Let's Play Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan!

Jmnz8wI - Imgur
Etrian Odyssey IV?
Hello, and welcome one and all to my playthrough of Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan! For those wondering what Etrian Odyssey is, it’s a now-sixteen-years-running series of dungeon-crawling JRPGs with a focus on party customization and exploration. Etrian Odyssey really excels at fun, strategic dungeon crawling while you map out the floors of the Labyrinth, at the expense of a slightly lacking story. It’s notoriously difficult as a whole, but Etrian Odyssey IV offers two difficulties- Standard, for people who enjoy the difficulty of the series, and Casual, for people who don’t want to worry about getting party wiped during their stay in the dungeon.

Why this game?
No special reason really, other than the fact that I haven’t seen another complete screenshot playthrough of the game.

Spoiler policy?
No thanks. Etrian Odyssey isn’t story heavy, granted, and I don’t care about spoilers personally, but in case someone reading this hasn’t been informed of the plot before, might as well not ruin it for them.

Updates 1-4 are remnants of a previous playthrough. Had to stop partway through because my old laptop had the save data/writing on it, and that one’s since been sent out to pasture. Guild Aurum may make a cameo at some point, but for now, their adventure has been unfortunately drawn to a close.

OUTDATED:
Update 1
Update 2
Update 3
Update 4

Current:

Volume 1
Unwritten Pages
Wanted: Dead Ore Alive
Brush in the Wind

4 Likes

Update 3: Aurum Gets Wings
815_top
The final step before completing your mission will be to visit the Grand Court and report your find.

Alan We’ve an obligation to return the Iridescent Ore to the Count. Let’s get going, shall we?

Smith Speak for yourself, I’m bushed. I’ll meet you kids at the inn.

Untitled Aye, I could use a rest.

Rei I guess a rest couldn’t hurt. We’ve still gotta make sleeping arrangements, though- I wasn’t planning on having a full guild just yet!

Billy Don’t worry about it- There’s an inn just up ahead! I have some relatives that stay there on occasion, including my brother, who lives just outside of town.

DONT DELETE

Innkeeper Welcome to Saehrimnir Inn. Lots of our explorers use this place as a base between excursions. If you get hurt or tired, come back here and get a good rest. We have clinic in the back, too! You’re welcome to use it if you have any ailments or wounds to treat.

Rei Yeah, we are new explorers! How’d you know? Anyways, we’re gonna need reservations for… two rooms, please.

Alan Two?! But I must object- such tight spacing will surely not be adequate for proper rest!

Rei Why, Alan? You’ve volunteered to pay for our housing? How kind of you! That’ll be… twenty five gold, for five rooms, if you please.

Alan I never-

Rei OR, we could pay ten for two rooms, and take the funds from the guild coffers. It’s your call.

Billy Ahahaha! Alan, was it? I think it’d be wise to leave the financial decisions to Rei.

128_top

Rei All right Amine, UP AND AT 'EM! We got a mission to turn in, people to meet, places to explore! Get yourself ready, will you? I’ll go get the guys-

Untitled FIE, WOMAN! LET ME SLEEP! THE CARDINALS HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO CHIRP!

Rei Not a morning person I see… All right. You’re up, at least.

623_top

751_top

245_top

Count I now pronounce the Aurum Guild to be explorers of Tharsis with my official blessing! And of course, there is the other half of your reward to be given. Here you are, then…

114_top

552_top

The party gets almost two levels’ worth of experience.

320_top

Count It’s a vessel that sails the skies, powered by the Iridescent Ore. You’ll be searching for Yggdrasil on one. Your skyship is ready now at the city gates. Once you claim it, why not make the Lush Woodlands your first stop? The Lush Woodlands is a large, natural labyrinth currently being investigated by many of our explorers. Once you reach the Lush Woodlands, head straight for the pillar of light you’ll see. It’s an invaluable tool. Oh, and stop by the atelier before you go. I sent them my authorization for you to buy certain necessities. Well then, may your way be clear!

050_top

Rei grabs the first of the damage skills she’ll be using the entire game- Blazing Link.

811_top

Billy has a better chance to trigger Taunt.

372_top

Another level in Long Shot.

221_top

Smith gets Healing high enough to unlock Line Heal, which is just as self-explanatory as Healing. It costs 10 TP though, which is pretty hefty for this point in the game- especially to be using in long dungeon treks.

971_top

And finally, Alan gets Lightning Rune, which targets a whole row of enemies. It’s probably the best of the first-tier Runes.

Untitled We were asked to head to the Berund Atelier, no?

298_top
731_top

The soldier takes a moment to catch his breath before pulling out a letter and reading it over.

Soldier It says he will be giving you a Foodapult. I’m guessing that’s equipment for your skyship? Maybe that’s why he can’t give it to you by hand. It says here it’s been delivered to the city gates, and you should ask the one in charge there for details.

064_top

The soldier apologizes for delaying you and nods curtly before leaving.

218_top

Engineer I got a request from the Outland Count to prepare yeh a skyship. She’s all ready to go. Yeh can set sail as soon as she’s registered. So, what’re yeh going to name her?

Alan If I may? Our guild is titled after a word of old, meaning gold. Perhaps a name such as Argentum would suit our guild’s new flight companion?

Billy Don’t be so dry. Our ship should bring death from above for all who dare oppose us- She should be called the Juggernaut, the Deathship, the Flying Menace!

Untitled Let us go with the Mocha.

383_top
383_bot

Rei Huh? Why the “Mocha?”

Untitled I had a dog once. We called her Mocha. She was brown, like coffee. …I know not why you are glaring at me like that.

769_top

Engineer I’d explain the controls, but yeh’ll learn faster if yeh try it out. Yeh can outfit it at the city gates. Which reminds me, yeh got a piece of kit from the Outland Count, right? Yeh can equip it on your skyship. Come by the wharf when yeh’re bored, and I’ll let yeh guys have some other equipment no one else is using. The Cargo Wharf might not seem like the place for explorers, but that’s where yeh’d be wrong. I’ll explain what I mean when yeh stop by. I’ll be waiting!

Rei Oh, yeah! We’ll definitely stop by.

Smith Sure thing.

Alan Beyond a shadow of a doubt! We won’t be visiting, will we?

Rei Nope.

461_top

Wynne Now we can finally sell yas dem Ariadne Threads. Every explorer gots ta have an Ariadne Thread. It takes ya back ta Tharsis wherever ya use it from. Ya oughtta buy one right now! It’d be a disaster if ya forgot!

Wynne isn’t lying. Ariadne Threads are great. They’ll warp you out of the labyrinth in both dangerous situations as well as ones where you just don’t want to walk back to town.

872_top

Smith Y’know, I’m real curious to know who would pay for a Grasseater leg and what its practical applications are, but we got paid so I don’t really care.

531_top
008_top
697_top
188_top
817_top

340_top
340_bot

The Leather Vest is a pretty nice upgrade from Tweed, and Billy will be taking quite a few hits, so I grab one for him. Unfortunately the shop requires you to have enough materials to make each piece of armor, and I only had enough for one Leather Vest, so Rei will be stuck in Tweed for now. The back row really doesn’t need anything else quite yet.

Alan Did anyone else notice that magnificently dressed woman disappearing into that building just now? …Come to think of it, what is that building?

Smith Nothing stopping us from checking it out.

374_top

Peacock Here at the Dancing Peacock, you may accept quests and seek information from our patrons. Completion of these quests is met with commensurate rewards. Many explorers enjoy passing time in this way. A request I think to be perfect for you was only just posted. Might I ask that you look it over?

Untitled I beg your leave, but I do not believe-

Rei “Commensurate rewards,” you say? Color me interested. C’mon, Amine, let’s at least check them out!

397_top

Rei How about this one?

157_top

Peacock A group of soldiers are exploring the east side of the Windy Plains. But they lack the food to carry on. So your task would be to gather food and drop it off for them. Their camp is in the forest. I was given to understand that it is in an open area. Freshness is important in food, so you must find and deliver it in one trip. I shall await your swift return.

538_top

Rei And this one?

Peacock That request? It is from the governor of Tharsis… the Outland Count. He wants you to search for a small grove of kapok trees. You can learn more by talking to him at the Grand Court. I shall await your swift return.

865_top

Untitled Rat fangs? I wonder if I could aim precisely enough to sever them with my arrows.

Peacock That request comes from the Berund Atelier. They are keenly interested in materials for a sword. They can supply you with more details of the task at the Atelier. I shall await your swift return.

635_top

And then there’s the bar patrons. I’m honestly curious if anyone would be interested in seeing the dialogue here- there’s a LOT of it. In the interest of actually getting something done today, I’ll be skipping this for now. I do have the dialogue in case anyone is interested in seeing it in the future though.

Rei Let’s visit the Atelier first, and the Grand Court afterwards.

415_top

Wynne So I want yas to get me two of dem Rat Fangs. Dem Tree Rats out in the Lush Woodlands drop em. When ya gots em, come sell em ta me. Don’t worry, da money yas get for selling em ain’t part of da reward. I’m counting on yas. Buh-bye!

455_top

Count Are you familiar with kapoks? That tree is not grown for food, but for its several other uses. There is a place in Windy Plains where many kapoks grow. I want you to search for this kapok grove. Rumor has it that it’s somewhere on the northern side of the Windy Plains. The A-2 region sounds likely. Oh, I’m sorry if my terminology is confusing to you. Do you need an explanation on maps and coordinates?

214_top

Alan No, I don’t believe you need to recite a technique so simple as reading a grid.

408_top

Count Now then, if you do happen to find the kapok grove, return here and tell me its coordinates. Of course, it you know them already, do not hesitate! Let’s have them!

077_top

And now, if we head to the City Gates, we have three options- warp directly to a labyrinth like the Lush Woodlands we’re headed to, we can head to a “land,” which essentially corresponds to the Strata of the previous games, or we can begin next to any cave that’s been discovered.

241_top

The Foodapult lets the Mocha literally catapult food in front of the airship, and it’s part of some FOE puzzles on the overworld map. There are other pieces of equipment too, and some of them are pretty useful for making money.

175_top
175_bot

349_top

As you would expect from the Windy Plains, strong gusts of wind blow across the skies. Some of the stronger winds seem likely to sway the Mocha from her course… Far to the north of these skies looms Yggdrasil, your ultimate destination. But you will never reach it without understanding how to control your skyship. You review the controls…

Smith Now how did I get stuck with Skyship duty? I ain’t too sure this is part of my contract.

Alan Most likely because your uses in the navigation department are severely limited. Regardless, operating this craft is simple. This lever drops crates of food, this one controls the thrust, and this wheel turns the skyship- obviously.

901_top

The map you received from the wharf master shows Tharsis, as well as the Lush Woodlands the Count spoke of. You could head straight for that natural labyrinth, but it might be wise to have a look around first. Be on your guard. Encounters with monsters and tornadoes could cost you your lives.

811_top

Billy I hope these soldiers like carrots!

217_top
217_bot

Smith Are you SURE this is the right time to be gathering vegetables, lass? I can’t really patch you up if you’re kangaroo droppings!

Rei But think of how much these will sell for!

Untitled We need to be leaving- now!

412_top
412_bot

Alan Quick! Through there!

142_top
142_bot

Untitled You fool! The winds are too strong for our ship!

Alan How was I to know?!

Smith Quit your bickering. 'Sides, he’s not following us anymore anyways.

Winds will push you in the direction they blow- groundbreaking, I know.

911_top
911_bot

Rei I don’t think I need to say this, but let’s find another way around.

Billy Such power! I must learn the ways of the tornado, and seek to become so fearsome a force in combat!

Smith Learn 'em on your own time- I’d rather keep our ship and bones intact.

540_top
540_bot

There are brightly colored fruits on the trees; many animals seem to flock here to feed on these fruits. You grow excited to think of what manner of exotic beasts you may encounter in this forest.

757_top

Alan Breathtaking, truly, but this is most certainly the wrong destination according to the map.

900_top
900_bot

Looking down, you see breathtakingly clear spring water gushing out from beneath the quay. This seems to be the source of the river flowing to Tharsis. You linger to take in its beauty before leaving.

This is an important location for an upcoming quest.

726_top
726_bot

You can almost hear the rustling of the trees thick with large, glossy green leaves. This is the fabled kapok grove! You must simply mark its location so as not to forget and report to the Outland Count to fulfill the request!

Amine Kapoks, hm? They are marvelously beautiful- 'tis a shame we have none in the East.

Alan …Fascinating. What do you use for lumber, then? What about adhesives derived from Kapok sap?

Untitled I am unsure about these… adhesives. But we have other species of trees native to my homelands- in particular, the Darru trees, whose lumber is very flexible and strong.

Alan Ah! This intrigues me. Magic and baking are my callings, yes, but plants always fascinated me. Perhaps you could teach me about the flora of the East at a later date?

Untitled Perhaps. On the condition that you, too, tell me of the plants native to the West.

Rei You’re going to bond… over plants. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

877_top
877_bot

To the east and west are high mountain ranges, far too tall for your skyship to fly overhead.

312_top

Visibility is close to nil in the ravine. To brave it with your skyship would be far too dangerous. You also see some kind of monument south of the ravine. You can barely make out a crest engraved in it.

008_top

To the side of the forest is the same stone monument that was next to the ravine. It seems to coincidental to ignore… There may be some connection between the ravine and the Lush Woodlands.

Billy That’s it- the Lush Woodlands. Those monuments are connected, without a doubt. I say we crush whatever monsters are in there, and we’ll find a way to clear the fog. Though I wonder why my brother never mentioned the monument before… he works as a soldier here all the time.

Smith No use speculating- the food’ll spoil if we don’t deliver it soon.

325_top
325_bot

You recall the request from the bar to deliver food to some soldiers… These are most likely the ones. If you mean to fulfill the request, it is best that you drop the food off at the soldiers’ location.

094_top

Billy LOOK OUT BELOW!

289_top

After checking over the contents, they signal you, satisfied. They seemed pleased with the food. The request is now complete! You can turn it in the next time you find yourself at the bar.

704_top
704_bot

You see a stone monument at its entrance that looks clearly man-made. Who built it here, and why? You will never know the answer unless you step into the maze… You steel yourself to begin your explorations.

620_top

Rei I think we’ve flown around enough. Onwards!

754_top

And that wraps it up for this update. Next time, Aurum checks out what’s going on in the Lush Woodlands.

1 Like

Ooooh, character development! Can’t wait to see where you’re going with this.

Question: I know you said no plot spoilers, but what about spoilers regarding game mechanics?

Class mechanics are fine in my book.

Okay then: Are we going to see characters for the other classes in the future, or has every character been introduced already?

Oh, no. We’re only rolling with half the final roster at present- I didn’t want to introduce everyone at once simply due to the way I’ve been handling introductions.

I’ll have the 7 characters of the base classes introduced by the first boss, and the other 3 will be introduced when their respective classes become available.

2 Likes

Oh damn! Looking forward to that for sure!

I’m terribly sorry to anyone following this, but my laptop bricked today and I’ve already lost progress twice to issues with my DS itself. This LP will be on hold temporarily until I can get it fixed or replaced. I swear my intention wasn’t to keep people in the dark, I had planned to pump an update out by now but unfortunately I couldn’t.

1 Like

NOOOOOOOO!

But seriously, hope that the tech issues will get resolved soon.

Good news everyone! I have a temporary solution to the problem I’m having with technology. Unfortunately, I’ll have to replay everything so far since I lost a bunch of footage, but luckily that won’t take too long considering we’re near the beginning of the game. I’m looking forward to getting this rolling again!

1 Like

Now that’s some good news for sure!

Rejoice! Let us celebrate with some venison!

…On second though, it’s an EO LP, let’s skip the deer.

1 Like

Update 4: End of the Long Wait
686_top686_bot

Untitled I do not believe I will ever get over the beauty of these forests.

Rei Yeah. I wonder if every place we visit’ll be as pretty as this…

112_top
112_bot

The beautiful scenery has a pleasant breeze that passes through, rustling the grass and the trees. Yet despite the soothing atmosphere, you have not forgotten that this place has claimed countless lives. You resolve to test your mettle against the labyrinthine hazards once more…

682_top

Billy Whoa. You guys see it too, right?

Alan Hm. Though you may have no clue, I believe I have already deciphered this mysterious phenomenon!

Rei Really?

Alan Of course! I have deduced… that this phenomenon is of a magical nature!

Smith Brilliant observation, lad. You’re a right ace detective.

Alan …Well if you have anything better to share, please do so.

Smith I do, actually. Let’s quit standin’ around and go check it out.

540_top

As you gaze upon it, wondering what it could be, a nearby soldier addresses you.

415_top

The soldier points to the pillar of light that stretches to the heavens.

Soldier You touch it, and you’ll be able to go to and fro between the city and the forest in an eyeblink. Don’t bother asking around how it works, though. It was here when the explorers found this maze long ago. But it’s handy, that you can be sure of. My advice? Put it to use and never you mind the particulars.

Having finished talking, the soldier leaves his place, seeming pleased with himself… You are left free to test out the Geomagnetic Pole or to continue your wanderings.

Smith Ain’t any harm in trying it out.

154_top
154_bot

Rei On second thought, he said it’ll take us back to Tharsis, right? I don’t think we need to go back yet- we just got going, after all.

Untitled Rei is right. We should be getting going.

814_top
814_bot

It seems to be the smell of the sap oozing from the trees that form a wall in front of you. Fearing that the smell may lure dreadful beasts, you decide to quickly take your leave.

Untitled It seems dangerous to be hanging around here. The sweetness of this scent could lure the monsters.

Alan

Untitled Hm? What is the matter, Alan?

Alan Nothing of particular import. It is simply that we used to utilize this sap in the making of sweet breads… It dredges up old memories of my family and I.

Smith Now that’s sweet and all, but we just made a point of the dangers of hangin’ around here.

701_top

Rei Ack! That’s a giant rat! Kill it! Oh, it’s so ugly!

So yeah, the tree rat. The first genuinely dangerous enemy you’ll fight. They have more HP than Rollers and Grasseaters, and hit kind of hard too. But they’re not much of a threat if you keep your party topped off.

489_top

Billy Ha! That’s barely a scratch!

That’s the rat’s basic attack. Keep in mind that it’s from the back row, meaning the damage is halved, and that’s our tankiest party member.

626_top

Rei Sonic Reid! Get it? Because my name’s… no? Ok.

Alan Very clever, but could you perhaps refrain from bisecting it next time? I don’t believe we’ll be able to salvage any materials from this one. And we require a quota of rat teeth to fulfill the Atelier’s request.

Rei Oh yeah. Hehe… oops.

345_top

I gained an extra level when I was playing back to this point somehow, and I forgot to spend the point until after this fight. Regardless, Rei gets a point in Freezing Link.

231_top

Billy learns some better insults.

553_top

Smith gets a fourth level in Healing, unlocking Steady Hands- which gives Smith a thing to do on the first turns of boss fights and whatnot when he doesn’t need to patch someone up. I’ll go for it soon.

329_top

Alan opts for Runic Gleam over Ice Rune/Ice Lance. There aren’t any notable Ice weaknesses in this area, and Ice Lance is the worst aoe type of the early Rune skills. He’ll have to pick it up later to get access to Glacier Rune, but eh.

097_top

And Amine’s Long Shot gets longer.

303_top

Billy Come at me! Let’s see your strongest attack!

Untitled Mayhap you should not provoke-

156_top

Billy You stumbled right into my trap!

This was Billy defending, by the way. The tankiest member of our team takes 30+ damage naturally from Forest Rats. Yikes.

422_top

Alan At least we were able to extract a fang from this one. It was mercifully in one piece, and identifiable, unlike the last one.

Rei I said I was sorry!

513_top
513_bot

Alan I wonder what it is about this flora that attracts it to gaps in the forestry like this…

085_top

Smith Nasty little buggers. I haven’t seen such a ferocious cut from a small animal in ages; at least we got what we need.

855_top
855_bot

Billy Hm? What’s this… tingling sensation?! I feel something strong coming our way!

No sooner have you drawn your weapons than a herd of monsters leaps from the underbrush!

113_top

Rei Is that a… GOLD PELT? QUICK, DON’T LET IT ESCAPE!

Billy Oh, a worthy adversary…! HAVE AT YOU, FIEND!

Billy activated auto-taunt there, which isn’t really a big deal in this fight since Rollers don’t hit hard. Anyways, rare breeds give quintuple XP if you kill them in exchange for being much faster and deadlier than regular enemies of that variety. They’ll run away randomly, and deny you your XP and drops from them.

660_top

Rei Aww, what? This is just a regular shell!

Smith Sorry, lass. Looks like the gold glow dies with the monster.

337_top

You expect that the shining monster you have vanquished is what they call a rare breed. The rewards that can be reaped by subduing these monsters are many, and should not be passed up lightly.

846_top
846_bot

Rei Huh? Another one? They’re in the most inconvenient spots too… I can see a path just past this!

Untitled It seems there is nothing to be doing about this. Let us move on.

218_top

Alan Aww, look! Cute butter- I mean. Ahem. I believe these are dangerous enemies to be eliminated.

Rei Hehe! Looks like Alan has a soft-

740_top

Rei GACK!

Billy ARGH! Devious little insects! I’ll crush you all!

Woodflies, everyone. And yes, their name is incorrectly pluralized as woodflys. They blind you with their magnificent scales. That’s it. They’re weak to volt and stab damage, and they do really pathetic damage. Even in groups, they’re no threat. These guys basically exist to save you TP(since you can basically just normal attack them to death, and they reset your encounter gauge).

192_top

Alan Urk… I cannot say I am accustomed to this feeling of utter darkness…

Untitled Hm. These are easy targets… when they stop with the blinding.

838_top

Billy Smith, you got a bottle of eye drops? The mighty Billy isn’t feeling so mighty…

Smith Sure thing. Try not to stare so hard next time.

939_top

The ground is littered with wood splinters. It looks as if something smashed its way through a wall. You wonder what happened here…

Smith You kids should be careful. It’d take somethin’ strong to crush a tree into splinters like this.

551_top
551_bot

Untitled Halt. I sense something in our path…

Rei Maybe if we creep, it won’t notice us.

Billy Creep?! The mighty Billy WILL CREEP NOWHERE! NO FOE WILL INTIMIDATE ME!

995_top
812_top
812_bot

You stand tense, knowing that those thick, trunklike arms could easily pound you into jellly!

Alan BILLY, YOU BLATHERING FOOL!

Smith No time, lad! Run!

579_top
719_top

Untitled It attacks the trees…? Mayhap this could prove useful…

Rei WHY ARE YOU SLOWING DOWN?

543_top
543_bot

Rei The door…!

373_top

Smith Not now…

455_top

Alan Out of the way!

036_top
054_top
054_bot

Smith Hah… We’re lucky to be alive. You kids should be grateful for your good fortune. Even a step slower and we’d be bear feed- ain’t any medication to fix that.

Future lesson. DO NOT do what I just did. Empty out your encounter gauge before leading FOEs around- there are dangerous encounters that would’ve led me to getting caught by the FOE.

Untitled Hm…? Do you hear something… approaching?

Alan What? I sense nothing of the sort. The danger was back there, with the large, angry ursine creature.

008_top

Smith Billy… I apologize in advance, lad. This’ll be rough.

Meet the Angry Baboon, the bane of all newbie explorers. These guys are the first instance of that patented Etrian Odyssey SCREW YOU. I’d recommend running from them, honestly. They eat your TP very, very quickly, they hit hard, and they have a lot of health, especially for a random enemy.

501_top

Billy GAH! That… was… nothing…! I don’t think it’s supposed to bend that way…

Smith Lemme fix that…

859_top

The baboon outspeeds Smith’s healing. Ergo, I need to preemptively heal Billy because he’s by far the most likely target for the baboon due to Taunt and his HP. This is the only way to reliably kill Angry Baboons at this level with this party.

187_top

And there it is, the strongest attack we’ll encounter on the first floor(barring Cutters, the FOEs). Swing does massive damage for this point in the game- consider that Billy is defending here, meaning damage to him is halved. Swing can do 60 damage to my most durable party member. Point being, it HURTS, and is one reason why it’s generally a better idea to run when you first find one of these guys.

361_top

Fortunately Smith’s healing outpaces the Baboon’s damage against Billy while he defends, and it dies to Alan’s magic. Unfortunately, take a look at everyone’s TP.

256_top
256_bot

“Those who have, should share their bounty. Those who lack, take what you need with gratitude.” The box appears to be empty just at the moment. You are free to put an item inside or leave the box be.

648_top

Smith Hate to say it, but I don’t think we have anything to spare at the moment.

973_top
973_bot

942_top

Guard I do a small trade in things from the city to help out explorers. At least take a look at what I have.

With a flourish, he produces a broad-bladed sword and an Ariadne Thread and lays them out on a rug. There is 476 en in your purse. You ponder whether to take him up on the offer or to politely decline.

085_top

Rei Hold on a sec. I’ve seen these items before- the Thread is worth 100 en tops!

Soldier Haha, I had a feeling you’d try that! But you’re wasting your breath. I come from a family of merchants.

085_top

Rei And look at this cheap thing! This sword looks second hand- no way I’m shelling out 1,000 en for this!

Soldier Come on, give me a break… I’m already cutting my own throat here! I’m just trying to help you out.

085_top

Rei No way! You’re not gonna swindle us out of our money- not while I’m here!

Soldier Oh, fine! This stuff is old and I got it for a song anyway… But don’t you dare try and wring more out of me! I’ll go this low and no lower!

297_top

Rei Hehe. I thought so.

Out of these two, the sword is actually a better deal by a tiny amount, since the Thread saves you 75 en but the sword saves 80. However, I actually forgot the Thread in this dungeon trip, so I opted for the Thread instead.

Smith I’m proud of ya, lass.

Alan Ha! Might your family have been merchants as well, Rei?

Rei

Alan I apologize, I have a tendency mumble or otherwise ineffectively communicate at times. I asked-

Untitled AHEM. How about the flora of this area, hatted one?

Alan Hm? But we were- OW!

Smith Hmm.

Soldier Thanks for the business. You’re quite the haggler… maybe you should take up merchantry instead! At any rate, I can’t let you keep picking my bones clean. I’m closing up shop here.

585_top

On consideration, you doubt he will be back. You watch him disappear into the woods before going your own way.

002_top

Untitled We have no reason to engage this monster. Let us be leaving before it smashes Billy like a bug.

271_top
271_bot

Alan Ah, the Forest Aloe! A species of plant, notable for its use in concoctions able to refresh the drinker, cleansing them of all manner of ailments!

259_top

Billy HAHAHA…! Heh! Ack… what…?

Smith I’m outta medical supplies… I can’t help him!

Rei No… please… I can’t-

Smith LASS? HANG ON!

Untitled Quickly! This way!

028_top

Smith Without my supplies, there’s nothing I can do. I can’t stop the bleeding…

Alan I… what…

Untitled ARGH, YOU LOUTS! THROUGH THE DOOR, BEFORE WE’RE DEAD AS WELL!

201_top
201_bot

Smith I can’t find a pulse. We need to leave, now.

Untitled Alan, you heard what Smith is saying. We need- Alan?

123_top

Alan They’re… dead…

Untitled Alan, we need… ALAN?!

Smith He’s already gone, Amine. We need to get these three back to the clinic, and to do that we need to run away.

Untitled Alan…?

Smith I said run. We head for the stairs, where it’ll be safe to warp back.

296_top
072_bot

Your reverie of what might lie below is broken by hurried footsteps echoing from the stairs…

072_top

You search your memory for his name… Whirlwind, was it? His face is stern, but on seeing you, it relaxes. Only then do you notice the man slung over his shoulder! The armored man’s head is bandaged and he hangs limp and unmoving. He is clearly not conscious.

Whirlwind Sorry, but no time to chat. This poor Tharsis boy… looks like he ran into bad news down there…

Though the man projects a calm demeanor, his fatigue shows through in the sweat pouring down his brow. You suspect he may require help… You wonder if you should offer your assistance.

364_top

Smith We’re not gonna be in here much longer anyways. Send 'im with us, it won’t make any difference.

337_top

The man smiles.

Whirlwind But it’s okay. I’ve got this taken care of. Still, whatever got him down there… Once the Count hears of it, he might want something done.

483_top

You are free to continue down the stairs or return to Tharsis to replenish your supplies.

Smith Hang in there you three… I’m sorry I couldn’t keep you safe. It’s my own fault I didn’t bring enough supplies…

383_top
438_top

Smith It should be safe here. Let’s head back.

Untitled

915_top

There is anger in their voices as they say things such as, “That monster…!” and “We can’t let this stand!” As you are wondering what could have happened, you suddenly hear a familiar voice address you.

653_top

Smith Safe…? We have three heavily wounded party members who very well die if you don’t let us through. So unless you’ve got some news of that soldier you brought back or somethin’ similar…

Whirlwind Oh, that soldier I carried back? He’ll live, though he’ll be in the hospital for a while. I was lucky to bring even him back, though… Sounds like the rest of his troop was completely wiped out. From what I got out of him before he passed out, they got attacked by some bear creature with blood-red fur. The Outland Count’s not taking this one lying down. If you go the the Grand Court, he’ll ask you for its head. But I wouldn’t recommend that you go charging down into B2F. Fact is, the monsters there are too strong. But if you follow the river by the Lush Woodlands west, there’s this place called the Small Orchard. The monsters there are perfect to do a little training on. If you want practice, that’s where I’d go. Well, I should take off. Make sure you don’t do anything reckless, okay?

You decide to be on your way as well.

211_top

Smith I’ll take them to the clinic. Go see if those two need anything.

Untitled

798_top

Peacock It was nothing to be ashamed of… You seem to be doing your all to search the small caves that dot these lands. All of us in the city are grateful for your contributions. The caves have many rare and desirable minerals. The more of them you find, the more we shall flourish. I hope that you continue your efforts on our behalf. But now that Dalla has hungry mouths to feed, I should return to my place of work. Perhaps later, Aurum…

847_top

Alan I… must apologize. I endangered our only means of escape, and-

Smith Don’t worry about it, lad. We’re all right. Nothing to be sorry about.

Alan I-I’d like to be alone for a while, please.

799_top

Rei It was so-- horrid. So lonely… so cold…

Smith …It’s all right. You’re not alone now. You have us.

036_top

Billy WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER? Oh, it’s you. Hello!

Smith Normally I’d scold ya for being so loud this late at night. But I think we could use some positivity at the moment…

And that’ll do it for this update. I tried to make it of a significant enough length to compensate for my long absence, but I’m not sure how good of an idea that was. It ended up a bit on the somber side for my tastes, honestly, but we’ll get some new characters and hopefully some more positive energy next update. Until then!

1 Like

Yay! Update!

He damn well better! Papa didn’t create no blood knight that could be dropped by a freaking tree rat! 10 laps around Tharsis, Billy! Then I want you to work on your taunts! And I swear, if I hear one of those dead horse “your mom” jokes, the next batch of laps will involve Depth Dancers!!!

1 Like

This is gonna be fun!

(This one was great too, btw)

Five long years since Update 4 >﹏<
I guess we’ll never know who Rei, Amine, Smith and co. were gonna meet~

Chapter 1: Unwritten Pages

barbg

keplar2
…Six thirty. Been a while since I really felt like time was crawling by this slowly.

kirtida
What, is one rowdy customer not enough these days?

keplarright
Oh, didn’t see you walk in. Not like you to be tardy.

The woman glides elegantly to the counter, laughing gently as she goes.

kirtida
That’s a bit troubling, considering I’m paying you to make sure nobody’s getting in who shouldn’t be. Maybe a performance evaluation could do you some good?

keplarright
Better than evaluating these floor tiles for another 8 hour shift.

kirtida
Oh, come now, this is a lot better than what they had you doing previously, I’m sure. But if you really must have a bit more excitement, I may have stumbled onto just the opportunity for you!

With a flick, the woman sends an envelope sailing through the air, which lands neatly on the end table closest to the door. The man stretches stiffly before bending over to pick up the card.

keplar2
“Dear Kirtida, it has come to my attention that the work study program for combat medicine initiated by the Count has received its only applicant this year, just before the deadline, and he was hastily approved. He is due to arrive Emperor 1st, which is tomorrow as of the date this letter was written. On such short notice, I can’t well assign any of our more notable guilds to assist with this program… as such, I would beseech you to seek out anybody qualified and willing to take the boy out for field experience, preferably by welcoming him into a guild temporarily or establishing one. Any delays would surely tarnish the reputation of the Count’s administration. -My gratitude, Augustus.”

Upon finishing the letter, the man smooths his shirt contemplatively.

keplarright
Does sound a fair measure tougher than what I’ve been doing here. I don’t really get it, though- how’s this benefit you? Wouldn’t be getting much closer to settling our tab if I was off babysitting some medical student.

kirtida
Spoken like someone who’s never owed a favor to the Guildmaster. Trust me, you’d be more helpful than kicking your feet around here- I’m able to hold down the fort most nights just fine with Albert.

Kirtida eyes the peacock in the corner of the room, who interrupts its preening to blink at her.

keplarright
But still, that debt-

kirtida
Ah ah ah! I’ve made up my mind. You’ll do a wonderful job protecting the newcomer in town, and I’ll consider us even.

keplarright
…Thanks. If you’re sure, then that’s that.

Flashing a grin, the man spins around to make his way outside.

keplar2
We’ll see if you change your mind about getting squared away when we strike it filthy stinkin’ rich, though!


tharsisbg

candy2
Ughhh, not again… why do they even give a damn about a stupid apple anyway? There’s gotta be somewhere-

guard
You there! Halt! Return the stolen goods at once, thief!

marcus2
T-thief?! Where?

candyright
Well, you’ll have to do…

marcus2
Huh? Can I- MPHG-!!

candy2
Just bite it. I’ll do the talking. Oh, thank goodness you’re safe, Max! You must’ve been starving waiting for me to get back, you poor, poor thing…

guard
You can’t just bite into that! It belongs to the stall up the road!

candy2
Aww, but you don’t understand, sir! My kid brother hasn’t had anything to eat for so long… look, he’s wasting away! There’s no skin on those bones at all! Please, we’re just on our way to the guild to earn an honest living; you couldn’t separate siblings looking out for each other, could you?

guard
I… suppose not. Times have been tough in the recent collapse, after all. Were your parents involved in the airship bubble, by any chance?

candy2
Yes, exactly! We’ve been struggling so hard to make ends meet since our family business collapsed, so surely you can tell that merchant we got away clean… right?

guard
I really shouldn’t, but I’d be heartless not to recognize the strain recent affairs have put on the citizenry. At the very least, the merchant deserves an apology. Would you mind coming with me just for that?

candy2
Oh, without a problem! You just stay here, Max, I’ll be back in a bit. Enjoy your apple, okay? I worked so hard for it, after all.

marcus2
“But I…”

candy2
Great, be back in a bit.

Both the guard and the strange woman depart, leaving “Max” standing alone in the street with an apple missing a single bite.

marcus2
Do I really need to stand here? It sounded like she might know where the guild is, at least, but I could also ask directions from the locals…

After pondering this issue briefly, the boy decides to stay put. If he refused, he might blow her cover… and what if she really was starving? Surely he couldn’t just throw her to the wolves. Besides, walking up and asking for help out of the blue seems a little intimidating in a new town.


Eventually, the same woman returns, swinging some ornate object around her finger via a keychain. Her steps slow to an abrupt halt when she notices the boy still standing in place, exactly where she’d left him.

candy2
Huh? The hell are you still doing here?

marcusright

Well, you mentioned being on the way to the Explorers’ Guild when you were talking to that guard earlier- I was hoping you’d be able to guide me there? …also, I don’t really like apples. You can have this one back, if you want.

The woman stared blankly back.

candy2
What, your nasty saliva coated apple? I’m not eating that if you bit into it. Feed it to the birds or something if you don’t want it, don’t waste it.

marcusright
What about the guild?

candy2
Get to that in a second. So, there’s supposed to be a bunch of treasures in the labyrinths, right? Shit to st- sell. You looking for a guildmate, kid? Could walk you there instead of just pointing the way.

marcusright
Well, I don’t really have any idea how this study is supposed to work. But you seem really smart, so I’d be happy to have you if it turns out I do need the help!

candy2
Smart for how I look, you mean? No need for the sarcasm, prick. Let’s just hit the road.

marcusright
What? That isn’t- ah, wait up! You’re way too fast…


innbg

marlene2
In… out… uuuu… haaah… ok, you can do this, Marlene! Today’s the day you head to the explorer’s guild, and make some new friends! Definitely not going to hole up in the comfy inn room again, or curl up next to the fireplace with a book, or hang out here eating Dalla’s delicious stew. You will NOT be defeated by the stew, no matter how tantalizing it smells!

Several tables away, a tall figure regards the woman with marked confusion. Taking a swig from her mug, she turns to the innkeeper.

tsukushiright
Is it commonplace to use this inn as a stage for combat against one’s own demons?

dahlia
Well, sure it is, dear. I try to make things as comfy as possible, which makes it easy to lay out your troubles, with no fear of judgment.

tsukushiright
A noble goal- the sturdiest of foes spring from within.

Not taking her eyes off the shorter woman, she observes as Marlene sinks back in her chair, apparently having talked herself out of action once again. Her cloak seems to swallow her form as she withdraws, leaving only what appears to be a large, fluffy cotton ball sitting at the table.

tsukushiright
Though… perhaps this enemy is too much for her to handle alone.

dahlia
The poor thing has been here for three days already, working up her courage again and again only to falter at the last second. It’s all I can do to make sure she’s comfortable here, and that she has all the time she needs to succeed.

tsukushiright
Fear not! I require allies on my quest, as well. On my honor, I swear I shall make her into a fine knight.

The stoic woman slaps down several coins on the table after downing the last dregs of her drink, and marches up to the cotton ball perched upon a chair.

tsukushiright
Rise! This is no time to mope about- you must swim while you have the strength to fight the current!

Two shining blue eyes peek out from the oversized robes.

marlene2
Huh?! What the heck does that mean? And who are you?

tsukushiright
Each and every one of us is endowed with a unique set of aptitudes and abilities. We are granted only a limited time to hone them, and wield them for the betterment of ourselves and our peers. Moping around in an inn wastes this precious gift- you are allowing the blade of your talent to rust!

marlene2
That much is true, but…

The woman withdraws into the safety of her large robe again.

marlene2
It’s scary, okay? What if I can’t find a group, or we get hurt?

tsukushiright
If getting hurt is your fear, then I shall shield you. But I cannot shield you from your own indecision- you must make the first step on your own terms, with your own strength.

marlene2
Who says things like that to a stranger? You’re so weird…

The corners of her mouth tilt upwards, however, and she slowly unfurls herself from the curled up position she had assumed.

tsukushiright
Excellent. Then we shall tarry no longer- to the explorers’ guild posthaste! You may call me Tsukushi, if it suits you.

marlene2
I’m Marlene! Although my friends just call me Marle.

tsukushiright
Quite a regal name. There can be no greater proof you are destined for something astounding.

marlene2
I, um, try not to put much stock in names, hehe. Kind of like your starsign; some people really get into that stuff and believe it’s real, but it just doesn’t work out for me.


guildbg

keplarright
So where’s the kid? Shouldn’t he be here by now?

guildmaster
By all accounts, yes. Word that the airship touched down arrived hours ago. Hopefully he hasn’t gotten lost in the city in some capacity.

keplarright
Supposed to be on track for a medical license, isn’t he? Seems like he’d have his wits about him, navigating this place shouldn’t be that tough.

The guildmaster’s eyes twinkled in amusement.

guildmaster
Ohoho! You’d be surprised at the types of people that end up in that profession. Brilliant, the lot of them, but brilliance does not always equal proficiency in any number of basic life skills. Why, you’d hardly believe some of the stories about my husband…

keplarright
You’ve always seemed more romantically interested in paperwork than people. Shocked you managed to find somebody.

guildmaster
Getting cheeky, are we? I’ll have you know I was quite the rascal at your age- it took many years of chaos to discover the peace I now enjoy. But that’s a story for another time. It appears our guests have arrived.

marcusright
Sorry I’m late! Things got a little messy on the way here- there’s a lot of people swarming around which makes it kind of tough to see, and Candy here-

A glare bored a hole in the boy’s temple, and he swallowed.

marcusright
-was nice enough to guide me here.

candyright
Yeah, Max here said he’d be heading out into the field or something. Sounds like he could reaaaally use a bit of a buffer between him and a shallow grave out there, which is where I’m stepping in. Unless you’ve got other plans for the kid?

marcusright
My name is actually Marcus…

candyright
What? You gotta speak up, Max. Project that voice past the tip of your nose.

marcusright
Ah, forget it.

guildmaster
Welcome to Tharsis, young man. And yes, to answer Candy’s question, you are free to join whatever guild Keplar and Marcus establish, assuming they have no objections.

candyright
Wait, what? I walked all the way here with the kid, shouldn’t it be ME getting a say on who else hooks up with me and Max?

guildmaster
It is my responsibility to ensure the safety of this young man while he is journeying here. An old friend of mine recommended Keplar for the task, and I’ve also known him since HE was but a boy. Therefore, it was my intent to assign him as Marcus’s primary guardian from the outset.

keplarright
Hold your horses, now you’re making it sound like he’s my kid or something. How old are you, anyway?

marcusright
Me? Well, I’m a little young for a pre-med student- I skipped a grade, so I’m 17 at the moment. My birthday was pretty recent, so I’ve got just under a year until I turn 18.

candyright
Damn, you really ARE a kid. I was just pulling your leg.

keplarright
Aren’t there regulations about this kinda thing? Minors weren’t allowed to embark without explicit parental chaperones, I thought.

guildmaster
Correct, and if you’d let me finish, you’d understand. Keplar, I was not lying when I claimed you’d be acting as Marcus’s guardian- his legal guardian will also be you, for the duration of his stay in Tharsis, or until he comes of age.

keplarright
That about adds up.

candy2
‘About adds up?’ You’re a fucking temporary dad now and that’s all you have to say?

keplarright
No use getting worked up about it. Figured there might be more of a catch than Kirtida was letting on. Guess the better question is, how’s that sound to you, Max?

marcus2
Not you, too…

keplarright
Jokes aside, I’m really not that much older than you, Marcus. Must be a little strange, especially with living parents back home, but I guess if you need something, it’ll be on me to provide. And don’t you worry, I’ll be between you and the monsters at all times. Keep me on my feet and I’ll keep you on yours, sound like a plan?

marcus2
Yeah! I can look after myself while we’re about town, anyway.

candy2
My ears might’ve deceived me, but I didn’t hear a word about standing between ME and the monsters.

keplarright
More worried about them than you. Don’t think I didn’t notice those daggers hidden in your waistband. I’ve seen people try to smuggle smaller things that way.

candy2
Ah, you think you’re cute. But those aren’t the hidden ones, unlucky for you.

guildmaster
Hoho… Let’s get you all signed up, shall we? First, have you decided on a name for this little venture?

keplarright
What about Myrtle? That doing anything for you two?

marcus2
Like the tree, a Crape Myrtle? Those are gorgeous, that’s fine by me.

candy2
Could do worse, I guess.

The guildmaster shoots a pointed gaze at Keplar, who has suddenly developed an interest in looking wherever the guildmaster isn’t.

guildmaster
With that out of the way, let’s get you all individually registered as well. If you’ll step forward one at a time, please.

keplarright
‘Nightseeker?’ You come up with that name yourself, or…

candy2
Sorry, ‘Person Who Kills Monsters With Knives And Poison’ doesn’t quite fit in the box.

keplarright
Hey, I wasn’t knocking it. Just curious if you nabbed it from somewhere, like I stole ‘Landsknecht’ from a role model I had growing up.

marcusright
Three guesses where my title comes from. It’s a real tough one, but I believe in you two!

keplarright
Next order of business is probably filling our ranks, huh?

guildmaster
Correct. Under normal circumstances, I’d recommend exactly five members. It prevents packing supplies or coordinating movement from being overly cumbersome, while still offering sufficient power to break through most hostile wildlife you’ll encounter.

As if on cue, the massive double doors at the front of the building swing open, slamming into the walls with a BANG!

tsukushiright
How fortuitous it is, then, that we should arrive at exactly this moment! It is as if fate ordained we pool our strength.

marlene2
Hi.

candy2
Yeah, what an insane coincidence. With how well timed it was, it’s almost like you were listening for the moment to make your dumbass entrance.

keplar2
Who are you two?

tsukushiright
Nothing more than a humble traveling knight by the name of Tsukushi, and a warrior to the core. Where else to best utilize my bow skills than in yet another unexplored area full of dangerous wildlife?

marlene2
My name is Marlene, but I’d prefer you just call me Marle, if that’s all right. I’m… not quite a knight, but certainly traveling! Oh, and I can cast magic using runes, if that’s something you would need.

marcus2
I’d feel safer with someone that can actually fight in our group, so I don’t really have anything against you two hopping in!

candy2
Mmm… maybe if you think surface level. Not convinced these two are the ones for us, personally.

keplar2
I kind of see your point… With these five, our front line would be just me and Candy, since both of the new joins want to be at a bit of a distance from the action. Not exactly winning any awards for sturdiness.

marcus2
I could do it too, if we really needed it.

keplarright
Ohhh, no you don’t. It’s my job to keep you safe, and I’m not ditching that job just to feel a little more secure in our frontliners.

marcus2
Well, if you say so.

tsukushi2
Absurd. You plan to deny the boy real field experience as your first act as his guardian? Allow him to test himself, or he shall never grow!

marcus2
I’m not gonna do much growing if I die out there, either… it’s really fine.

tsukushiright
What?! You gave up on the idea so easily- have you no sense of pride?

The guildmaster loudly clears his throat.

guildmaster
This is all well and good, but I would appreciate getting the formalities out of the way, at least, before the bickering begins. If you’re going to be joining Myrtle, then I need you to sign these.

marlene2
This is crazy… I never thought I’d actually get this far. It’s honestly all thanks to you, Tsukushi…

tsukushi2
This is but the first of the obstacles we must clear. The real difficulties begin now, so remain vigilant.

marlene2
Right!

keplar2
At least two of us get along nicely. The rest of should come around, eventually… but I think it’s about time we head out. Let’s get ourselves in gear, everyone!

5 Likes

Howdy! I’m Az, the writer for this journey we’re embarking on. You might be wondering why I didn’t pipe up during the last chapter, so I’ll explain that here- one of my goals for this LP is to basically keep my own voice to a minimum during updates. To accomplish this, any build changes or class overviews will take place at the start of the chapter, before jumping into the game. If you don’t care about the skill investments or party explanations, it should make it pretty efficient to just scroll to the heading, as well.

As the first manner of business, we’ll be playing on Normal difficulty. Casual swings a bunch of numbers in your favor, which is a great feature to ease in new players or folks who just wanna experience the story(or aren’t excellent at the genre in general).

Keplar’s a Landsknecht- a physical class with a couple of options for dealing damage. The Links, which are primarily what we’ll be using early on, essentially tag an enemy and deal damage to it every time that same enemy is attacked in the same turn, with a decreasing chance for followups each time the Link activates. To get to them, though, we have to invest in Sonic Raid, which is a pretty weak attack with priority. Useful for activating Proficiency, at least, which I’ll cover in a second. The Break skills are a more supportive option, inflicting debuffs to help your party survive enemy onslaughts or amplify your damage, but we’re mostly concerned with turning Keplar into a primary damage dealer, which means he should be spending turns on Links or the other physical skills we’ll get access to later. Proficiency on Landsknechts allows allies to have increased accuracy and damage against targets the Landy has hit this turn, which is pretty helpful considering you need other damage dealers to help proc your Link followups, and Landsknechts are typically very quick to act. Power Boost is a generic physical damage boost, and Vanguard sets up a buff that increases action speed and damage taken in exchange for amplifying incoming damage to Keplar. Finally, Bandage is just a cheap healing skill- not terrible to just have a little extra, but we really want to be spending Keplar’s TP on attacking early on, especially since we have a Medic. We’ll just use an item if we’re really that desperate.

Candy’s a Nightseeker, a damage class that amplifies the pain when an enemy is suffering from any status condition(but not Binds, which are a separate category). Proficiency on these guys ramps up their damage massively whenever their target is ailing, so they tend to lean into disable and then burst strategies very well. We don’t have a point in it yet, because we’re just trying to blind things initially, which will help keep our somewhat frail party safe- which is why we have 3 points in Sand Throw, a ranged attack that does pretty pitiful damage but has a decent chance to blind an enemy. Ice Knife is a composite slash/ice attack that does decent damage, and Biding Slice will probably be our primary damage move in a few levels, since it hits twice if you don’t take damage during a turn. Shadow Cloak pairs nicely with this, since it nullifies any physical hit one time while the buff is active. Unfortunately, this takes a turn to set up until we have the points to level Auto-Cloak, which might be a while. Blade Flurry lets you hold and attack with two weapons at decreased damage for the second- an important passive later in the game for reasons we’ll get to then, but for now you can kind of ignore it. Finally, Decoy Sign puts a big ol sign saying ‘Kick Me!’ on one of your allies’ backs. It’s another way to help your tank do their job, or otherwise take the heat off your highly squishy characters.

Fresh off the airship from pre-med, Marcus will be taking over Medic duties. As the name might imply, he’ll be keeping the party healthy with such skills as Healing(a single target, mostly cheap hp restore), his Proficiency(which increases healing for your entire party, including his own skills), and Patch Up(which heals your entire party for free when combat ends). Heavy Strike has a decent multiplier for this point in the game and a chance to stun, but the low might of staves and Marcus’s wiry low-strength arms aren’t doing him any favors, so we’ll probably skip that for now. Line Heal targets a row for hp restoration that’s weaker than Healing, and it’s more expensive TP-wise, but it does let you cost efficiently heal 3 damaged party members, and it removes some of the target prediction you have to do early on to keep people alive since medic is very slow on the draw. Steady Hands places a buff that increases your healing for a few turns- it’s not very useful, as you’re giving up a turn of healing to even use it, which could result in somebody getting hit twice between heals and biting it. Maybe if it also applied a higher speed modifier to your skills, but ehhh… Refresh/Treat/Recovery are basically the same skill but for removing ailments/debuffs/binds, respectively, from a single target(or row, at higher levels).

Then we’ve got Marlene, who’s currently whispering with the thunder god to learn his secrets and bring lightning down upon unsespecting foes. Her Proficiency multiplies elemental attack and reduces elemental damage taken by her row- a very potent effect if, say, you were to deploy multiple runemasters, but it’s fine on its own too. In fact, if we really wanted to get wild, we could have Marlene giving moral support to our other elemental attacker in the front row, Keplar. She’s incredibly squishy, though, and the damage increase isn’t so large that I’d really consider that without extremely reliable lockdown or a Fortress to just forcibly redirect attacks. The first column of Runes apply a buff to all allies and a debuff to all enemies that multiplies elemental damage of the chosen element dealt to that enemy, while reducing damage of the same element dealt to your party(while they have the buff). The second row are all TEC-based attacks that target different patterns- Fireball is splash damage to adjacent targets, Ice Lance pierces to the backrow, and Lightning hits a row for equal damage. A very small annoyance about Lightning- you can’t smack an enemy backrow with it if you’re also in the back row, despite it dealing full damage from the back, unlike melee skills. Runic Gleam places a self-buff that multiplies elemental or almighty damage for a few turns; we’ll be taking this in a bit to help with boss fights. And if you’ve got some points left over and want to be able to sustain in dungeon crawls or long boss fights, TP Boost does what it says on the tin.

In the last slot, Tsukushi took the role of a Sniper. They’re super-accurate(minus one skill we’ll unlock later) ranged characters with the ability to Critical on their skills randomly thanks to their Proficiency, dealing increased damage. The actual ‘Snipe’ skills cannot miss, and attempt to bind the targeted part. Long Shot is generic single target damage for not much TP, while Steel Arrow and Flank Shot cost a bit more, are weaker, and pierce to the backrow or hit an enemy line instead. They’re all right skills to press in random encounters, just to make things go by a little quicker, but in single target encounters we really want to just be attempting to get binds off for now, since those will disable enemy attacks depending on the part you sniped. Lock On increases your critical rate for a few turns- not a bad damage buff since critical damage is an independent multiplier to your other buffs. Scavenger increases drop rates from monsters, which is more or less a waste of SP unless your build is fully complete. Finally, Spotter makes your entire party really accurate for a few turns. This could actually have some use cases with lower accuracy skills, but you can also disable enemy evasion entirely with Leg Bind or a myriad of other ailments, if you’re going the low accuracy gamble route. Tsukushi is currently working on leveling the Snipes to make disabling enemies possible, increasing the likelihood that we’ll be safe with no defensive buffs or a Fortress.

Now, with all that out of the way…

Chapter 2: Wanted: Dead Ore Alive

marcusright
Hmm, you don’t think my student ID would be enough? He did sign the papers to accept me for the program personally, right?

guildmaster
I suppose it would serve mostly as a formality in this case. The Count is a very busy man, you see, so under normal circumstances he meets only with people he knows personally, or those that can establish legal grounds to demand his attention- in this case, any newly established guild must go through the proper channels to become officially recognized, and his seal of approval is absolutely required.

candyright
Sounds like a grossly inefficient way to handle things, to me. Don’t you guys get like, multiple guilds signing up daily? How the hell would anybody have time to sign off on all of them? Unless- don’t tell me- the Count isn’t ACTUALLY as busy as he pretends to be.

keplar2
Pretty rude thing to say about a single father.

marlene2
Whoa… this Count has a child? He must be swamped, on top of approving all the hopeful adventurers that register here…

tsukushiright
One’s greatest fealty is to their own kin. A great and noble soul must burn bright within this Count!

All eyes turned expectantly to Candy, who huffed and ground her foot against the marble floor.

candyright
Fuck was I supposed to know? Let’s just get out of here, we’ve pissed away enough time already.


officebg

keplarright
Anybody home? We brought an official letter and everything.

count
Ah, Keplar! And it would seem you brought some friends of yours.

tsukushiright
It may be more astute to label us ‘comrades in arms.’

count
I see. In any case, I should extend a proper greeting to those of you I do not already know. Ahem…

count
Welcome to Tharsis, the city closest to Yggdrasil. I am its overseer; you may call me the Outland Count. Here in my Grand Court, when there are important duties to be carried out, I assign them to explorers as missions. But of all the explorers who arrive in Tharsis, like yourselves, we want only the best on the hunt for Yggdrasil. Before you can set out on your search, you must prove yourself worthy as explorers. What say you to this?

marlene2
A test of some kind…? I-I don’t know if we’re-

tsukushiright
We shall throw down the gauntlet at any challenge you can muster. Individually we may be yet weak, but where one of us falters another shall shoulder the burden.

marlene2
Uuuu… haaah… you’re right. We can do this together, I think…

tsukushiright
That’s the spirit. So long as everyone grasps their potential, we shall prevail.

candyright
Ore gathering, huh? …Can we sell what you don’t end up using?

count
But of course- anything beyond the purview of the mission is yours. Now, for the details…

count
We had thought the vein was mined dry, but the other day, a certain explorer found that there was more to be had. The Iridescent Ore is a pretty thing. Shine light on it, and it refracts into all the colors of the rainbow… But its true worth is not found in its beauty! Though I’ll explain more about that if you complete the mission. Now, do I understand right that you’ve only recently arrived in Tharsis? You must lack the proper essentials. So I’ll pay half of the reward for this mission in advance. Use that to purchase whatever you’ll need.

keplarright
Been living here all my life, but no harm in stocking up anyway. Could use a new sword, actually.

candyright
Holy shit, this is just the first half of it? You’re giving this away to new explorers?

marlene2
Is that a lot? This would barely pay for dinner back home…

Candy narrowed her eyes at Marlene, and her lips curled harshly into a sneer.

candyright
Fuck kinda dinner were you eating? This could feed someone for a week if you rationed it out.

marlene2
Ah, I’m sorry! I-I didn’t mean-

tsukushi2
Stand down, knave. This is no place to be threatening our comrades.

candyright
I’m about to bury a ‘knave’ in your gut if you don’t shut it.

marcusright
Hold on!

Marcus planted himself shakily between Candy and Tsukushi.

marcusright
I don’t know what your history is like, Candy, but I do know the first thing they taught us in pre-med was that establishing a rapport is the first step to effective treatment. Whether that’s with your surgery team or the patient, if you can’t get along, you can’t offer aid. So I think… the first step is trying to understand each other. Marlene, you didn’t mean anything by it, right?

He eyes the shorter woman pleadingly.

marlene2
I- yes! I’m so, so sorry Candy, I really wasn’t trying to make you angry…

candyright
Whatever. I’m over it.

tsukushi2

count
Goodness. Perhaps I have miscalculated by sending you all out on a dangerous task like this?

keplarright
It’ll be a different story in the field.


shopbg

tsukushiright
These armaments appear well-maintained. Quite irregular that they appear to offer mundane groceries as well- blacksmiths back home offered purely adventuring gear.

keplarright
Well, it’s real convenient to get everything you need in one place, right? Having to walk all around town to get different stuff on the list used to be a pain, until the Berund Atelier set up shop.

marcusright
Whoa, look at that on the shelf! There’s medicas just for sale, over the counter? That’s potent stuff.

marlene2
From what I read, medicas don’t actually heal your wounds, but actually just severely dull the pain and help stem bloodflow to affected areas while you wait for real treatment.

candyright
Doesn’t take a genius to figure out how that could be dangerous over the counter.

A loud clang reverberates from the back room, and a blonde haired girl subsequently pokes her head out into the shop.

tsukushiright
I disembarked just after the sun crested the horizon in the morn, and our party was formed more recent still. You may call us the Myrtle guild, should it suit you.

wynne
Da Myrtle crew, huh? Well, hey, welcome ta Berund Atelier. For alla ya weapon and item needs!

She thumps her foot thoughtfully.

wynne
Eh… mosta ya needs, anyways. It kinda depends on da materials you explorer folks sell us. Da more materials ya bring us, da more kindsa stuff we’ll sell yas! We gotta list posted of what kinda equipment we can make, so if ya see something ya want, bring us da stuff. Well, niceta meetcha! Give us a ring whenever ya need something for ya advencha!

marcusright
If you make all the equipment and items in-house, does that mean you’re pharmaceutically licensed, since you also stock medicines beyond simple home remedies?

wynne
You betcha! Dat’s parta da family trade, y’see. From when I was just a little twerp, Ma and Pa’s been trainin’ me to get into da medicine and metalsmithin’ biz. We gots the go-ahead from the Count, and dey check our stuff now and again, too.

keplarright
…How old are you, anyway? Should you really be manning the shop alone?

wynne
Hey, mista, that’s pretty wild to ask someone who’s in charga forgin’ ya weapons. But I’m seventeen, if ya really gotta know.

marcusright
The same age as me, but you’re already a licensed pharmacist, an experienced store owner, AND a blacksmith… the competition in Tharsis must be insane…!

candyright
Get any greener and maybe we could plant you outside town.

keplarright
All right, all right, that’s enough teasing. What’ve they got for us to start…

keplarright
Yeah, that should do the trick. A sword for me, string up a new bow for Tsukushi, and fresh boots for everyone. We’re gonna be doing a lot of walking out there, need something sturdy and comfortable.

marlene2
Um, do you happen to have a size smaller? And maybe in black?

marcusright
I think this should cover it, right?

wynne
Yep, dat’ll do it! Thanks for comin’!

candyright
Nothing left we gotta do in town, right? The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get the job done and snag that reward.


guard
Before we leave, you’re sure you’re ready for this? Whatever skills you have are useless if not trained.

marcusright
Bottles… syringes… oh shoot, where’d I put the gauze…

keplarright
I got everything I need right here.

Keplar brandishes his sword with one hand, and casually tosses a small, green fruit in the other.

marlene2
A snack for the road! Oooh, I should’ve thought of that.

keplarright
Not quite. You’ll see in a bit.

candy2

Ugh, even talking about a fucking fruit with you sounds weird. What’s your deal, anyway?

guard
So, what’ll it be? Should we head straight for the Old Forest Mine?

tsukushiright
We are adequately prepared. Sally forth!

guard
Alright, then follow me.


marlene2
Whoaaa. What kind of tree is that? It’s got its roots exposed all the way up, and then at the very top there’s the little clusters of leaves.

marcus2
They kind of look like the puffball on your hat, haha.

keplarright
Hey now, I’m sure you both know, but I want to reiterate. This place isn’t a joke. Everything can and will attempt to end your life, and either eat you or leave your body in the middle of a clearing somewhere. We can mess around and have fun, but I also need you two on guard as much as anyone else, got it?

marlene2
Shoot, well now I’m all nervous again…

marcus2
Understood.

keplarright
Great. Then get behind me, and let’s move.

The party treks forwards, only the soft crunch of the grass underfoot and the loud whirring of crickets breaking the suffocating silence.

marcusright
Um… you know, it seems really easy to get lost in this place. It’s all so green, my head is starting to spin a little. Have any of you been tracking our steps so far? Something like a map could really help.

candy2
Hold that thought, bandage boy. What could this be?

You pick it up and see that it is a shining, golden locket, with space for a small picture inside. Could another explorer have dropped this…? If you are curious, you can try opening the locket.

candy2
Heh, don’t mind if I-

marlene2
Hey! What if that’s really precious to someone? Don’t you think we should try and return it without opening it up?

candy2
Okay, but it’d be a hell of a lot easier to track them down if we knew what was inside. What if it was a picture of a loved one or something? Then we could ask around town if they knew who it was, which could set us on the locket owner’s trail.

tsukushiright
I must say, I am utterly dumbfounded you are considering returning this precious item, instead of pawning it for personal benefit. Perhaps I sorely misjudged you.

candy2
Nobody mentioned giving it back for free, numbskull.

tsukushiright
…My apologies for overestimating your scruples, then.

“Found that for me, did you? Thanks, I’ve been looking all over for it.”

keplarright
…!

candyright
Wh-

tsukushiright
So this trinket is yours? My apologies for our entourage tinkering with it. We merely wished to determine if we might find any clues to the whereabouts of its original owner.

whirlwind
Ah, don’t worry about it. Clumsy of me to drop that in a place like this, anyhow. 'Sides, it’s nice to see new blood like yourselves looking to help out unfortunate souls who might’ve misplaced their stuff. All too common these days to just keep it for yourself, y’know?

marcusright
We’re Myrtle, by the way! An exploration guild from Tharsis.

marlene2
Oh, it’s really nice to meet you, Whirlwind! That’s a pretty cool name… do you think we’ll get nicknames like that eventually?

tsukushi2
Hmm, perhaps you could be something daunting like ‘Tempest’ or ‘Mjölnir.’

marlene2
Ooo, and you could be something cool but deadly, like ‘Snakebite’ or ‘the Kiss of Death!’

marcusright
You wouldn’t happen to know where we could get our hands on some Iridescent Ore, would you? I don’t think we’re technically a real guild until we gather some, according to the Count.

whirlwind
You’re here for some Iridescent Ore? Yeah, I think there’s still some to be had in this Old Forest Mine. How do I know? Because I’m the one who found it in the first place. Here, maybe this’ll help.

The man takes a parchment from his belongings and hands it to you.

whirlwind
I sketched in where you can find the Iridescent Ore. I hope that helps point you in the right direction.

marlene2
Hey, um, is all this space supposed to be blank like that? It’s kind of hard to tell how we’re supposed to get to the node.

whirlwind
Hm? The map’s only half done? Well, that makes this a great chance to learn to draw your own!

With that, the man points to the blank map you’ve opened and explains how to draw in it…

tsukushiright
Ah, I see clearly now. This is the second test of our capabilities.

marcus2
Drawing the rest of the map? I guess that makes sense, considering we would get doubled back pretty quick if we weren’t cut out to map the way. Although it would be nice if the guild would just provide us with maps for places that have been charted out, like this one.

whirlwind
How 'bout it? Think you can draw your own? Don’t worry, if I can do it, anyone can!

The man laughs, though you are not sure this is a joking matter.

whirlwind
But seriously, you need to learn to draw a map if you’re going to chase Yggdrasil. That map’s your lifeline. When you think you’re done with your map of this Old Forest Mine, bring it here and I’ll look it over for you.

Waving a casual goodbye, he turns around.

whirlwind
I’ll be at the entrance.

The man then parts with you and walks back the way he came… You glance at the map he gave you and decide to begin your search anew.

keplarright
…Man, I can finally breathe.

candy2
Haha… I noticed you were awful quiet back there. Cat got your tongue, loverboy?

keplarright
You noticed it too. The way he snuck up wearing that much gear. It’s like he wasn’t wearing anything at all.

candy2
You’re making it really tough not to give you shit, here. But yeah, I noticed. That guy’s a freak. Guess it’s on us to stay guarded while he’s around.

keplarright
Yeah. Thanks.

Across the water, you see a shining patch of ground. It seems something buried shallowly is reflecting light. Judging by the map you received from Whirlwind, the Iridescent Ore you seek can be mined there. But the water between you and your prize is too deep to cross. You frown and begin looking for another route.

marlene2
Hmmm. I don’t think we could jump this, either. Maybe if I had my ice runes prepared, I could form a bridge, but I’m not very confident in my ability to freeze running water without spending basically all of my energy right now.

tsukushi2
Indeed, practicing discretion is essential. Let us work our way around the obstacle, instead of plodding fruitlessly ahead.

marcusright
Hey, anyone recognize these? They’re not like anything I’ve ever seen in a flower arrangement, or studied in class for their medicinal benefits.

keplar2
Those are Rhondymedes. There’s a special property about them- actually, why don’t you just see for yourself? Go ahead and get a closer look.

However, it seems impassable from this side.

marcusright
I can see a passageway on the other side! The roots are so thick, though, pushing through would be impossible.

tsukushiright
Coud we not merely cut our way through?

keplar2
If you wanna sit here for a couple hours, yeah. Those roots are insanely tough, but if we can get to the other side, we should be able to just brush them out of the way. And before you ask, fire won’t work either, the roots are coated in heavily fire-resistant film, for whatever reason.

marlene2
Aww.


candyright
I think we’re gonna find dick all by doubling back towards the entrance, but we gotta map the whole place anyway, right?

marcusright
Huh? Are those footprints?

keplar2
Wait, Marcus, don’t go on ahead!

marcusright
G-g-giant bugs?! AAAAA-

keplarright
Get behind me! Now!

keplarright
All right, time for a quick sweep…

keplarright
This one’s off balance!

candyright
A little dirty fighting… damn, missed the eyes.

marcusright
Get it away!

candyright
FUCK! OW! SON OF A BITCH-

marcusright
Wait- no! Don’t come any closer! I have a syringe and I WILL stab you with it- AAA!

marlene2
I’ll try and preserve my magic… like Tsukushi said…

tsukushiright
I shall cleave a path! Candy, claim us our victory!

candyright
You’re lucky you died after the legs fell off, you little worm…

marcusright
Did you really have to tear its legs off, Candy? I think I’m gonna be sick…

candy2
After what they did to me? They deserved worse. And speaking of, hop to it, bandage boy. I’m hurting here.

marcusright
Oh, right! Post-combat field treatment, right away!

keplarright
You all did pretty well, for your first taste of actual danger. The enemies only get scarier from here, so be on your toes.

marlene2
I was wondering… what had you so excited you stepped out in front, Marcus?

The boy finished wrapping Candy’s arm in gauze, and dusted his coat before standing up.

marcusright
There’s a bunch of footprints up ahead, almost like this clearing is more heavily traveled. I was just curious what that was about.

tsukushi2
Perhaps we owe that to this sign.

Did another explorer leave this…? The sign begins, “Caution!” in large, bold letters. You read further… “From here on lurk monsters of the old mine! Those who mistake recklessness for courage will meet Death!”

marlene2
Mmmm… hey, we’re going to be okay, right? We can handle the grasshoppers, and there’s nothing scarier out there that we can’t deal with, right?

tsukushiright
Come now, do not lose heart. I shall give my life before I see harm come to you, and I am certain the rest of us feel the same.

candy2
Speak f-

marcus2
Not now, please.

keplarright
Right. Let’s get moving, then. The longer we stick around the more danger we’ll put ourselves in.


tsukushiright
What a curious creature, taking such a dangerous engagement when vastly outnumbered.

keplarright
We’re in its territory, so it must feel like it has to attack us. No sneaking by it now, though.

candyright
Just gotta aim for the soft bits-

candyright
Like that.

keplarright
Hup-! Thanks, Candy. That would’ve hurt if it wasn’t flying blind.

candyright
Oh, shut up. Just kill the damn thing.

tsukushiright
Marlene! I believe these would be much easier to dispatch with the assistance of your magic, to bypass the hardened shell it dons.

marlene2
If you think it’s best, I’ll definitely do that in the future!

keplarright
Hmm.

marcus2
Huh? Is something wrong, Keplar?

keplarright
Besides that enormous monkey? Not yet.

marcus2
Besides-

marcus2
Why are all the hairs on my arm standing up like that? And suddenly I’m all cold and clammy…

keplarright
That means you’re developing an instinct already, Marcus. Take a look over there.

marcusright
Oh… good, sweet, merciful gods…

You know that there is no shame in avoiding unnecessary combat. A wise explorer picks his battles. If you wish to avoid an encounter, study the monster’s movements and slip past it!

keplarright
You knew it was there before you even saw it. That’s called an adventurer’s instinct, and it’s something you don’t often see developed until somebody’s at least a few weeks veteran to exploring. Pretty remarkable that you’ve already got a taste of it, honestly. Might have a real talent for this sort of thing.

marcus2
You think so? Thank you! Although… do you ever stop feeling so wobbly like this? I can barely put one foot in front of the other…

keplarright
I did. No promises on your end, though.

tsukushiright
Shall we engage? I think it unwise by the sheer stature of that beast, but it is an option we have.

candy2
Let’s go get ourselves pounded into fucking jelly, sounds brilliant! No, we sneak around, obviously.

candy2
Wait for it to turn around…

candy2
And walk behind it.

marlene2
That wasn’t so bad. I just really hope we don’t have to do that a lot, what if they actually catch us once after a small mistake?

tsukushi2
We shall tackle that problem when it arises. For now, what’s done is done.

This is a plant called a Traveller’s friend, prized by explorers for the way it stores water in its stalks.

marcusright
Hey, I think I recognize this! If you snip the fan-shaped protrusions, you should be able to get at some water in the stalks to slate your thirst. We actually had these back home, I used to drink from them all the time in the fields out behind my house.

tsukushi2
Memories of home can be refreshing as any water.

keplarright
Well, if the resident doctor says it’s fine, then cheers.

The water stored within has a raw smell to it, but it still helps to alleviate some of your exhaustion.

Satisfied with the forest’s modest gift, you turn back to resume your explorations.

marlene2
Are those the same bugs from earlier? They don’t look hungry to you guys, do they?

candyright
Damnit, everybody back in formation!

The brief succour was well-timed! You take your weapons to hand and prepare for battle!

marlene2
There’s so many of them! We can’t- I can’t-

tsukushi2
Steady yourself, Marlene. You need only strike when I say, if it would help.

keplarright
Strike first, ask questions later.

marcusright
Ahhh! Stop staring with those buggy eyes!

keplarright
Ngh… I can take it. Heads up, the front one’s going for Candy.

tsukushiright
Fear not! I shall put a stop to it!

tsukushiright
…Marlene shall put a stop to it!

candyright
Ugh… maybe that payout isn’t worth the broken ribs…

tsukushiright
Now is your chance, Marlene! Send it hurtling into the abyss!

marlene2
God of thunder, hear my cry… smite these beasts and let them fry!

tsukushiright
Well done! Onwards, to victory!

candyright
Try kicking me now, you little shit.

marlene2
Ahahowowowwww…

keplarright
Getting a little roughed up here… let’s close this out.

You take that thought to heart and resume your search with even more care than before.

keplarright
Suppose that shows pretty handily why we gotta stay on the move. Stopping for a rest always carries a risk.

candy2
Okay, it keeps happening and nobody’s bringing it up, and I’m soooo sick of it. What the hell’s up with the tips? It’s like you’ve done this all before.

keplarright
Yeah, I’ve been through this place before. Back during the airship boom, this place was the spot to get ore to construct them, and I went hunting for some.

marcus2
Alone?

keplarright
…Alone. That was a while ago, though, and it didn’t exactly solve my cash problems, as you might’ve guessed.

candy2
Hahaha, that hesitation was insane. Never heard more obvious bullshit in my life, but we do need to get going.

keplarright
Thanks.

marlene2
Oh! This must be the other side of that clump of flowers we saw on the way in.

marcusright
You said it should be passable from this side, right?

keplar2
See for yourself.

marcusright
Woah, you weren’t kidding. It’s like a completely different deal, pushing the roots from this direction.

marcusright
Why do you think they could’ve grown like that? There’s really no advantage I can imagine for a plant that only allows passage of larger animals in one direction.

tsukushi2
Were I to hazard a guess, perhaps growing up in harmony with one of the creatures here is to blame. What if a creature were to use that plant to guard its nest, and provide it with nutrients in turn? It would provide a stalwart defense against intruders while closed, while still being passable if the animal was behind these flowers in the event it needs to leave the nest.

candy2
Think back to all those rollers that scurried away on the other side. Seems like a solid theory to me, assuming the little bastards are smart enough to understand how these plants work.

keplarright
Never really thought about that, but yeah, I guess that would explain why they’re like this. Anyway, the path should be open now, almost like a shortcut to the deeper parts of the mine.


The soldier, upon noticing you, hails you with a friendly wave.

guard
Hi there! Here on a mission?

marlene2
An incredibly important one! We need to collect Iridescent Ore for the Count, which should get Myrtle officially recognized as a real guild! What about you? Does the Count depend on your success?

guard
I came to investigate this place, but honestly, all these baboons are wearing me out. Aren’t you tired too?

marlene2
Wearing you out? You mean… you actually took one of those giant things on?!

guard
Hahaha, of course! Only one, but you can’t get hired as a guard without having at least a little combat capability, you know.

candyright
Holy shit… if this guy can take them on his own, maybe we need to double back and try our own chances! It’s five on one!

tsukushiright
For once, we are in agreement, toxic one. I would very much like to test my mettle against such a towering creature.

keplarright
Absolutely not. We’re almost to the ore, stay focused. Unnecessary risks will get us killed- if not this time, eventually.

marlene2
That said, all this stress has me wanting to just curl up and forget about the world for a bit… I really don’t think I’m built for this.

guard
Here, a gift. Drink that and you’ll feel better. But if things turn sour, don’t hesitate to go back to Tharsis.

marlene2
Oh, thank you! We didn’t bring any of these in, that’s really kind of you!

You store the tonic in your knapsack and pick up your explorations where you left off.

marcusright
What’s a door doing here, in the middle of a forest? Did Tharsis build thieuuuugh-

keplar2
Wobbly again?

marcusright
Yeah… I think I have a pretty good idea of what might be on the other side- urk…

But have a care! The wandering beasts will hunt you mercilessly even while you mine for materials!

marlene2
Oh no… there’s two of them now. We’re supposed to mine right next to them? If they catch us, they’re gonna squish us like grapes!

keplar2
The most important quality when faced with a situation like this is to stay calm. Take a deep breath, hold yourself back from acting immediately, and just take in the surroundings for a bit. Stop looking inwards, where panic might be welling up, and focus on everything around you instead. The sound of the wind, the smell of the grass… and then, think.

marcusright
Ok… I’m going to try. I’m going to close my eyes, and really focus on the scenery!

keplar2
Maybe don’t do that. You still need to observe the enemy to figure out a way around.

marcusright
Ahaha… oops.

tsukushiright
The strategy we employed to circumvent the baboon previously should also apply here.

tsukushiright
Allow the fiend to circle around…

tsukushiright
And fill the gap left behind. All that remains is to gather our quarry and escape.

keplar2
I’ll handle the mining. You all keep a lookout, and tell me when it’s time to book it.

marlene2
I-it’s getting really close! We need to run!

tsukushiright
Hold just a moment longer. Remember, patience is a virtue.

marcusright
Uoogh, my stomach is in knots. Cold sweats like this are usually indicative of a fever…

candyright
Get that ass in gear! Time to bail!

marlene2
Haah… we’re safe…

keplar2
Not yet. Didn’t get what we’re looking for- we gotta keep digging.

The ore won after many tense moments near powerful monsters is lighter than you imagined and feels fragile… After you finish exulting in your accomplishment, you stow the shining stone and begin your trek back.

keplar2
That’s it! We got what we came for, let’s move!

marcusright
Ugh, sustained levels of stress like this are really bad for my blood pressure… at least we should be able to just follow behind it now.

tsukushi2
Indeed, we have prevailed in our quest! Let us savor this victory for the remainder of our outing.

marcusright
If only I had your confidence. Is there some secret to being so unbothered by the prospect of death staring you in the face?

tsukushi2
Fear is but a failing if your own conviction. If your conviction is strong, then no situation, no matter how dire, shall shake you.

marcusright
Huh? My conviction is the problem?

tsukushi2
Laid bare, convictions are the source of our desire to move forward- to face challenge and triumph, in spite of the odds. But when you quake in fear- when your legs quiver and refuse to take another step, your heart hammers in your breast and your throat burns- that source has been weakened. You have forgotten, momentarily, why it is you embarked on such a campaign. Only by reigniting your conviction shall you overcome fear.

marcusright
But that’s absurd! Everybody feels fear! It’s a natural response to danger in our bodies, a survival instinct. You can try and act in spite of it, but to say you can just overpower it with sheer force of will…

tsukushi2
If you are fully focused on your goal, there is no room for doubt to worm its way in. There is no need to ‘overpower’ that which cannot take root.

marcusright
I don’t mean to be rude, but that’s really not very helpful advice. Fear very clearly has a biological basis- you can’t overcome it by just thinking it away.

tsukushi2
And yet I am living proof. I would urge you to consider what it is that truly drives you- why have you decided to risk your life? What do you believe in, so earnestly that on pain of death you would not relent?

keplarright
Hate to interrupt, but take a look at that.

candyright
Ahhhhh, finally! What we’re all actually here for! Tell you what, we should divvy up the treasures in order- one of us gets a chest, then the next in line gets a chest, until we wrap around back to the start. How’s alphabetical order sound?

marlene2
Hey, shouldn’t we sh-

candyright
Everyone’s in agreement, great! Let’s open this bitch up and see what’s ins-

candyright
…ide. How much did this sell for, again?

marcus2

We didn’t really look, but it can’t be more than 50 en…

candyright
So, hear me out, what if I got two chests instead?

keplarright
Just put it in the bag, and let’s get out of here.

marlene2
Um, guys, hold on! Isn’t this one of those plants we found earlier?

tsukushi2
A Rhondymedes flower. A commendable find- you should be proud.

keplar2
Might even take us right back to the start. How convenient.

tsukushiright
Is this sufficient?

whirlwind
Oh, hey guys. Want me to take a look at that map? Alright, let’s see here…

Whirlwind studies your map intently for some time, but eventually his face brightens and he addresses you.

whirlwind
This is nicely done, considering the time it took. I’m surprised how well drawn it is! Looks complete to me. This is your map and yours alone. You never know when you might need it again, so take good care of it.

keplarright
Kind of you to say. We do need to get going-

whirlwind
Why the rush? That wasn’t all you were here for, right?

keplarright

whirlwind
You get yourself some Iridescent Ore?

marlene2
We sure did! We had to do it right in front of those huge baboons, but Tsukushi helped us keep calm and make sure we got everything we needed.

whirlwind
I thought so, since you seemed so pleased. Anyway, that wraps it up for your mission. Nicely done, you’re already on your way to being swell explorers, and helping out the town a whole bunch.

candyright
Yeah, whatever. Maybe next time we’ll find something actually worth selling.

marlene2
When we get back to the inn, I hope none of you disturb me for at least 12 hours. I’m gonna be curled up so hard, with a nice book, the fire blazing, and most importantly, no giant bugs or monkeys out to eat me!

tsukushiright
There shall be time for a brief respite aboard the airship, as well. You may lean your head upon my shoulder, if you wish.

marcusright
…haaaah. I don’t get it…

keplar2
Something bothering you, Marcus?

marcusright
You told me you don’t get all shaky around those giant monsters, right?

keplar2
Cool as a cucumber. They don’t really unnerve me, no.

marcusright
Then, is it true that you really strongly believe in something? That you’d be willing to die for without regrets?

keplar2
…Nah. I don’t really have any strong feelings about some lofty goal.

marcusright
So Tsukushi can’t be right. There’s something else to it, something that’s letting you stay cool in tough situations like that.

keplar2
Tsukushi? Is this what you were talking about in the back earlier?

marcusright
Yeah. She’s convinced that I’m always so afraid because my ‘conviction’ isn’t strong enough- that I don’t have a clear enough goal, and when I start to question what I’m doing putting my life at risk, fear manifests in the absence of an answer.

keplar2
…People like her are different than you and me, I think. If you meet enough of them, you start to recognize when somebody’s just born with the spark- that drive that lets them tunnel onto one goal, put the blinders on and tough it out until it’s done. For a person like that, setting really specific goals works, because they really are capable of shutting out distractions. If you believe in the concept of a soul, theirs are like the flames of a phoenix- no matter how many times you douse it, it just comes back stronger, angrier, and hotter than ever.

marcusright
But… you think we’re not like that? We were born without that ‘spark’? Then what are we supposed to do about that crippling fear- what did you do to get past it?

Keplar twisted his blade in the dim lamplight of the airship’s cabin. He remained silent for a bit, listening to the sound of the wind, and the smell of the grass from far below…

keplar2
You gotta learn to care a little less, I think. What’ll come, will come. There’s a reason you’re a whole lot less likely to get hurt rolling with the punches than stiffening against them.

Marcus’s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Finally, he mustered his voice again.

marcusright
That’s horrible! You’re essentially telling me to give up, that there’s nothing we can really do!

keplar2
Never said that. You should still do your best, but trying to brute force a path like Tsukushi is suggesting isn’t going to work for you. Live in the moment, rather than trying to direct the future, and those fears will ease up, like they did for me.

marcusright
I’m sorry, I need some fresh air. I’m going to head up to the deck- please don’t try and follow me.

keplar2
Yeah. We’ll be back in Tharsis soon, anyway.

3 Likes

A little fiddling to preempt the chapter- the party’s all gained two levels(with the help of the mission they’ll report in a second).

Keplar gets his third point in Sonic Raid, which unlocks our actual targets- the Links. Electric Link is going to be our primary focus for now, since Marlene is going to be focusing on Lightning as well, and doubling up on elements can help get some value out of Electric Rune eventually.

Candy grabs her proficiency since there’s a couple of dangerous enemies coming up that it’d help to get the damage bonus against, and Ice Knife is an actual damage option.

Tsukushi levels Arm Snipe twice, we’ll want this at a nice and comfortable level for all the arm-using threats in early areas.

THUNDERCATS HOOOOOO-

lightning rune is just the strongest one so we take two more levels

2 more Healing unlocks Line Heal, which will be nice eventually. Real simple build changes for now, but we’ll get more fun toys to play with as time passes- these foam bats are going to be real ones.

Chapter 3: Brush in the Wind

tharsisbg

candyright
Hey, loverboy! Landing in t-minus 2 minutes, you ever emerging from this musty little coffin? We’re all out on the deck.

keplar2
Was planning on it, but if you keep calling me that I might reconsider.

candyright
What, I struck a nerve? You really are into that Whirlwind guy?! After calling him dangerous and everything, too.

keplar2
Guess there’s something about a rulebreaker. The way they make your hair stand on end, really something I’m looking for in a partner. Nothing I love more than feeling unsafe.

candyright
Heheh. If only you were being serious, I might agree with you.

keplar2
Takes all kinds, I guess.

guard
All passengers, please establish a firm grip on a handhold, or remain seated! We are preparing to land the aircraft!

candyright
Oh, and, uh, whatever you said to Marcus? Fucked him up pretty bad. You gotta do something about that, before he decides to ditch or something.

keplar2
…I’ll think about it.


officebg

marlene2
We got the ore you asked for! And a complete map of the mines, including the bits where those humongous baboons were walking around… did you know about those?

count
That I did. I am pleased they did not impede you too much. Your success will be a great boon to Tharsis! Now, if you would…?

tsukushiright
The fruits of our efforts, gifted unto you.

count
I now pronounce the Myrtle Guild to be explorers of Tharsis with my official blessing! And, of course, there is the other half of your reward to be given. Here you are, then…

candyright
Ohhh, fuck yeah. I could get used to pay like that. You got any more missions for us, mustache?

count
Mustache- are you addressing me?

candyright
You see anybody else with a lip like that? Yeah, you. Oh, and sorry about, uh… something I said earlier. Someone in this room who I’m not gonna name told me you’re a single father- it really must be tough, raising a kid with all the stuff you gotta handle.

count
Ah, absolutely! I do my utmost each and every day to see my precious daughter is well cared for.

candyright
That’s really nice to hear. Maybe you aren’t so bad after all.

count
Yes, she just loves pets and treats! Here, would you like to give it a go? Margherita just adores whoever will give her attention, you see.

candyright
…she- what?

keplarright
Heheheh.

count
Don’t be shy! My darling daughter would never hurt a fly. Go on, give her a pat!

candyright
Uh, sure. Sleep with one eye open, Keplar.

count
Moving on, it dawned on me that you must be the student who we accepted for the field medicine program. You’ll be writing up a report for each outing and sending back your findings to St. Elimine’s for evaluation.

marcusright
I guess I could do that… when do you want the first writeup?

count
Tomorrow afternoon would be ideal. I’m certain the university must be itching to see how the opening days of this venture unfold.

marcusright
I’ll do my best…

count
Now, to the main topic of discussion. Since you have proven your worth, your guild merits a skyship. You’ll be searching for Yggdrasil on one. Your skyship is ready now at the city gates. Once you claim it, why not make the Lush Woodlands your first stop? The Lush Woodlands is a large, natural labyrinth currently being investigated by many of our explorers. Once you reach the Lush Woodlands, head straight for the pillar of light you’ll see. It’s an invaluable tool. Oh, and stop by the atelier before you go. I sent them my authorization for you to buy certain necessities. Well then, may your way be clear!

tsukushiright
Magnificent! Our glorious airborne steed awaits!


guard
Hold it, please! I have a message to you from the Outland Count.

candyright
Damn, this guy again. What’s got him all worked up?

The soldier takes a moment to catch his breath before pulling out a letter and reading it over.

guard
It says he will be giving you a Foodapult. I’m guessing that’s equipment for your skkyship? Maybe that’s why he can’t give it to you by hand. It says here it’s been delivered to the city gates, and you should ask the one in charge there for details.

candyright
That looks really fucking heavy. You guys got this one, right? I’m gonna go… check out the Atelier.

marcusright
I think I’m headed to the inn early to get that report done. You guys have fun…

marlene2
Oh, wait up! I wanna go say hi to Dalla.

keplarright
Guess the two of us can handle the skyship.

tsukushi2
Verily. I must admit, their lack of enthusiasm for this has sullied my own a bit. But we must be dauntless in our quest- onwards, valiant comrade!

keplarright
Think you’ve got enough enthusiasm for the rest of us anyway.


candyright
Yeah, and a guy from da Grand Court also told us to check up here for new goods. You know anything about that?

wynne
Now we can finally sell yas dem Ariadne Threads. Every explorer gots ta have an Ariadne Thread. It takes ya back ta Tharsis wherever ya use it from. Ya oughtta buy one right now! It’d be a disaster if ya forgot!

candyright
Maybe you could take some of this shit off our hands first. You said what we can buy is determined by what we bring in, right?





candyright
Y’know, I had my doubts about weapons cobbled together with monster bits, but that dagger looks pretty fuckin’ wicked. What about hooking us up with that, and maybe a new rapier? We can afford to drop a couple hundred on new gear after the rich guy hooked us up. Oh, and one of those threads you were hyping up.

wynne
Sure thing boss! Anythin’ else I can do for yas?

candyright
I got what I came for.


keplarright
That’s us. How’d you know?

wharfguy
Oh, yeh know, not many other fellas lugging 'round a sword that I haven’t seen before- and I got a request from the Outland Count to prepare yeh a skyship. She’s all ready to go. Yeh can set sail as soon as she’s registered. So, what’re yeh going to name her?

tsukushiright
With its help, we shall mark our path through the skies- I propose we name it the Brush.

keplarright
You could think about it fitting with the guild name as another form of vegetation, too. Sure, that works for me.

tsukushiright
You have my solemn vow- no harm shall come to the Brush for as long as she serves as our steed.

keplarright
No promises on the paint though. Was yellow really the best we could do?

wharfguy
I’d explain the controls, but yeh’ll learn faster if yeh try it out. Yeh can outfit it at the city gates. Which reminds me, yeh got a piece of kit from the Outland Count, right? Yeh can equip it on your skyship. Come by the wharf when yeh’re bored, and I’ll let yeh guys have some other equipment no one else is using.

keplarright
Making it sound like you’re offering leftovers, but yeah, any help we can get is appreciated.

tsukushiright
What takes place at this wharf? I cannot imagine we would have much cause to spend time there besides picking up new equipment from you.

wharfguy
The Cargo Wharf might not seem like the place for explorers, but that’s where yeh’d be wrong. I’ll explain what I mean when yeh stop by. I’ll be waiting!

keplarright
You think he’s shy? Strange way to excuse yourself.

tsukushiright
Possibly. Were that the case, it is in stark contrast to whoever is currently letting their voice drift upon the wind.

keplar2
Now that you mention it, someone’s singing, huh? Wonder who that is.

tsukushiright
They are clearly possessed of a great talent. That voice threatens to enchant me.

keplar2
Down to check it out?

tsukushiright
Perhaps there is no need- I can hear them drawing nearer.

'Twas on the sunrise I learned
for my job the princess yearned
a scheme they had hatched
and the poet they had burned…

keplarright
Um, this one might be a bit experimental for me.

apollo2
Oh, it’s just tragic! Won’t you hear the plight of the downtrodden?

bear2
Already missin’ the airship. Least the airsickness kept him quiet as a mouse.

apollo2
I needed to get ahead!
About Yggdrasil I read!
With my parcels latched,
To Tharsis I quickly fled!

tsukushiright
A story of betrayal, I fear. Your lord liege stole from you the role laid before you.

apollo2
Yes! That’s it exactly! Well, mostly, I wasn’t particularly impressed to their service, but still. How does a poet expect to live off scraps when such a heartless person can simply snap their fingers and bark an order for the same benefit?

bear2
Maybe if you stopped moanin’, you’d have a bit less trouble. Ain’t the only person who just lost their job, after all.

keplarright
I take it you’re all from out of town?

bear2
Got it in one. Some hotshots cleared up what’s left of the labyrinth back in Armoroad, so we reckoned we’d stop on by Tharsis instead.

apollo2
And what’s worse, they won’t take a poet, a dancer, an artist like me into their ranks even for grabbing lower floor materials, preferring those garish Sovereigns to keep them inspired! Beauty has died an ugly death in Armoroad.

keplarright
Sounds like rough going.

bear2
Y’all wouldn’t happen to know where the Explorers’ Guild is around here? Would be mighty helpful.

tsukushiright
It would be no trouble to escort you there posthaste. Though if it is a guild you seek, we may be able to accommodate you.

bear2
Just y’all two?

keplarright
There’s three others split up across town. Wasn’t really planning on adding more people to the group, but it might help us in the end.

apollo2
You’d really take us in?! Oh, thank you, thank you! I promise, you will all be awed by my compositions!

bear2
I got nothin’ against the idea. Nice meetin’ you, I’m Bear.

apollo2
And the brilliance of my stardom shall bring to mind one name- Apollo!

keplarright
Is that your real name, or a pseudonym?

tsukushiright
Bards have been known to grant themselves illustrious titles for the purpose of leaving a striking impression. As I recall, Apollo has some connection with the sun, perhaps through ancient literature.

apollo2
Is there truly any difference between that which everyone calls you and your real name? That it references me is enough to grant it the significance of reality.

bear2
Might actually be his real name, I reckon. The drama could come from his ma and pa.

apolloright
You may accuse me of inheriting many things, but the theatrics are entirely mine, thank you!


innbg

dahlia
Welcome back, dearies. I see you’ve finished that mission you got at the Grand Court.

marlene2
Yeah! We managed to slip past those giant monsters, and the Count even said we get a skyship as a reward. It’s all so exciting, but a little scary.

dahlia
Good for you! Now you can go out on your skyship to gather food. Oh, but silly me. I should be cooking you dinner to celebrate!

marlene2
Ooo! If we grab you food from the plains, would you make something special for us? That sounds incredible! Don’t you agree, Marcus?

marcus2
…huh? Oh, yes. That sounds wonderful. Listen, I’m going to go up to my room to do this report. See you in the morning…

dahlia
Don’t push yourself too hard, now! I’ll be sure to bring some leftovers up there later. We’ve also got sweet tea, if you’d like!

marcus2
Um, sure. Good night to you both.

marlene2
…Mmmn. I hope he’s gonna be okay for tomorrow…

dahlia
He reminds me a bit of you the past few days, darling. I’m honestly surprised you seem to have taken to adventuring so quickly!

marlene2
When you find friends as reliable as Tsukushi, it gets a lot easier to take each step forward. It feels like I could rely on her for anything.

dahlia
Is that the young lady who swung by this morning? My, you’ve grown quite attached already.

marlene2
Haha, you think so? That’s not weird, is it?

dahlia
Oh, of course not! It’s very sweet that you two are so close after spending so little time together. Just make sure to step out and try new things on your own sometimes. Can you promise me that, dear?

marlene2
Um, right! Of course, I promise!

dahlia
Wonderful! So, I do hope you’ll tell me all about your day. You mentioned sneaking past something large?

marlene2
Imagine a baboon that ate every single other baboon and added their sizes together- like a nesting doll of baboons.

dahlia
If you killed it, would a bunch of smaller baboons tumble out?

marlene2
We didn’t try! The Count only asked us to pick up some Iridescent Ore, so we just let them be. Honestly, I don’t think we could have taken them down even if we tried, although some of the others were ready to. Near the end, we had to mine while those beasts circled around next to us… honestly, it was terrifying. But we made it out okay, so I guess I was worried over nothing.

dahlia
My, that does sound horrific, with such massive creatures stalking nearby while you’re preoccupied with the mining spot. I’m proud you all stood your ground and got what you came for! Now, why don’t you have a seat? I’ll prepare enough ostrich roast for everyone when they get here.

marlene2
Maybe I could help! LA required us to take a cooking class before we graduated. It’s a super useful life skill, honestly. That class stuck in my mind a little better than most of what we learned.

dahlia
Aww, that’s sweet of you to offer, darling. Why don’t you help chop these veggies up, then? We’ll have this done twice as fast.


tsukushiright
Hark! We have returned successful with our prize- two fresh squires, prepared to give their lives for the cause!

bearright
Jumpin’ the gun a little, there. I ain’t agreed to nothin’ like that.

dahlia
My goodness! We’re lucky I had Marle here to help, otherwise we might be short a few servings!

marlene2
Hi new people! I’m Marlene, but I’d prefer if you just called me Marle.

bearright
Name’s Bear.

apolloright
An auspicious place for our paths to cross! This inn shall mark the spot that a legend is born- you can be sure of that! Ah, I should compose a melody to match this momentous occasion! Give me just a moment…

marlene2
Um, I’m sorry, but I might have missed your name…?

apolloright
Right, of course! The name that will shine brilliantly in the hearts and minds of the good people of Tharsis- Apollo! At your service.

The man finishes his sentence with a flourish of his hand, the attached bracelets swinging out dramatically.

keplarright
We did pass Candy on the way in, actually. Said she had places to be, then handed me a goofy looking rapier and a thread. Dunno when she’ll be back.

bear2
What I’m hearin’ is, the five of us are on explorin’ duty for now.

apolloright
Marvelous! Bear and I will join you for the next dance, then. I promise our brilliance will blind you!

tsukushiright
I shall await your performance eagerly. For the moment, however, it falls to us to enjoy this feast prepared so graciously by our hosts. Let us have a seat, and enjoy the revelries!

marlene2
I hope you guys like it! …Hey, wait, where are you going?

keplarright
Gonna go check on Marcus. I’ll be right back.


marcusright
Is that what they wanted…? Not sure if I should focus on the administering of the treatment, what sort of preparations I should adjust…

A soft knock at the door interrupts Marcus’s deliberations.

marcusright
Who is it? Sorry, I’m a llittle busy right now.

keplar2
It’s me. Just swinging by to check that you’re doing okay.

marcusright
Yeah, I’m fine. Just really busy writing up that report.

keplar2
Right. Figured as much.

marcusright
…Is there something you wanted to say? I really am busy.

A sigh echoes from the other side of the door.

keplar2
Listen, I didn’t mean to come off as trying to tell you to give up or anything. Was just trying to temper your expectations earlier. It’s gonna take some time to get over the nerves, so trying to strongarm it isn’t the way forward. Does that make sense?

marcusright
I think I got what you meant, yeah. It still seems a little fatalistic to me, but yeah, I’ll think it over. That said, this isn’t going to write itself, so…

keplar2
Gotcha. We actually got two new recruits, so we might head out early and leave you and Candy here, if that’s fine by you. Come down if you get the chance, I’m sure they’d like to meet you.

marcusright
Right. Goodnight to you.

keplar2
…Yeah, goodnight.


tsukushiright
THE ROOSTER CROWS! RISE AND GIRD YOURSELF FOR A DAY OF ADVENTURING!

marlene2
AAAAAA! WHAT- who-

tsukushiright
Excellent response time! Now, quickly, the sun has already risen. We must get ahead of the day, lest the day get ahead of us!

marlene2
It’s just you, Tsukushi… my gods, I thought I was going to die! Please, don’t yell like that, I promise I’ll wake up on time.

tsukushiright
I shall go fetch the others, then. Adventure awaits!

marlene2
You know, there’s probably no need. I’m sure they heard you from across the hall. Let’s give them some time to get ready- I need to go to the washroom and prepare for the day, too.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall…

bearright
Even that ruckus ain’t enough to wake this one up. Stubborn as a mule. What do you reckon we should do?

keplar2
Maybe a cup of water? A quick splash might get him on his feet, although he’s not gonna be happy about it.

bearright
Shoulda cut him off ‘fore he passed out. Wasn’t ready for him to be such a lightweight, and now we’re all payin’ for it.

apollo2
Oooohhhhhh… the light burns… perhaps… I wasn’t ready to be a star after all…

keplarright
We need to swing by the bar anyway, so why don’t we just go talk to Kirtida first, and then pick you up before we hop on the skyship?

apollo2
Yes… I’ll just finish my beauty sleep… and maybe everything will stop spinning…

bearright
Doc can help you out while we’re gone.


marlene2
So, um, where’s Apollo? Is he feeling okay?

bear2
Sick as a dog.

keplar2
We’ll just… pick him up before we actually head out on the skyship. Thought we could ask Kirtida if anything needs doing, first.

tsukushiright
Most regrettable. To think that one of us was bested by a mere few beers the night prior.

marlene2
Well, that’s okay! As long as he’s ready before we get back, everything will be fine… I think…


barbg

keplarright
Hey, Kirtida. We made it back from the first mission yesterday. You got anything that needs doing?

kirtida
My congratulations! It is such a relief to see you returned safely. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Kirtida, the owner of this bar, the Dancing Peacock.

bearright
Howdy. Looks like a mighty fine place you run here.

marlene2
It’s nice to meet you, Miss Kirtida! We just established our guild Myrtle yesterday.

kirtida
Here at the Dancing Peacock, you may accept quests and seek information from our patrons. Completion of these quests is met with commensurate rewards. Many explorers enjoy passing time in this way. A quest I think to be perfect for you was only just posted. Might I ask that you look it over?

keplarright
You mean this one?

kirtida
It may indeed be perfectly suited to you. A group of soldiers are exploring the east side of the Windy Plains. But they lack the food to carry on. So your task would be to gather food and drop it off for them.

tsukushiright
I see… a rations delivery mission. Our newfound wings should expedite the process.

marlene2
Where exactly should we drop the food?

kirtida
Their camp is in the forest. I was given to understand that it is in an open area. Freshness is important in food, so you must find and deliver it in one trip.

keplarright
That’s all we got to work with, then? Hm. Okay, what about this one?

kirtida
That request? It is from the governor of Tharsis… the Outland Count. He wants you to search for a small grove of kapok trees. You can learn more by talking to him at the Grand Court.

bearright
One day in, and we’re already talkin’ to the bigwigs around here? Must be a new record.

marlene2
Oh, this one mentions the Atelier. What does Wynne need?

kirtida
They are keenly interested in materials for a sword. They can supply you with more details of the task at the Atelier.

keplarright
Seems like that about covers it for what we can tackle right now.

kirtida
Take care of yourselves- I shall await your swift return.


bearright
Hold your horses, we’re almost at the ship. You can keel over once we’re there.

apollo2
W-wait, we’re going airborne?! Why didn’t you tell me?

tsukushiright
Perhaps your head was off gallivanting while the rest of us deliberated yesterday. We procured the skyship and intended to take it for its maiden voyage today.

marlene2
Hey, don’t worry. We only need one person to pilot the ship, so you can relax once we’re on board, okay?

apollo2
Ohhh… we took the Brush for a whirl… our adventure was to unfurl… my head continued to swirl… and I thought to myself- I might hurl…!

bearright
Flight here had 'im under the weather, too.

keplarright
Well, we’ll be in the air for a while mapping the plains, so maybe he’ll sober up before we really need him. Make sure he’s drinking water in the cabin.

tsukushi2
Are you to be our pilot for this expedition? Though I might have experience on grounded mounts, I’d rather not try my luck with a skyship.

keplarright
Yeah, I got us covered there. You wanna learn while we’re up here? We need more pilots anyway, for outings I’m not going on.

tsukushi2
Very well. I shall pledge my full attention.

marlene2
Having everybody’s lives in your hands like this sounds scary, but if Tsukushi is going to try… then I might as well try too!

keplarright
Strap in, then. It’s not so tough with a little bit of experience under your belt.

bearright
Why do I feel like we’re forgettin’ somethin’? Ah, hell, not on the shoes! Gods, son, you better get your britches on that skyship before they leave without us!

apollo2
Not the ship… noooo…


marlene2
Whoaaaa… you can see all of Tharsis and even Yggdrasil from here! We’re going to make it all the way there one day, right?

tsukushiright
So long as we do not lose faith, we cannot fail. Keep your head held high.

keplar2
Fate’ll decide in the end, but I think we got a shot.

As you would expect from the Windy Plains, strong gusts of wind blow across the skies. Some of the stronger winds seem likely to sway the Brush from her course… Far to the north of these skies looms Yggdrasil, your ultimate destination. But you will never reach it without understanding how to control your skyship. You review the controls…

keplar2
This lever controls the propeller in the back, this one controls the heat which creates lift. We can’t rise too high quite yet, she’s not built for that, so take it easy on the elevation for now. Too hard on the fans might tip us and veer off course, too, and you really need to be feeling for sudden air currents that could angle us in the wrong direction. You got all that so far?

tsukushiright
So it would seem. A demonstration may be in order, however.

keplar2
That’s the plan. I’ll handle the first flight, but we’ll get you at the wheel on the way back. That way I can still be right here in case something goes foul.

You could head straight for that natural labyrinth, but it might be wise to have a look around first. But be on your guard. Encounters with monsters and tornadoes could cost you your lives.

marlene2
Oh, hey, is that the same place we were yesterday? The Old Forest Mine?

There, you met the travelling adventurer Whirlwind, who gave you a blank map and survival advice. You cannot say for certain that there is nothing left to discover there… Perhaps you should visit it again?

tsukushiright
I would very much like to test our might against the baboons marking that area as their territory. Now may not prove the best time, however. We have accepted several quests, and it may sully our honor to delay them in favor of our own pursuits.

marlene2
You really think we could beat those things? They’re so huge, even a small swipe would probably squash us like bugs.

keplar2
Do my eyes deceive me, or are those some pretty rare veggies? Would you two mind helping confirm if we touch down?

tsukushiright
I’ve no objections.

marlene2
Wow, these are super sweet, almost like candy! These would make an incredible side dish to something more savory, like what we had last night.

tsukushiright
It would appear you are possessed of a keen eye, Keplar. These are high quality produce, indeed.

keplar2
These’d make for a fine restock for the soldiers. Then again, we could sell these for a pretty penny, too. At the risk of sounding greedy, maybe we find something else to hand off.


bear2
Bet those beasts you folks mentioned earlier ain’t got nothin’ on those jokers, though.

tsukushiright
A formidable foe. Though it pains me to admit, even I balk at the thought of challenging a creature larger still than our faithful steed.

marlene2
Oh, how is Apollo? Is he going to be all right?

bearright
Nothin’ to worry about. Gave him a taste of ol’ Smith and Wesson, and he went out like a light.

marlene2
What’s that? They sound like names…

tsukushiright
Best not to worry yourself overmuch. Other matters demand our focus- such as that gaudy checkered skyship ahead.

Its sails are bright red. You send a signal to the skyship, and a woman appears on deck. She is clad lightly for one who sails the skies. There is a long sword on her waist.

marlene2
That’s right! We’re guild Myrtle, nice to meet you! Flying around alone like that seems pretty tough, is there any way we could help?

wiglaf
It’s good to meet you. My name’s Wiglaf. You might not have guessed it, but I’m an explorer too.

Throughout your introductions, Wiglaf wears a friendly smile.

bearright
Pleasure to meet you too, young lady. Reckoned the sword wasn’t exactly for show.

wiglaf
You asked about ways you might be able to help, right? Well, do you happen to have any Black Taurus? I’ve been looking so long, but I can’t find any… if you pick one up, will you share it with me?

Should you find a Black Taurus at some point, you can present it, possibly for some sort of reward.

bearright
Fresh out, sorry to say. We’ll stop on by if we happen across 'em, though.

keplar2
Looks like the skies are busy today. There’s another ship, due east.

Its sails are deep blue. The figure aboard the skyship notices your coming and emerges from the gondola. You mark him as a man clad in steel armor, who bows politely to you.

prettyguy
I am the most lowly of the Holy Rune Knights who serve King Bjornstad.

keplarright
Just Keplar is fine. No fancy titles or anything here, besides maybe ‘pilot of this motley crew.’

prettyguy
I am pleased to make your acquaintance.

keplarright
We’re just making the rounds, scouting out the local area. Hoping to avoid getting brutalized by the roos. You look like you’ve got things more than handled, though.

tsukushiright
It strikes me as odd you recognized us so quickly. How is it you knew who we are?

prettyguy
Oh, I am familiar with most of the explorers of Tharsis. That is all.

keplarright
Pretty impressive. There’s a ridiculous number of us, especially lately. If you need anything, though, just say the word. Always benefits us explorers to stick together, yeah?

prettyguy
A most generous offer. In that case, I have a request. Would you have any Sakura Trout? If so, I propose a trade.

keplarright
Not yet, we don’t. We’ll definitely be on the lookout, though. Have a good one, and fly safe.

prettyguy
You as well, Sir Keplar.


marlene2
Wow, you sure had a lot to say. It’s good to be friendly with other explorers, but-

keplar2
Can it.

bearright
Haha, I’ve seen those puppy dog eyes before. He’s starstruck seven ways to Sunday! Reminds me of when I first met my wife…

marlene2
Wait, you’re married?! What are you doing all the way out here in Tharsis?

bearright
Someone’s gotta put food on the table. ‘Sides, the farmin’ life ain’t for me. I’ll do her proud out here, by bein’ the first to make it to Yggdrasil.

keplar2
Wait a second, you guys see that? These might be the people who requested a food restock.

You recall the request from the bar to deliver food to some soldiers… These are most likely the ones. If you mean to fulfill the request, it is best that you drop the food off at the soldiers’ location.

marlene2
If they’re soldiers, we should encourage them to eat healthy! These carrots look super nutrient rich.

bearright
If I was down there, I’d be hopin’ for somethin’ a little meatier than a carrot. But if y’all think it’s best, fine by me.

After checking over the contents, they signal you, satisfied. They seem pleased with the food. The request is now complete! You can turn it in the next time you find yourself at the bar.

keplar2
Hmm… Tsukushi, think you could hit these guys while we’re moving? I’ll try and get under them, so they land on the deck.

marlene2
It’s right behind us! Oh gods, go, don’t stop to hunt birds!

tsukushiright
Hah, you question my ability? I shall fell them squarely in three arrows, not a single miss.

keplar2
Holy cow, you actually did it. Crazy shots.

marlene2 apolloright
AAAAAAAAA-

marlene2
-AAApollo? When did you get up on deck?

apollo2
When I heard shouting about this enormous kangaroo on our tail, of course! But fear not, a new day has dawned, and Apollo shines brilliantly once again!

keplar2
About that, you two were worried over nothing. That monster isn’t faster than the airship, so it’s not catching us unless we really screw up or we decide willingly to engage.

bearright
Welcome back to the world of the livin’. Just in time to figure out what in tarnation THAT thing is.

To the east and west are high mountain ranges, far too tall for your skyship to fly overhead.

Visibility is close to nil in the ravine. To brave it with your skyship would be far too dangerous. You also see some kind of monument south of the ravine. You can barely make out a crest engraved in it.

To the side of the forest is the same stone momument that was next to the ravine. It seems too coincidental to ignore… There may be some connection between the ravine and the Lush Woodlands.

marlene2
Hmm… it seems foolish to try and force our way through that fog. We’d probably crash into something if we tried.

keplar2
Guessing there’s no fog rune to help us out there, either.

tsukushiright
Nay, but perhaps investigating the artifacts may yield a clue to how we might proceed. Perhaps something lying deep within the Lush Woodlands shall illuminate the way forward.

apollo2
Ah, is it finally time to disembark? My talents require steady ground, you see.

keplar2
Think we’d best finish scouting the area first. Once we head in there, it’s probably easiest to just warp back to town with the Thread.

bearright
…Hold your horses. How’s the ship gonna get back to town if we end up warpin’?

keplar2
Every ship built in Tharsis has a function to return to Tharsis after a certain amount of time- think about it like a bigger version of a Thread. Flip that switch there, wind the clock up to whenever you want it to return, and it’ll do it on its own.

bearright
Well, I’ll be. Ain’t that novel?

marlene2
A little unsettling, though… what if you set the switch, but forget your own Thread, and then the ship returns to Tharsis while you’re still in a labyrinth? Wouldn’t you be stranded?

keplar2
Might have bigger problems if you forgot your Thread, but yeah, the system isn’t perfect. We could always bring an extra and have them wait in the ship, if we need to.

marlene2
That’d make me feel a lot better!


You can almost hear the rustling of the trees as their glossy, green leaves take in the sun’s blessing. The beauty of the Windy Plains’ rich greenery is a balm for your soul…

apolloright
Halt the ship! In moments such as these, it is paramount to stop and breathe in the natural beauty all around us. Just a glimpse of those trees makes me want to burst into song! Now if only I could actually lean over and get a good look without feeling queasy…

bearright
Wait a minute, THAT’S what we forgot! None of us talked to the damn Count!

keplar2
You’re right. It completely slipped my mind.

tsukushiright
Even so, we must make note of this location. Perhaps he might excuse our tardiness, should we bring news preemptively.

marlene2
Haha… oops.

keplar2
We’d better be careful around that. It’d tear-

tsukushiright
THE WIND HAS CONQUERED YOUR VOICE! SPEAK WITH YOUR CHEST!

keplar2
THAT’D TEAR THE SHIP TO SHREDS! BETTER STAY AWAY!


You see a stone monument at its entrance that looks clearly man-made. Who built it here, and why? You will never know the answer unless you step into the maze… You steel yourself to begin your explorations.

marlene2
Like we said, not yet. Maybe following the river would lead us somewhere neat.

There are brightly colored fruits on the trees; many animals seem to flock here to feed on these fruits. You grow excited to think of what manner of exotic beasts you may encounter in this forest.

tsukushiright
Mayhap this is the place to restock your fruit collection, Keplar. Though I do not recall you using whatever you boasted about prior to our last expedition.

bearright
Fruit collection? Bwahaha, the hell are you youngsters gettin’ into nowadays?

keplar2
Oh, can it. You laugh now, but I promise that wasn’t just for show. Waiting for the right moment, is all.


Looking down, you see breathtakingly clear spring water gushing out from beneath the quay. This seems to be the source of the river flowing to Tharsis. You linger to take in its beauty before leaving.

marlene2
The air smells so fresh and crisp here… would you all mind if we stopped briefly for a drink?

apollo2
And the water is clearer than a spring night. You could almost use it as a mirror to touch up, if it weren’t rushing so quickly. Though I must say, an ounce of nostalgia tinged your words like a regretful goodbye… did you perhaps grow up somewhere like this?

marlene2
Yeah, this does remind me a little bit of home. The air there was always refreshing and cool, but the winter months got really cold, too.

keplar2
Yeah, I don’t mind. Everyone can go fill up their flasks and rest for a bit, but after that we need to hit the road. It’s getting later in the day.

bearright
Ain’t gotta tell me twice. Y’all ever heard of a Flyin’ Squirrel?

marlene2
Like… the animal?

bearright
Named after it, I reckon. Anyhow, the idea is, you spread your arms and legs out like this, and make the biggest splash you can! HUP!

With a tremendous crash, the man dives into the rushing river, and resurfaces a bit downstream, grinning wildly.

marlene2
Oh gods… hey! Isn’t that dangerous? What if the river sweeps you away?! Also, you got my robes all wet!

tsukushi2
Is that all? A knight never backs down from a challenge. I can best such a meager splash effortlessly.

marlene2
Not you too, Tsukushi! WAIT- ACK!


keplar2
Hope everybody got their share of rest back there, because it’s time to put our noses back to the grindstone. You see that maze over there? We need to slip through the roos patrolling it.

apolloright
Weren’t they all too eager to chase us down a while ago? Getting up close might be no easy feat.

tsukushiright
Hmm… I had been thinking. What do these kangaroos sustain themselves upon?

keplar2
Think they’re herbivores. Stuff like those baby carrots we dropped off for the soldiers, earlier.

tsukushiright
Could we not then make an offering to pass? We have carrots to spare.

keplar2
Huh… suppose we could give it a try.

bearright
Those carrots must smell better’n we do.

Its reflection of the surrounding flora is even more beautiful than the real thing, piquing your curiosity. If you could slake your thirst from those clear waters, the exhaustion of your travels would surely vanish.

marlene2
We made it, but that one behind the labyrinth doesn’t seem very happy about it…

keplar2
Oh, huh… it lost interest in us when it got closer to the carrots. Good to know, I suppose, although we’re still a little trapped here.

apolloright
Do my ears deceive me, or does a whistling noise permeate the air?

apolloright
So it does! The sound of salvation, sweeter than any strings!

keplar2
Not outta the woods yet, though… just gotta keep calm.

tsukushiright
The same procedure as before- launch a carrot and evade its course.

marlene2
It’s right there it’s right there it’s right there- what if we step into its path?!

keplar2
It’ll stay the course, don’t worry.

keplar2
See? Now we’ve scouted everything we can. Just gotta make it back to the woodlands.

marlene2
Can we stop having close calls like that… my heart can’t take it…


bearright
Whoa… the tree glows at night, like the fireflies that used to buzz around the farm all made the trip there before me.

apollo2
It certainly is gorgeous, isn’t it…

tsukushiright
It is the goal for which we risk life and limb. We shall never see it realized unless we step into the Lush Woodlands, however. Are we all prepared?

marlene2
My heart is pounding, and I can’t stop shaking, but as long as you’re here, I’ll be okay. I have to be!

apollo2
Ready as I’ll ever be! Let’s dazzle these silly monsters with our brilliance, shall we?

keplar2
In we go, then.

2 Likes