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Episode 2: Part 2: Reaching Lide
As a reward for our twin plunge victories we find ourselves in Final Fantasy VI
It was an accident.
Right, right. That Rosmar guy had it coming though.
Maybe...
You shouldn't feel bad about what happened.
This affects some Rhue Point gain/loss so I go for the gain.
Is it because of the girl?
Lyrra?
Yes.
And this is for Lyrra gain/loss. I go for the gain.
Maybe? Is that the best you can do?
I guess Lyrra was nice...
But?
I have someone else on my mind.
I see... You'll have to tell me more about this the next time we stop to rest.
All right.
Now might be a good time to try out that new Aura I taught you to use on the way over here.
Apparently your sword is able to use multiple auras and the Piercer and Slasher auras have been inbedded (sic) in it for awhile.
The Slasher Aura for my sword?
Yes. So far you've been using what is known as the Piercer Aura.
While both the Slasher and Piercer Auras are Weapon Auras, both have varying results against different enemies.
Traziun says some stuff I explained already and I go and check out the new aura.
Level 1 Slasher is worse than Piercer was at level 1 in every way. And Piercers level 2 now! I switch to Slasher anyway, since I like to keep the Auras of the same subset at around the same level.
Nearby we jump over to get this. Then we resume heading north...
Do you think bandits did this?
I don't know... They were both stabbed with a sword.
Looks like they probably died very quickly.
Yep...
...
I'm not sure I want to find out what happened to it...
It looks like it would be easy to find out...
Still... Are you sure you want to know?
Yes. I'm going to see what's in that cluster of trees.
Be careful, it might be a trap of some kind...
Right.
When Rhue reaches the edge of the map he just stands there for a while.
Rhue?
How strange...
What is it?
I found the body...
And?
It looks like someone was trying to bury it, but had to run off before finishing.
Lands... These murders looked recent, but... You don't think that...
Yes, the killer might still be close...
I doubt there's only one killer...
For some reason I disagree... (Did I see him last night?)
One person killed all three of these people?
That's what I believe... (But why didn't he kill me?)
I don't know about that...
Maybe if we hurry we can catch up to him.
Woa! Are you insane? I don't think that we want to meet whoever attacked these people.
Eh, you could kick their ass alone Traziun.
Stay behind if you like.
You're seriously going?
Yes, and you?
Fine, fine. I'll go. I don't think you'd stand much of a chance alone.
So we all move on and into a fight.
Curiously, the two spesta have different weaknesses. One's weak to Slasher and ones weak to Piercer.
They make you bleed and 'annoy' people so they go berserk.
We also get the Slasher Pattern in a chest.
Here's what I call a Priority 1 item.
Also, while you can't do anything to improve partymembers, they typically get a boost between episodes or even between scenes on rare occassions. Traziun is hitting like a truck right now and far outclasses Rhue when before he was only a bit better until he could use an XLIFE.
These shitheads have lots of hp and blow poison on everyone. They give nice AR and CTP though!
Hell yeah. Also the second screen is just a kind of dull looking woods in the southern half...
You can jump across a nearby river to find one of the games actually-not-obnoxious secrets.
Still worse than Piercer in every single way. I switch back to Piercer since it was over halfway to level 3.
Also Rhue finally got off Wanderer classification. Plyn! I thought there was a Lyn rank too but I guess not.
Plunge 3 means he does 1-6 damage in Plunges. When he gets Plunge: 4, he gets a new 'die. So he'll be doing 1d6+1d2 per pass.
The north half of the area is a bit more interesting. Also when you set foot on these stairs, a horrible noise that sounds like an evil cow lowing as it dies with a voice filter overlaid plays.
I don't know.
It came from over that way. Let's go take a look.
I knew you were going to say that.
Rhue wont let us progress until we investigate the evil cow sound. And when we walk in a little, he says "What the..." And runs the rest of the way on his own.
Gaius, what happened to you?
When I got to the middle I heard a loud crack and suddenly I was falling.
That's odd. I've never heard of anything like this ever happening before... Well, never on its own anyway.
I guess Forerunners really make those bridges last huh? I suppose it makes sense, if people are only going to be around for a decade or two at most.
What do you mean?
I mean that this was probably no accident. Someone rigged the bridge.
I agree. Someone wanted that bridge to give way.
Kind of a random attack method.
Yes, whoever did this probably had no idea who would stumble into the trap.
It was just bad luck that it was you Gaius.
...
Do you think bandits did this?
Maybe, but if bandits set this trap you would think that they would pounce on their prey once the trap was sprung.
Yes, and I wasn't robbed or harmed in any other way.
In any case, we need to get across that bridge.
Does anyone have any rope?
Rope? No.
I don't have any rope either.
I guess we'll need to find some then.
... You know, I think we should just jump across.
I like to think this is Lun poking fun of all the games where characters apparently need rope, magical powers, jetpacks, jumping boots and climbing gear to get across metre wide gaps and stuff, if they can even do it at all.
I agree with Rhue. Besides, where are we going to find rope out here?
I see your point. Well them, if everyone is ready, let's get on with this.
But really, carrying rope is just smart.
Anyway, I find another piece of Focite and continue on.
We jump down a point of no return...
Jump the bridge with no drama!
Meet a sheep!
Find a chest loaded with AR somehow?!?!?
Pretty good, and I got a new XLIFE move now. Gasher. I switch to Slasher again.
We jump another gap that DOESN'T have a bridge for some reason even though it's the only way to go forward.
I didn't switch the Patterns like I do Sword Auras. That's because if I did, I'd just get another Level 1 Flow instead of getting a Second and Third Level Flow sooner.
So I tend to max them one at a time.
And a little further on...
So, we finally meet the infamous Blue Scarves...
B. SCARVE #1: Well, what do we have here?
B. SCARVE #2: Looks like these boys are packing some weapons.
B. SCARVE #1: Do you think they know how to use them very well?
B. SCARVE #2: Doubt it.
There's really only one way to find out boys.
...
B. SCARVE #1: That sword in your hand is going to belong to me very shortly, little red.
This is otensibly a boss fight, but its a very easy one. Gaius didn't get nearly as much of a boost as Traziun did, but he's on par with Rhue. The Blue Scarves aren't identical either. One's tougher but only gets one XL per turn, and ones weaker but gets 2 XL. And they use different moves. Not that they get a chance to this time. Traziun crits one for 80 damage which still isnt enough to kill one in one turn, but its enough so that we make quick work of this boss fight before we even have the XL to use any of OUR moves.
Worth it.
That's that.
That's only two. I wonder where the main force is.
Let's not stick around to find out.
Agreed.
One last bridge and the end of this leg of the journey is in sight.
This settlement... it looks...
Ugly?
Yes, but that's not what I was going to say.
It seems most are ugly these days.
Hmm?
So often people get comfortable in such places and their focus on the important things in life fades.
Sometimes it makes you wonder if the Guided are right.
The Guided? Right about what?
The Guided believe that all settlements are evil. They think that the Purpose never intended for wanderers to settle.
What lies. I hope you don't believe any of that crap.
No, I think it is one of the most flawed doctrines of the Guided.
What is it that you believe?
I believe in the Purpose. I just don't think it's what most people make it out to be.
So you don't think it wants to help us?
I'm not sure, but for all we know it might actually want to hurt us.
...
I never thought about it that way.
Well, it's not a popular view.
Yea, I bet.
The discussion is interrupted by a guy flying through the front window. Also, at the bottom left you'll notice that a shadowy figure atop the wall, ran up to peer at our heroes and then fled again. You might also notice it's definitely not the same shadow we've been seeing up to now.
Lands!!! What's going on?
Either someone was caught cheating at a game or there is a beautiful woman in there.
Beautiful woman? Why would you think that?
Trust me, I've seen this kind of thing before. It isn't pretty. But let's go have a look any way.
Okay, I'll be right behind you.
I don't think so. It doesn't look like my kind of place.
Plus I'm scheduled to monologue to myself and drop some huge clues and plot hooks for the players.
Suit yourself. Let's go Rhue!
"I don't get it... Rhue doesn't seem to remember me at all. Is it an act? His aura is muddled...
Maybe he just wants to forget about that person... we killed. Actually, he gets most of the credit for that one I guess.
That's probably it.
If he really doesn't remember..."
This is great.
But still, why does his name strike me as odd? Wasn't that the name of...
Maybe it's just a coincidence.
Then there's a strange sound and Gaius turns the other way.
Duty calls.
So uh. Yeah, pretty early on it's made very blatant that Rhue is fucked up and Rhue might not even be his real name, and something might be up with his memory.
In particular, Gaius references someone he and Rhue killed together. This is probably the single most important event in the whole backstory and we wont find out what its about for a very long time. When we do? Well... It changes our perspective on a lot of things. The game continues to make it obvious from here on that there's something off with Rhue, and he doesn't even realise it but it goes all out here from the very start. We only had a couple brief hints in Episode 1.
Also, I guess Gaius is both a Senser and a Shifter. Huh. I always forget about that. But having a muddled aura is also very bad. We wont get the explanation on what exactly a person's aura is until Episode 4, but you'll understand then why it's bad.
Oh and also, this settlement is named Lide by the way.
the end