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Update 36: The Deep City's History
I don't think Flowdia's gonna be happy to hear about this. Hmm, what should we do... I know! I'll just let Faye decide! She's the leader after all!
Fortunately, I managed to get through the second fight easily.
The text is the same as before.
And yes, you can get into a 3rd fight. Then a 4th fight. Then a 5th. And it'll keep going until you pick the 2nd or 3rd options.
W-wait! W-we don't mean any harm! Honest!
No Harm? Do you or don’t you, ’tis one to me. What is your Reason for coming here?
As the child seems to understand your tongue, you tell him of your quest to meet the Deep One here.
We were assigned a mission from the Abyssal King to meet the Deep One in this place.
Deep One... Such a foolish Name have the Sons of Man given to my People.
The child’s sneering words drip with venom as its crimson eyes continue to gaze at you.
If you come not as Sacrifices to me, hie hence. Contrary to all Appearances, I am rather busy.
The being you know as the Deep One then closes its eyes and ceases all movement.
Olympia speaks, having apparently entered the room without you noticing.
This childlike thing is their king, called the Eldest One. You have seen how it spawns. The Abyssal King captured it over 100 years ago. It has been sealed in this Hall ever since.
I am not King yet... In Human Terms, I would be something like a Prince or Princess.
You know now of the Deep Ones. Your duty to the Abyssal King has been discharged.
Olympia then directs you to return to the Celestial Palace to meet again with the Abyssal King.
After looking once more at Olympia and the Deep One, you decide to quit this hall of horrors.
Yeesh. Glad to be out of that place.
I suppose we should report back to the Abyssal King about our encounter.
Hmm, how about we explore more of this floor? I'm sure he won't mind waiting a bit longer for our report.
Olympia stands before the door, blocking your passage. It would be best to return to the Deep City for now and inform the Abyssal King of your meeting.
Or I guess he would. Let's go.
This roadblock is actually pretty annoying, because Olympia is blocking the way to a campsite, and as you can see on the map, a more convenient shortcut. 
Time to hand in our report.
What you met was their Eldest One, a dreadful thing who dwells in the abyss and spawns young. When I learned of that threat as Armoroad’s last king, I fulfilled my duties to protect mankind. Ancient lore of the royal family speaks of evil presences lurking in that abyss. Our source was Yggdrasil, the mysterious yet wise tree that towers in the center of our city. Yggdrasil granted us with superior technology; in return, we swore to protect it from the evil. I accepted, and submerged a part of Armoroad to the ocean’s floor. We fight that evil to this day.
...Ya lost me.
I'm afraid I'm finding this difficult to follow as well.
...Am I giving you too much to digest? It is important that you understand this matter. If you have any remaining doubts, then loosen your tongues.
Armoroad doesn't have a king anymore. So you were the last one?
You have the right of it. As the only male heir from Armoroad, I am the last of the royal line. In a more peaceful time, I would have wed and lived a normal life... But the Calamity that transpired 100 years ago forever changed my fate. According to Yggdrasil, that great quake caused the evil slumbering deep within the earth to awaken. At that time, the evilspawn rose to Armoroad, resulting in many gruesome assaults on the people... Yggdrasil claimed that only by sinking to the abyss could I prevent the evil from stirring. I obeyed, and submerged part of Armoroad, along with soldiers who vowed to fight the evil with me. We did this to save hundreds whose descendants still live above. Such is the duty of a king.
Wait wait wait. You're saying that Yggdrasil told you to do this and that. Is it alive or something? Just what is it?
Yggdrasil is the World Tree. It may be difficult to credit, but I can converse with Yggdrasil. Since ancient times, only those of Armoroad’s royal family have had this skill. It was knowledge gleaned from Yggdrasil that brought advanced technology to Armoroad. But it is not necessary for you to believe me. So long as both Yggdrasil and I know...
There's something I've been wondering. What is Olympia? She's not a human, that's for sure. She's some kind of robot, I think?
Olympia is my faithful friend and servant. She is a powerful woman who supports me in my struggle. But that was not the intent of your question, was it...? She is not human. Hers is a life born from the forbidden knowledge given to me by Yggdrasil. She moves and speaks as humans do, yet her strength is far mightier... Try and treat her as you would a normal person.
A new option appears after asking everything else, and you can progress with the plot.
I'm concerned about this "evil" you mentioned. Could you tell us more about it?
The king of the Deep Ones I had you meet... Better to call it a god. For them, that is. For humanity, it may as well be a demon. The Deep Ones revere it as it slumbers deep underground. Yggdrasil seals it from awakening and running amok. That is the large tree’s chief purpose. Perhaps you think all this quite absurd, but remember what you saw below, and try to understand. But I have not explained yet why only the Deep City deals with this evil. I shall now do so. ...The evil lurking in the abyss is aware of humanity, and thrives on emotions such as fear. Should Armoroad’s populace learn of this evil’s existence, even Yggdrasil could not hold it... And so, the fewer who know of the evil, the better. That is why we of the Deep City hide ourselves.
So that's why you had all those explorers ki-
I see. So that's why you tried to enlist our help after our arrival. Now that Armoroad found out about the Deep City, there was no point in hiding its existence anymore.
Now that you know this truth... You are honor-bound to join our struggle against the Deep Ones. But first, I should reward your service in traveling to the Hall of Conviction as I asked. Take this. It is also a king’s duty to encourage fine work, after all.
More level ups! 
No:
Do we have to?
Fang!
What’s this...? What I have to say concerns you. Protocol demands you at least lend an ear. Explain it to them, Olympia.
Yes:
Very well.
Good. Tell them, Olympia.
Some have even passed the Hall of Conviction in the Third Stratum. Going as far as they have means provoking the Deep Ones. This is bad for all concerned. It would be better if you went to dissuade them, rather than myself. ...That is all.
Try to resolve this as peacefully as possible. I am relying on your skill, explorers from Armoroad.
Oh boy. I don't think the Senatus is gonna be happy to hear about that.
I certainly hope we're not exempt from exploring any further.
Well, Faye should know about this. And just transpired in there at the very least.
Now that everyone has gained a level, let's spend their skill points.
Our resistance is just too much for you.
I start leveling up Antivolt, since I want it at a decently high level once I reach the 4th Stratum, and maxed out once I reach the 5th.
Scott gains power.
Front Mortar deals 80% damage from the back row, and a whopping 296% damage from the front row.
Ether Mastery increases the power of Asteria's elemental attacks by 10%.
Beast Soul increases the animals' HP by 45%, their attack by 68%, and their defense by 45%. I unlocked more equipment in the store, though there's not much of note.
The Fortune Choker is an upgrade over the Lucky Choker, giving a +5 boost to LUC instead of +3. Now that we got a lot of plot dumped on us, this would be a good time to do another Sea Quest!
Despite the fact that you can't reach Sheba before finding the ruins, Sheba's quests are easier than the Ruins' quests, so we'll look at those first.
Laura
Class: Hoplite
Weapon: Spear
Skillset:
-Recuperate: Level 6
-Parry: Level 3
-Magic Parry: Level 3
-Blitzritter: Level 8
-Shrug Off: Level 3
Supplies:
-3 Amrita IIs
I'm just gonna cut to the chase and say that Laura is USELESS! A Hoplite's job is to protect other people and provide defensive support to the party. Laura does not do any of that. The defensive skills she has benefit her and her only. She even has an offensive skill (Blitzritter), which you don't want a Hoplite wasting their skill points on. Mainly because they have noodle arms and can't do a lot of damage with it. Blitzritter deals Volt/Pierce damage, and the boss is resistant to Volt attacks. Thankfully that's a moot point, since it isn't resistant to Pierce attacks. The boss does have minions to assist them, and they are weak to Bliztritter. Still, treat her like an empty slot, because that's really all she is. This is actually one of the tougher Sea Quests if you bring an unprepared party, because the NPC ally you get here barely does anything to help. Bring 4 of your best party members for this one.
Oh and if you're wondering about the lack of a subclass, none of the Sea Quest NPCs have one. They all stick with their main class.
Tokashiki
Class: Buccaneer
Weapon: Gun
Skillset:
-Trickster: Level 5
-Swashbuckling: Level 6
-Rapid Fire: Level 6
-Pincushion: Level 3
Supplies: None
Oh hey, an actually useful NPC. Tokashiki is one of the main damage dealers for this fight, dealing a decent amount of Pierce damage to the enemies.
Ouha
Class: Buccaneer
Weapon: Rapier
Skillset:
-Chase Thrust: Level 8
-Eagle Eye: Level 5
Supplies:
-1 Amrita II
And Ouha supports his father by decreasing the enemies' defenses with Eagle Eye, and following up on his father's attacks with Chase Thrust. If you bring along party members that deal Pierce damage, Ouha can do even more damage with his Chaser. One of the easier Sea Quests by virtue of having NPCs that actually contribute. Bring a mix of damage dealers and supports. Preferably supports, since the boss and its minions can shut your party down.
Mito
Class: Prince
Weapon: Sword
Skillset:
-Nobility Proof: Level 5
-Royal Veil: Level 5
-Reinforce: Level 5
-Nobility Proof: Level 5
-Attack Order: Level 6
-Fire Arms: Level 5
-Regal Radiance: Level 5
Supplies:
-3 Medica IIs
-1 Amrita II
Whoa, look at that skill list! Mito is a decent support in this fight. He'll try to increase the party's attack, and make heavy use of Regal Radiance. It's handy for clearing out the boss' minions.
Skaide
Class: Hoplite
Weapon: Spear
Skillset:
-Recuperate: Level 3
-Parry: Level 3
-Magic Parry: Level 3
-Line Guard: Level 5
-Anticold: Level 10
-Antivolt: Level 5
-Bodyguard: Level 3
-Shrug Off: Level 3
Supplies:
-1 Amrita
Well look at that. A Hoplite with a good skillset! Don't rely on her too much, through. She'll try to defend the party from the boss' attacks, but she's a bit unreliable. Sometimes she'll use her skills at the right times, and sometimes she won't.
Kirks
Class: Zodiac
Weapon: Book
Skillset:
-Singularity: Level 5
-Fire Star: Level 5
-Binary Fire: Level 3
-Volt Star: Level 5
Supplies:
-3 Amrita IIs
And Kirks is the main damage dealer in this party. The boss in question is weak to Fire attacks, so she'll fire them off pretty often at it. Unfortunately, said boss can also make itself immune to Fire attacks, so that's why she has Volt Star. It's a fallback option in case that happens. Also one of the easier Sea Quests since the NPCs are helpful. Bring whoever you want, but I suggest bringing someone who can deal with ailments. Let's see what our guild has to offer these people.
This fight was the very reason I wanted Anticold to be at max level. The boss has some AOE Ice attacks that deals a decent amount of damage, but has some very nasty secondary effects. One of them puts your entire party to Sleep, while the other lowers their physical damage output for 4 turns. Anyways, Cassandra is our defensive support, and a very good one to bring along to the fight.
Scott is one of our best physical attackers at the moment, what with the Jolly Roger and all. A Head bind can help seal off some of the boss' attacks, but he can only do that once.
Sidney is also another one of our strongest physical attackers, thanks to Front Mortar. He doesn't hit as hard as Scott, but he has access to AOEs. Which can come in handy because the boss has minions to help it out. However, one of the minions has a skill they cast upon dying, which Confuses the entire party. So that's something to be aware of.
Asteria is our elemental attacker, and one of our best damage dealers. She can deal a lot of damage with her Fire attacks, since the boss is weak to them. And because of that, you'd think Hellfire would be a great Limit to use for these Sea Quests, right? Unfortunately, that's not the case. The boss in question loves to place a buff on itself to make it immune to Fire attacks, and it has minions to help it out. If the minions get killed, the boss will re-summon them pretty quickly. And that makes random target attacks a lot less effective. However, it's not all bad. Asteria does have access to AOE skills, and skills that activate on death won't do so to pure elemental attacks. So she can take out some of the minions without subjecting the whole party to Confusion. And Hellfire can be used to deal a lot of damage, but you'll have to do quite a bit of planning to pull that off. You still want elemental damage for the minions, though.
Fang's elephant can be used to get some crowd control going since it can inflict Confusion fairly easily on the minions. Confusion will also disable the on death skills that some of the minions will cast, so that's a good way of shutting them down. But the boss is super resistant to it, so it can only be inflicted once. Primal Drums is also a good debuff to make use of.
Oh, and a word of warning. 
Be careful about using Call Tiger in any of the Sheba Sea Quests! The instant kill from the initial attack has a very nasty bug associated with it. If it happens to kill 2 specific enemies in this quest at the same time, the game will freeze.
Higher and higher I go!
Get down from there before you hurt yourself.
Limit Boost is a very handy passive. Every turn, a character gains 5 to 15 points of Limit, depending on what they do. Limit Boost raises the minimum amount of Limit you can get per turn. At level 4, it increases Limit gain by 8, so Susan will always gain 13 to 15 points of Limit per turn. Meaning that she can refill her Limit Gauge in 8 turns at the most.
Susan is a really good support to bring along to the fight. The boss likes to buff itself so that Fire attacks won't work against it. Well Ad Nihilo takes care of that nicely, and Susan also has Prevent Order to protect the team from whatever ailments the boss and its minions throw out at the party.
Blade Rave now hits from 3 to 5 times, dealing 90% damage per hit. Meaning its average damage output is 360%.
Rose is our durable physical attacker and a safe choice to bring along. With that said, Blade Rave doesn't work all that well in this fight since the boss loves summoning minions.
Earth's Bounty now increases the exp gain by 30%.
Alice isn't gonna be too useful in this fight. Even though she has the ability to instantly kill enemies, the minions are pretty resistant to Instant Death. She only has a 12% to 14% chance of getting pickoffs that way.
Rally Order increases the max HP of a row by 43% at level 5, and 70% at level 10. Getting Rally Order to level 5 unlocked a very good skill.
I'll protect you all!
Say hello to the best healing skill in the entire game! What Protect Order does is that it places a buff on a row that will heal them for a certain amount at the end of the turn for 3 turns. The amount healed follows this formula: TEC * Protect Order Skill Power + a random number from 0 to 5. At level 1, the skill power is 105%. Now believe it or not, that random number from 0 to 5 is actually a very important component of that formula. Because it means that Protect Order is a form of non-fixed healing, which means that Form Qi works with it! So at this point, Protect Order will heal a row for 56 to 61 HP for 3 turns. That's fantastic proactive healing, and means that aside from the initial cast, Faye won't have to lift a finger to heal people. Protect Order lets her do whatever else for a few turns. Oh and a word of warning. Protect Order will not heal the row on the turn it's about to wear off, so be aware of that.
So Faye is our healer, and a really good one at that. She can also heal up any ailments that are inflicted on the party for the fight.
Leveling up Otori to 3 unlocks this skill.
Otori now has a maximum Provoke value of 7. Now I'm not gonna get Nikudan (Translation: Human Bullet) just yet.
Instead, I'm gonna level up Knife Mastery to 5 to unlock this skill.
Knife Mastery increases the damage done by regular attacks by 6%.
Akatsuki is also not a great party member to bring along. There's not much he can do aside from maybe getting a lucky Izuna off. Though he gives us the ability to fight with 6 people at least.
Vote for 3 people you want to see partake in these Sea Quests. Votes must be bolded.