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Part XV: The Island We Claimed
And we're back. Again in the Exploration menu, no less. Kannono Island is named after Kannono, the co-protagonist who stars in the Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology sub-series (three of them, so far). Kannono herself has three iterations: Kannono Pasca (in the first one. not her surname, but her homeland), Kannono Earhart for number two, and Kannono Grassvalley for number three.
Talking to this guy before we leave will unlock our second Class 4 island. Well, we certainly have to make this world safe if the Abbey won't, right?
Once you're done, talk to Benwick there. He'll tell you that a sylphjay sent from the Bloodwings carried a message that our presence was requested in Loegres. Sounds like they have more work for us and hey, we can go back and investigate that griffon again to see if it really is a therion. Win-win. Time to shove off from this blighted land.
I didn't say we were going there right away, though. This island, in addition to having the second Class 4 battle, also has a Katz box on the far side of those stairs. 135 this time, but never mind that, we've got some beasts to hunt. We won't get a Glacite or Ventite from this Quarter, but we do Featherlight Steps, a nice little accessory.
Oh yeah, for the previous few updates, my idol costumes weren't actually complete. I was missing a ribbon for Rin, a crown for Anzu, and a hat for Kirari. Well, better late than never with a new line-up. Magilou is using her Legacy costume here, modeled after Arche Klaine, the pink-haired witch from Tales of Phantasia. She was the fourth of six party members to join (technically the fifth, because Chester, Cless' friend, briefly joins the party in the first act, but he's more a guest until later in the game) and was the resident Black Mage.
Oh, speaking of Chester, I should note that he is the "hunter" the description mentions here. "Affection" more refers to a love (kinda)/hate relationship he has with Arche, for the record. Now it's time to finally return to Midgand. On the seas
Speaking of cameo outfits, Laphicet's here is Richard from Tales of Graces. Every now and then cameo costumes won't try at all to have the character being cosplayed as be the same build as the character who gets their costume. Richard is a tall man so, quite unlike Laphicet. Genis' cameo outfit in the Tales of Symphonia Chronicles release on PS3, where he has Luke's (Tales of the Abyss) outfit, is another example.
*takes out locket-thing* (I lost my mother to a daemon... Yet that girl's a therion... I...I don't even know what I want anymore.)
*turns toward Eleanor* Hey, that's pretty! You like to look at that thing, don't you?
Yes. My moth-- Someone very important to me gave me this. I treasure it a lot. Looking at it gives me strength. Do you want to see it?
Yeah! *looks at it, collapses*
What's wrong?!
My face... It's... It's scary!
Mommy... Mommy...
(When I was her age... That's just how I cried.) Kamoana. I want you to see this.
It's actually just a two second cutscene of Eleanor opening up her outfit a bit to show Kamoana an injury she received, because I guess they couldn't communicate that well-enough for these late-PS3, early PS4-caliber models. Speaking of Eleanor in this particular outfit, after this scene is over, on your first playthrough, you'll get her Jacketless outfit.
It's big and ugly, isn't it? There're scary things about my body, too. But do you think I'm scary, Kamoana?
...No, not at all. But are you all right? Does that hurt?
Thanks, sweetie. I'm all right, I promise.
What about me? Do you think I'm scary?
You're such a sweetheart, Kamoana. Nobody could ever be scared of you. Not me, not your mother, not Laphicet. You don't have to cry anymore. It'll be OK, I promise.
OK...
That scar... Was it from a daemon?
Yeah. They attacked my village when I was a girl. I was so hurt I couldn't move, but my mother lured them away from me so I could survive.
What happened to her?
...
Come to the deck. Grimoirh says she's learned something from the book. *looks at Laphicet* ...Hey. Why's your face so red?
It's nothing.
Somehow I doubt that.
It's nothing, I swear!
Uh-huh... Up on deck, the party has a big discussion about therions. From what Grimoirh has surmised / deduced, you can't especially kill off therions i.e. Innominat's mouths. Sure, you can kill them individually, but a new vessel for its power will then be chosen and the feeding will continue. So the party devises a plan that, once the therions are removed from the earthpulse points, they'll be taken somewhere safe where they can neither be easily recaptured nor killed by the Abbey. Sounds good to me. Still, Grimoirh does seem troubled about something... Money talks
Hey, old man! Gimme all the water and food you got!
Wait your turn, moron! I was drifting out at sea for three days! Almost died out there?
Wah wah, poor you! You probably deserved it!
Say that again, wiseass! I dare ya!
Ah, shut up, both of ya! No one's getting anything until you pay me what you own first.
A-Are they gonna be OK?
Don't pay them any mind. Sailors are just a short-tempered bunch, that's all.
Huh? The hell are you doing?!
*everyone walks over* What's going on?
They've jacked up the price to dock our ship here.
Oh yeah? Some real balls you've got there, buddy.
If YOU lot want to moor here, that's the price you're gonna pay. Look, pirates are a liability to begin with, but calling your crew "infamous" these days would be putting it lightly. The more wanted you are, the more it's gonna cost to hide you. Capisce?
Ordinarily I'd say he has a point, but Midgand is the heart of the enemy's territory. If it were really such a liability to be here, we'd have exorcists and imperial soldiers swarming us already, not to mention a description of our ship. I think this guy's just making excuses.
*sigh* Hard to argue there. Benwick, just pay the man what he wants.
Ugh... Yes, sir. You're such pushovers, you and the Cap'n both.
I knew I could count on you to come through, Eizen. Pleasure doing business with you! *walks off*
Looks like I'm causing you trouble.
It comes with the job. Don't sweat it. Some sailors just have longer tempers than others.
Heh. Noted.
How ironic. This conversation's all about the Van Eltia's backstory, and, as a bonus, Eizen's history with it. Apparently Eizen has been on this tub for quite some time, his Reaper's Curse leading to the deaths of three key members of its original crew (him being a stowaway, but not without excuse, until Aifread was able to perceive him). Also on this ship's list of troubles is hitting an iceberg, caught in storms, menaced by a whale, and the list goes on. Maybe this ship is cursed aside from being associated with Eizen, after all...
But hey, in a skit afterwards, Eizen reveals that, although he initially joined the Van Eltia to find a way to break his curse on the far continent, more personal reasons have caused him to remain with it. Good to know. The other conversation in town is a couple of sailors discussing the fact that the daemons who wrecked Vortigern and killed Gideon are one in the same. Velvet does have a point about chaos allowing us to move more freely, but I'd argue we did neither. We were just *in* Vortigern at the time it got ruined. All we did was open a couple of gates. There is one final conversation in the inn, but while you're on the way, don't forget to talk to Zekson's Bloodwings rep to turn in the Southgand hunts. Good for 7700 gald, combined.
More Vortigern chat in the tavern. No matter where the sea routes run through, the people will find a way to profit. Speaking of profit, after this conversation, I did a little selling of trash equipment I'll never use and got the ship to level 3 (a Silky Touch Garment as a reward) and then level 4 (Adept's Glacite, provides a chance of reducing item use cooldown time). Oh, speaking of, the item shop in Zekson is named Dunamis, which was the last name of Tales of Destiny 2's protagonist.
Referring to the Bloodwings. Eleanor is not a fan of our ties to this bunch, but luckily, that decision is not up to her. Although you COULD go on to Loegres after this skit, actually another sidequest has started in Reneed. Rokurou's, to be exact. We'll be going after that now.
But this is certainly one thing Eleanor didn't count on hearing, about Velvet's expert dove mimicry. She has so little idea of this party's talents.
Specifically, this guy's conversation starts Rokurou's sidequest. A daemon in the Laban Tunnel i.e. way out of our way and we have no reason to go there. So of course, we're going there. This search party was going to search for a Count Capalus, which is a noble family equivalent to Oscar's, at least according to Eleanor. This family is not a fan of the Abbey, presumably because the Abbey are the new kids on the block and have usurped their vaunted position with the royal family. Well, of course, Velvet has no interest in the politics, but a strong daemon running around is not to our benefit.
And we're back, in the deepest part of the West Laban Tunnel. Ah, a giant scorpion daemon. I should have known. Sekret
So actually, although this boss had some build-up in the form of that previous conversation, this is actually just a glorified Code Red Hunt. Why it's here, like this, instead of hanging out normally...I do not know. Anyway, it's a scorpion, so most of its attacks wil come in the form of swiping with its claws or attacking with its stinger via its Break Soul, Tail Whip, which is multiple thrusts in a single direction that's almost guaranteed to KO anyone in range. It also blocks a lot, but I've found it's less likely to do if you attack from behind or while it's moving around. You can also use Eleanor's Break Soul to break its guard.
Once you stand victorious, you get the Defender's Ventite, which is pretty neat. During an enemy's Mystic Arte, if you press the Guard button before an individual strike of the enemy's Mystic Arte connects, you can significantly reduce the damage. This can be done multiple times. I'll have to give this one a shot. Though, from what I recall, the next enemy who uses Mystic Artes is a ways away.
One final note, after this boss, you get a skit about Rokurou's past with Shigure. Apparently it worried the head of Rokurou's family that Shigure was never one for chains of command, and he assigned Rokurou to handle the situation. He did not. The failure to do his duty is what led to Eighth Son's imprisonment in Titania.
At last, once you're done with all that, you can use a Denore Bottle to warp to the entrance to the dungeon, and then a Denore Bottle to warp to Port Zekson's south entrance to get back to the main plot. Handy. When you're back in Danaan Highway, you'll have another skit a short ways down to the path (they're not in Loegres, despite what the skit starts by saying), and then a second, about deciphering the book. Well, gotta pass the time somehow.
And NOW we're back. This place hasn't changed a bit. Except for, perhaps, the citizenry being a little more on edge after that raid on the villa. Also a skit to greet us.
If you explored one of the branches of the Danaan Highway earlier in the plot when we were running those jobs for the Bloodwings, there was one exit that was blocked by Abbey soldiers. That was the path to the Aldina Plains, so looks like another place to explore sooner or later. Exciting. I was looking forward to Magilou's daemon doll story, though...
The other conversation, well... Magic act
What's with this crowd?
Majelu's Troupe just put on a real show. Man, it was the best! Her dancing was every bit as great as I'd heard.
Wow, THE Majelu?!
Surely you mean Magilou! Has my time to bask in fame finally come at long last?!
No... We're talking about Majelu, not Magilou.
You know, Lulu, the famous dancer? She actually goes by "The Majestic Lulu", but everyone calls her Majelu.
Just watching the beauty of her dance, you can't help but feel lie maybe everything's gonna turn out okay in the world.
Sounds like a pretty cheerful act she has.
Cheerful?! This is all a ripoff! She's just trying to pass off as Magilou's Menagerie and profit from our good name!
What good name? We don't actually perform anything.
I was planning on getting started eventually! But now this con artist comes along and ruins everything! I can't just ignore that, you know.
It's Majelu!
You did great today, Majelu! I loved it!
Thank you so much! But according to my teacher I still have a long way to go. I'll work hard and do better next time, so I hope you'll come see me!
Majelu's teacher is a dancer named Valta whose immense talent brought him all the fame in the world. But Valta suffered a tragic injury that took him forever from the stage, and now Majelu is working hard to carry on his dream.
Hmph. So, you're Majelu, then?
I am. My teacher and I work really hard to put on performances that'll leave a lasting impact. And I refuse to let anyone call me a phony.
Oh? And how do you propose to stop me? Taking it to the stage and seeing which one of us can better hold a crowd?
Yes, that's just what I was hoping for.
Please, Magilou. We've got exorcists, Shepherds, daemons, soldiers, clergy...we don't need any more enemies.
Lulu, don't go around picking petty fights.
But sir, this woman, she...
You should know better. If you have the energy to spare spitting vitriol at people, you should refocus that anger into moving your body. If you need to express yourself, do it on the stage.
Y-Yes, sir! You're right!
*doubles over*
Teacher, is the pain acting up again?!
It's no matter. What does pain compare to losing the ability to dance? Anyway, what matters is how you're holding up.
I-I'm fine, sir!
Good. Then let's head back and practice some more. *the pair leave*
He seems strict...
*nods* He does. But keep in mind that Valta recognized her talent at a young age. He even adopted her so he could pass on everything he knew. He might be strict, but only because he believes in her.
You sure know an awful lot about them.
I'm...sort of a fan of theirs, you could say.
*sighs*
A teacher and his student, chasing after the same dream... What a sweet little story they have.
And after that line, we get a skit, also part of the above video. Notable in that, as you might guess, this starts Magilou's Sidequest, wherein she wants to start her own traveling performance: a comedy act. Eizen's actually in favor of it, since, if she brings in the customers, she also brings in the money, but with Magilou being in charge of this operation, well... Let's just say I don't have the greatest faith in it. Oh, not Magilou in particular, I just mean everyone else, who don't seem to share her comedic sensibilities. We'll just have to see where this goes.
Oh, and unlike the scene that started Laphicet's Sidequest, this isn't required viewing to continue the plot. It's just, y'know, you should.
Couple more points of interest before we continue, though. This "Magillanica" was apparently quite the magician, even earning her the title of "The Little Witch" before drawing the ire of the Abbey. What relation it may or may not have to Magilou, well...jury's still out.
Some points of interest in the third NPC battle of Character Cards. Amazingly, that second screenshot? He *still* managed to lose, because he ran out of cards before declaring victory, even with all these hands already in his possession. Bird in the hand, son. Bird in the hand. As for the other two, well, *I'M* proud of getting those hands. Symphonia was the first Tales I ever played (and I've played the hell out of it, beating it probably about 12 times between the GCN and PS3 releases) and Phantasia PSX is the earliest Tales I've ever played. Phantasia PSX, or, as I call it, the "real" Tales of Phantasia. He didn't manage to win a single hand against me.
Another random NPC connecting Berseria and Zestiria. He also mentions that the Isles of Lakehaven are surrounded by a constant thunderstorm, which certainly sounds inconvenient. Well, we can wait a few thousand years for it to clear up, right?
As for the other conversations, this conversation is more people vastly inflating the danger of this bunch we're controlling (well, sorta...) but they're unintentionally more accurate than they think.
The other one, near the item shop, is about Velvet getting mad a couple of older women placing a lot of faith in Artorius. The party definitely isn't taking the incognito approach around here, but if you're willing to head to the castle gate, you can get a special series of conversations. Oh, another note, the item shop here is named "Wilder", Zelos' last name from Symphonia. And his half-sister's.
Also, you can in the Sekret hunt in now, and it's listed before the Southgand hunts, so I guess the Rokurou quest could have started before we went there. Possibly.
Yep, Magilou speaks Dog. She's a wunderkind, what can I tell you? This dog is very upset about not having its day. Can't help you there... And if you talk to it afterwards, the dog has figured out 1+1. Better be careful of these mutts. Also, feel free to help yourself to a well-disguised Verbena growing near a tree just behind you.
Dogs, not big fans of dog-based sayings, apparently. In a voiceless conversation afterwards, you also learn it's pumping itself up for something. Good to know.
Well...this pooch has certainly got us there. In the final conversation, Magilou says dogs think of humans as "arful". Such high-strung canines around here, sheesh. Maybe we'll have more fun at the tavern. Once you examine the door, you get a short skit where Eleanor gets told to wait outside, because Velvet thinks they wouldn't be too keen on an exorcist seeing their faces. Certainly makes sense. Laphicet gets to wait behind, too. We may fight alongside each other but Velvet doesn't trust Eleanor THAT much yet. Wheeling and dealing
What do you want?
Heh. It would do you good to unwind every now and again, you know. Stretch a bow too far, and its string is bound to snap.
What do you want?
*sigh* I would like you to escort this person out of the capital.
...Something smells about this. Literally. Where am I taking them?
Somewhere the authorities can't reach them.
Sounds nice. I could do with such a place myself.
No joke. We've been looking for a place to lay low, but we haven't had any luck yet.
Well, come to think of it, I've heard a rumor that it's been a while since the Abbey has had any contact from Titania.
The prison island!
Titania? But I thought the Abbey was in direct control of that place. Has the situation there gotten that bad since you left?
Sometimes the answer is right under your nose. I think it might work.
Yeah, could make for a decent hideout, actually. The therions could definitely get their fill of malevolence there.
And the Abbey is far too goody-goody to imagine an escaped prisoner would ever return to her prison by her own free will.
At the very least, I'd say it's worth checking out.
...I take it our intel has proven useful?
It has. But before we go... Have you heard anything about the Abbey harboring daemons?
...I'm aware there was a daemon in the villa. And that it has been relocated.
Where?
I can't say right this moment... But I'm sure we will find out shortly.
All right... Then in exchange for this passenger's safety, I want more information on that daemon.
You've got a deal. Eizen, I heard about your confrontation with Melchior. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you find him.
Yeah, you really blew that one, toots.
It's fine. What's done is done.
Have you given up on finding Aifread?
No, I haven't. The crew and I will do whatever we can to quash the Abbey's plans. We do them enough damage, and the Abbey ought to start thinking about putting their hostage to good use. They'll set him up as a trap for us... And that's when we'll steal him back.
Attacking the Abbey to create an opening for his escape.
Clever.
Later that night... In the lion's den
They're taking a while...
Yeah.
*looks at Laphicet*
The Shepherd has a special mission for you. You are to protect the malak Laphicet and bring him to the Loegres Abbey headquarters.
*clenches fist*
What's wrong?
...Hey, you want to take a walk around the capital for a bit? I can show you some of the sights.
But, um...
You... You can't trust me. I understand.
No, it's not that, I promise. I'd love to go sightseeing with you, Eleanor.
Laphicet... Er, well... W-We'll do it another time, OK?
Why?
Get mad about what?
Ouch...good timing.
Ah, you're done. And who is this?
A VIP entrusted to us by the head of the Bloodwings. We're stowing them away on Titania where the bad guys can't get at them.
The prison island?! Just who is this person?
Didn't ask.
What?!
...Hey, something smells nice.
Huh? *sniffs*
Stop sniffing things. We're leaving.
Indeed, no more sniffing...but only after this skit about Laphicet and Eleanor continuing to sniff around, literally. Something about this guy certainly seems to have piqued Eleanor's interest, but she just seemingly can't place where she's encountered it before. We'll have to save it for later.
Nope, not stopping to rest for tonight. We're just headed straight back to Zekson.
Yay, the cameo costumes get their own special victory quotes. I do like how you can pick out a lot of them because the bearer is acting out of character. Also, in cameo costume tradition, we of course get special music. For the Arche outfit, you actually get two: Conclusion, and the first-ever generic Tales battle theme, the classic Take Up the Cross. I think almost every Tales that has either had a Phantasia cameo character or Phantasia cosplay outfit has had this song present. As for Conclusion, it was the first of two final boss themes for Dhaos, Phantasia's main antagonist. As a bonus, you also get Go a step further for the victory theme.
Actually, seeing the artwork this uploader uses for these songs, the Tales series had like, what, 16 mainline entries now, and nobody has ever cosplayed as Klarth or Chester in any of them. Poor guys. Also a fun fact is that Eizen's Japanese seiyuu, Morikawa Toshiyuki, also has been the seiyuu for Dhaos ever since Dhaos' original seiyuu, Shiozawa Kaneto, passed away between the SNES and PSX versions of the game. And remember what the reverse side of his coin depicts? The demon lord, Dhaos.
This is a very important conversation to have, because Magilou and....Velvet decide to put on a manzai routine (straight man / funny man) for the crowd...at least, that was the idea. Velvet...well, let's just say that when it comes to confronting the world's savior, she's in her element. But when she's confronting a crowd, it's quite a bit more of a challenge.
To sever that humiliation from the party's memory, time to head for the docks. The test
Well, if you want to pay less, maybe you should go find someone more generous, hm?
Looks like they're at it again.
Huh? What's happening?!
*rushes over* Benwick, snap out of it! Benwick! *shakes him*
Huh...? I...was haggling for supplies, and...
Tell you what... I'll give you a fair price... Actually, just take what you need... We should all endeavor to help contribute to the common good of humanity, rather than selfishly pursue wanton profit...
What? Are you sure?
No... Wait... What was I saying...?
You felt that too, didn't you, kiddo?
Yeah... It disappeared, but I felt a strong force coming from somewhere to the north.
It's called a "domain"--a malak's sphere of influence.
Wait, if it's north of here, then...
The Empyrean's Throne?
Did that happen because of something Innominat and Artorius did?
...I don't know.
I've got a bad feeling about this. We should get far away from here, and quickly. *everyone walks off*
Well, if it came in that direction, I very much doubt that's a coincidence. Sounds like Innominat's getting closer, and that certainly cannot be good. Before you weigh anchor for Titania, there's a conversation in town with more of the aftereffects of...whatever that all was. Sounds like everyone's over it now, but not sure if that's a particularly good thing.
Out at sea... The defection
...You're right. My apologies. *removes hood*
I knew it! Prince Percival!
So he's next in line, is he?
It looks like someone already had me figured out.
Yes, Your Highness. I could tell from your Fragrant Wood scent, as only the royal family may wear it. But if I may ask, why?
Must I explain myself to gain your aid? I myself could ask what an exorcist is doing consorting with members of the underworld.
I... I don't...
It doesn't matter why you're here. On this ship, you're here for us to use to our advantage.
Treat me as you will. It's not like I can ever go back. *walks away*
Afterwards we get a skit with the party talking about recent events, including Velvet revealing she knew, too (though I'm not sure how, considering she was very far away from Percival during Artorius' speech). Fun fact, I only gave Percival a unique avatar earlier because I thought it would be inappropriate to give the crown price the Generic Male Speaker image, but it actually worked out pretty well, didn't it?
A trip over to Titania later. It's been a while...
Weirdly quiet, though.
Yeah, I don't see a single exorcist on watch.
Let's scope out the inside.
There's the usual assortment of random junk on these docks, nothing worthy of note. The real action is inside. The hate-filled prison
*collapses*
Are you all right?!
U-Urgh... Headless...kni...knight...tss...back...
...She's dead.
The headless knight is "back"?
Think this is the daemon that attacked her?
Hmmm, another prison riot?
Kurogane, Dyle! You two protect Kamoana and the prince!
Got it!
Once again, a Mystic Arte interrupts Magilou's great pun here. The worst. After punching and stabbing its lights out in seconds...
So did the Abbey actually fail to quell the riot?
I find that hard to believe. The prison was heavily staffed with exorcists.
Perhaps it was venomization.
Venomization?
A dark ritual forcing daemons to each other in order to produce ever-stronger daemons.
So the daemons devoured each other, creating a daemon too powerful for the exorcists to control?
I imagine the riot didn't help.
Now whose fault could that have been, I wonder?
Whatever happened doesn't matter to us now. We need to focus on how to take this place for ourselves.
That exorcist from before said something about a "headless knight", right?
That one's probably the leader.
Then we hunt it down and destroy it..
Until we capture the island, let's use this room for our staging ground. I'll leave the prince and Kamoana to you two. Eliminate any enemies who come in.
Understood.
Don't expect much from me, but all right.
*walks over to Kamoana* Kamoana, if anything happens, call for me and I'll come running to protect you. OK?
OK. You stay safe, too, Eleanor.
Let's go.
Now I'm suddenly not too confident about leaving these four alone...
This cliff side area is found by following the corridor underneath the stairs in that first room. There's nothing particularly special here, but be wary of these enemies, the gargoyle ones, that are now infesting the island. They are very hearty enemies, taking way too long to kill, and they also act as meat shields for caster enemies, which, in this dungeon, take the form of disembodied boar heads floating around and reskins of those Witch enemies riding on brooms.
Especially with the fact that most of Titania is very tight corridors, getting stuck with a bunch of gargoyles and casters can be a recipe for disaster. It's just generally not worth fighting these enemies.
That door in the distance leads to a tower we can climb up a ladder for a Fatigue Ward, but that conversation icon is actually a return of the Turtlez. But this time, we have Eleanor in store.
A woman's smile is valuable legal tender around these parts. Shortly after this skit, make sure to pick up Amphibole Daggers for Rokurou and continue on downstairs. We're actually headed back to where Velvet's cell was. As you get closer, you'll get one skit about educating Eleanor about what happened here previously, and a skit curiously titled "What's a Kodoku?", which, Wikipedia helpfully informs is "Japanese curse magic". This skit is actually about the whole venomization thing Eizen talked about earlier, but they never once say "Kodoku" in this skit. Very curious.
As for the venomization itself, well, it definitely doesn't sound like a pleasant experience, either for the one getting stronger or the devoured.
Before you go back to Velvet's home for three years, don't forget to check out this cell block for Cumbrous Daggers and this box. This one gave me a Therapy Cat, which Rokurou is currently wearing on its head. And it is very happy up there. Once you pass by the storage room where Rokuruo recovered Stormhowl, just head down the stairs. Confrontations
The headless knight!
He must be the product of the venomization.
Well, he definitely looks vicious enough.
Not as vicious as our Velvet, though!
You first. The very originally-named Antique Armor (wasn't that a Castlevania enemy?) has an axe and...that's just about it. Not a lot of health, not a lot of attacks, and very easy to combo. I guess he can do decent damage with his swipes but that really is all he has in store for you. If this is the sum total of the venomization process, I cannot say I am either impressed or intimidated.
Well, that takes care of that.
*looks into her former cell* Yeah...
*water effect* I feel something again!
More malevolence?
No, another earthpulse point. It must be on this island.
I sense it, too. It's very close.
*nods*
Directly underneath us, I would guess.
Down we go...
Welcome to the most secure cell in the entire complex. The darkest hole in Titania. Feel anything, Laphicet?
Yeah. I think this is the earthpulse point.
If this cell is where the earthpulse point is, then does that mean it housed a therion?
Yeah, and a real hungry one at that. Every day, they would toss daemons into its cell. It would devour its fill, then wipe the blood from its lips. Never once realizing it was delivering to Innominat the malevolence of hundreds of daemons and prisoners. And then one day there appeared before it a female malak, who shattered the barrier and freed the therion from its cage. But the therion knew no mercy, and it devoured its liberator. And it was then...
Velvet... You're a therion?!
The prison island was a feeding ground for the therion, harnessing the malevolence created by the prisoners within.
But because Velvet escaped, the malevolence went out of control.
The same darn thing that happened back in Kamoana's village.
*shakes head* Lord Artorius would never have done such a thing...
No? What's so unbelievable? That he used his wife's brother as a human sacrifice? That he imprisoned his wife's sister? Because that's what your damned holy Shepherd did! All to get his hands on Innominat's power!
I'm sure he...he had a reason for--
To spare the world of its pain? Don't give me that! Who will spare my brother's pain?! Who will soothe my brother's despair?! He murdered my little brother Laphi! And you'll stand there and tell me it was for the "greater good"?! *lets go of Eleanor, backs off* *sighs* At any rate... That's one less therion for us to track down.
Velvet...
(Help... Eleanor...!)
Despite parentheses usually indicating thinking, here it's clear Kamoana is yelling. At least in Eleanor's head...somehow.
Kamoana?
What? Did Velvet yell at you so hard you're starting to hear voices now?
...I have a feeling something's wrong. Kamoana could be in danger.
But we already beat the headless knight.
I still can't shake this feeling! Please, let's go back and check on them!
It certainly can't hurt to check. Besides, hanging out in this cell...not my idea of a good time. Right after this scene ended, I discovered the route to the Normin Islands, but we're still busy on Kanonno.
Along the way, you'll get a couple skits for your approval. The first, the party finally getting Velvet's backstory instead of just knowing about her grudge against Artorius. The second, about therions in general. Unfortunately, it's not possible to eat just the malevolence.
And this, right here, is precisely the problem fighting spellcasting enemies with meat shield support in tight spaces. Once you get to the room before the docks we arrived in, you'll get a short exchange of Kamoana yelling in terror and Eleanor saying we had to hurry. Not like we didn't already know that, of course. To the rescue
Kamoana! *jumps down, everyone follows*
Eleanor! You really came back for me...
A promise is a promise, sweetheart.
A headless knight...and a horse daemon!
It's giving off a ton of malevolence.
This must be the true survivor of the venomization process.
Ooooooohhh, I get it! The dying exorcist lady wasn't saying "Headless knight is back", she was going for "Headless knight on horseback!"
Whatever the case, we'll fight whoever we have to to claim this island!
Eizen, quit encouraging him. One of these days he's gonna take you seriously. So Dullahan can be a pretty tough boss. As you might guess, most of his attacks involve swiping or thrusting his spear forward or charging around the battlefield. Because of its speed and the reach of its spear, the backline is rarely safe, though you'll want to hunt it down if Dullahan decides the squish mages would make for easier targets.
Once it gets low on HP, it'll add Call Backup to its line-up, summoning a rather weak enemy to help it out. The enemy itself is pretty simple, but it's more the denial of movement and ability to stun you at the worst time is the main danger of it lumbering around. Best way to finish off Dullahan is to get Velvet to use her Break Soul against it. Pile on her Power Combo starters with good combo units like Rokurou and you should dismount Dullahan before too long. Now if THIS is what venomization can do, that's a bit more menacing.
That's venomization, all right. Definitely stronger than that headless lump of armor.
I beg your pardon?
Not YOU.
Kamoana!
The daemon from the villa?!
No, look. It's absorbing the malevolence. It's a therion.
Actually, that hawk is Griffin, my one and only friend.
A damned therion... So that's what Tabitha meant when she said we'd "find out shortly".
But Your Highness, why do you have a therion?
It's like I said. Griffin has been my dear friend ever since I was a child. Even if he's a therion now, that hasn't changed. *Griffin changes back into a hawk*
So you knew you were helping a therion escape. What are you plotting?
I have no plots or schemes. I just want Griffin to be free.
I guess we shouldn't be surprised! The crown prince and future king, he's gonna do whatever he likes.
Heheh... I suppose I am, at that. But if I am, it's the first time I've ever been allowed a choice of my own. When you're a prince, you're not a person. You're an institution, one designed to serve the state and its people. Say, for instance, you're doing your law studies and your back suddenly itches. What do you do?
I mean, I'd scratch it. Who wouldn't?
When I did that, my tutor gave me a whipping so hard, the blood ran down my back. The reason being that I prioritized a personal feeling, that is to say my itch, over my studies in service of the state.
*gasp*
Seeing Griffin lay claim to the skies let me imagine my own freedom. It was my lone solace over the years.
I take it the Midgand royal family is well aware that the Abbey is creating therions?
Of course. How could we not? The kingdom offers unequivocal support to Shepherd Artorius' vision of reason and will. Even so, if there was one thing I could never permit, it was seeing Griffin locked up and unable to fly. Never. *Griffin caws* I tricked the exorcist on guard and disabled the barrier. But then Griffin attacked the exorcist...and killed him.
That's why you said you could never go back.
Well that, and consorting with the who's who of the Most Wanted list, but I suppose he could lie and say he was abducted. Would certainly not be a good look, though.
Eh, they can overlook a single dead exorcist. But with the therion removed, malevolence will engulf the capital.
I knew full well what I was doing. And yet... I couldn't watch my friend's life be stripped away.
Your Highness...
Now that I'm thinking about it, this actually isn't the last time it was mentioned there are others besides Velvet's crew who know the truth behind the daemons. I'll say more when we get to Zestiria, but malevolence was less "not widely shared" and more "Secret knowledge" by Zestiria's era.
He chose a single bird over the world... Why do you think that birds fly?
*gasp* That's what Lord Artorius asked me!
My anatomy book says birds can fly because their bones are light and their wing muscles are enormously strong.
Seems answering literally is something both Laphicets share.
Birds fly because a bird that cannot fly is no bird at all. That's what I think. *Griffin caws*
I understand now. As long as you remain on this island, you may do as you please. But if you try to escape, I'll kill you.
That should work. This way we'll have him on hand if we ever need a hostage.
Understood. I appreciate you letting Griffin and me stay here.
Well, now that THAT'S taken care of, let's build ourselves a hideout!
Later that night...
Inside, I mean.
Hey, Velvet? Do you know where Eleanor is?
Wasn't she just playing with you?
Yeah, but then she left. I'm worried because she looked pretty sad. Can you go find her?
Why me?
*pouts*
All right, all right, fine. Just don't cry on me, OK?
*nods*
Not happening. As you can see, a whole mess of conversations have sprung up, and, as usual, all of them can be found in this part of the Conversations video. If you talk to Grimoirh and Laphicet, he'll mention ancient Avarost words "Lonikyle" (named after Loni and Kyle Dunamis from Tales of Destiny 2) and "Muzetmilla", which is from Xillia and Xillia 2, particularly the (Muzet self-appointed) sisters Muzet and Milla, with an additional reference to poranges, which can also be found in the Xillias.
There actually have been quite a few Tales references I've missed thus far, and they're too long to document here, but this is a really good inventory of all of them. Of course, be aware of spoilers on this page. Velvet's conversation with Rokurou is pretty funny, too, since she won't drink alcohol on account of her being 19. Oddly puritanical about that particular point.
Speaking of Tales references. Nice treasure.
Niata!
What is that, the name of these three cat creatures?
No, it's what this type of stained glass is called. The rich variety of colors and subtle techniques used to craft this are lost now. It's incredibly valuable.
Hmm... So we can sell it for a fortune.
No. We can't sell this.
Wait a minute. You said I could keep anything we find.
But this is not just any "thing". It's a work of art. A cultural artifact.
Culture? Aren't you supposed to be a pirate?
That's right. I'm a pirate. Not a merchant. That's why I can't sell it. Simple as that.
Oh, for the... No, forget it. I give up.
It seems only Eleanor is a match for Eizen. Interesting. Speaking of, where DID she go? Well, if you find Benwick shortly after where Magilou is chillaxin', continue past him, go up the stairs, then just head straight for a red "location change" icon to get to a ladder. Climb up that ladder to continue the plot. The night air
*sighs*
There you are, Eleanor. Kamoana's worried about you.
You actually came looking for me?
Can't say no to a crying child.
...Ah. Indeed. She may be a therion now...but deep down, she's still a lonely little girl. That's something I've come to realize in traveling with you all. Wretched daemons and therions, even the malakhim who I'd only thought of as tools... They all live and think as humanly as the rest of us.
......
I was so clueless. I didn't know what daemonblight really was, nor what the Abbey was doing... Through it all, I... I knew nothing beyond blind belief in whatever I was taught.
Ignorance is bliss, as they say.
They may say, "I didn't know anything! So I can't be blamed!" I can't... I can't live like that! *turns away* ...I think I'll stay here a little longer to cool my head off. Please tell Kamoana I'm all right.
Don't stay out too long. The sea breeze can get cold.
...Thank you.
Don't get the wrong idea. If you got sick or something, Kamoana and Laphicet would worry. That's all.
The next morning... Change of heart
I have something to say. There's something I've been hiding...until now, I've been acting undercover on a special mission for Lord Artorius. I was to watch over the malak Laphicet and bring him to Abbey headquarters. So vital was the mission, I was to do whatever it took...even kill my fellow exorcists.
You were gonna take me to them...
I'm sorry for deceiving you, Laphicet. Originally, I was going to get you to lower your guard, then take you in. However, I no longer intend on following the Abbey's orders.
You're turning your back on Artorius?
No. I still believe in the sincerity of Lord Artorius. That the world he seeks is one that will benefit all humankind. But nevertheless, I simply cannot bring myself to condone the methods he has chosen to achieve that vision, so... *looks at Kamoana* I will help you protect the therions. Until I discover the answer I seek.
Eleanor...
I want to live a life that I don't have to be ashamed of, and to do that, I have to learn the truth for myself.
Hahahah! So you live by your emotions after all.
Maybe you've found your own creed.
Welcome to our wonderful world of wickedness!
Don't equate us!
You never make things simple, do you?
You should be glad I don't!
Yeah. After all, she's my vessel.
Yes, yes.
This scene actually ends with a skit, but for now, just want to say I really like these past two scenes. Ever since uh...probably Symphonia at the earliest, it's been kind of a Tales Tradition that the MC is an expert in Real Talk and whenever one of the main cast is having some sort of dilemma, they're always on-hand to talk them through it with some sage wisdom and point them in the right direction, regardless of their circumstances.
Here, Eleanor resolves her main issue, the conflict between her ideals and her status as a formerly-loyal foot soldier and believer in Abbey dogma on her own, without any particular input from Velvet. It's the experience of getting into one mess after another with Velvet's crew that changes her mind and points her in a direction she can believe in. In fact, that applies to almost the entire main cast in this story, which kinda leaves Velvet in an unfortunate position in that she's really not much more than the party's psychotic id for a while, but in a way, it's fine. Her role in the plot is the entire framework for everyone's chance to resolve their issues.
In that skit, Laphicet says he wants to go back to Velvet's old cell to try and pinpoint more therion locations remotely. Well, a lead's a lead. Speaking of skits, whoo boy is there a whole mess of them right after that above scene (about 12 straight minutes' worth). Like with the conversations before, they'll just all be in a line here. Of special note is the skit about Velvet's cooking getting better. Normally, this is a skit you probably won't get now because Velvet's cooking level probably isn't at level 10, which is required for the skit to trigger. This is actually the first step in Velvet's Sidequest (and it unlocks her Jacketless outfit), but you can't finish it until later.
This conversation is a bit curious. It's very short, just learning that Griffin's real name is Grawky and he likes this island, but if you talk to Percival, you get a rather long voiceless exchange. Well, just for the sake of completion, here it is.
Is Grawky his name?
No, it's merely a nickname of the noble Sir Hawk Griffin, here.
Oh! He's a hawk, so you call him Grawky!
That's right. The one who trained him said that hawks are just tools for hunting and I shouldn't get attached, but... Well, I felt he was a close companion, and wanted to give him a nickname like friends are wont to do. Ha ha... Not very princely behavior, I know.
Oh, I beg to disagree. And I think Sir Hawk Griffin does, too.
*Grawky screeches*
("Sir" is it? I didn't know birds could be knighted.)
See what I mean? I can't help but feel all of that was meant to be part of that voiced conversation, but well, here we are. Back in Velvet's cell... Location found
Magilou, always up for chillaxin'.
*takes out compass*
We're here. What now?
Well, so I've been thinking about earthpulse points. They're where the flow of the earthpulse--the earth's natural forces--are concentrated.
Right. And Innominat is using those points to acquire malevolence and reawaken himself. You seem to have a knack for sensing them out. Once you're close enough, you can even pinpoint the location.
Except... I don't have to be close at all. When we came here yesterday... I felt another place. A place just like this!
Are you saying you can use this earthpulse point as a conduit to find the others?
I think so. I don't know how far it works, and I can't say if a therion will be on the other end...
Still. It'll give us something real to go on. Please, give it a try.
OK. *concentrates for a few moments*
Anything?
Yes. I felt it. There are dozens of earthpulse points scattered around, but I sensed a few big ones that stood out.
So you can even detect their size.
Yeah. At least, I think I can. This island is one of the big ones. There are two more like it somewhere to the east and the southeast. But i think those are the Warg Forest and the temple of Palamedes.
Really? "Southeast" describes Southgand, which, going by the map, is clear across the sea from Titania? Laphicet's senses seem rather vague if you ask me. Guess he has to get a lot closer to be more exact about it than "East" and "Southeast".
Still, that suggests we're more likely to find therions at the larger earthpulse points.
We've got three therions to go. Anything that helps us narrow down our choices is a boon.
Yeah. You've done great work today, Laphicet.
That's for sure! Thank goodness you're here. You're a marvel, one of the wonders of the world, kiddo!
It's not that big of a deal, really.
*glares at him*
Then let's go therion hunting! We have an honest-to-goodness lead!
Or "dishonest-to-badness", in our case... ♪
*sighs*
Returning to the front docks...
You think it's your swords that're weak? You don't think maybe your body's just stupid tough?
No. If it can't cut me, it's just not good enough. I need stronger materials to make a better sword... I'd love to try orichalcum, but getting that stuff is next to impossible.
Orichalcum... That's the strongest metal in the world, right?
A rare metal that's only been found in ancient ruins, and seldom at that. I've seen fragments of the metal myself, but I've never even heard of a piece large enough to forge into a weapon.
Orichalcum is some sort of metal first described by Plato in Critias, most famous for its alleged association with Atlantis. Plato described various architecture on the island being made up of vast quantities of orichalcum, but by the time he actually wrote Critias, it had long since faded into memory.
Incidentally, Atlantis bears the same root as Atlantic, i.e. coming from the name "Atlas", but according to tradition, the Atlantic Ocean (and the Atlas Mountains of northwestern Africa) was named after the Titan Atlas, and Atlantis was named after a son of Poseidon by a mortal woman named Cleito, who was its first king.
I have. I heard a rumor that a block of orichalcum was discovered in an ancient ruin some two hundred years ago. Unfortunately, the boat carrying it sank in a storm.
From the depths of the earth to the depths of the sea...
A sunken ship, treasure at the bottom of the sea... That would stir any sailor's heart.
If we knew where to find it, could it be salvaged?
The ship's crew drowned, so nobody knows where she sank. Besides, it's a centuries-old rumor. Who's to say it's even true?
Ehhh, it's a rumor in a video game. And the track record of Video Game Rumors is pretty damn good.
Right. Hehehe. No sense in wishing for what can't be gotten. I'm sure there's other material you can use.
Hah! Even Dyle makes a good point sometimes!
Hey, whaddaya mean, "even Dyle"?!
Even-Dyle's getting angry!
Saying it like that's just weird, Kamoana.
Even-Kamoana's getting weeeird!
Well, glad to know everyone's having a good time now that we have our island hideout, as befitting of proper villains. Some final points of business before we wrap up this video chatty update.
First up, the Dyle x Kurogane bromance continues apace. Second, continue past these two and head to the south docks with an "inn" in a small room under the stairs. For some reason, we're charged 100 gald a night for a room WE own, and in a filthy room, at that. Regardless, spend the night there twice for two skits. Apparently dinosaurs existed in this world, too. Unlike our friend Dyle, of course.
And finally, where the Van Eltia is moored, we end this update much as we began, by unlocking a Class 4. The second is about sailing, getting lucky, and the advantages of Titania as a prison. Basically, think of Alcatraz if it were located in the most remote of Aleutian islands instead of San Francisco Bay. Well, after all the work we did to take it over, it better be as secure as that.