 Kushina: What’s wrong? Mother (worried): Please! Save my child, my child! Winna (like a kicked puppy): P-please calm down! Just what is going on here? Mother: It’s like this...a few days ago, a black demon appeared in a cemetery outside of the village. That afternoon, after my son went into the cemetery, he hasn’t returned since. Though I told him a thousand times to not enter that cemetery, he still... Baccus: Prince Heath! Heathcliff (surprised): What? You’re so serious all of a sudden! Baccus: The road to our goal is blocked by demons, we have to defeat him first. It’s very disadvantageous for us to fight at night, but if a child has actually been abducted, we can’t wait until tomorrow morning. Heathcliff: Baccus, do you know the details [of our enemy]? Baccus: I've been looking forward to such a moment for quite some time, Your Majesty. Kushina: Let’s go! I couldn’t bear to see a child get killed before our eyes. Heathcliff: Of course not! Winna (like a kicked puppy): I get it, you’re all such nice people...  Vampire: Oh, king who has been sealed away! Awaken from your eternal sleep using this untainted blood! Please turn light to darkness, holiness to pollution. Kushina: What’s with this oppressive feeling? Heathcliff (nervous): I wonder if we will win…? Winna: [Vampires] are called the nobility of monsters, and I hear that old ones have considerably terrifying strength. Kushina: Winna, how come you know so much? Winna (grinning a mile wide): Oh, nevermind that...it doesn’t make sense to me. Though that vampire looks quite strong, he doesn’t seem very old, either. Baccus: He indeed looks younger than me...I believe he’s completely transformed into a monster. Heathcliff: There’s definitely a problem. Baccus: We’ll cross that bridge when we get there; let’s go! Stage 8: The Child of Evil  As far as I can tell, there are no hidden treasures on this map, so I make my way towards the top of the screen, clearing out the mooks along the way. The head vampire taunts us when attacked for the first time: Nukes: Is that you, Baccus? Baccus: It’s been a while, Nukes. I’ve been looking for you. Nukes: Hmph! So you want to be on the side of justice, huh? Baccus (angry): Nukes, you…! Nukes: *laughs* Come at me, if you have the balls!  Nukes (2 tile range) is capable of knocking off 1/3rd of even our tankiest units’ health bar; there were still two mooks left at this point so I send Baccus down to deal with said mooks and feed the kill to Heathcliff. Baccus: Nukes… Nukes (bleeding from the mouth): Why the long face? Now you should be able to lay aside the hatred you’ve been carrying for all these years, right? Relax! Raphael...she still lives! Baccus (surprised): !! Nukes: In the underground temple, I received the power of darkness, desiring to use this power to make her like me so she would be mine, but [in the end] I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Baccus (still in a state of shock): … Nukes: When I was about to plunge my fangs into her neck, she didn’t attempt to escape, but held me in her arms gently. Baccus (recovering): Where’s Raphael [now]? Nukes: In a tower near the temple to the east. Hurry there, Baccus. If I die, then the dark curse on her should also dissipate! Baccus: Why would you do this, Nukes? Nukes: *bitter laugh* I ran away from home so you and Raphael could be together, but after that, I became a vampire thanks to the power of darkness…get out of here! I don’t want you to see me pathetically dissolve into dust. Baccus: Nukes! (Baccus dies in a flash of white light.) Nukes: Farewell…brother. Baccus (sadly): Nukes… (Back in the village, the party has returned with the kidnapped boy.) Kushina: Go back to where your mother is! Child (on the verge of tears): Mommy! (The child runs up to the woman.) Mother (on the verge of tears): Oh, Cassie…I’m so happy that you’re alright. I truly thank you [heroes]! Heathcliff (smiling): No problem. Chief: Greetings. I am the chief of this village. You’ve successfully rescued the child…does that mean the monster in the graveyard has been taken care of? Kushina: Yes, it’s fine. Chief: Thank you! I don’t know how I should thank you. Winna (grinning a mile wide): If you want to show your gratitude, the fastest and best way is to give us some stuff. Kushina (angry): Winna! Heathcliff: You don’t need to give us anything, [but] if you know where it is, could you tell us the [exact] location of the eastern temple? Chief: The temple? I’m not sure…hm. Let me see. I remember there is a shrine… Heathcliff: A shrine [and not a temple]? Chief: That’s right! A long, long time ago, I heard that there’s a shining shrine on the northern mountains. Baccus: In the north, huh? It’s a difficult area [to trek] and even the border troops cannot cross easily. Kushina: …I’ll bet there’s something there. Winna (like a kicked puppy): Treasure would be better than a fairy pearl. Heathcliff (exasperated): [She] really doesn’t get it[, does she]. Baccus: Before this, we must go to the tower and save Raphael. Kushina: Good point. Heathcliff (smiling): Then let’s go! Chief: I hope for your safety. Characters introduced this update:  A member of the village Kushina and company find themselves in; her son has been captured by a vampire. Bacchus’ romantic rival who became a vampire and kidnapped the woman they were both in love with. The little boy kidnapped by Nukes. The village elder.
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Dec 4, 2021 13:07
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 Stage 9: Sleeping Beauty Bacchus: This should be the place Nukes spoke of! Winna (blue screening): Why are there so many weird things in here…? Kushina: I have a bad feeling about this. Heathcliff (bummed): This sucks… Kushina (angry): What did you say? Buck up, would you? Heathcliff (surprised): S-sorry.  The gimmick of this map are the statues that line the outer ring of the tower: on every even turn, they start coming to life and attacking the party. I don’t bother triggering all of the statues and head for the boss once the party gets close enough. Pig-Headed General: *snorts* Let’s see if there’s treasure~ *snorts* There’s somebody sleeping here? *snorts* Since there’s no treasure, I’ll just take these clothes… *snort* Baccus (angry): You bastard! You so much as touch a hair on her head, I’ll kill you! Pig-Headed General: What do you want? *snorts* Trying to get in my head? Trying to make trouble? *snorts* Winna (big mad): Ugh! This guy’s words pisses me off. Kushina (angry): [Let’s] get rid of him. Heathcliff (surprised): Woah! She wants to beat someone up again… Dot’s Footnotes About Moon Runes In the original version, the miniboss guiding Raphael was simply an Orc. I’m not sure if the Chinese version uses “pig-headed” as a translation because that’s what the sprite looks like or also to imply that this miniboss is uncouth and uncultured.  This “general” doesn’t hit very hard, but also doesn’t take much damage. Since Baccus is slightly behind on levels I park him in front of the general and trade hits with him, using Kushina to keep him topped off, until the general falls. Heathcliff: Hm! How weak! Winna (big mad): Totally useless! Baccus (worried): Raphael! (One fade-in/fade-out later, the party is gathered in front of the altar where Raphael sleeps.) Kushina: What a beautiful person… Heathcliff: I can’t believe she could sleep through all of that… Baccus: She’s always been like that. Winna (big mad): Hey! Forget everything else! Wake her up already! (Winna shoves Baccus so hard he slams face first into Raphael.) Baccus (angry): !! *smooch* Winna, what did you do that for? Winna (grinning a mile wide): [Helping you] give Sleeping Beauty there a kiss, so she can wake from her dreams[, duh]! *giggles* Baccus (angry): Winna, you little brat! Raphael (waking): *groans* (Baccus turns around.) Raphael (happy): B-baccus? Is that you? Baccus (smiling): Raphael…it’s been a while. Raphael (happy): *groans* My head feels so heavy! Just what happened? ...oh! Nukes! Where’s Nukes? Baccus (sad): It’s like this… (One implied exposition dump went here.) Raphael (sad): That’s how it went…so Nukes has been released from the power of darkness… Baccus (sad): I…[murdered] my own little brother… (You read right...Nukes and Baccus were siblings! Since I’m playing each chapter blind this revelation also took me by surprise.) Raphael (sad): Don’t blame yourself, Baccus. I believe this is what Nukes wanted. Baccus (shocked): What? What do you mean by that? Raphael: Before I passed out, I heard Nukes say ‘if possible, I’d like to die by [my] brother’s hand’. Winna: The lady here is right. If you become undead, you can’t go back to the way you were…there was no other choice. Kushina: Raphael, why did Nukes become a vampire? Raphael: According to Nukes, a Fairy’s Pearl gave him the power of darkness. Heathcliff: [How could it be a] Fairy’s Pearl? Raphael: After we left the village, we got lost, discovering the temple in the forest, then we were called by the pearl… Kushina: Why would the pearl call out to you? Winna: I’ll bet the pearl is already starting to transform. Heathcliff: Starting to transform [into what]? Winna (exasperated): Aw, man. *sighs* You two are royalty but you don’t know anything! Kushina (angry): How dare you talk to me like that! Heathcliff: It’s not like my tutors explained that to me! Winna: Listen up! The Fairy Pearls are not some holy artifact, it’s just a source of power, and it is deeply tied to the destiny of the world. So it’s not a surprise that the recently started wars would tilt the pearls towards darkness! Heathcliff: ….. Kushina: ….. Winna (like a kicked puppy): Oh, there’s no fooling you, is there? I’m not blaming you guys! I’m just saying there’s the possibility… Kushina: Thanks, Winna, but I think there’s something to what you said. If the Fairy Pearls truly do tilt towards the power of darkness, then… Heathcliff: Both Rurafan and Sardis have to bear this responsibility. More importantly, Geruda’s ambitions must be stopped. Baccus: The pearl’s attributes have [indeed] slowly tilted towards darkness. Raphael: We have to do something. I heard about Nukes talking about the temple on my way here; I’ll lead the way. Let’s go! Characters introduced this update:  Baccus’ girlfriend, a skilled swordswoman who was put into supernatural sleep by Nukes.
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Dec 11, 2021 02:01
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 Raphael: We’ll reach [the temple] as soon as we pass this valley. Winna: H-hold on a minute, that’s very close to where I live! Baccus: Oh, yeah, you mentioned that before. Where [do you live, specifically]? Raphael: Don’t you know where the earth temple is? Winna (like a kicked puppy): Never even heard of it. Baccus: You’re useless. Winna (like a kicked puppy): *groans* (Two people suddenly appear before the party.) Tayam: *chuckles* What adorable little boys and girls… Manti: Indeed, they look quite delicious. I’m sure they’d make me 150 years younger. Kushina (angry): You must be…Geruda’s troops, right? Manti: Quite the discerning eye [you have there]. I am Sinister General Manti. We shall meet again in the future… Tayam: Likewise, I am Dextrous General Tayam. Nice to meet you. Baccus (angry): Don’t move, or I’ll use you to sharpen my sword. Heathcliff: Could you move? We need to go past [here]. Kushina (angry): What’s with such wimpy words, Heath! Raphael: I haven’t fought [seriously] in a while and my blade is a bit dull, so it’ll hurt. But don’t worry, I’ll immediately send you to the grave. Tayam: *chuckles* Such an energetic group of youngsters, how adorable…unfortunately, I don’t have time right now to keep you company, you’ll have to excuse me. Manti: I’ll play with you. I like kids quite a bit, so I know lots of fun games. *creepy giggle* Tayam: I leave things to you, gramps! Manti: You can count on me! (Tayam disappears.) Manti: In the name of the count, I shall eliminate monsters from this realm. Who knew there were so many infamous creatures here; it stinks to high heaven! Baccus (angry): Shut up! Raphael (angry): Don’t just stand there giggling, you old creep! (Raphael charges at Manti and is repelled in a flash of light.) Heathcliff: …amazing… Manti (shocked): Woah! You’re serious? Don’t you know to respect your elders? Dot’s Footnotes About Moon Runes Manti is described as a 左府將軍 and Tayam the 右府將軍, the highest ranks of the Japanese Shogunate (off the top of my head, I don’t remember which had priority, and I believe the two positions did go back and forth). Since I couldn’t come up with an English equivalent, I went with a slightly punny translation (be glad I didn’t go with “Leftenant” and “Rightenant” :P). Stage 10: Breaking Through the Middle  Raphael joins the party at level 18, so I feed the kills to her while I make my way forward. Manti complains when any unit targets him: Manti (upset): *groans* You little brats, bullying an old man [like this]...oh, I’ll remember this grudge! (Then he disappears and the stage ends.) Winna (big mad): Hmph! A monster like that, calling himself an “old man”! He’s so full of himself! Kushina (happy): Raphael…you really are amazing! Raphael: It’s been a while since I’ve felt such excitement. Heathcliff: What do you mean, ‘excitement’? Just what is going on here? Baccus (happy): *chuckles* Heath, let me tell you something, she used to be…(the screen flashes white, implying that Raphael struck Baccus) Ouch! That hurts… Raphael (smiling): Ohoho. Your Highness, it’s a s-e-c-r-e-t! Heathcliff (surprised): Okay, got it. Winna (grinning a mile wide): Excuse me, allow me to interrupt. Would you mind passing by my house, even for a little while? Kushina: Oh, didn’t you say it was nearby? Winna: I’ve been out for so long, I’m worried that something’s happened to [my] treasure. Heathcliff: Since you say it’s very close, then let’s go! Raphael (angry): Hey, Baccus, get up! We’re heading out. Baccus (sighing): Okay… Heathcliff (whispering): Are you okay, Baccus? Baccus (whispering): This is [her] going easy [on me]! Winna (happy): Hey! Follow me, you guys! Characters introduced this update:  A high ranking officer of Geruda’s army. A high ranking officer of Geruda’s army, implied to be a monster that eats people.
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Dec 18, 2021 02:27
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Winna (over a dark screen): Finally, the home I’ve been missing so much. Baccus: Oh! This is a pretty nice house! Kushina (smiling): I think so too. Winna (grinning a mile wide): R-really? I don’t think that much of it. Raphael: I’ll bet you’ve collected quite a bit of treasure! Heathcliff: Winna, would you show us the inside [of your house]? Winna (happy): SInce you say so…alright! But let me make it clear, don’t move anything around recklessly, or you’ll dirty my treasure!  Orc General A: B-big bro! It’s delicious! Orc General B: Yummy! This place is the best! And it’s full of treasure, too! Orc General A: Aw, man! The jug broke. Orc General B: Ugh, what am I gonna do with you…forget it! I’ve eaten my fill today, so I’ll let it pass! Winna: …what do you think you’re doing? Orc General B: Huh? Winna: Who gave you permission to come in here? Orc General A: Oh! Oh no, I broke another one. Heheheh! Heathcliff (worried): W-winna? Kushina (worried): Calm down, Winna! Winna: This…this… Baccus: Hey, Winna, are you alright? Raphael (worried): I think it’s best if we all got out of here! Winna (big mad): How am I supposed to calm down! Stage 11: A Maiden’s Fury  Only the two treasure chests off to the side still contain treasure (both containing one Pill each). The chairs are high defense healing tiles, but the orc generals don’t allow me to take advantage of this, as they all flee when approached. After Baccus and Heathcliff are done grabbing the treasures, they box in the enemies from the other side, and by the time I’m done cleaning up all of the enemies, all of my frontline fighters are now level 25. Winna (like a kicked puppy): *screams* M-my treasure…my treasure… Kushina (sad): Winna… Heathcliff (puzzled): You could always just get more? Baccus: Yeah, and the rest [of your house] is still fine, right? Winna (blue screening): Treasure…m-my treasure… *breaks out sobbing* Kushina (smiling): Pull yourself together, Winna!’ Heathcliff (sad): She’s in quite a bit of shock.
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Jan 1, 2022 11:02
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 Stage 12: The Power of Darkness Raphael: Up ahead is the earth temple. Baccus: Is this where Nukes got the power of darkness? Heathcliff (surprised): Does that mean we’ll also get [possessed]...? Raphael: It should be fine. Nukes came to the temple lost and hesitant, so he was tempted by the power of darkness. Winna: Still, we should be careful.  This is another map that I feel is needlessly huge on first impression, as the left and right edges of the map don’t really add to much–there aren’t even any reinforcements to worry about, so I march my party northward and grab the hidden treasures (more Pills) along the way.  Halfway up the map, just south of the bridge to the west, is a town that sells restoratives and upgrades for Baccus and Winna. I buy the weapons and move on. The vampire guarding the way forward has nothing to say to us, so I feed the kill to Winna; the stage doesn’t end until I move a unit onto the temple, so I have Raphael do it. Heathcliff: This is the earth temple? Winna (like a kicked puppy): I don’t know if I’m too paranoid or what, but it feels kind of dreary and ominous… Baccus: Are you scared? Raphael: If you are, I can hold you. Winna (big mad): What are you talking about? I’ll have you know I’m a “fairy”! We fairy descendants can destroy all bad guys with beautiful songs, so don’t you dare underestimate us! Baccus: Since you say so, then it’s alright if anything happens [to you]? Kushina: Let’s hurry on in!
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Jan 4, 2022 01:44
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 Stage 13: The Earth Temple Raphael: Why is it so humid [in here]? Baccus: At least Garuda’s folks aren’t here yet, so we can relax a bit. (Guardian spirits appear, filling the temple.) Spirit: We are the guardian spirits of the Earth Pearl. If someone wishes to approach the earth pearl, they will be crushed by the great rocks of the underworld. Heathcliff (sad): Aww…we aren’t your enemy, why can’t you understand that? Kushina (angry): Hey, Heath! Why do you always say such wimpy things? Winna (like a kicked puppy): Are you two playing ‘Good Cop/Bad Cop’? Baccus: Don’t mind [her], Heath. We can only understand one another with more communication. Raphael (exasperated): You’re too naive, Baccus. Your Highness, things are not as simple as you think.  The layout of the Earth Temple is pretty much identical to the Fire Temple except it’s rotated 180 relative to the center in terms of doorways and walls. I work my way around counter-clockwise, grabbing the treasures (marked on the screenshot) as I go.  Gnome (the “main” earth spirit) has nothing to say to us so I feed the kill to Winna. Gnome: You have become my masters. I will transform myself and serve you. Heathcliff: That’s the second pearl. Kushina: We’re halfway done, but there’s still a long road [ahead]. Raphael: Where are we headed next? Baccus: Speaking of that, didn’t the chief mention a shrine to the north? Winna (like a kicked puppy): The northern mountains, huh…I hate being cold. Kushina (smiling): Just [grin and] bear it, Winna. Characters introduced this update:  The guardian of the earth temple, who dedicates itself to serving the party after its defeat.
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Jan 4, 2022 20:21
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 Baccus (happy): Who knew that there’d be a bar here? Raphael (exasperated): Aren’t you the captain of the border guard? How could you not know? Baccus: Hey! The borders I guard are all out in the boonies! Nothing but dense forests or snow-covered mountains there; not a single bar to be had. Kushina: We can rest here. Heathcliff: I’ve never drank alcohol before! Winna (grinning a mile wide): What did you say? And you call yourself a prince. You have no experience in this at all! Alright, I’ll show you a whole new world of drinking! Kushina (angry): Winna, stop gloating. Baccus: Bartender! Get me a double of whiskey… Raphael (exasperated): No, you can only drink water! Honestly, [you] have no sense of vigilance at all… Baccus: It’s fine, I’m only having a little. Raphael (angry): No means no! Heathcliff (sad): Raphael’s so mean! Winna: You have to be strict with guys. Kushina: Boss, please get me a glass of water. (The bartender walks up to the table.) Bartender: Sirs, are you traveling? Heathcliff: It doesn’t look like there are any monsters nearby. Bartender: By no means. It’s one situation by day but another at night. Baccus: Is that so? Then it’s quite dangerous here as well… Bartender: It’s quite unfortunate. There was a wild horse that wrecked everything in the area…who knows if it’s a monster or not. Heathcliff: [What kind of] a wild horse? Bartender: A beautiful white horse with a golden mane who’s very violent and uncatchable. He escaped into a nearby hut. Baccus: I wonder if that’s… Heathcliff: Aaron? Bartender: Now that you’ve mentioned it, I saw Sardis troops hurrying in the direction of that hut. Kushina (dismayed): How could that be! Raphael (determined): If that horse is Prince Aaron, we’d better hurry and save him!  Stage 14: The Little Stallion Raphael: It should be that little hut [over there]! Winna: Oh! Stay together, everyone! Heathcliff (worried): Aaron! Baccus: Even if we don’t know that it’s really him, let’s still get a move on!  This is a fairly straightforward “head to a specific tile” map, where the tile is guarded by an orc general and his minions. The hidden treasure (marked by the cursor in the screenshot) contains a Pill. The boss taunts the party when targeted… Orc Captain: Y-you bastards! We are out to make a hot pot out of this horse. I haven’t had a [proper] hot pot in ages. Don’t you dare ruin this for me! Heathcliff (angry): If you think to make a hot pot out of Aaron, you’ve got another think coming!  I feed the kill to Winna and move forward. Horse: *neighs* Winna: It looks like he’s trying to say something! Horse: *neighs* Baccus: Heath, do you think this is Prince Aaron? Heathcliff (sad): …I don’t know, either…? Kushina (surprised): What? Isn’t [Aaron supposed to be] your little brother? Heathcliff (sad): [What] little brother? It’s just a horse! Horse (angry): *snorts* Raphael: Let’s take him to Solomon’s Hot Springs, what do you think? Heathcliff: Solomon’s Hot Springs? [Why?] (For the inevitable Hot Springs Episode, of course.  )Raphael: I heard from nukes that there are hot springs to the northeast that, should an animal bathe in them, give those animals the ability to speak human languages. Baccus: Why would Nukes know such a thing? Raphael (sad): After becoming one with the darkness, Nukes lost those he could open his heart to, so he would take the birds and animals of the forest to the hot springs so he could have conversation partners. Winna (grinning a mile wide): …hot springs[, huh]...not bad! If it’s to the northeast, we’ll just happen to pass by [that area]. Kushina: You look pretty happy [about that], Winna! Winna (grinning a mile wide): I am not! Kushina: But… Baccus: What’s the matter? Raphael: The hot springs may have dragons [there], we’ve got to come up with something, quick. Heathcliff (surprised): There’s d-dragons!? Kushina (angry): You’re not going to save your little brother? Suck it up already! Baccus: If this is just a [normal] horse, then this would all be a waste of time. What then? Horse (angry): *whinnies* Baccus: *screams* Okay! Okay! [You’re] Prince Aaron! Characters introduced this update:  A horse that the party rescued in hopes that this is Heathcliff’s younger brother Aaron under a transformation spell/curse.
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Jan 6, 2022 20:19
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 Stage 15: To the Hot Springs For Treatment Heathcliff (worried): Will we sink [into the water]? Kushina: It should be fine, it’s all shallows from here to the island over there. Winna (grinning a mile wide): It’s fine, I can fly. Baccus: If we sit on Prince Aaron’s back, we won’t get wet… Horse (angry): *snorts* Baccus: Woah! I’m [just] kidding, Prince Aaron! (thinking): If you’re [just] a horse, I am definitely making a hot pot out of you!  Given that we only have one flier, I’m going to slowly work my way around to my destination (on the west end of the map) by land as much as possible. I will also be feeding as many kills as possible to Horse!Aaron because he joins the party at level 19.  Near the starting position is a shop that sells upgrades for Heathcliff and Raphael (plus the same weapon for Kushina as the one in the Stage 5 shop if you missed out on that), as well as restoratives. Having not paid attention to weapon names beforehand I buy all the upgrades and then do a bit of inventory cleaning. A mini-skit plays out if I try to enter the store with Aaron. Shop owner: *screams* A horse has gotten in! Get out! Shoo! Shoo! Shoo! Horse (angry): *snorts* Another mini-skit plays when attacking the miniboss guarding the hot springs: Dragon: You [pathetic insects]! Do you wish to use these hot springs? No, I forbid it! No one may enter without my permission. Baccus: How can a dragon talk? Raphael: Probably by the power of the hot springs! Heathcliff (surprised): Woah! That startled me… Kushina: We beg of you! Just let this horse into the hot springs. Dragon: I refuse! Winna (big mad): Dang, why’s this guy so stubborn! Kushina: …yeah… Raphael: Shall we fight? Kushina: Yeah! Winna: We should have just attacked him to begin with. Baccus: Hey, hey! Hold on a minute! That guy is still a member of the dragon clan! Kushina (angry): I don’t care about that. Heathcliff (surprised): Woah! The situation’s already gotten out of control. Horse (angry): *whinnies*  The dragon isn’t all that tough, but can hit from two tiles away and Horse!Aaron can’t do much to him, so I spend several turns chasing him around the map before locking him in and feeding the kill to Aaron. (The stage doesn’t end until the dragon falls, but even if there were a way to avoid this battle I’d still feed Aaron the experience because he needs to catch up so he’s a viable unit even if he’s stuck as a horse for the rest of the game.) Dragon: F-fine! Go, [just] go [already]! Kushina: You really should have just listened to us to begin with. Heathcliff (nervous): You guys are the ones who struck first! (One fade-in/fade-out later, the horse takes an implied dip in the spring and the screen flashes white twice.) Aaron: Hello? Hello! Will today be sunny? Oh…wonderful! I can finally talk, big brother! I didn’t know things would end up like this. [After] Henry lost, I wanted to find someone to help me but I got lost. When I finally did run into someone, I was captured… Heathcliff (nervous): G-got it, Aaron! Calm down a bit first, talking can wait after you’ve gone back to the palace! Aaron (angry): I don’t want to! How am I supposed to face Father like this? Big brother, aren’t you traveling? Take me with you. Heathcliff: But Aaron, our journey will be very dangerous. How could I [bear to] take you along? Aaron (angry): You’re not taking me along? Heathcliff: Think about it, it’s for your own good! Kushina: It’s fine, he’s already here, isn’t he? Heathcliff (sad): But… Aaron: I can do whatever you’d like, even carrying luggage. Winna (grinning a mile wide): Then help me with my luggage. It’s too heavy for me to carry it and fly [at the same time]. Aaron: You can count on me, Miss Birdy. Winna (big mad): M-miss Birdy!? I’ll have you know I’m a bona fide ‘fairy’! H-how dare you be so rude, you little brat! Heathcliff (sad): You leave me no choice but to take you with me. Aaron: Awesome! Thanks, big bro. Raphael: That reminds me! Let’s also take a dip in the hot springs! Winna (grinning a mile wide): *giggles* I’ve been looking forward to this. Kushina: We just broke out in a sweat, might as well wash up. Baccus: Who knew winged people liked hot springs so much? Winna (big mad): What are you talking about? [We] winged folk like being clean[, you know]. Baccus: Got it, got it, I misspoke. Kushina: [Oh,] Heath… Heathcliff: What? Kushina: I’m not going to let you get away with sneaking a peek at me. Heathcliff (exasperated): What would I go peeking for…  
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Jan 11, 2022 01:18
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 Stage 16: The Shrine Maiden of the Gods Kushina: I wonder if the shrine the village chief mentioned is up ahead? Heathcliff: It sounds noisy up there. Baccus (on alert): Hey! That armor is of Geruda’s troops! Aaron (angry): That’s right! The jerks who wanted to eat me were wearing that armor. Geruda soldier: No Lamia is to be left alive! [Sir] Jil’s orders. Do not let any slip you by. Heathcliff: [There is such a thing as] Lamias? Baccus: Now that you mention it, I’ve heard of them from somewhere [before]. Kushina: Do you know [anything]? Baccus: I’ve heard a bit..they were locked up for abusing the Fairy Pearl. [Then,] in order to make up for their actions, they were ordered to guard the Fairy Pearl. I thought this was nothing more than a legend. Kushina: Geruda’s troops will attack them. That makes them one of us! Raphael: That should be the case! Let’s fight [off the enemy] first.  Move forward carefully, as the map narrows and the giant wall of enemies will overwhelm even the best prepared party if you overcommit. The slime to the far right is sitting on a treasure chest containing the same “weapon” Aaron already has equipped, so I sell it for cash.  The boss has nothing to say to us; I feed the kill to Aaron. Kushina: [Everyone] okay? Chief: Thanks for saving me. You have my eternal thanks. Heathcliff: Actually, we… (One implied exposition dump went here.) Chief: I see, so you’re here for the Fairy Pearl… Kushina: We wish to seize the Fairy Pearl from Geruda and protect it. Chief: …I see. We Lamias have indeed been tasked with guarding the Fairy Pearl, but only one of us per generation can shoulder such a burden. Heathcliff: [Wow,] only one per generation? Chief: That’s right. A priestess named North bears the responsibility. Kushina: Where is she [now]? Chief: In the shrine to the sky god that’s up ahead. Winna (happy): Maybe this time we can finish [the quest] quickly!  Kushina: Are you North? Aaron (freaked out): Eek! A s-snake monster! Big bro! Heathcliff (nervous): D-don’t talk nonsense, Aaron! North: It’s alright, I don’t mind. In the past we Lamias were punished by the gods with these serpentine bodies. Now, that makes moving about much more convenient. (North approaches the party.) Aaron (freaked out): *screams* North (smiling): Hm? Winna (blue screening): Oh no…[she] mad! [She] mad! Heathcliff: North, it’s like this… (One implied exposition dump went here.) North: I see…so Geruda’s the one directing those rude fellows? Very well. I will take you to the temple! Heathcliff (smiling): Thanks! Thanks for your help! Characters introduced this update:  The chief of Lamia village. The Lamia guardian of the next Fairy Pearl whose main duty is as a shrine maiden.
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Jan 13, 2022 03:58
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 Stage 17: Orlos’ Mirror North: The air temple is up ahead. If you don’t defeat the spirits guarding the pearl, then you won’t be able to get the air pearl. Winna (big mad): What did you say? So we still have to fight? Aren’t you in charge of the temple? North: No…I’m just a manager. Winna (blue screening): A ‘manager’...? North: Yes. Once, the great sage Henry made a covenant with the four great fairies. I can’t go in. Besides… Kushina: Besides what? North: These last few years, the fairy pearl has drawn closer to the dark realm. Strong waves of darkness emanate from the temple from time to time…perhaps the guardian spirits are being affected by that power and increasing in dark strength! Winna (like a kicked puppy): Why did things turn out this way… North: The fairy pearl cares not for good or evil, but changes according to the fairies’ will. If men’s hearts and the world’s paths are pure, then it can create great continents. However, if its strength tilts towards the darkness, then this world will be pulled in along with it to [become] a world covered by darkness. Of all things I dread, this I fear the most. Baccus (shocked): How terrifying indeed. Kushina: It’s a good thing we have two fairy pearls and are about to get our hands on another one. Let’s hurry up and save the world! (  Stop tempting fate, Kushina! ) It’s fine to move as one initially, but once I pass the first set of mountains I find myself splitting the party. Meanwhile, North has joined the party at level twenty. She is a caster who can both attack and heal from up to two tiles away, so I team her up with Aaron and feed her the kills until she can catch up. I get close enough to trigger the boss taunt miniskit: Gil ( incarnate): *chuckles* It’s been a while since we last saw each other[, hasn’t it].Heathcliff (shocked): Y-you… Aaron (angry): Big brother! It’s this guy who murdered Henry and made me like this. Baccus (angry): So you’ve dared to show up here, you bastard! Gil ( incarnate): What a terrifying expression [you’ve got there], how unfitting of a young man of your beauty! Smile more! You [really] ought to smile more.Winna (blue screening): Sneering [at us] like that…does this guy have a death with? Raphael (angry): I’ve heard of you…you are indeed an unlikeable fellow. Just looking at you makes me want to vomit. North: I can sense quite drastic waves of darkness [from him]; they don’t seem to be human. Kushina (angry): Prepare yourself, Gil! No one here will have any mercy on you, including me! Gil ( incarnate): That’s right! I should change all of you into [my] pets. Would you prefer to be frogs, pigs, or grubs?Baccus: What a wordy fellow. I ought to cut your tongue out! Heathcliff (angry): I definitely won’t let you get away with this…I swear I won’t!  While Gil can hit fairly hard from ranged, he is also very aggressive and will leave the safety of his healing tile to attack the party; I feed the kill to North. Gil (pissed off): Dammit…you witch! How dare you get in the way of my strength! …gack! I need…the power…of darkness… Baccus: Now [he] talks much more like a normal person. Gil (pissed off): Hmph…I’ll have my revenge! (Gil vanishes.) Heathcliff (angry): Wait! Don’t run away! Baccus: Don’t bother giving chase, Heath. That bastard’s already gone. Kushina: Hold up! What’s this? (Winna walks up to where Gil had been.) Winna: That’s…Orlos’ Mirror!? Baccus: This is what cursed Prince Aaron. Kushina: …so all we need to do is break this, right? Winna: Huh? Heathcliff (nervous): H-hold on… Kushina: *effort noises* Aaron: *screams* Heathcliff (shocked): Aaron!! (A bright light flashes, and Aaron returns to human form.) Kushina: …did that work? Raphael: Oho? [He’s] pretty cute [as a human]! Baccus (happy): Oh! Prince Aaron…has finally been restored! Heathcliff: Aaron… Aaron (happy): Big brother! Winna (grinning a mile wide): Yo, what’s with the magician getup? Aaron (happy): Well, that’s because I was Sir Henry’s assistant! Heathcliff (smiling): …I think I was less worried when he was a horse… Kushina (smiling): No way, he’s more reliable than you! Heathcliff (surprised): K-kushina! Kushina (smiling): Just kidding! Anyway, let’s get going! Characters introduced this update:  Aaron’s human form, a mage.
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Jan 21, 2022 02:46
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 Stage 18: The Air Temple Raphael (nervous): Why is it so creepy in here? Winna (blue screening): *sobs* It’s so cold, my wings are about to freeze solid! Kushina: North, is this place also… North: That’s right…because the pearl’s power is suddenly drawing close to the darkness… Heathcliff: Aaron, tough it out. Your teeth are chattering, it’s too noisy! Aaron: I-it’s because I’m so cold! (The camera pans back up and the guardians of the air temple pop in one after another.) Guardian Spirit: We are the spirits who protect the air pearl. Those who dare approach will be cleaved in twain by the swift winds of the underworld. Aaron (surprised): O-o-oh! I think there’s something [ahead]! North: Be wary of the air elementals.  Now that Aaron has turned back into a human, he can no longer use his original equipment and as a mage, he hits like a wet noodle so he’s taking the back seat to everyone else (fortunately, he won’t fall behind too much considering how much experience I’ve fed him). Meanwhile, I make my way around the temple (which is arranged counterclockwise with the entrance to the south) and grab the treasure chests that are hidden by the air elementals (marked in the screenshot). There is no pre-fight dialogue.  Silf can attack from up to two tiles away; I feed the kill to Winna. Silf: From this point forward, you are my masters. I will transform myself and serve you. Kushina: And that makes three. Heathcliff: All that’s left is the water pearl. (It occurs to me just now that the MacGuffin needing four sub-MacGuffins of sacred power to activate is also a very FE thing. If the previous games are any indication we’re only about halfway to two thirds of the way through the plot so I fully expect some sort of Big Twist coming up ahead before we can use our MacGuffins to save the world.) North: The Water Pearl is on the western side of the continent. Winna: Do you know where [it is]? North: Yes. I am tasked by the Sky God to guard not just the Air Pearl but all of them… Aaron: But, Snakey Sis… Heathcliff (yelling): Aaron! North (happy): *laughs* ‘Snakey Sis’? I don’t mind! What is it? Aaron: Snakey Sis, do you only look to see if the pearl has problems? Isn’t there some way to stop Geruda? Heathcliff (nervous): A-aron, don’t spout off like that… North: It’s alright, Heath…indeed, I have no means of protecting the Fairy Pearls. My only duty is to report the situation to the Sky God. Kushina: [What do you] report to the Sky God? North: That’s right, I report whether the fairy pearls are being abused by those with evil intent. However, I don’t know whether the gods take me at my word. What I can be sure of is that if the gods do not think humanity capable of guarding the Fairy’s Pearl, then judgment will fall on all people in the world. Winna (like a kicked puppy): *sigh* How cruel! Baccus: In order to prevent that from happening, [you] are borrowing us [and our strength]... Raphael: We must protect the Fairy Pearls. Kushina: Let’s get going towards the last temple in the west! Characters introduced this update:  The guardian of the Air Temple.
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Jan 22, 2022 04:47
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 Kushina: It looks like there are Geruda troops lying in ambush. Baccus: Now that we’re here, let’s take them all out! Raphael: You’ve got quite the air about you, Baccus! Baccus: I’m simple-minded like that. Raphael (gentle): *chuckles* And you’ve got quite the mouth on you, how cute. Baccus (surprised): W-what are you talking about! Raphael (gentle): But that’s precisely what I like about you. Baccus (surprised): *startles* Aaron: What’s the matter, Baccus? Your face is all red! Winna (grinning a mile wide): *giggles* Aaron, at a time like this you’re supposed to pretend [you] didn’t see anything. Aaron: [I should] pretend I don’t see anything? Winna (grinning a mile wide): That’s right! [Just] pretend [you] don’t see anything! Heathcliff: What sort of ridiculousness are [you guys] talking about? [I’m] leaving. (Manti and Tayam appear in front of the party.) Manti: *chuckles* Tayam: *chuckles* Aaron (angry): What? These guys?! Manti (smiling): It’s been a while, everyone! Manti (smiling): [We’ve] missed you so much! Raphael: You’ve got a lot of energy, gramps, to have lasted so long against us before. Manti (smiling): Hoho! I practice martial arts every morning. I wouldn’t lose [easily] to youngsters [like you]! Baccus: [Hey,] pretty lady over there, are you going to leave things up to the old man again? Tayam: *chuckles* I don’t mind playing with you as much as you’d like. Baccus: There we go! Aaron (happy): Birdie Sis, that lady over there says she wants to play with us! Winna (big mad): No, no! Aaron, at a time like this you should say ‘maybe later’, otherwise, you’ll be in for it! Aaron: Then…‘maybe later’. Winna: [Yup,] ‘maybe later’. Manti (smiling): *giggles* Then I leave it up to you. (Manti disappears.) Tayam (smiling): Come! [I have to] hurry and get rid of you guys, or else I can’t [properly] welcome Geruda. Kushina (nervous): Is Geruda…coming [here]? Tayam (smiling): Well, aren’t you happy about it! It seems Geruda likes you quite a bit, so I’ll leave you alive for his sake. Stage 19: Glamorous General  I first murderball my way to the south to pick up the treasure chest (containing a Vodka) before moving west.  The shop only contains consumables and stat-boosting items. Being a paranoid RPG player who always thinks I’m going to need money later, I pass up on buying anything. The stage ends as soon as any unit gets close enough for Tayam to taunt the party. Tayam: Hmph…it’s you awful brats again. There’s no order to ‘kill’ you all, so I’ll let you go this time! *cackles* (Tayam vanishes.) Heathcliff (worried): …what was that about? Winna (big mad): She’s just a sore loser! What are you hesitating for? North: But…[her] remaining strength still seems to be plenty, so why… Kushina: …… Baccus: Do it! As Winna says, there’s nothing to hesitate over. Right now, the most important thing is to move quickly. Heathcliff (smiling): You’re right. Raphael (gently): Finally, you said something right [for a change]. Baccus (smiling): I ought to, every once in a while!
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Feb 2, 2022 03:58
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 Stage 20: The Water Temple Kushina: Finally, we’ve arrived at the last temple. Heathcliff: Once we get the water pearl, let’s hurry back to the palace. Aaron: Father must be quite angry, [what with] us having been out here for so long. Winna (big mad): Don’t talk nonsense, Aaron! To parents, children are children, especially the beloved son they themselves bore. Aaron: Is that so? Winna (big mad): It is! Aaron (doubtful): But when Big Bro saw me, he couldn’t recognize me. Winna (like a kicked puppy): Hm…you’re right…that’s Heath’s Achilles heel… Heathcliff: Are you talking to me, Winna? Winna (grinning a mile wide): No, nothing! Let’s go in! (A large number of water elementals teleport into the temple.) Kushina (nervous): The atmosphere’s water has gathered together! Aaron: Woah! A whole bunch of women have shown up! Winna (big mad): [Those are called] Undines! C’mon!  Temple #4. Hopefully this is the last temple with this layout, but we’ll see. The treasure chest contains a Vodka. Undine has nothing to say to us.  I feed the kill to Winna. Undine: Oh! We fairies will follow you, and you will have the right to receive the Fairy’s Ring. (Undine vanishes in a flash of light.) Heathcliff: [What’s a] Fairy’s Ring? Kushina: Who is capable of using it? Winna: Only those with great magic can use it. Raphael: North, you might be able to… North: No, I can’t. I can sense that it is not compatible with my power. Bacchus: But [at least] we’ve finally gathered all of the Fairy Pearls. Kushina: Yup! Fire, earth, air, and water. North: I can feel massive power. Should the four pearls resonate with one another, that power will reach into the heavens like an infinitely tall pillar… Heathcliff: That must be “the Bonds of the Earth” that Sir Henry made. North: That’s right. Even though the power is emanating from the temples, it hasn’t waned a bit… Winna: The power of the fairy pearls is increasing thanks to the power of darkness…of all ironies, this certainly is quite the irony! Aaron: Next is to return to the palace and protect the pearls properly. Heathcliff: Yeah, let’s hurry back to the palace! We also need to make plans for the future.  Heathcliff (happy): [We’re] almost at the palace. Kushina: Even if we get to the palace, things’ll really get complicated after that! Raphael: Yeah! Even though we have the fairy pearls, that doesn’t mean Geruda won’t attack Rurafan! Baccus: If that’s so, then we must guard the Fairy’s Door all the stricter! Winna: That’s right, if we can hold fast, then there’s no problem. Even if a sorcerer uses magic to bring troops in, we’d be able to defend against that. Heathcliff (sad): With Sir Henry gone, there are no more sorcerers capable of [that level of] magic. ???: That’s right. There’s nothing I can do about you. Not bad that you’ve left me so helpless. Heathcliff (angry): Who are you!? (Geruda and his elite minions appear before the party as well as Prince Akbar.) Heathcliff (surprised): You guys…it can’t be…! Geruda: Prince Heathcliff, I haven’t seen you since [you were in] Sardis Palace. Allow me to once again introduce myself. I am Geruda Ambrose, the Prime Minister of the King of Sardis’ new regime. I hope we can get along in the future. Kushina (shocked): What did you say!? Geruda: And then, the one next to me is the new, great King of Sardis, the Aerial Empire, His Majesty King Akbar Sardis. Prince Heathcliff, even though you don’t have long to live, but no matter what you are [still] royalty. Propriety demands that it’s better that I greet you. Heathcliff: Prince Akbar…why are you with that traitor? Akbar (sad): Heathcliff…you have no idea how upset the Rurafan people felt when they lost the power that was so hard to come by. Heathcliff (angry): And have you considered how Kushina’s feeling? She’s very worried about you, don’t you know? Akbar (sad): As do I, Heathcliff! I care about Kushina more than anyone else…I only drew the armies of the forces of darkness in so that I could possess Sardis and the Fairy’s Pearl, all for Kushina’s sake. Kushina (crying): Why, brother? I didn’t ask this of you! Akbar (sad): Kushina, before you come back to Sardis…hold on a little longer. I will explain everything; I believe that the misunderstanding between us will clear up. Kushina (crying): Brother, you’re wrong! Please, come to your senses! Akbar (sad): The one who doesn’t understand is you, Kushina! Kushina (crying): Brother, you’re being fooled by Geruda! Please, don’t listen to Geruda! Geruda: Oh, Kushina, don’t speak of me so poorly! I [too] am doing everything for you! Kushina (angry): Shut up! Try saying that again! I’ll tear your stupid mouth off! Geruda (freaking out): …… Akbar (sad): Enough, Kushina…go back with me! Unless you really hate being with me in Sardis…? Kushina (sad): Brother… Akbar (sad): Kushina…we are the citizens of Sardis, and they are citizens of Rurafan…just which side will you choose? Heathcliff (sad): Kushina… Kushina (sad): Brother. Akbar: Yes? Kushina (sad): …I am a citizen of Sardis. Heathcliff (surprised): Kushina!? Akbar: You’ve made it so clear. That must have been quite difficult… Kushina (determined): But, Big Brother and the rest of you are no longer citizens of Sardis, either! In order to correct this error, I will choose Rurafan. (Kushina walks up to Geruda.) Kushina (determined): Geruda! Prepare yourself! Heathcliff (shocked): Kushina! Don’t be reckless! Geruda (laughing like a Saturday Morning Cartoon Villain): Hmph! How foolish! (There’s a flash of white, and then Kushina lies unconscious on the ground.) Heathcliff (shocked): Kushina!? Akbar (shouting): Geruda, you!? Geruda: Relax, Your Majesty. I would never allow Princess Kushina come to any harm. Leave the rest to me. (There’s a pause.) I can return Princess Kushina to you…under one condition. Heathcliff: What [do you want]? Geruda: I wish to trade [her] with the Fairy Pearl. Raphael (troubled): !! Geruda: If you refuse, then we will take Princess Kushina to Sardis, even if the Princess [herself] doesn’t wish it so. Heathcliff (yelling): We won’t let you get away with this[, you hear]? Never! Geruda (back in full SMCV mode): Then, be good and hand over the Fairy Pearl! Heathcliff (shocked): Ack…! (Heathcliff glows brightly.) Geruda (full SMCV mode): *laughs* Is that the power of the Fairy Pearl? So that’s how it is. I can feel the strength [within]. Kushina (crying): Don’t…don’t, Heath! Winna (blue screening): Woah, Heath, stop! Even if you hand it over, they won’t hold up their end of the bargain. Geruda: Oho…that little brat over there seems to have a very deep misunderstanding of me. (back into SMC mode again) But…you’re absolutely right. Heathcliff (shocked): Woah! (A bright light flashes, and the MacGuffins fly out of Heathcliff; another flash later, Geruda is holding them.) Geruda: Don’t make any wrong moves, Heathcliff. (back into SMC mode again) You’re such idiots. Didn’t you swear to defend the pearls to the end? How did things end up this way? Raphael (angry): What a dirty move… Geruda: Say what you like…the Fairy Pearl originally belonged to us, anyway, so my conscience is clear. The god of destruction that was sealed away once made a dark covenant with the previous king. In order to fulfill that covenant, he summoned Sardis. North (breaking out in a cold sweat): Just…what are you trying to say? Geruda (back into SMC mode again): *laughs* Good news! The instant we return the Fairy Pearls back to Sardis, the Bonds of the Earth will disappear. Heathcliff (angry): You [petty, awful] villain… Geruda: You’re right…but the most important thing is to clean out the garbage right in front of me. North (wary, as the screen flashes white): Everyone be careful! He is gathering unimaginable power around him. (The flashing continues and increases in intensity.) Bacchus: Rapael… Raphael: Yes? Baccus: Hurry up and hide behind me…it’s a bother if this bastard sees you. Raphael: What are you talking about? Are you treating me as a ‘woman’? You’ve never done that for me before… Baccus: Nevermind that, do what I say! Raphael (yelling): I refuse! Baccus (yelling): Raphael! Raphael (gentle): I will protect you properly, Baccus. You’d better protect me properly as well! Baccus (exasperated): !? Honestly…in the end, you really are a woman. Winna (big mad): Hey, you two, stop being so lovey dovey! Hurry up and get over here! Gil ( ): How dare you try to disrupt my plans…I will surely pay you back. *laughs*Manti: I haven’t had all my fun with you guys yet! But, I can’t go against the Count’s orders…[maybe] I’ll let you off easy. *laughs* Tayam: Baccus! *chuckles* Let me be your opponent! I’ll be sure to show you a good time. (Once the light fades, everyone has laid out flat on the ground except Heathcliff.) Winna (blue screaming): *panting* Just…what was that? I don’t think I can hold on much longer. North (nervous): How could there be such power…? Baccus (about to pass out): Raphael…forgive me. Raphael (tired): It’s alright… Geruda: There’s the Prince for you…you could actually stand and not be moved. Heathcliff (angry): D-drat it… Akbar: Listen well, Prince Heathcliff. Now that the Bonds of the Earth no longer exist, I will rule the world as the new King of Sardis. Should Rurafan stop its fruitless struggle, wouldn’t that maintain the friendly relationship between the two nations? And you wouldn’t endure unnecessary harm. Heathcliff (angry): Kushina…give Kushina back. Akbar: …… (Heathcliff falls to one knee and then collapses altogether.) Geruda: Your Majesty…we should go back. Akbar: Farewell, Prince Heathcliff. (A blonde woman walks up from the south end of the screen.) Lucida (angry): Let go of that girl. Geruda: Who are you? If you don’t want to get killed, then get out of here! Lucida (angry): Let me say that again–let go of that girl. Then, leave quietly. Manti: Oho! This elf looks quite delectable. Geruda: What are you standing around for? Hurry up and help me get rid [of her]. (Lucida steps forward and the screen flashes white; after that, Geruda finds himself bound by a golden hoop.) Geruda (freaked out): Woah! W-who in the world is this woman!? Lucida (calm): This is the Halo of Sealing. The stronger your dark powers are, the better the this halo can absorb them. Geruda (freaked out): *screams* It’s awful! Dammit! I can’t take this any more. Lucida (yelling again): Let go of the girl, you villains, and get out! Akbar (also yelling): Are you seriously suggesting that I leave Kushina [behind]? Geruda (freaking out): *screams* Run away! Hurry! Akbar (still yelling): Geruda!! (In a flash of light, Geruda and company have vanished. Lucida walks up to Kushina.) Kushina (in pain): Ow! …Oww! Lucida: Wonderful, thank goodness; nothing [too terrible] has happened. Kushina (sad): H-how’s everyone? Lucida: They’ve been gravely injured, but their lives are in no danger. Wait here for a bit; I shall go to the palace for reinforcements. (Lucida walks towards the top of the screen.) Kushina (tired): E-excuse me… Lucida (stops): Yes? Kushina (tired): Who are you? Lucida: I am Lucida of the Binders. Kushina (surprised): [What’s] a Binder? Lucida: I will tell you the details later. Hold on here for a moment. (The scene fades to black as Lucida makes her way off screen.) Dot’s Footnotes About Moon Runes
Characters introduced this update:  - An elf woman who shares the name of the elf who assisted the legendary King Arc.Bonus screencaps of Geruda’s amazing expressions:  
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Feb 15, 2022 04:52
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 King of Rurafan: The Fairy Pearl was robbed…I see. On the other hand, how fortunate that Aaron and everyone [else] can return safely. Kushina (sad): I’m sorry, it was all because of me… King of Rurafan: Don’t be so hard on yourself. It is my responsibility that I did not stop Geruda from using the Fairy’s Gate or using magical power. Lucida: Your Majesty! Any words of regret you say would be to no avail; the important thing is to figure out a way to solve that… Heathcliff: Father, who is this person [standing next to you]? King of Rurafan: Pardon me! I forgot to make introductions. This is Lucida. People call her a Binder. Thanks to her, we’ve been saved [from disaster]. Winna: What, you’re really a Binder? This is the first time [I’ve] seen one. Raphael (thoughtful): Winna, you know [of] her? Winna: How could I not know? You humans might not be very clear about it, but…to put it simply… North: I suppose you could say [she is] a great sage! Because she is considered an excellent figure among the fairies and monsters, she has this title. Winna (like a kicked puppy): E-exactly. King of Rurafan: To be perfectly honest, I especially invited Lucida to fill in the duty of defending the palace in Henry’s place…however, now that the Fairy’s Pearl has been brought to sardis and that power been infused into the Silver Wings, there is a need to add more manpower. Lucida: The Silver Wings are the fusion of massive weapons; even with the Fairy’s Pearl, they can’t start up immediately. Heathcliff: If only its startup time can be delayed somehow… Baccus: Pardon me for asking, [but] does Your Majesty have any plans? King of Rurafan: I do. The only way now is to attack Sardis. As a matter of fact, while you were in recovery, I have already sent an impressive number of troops to the Fairy’s Gate; you can see them from here. Heathcliff: The Fairy’s Gate should be this direction, right? (Heathcliff walks off to the right as the screen fades to black.) Kushina (surprised, over a dark screen): What magnificent troops! King of Rurafan: I’ve sent all of Rurafan’s troops–[including] the northern and western armies–up ahead. Winna: A war’s about to break out. Raphael: …… (There’s a pause in the dialogue.) North (breaking out in a cold sweat): This is…! I can feel the Fairy Pearl’s resonating; they’re crying out! Alan (nervous): Snakey sis, w-what’s wrong? North (nervous): Lucida…the Silver Wings have awakened, and it’s power restored! Lucida (surprised): What? In such a short [period of] time? Kushina (surprised): What is that? A bright light is [growing from] underneath Sardis…   Baccus (shocked): How could this be…the Fairy’s Gate has vanished… Raphael (worried): Oh, no! Rurafan’s troops… Winna (blue screening): Not just Rurafan’s…even Geruda’s troops were there… Kushina (nervous): How could the situation become so critical [all of a sudden]… Baccus: Now the way to Sardis has been blocked. Heathcliff (shocked): What was that beam of light? Lucida: The Silver Wings… Winna (blue screening): W-what is that!? King of Rurafan: It’s a devilishly powerful weapon that once turned half of Rurafan to ash… Lucida: Thanks to the sorcerers, some of the villages managed to avoid disaster. King of Rurafan: Indeed…if it weren’t for the defensive field created by Henry’s assembled sorcerers, this palace would probably have also been destroyed [back then]! Raphael: But Henry has already… Baccus: Not only that, because of long periods of war, the sorcerers have all but perished in the turmoil… Winna (blue screening): So does that mean…all we can do is give up? (There’s another pause.) Heathcliff (determined): No…we mustn’t give up so easily. Kushina (surprised): Heath…? Heathcliff (determined): We mustn’t give up! Rurafan hasn’t disappeared…there’s still hope… Raphael (nervous): Hold up…that’s impossible, isn’t it? Baccus: What’s wrong, Raphael? Raphael (nervous): It’s shaking… Winna (blue screening): What’s shaking? Raphael (nervous): Sardis is heading this way with terrifying momentum… Aaron (shocked): Oh! The underside is starting to glow again. Lucida (determined): It’s dangerous! Everyone, lie flat [on the ground]! Hurry! Heathcliff (determined): Watch out, Kushina! (The scene fades to white again.) Rafael: Is everyone alright? Baccus: We’ve got to try [something]... Aaron (nervous): Ouch! I’ve scuffed my whole front leg. Winna (big mad): Aaron! Humans call that “[your] hand”, not a front leg. North: There’s a strong wave of darkness…my head hurts so much! Kushina (crying): Heath, keep yourself together! Heath! Raphael (yelling): What’s wrong!? Kushina (crying): Heath…in order to protect me… Heath (in pain, now with a star-shaped scar on his forehead): *groans* I’m okay, Kushina, I just hit my head. Aaron (shocked): Oh, no! Big bro, look!  Heath (shocked): Father!! Aaron (shocked): Father~~! King of Rurafan (bleeding): …Heath, and Aaron. Heath (sad): Father… Aaron (shocked): Father, hold on for a little longer. I’ll [move] this bit of roof right away… King of Rurafan (bleeding): …it’s alright, Aaron. Listen to me. Heathcliff (sad): …… King of Rurafan (bleeding): I didn’t realize Sardis has [successfully] reawakened the Silver Wings. Things will fall back into chaos and Rurafan’s lands will be surrounded by flames and thick darkness. Aaron (freaked out): Father, what should we do? King of Rurafan (bleeding): I don’t know, either. But, great power cannot be sustained for long, especially evil power such as the Silver Wings… Kushina (crying): Your Majesty…I’m so sorry. King of Rurafan (bleeding): Don’t cry, Kushina! The troops who went to the Fairy’s Gate have probably already been completely wiped out! Now all of you are the only hope. Heathcliff (sad): Father… King of Rurafan (bleeding): Heathcliff…Princess Kushina…the Bonds of the Earth haven't broken yet…so long as you two are still alive, the Bond of the Earth formed by Rurafan…and Sadis…shall...remain… Aaron (nervous): Father… Baccus (yelling): Your Majesty! (There’s a pause as the King of Rurafan dies.) Raphael (sad): Great King of Rurafan, may your spirit be able to rest in the heavens; for you shall we pray… Heathcliff (sad): Father… (Heathcliff begins to exit the room.) Kushina (sad): Heath…? (Kushina runs up next to Heathcliff.) Heathcliff (sad): Kushina… Kushina: What is it? Heathcliff (smiling): We should be able to do it, right? Stop Sardis, rebuild the Bonds of the Earth between the two nations… Kushina: You can do it, Heath. [I’m sure] you can. (There’s an awkward pause, then…) Kushina (shocked): …Heath!? Heathcliff: …? Kushina (shocked): The injury on your forehead… Heathcliff: … Kushina (sad): I remember now…I once came here as a child… Heathcliff (smiling): You came as a [part of a] friendly ambassador group; you were just 5 at the time. Kushina (sad): That’s right…everyone had gone hunting. Without realizing it, I’d gotten separated from everyone [else]... Heathcliff: I heard your calls for help, and when I made it over to you I saw an ogre [standing] before you. Kushina: That’s right…at the time, you tried to protect me, but…    Heathcliff: Thank goodness Baccus got there in time so we could make it without incident,,, Kushina (sad): I was so scared…I never wanted to think of that incident again, and I wanted to make myself stronger, tougher. Heathcliff: I was quite scared too, [but] I could never forget that incident and was often too afraid to hold my sword… Kushina (laughing): Haha! We ended up as totally opposite [each other]… Heathcliff (smiling): Yeah! But from that day on I was like you in that I started learning the sword and practicing martial arts so I could protect you and everyone [else]. Baccus: [Now that] they’ve destroyed the palace, they must not be on the alert. If we can take this opportunity to attack… Lucida: Let’s go to the village to the east; maybe we can get some news… Kushina (surprised): [There’s] a village to the east? Lucida: That’s right! We passed it on our way to the palace and heard from the village elder about a strange youth. Winna: The village to the east? That’s where we saved that kid! Lucida (happy): [You] saved that child? Oh, so it was you folks! I heard that in that village, a young man imagined himself flying like a bird. Aaron (raising an eyebrow): Like a bird? Why? Lucida: I don’t know the details either, as I was in a hurry… Baccus: [Was it] where Nukes had appeared before? Kushina: The village should be fine, right? Heathcliff: I hope they’re fine, let’s go take a look first! Baccus: But…if we head out now, we might be attacked. Heathcliff: We can use the underground tunnels; there’s less of a chance of running into danger [there], and we can hide from the aerial attacks. Baccus: I–I see… (Heathcliff leaves.) Raphael (gentle): Oho…he’s gotten quite manly. Baccus (smiling): What are you talking about? You should say he has quite a bit of “royal bearing”. Winna (happy): Then let’s follow the king! (The screen fades to black, and let’s hope it occurred to the party to give the king a proper burial between scenes, because he’s been lying there ever since he passed away…)  Stage 21: The King’s Relics Baccus (surprised): Didn’t think we’d come to this part after going underground…where are we? Heathcliff: This is the king’s treasury. We took the underground path so we could get here. Winna (happy): Yo! [This is] the treasury!? Aaron (surprised): Birdy sis, you’re drooling… Raphael: I don’t blame her. Heathcliff: Winna, we promised you so long ago, [sorry for] making you wait for so long… Winna (like a kicked puppy): … Heathcliff (smiling): Since Father also agreed, take whatever you like! Winna (like a kicked puppy): Woah… Kushina (surprised): What’s wrong? You don’t have to hold yourself back… Winna (big mad): D-don’t joke around! How could a nation as powerful as Rurafan only have this little bit of treasure? Heathcliff (surprised): Winna? T-this really is…all of the treasure. Winna (big mad): I refuse to accept this! There should be even bigger, more valuable treasure! I’ll wait for the chaos to settle down first. Kushina: So what do you plan to do? Winna: Before that, I’ll stick with you guys. Serves me right for me being such a nice gal, and you can’t do anything without me, right? Heathcliff: Winna…! Winna: It’s fine if I make do with some weapons, right? Baccus (smiling): What an idiot. Lucida (gentle): What a wonderful, gentle person… Winna (big mad): What are you still doing there? If we don’t move it, it’ll be dark.  Look at all of those treasure chests!  I decide not to split the party and go to collect everything as a giant murderball, feeding most of the kills to Lucida, who has joined the party as a level 30 caster who can attack from ranged; the contents of each chest are noted on the screenshot.The stage ends as soon as an allied unit steps on the tile with the stairs going up. Heathcliff: If we go up from this set of stairs, then we can reach the wilds to the east of the palace. Baccus: If only the village over there is alright… Bonus screencap of Heath’s new scar: 
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Feb 24, 2022 06:20
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 Stage 22: The Burned Land Kushina (shocked): How did things turn out this way? Lucida: This place is full of strange energy. Bacchus: It looks like this area has been destroyed by the Silver Wings. Winna (like a kicked puppy): If that’s true, [then] the village elder… Heathcliff: [We] don’t know if the village was destroyed or not; let’s go take a look first.  While it is possible to stop on the burned spots (and according to the tooltip, they give 20% defense boosts), I don’t feel like testing whether it’s some sort of stage hazard for science. Lucida is still behind in terms of levels, so she still gets the majority of the kills until she’s caught up to everyone (except the healers and Winna, who are ahead because they are pretty much always doing something each turn). The stage ends when any ally unit is moved on top of the town located at the north end of the map. North: Who could have thought that even such a small village would attack? Oh, gods! Please protect those who have been attacked by the rays of darkness… Aaron (thoughtful): Why would Geruda be so cruel? Winna (big mad): [Because he] doesn’t know how serious things are or how dangerous his toy could be but he still plays about recklessly… Kushina: Let’s go in! Maybe there could be survivors, you never know.  Kushina (shocked): How could it be [this bad]? Baccus: There’s not a single survivor to be found… Heathcliff (sad): Baccus, we haven’t even started looking yet. Baccus (yelling): I would also like to be optimistic, but… (A secret panel opens at the top of the room, revealing a set of secret stairs going down, and the village chief emerges from it.) Village Chief: What’s with the noise? You break in here and stomp around [like you won the place]...oh? It’s you guys… Heathcliff (smiling): You’re alright? That’s wonderful…where’s everyone else? Village Chief: You took care of us before and [now] we’ve made you worry again; we’re all fine. Kushina (shocked): All [of you]!? Village Chief: I saw a terrible bright light coming from the center of the continent, so I told everybody to take refuge underground. Aaron (happy): So that’s where everyone went! Village Chief: *chuckles* The people are all very united…by the way, did you need anything? Heathcliff (shocked): Uh, uh…well, it’s not anything that important. Village Chief: You shouldn’t have any need to hide, right? You wouldn’t have any reason to come to some ruins for no reason at such a dangerous time, either! Lucieda: Since you insist, then I’ll be honest with you. Before, I heard a young man say he wanted to be a bird; where is he [now]? Village Chief: [What] bird? Oh, you mean Jirokichi? He’s not here. As I said before, he’s a very strange person… Baccus (surprised): Not here? Then, where is he? Village Chief: He’s in a small cabin in the mountains. He seems to want to fly using an ‘airship’. I don’t know the details, but I can hear explosions from time to time. (The screen shakes again.) Aaron (surprised): Woah! Winna (yelling): Allan! Keep your head down! Village Chief: *chuckles again* Don’t be nervous, that should be Jirokichi [at work]; I wonder when he’ll succeed.
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Mar 4, 2022 02:50
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 Stage 23: Mountain Climbing is Great Fun Winna (blue screening): Ugh…I can’t…I can’t last any longer. At…at least… Baccus (smiling): *laughs* You’re so useless! Raphael (exasperated): Honestly…claiming that it’ll be fine in the mountains and it wouldn’t be that dangerous! Ugh, I hate it when there’s so many griffins… Lucieda (happy): Is that so? I feel much better, since there isn’t as much pollution from the dark energy. North: But my stomach’s getting rubbed raw by all of this rocky ground! Heathcliff (exasperated): You say that, but you look like you’re hanging on just fine. Winna (grinning a mile wide): Well, I’d expect a snake to have pretty good endurance… North: You really have no brain to mouth filter, do you? Aaron (laughing): Birdy Sis, Snakey Sis, don’t fight! We’re in a crisis, [so] you ought to get along! Winna (big mad): Just whose side are you on, Aaron!? North (smiling): On mine, of course, right, Aaron? Kushina (angry): Stop messing around, you two.  I’m expecting the fliers to come to me, so I keep the party as a singular deathball down the middle of the map and then towards the upper left corner where the objective lies. The stage ends as soon as an allied unit lands on the cabin (circled in white in the screencap). Heathcliff (smiling): Excuse me, is anyone home? (Beat.) Odd, it doesn’t look like they’re home. Kushina: Wait! There’s a piece of paper down here! Baccus: Where? Where? Raphael: It says ‘I am experimenting with my airship in the hills to the west; I will [surely] become a bird today’...to the west, huh… Winna (blue screening): What? We still gotta keep climbing!? Lucieda: …that’s not too much of an issue, but I am worried about the hills to the west; that’s where griffins nest. Heathcliff: Griffins will eat anything; they might even eat an airship… Aaron: If we’re supposed to go west, shouldn’t it be right over there…Hm? I see a big balloon… North: Could that be…the airship? Kushina: Let’s go take a look!
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Mar 17, 2022 02:37
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 Jirokichi (freaked out): Oh, go away! This [baby] is the result of my blood and sweat…don’t you dare touch it! Oh! Don’t! Don’t touch it! Raphael: Is that…Jirokichi? Baccus: So is that big bag next to him an ‘airship’? Jirokichi (freaked out): Hey, you people over there! Don’t just stand there, come over and help me! Winna (big mad): Ugh, how rude! Jirokichi (freaked out): I’m talking to you! Are you deaf or slow! Oh! Don’t touch [my airship]! Capture them [beasts]! Heathcliff: Sounds like he’s not a bad guy… Kushina: And we can’t leave him to his own devices, right? Jirokichi (freaked out): Ack! Ow-owowow! Oh, hurry up already! Please, save me! Lucieda: This isn’t something we can agree to so simply, but since you’re about to be devoured, we’ll come save you! North: As the gods have ordained, we are not to overlook suffering. Hm…let’s hurry up and save him! Jirokichi (freaked out): Ouch! It hurts! Hurry up and save me! Stage 24: The Young Inventor  I deathball my way counterclockwise north, stopping by to check if the tree in the upper right hand corner of the map (and it does contain a treasure–a Vodka). While Jirokichi or his airship can’t be controlled and both are at a measly level 1 compared to the party, the monsters also don’t seem to consider him worth targeting. The stage automatically ends as soon as all enemies are defeated. Jirokichi (freaked out): *screams* Why’d you take so long to rescue me? Lucieda: Are you Jirokichi? Jirokichi (calm): Yes! I’m Jirokichi, the genius inventor. How do you know my name? Kushina: [We] heard it from the village chief… Jirokichi: Oh, I see. You’re here to ask for money, right? Didn’t I say that I’d give it back to you guys by the end of the month! Why are you being such a nag… North (angry): Shut up! Jirokichi (freaked out): Woah! North (angry): How dare you mistake a divine shrine maiden such as myself to be a debt collector… Winna (grinning a mile wide, thinking): Ooh! She’s mad. It’s pretty terrifying when someone who’s usually so calm gets mad. North (having calmed down): Is this your airship? Jirokichi: Y-yes…that’s right! North: Can it fly? Jirokichi: I-it should be able to… North (angry): ‘Should’? How could you say that? It must fly, and it has to be able to carry eight passengers. Jirokichi (freaked out): Yes, [Ma’am,] got it! Aaron (surprised, thinking): T-the plan is to make it fly!? Raphael: She’s a very proud person. It’s very scary should you make her mad, Aaron! North (angry): Hurry up and move! We’re in a hurry! Jirokichi: Yes, yes…oh! I can’t. (Beat.) North: What did you say…? Jirokichi (freaked out): Ack! I-I do have an airship, but no fuel to burn… North: No fuel, huh? Jirokichi: Well, there is fuel. (Another beat.) Bacchus (angry): Are you asking for a beating!? Jirokichi (freaked out): No, listen to me! In order to have the airship fly, it needs fire to send hot air into the balloon. Kushina: And so what? Jirokichi (freaked out): You have to have high-proof alcohol for fuel… Bacchus: In other words…all we’d need to do is to buy alcohol! Jirokichi (freaked out): Nonono…there’s a wine cellar in the village at the bottom of the mountain. Winna: Then let’s go! Jirokichi: If I could go, I would have gone long ago…honestly, because of the minotaurs there, I don’t dare to approach. Heathcliff: So you’re saying, if we don’t defeat those fellows, then we can’t fly? Jirokichi: The village doesn’t [otherwise] have such high-proof alcohol. Heathcliff: The wine cellar near the village? Let’s go, then! Kushina (surprised): H-heath! Baccus (surprised): Hey, hey! You’re [doing this] without so much as a plan…? Heathcliff: This is the only way if we want to reach Sardis! Characters introduced this update:  A self-proclaimed genius inventor who built himself an airship in order to fulfill his lifelong dreams of flight.
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Mar 29, 2022 17:33
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 Stage 25: Determining the Victor Minotaurs: *monstrous noises* North: Why are they snoring so awfully? Winna: It’s this early in the morning and they’re drinking and even snoring, must be a pretty good gig! Lucieda: However, for us this is exactly the right opportunity, because minotaurs are not so easily dealt with [otherwise]. Kushina: Lucieda…aren’t you very good? A mere minotaur couldn’t stand up to you, right? Lucieda: Unfortunately, my power is completely unrelated to my offensive capabilities. I’m good at dealing with evil, but that’s not much [in light of everything else]. Baccus: So, we still have to fight with [all] our actual strength. Heathcliff: Got it.  Jirokichi still hasn’t joined the party as a member but I wasn’t expecting Lucieda to show up again, either. Anyway, at the moment I’ve got more than enough dudes to slowly deathball my to the stage boss, the minotaur at the top center of the map. I also stop feeling the need to kill all of the enemies as the exp curve in these games are not that tight, so if anything fails to engage or runs away I don’t chase it down, either. Targeting the minotaur causes a skit to play out: Minotaur: *snores*...what’s going on? What’s all that noise? Bacchus (freaked out): Oh no…he’s awake. Kushina (freaked out): How could [he be] so huge! Heathcliff: Before he’s sobered from [his] drunkenness… Winna (grinning like a fiend): That sounds pretty sneaky…but that’s pretty good as well!  The minotaur doesn’t hit as hard as I expect it would but it also tanks hits like a boss; still, I don’t have that much of a problem and feed the kill to Heathcliff. North: If we take this wine barrel… Raphael: That way [we] can reach Sardis. Bacchus: Now, the problem is, can the thing Jirokichi made really fly? [I’m] a bit worried… North: Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to have him make [it properly]. Raphael: Y-you’re right! …then let us take the wine barrel[s] here to where Jirokichi lives!  Raphael: It’s been three days already. Baccus: Can he really do it? North: Believe in him. People ought to trust one another in order to develop [their] greatest strength. Baccus (angry): But I can’t wait any more…yesterday, you guys also saw Sardis pass overhead, right? Kushina (sad): But, there isn’t any [other] way [to reach Sardis]... Baccus (angry): Compared to waiting around like a lemon here, we might as well go try our luck all over the place. North: Baccus, you must believe in Jirokichi. He’s currently working hard! Aaron (skeptical): I thought he succeeded yesterday! Heathcliff: That’s right! [The airship] flew in the air for a bit. Winna (like a kicked puppy): Don’t tell me the airship caught on fire later… Lucieda: Let’s wait a little longer. (Jirokichi comes in from the door to the south.) Jirokichi: I changed the pressurizer’s structure a bit, now there shouldn’t be a problem! Even if the gas overheats from rapid combustion, it should be able to let out hot air and lower it to a safe temperature. Baccus: Then I leave it up to you… Heathcliff: Thanks for your hard work, Jirokichi. Jirokichi: ?? If you wish to thank [me], wait until [you’ve] successfully taken off! Baccus: Uh-uh! I also have the feeling that there’s no problem and it will fly. Jirokichi: …you’re right. Honestly, I have the same feeling as well. Heathcliff (smiling): You think so, too, huh? Jirokichi: Ah! Yeah… (Jirokichi gets out of the way as Heathcliff heads towards the door.) Heathcliff: If it were possible, I hope you can come with us, but I won’t insist. Then, Jirokichi, we’re heading out. Farewell. (As Heathcliff heads out the door, Baccus gets up from his seat and approaches Jirokichi.) Baccus (smiling): This way, North doesn’t lose any face, either. (Next to leave and say their goodbyes is Kushina.) Kushina: Thank you! It’s only because of you that I am able to return to Sardis. Perhaps [many difficult] battles await us there, but nevertheless I must give you [my] thanks. (After that, it’s Aaron.) Aaron: It’ll be okay when I board, right? The bottom won’t break? (Then it’s Raphael.) Raphael: You managed to work up a naga. You really are something. (Then Winna.) Winna: *giggles* Looks like you’re not useless [after all]. If you have the chance to come by my house, I’ll be sure to show you lots of treasure. (Lucieda.) Lucieda (gently): You have a special look in your eyes. If you can join a party of warriors, I’m sure it’d make a difference… (And last but not least, North.) North: I didn’t think you’d take so long. Your heart must have been affected by the waves of darkness at least somewhat! Jirokichi: Maybe! North: If I come back safe and sound… Jirokichi: If you come back safe and sound…[then what]? North: I will properly host you at the northern mountains; you will [then] be able to cleanse your heart in the temple. Jirokichi: I will be sure to go. North (smiling): Excellent! I shall await your arrival. (Having planted the mother of all flags, North heads out. For a moment, it looks like Jirokichi will follow after her and join the party, but he stops at the door.) Jirokichi: Be sure to come back [safely], North…
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Apr 1, 2022 00:58
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 (Back at the top of the mountain, the airship takes off, and the screen goes dark.) Kushina: At last, we’re going to Sardis. Heathcliff: Yup. Only we can stop Sardis. Baccus: We must find a way to sneak into Sardis’ center; we should be able to do so along the rock wall. Raphael: There’s no turning back after we make it to Sardis. Who knows whether the light or the darkness will triumph… North: That…only God knows. Winna: H-hey! Isn’t that Sardis up ahead? Raphael: Looks like it…let’s slowly head towards the west side! Aaron (smiling): Hard to port!  (The airship flies over a plain that has scattered tree growth, and the screen goes dark again, but this time, it also begins to shake.) Kushina (nervous): H-hold on, Winna! Stop squishing me! Winna: I-I’m not squishing you! Oh! Aaron! Aaron: I-I didn’t move, not even a little bit! Heathcliff (1000% done): I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Kushina: What kind of bad feeling are you talking about! Heathcliff: No, what I mean is…the indicator has dropped into the red zone. Raphael (thoughtful): You can’t mean we don’t have much fuel left? Aaron (worried): The airship is descending rapidly. Heathcliff (worried): Please, hold on until we get to Sardis! Baccus (yelling): Pay attention! We’re going to crash onto the surface [of Sardis]! Be careful! (The shaking grows harder and harder and fades to black. When the dialogue continues, it’s still over a dark screen.) Heathcliff: Oh! O-ow…where are we? Kushina (freaked out): Hm…where are we? Where did everybody go? Heathcliff (shocked): You’re right, is everybody okay?  Bacchus: Ouch…what a terrible airship that was. Why didn’t I realize how dangerous it was [when I boarded it]? Kushina (happy): Wonderful…everyone’s fine! Raphael: Kushina, do you know where we are? Heathcliff: If I’m right ,then we’re headed east of Sardis right now. Kushina: Let me see…this should be the Yura Forest. I think I’ve seen that mountain over there somewhere before. Baccus: So that means… Winna: We made it to Sardis safely and without any problems? Stage 26: The Magic Castle in the Sky Aaron (freaked out): Woah, big bro! T-they’re here! Heathcliff (angry): Meeting us in battle so quickly, huh? Kushina: I think we’ve been surrounded. Baccus: [If we] want to pass through this forest, [then] we must defeat these fellows. North: This place has been greatly affected by the waves of darkness…be careful, everyone. Kushina: Anyway, let’s hurry up and get through this forest! Once we’ve passed the south there should be a town.  The goal is to reach the town currently being occupied by the monster in the lower right hand corner of the map so I deathball my way there, using the trees as cover, and taking out anything that chooses to engage my party. The minotaur has nothing to say to us; I feed the kill to Aaron, but the stage doesn’t end until I send an ally into the town. Winna: Phew! Those folks weren’t easy to deal with! Kushina (sad): There’s nobody here… North: It doesn’t look like there’s anybody [anywhere]. Heathcliff: Let’s first look for a place to rest!  Winna (like a kicked puppy): Oh! I’m so tired! Raphael (but with Kushina’s portrait): Me too… (The Japanese walkthrough I am consulting to double check name transliterations shows that this mismatch between the name and the portrait happens in the original as well.) Heathcliff: ….we’ve finally reached Sardis. Kushina: …I believe that at this time, the people of Rurafan are all in terror of the Silver Wings. Winna (like a kicked puppy): We have to discuss a plan to deal with the cannon… Kushina: “The Fortress of Power”... Heathcliff: What’s wrong, Kushina? Kushina: I’ve heard Father say that there’s a ‘fortress of power’ at the center of Sardis which was used as the most powerful offense in the war against Rurafan. Baccus (shocked): !! That war where Henry snuck in [to Sardis]? Now that you’ve mentioned it, I’ve heard that the Fairy Pearls may have been placed into that fort. Heathcliff: Maybe it’ll be strictly defended, but it’s still worth taking a look. Let’s rest up properly tonight! I don’t think there will be any place to rest further ahead. Bonus screencap of Heathcliff’s “1000% done” expression: 
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Apr 1, 2022 19:37
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 Stage 27: Towards the Palace Kushina: The Fort of Strength is that thing over there. Winna: The atmosphere feels pretty heavy… Kushina: That must be the King of Sardis’ most elite over there! We really can’t [afford to be] careless. Heathcliff: Is everybody ready? We’re headed out. Kushina (thinking): Father…please protect us!  I’m not sure what the game means by “defeat the defense squad captain” so I just deathball my way to the upper left hand corner of the map, stopping by the flower to see if it has treasure (and it does, a Mushroom that increases max HP; I feed it to Raphael). As it turns out, my goal was the minotaur at the center of the cross-shaped formation in the upper left corner, and a short skit plays out when any unit engages him: Defense Captain: And who are you people? Kushina (angry): How rude! I am Kushina Sardis, the princess of Sardis! Get out of the way, now! Defense Captain: You’re the princess? Who knew that the madman’s words would prove correct? Raphael (determined): There’s no need to waste time with this monster, Kushina, let’s go! This minotaur is slightly tougher than the previous one, but still not a problem; I feed the kill to Aaron. Baccus (smiling): Phew! That wasn’t much at all! Kushina: Let’s take a look inside!
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Apr 4, 2022 21:54
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 Stage 28: The Fortress of Power Kushina: Odd, why are the defenses so light? Winna (happy): Maybe they’re busy with other stuff! Anyway, it’s a good thing for us. Kushina: …I hope so. Aaron (smiling): Big Sis, you don’t have to worry about anything with me here! Kushina (happy): *laughs* Then I leave it all up to you, Aaron! Aaron (1000% done): What a flatterer.  I split the party, assigning one healer to each sub-team, and work my way to the treasure chests whose contents I have noted on the screencap (as it turns out, the weapon upgrades for Baccus and Kushina also class changed them but  ).A mini-skit plays out when any unit engages the objective: Kushina (freaked out): A-an ogre!? Baccus (angry): Oh, no! The princess was attacked by an ogre as a child…dammit! It just had to be one of these that’s the guard! Heathcliff (determined): Kushina, fall back. Kushina (determined): It’s fine! I’m not a child any more. Heathcliff (calm now): …got it. Let’s take him down together! Kushina: Got it!  The Ogre is pretty tough against physical attacks and hits like a truck, but my casters melt him like butter. I feed the kill to Aaron. dotchan fucked around with this message at 01:52 on Apr 6, 2022 |
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Apr 6, 2022 01:50
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Heathcliff: I think this is the bottom. Kushina: What does that mean? There’s nothing here. Heathcliff: It looks like they’ve moved everything out. Baccus: I’ve got a ba~ad feeling about this. Jil (from offscreen): Oho? I was wondering who it could be…so it was you all!  Kushina (surprised): Jil!? Jil: Wanting to destroy this place, Princess? A little too bold, aren’t we? Kushina (angry): Jil!! Just what is [going on in] this place!? Jil: ?? Oh, you mean here? Hmph. How observant of you. This place was once where we stored the Fairy Pearls and where we made them more powerful…however, there is no longer any need. The Fairy Pearls have stored up enough strength. Kushina (angry): So where are the Fairy Pearls [now]? Jil: *chuckles* Worry not, princess, I will carefully guard the Fairy Pears. Leave this place to me; you take a short nap! Stage 29: Jil the Summoner  I ignore the minions that don’t go after me or can’t catch up to me and make a beeline to the boss. Gil taunts us when targeted by any of the party. Gil: You’re pretty good. Very well. I shall deal with you. Winna (like a kicked puppy): It makes me feel gross just looking at this guy, like a bunch of stinky worms are crawling all over my body. I don’t even want to touch him! Gil (angry): Shut up! I will kill you all! Bring it! Winna (blue screening): Ugh…why did he turn so nasty all of a sudden…  Gil can attack from melee and ranged and his spells hit twice, making him a pain in the butt to deal with. I feed the kill to Baccus. Gil (freaked out): H-how can it be…that I’ve been defeated!? I d-don’t…want to die, not so quickly! (Gil dies.) Aaron: Professor Henry…I’ve avenged you. Baccus: However, the dark power of the Fairy Pearls seems to be increasing gradually. Kushina: Hm…because it doesn’t need the Fortress of Power any more, so… Lucieda: Where would he put it? I can’t think of any place where it’d be… Kushina: …let’s just go to the palace, and make it quick!
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Apr 11, 2022 17:47
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 North: Now, where are we to find Geruda? Kushina: If we want to find Geruda…I’m sure he must be in Sardis’ palace. Heathcliff: Sardis palace, huh… Paul (from offscreen): Princess Kushina? Prince Heathcliff! Kushina (surprised): That voice…! (Paul, presumed to have sacrificed himself at the beginning of the game, makes an unexpected return.) Paul: Princess! Prince Heathcliff! Heathcliff: Paul! Kushina: Paul? Is that [you,] Paul? Heathcliff: You’re okay! Paul: Don’t look down on me, Your Highnesses. I was once pretty good when I was young! Kushina (smiling): Yes, yes! You are the “Sword Mage” feared by all, aren’t you? Paul: You still remember quite clearly, don’t you! Kushina: But, it’s fine so long as you’re okay…by the way, Paul, do you know where Geruda is? Paul: *chuckles* Geruda is in Sardis Palace… North (nervous): I can’t feel his soul…it can’t be! Paul: *chuckles* Kushina (angry): You…you’re not Paul, are you? Paul: What a joke. I am, indeed, the real Paul the Sword Mage! (I almost yelled at the screen when Paul turned into a knight clad in black armor. Here I was hoping Paul could join the party and the game pulls the rug out from under me!) Paul: Princess…can you return to us without asking any questions? Kushina (crying): Paul…how could you? Paul: Princess, would you answer me? Heathcliff (determined): I won’t hand Kushina over to you. Paul: Your Highness, I didn’t ask you! Princess, come over here! Kushina (crying): Paul…please come to your senses. Paul: Hmph…looks like this isn’t going to work. I’ll have to teach you a lesson. It’s not too late now, so let me instruct you once again! Kushina (crying): Paul! Heathcliff (determined): Get away, Kushina! He’s not Paul any more… Kushina (crying): No…Paul, come to your senses! Paul: *chuckles* Here I come. Stage 30: Life and Death  The tree on the island in the lake hides a consumable that permanently raises magic defense.  Paul has nothing to say to us; I feed the kill to Aaron. Paul (bleeding from the mouth): Forgive me, Princess! I was under control and turned my blade against Your Highness… Kushina (sad): Don’t talk, I’ll cure your wounds now. Paul (as above): There’s no need, Princess. My body now belongs to the darkness; even curative magic is useless. Kushina (crying): Paul! Paul (as above): Princess…do you remember the little wooden cabin we would often visit in that valley? Kushina (crying): Yes, I remember. We can go [there] together. Paul (as above): It makes me happy to hear you say this…Your Highness, listen carefully. If you go into that little cabin, there will be the entrance to an underground waterway that leads to Sardis Palace. Baccus (surprised): Is that…the way to the Silver Wings? Paul (as above): That’s right…once you get there, you’ll understand everything. You must save Prince Ackbar. Kushina (crying): Is Big Brother there as well? Paul (as above): I pity His Highness…he was destined to inherit the throne, but being sickly from childhood, his expressions were always full of despair… Heathcliff (sad): Paul… Paul (as above): Prince Heathcliff…thank you for fulfilling your vows. Promise me…that you will protect the Princess in my stead… Heathcliff (sad): Yes! I surely will… Paul (as above): Oh…thank you so much…now…I can die…in peace… Kushina (crying): Paul! Paul… (Paul disappears.) Paul: Only the light of justice can destroy the darkness…it’s up to you…to restore light to the world…
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Apr 13, 2022 20:50
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 Stage 31: The Memorialized Path Kushina: Oh…that little cabin…it’s so nostalgic! Heathcliff: Is it that one [over there]...? Kushina: Paul often took me here…I’ve been here with Big Brother as well… Aaron (freaked out): Woah…we have to pass over this suspension bridge? Winna (grinning a mile wide): Aaron, don’t tell me you’re so scared you’ll wet yourself!  This is entirely straightforward: the party is to head to the end of the stage and defeat the mini-boss guarding the objective. There isn’t even a skit where the boss taunts us. The stage ends when any allied unit enters the cabin in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Kushina: Made it. I’ve been here many times, but I wonder if there’s anything in here?  Baccus: I looked all over the place; there isn’t anything special. Winna (like a kicked puppy): I’m so tired from looking… Heathcliff: Kushina, are you sure it’s this cabin? Kushina (sad): Yeah…this place hasn’t changed at all, it’s exactly like it was before. Heathcliff (sad): … Baccus: But…is there really a path to the palace here? Kushina (angry): Paul wouldn’t lie. Baccus (exasperated): But, he was once taken control of by the enemy… North (all smiles): All right, all right! Baccus, Kushina, don’t fight. (North walks to Kushina and stops.) North: Hm? Raphael: What’s the matter, North? North: Nothing…[wait,] there’s a hollow here. (North walks back, and Baccus approaches the spot where she’d been.) Baccus: Oh! There is indeed a hollow here, let me see. Yo! (A set of stairs going down appears.) Kushina: There it is! Heathcliff: So it really is this little cabin… Baccus (raising an eyebrow): It seems pretty deep down here. North: Something isn’t right here, let’s go down and take a look.
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Apr 14, 2022 21:59
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 Stage 32: Through the Waterways Kushina: I wonder if these underground waterways lead to the palace… Winna (like a kicked puppy): Nevermind that…I think something weird is wiggling over there… Lucieda: It looks like magical creatures have been let out. Aaron (annoyed): We still need to fight? I’m so tired! Bacchus (smiling): Your Highness, if you’re scared, you can go hide shivering behind me! Aaron (shocked): Why would you say something like that? I know what you mean, let’s just get going! North (happy): *laughs* Aaron (shocked): Look, even Snakey Sis is laughing.  Since Winna is the only one who can cross the bodies of water, I mostly send her to collect the treasure chests, whose contents I have marked on the screencap. The stage ends as soon as any allied unit lands on the stairs in the upper right hand corner of the map. Aaron: Stairs again? Kushina: Let’s keep going and see what’s ahead!
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Apr 19, 2022 02:24
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 Stage 33: Treasure Vault Heathcliff: The atmosphere seems to have changed. Kushina: Have we reached the inside of the palace? Raphael: Do you know where this is? Kushina: There’s a lot of Sardis’ interior that I don’t know. Baccus: It feels like a treasure vault… Winna (like a kicked puppy): It feels creepy… Lucieda: I can feel waves of darkness… North: But I can feel a heavy atmosphere…I wonder what’s there? Heathcliff: No matter what, if we don’t move [ahead], how will we know? Kushina: You’re right…let’s go!  More treasure whose contents I have noted in the screencap. Since the goal is to reach the set of doors in the upper left hand corner of the map, I stay as a single deathball until I can send Winna over to grab the chest in the island on the lower left hand corner. The map ends as soon as any allied unit steps in front of either door. (The party is assembled in front of the giant set of doors.) Heathcliff: [We’ve] reached the end…there’s a door here. Kushina: I wonder where it leads? Baccus: Where [could it lead]? Let’s open it and take a look. (becomes determined) *various effort noises* (calms down) …… (smiling) It won’t open. Winna (big mad): This isn’t the time to joke, you idiot! Aaron (raised eyebrow): Doesn’t the door have a lock? Winna: This room held the nation’s treasures; of course it’d be locked! Hm…what should we do? Lucieda: I can’t feel the power of darkness; it shouldn’t be locked by any spells. Baccus (determined): I’ll cut it with my sword! Raphael (yelling): Don’t break it by cutting! [Besides,] how could you do that with such a big door! Winna (grinning a mile wide): Where is it? I’ll check it out. Aaron: Birdey Sis, you look pretty happy. Raphael: You can tell by this what her real job is. Winna (happy): Hm…there’s no key. [But] yo! There’s a strange indentation! Kushina (surprised): Where? The indentation has a seal carved in it… Winna: Is something wrong? Kushina (surprised): The seal[’s design] is identical to the emblem I’ve been carrying. Winna (blue screening): W-what did you say? You’re telling me that this unremarkable-looking necklace is the key to the treasure vault? Kushina (angry): Winna, you’re talking nonsense again! Winna (grinning a mile wide): Oh! I’m sorry, don’t be in such a hurry to lecture me. Try using your emblem. Kushina (calm): Got it. (The door opens.) Aaron (shocked): It opened! Kushina: Let’s go in!
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Apr 20, 2022 12:03
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 Stage 34: Farewells Baccus (shocked): Hey, wait a minute! The door was locked, [so] why are there enemies [in here]? Kushina: They are guards in charge of protecting the treasure. Don’t worry, I have the Kingdom’s Emblem. Lucieda (yelling): No, something’s not right. I can feel waves of evil energy coming from these magical creatures. North, how about you? North: Indeed…I have felt it as well. Aaron (shocked): Birdey Sis…I feel scared all of a sudden. Winna (big mad): You idiot! You’re a boy and you say such cowardly things? Don’t worry, Big Sis will protect you.  More treasure whose contents I have noted on the screencap. The stage ends automatically when any allied unit steps on or past the wide set of stairs in the top middle of the map (highlighted in green). (The party is gathered before the sword on display before them.) Heathcliff: What is that!? Kushina (surprised): That is…? Could it be… Winna (happy): Yoohoo~! Treasure, treasure! I know! I can tell! If my eyes haven’t gone bad, then this is the real [McCoy]... Kushina (angry): Would you be quiet for a bit!? Winna (blue screening): S-sorry… Heathcliff: Kushina…what’s this sword? Lucieda: Oh…I think somebody’s there! (The screen flashes black repeatedly before turning completely dark.) Winna (big mad): J-just what is going on!? Aaron (freaked out): That’s why I told you that I was scared! (When the screen fades back in, Ackbar has appeared behind the sword.) Ackbar: You’ve finally come back, my dear little sister… Kushina (shocked): Big brother! Heathcliff (shocked): Prince Ackbar!? Ackbar: Long time no see. Even though that much time has passed, it feels as if we haven’t seen each other for several years. Heathcliff (determined): Please stand aside, I don’t want to fight you. Ackbar: Oh! You’re different from before. Kushina (crying): Brother, please stop! Why are you doing this? Why would you do such cruel things as burning down the forests, villages, towns, and all the people!? Ackbar (sad): Kushina…if you stay in Sardis, you’ll know our ideal. Kushina (crying): Stop! You’re not my brother at all! Ackbar (sad): …… Kushina (crying): My real brother…was killed in the rebellion! Now, the brother I know has died! That kind, wonderful big brother Ackbar…doesn’t exist any more. Heathcliff (sad): Kushina… Ackbar (sad): I don’t want to do this, either, but since you’ve said so, then all I can do is act as if my little sister has died as well. Raphael (angry): [You] cold-blooded…! Can’t you understand Kushina’s feelings? Lucieda: Prince Ackbar…the Fairy Pearls are full of great dark power. You cannot control them by your strength [alone]. You’d need strength equivalent to the gods’ in order to do that. Ackbar (smiling): Do you know what this sword is for? It’s the holy sword that has been passed down the generations here in Sardis, the Thunderbolt Blade that God created in order to kill the God of Death. Lucieda (angry): It can’t be… Ackbar: If I have this sword, I can control the Fairy Pearls, and stop Sardis as well. Heathcliff: …!! Ackbar: We wish to enact our justice. If you wish to enact [yours], come to our territory if you dare. (Ackbar takes the sword and walks up the stairs behind him.) Lucieda: We were careless…who thought there’d be [such] a special sword here? Baccus: Is that sword [really] so amazing? Lucieda: Yes…as he said, that sword is a creation of God; with that sword, it’s possible to have the power of the gods. Heathcliff (sad): Kushina… Kushina (sad): Sorry…I’m still…worried about my brother… Heathcliff (smiling): I can understand…we can save Prince Ackbar for sure. Kushina (smiling): Heath…thanks. Aaron: Big bro, big sis…are you having a staring contest? Winna (grinning a mile wide): Aaron, don’t ruin the moment! You’ll understand later. Aaron (doubtful): I don’t get it…
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Apr 21, 2022 19:48
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 Stage 35: After the Banquet Kushina (sad): How did it become so desolate here? Heathcliff (sad): We would have been married here… Kushina: …… Heathcliff (sad): Sorry…I shouldn’t say such things at a time like this. Kushina (sad): It’s fine…I was just…thinking the same thing. (There’s an awkward silence.) Lucieda: I knew it. North: What’s wrong, Lucieda? Lucieda: You should be able to feel it too, North–the waves of darkness are starting to shift. North: …I feel it as well. If I am right, then it shouldn’t be called a “wave” but rather a “language”... Aaron: What do you mean? Lucieda: I’m not sure yet, but I do know Geruda wishes to use the Fairy Pearls to do something awful. Heathcliff: [We’d] better stop [him] as soon as possible. Baccus: They should be upstairs. If that’s true, then we’d better hurry up there and deal with them.  I split the party to go after the two treasure chests at the bottom of the map, and as it turns out, only Wina can get them, so it takes a while to hoof her to both of them. The one on the right contains a Vodka, while the one on the left contains a weapon upgrade for North. The map ends as soon as any allied unit lands on either set of stairs. Baccus (sighing): Dammit! I’m so useless. I’m still shaking even while I’m holding a sword. Raphael: There is indeed a terrifying air about, but there isn’t time to think too hard about it. Baccus: I know…you’re so strict. Winna: Learn well, Aaron! It’s only spankings like these that help you grow up. Aaron: “Spankings”, huh… Winna (grinning like a fiend): That’s right, straight on the butt! Aaron (exasperated): What are you talking about… Kushina (smiling): This kind of talk is better than being down! Let’s not discuss this [any further] and get on with it!
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Apr 28, 2022 03:50
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 Manti (happy): Ooh…[you] got here faster than I thought. Raphael: It’s you again, gramps? Winna (grinning like a fiend): Don’t keep running away. Are you a coward, gramps? Manti (mad): Hmph! That’s impossible! I happen to be a general[, you know]! Don’t look down on me! Baccus: Oh…well said, gramps! Then, we won’t hold back! Manti (happy): *laughs* I think I will say farewell for now! (Manti disappears.) Baccus (shocked): H-hey! Winna (like a kicked puppy): [We’ve] let him get away again. Manti (off screen): I haven’t run away. (Manti appears on the staircase to the left.) Aaron (shocked): Oh! There he is! Manti (happy): At the end of the day, I am old. I will avoid a fight if I can. I’ll let them deal with you first… Stage 36: The Alien Sage  Thanks to the wall that separates Manti from the party, we have to schlep all the way around in order to get to him. Each tile occupied by an unhelmeted enemy swordsman is a magical circle that grants regen and additional defense. The treasure chests contain a consumable that increases maximum HP and a full heal. Baccus taunts us when any one of the party targets him or vice versa: Raphael: Ha! Caught up [to you]. Winna (like a kicked puppy): You say that, but we might let him get away again. Manti (happy): *laughs* Don’t worry so much, you little brat. Baccus: Oh! And he talks pretty big, too. Manti (happy): Didn’t I say not to take me lightly? The reason I left back there was to make preparations. Heathcliff: [What] preparations? (Manti transforms into a demonic-looking creature.)  Manti has paper thin defenses and almost dies to a single hit from Baccus; I feed the kill to Kushina. Manti (happy): *laughs* Not bad…looks like Geruda will have a hard time protecting himself as well. Baccus: You’re pretty good, gramps. Manti (happy): *laughs* Geruda has become one with the power of darkness. If you don’t go all out, he’s impossible to beat. North: You sound like you want us to win. Manti (happy): What do you think? Since you’ve already made it here, do your best…the power of darkness may be great, but it still has its weakness. (Manti’s sprite flickers and disappears. I think that means he’s dead?) Aaron (pouting): There he goes… Baccus (sighs): It’s impossible to hate that gramps. North: There are many strange people among the chimeric beasts. He sought the knowledge of darkness, but why did he partner with Geruda…? Heathcliff: Is it entirely due to the power of darkness? Kushina (surprised): Heath? Heathcliff: If our battle makes the power of darkness stronger…then what’s the meaning of us fighting…? Kushina (sad): Heath… Lucieda: We are fighting to control the power of darkness, to defend the world, and to save people. Baccus (smiling): That’s right, Heath! Let’s go! There’s no time to think about this question.
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Apr 28, 2022 21:17
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 Stage 37: [The] Beautiful Dragon God Kushina: Up ahead is the topmost floor. Heathcliff: Where are the stairs? Kushina: In the northwestern corner. Lucieda: Kushina, what is the topmost floor used for? Kushina: …it’s daddy’s private room. Actually, I’m not too sure, either. If I go in, he would get very mad. Lucieda (on alert): The deceased king!? Could it be… North (shocked): …how could it be… Heathcliff (surprised): What’s wrong, North? North (shocked): I heard God’s voice. Winna (grinning a mile wide): That’s wonderful! Tell him to protect us properly. Raphael: I can’t believe that God’s voice can be received in this place that has been covered by darkness. North (yelling): No, you’ve got it wrong. God is currently roaring! ‘Break, destroy, and then burn it all until nothing is left’. Baccus (shocked): How could that be? Aaron (eyebrow raised): What’s the matter? Is he really a God? Lucieda (angry): …I knew it. (Beat.) North, that is indeed the voice of a God…the God of Darkness. Heathcliff (shocked): [There’s a] God of Darkness…? Lucieda: The deceased king allied with the God of Darkness…and Geruda is currently trying to summon [that God]... Kushina (worried): What will happen if he summons it? Lucieda: At that time, it will become a battle of the gods, and we wouldn’t be able to solve it with our strength alone. Raphael (yelling): Wouldn’t that mean it’s all over? We have to stop [Geruda]... Kushina (yelling): We’ve got to stop it, quickly.  The white glowing circles represent spots that grant bonus defense and health regeneration. The treasure on the left is a weapon upgrade for Raphael that gives her the ability to attack from up to one tile away and the treasure on the right is a consumable that increases Max HP. Tayam taunts the party upon any allied unit targeting her or vice versa: Baccus (shocked): Tayam! Tayam: Long time no see, Baccus. Raphael (angry): How dare you address my Baccus so intimately? Aaron (happy): *laughing* Winna (grinning a mile wide): You see that, Aaron? [That’s] the moment when a woman is overcome by jealousy! Tayam: Geruda left instructions to kill you all, but…Baccus, I can make an exception just for you and let you live. Baccus (smiling): I’m happy to hear that. Raphael (angry): Baccus, you… Baccus (yelling): However, I have no desire to scrape by as your little pet. Don’t even think about it! Tayam: *evil laugh* Then I have no choice but to destroy you all. (Tayam transforms.) North (shocked): [A] dragon god!? Heathcliff (yelling): Everybody be careful!  Tayam hits like a truck with the fire breath attack and tanks a bunch of damage from everyone except Baccus; I feed the kill to Baccus. Tayam (bleeding everywhere): …go, and hurry. Up these stairs is the topmost floor. Baccus: Tayam… Tayam (bleeding everywhere): Go already. I don’t want you to see me go back to how I was and turn to dust… (Tayam dies.) Baccus (eyes closed): …… Raphael: What are you sad about? Forget it, I will turn a blind eye. Heathcliff: Then let’s go on up… North: [The dark gods] are roaring again…“come, hurry…” Aaron (thoughtful): I think I hear it too… Winna (like a kicked puppy): It sounds like it’s laughing and crying [at the same time], it makes me feel quite icky… Lucieda (determined): We must move quickly, before the evil god resurrects… Kushina: Let’s go, everyone!
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May 4, 2022 19:03
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 Stage 38: Bidding Farewell to Yesteryear Kushina: This is the first time I’ve come here…daddy… Heathcliff: I wonder what the former king was doing here? Lucieda: If I had to guess…making a deal with the gods! Heathcliff (shocked): What did you say!? Kushina (shocked): Father he–!? [Really!?] Lucieda: I don’t know the details, either, but the king certainly must have dealt with the gods. Perhaps he didn’t know that it was an evil god [that he was communing with]… Kushina: Lucieda, thanks for telling me. But I’m fine now. Paul’s also mentioned it before…we’ll be able to find all the answers here, and I’d like to know for sure as well. Lucieda: The truth may be quite cruel. Heathcliff (sad): Kushina… Kushina: Even so…I can take it, even if I get held responsible for calling the evil god [into this world]... Lucieda: You’re amazing. Still, you don’t have to bear this burden alone. The dark god was able to take the opportunity because many people were seduced by the dark… Aaron (smiling): That’s right! No matter how things turn out, you’ll always be my favorite big sis. North: I also have been looked down on by everyone, but we all hold onto our own beliefs; there’s no need to overthink it. Baccus (smiling): As it’s said, ‘the sons should not die for the sins of the father’, right, Raphael? Raphael (gently): That’s right! No one [here] will look down on you. Winna (grinning a mile wide): That’s right! In fact, if you were serious about it, our ancestors…nevermind, it’d be like picking at a scab. Heathcliff (smiling): No matter what happens next, Kushina will still be Kushina. Kushina: Thanks, everyone… Dot's Footnotes About Moon Runes The original saying about fathers and sons is simply “parents are parents; children are children”, but I went with something more culturally recognizable in the West.  The glowing circles are teleports that warp the allies (the bottom left to the top left and the bottom right to the top right respectively) that step on it and give said ally an immediate extra movement turn. The contents of the treasure chest are marked on the screenshot. A cutscene plays as soon as any unit advances up the middle past the carpet (I think, I wasn’t paying that much attention when I was playing): Ackbar: You’re here, Kushina! Kushina: Big brother…please step aside. Geruda: Kushina, you’ve finally returned! Heathcliff (angry): Shut up, Geruda! Geruda (smug as gently caress): Oh, my? Who could this be? Why, it’s Prince Heathcliff. Oops, you’re just a normal citizen of Rurafan now. *chuckles* Baccus (angry): Don’t move, Geruda! I’ll come and tear your lips off! Geruda: Sorry, but I’m quite busy. I don’t have time to dilly dally with you. Winna (big mad): What did you say? Geruda: …see you later, Your Highness. Ackbar: Go! Geruda: Yes! (Geruda turns and ascends the stairs behind him.) Heathcliff (angry): Geruda, wait! Ackbar (yelling): Don’t move, Heathcliff. Heathcliff (sad): Why must we fight? Ackbar (calm): …do you not wish to fight? Heathcliff: Just what do you plan to do? Ackbar (smiling): …I’d be more than happy to keep you company. Aaron (freaked out): Why are you so eager to fight? Winna (blue screening): No good. This guy…isn’t normal. Ackbar (sad): Kushina…you should know what I was like before. Kushina (sad): …… Ackbar (sad): Bound by disease, unable to walk about by myself. Though I was prince, I could not appear in important rituals; I was pathetic… Kushina (sad): …b-brother… Lucieda: You’re wrong. Your body has been taken over by the power of darkness. Sooner or later your spirit… Ackbar (sad): My spirit? That thing disappeared when I was little; I exhausted it battling my disease. Kushina (sad): It can’t be! Brother, you must be joking! Ackbar (sad): Listen to me, Kushina. On that day, I was the one who opened the gates to let Geruda’s troops in. I’m also the one who turned Paul into a dark warrior… Heathcliff (angry): Why would you do such a thing? Kushina (sad): Why, brother? What you’re saying can’t be true, can it!? Ackbar (sad): Kushina, why don’t you understand? Don’t you know how I’ve been living [all these years[ and what I think of the world? Kushina (sad): ...... (There’s a pause.) Ackbar (sad): I wanted to change. Kushina (sad): What? Ackbar (sad): I wanted to change it all–Sardis, Rurafan, Father, my body, everything. Kushina (sad): Brother… Ackbar (sad): Every time you treat me like this, it hurts me deeply. I am always thinking about how powerless I am… (suddenly shouting) It is the power of darkness that has made me strong and allowed me to complete my wish! Kushina (crying): Brother…don’t do this, I beg of you. Ackbar (sad): Kushina, you’ve been my only pillar. I am willing to sacrifice anything to make you happy. And then, [in order to] be with you always, I absorbed the power of darkness and cut loose the bonds of the earth. All of this…was for you. Kushina (sad): !! Heathcliff (yelling): Kushina! Ackbar (yelling): Do not interrupt, Heathcliff! If you do not wish for Kushina to suffer… Aaron (whispering): Will big sis go away? Winna (whispering): How should I know? But don’t worry, we should believe in Miss Kushina. Baccus: Raphael…no matter what happens, we shouldn’t rebuke Kushina. Raphael: Relax. If anything happens, I will deal with Geruda without hurting Kushina. North: Lucieda, do you sense anything? Lucieda: It’s Ackbar, right? North: That’s right! There’s a powerful dark energy in his heart, but there’s also a massive sense of guilt, too.. Kushina (shouting): Brother…I will never forgive Geruda. He killed father and changed you. I won’t let him get away with this no matter what! Ackbar (shouting): Is that your answer? If so, then don’t blame me for not considering our bond as siblings. I’ll send you on your way myself!  …and the party is automatically gathered in front of Ackbar after this. I was a bit annoyed since I hadn’t actually finished collecting the treasure yet so I led Ackbar on a merry little chase for several turns until I’d collected everything, then I fed the kill to Raphael. Ackbar (shocked): *screams* Heathcliff (shocked): Did we get him? Winna (big mad): No, there’s something weird about him. Aaron (nervous): He looks like he’s in a lot of pain! (The screen flashes, then Akbar is left barely propping himself up on his sword.) Kushina (crying): Big brother!? Ackbar (sad): That voice…is that Kushina? Kushina: !! Brother, have you come back to your senses? Ackbar (sad): Kushina…forgive me…I will not make any excuses, for I have indeed done wrong in seeking to receive the power of darkness… Heathcliff (sad): Ackbar… Ackbar (sad): How ironic. I wanted to be in the realm of darkness, but now that I’m losing my life, I’ve escaped the manipulations of that darkness… North: Lucieda, is there any way to save [him]? Lucieda: He’s absorbed much dark power. It’d only hurt him to cure him with righteous magic. Now, all we can do is watch over him quietly… Ackbar (sad): Hurry on up. Right now, Geruda is putting the finishing touches on a deal with the evil god in the Fairy Pearls. Raphael: We’ve got to move! Winna (big mad): Let’s go, Aaron! Aaron (freaking out): Hold up, Birdey Sis! (One by one, the party save for Kushina and Heathcliff goes up the stairs in the top middle of the room.) Heathcliff: Kushina, you stay here. Kushina (sad): But… Heathcliff (smiling): It’d be fine to keep your brother's company. Ackbar (smiling): No need, I’m fine. Right now, you need Kushina more. Kushina (sad): Big Brother! Ackbar (smiling): Heathcliff…I leave Kushina in your hands. Heathcliff: Got it. (Heathcliff goes to the stairs but stops and turns to look at Kushina before he ascends.) Heathcliff: Let’s go, Kushina! (After Heathcliff climbs the stairs, Kushina follows him but also stops to turn and look, this time at her brother.) Kushina (sad): Please wait for me, brother, I’ll be right back. (Then up the stairs she goes.)
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May 6, 2022 04:45
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 Stage 39: The Road to Destruction Kushina: Who knew there was another level [up]? Lucieda: This should be the last place…I can feel massive waves of dark energy. Heathcliff: I believe Geruda is waiting for us somewhere on this floor; we have to be careful.  I didn’t feel like clearing out the mooks on this map, so I deathball as a single unit in a clockwise direction towards the top middle where Geruda is lying in wait for us. Winna collects all the treasures, as she is the only one who can read them, yielding three Long Life Medicines and a Mushroom. Geruda taunts the party upon being targeted or targeting any allied unit: Geruda (smirking): You’ve finally made it…what persistent pests. Lucieda (determined): It looks like he hasn’t summoned the evil god just yuet. Geruda (smirking): So you’re the elf from before! I haven’t been able to sleep thanks to the injury [I got] back then that has yet to recover. I’ll get you for that! Kushina (angry): It’s the end of the road for you, Geruda! We’ll defeat you and seal the power of the Fairy Pearls. Geruda (smirking): Princess Kushina, I heard that you had an argument with your brother. That’s no good, [you] siblings ought to get along with one another! Winna (blue screening): T-this old coot… Kushina (angry): I can’t wait to punch your jaw crooked with this fist. Heathcliff (angry): Geruda, I won’t let you get away with this no matter what! Never! Geruda (smug rear end in a top hat mode): Oh? How arrogant! What naive fellows you are! Don’t you know my true strength!?  Geruda is as tough as he boasts to be, both offensively and defensively. I feed the kill to Raphael, as only she and Baccus can do much damage to him. Geruda (freaked out): *screaming* Kushina (determined): Is it over? Baccus (determined): Either way, stab him again! Winna (big mad): Aaron, don’t you dare hold back! Aaron (shocked): I won’t! North (shocked): Lucieda, the Fairy Pearls… (The scene fades to black. When it fades back in, Geruda is standing next to the Fairy Pearls.) Lucieda (yelling): Oh, no! Geruda sacrificed his own blood… (Geruda walks even closer to the Fairy Pearls.) Geruda (yelling): *groans* Dammit, that hurt! But, no problem…I’m invincible! Do you know what the god of darkness wants more than anything else from this world? Heathcliff (angry): What are you talking about? Geruda (in full smug rear end in a top hat mode): *laughs* Human blood, especially the precious blood tha gets spilled in battle. Lucieda (yelling): Oh no! Stop Geruda [at once]! (The screen flashes white and begins to shake.) Geruda (over the shaking): *laughs* Hear that? That’s the voice of darkness! The Fairy Pearls are whispering to me, telling me to change! Aaron (freaked out): *yells* Brother! North (freaked out): [M-my] head…it’s about to explode [from the pain]. Heathcliff (freaked out): Where is everyone!? (The scene flashes white again, then fades to black.)
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May 6, 2022 20:24
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 Kushina: Just where are we…? Lucieda: Probably the dark space created by Geruda. North (yelling): [Something] in here is letting out powerful dark energy! Aaron (freaked out): It’s Geruda! Lucieda: If we don’t defeat Geruda, we won’t be able to return to our world… Geruda (from offscreen): That’s right…so why don’t you rest here[...forever]! Kushina (yelling): Geruda!? (The camera pans up to reveal a strange chimeric creature.) Geruda: *laughs* Gaze upon me after I have received great power…magnificent, isn’t it? Lucieda (angry): Idiot…don’t you know? The moment your body was filled with the power of darkness, your soul has been corrupted! Winna (blue screening): *groans* My chest feels awful! Heathcliff (yelling): I, Heathcliff of Rurafan swear by all of the people of the two lands that I shall kill you!  It’s the traditional Farland Story battlefield in weird space, complete with special healing tiles and respawning reinforcements. I work my way up to the boss, stopping to kill all minions as they move toward me as well (and the reinforcements that spawn every three turns starting from turn 7.) Geruda has nothing to say to us.  As before, Geruda hits like a truck and can only take significant damage from Raphael and Baccus; I feed the kill to Baccus. (The screen begins to flash white.) Kushina (shocked): W-what’s going on? Heathcliff (surprised): Did we beat him? Winna (happy): Yo! A victory for [the side of] justice! Aaron (happy): Great! Baccus: I couldn’t believe it was that easy… Raphael: Maybe he was weaker than he looked, [or] all hollowed out in the middle! North (yelling): …something’s wrong! The waves of darkness are slowly getting stronger. This is…[a] rebirth!? Lucieda (yeling): Here he comes! Get down! (A humanoid being emerges through the magic circle left behind on the floor where Geruda had been.) Geruda: *laughs* What amazing strength! See this? This is the magnificent result of the [power of] darkness! Kneel down before me and beg for mercy! I shall be generous and let you end yourselves.  I shouldn’t have been surprised that the boss has a second form, but it still took me off guard. This version of Geruda hits even harder, capable of straight-up killing any unit from full health, so fighting him was a matter of attacking him with Raphael and Baccus, who’d both eat a deadly counterattack, then bringing in my healers so they’d be back up on the next turn; Baccus ends up earning the final hit. Geruda: *screams* Why!? Why!? My dark power… *groans* (The scene fades back to the top of the tower where the four Fairy Pearls were in prominent display.) Heathcliff (surprised): We’re back! Raphael (thoughtful): And the power of darkness? North (nervous): It hasn’t diminished yet… Kushina (shocked): How could that be? Lucieda (on alert): Not just that, it’s also quite furious. It’s going berserk… Ackbar (sad): Because…the contract with the darkness hasn’t ended… (Ackbar appears before the party.) Kushina (surprised): Brother! How did you get here? Ackbar (sad): I didn’t think I could [still] borrow the power of darkness…everything started on this floor. It was in this very room where father made a deal with the god of evil to gain the Silver Wings. Kushina: …I had no idea that there was a room like this… Ackbar (sad): Because it was hidden…nevermind that, if the Fairy Pearls lose control, then the power of darkness will cover the whole world. Baccus (shocked): Lose control!? Why? Ackbar (sad): Because we’ve gone against the contract, so the dark consciousness in the Fairy Pearls are angry… Raphael (thoughtful): So what should we do? Ackbar (smiling): All we have to do is officially destroy the contract. You [just] watch! Kushina (surprised): ‘Destroy…the contract’? How are we to do that? Ackbar (sad): We form the contract through royal blood; in the same way, we can use royal blood to destroy the contract. Kushina (shocked): Brother, you aren’t [planning to]... Ackbar (shouting): God of Destruction, who formed the dark contract with the former king of Sardis! I, Ackbar Sardis, in my capacity as the new King, use my life to end that prior contract! Kushina (crying): No! Brother!  (Before anyone else can react, Ackbar has turned his sword upon himself and plunged it into his chest and the screen begins to shake.) Ackbar (sad): Don’t come [any closer], Kushina! Once the contract ends, Sardis will begin to plunge down. Kushina (crying): We can’t go back to the ground, either, because the airship we rode [to get here] broke… Ackbar (sad): Kushina, are you giving up? Don’t you want to live and rebuild a new world? Heathcliff! You should know that there’s a Fairy’s Door under the palace, right? Heathcliff: Yeah, but…Rurafan’s Fairy Door has disappeared… Ackbar (sad): You can [still] reach the ground from Sardis if there’s a Fairy Door on this side… Baccus (skeptical): Really? Winna (grinning a mile wide): Though I can fly, I’ve never flown at this height. What should I do? Ackbar (sad): …hurry! Kushina (crying): No! Come with [us], brother! Ackbar (sad): It’s better this way. I should have done so from the beginning. Sardis’ people have lost their lives because Geruda invoked waves of darkness. I alone will bear the responsibility…Heathcliff…take care of Kushina… Baccus (freaked out): [We’re] starting to fall. Winna (blue screening): Sardis is falling apart… Heathcliff (sad): Kushina, let’s go! Kushina (sad): Brother…I’m going… (The scene fades to black.) Narrator: With the passage of time…  Kushina: Just you watch, brother. We will create a world full of potential. We won’t let anybody feel sad or in pain, letting this world be filled with limitless hope… Narrator: Kushina is saying this before her brother Ackbar’s grave. At this time, she was about to hold her wedding with Heath.  Heathcliff: Wait a bit you guys. If you have something to say, take your turn. Citizen A: It’s like this, I… Citizen B: Before that, listen to me… Citizen A: What did you say? I have something I wish to say to the king first. Heathcliff: W-wait a minute…take your time, one after another… Narrator: Heath revived the Rurafan kingdom and inherited the throne. Recently, he’s currently preparing to marry Kushina as his Queen.  Winna: No! This is all my treasure! Official A: Hey, just what do you want, saying something like this at the last minute. Official B: No problems, we’ve already received permission from His Majesty. Hey! Move [this] out. Winna: W-wait. This is mine…and so is that one. (The sound of something smashing is heard.) Official A: Oops! It broke. Official B: What are you doing? Official A: My hand slipped. Official B: Don’t mind that. It doesn’t matter if we break a vase or two. Winna: W-what do you mean by that!? Official A: Hey! Don’t [just] complain over there, come here and help. Winna: Me!? What are you talking about, why me? Official B: Hey! Winna: Oh, don’t throw that, that’s… (Another crash sounds.) Narrator: In order to restore the destroyed lands, Winna decided to donate her collection of treasure. However, when officials from the palace came to retrieve them, she hesitated, being unable to part from anything. Winna: *cries* Don’t take it away! (Crash!)   Baccus: What are you standing around staring off into space for? How can you beat [even] slimes with that bit of strength? Team Member A: Captain, how could you say such a thing? We’ve been wandering in these words for two hours. Baccus: Be quiet! Hurry up and find the exit first. Team Member B: Aww…how come even the “Forest Guard” have gotten lost? Baccus: What did you say? Team Member A: N-nothing. I didn’t say anything. Baccus: Very well. Follow me. The exit must be here! Team Member B: Um…we’ve already gone down this road just now. Baccus: What? Ooh! I’m so mad! When can I go home? Team Member A: C-captain? Baccus: *sighs* Narrator: Though Baccus and Raphael have officially held a wedding ceremony, as the guard responsible for the kingdom’s borders, he can’t often go back to see Raphael or his dear son. Looking at the two brats [with him], he can’t help but wish to sigh.  Raphael: Listen closely! I’ll forgive you this time, but don’t break more glass, okay? Child: Uh-huh! Got it. Raphael: Good! You are such a nice child. Let’s play! Child: Yay! Raphael: *chuckles* Children truly are so energetic! (Crash!) Child: Uh-oh. [It] broke again! Raphael: Here we go again. Narrator: In the end, the beautiful swordswoman Raphael married Baccus and are raising a child, but it seems that she is spoiling him too much.  Aaron: Alright! This time I have to… (A rumble sounds.) Aaron: Another failure? Why can’t I be like Professor Henry was? Okay! I’ll try again… (Another rumble.) Narrator: Aaron is continuing to study in his desire to inherit Henry and become the royal consulting sorcerer. Though he has excellent talents, he still can’t figure out the technique.  Woman: Listen to me! Let’s go to the furniture store and buy a bed this big! Oh! Are you thinking about something lewd? Man: W-what are you talking about? (Whispering) If you keep talking, the shrine maiden will get mad! Woman: What’s the big deal about that? Besides, we’re a married couple! Man: You’re right…we are a married couple! Woman: *squeals* Yuck, sto~op. *laughs* North: *sighs* Why…why do I have to pray for these people every day? Man (whispering): See! The shrine maiden is angry. You have to behave. North: *sighs* Narrator: After the war, North once again took up her divine calling. While the nation was in revival, there were many couples who wanted to get married. Though this was a good thing, North found herself thinking: “When will it be my turn?” Dot's Footnotes About Moon Runes North’s original lament was: “Hasn’t my springtime arrived yet?” (“Springtime” is metaphorically connected to romance–especially the first time someone experiences “love at first sight”–in Japan.)  Lucieda: Blue skies, soft winds…and this rich land all rely on you two to cultivate. Do your best, Kushina, Heathcliff… Narrator: Lucieda has once again wandered the earth in order to seal the great demon which brought chaos to the ruined land. On this undeveloped land, her heart is showing the light of hope as a new sprout brings forth shoots…  Credits Final remarks: This game didn’t do anything all that different compared to the other early generation Farland games so far; like most games in the series, the final boss does not feel balanced for even a minmaxed party, as I don’t think I missed that many level ups hurrying through the final stages but only Bacchus and Raphael were doing any real damage. Furthermore, the plot being so blatantly FE-inspired only attracts unflattering comparisons to games backed by more resources and talent; the only point in TGL’s favor is that it’s not as hung up about particular archetypes, but even then TGL’s writing is still not very strong. Oh, well. At least Winna was a fun character.
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May 9, 2022 15:21
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Farland Story 6: The Inheritance of the Gods Opening Cutscene I’m not sure if this game ever came out in Chinese or not, but I could only find a Japanese version. That means I will once again be relying on Google translate, but this time, the screenshots will be in this folder instead.  (Gray walks into a room where Alisha sits waiting for him from the window.) Gray: Phew, thanks. Alisha: Are you alright? Gray: Yeah, [made it through] somehow. (Meisha enters from the door to the south.) Meisha (angry): Alisha!! (Alisha turns around.) Alisha: Sister dearest! How did you [find] this place!? Meisha (angry): I’ll talk about that later. More importantly, that one over there! Please remove yourself from Alisha[‘s presence]! Gray (startled): ‘That one over there’...do you mean me!? Alisha (sad): Sister dearest, wait! This person is different! Meisha (suspicious): He’s not one of Victor’s minions? Gray: I don’t know what your story is, but I’m definitely not Victor’s underling. Meisha (smiling now): Ah…I see. In that case, [just] don’t get in our way! C’mon, Alisha, let’s make our escape! Alisha (sad): It’s impossible, sister dearest. Guards have gathered outside…I’d get captured right away. Meisha: I can do something about that. If there’s not too many [of them], I’ll use my power. They would have no choice but to surrender the Heaven's Gate to us… Gray (startles): ! Alisha (sad): Sister dearest, you mustn’t! Gray (yelling): Hold up a minute! Don’t just arbitrarily deem people as obstacles. You want to escape from here, right? Meisha (angry): That has nothing to do with you. Gray (yelling): Don’t be coy! People [other than you] are trying to escape from here! ( What Gray had said was, literally: “So uncute!” )Meisha (yelling): You [too]? What are you talking about? Gray (smiling): Follow me. First, you have to go up to the roof. That’s not too hard for a girl, right? Alisha (smiling): Sister dearest…let’s go! This person is alright, I’m sure of it. Gray: Unlike the elder sister, the younger one is a better judge of people. It’s decided, then. Let’s hurry. Meisha (suspicious): !! Of course Alisha would say so. (The three of them make their way to the roof.) Stage 1: The Great Escape (Meisha turns to Alisha.) Meisha: Alisha, watch your step. Alisha (smiling): Yeah, I’m doing just fine. (Gray turns to the right.) Gray (nervous): Dammit, that idiot Zero hasn’t shown up yet! Meisha: [Who’s this] ‘Zero’!? Gray: My partner. His light plane should be here [by now]... Alisha: [And what’s a] ‘lite plain’? Gray: Well, it’s, um…a machine used to fly in the air! ( I feel bad for the translator without Google who has to figure out what a ‘karakuri’ is! )(As Gray says this, Zero flies in on his plane, which also has a rope ladder attached to it.) Zero (yelling): Gray! Gray (yelling): Zero! What took you so long! Zero (yelling): I was just going to say I was worried that I was too late but [it turns out] you’re on a date with a girl? Nevermind, hurry up to the roof [and] jump on the rope ladder! Gray: How’s it going down there? Zero: It’s full of police officers! If you don’t hurry up, you’ll get arrested! Gray: What he said. Hurry up, you two! Meisha (grumpy): I’m afraid I can understand just fine without being told! (The camera pans to the right, where a large contingent of policemen have assembled at the ground level.) Galbani (angry): Gray…this time, I’ll see you hang at the end of the rope! And yet…you haven’t been caught? (yelling) I went through the trouble of setting up this sting on a report, what’s all this? Police Officer: Oh! Inspector! Just what’s going on here? Galbani (yelling): I can’t take it any more! I’m going to arrest him with my own two hands! Police Officer: Don’t do that, Inspector! You’ll break the ladder! Galbani (yelling): Don’t [you dare] say another word! (Victor walks out of the mansion to where the police are standing.) Victor (smirking): Just what’s all this fuss is about, Inspector? I can’t imagine it’d need so long to take down a mere burglar. Galbani (angry): Urgh! Mr. Victor, that guy might be young, but he’s a tremendous thief honed by countless experiences. It’s not that simple! Victor (laughing): Ha! In that case, I won’t rely on you any more. Galbani (calm): Huh? Just what do you mean? Victor (yelling): [I won’t allow] those who [dare to] sneak into my mansion to get away scott free. Go, my army! Capture those little rats! (Minions appear all over the roof.) Galbani (yelling): I-impossible! Hey! Just what is your deal? Stop! Don’t take another step! I’ll arrest you for obstruction of justice! (The camera pans back to Gray.) Gray (nervous): This is bad! We’ve got company! Meisha (yelling): Alisha! [Stay] next to me! (Back down to the ground level…) Victor (smirking): Thanks for your service, Inspector. You may pack it all up from here. Now, then… (Victor turns and goes into the house.) Galbani (yelling): You’ve got to be kidding me! I’m the one that will arrest him! Do you [lot] wish to be overtaken by those guys? *descends into incoherent screams* Police officer: Inspector! (Galbani goes into the house.) Police officer: Aw, man…he just charged in…  The roof is the only part of the map that matters for this stage; at the end of every turn, Zero will fly back and forth at the top of the roof (highlighted in green in the screenshot); one unit per turn can escape the map if they end their turn in that area, with priority given to the unit that is standing closer to the direction in which Zero is flying for that turn. Meanwhile, more minions will be spawning in from the edges of the roof every three turns or so, so clean out the minions in your way fast, keep everybody together and topped up, and you should be able to finish it with no issues. (However, you still risk losing Alisha to critical hits from full health, so try to keep her out of the fight as much as possible.) Gray can attack from up to two tiles away; he also has a special ability that turns him invisible until he attacks, but he can only attack from one tile away while invisible. Alisha, meanwhile, can only heal, but from up to two tiles away; her sister Meisha can also attack from melee and both characters can cast an area of effect heal that heals all units within a three tile radius of either of them (but this heal is not as good as their regular heal, it doesn't distinguish between friend and foe, and they gain no experience for using it). There’s a bit of custom dialogue depending what order the characters leave the roof. If Gray leaves first: Meisha (yelling): Wait a minute! Are you planning on leaving us behind? Gray (nervous): I’m not that heartless! Hurry up and jump aboard! If Meisha leaves before Alisha: Zero: That’s the first person! Meisha (yelling): Alisha! Hurry! If Alisha leaves before Meisha: Zero (smiling): You’re next! Meisha (stubborn): I’ll be fine, you go next. Zero (nervous): You really are something[, you know what]! If Gray leaves while Alisha remains on the roof: Gray (smiling): Yo, were you scared? Meisha (yelling): What are you talking about? [My sister] is still down there! Gray (smiling): I know. Zero, I leave things up to you. Zero (smiling): OK! If it’s Meisha that was left behind: Gray (smiling): You alright, lady? Alisha (sad): Nevermind me, my sister… Gray (smiling): I’ll [be sure to] pull her up. Zero! Zero (smiling): Yo, leave it to me! If the two sisters are onboard before Gray: Zero (smiling): Gray! You’re the only one left! Gray (happy): I know! The stage ends once everyone has left the roof. Zero: Hey! All aboard? It’s gonna get a bit crazy! Gray (happy): See ya later, Old Man Galbani! ( Gray calls Galbani “ossan”, the same term of endearment that Lupin calls his persistent pursuer Inspector Zenigata and it’s usually translated as “pops”. )(Finally, Galbani has made it to the roof.) Galbani (angry): *panting and heaving with the effort*...Gray! (He looks around.) Galbani (angry): I-I got my hands on a rope somehow…huh? Police officer: Inspector…Gray’s already flown the coop… Galbani (yelling): H-he got away? *growls* [You] idiots!! (Victor comes out of the house on the ground floor.) Victor (angry): W-what? How could this be! They’ve stolen the Heaven’s Gate! Characters introduced this update:  - A self-proclaimed great thief. - A healer held captive by Victor until Gray comes to her rescue. - Alisha’s sister, a priestess who can cast offensive and healing magic. - Gray’s usual partner in crime; flies the getaway vehicle and is handy with a gun. - The police inspector obsessed with capturing Gray. - A rich man who was holding Alisha prisoner; it remains to be seen if he will be a recurring character or not.Bonut game over screen, possible to see as early as Stage One even in the Japanese version, which is why I do not recommend that you play this game in translation as they’ve upped the difficulty even more: 
dotchan fucked around with this message at 19:35 on May 25, 2022 |
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May 12, 2022 12:13
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 (Zero is flying the plane over a town when…) Zero (nervous): This is bad. Gray (yelling): Hey, hey, just what’s going on over there? Zero (nervous): I've run out of fuel. I flew back and forth quite a bit…we’ll have to land in this area for now. Meisha (yelling): What’s wrong? Gray (nervous): It’s the end of our [leisurely] skyward stroll…we’ll be taking it by foot from here. Stage 2: Banish the Darkness! Gray: Well, from here on out we’ve got no choice but to hoof it. Zero (nervous): Either way, it’ll be too loud for us to get to the hideout. Gray (kindly): After that bastard Victor showed up, strange creatures would appear in this area at night…ladies, please stick closely behind me. Meisha (suspicious): …where are we headed? Zero: My hideout…one of the [closest] entrances is the warehouse northwest of here. Anyway, that’s that. Let’s go!  At this point, Zero joins the party. Zero can only attack from up to two tiles away, but he also has a special ability that allows him to attack squares up to three tiles away if he doesn’t move beforehand (however, he cannot attack squares immediately next to him with this ability either). The battle ends as soon as any unit enters the doorway of the house in the upper left hand corner of the map. (The party is gathered in front of the door.) Gray (happy): Made it…it's in the basement of this warehouse. It's a little messy, but don't worry about it. (The scene transitions to a dark screen.) Gray (yelling): Hold it! There’s somebody [in] here. Zero: Yup, and I don’t think that’s a human[, either]. [Let’s] kick the door open at the same time, okay? Gray (yelling): Sure! Let’s go! Zero (yelling): Take that! (There is a flash of white.) Voice: Eeek! Gray (yelling): A woman!? Zero (yelling): Gray! Don’t let your guard down! Voice: Eek! [It’s] me, Zero, Gray! Me! (When the scene fades back in, a winged woman is sitting at the table in Gray’s underground hideout.) Gray (shocked): W-w-w-what? Zero (shocked): Vesper!? (One scene change later, the current party has seated themselves at the table.) Gray (exasperated): What are you doing here? Vesper (smiling): C’mon[, you know better than to ask]. *chuckles* Hey, Gray, you guys sneaked into the Victor mansion today, right? Gray (shocked): H-how did you know!? Vesper (smiling): I hear about everything [that goes on in] Anhelm! Don't overlook the Amazing Vesper the Information Broker! Zero (tipping his hat): Indeed, I’ve heard her also called the “Gossip Monger”... Vesper (angry): As unpleasant as ever, huh, Zero? Gray (angry): Anyway, Vesper, what are you doing here? Vesper (angry): !! What the hell! I came all the way here thinking I’d be received kindly! Gray (angry): And what does being kind have to do with anything? Vesper (smiling): …before [I get to] that, who are these ladies? Alisha: We’re… Meisha (angry): Hold on, Alisha. I shouldn’t be saying this after accepting help, but I don’t trust you one bit. Alisha (sad): Sister dearest! Gray (smiling): You’re right, we haven’t [even] introduced ourselves to each other [properly] yet. I’m Gray. Zero (smirking and using his gun to tip his hat): I’m Zero. Zero DeBaise. Vesper (happy): Hm…very well. I’m Vesper. Vesper R. Hein. Nice to meet you. Alisha (happy): I’m Alisha Farina. I’m a shrine maiden from Toscana. Gray (shocked): ‘Toscana’? [You mean] the Toscana Ruins? Meisha (sad): Alisha! …fine, very well. I am Meisha, and also a shrine maiden. However, I’m not as adept at hearing the voice of God as Alisha… Alisha (very sad): Half a year ago, the village was attacked. Meisha (yelling): Alisha! Alisha (kindly): I’m alright, Sister Dearest. These people are not villains. Zero (whispering): I’m inclined to disagree. Gray (angry, whispering): Be quiet! Alisha (remembering): Toscana was a village created by the gods and our mission was to protect the ‘Inheritance of the Gods’... Gray (shocked): “The Inheritance…of the Gods”? Meisha (angry): Foolishly, Victor wanted it and he sent soldiers to attack Toscana. (Beat; sad music begins to play.) Meisha (angry): I had been picking up herbs ... if I were there, they wouldn’t have taken Alisha away so easily. Alisha (remembering): Toscana is holy ground, divine lands that no one should invade. That…that Victor… Meisha (angry): Victor took Alisha to the ruins. He knew that if he were with the shrine maiden of God, the seal of the ruins would be released. Alisha (remembering): In the end he got his hands on one of the three sacred treasures that protect the inheritance of the gods from the ruins: the fairy stone “Heaven’s Gate”... ( So it turns out “Heaven’s Gate” is the name of one of the MacGuffins we’re chasing after. Whoops! )Zero (whispering): Sounds like major[ly valuable] treasure. Gray (whispering, angry): Be quiet! Meisha (shouting): That’s why I went to [Victor’s] mansion to rescue Alisha and retrieve Heaven’s Gate, but was only able to save Alisha… Gray (presumably showing Meisha the MacGuffin in question): Is this what you weren’t able to get back? Alisha (smiling): [The] Heaven’s Gate! Meisha (shouting): How did you [get your hands on that]? Gray (smiling): How? It’s simple. I robbed Victor’s mansion. Zero (shocked): H-hey, Zero! Meisha (sad): You robbed [him]!? Gray (happy): “Gray the Magician” is quite famous in the industry, but it's not unreasonable for a naive shrine maiden like you to not have heard of it. Alisha (smiling): [What] “industry”? Vesper (happy): The thieves and robbers industry[, of course]! Meisha (shouting): Did you say “thieves and robbers”!? Zero (exasperated): Yup…she did say that. Meisha (sad): Oh, God! Please save his contaminated soul! Gray (angry): How rude. I’m not in it for the money. Alisha (kindly): Sister dearest, this person’s soul isn’t contaminated, I’m sure of it. Meisha (angry): No matter the reason, it’s against God’s teachings to steal from a person! Gray (smiling): I don’t remember learning anything from God. Anyway, I’m more interested in learning about the Tosca ruins. Meisha (angry): No one else must lay a hand on those ruins! Gray: I was wondering if I’d have to return to Toscana? Alisha (very sad): It is of utmost importance that I return the Heaven’s Gate to the ruins… Gray (arrogant): Victor will attack again. I’m sure he’s having his troops follow us already. Meisha (angry): … Gray (kind): I can protect it. Zero (exasperated): Oh, my God, [he’s like] this as soon as a woman gets involved! Gray (kind): Don't worry. It's not that I'm not interested in the "inheritance of the gods" ... but what I'm looking for is something else. Meisha (yelling): Do you swear to return Heaven’s Gate to the ruins? Gray: Yes, I swear. Zero (shocked): !!! Alisha (kind): Very good! Please protect [Heaven’s Gate] properly, Sir Gray! Gray (happy): You can count on me! (The screen shakes; Vesper gets up and heads to the door) Zero: What the hell!? Vesper (smiling): Sorry, Gray! Gray (shocked): Ack! Is that Victor? What the hell, Vesper! Vesper: In truth, I’ve signed a contract with Victor. There’s a beautiful model [named] Sorel [with him] and he has a good look. See you later, Gray…bye! ( Yes, this is the same “Sorel” who was in Farland Saga 2, but as far as I know that’s the only connection between the two games. I could always be wrong, though! )(Anyway, Vesper beats a hasty retreat out the south door.) Gray (yelling): !! Dammit, that Vesper snitched on us!! Galbani (off screen): *laughs* Gray! You’re totally surrounded! There’s no escape this time! It’ll be the rope [for you]! (The party turns toward the door.) Zero (nervous): Grk! That pops sure is persistent. Gray (yelling): We’ve got no choice but to take the risk. Everyone! Let’s head out! Stage 3: Hell Inspector Galbani ( The game describes Galbani as an “oni”, but translating that literally as “demon/troll/orc/ogre” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it in English. )(The party goes outside to find the warehouse surrounded by countless police officers.) Galbani (happy): *laughs* You’ve finally come to your senses, huh? Gray (determined): Zero, pops is the only weakness of this barricade. Let’s take the chance to break through. Zero: That old man sure is confident. Meisha (sad): We can’t discuss this issue honestly? Gray (yelling): What are you talking about? All of Anhelm’s police act at Victor’s discretion. They’re not going to listen to a word we say! Zero: [Don’t worry about] that kind of thing…now, then, let’s break through in one shot!  This “stage” is pretty much just an interactable cutscene, so I decided against making it a separate update. The wall of police officers are just there to keep your units from running away; they can’t be targeted at all. Similarly, Galbani doesn’t let anybody other than Zero attack him, saying: Galbani (yelling): Please stand back! Gray is my [proper] opponent! Once Gray tries to hit Galbani, the stage ends: Gray: *panting* Hold your horses, old man… Galbani (angry): Hmph! What a shame you are a petty thief! However, it’s over [for you]. Take this, Gray! My ultimate technicke, the Iron Fisted Mountain Charge! (Galbani punches Gray so hard he goes flying back several feet.) Zero (yelling): Gray! Galbani (happy): *laughs* Characters introduced this update:  - A winged woman of variable loyalties, as she makes a living selling information to all parties
dotchan fucked around with this message at 18:15 on Jul 19, 2022 |
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May 17, 2022 16:27
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