Part 46: A Terrable Last Stand

Update 46: A Terrable Last Stand

Welcome to the final installment of Rune Factory (before bonus shit). Last time we cleared Greed Cave, learned everything was Lynette’s fault, from the shifts in the caves to the erasure of Donnel’s memory. She used the “runic energy” we’d been generating all game to awaken Grimoire, the infant form of the Dragon God Terrable. We beat it up and it left.

The emperor of Sechs, Ethelberd, showed up, told Lynette to kill herself, which Donnel and Mist stopped, and then announced that he was sending 100 tanks to destroy Kardia. Now we have to evacuate. Got it?



Exactly.





: Right!


: What is your choice, Lieutenant Commander?




Oh, come on, don’t have a breakdown on the magic summon machine.


: Please, come with us! You can help explain the situation to the others! If you tell them, they’re sure to believe us!

Why would they trust Lynette? Donnel, this plan blows.


: Very well.

Fade in/out, and...




Apparently our base of operations is Chez Donnel.


: Okay, I got it!


: Yeah, understood.




Well, I’m sure they can wait a little while…




Donnel speaks to himself in the second person.

So, this whole segment is basically a cutscene. Time is frozen at Noon and won’t advance at all until we’ve dealt with the Sechs Empire.





: It’s true, but don’t worry. I’ll protect you and the other townsfolk.


: Okay, I believe in you.

You don’t have to talk to the townsfolk, you can advance by heading straight to Godwin, but their dialogue is unique for this event, so I’ll be canvassing the town.




I’d think our army of pets would be helpful in this situation, but I guess not.




I have potatoes in there!

Fine, Donnel. You win.




Leo want us to split it WIDE OPEN.




The streets are empty, everyone’s holed up in their homes. It’s a neat touch.




Donnel will not gaze upon the seashell right now.










...Dammit, Jean, we were so close to getting through this troubling time without a typo.







Maybe Russell will make for a better wizard than us.





I will at least defend Jasper’s home.




You’ve been doing it for a while now, heyyyooo

Get it?

He’s divorced.




For some reason Lara is here at the Church. This might be where her room is, actually?


: I’m afraid so.


: All right. Doc and I will be on hand to help the injured.




Tabatha’s probably got some crazy elf magic shit that’ll blow up tanks. Do elves do that in this universe?


Incoming best quote in the game by the way:







I love you, Jasper.


: This isn’t a time to joke! We gotta grab all the food we can carry and make preparations to escape.





Even Ivan’s here, although it’s not his usual day.




You know, if Lynette was the Lieutenant Commander, who was the Commander? Do they have the 100 tanks?




This is how you actually advance the plot.


: It’s true! Mr. Mayor, please instruct everyone to leave town.


: G...got it.




Thankfully Ivan was close enough that he could just wander over and tell us this.


: Really?


: Let’s go! We have to buy a little time.


: Okay!




At this point the only thing you can do is head for the Sechs border, which is south of Misty Bloom. I showed this off earlier, but this is the only time it’s mandatory to go here, and the only real reason to, ever.







Oh my god they figured out treads instead of train tracks. We’re so fucked.




The camera scrolls back and shows about 6 tanks. I was promised one hundred.


: There’s no end to them!


: What are we going to do?




Put on your “dramatic sacrifice” music of choice. Personally a fan of that one track from Mass Effect, but it’s up to you.


: But Donnel! You won’t stand a chance!


: I have this feeling inside...like this is what I’m here for. To protect everyone…even if it means my life! I know it sounds strange...


: Donnel...I’m going with you.


: Ivan…


: Didn’t I tell you? I know I may not look it, but I’m actually quite good with a sword!


: Thanks.


: Come on, let’s go!

The ground starts to tremble...again.




They gave this random soldier a portrait, even though he only appears in this scene.


: N-no! Look at the sky!




You know I’m really starting to think this whole “First Forest” thing is bullshit.


: What is that? It’s huge!


: Here it comes again!











: So that’s the Grimoire’s evolved form… Look at the size of it!


: What they say about it having enough power to destroy the world might be true after all!

I’m going to have to go make some more Recovery Potions, aren’t I?


: L-look out! It’s going to attack!


So they didn’t want to make a model for Terrable, I guess.




Instead the world fills with...green miasma?





: This is the dragon’s breath? I’ve taken baths hotter than this! It’s not even denting the tanks!




Suddenly, foliage.




I really like the giant turnip plugging the cannon.


: Huh? What’s happening? Grass? Flowers? Vegetables?


: But look! It’s stopped the tanks!

(look, I assume these are supposed to be two different goons.)


: Terrable’s breath...covers the earth with vegetation!


: So Terrable’s breath...is the breath of life! Its power stopped the tanks in their tracks!

I guess we’re just lucky this game didn’t feature “Fiersome”.




Oh, Ethelberd’s here now.


: B-but it’s tangled up with all the internal systems! Burning it won’t help!




Kardia has legalized.


: Hmph. Not so tough without your little tanks, are you?


: What?


: You’re still welcome to fight. But tell me. If the Grimoire wasn’t a match for my blade, what chance do you have?

: Rrrrgh...

Time for the real final boss.


: Now what’s it gonna be?


: Forces! Pull back…

Actually he just leaves. Ethelberd was actually pretty pointless in this whole thing, wasn’t he?


: B-but Your Majesty...The tanks won’t move!


: Then we’ll walk back!


: Y-yes, Your Majesty!










: Yes…


: “If the Grimoire wasn’t a match for my blade, what chance do you have?” You even had me scared! Haha!


: Hey, cut it out! To be honest, if they decided to fight, I don’t think we would have stood a chance.


: You mean you were just bluffing?


: Well...yes! Ah-ha-ha!

You are the worst hero, Donnel.


: Ah-ha-ha.







Godwin. Godwin do you not see...the tanks?


: There’s no need to worry. They fled back to their country.


: R-really? Donnel...your strength is astonishing!


: Well actually, it was Terrable...or rather the power of nature...that drove off the Sechs.




I don’t think anyone’s allowed to call Stardew Valley heavyhanded again.


: Precisely so.





: Zavier!


: All the others are coming too!

This is the last “everyone talks” part of the game. I’m sorry.


: Donnel Is it true you defeated the tanks? You’re a beast!

Thankfully nobody is capable of looking at the tanks all Terrable’d up.


: So you really are strong, Donnel!


: You’re incredible, Donnel!


: I didn’t do it by myself!


: Incredible, Donnel...To defeat an entire army!

This is how cults are formed.


: Were you hurt? I was so worried!


: You saved our town, Donnel. Thanks!


: Donnel...you were...so brave...like...like a hero… Thank you…


: You took out the tanks, Donnel? No way!


: Donnel...Thank you so much!


: If it wasn’t for you, Donnel, this town would have been destroyed by now!


: The earth is always watching us all, Donnel, and you have nothing to be ashamed of.


: So this mean’s you’re even stronger than those tanks, right Donnel? Cool!


: You saved the lives of Nicholas and the other children. Thank you.

There are two children in this town.


: We’re holding a celebration in your honor tonight! I’ll be treating, of course.


: Bravo! Not even those tanks were a match for you, Donnel! You’re amazing!


: Now the town is at peace again. Thank you.


: You’re almost as powerful as a god now, boy!


: Donnel, thank you so much for protecting this town and everyone.


: I’ve never seen anyone like you before. You’re the stuff that legends are made of.


: As a minstrel, I would be honored to compose a song about you.

I thought you were a poet.


: I should at least say thanks, so...thank you!


: You were truly brilliant, Donnel! Now I can once again feast on delicious cuisine.


: To stand up against an entire army without even fighting! It just goes to show how powerful the land is.


: Thank you, Donnel! You truly are amazing. I’m so happy!




I think this is a new Lynette portrait.


: The power of nature...perhaps I should start believing in that power.


: You’re everything I hoped you would be, Donnel.


: Oh, come on!




Ivan just sorta starts to wander off…


: Everyone adores you! It seems to me you’ll be happiest living here, right, Donnel?




Please note that from here on out, I pretty much have no idea what is going on. Maybe it gets cleared up in the sequels, but I’ll give my...best interpretation?










I think this is the king of Norad?




Dammit, Rune Factory, we were so close to the end!


: Well...I made a bit of a miscalculation.


: I see…...a potential swordsman of royal blood?


: Yeah…




Okay, so, what I’m getting out of this is that Donnel is A. Royalty and B. Ivan’s secret brother.


: Yeah…But more importantly, I’m thankful for being allowed to have Terrable freed from underground.


: We must keep the ambitions of the Sechs in check. They’re trying to rule the earth with machines. People have to live in harmony with the earth. They don’t understand that. It’s our obligation.


: Yeah.

Ivan has completely checked out of this conversation.


: You must keep on working hard at it. You’re the only one who Terrable trusts!

Also I guess Ivan was the one who sent Terrable to attack the tanks?


: Yeah.

Not that he’s helping clear anything up here.







Oh. Oh no. I don’t think he knows how to do that.




Donnel...you can’t hoe a log.




: We are going to starve.




We’re done!




That was Rune Factory! I...remembered it being better.




The credits show full body art of the characters, which you don’t normally get to see since the text boxes get in the way.

I won’t show all of them, though, because this is the 176th raw image of this update and I’m not dragging it out any further than I have to now.




...Though I will make some exceptions.




Seriously who even was that guy




“Pole To Win”?




Oh hey, this part changes based on who you marry! I’m not sure what happens if you finish the story single.




And that’s the end of Rune Factory.

I’m going to do one more update to cover the postgame content (pretty much nothing but eh) and wrap up a few loose ends. But this is the end of the plot.

Also the turnip is finally unstabbed.