Part 45: Episode 22 - Guadowned

Episode 22 - Guadowned

Welcome back. In this installment, we'll learn the ultimate fate of the Guado, as determined by our care or neglect.



But first, we're stopping by to see how New Yevon is holding up. Unexpectedly, the scenes we see here don't depend on our party affiliation, just on some sidequests. Inside the main door, Maroda is just hanging out, nonchalant.


Hi, Maroda. Aren't you a member of the Youth League? What are you doing in front of New Yevon's headquarters?
Actually, New Yevon invited me. More like begged me, really. The chain of command here has fallen apart. Now they're scared Bevelle will be left defenseless. They're so desperate to keep their numbers high...


Don't diss Pacce, guy. The last guy who did that is still talking with a squeak.

Hey Maroda, who you talkin' about?
Why, I was just saying how lucky we are the fearless Kinderguardians are here! Now go on and get back to your rounds, soldier.
Oh, okay! See you later, Lady Yuna!




Looks like their ranks have expanded since we've seen them last.

They're multiplying!
Yeah! They're turning into a regular Kindercorps.
Well, at least they're having fun.
Maybe fun is all this world really needs.



Isaaru should've gone to Bevelle, too.
Maroda's right. Some people never change. Remind you of anyone, Yuna?

Fine, sheesh, we'll get Isaaru in here already.

That was the bad path for Bevelle. Fortunately, there's only one prerequisite for getting Episode Complete here; talking to Isaaru over the CommSpheres in Chapter 4. Once you tell him how bad things are at Bevelle, you can call back and listen to him doubt the value of protecting Zanarkand under the circumstances. If you've done that, Maroda won't the one in charge here.


Hey, he can do what he wants, but what I wanna know is: How did I get dragged into this?
You're protecting Bevelle together.
Yeah, I guess that's about right. Somebody's gotta watch his back.
Hey Maroda, who you talkin' about?
We're talking about how brothers have to stick together.

And there's one little cap to this scene that gives us our Episode Complete.

Isaaru's changed, too, huh?
Him? He'll never change. He goes around playing superhero and leaves us with all the headaches.
Hey, I know someone like that.
Oh, someone who goes around playing superhero, is it?
You mean Brother!
Wrong.
Buddy?
Nope.


Yup, sounds good.
Come on. Tell me who!




Yunie, Yunie. You need to spend more time getting to know yourself.
Go on, pretend you don't know. But Rikku and I can see right through you.

That was fun. We're going to skip past Bikanel for the time being, as its end-game content is a little more involved than just cutscenes. So the next stop is Macalania.




Though their souls should rightly be stirring, I do not sense a thing. Perhaps they resigned themselves to their unhappy fate and departed willingly for the Farplane...

Who is this guy, anyway?


But to think that there's nothing left... What will become of their thoughts, their memories?


Everyone's gone from the woods, and soon the woods will be gone, too...
The woods have been lost to the winds of change. What else can we think?

Obviously, this is what happens if we didn't stop Garik's rampage. I think that's the only hard prerequisite for the good ending.


They were accompanied by Macalania's other races, who had already begun to fade away with this place.

Those musician people only showed up a couple of times in the prequel, and I liked that nobody bothered to explain them. Why are the developers trying to make them plot-relevant now?


I guess this place doesn't have much time left. Kinda sad to think that all of this will be gone, huh?
At least... we have our memories.


Pretty, but we still don't have those magic words. We need to see one more memory first.




Why?
Got it. Come on, Paine!





Yuna whistles, then listens to the echo for a moment.







No need for words, Yunie. I understand.
So what's so special about that spring? Uh... sorry. Forget I asked.

Now who's the nosy one?

But that's not all for Macalania. Remember the Travel Agency? There's one of those optional Episode Completes here if we paid off O'aka's debt.






We see O'aka and Wantz, in his first official appearance, bickering outside the shop, but what they have to say is not really important.




What's important, as in the previous game, is the cool stuff they sell. Of special note are the Lore accessories, which can give you access to a second, third, or even fourth job's abilities. If you've got any money left over from the Calm Lands, here's not a bad place to spend some of it.



Last stop for today is Guadosalam. I'm again skipping the Thunder Plains for now. Guadosalam's ending is also governed entirely by whether you stopped Garik, but this time there's actually different World Map text for each possibility.

The memories of the Guado echo in the streets of Guadosalam. But... there is nobody here to inherit them. What happens to memories when no one remains to speak of them?

The bad path for this area is pretty boring. In fact, that narration is all there is. It's delivered over a completely black screen, too. Chateau Leblanc is still open, though, and the guards welcome us back, for what that's worth.


Are the Guado gone from Spira?
Why do Leblanc's henchmen like her so much, anyway? She seems like a real slave driver...



Okay, enough of that depressing stuff.



Both the Guado and the musician people are hanging around the town square. Looks like somebody decided to stop hiding.


It is as if this music delivered the Guado from our unhappy fate. Reviled by all of Spira, most of my people decided to forsake Guadosalam. Those of us who remained until the very end eventually tired of our miserable fortune and fled to Macalania. We went to wither away, together with the woods. That is when we met our musical friends. They, too, were prepared to fade away with their beloved Macalania Woods. Yet hearing them perform, I felt a quickening in my blood. I was quite moved. I could not stand by and let such exquisite music be extinguished. After consulting with the other Guado, I decided to bring them home to Guadosalam. Not a single Guado objected. It's been many years since I've seen such solidarity among my people. Surely this music was the salve that healed our weary hearts.

I need an emote that's a combination of and .



Well, that's nice. Unfortunately, we have to talk to Tromell a lot more to get our happy ending.


If they were to attack tomorrow, I would neither run nor hide. If they asked to talk, I would talk. Were they to take my life, I would give it willingly.

Now that's what taking responsibility sounds like.

Not the Ronso. They don't want bloodshed.
Right, 'cause their elder's on top of things!
That is auspicious news. The Guado, too, must choose a new leader.
What about you?
Preposterous! I will never be remembered for anything buy my service under Lord Jyscal and Lord Seymour.



But my strength came from your music!
You're wrong. The music only helped you unlock your own inner strength.
You really think so? Then I will work these old bones as best I can. For my beloved Guado.




Unifying an entire race can't be easy, but if Pop can do it, so can Tromell.
Tromell has resolve. If he holds to it, he'll make a fine leader.



But we're not done yet. Remember that mysterious door?


Please, please, feel free to take anything you need.
What is this place?
This was to be the final resting place for the memories of the Guado. Before leaving, we carefully stored away those things we had passed down for generations. I'm told that some of us stole back here for a nostalgic glance at lost times. Even the most unassuming of memories can console a wounded spirit.


On the contrary! My lady's path leads to a bright tomorrow. The Guado would be honored if you used their past to shape Spira's future.



Inside, we find that Guado kid Lian and Ayde made friends with. He gives us a grid too, assuming we got one from the Ronso Twins.



And some nifty items. We'll take a look at this in a second.







Now that Tobli's show has gone down, we can see how well he's done for himself. The rewards for this section depend on how many Tobli missions we completed, and, as with the Leblanc massage minigame, we get better items the worse we do.



The "worst" result nets us the Key to Success, which doubles the effects of recovery and attack items, doubles EXP, AP, Gil, and item rewards from battle, doubles max HP and MP, and gives +100 Luck to boot. It's pretty sweet; too bad I'm only getting one on my Goofus file. Trying to get one of everything is pretty time-consuming in this game, considering it takes several play-throughs.


It's okay to fall back on our memories during rough times, right?
"Memories can console a wounded spirit..." Yeah, I suppose they can.



Baralai's Sphere is titled Yevon's Secret, like there's only one of them.


And my friends... they turned on me as well. I have no place else to go.


I don't suppose Maester Kinoc and a certain other maester might be vying for power behind the scenes?
So an enemy of an enemy is a friend.
I will not fail you.

Oh Baralai, so young to be playing dirty politics.

Very well. I will take you under my wing. Consider any record of your association with the Crimson Squad erased.
You have my thanks. I will go into hiding until the time is right.

Baralai leaves, and the cameraman asks...

Is this wise, Your Grace? Who knows what he might be planning...
I can use him.
Like the high summoner's daughter!
I don't recall asking your opinion.

The shoopuf carrying Lady Yuna has crossed the Moonflow. Now then, shall we begin preparations to welcome my lord's future wife?


Video: Baralai's Sphere

So we've got a glimpse of what one of our intrepid team of four did after they split up, but details about the split up itself are still sketchy. At least video game logic, and the layout of the Treasure Sphere screen, suggests there's three more of these to find, on top of two Crimson Spheres still missing.

Next time; meetings, reunions, and farewells.