Part 17: Dreams of a Golden Land

Update 15: Dreams of a Golden Land

We’ll take our sweet time to go to the northeast at Plachta’s behest, since we finally have some room to breathe and some character subplots to get through now that those are live again.


Wake-Up Flower

Oh, Sophie! Thank goodness. I need your advice. One of the local children sneaked out of town and ate some sleepgrass.

What’s that?

It’s an odd plant unique to this world. Mistaken consumption can result in years-long slumber.

Th-That’s horrible! What condition is the kid in now?



Can you think of anything that might counteract the effects?

I could try making some smelling salts, maybe … but I’m sure you’ve tried that. Hm, what other wake-up remedies are there …

Gnome! I need you to hurry and get Sop–




Kati, where did you get this recipe?

Less questions, more alchemy. We can discuss this once our patient’s on the mend, okay?

R-right!





Yes … For my new weapon.

Oh, really …? But I thought you didn’t like to fight.

I do not. I am not planning on venturing out to pick fights. It is just that, since coming here … I have learned you must know how to fight if you wish to protect something. I have never used a powerful weapon before, so I thought that now would be the best time to change that. Better late than never, I suppose.






I am grateful to have your seal of approval. I want to start on it as soon as I have the ingredients.


Even aside from Plachta not being Alchemy level 78 yet, her final weapon requires intermediate ingredients whose recipes I cannot yet access. On the backburner this goes. For now, let’s do what we can do: make the flower.


Easy peasy. The Solar and Lunar Face flowers can be found in Royum with a Rank 3 Sickle and I had gotten plenty of them from my first climb up the mountain.



I … think so? It’s hard to tell. It just looks like a flower to me …

Kati is the one who asked you to make it, yes? Then we should trust that it will work.

Yeah, you’re right. Still … I wonder how she knew about it in the first place?

Perhaps you could ask when you give her the finished product.


While I’m here, this is a job I need to take and a boss I need to kill for multiple reasons.



Thank you. Gnome, I need you to deliver this as quick as you can.

Yes, ma’am!



I’ve been dying to ask this, but … How did you know that that plant would work?

Oh, it’s nothing special. That flower used to grow here a long, long time ago. Sleepgrass wasn’t as big a problem back then. The antidote was easy to find, and worked quickly. It was a favorite of monsters, though, so it eventually got eaten to extinction. Ramizel and I are probably the only ones left who remember it.

So, that’s why. Then, that recipe you gave me …



I should have figured you’d pick up on that. I see why Ramizel thinks so highly of you.

This one’s all thanks to you, Kati. If you hadn’t kept those records, no one would have known about those plants from the past.

… Alright, fine. I suppose I can’t argue that one.


Abyss Tyrant


That’s a fuckload of HP on Legendary, and it gets a massive defense buff in this weather!


Good thing the Ennui Mirrors make short work of its aura even on this difficulty.







At the end of all that, Ramizel spikes the golem like a volleyball…





Still, that only shaved off about 10% of its HP.







I’ve been doing you all a disservice by not showing the (imo very good) Twin Action transitions much until now. Let me rectify that.



And the upgraded Draco Fire Bomb does an order of magnitude more damage than my last one did! Better crafting and hitting an enemy multiple times with Certain Grudge, thereby inflicting an extreme weakness to Magic damage, will do that. Still, the Abyss Tyrant finally got a turn in when it had like 3000 HP left.



Instead of attacking, it chose to buff itself. More importantly, multiple stacks of Curse didn’t just inflict an extreme Magic weakness: it meant that the Abyss Tyrant’s 2% auto-heal knocked off 8% of its HP, reducing it to 1HP instead. One gentle poke later…




Synergy Talisman is the best talisman in the game and the Seele Pilós the Abyss Tyrant dropped is a rare ingredient that, in addition to being an ingredient for said talisman, by default has the best revival trait in the game. Increasingly, the game expects you to beat up Groll Aura mini-bosses to unlock recipes and get certain rare materials that you can’t buy even from Gnome nor find by gathering.
Anyway, I think our team’s earned some R&R after all this.


Onsen

But I completely forgot to bring a bathing suit … Tsk, I guess we’ll have to pass on it again.

Heheheh … Fear not, my friends!



Um, isn’t that a bit TOO convenient …?

Who cares! Good thinking, Alette!

Hehe … You know me. Always prepared for anything!

So, now there’s nothin’ more to hold us back, right? C’mon, let’s jump in!









Ah … This is the life. The water’s perfect!

Mhm … I thought going for a dip in a volcanic spring was ridiculous … But this is quite nice.
Hoooh … It feels like my body is becoming one with the water …

I know exactly what you mean … This feels amazing …


Yeah, open-air baths are the best! Right, Diebold?




Hm? Me? Asleep? No … I was simply resting my eyes. And perhaps also my consciousness …

That’s what sleeping is, genius!



Last time, Pirka actually had to come wake me up.

… Alette, you can never be trusted to live on your own.


Ahaha … This place really is hellishly hot, but with baths like these, I wouldn’t mind coming back.

Agreed … Still, it’s a bit far from Roytale. Could we really justify it just for a soak?

I guess not … Say, Sophie? What if you and Plachta built an inn here?



Ooh, good idea. All right, you two. Hop to it.

Alchemy isn’t all-powerful! Sophie, you tell them.

Hmm, you’d have to create something that could withstand the heat. So, in terms of materials …



Haha! Yep, alchemy’s truly amazing.


Hah … All right, any longer in here and we’ll boil. I’d love to stay longer, but it’s about time we moved on.


A New Land
The game wants us to go to the former entry point to the Thunderbolt Palace–the one rendered a dead end by the earthquakes.




Don’t tell me … this is what Ellie said we’d be “pleasantly surprised” by?

I guess we might as well go take a look …?

Sophie, are you sane?

Well, Elvira made it, so it can’t be anything dangerous, right?

That’s true enough … I suppose …

That’s that, then. Come on, let’s head toward the light!






Wait … Is this the mountain located out past the volcano?!

It seems that walking into the light transported us here.

Ahaha, neat.

Sophie … You are not surprised?


When put this way, what’s a little teleporting from the depths of the volcano to another region on the world map?

Honestly, crossing this kind of distance doesn’t feel all that unusual.

I see … That is indeed a fair statement.

Right. Let’s get a move on.

Well, I thought it was pretty impressive …


We’ll circle back to Zelgador Summit later; we’ve got more character events to get through.





After collecting the bounty for the Abyss Tyrant, buying one Abgrund Schüler unlocked this: Ramizel’s signature bomb.



As expected, it has a very demanding recipe that calls for my best materials. It helps that the Typhon Keim starts me off with 3 Wind before I even put a single component on the grid.


I think this is the first time I’ve maxed out three separate elemental thresholds AND filled out the entire 7x7 grid all game long. As for the effects:
Tempest Blade: Wind Physical Damage (660 power), issues 3 time cards.
Extreme Wind: Knocks enemy back massively, 90% chance of inflicting Restraints.
Recycle: 50% chance of not expending a use.
Whirlwind Sensation: Does even more Wind damage (200 power) against enemies weak to Wind.

L&S was my first Atelier game and of all the Atelier games I’ve played, this is the closest thing I’ve had to its Lightning Crystal in terms of utterly broken bombs that can delay the enemy’s turn significantly and repeatedly. Difference being that the Primal Storm is single-range and Sophie 2’s combat has a different feedback loop because of Aura breaks, but hey, good enough for boss battles.




Desires

Are you alright, Olias? Did the medicine I gave you not work?

Hey, Sophie … Nah, that stuff worked super well. The discomfort’s all gone now, so thanks a ton.

That’s good but … You don’t look all that well …

I’m fine … I’m just … rememberin’ some things and stuff …



You said you haven’t gone back in years, but was your mercenary work really that tough?

Yeah, it was a ton o’ work but … my family’s big and dirt poor. I joined the mercs and started traveling ‘round when I was just a kid so I wouldn’t burden ‘em no more. I hated it at first, but I started gettin’ into it. Soon enough, I realized I was made for guardin’ and fightin’.



That’s all the more reason for you to go back now!

It ain’t that simple. I told ya already, I haven’t gone back in years, right? I bet they resent me ‘cause of it …

… But didn’t you become a mercenary to help your family? They couldn’t resent you for that.

Even so, I ain’t even sent ‘em a single letter or anythin’. They’ve gotta be mad at me … Besides, I’ve spent so much time in this world … every day it feels harder and harder to go back …



… But you care about them, don’t you? Your family …

Course I do! If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be worried!

… So, if you knew for sure that your family wasn’t angry with you, would you want to visit them?

C’mon, there’s no way of knowin’ that. Unless you made some kinda special tool …



I’ve got one particular tool in mind. If it works out, you should be able to find out what you wanna know! I’ll bring it over once it’s finished. So just sit tight!



This CAN be used as an ingredient, but for now, we just want one to deliver to Olias.



I-I can hardly believe you could make such a thing … Please allow me to test it.



… So? Can you see anything?

Amazing … This is an incredible success, Sophie! I can see the other world perfectly!

Yay! What are you looking at, Plachta?

… A friend of mine, who is also studying alchemy … His name is Luard.


Sophie knows exactly how this story goes up through the events of her first game, and it ain’t pretty.

It appears he has hidden himself away in his atelier to study. I must not allow myself to fall behind.

… Yeah. Keep up the hard work.

Indeed … Time flows differently here in Erde Wiege, so I must take advantage of that. … In any event, Sophie, just what is it that you intend to do with this ingenious tool?

Oh, yeah! This is to check if Olias’s family is angry at him or not!

Hmm, it is true that you can observe the condition of those back home, but how could you possibly check if they are angry?



Well, even if Sophie didn’t think that part through, this is still a damn impressive creation for Olias. Let’s go deliver it to him.



Heheh. Plachta was surprised by it, too! But … I have to apologize! This one is actually a failure …

Huh? But it works, doesn’t it?

It does, but … you can only look. So, you can’t really check to see if your family is angry with you or not …



Um … Well, whenever I made my grandma angry, you could tell just by looking at her. So, I thought that if we observed their expressions, we’d be able to know if they’re angry with you …

I’m not some naughty kid, dammit! There’s no way ya can tell just by lookin’ at their faces!

Yeah, you’re right … I can’t believe I made such a basic mistake …

I can’t believe ya made somethin’ like this even as a mistake. You’re unbelievable, kid! Still, I gotta thank ya. Ya took the time to make this for me, after all. Sides, it might be kinda fun to check out the other world after so long.

Ah! Just no peeping into people’s houses, okay?

Course not, I’m not some creep! Sheesh … Catch ya later.

Ahh … Why am I such a birdbrain …?


Diebold is right there too, so let’s check in on him.




No, I didn’t mind. But …
…

Diebold!



What?

Really, Olias?!

Yeah, it looks real bad. There’s probably gonna be some damage.

… I shall slay it.

But if you provoke it, things could get worse!

It is already bad enough. How could I live with myself if any harm befell this town? The threat will not resolve itself. I cannot rest until the people’s safety has been assured.

I’m going too, then! I’ll do whatever I can to keep everyone safe and happy!

… Tch, fine then, count me in! I couldn’t say no now anyway, I’d look like the biggest doofus in Erde Wiege.

Thank you for going along with my selfish resolve … Let us make haste.


Our target is… actually pretty close to town. It was a big deal when Zmei attacked a merchant convoy here early during the game.




It really does look mean … I don’t even want to think about what would happen if it got into town.

You shall not have to, because we will let it come no closer. We cannot fail. Are you all prepared?

Um, yes!

Yeah, bring it!





Stunned and with these many debuffs, it’s easy pickings with all the sources of physical damage I have available.




Olias’ Avant-Garde skill is much better now than when he first joined for several reasons: Avant-Garde gets stronger the more debuffs the enemy is slapped with (and there will be a lot with Ennui Mirror abuse), and having two Dragon God Wraths active means that its four strikes hit much, much harder. Inflicting Frostbite and making the enemy weak to physical attacks like Avant-Garde is icing on the cake.


Still, nothing like a classic: Ramizel decimating a stunned enemy with Burning Rod.

Phew … Did … we … beat it …?

Yeah, looks that way. I knew it was gonna be tough, but not that tough! Things woulda been bad if we hadn’t stepped in. Diebold made the right call.

Great work, Diebold.

Once a threat is identified, one must take the initiative to eliminate it as swiftly as possible. The moment a casualty occurs, you are already too late.
This all reads much differently after the Groll attack, but bear with me for holding this event off until after the Thunderbolt Palace!

Speakin’ from your knightly experience, eh?

Perhaps.

So that’s what you were thinking, all that time you protected your country and its people …



Among all the Extra Ingredient assists, this one has special implications because Ingots also count as metal ingredients: getting 10 Lightning links when synthesizing gear lets me add an(other) Ingot to up the stat boosts even more. Sophie and Plachta’s Add Magical skill will too with a later key intermediate ingredient, but we’ll still be waiting on that a bit.



Right? I feel like I could take a nice relaxing nap. Hey, Sophie …? What’s Kirchen Bell like during your time?

Huh?!

Did I say something weird?

No, it’s just … I didn’t expect you to mention Kirchen Bell …

Really …? I guess I haven’t talked with you about it at all yet.

Yeah … So, what made you ask just now?

Actually … I was in the middle of traveling around before I came here. I haven’t returned in years. I just kind of miss it, that’s all.
Such will be true of Sophie too by the end of the Mysterious series, even if she doesn’t know it yet in this game!

I see … Hmm, where could I even start with Kirchen Bell … It’s been quiet and peaceful for as long as I can remember. The people are always kind, too.

Has it got anything famous or well-known to tout now?

Ahaha, no. There isn’t much of anything. It’s just a quiet little country town. What about the Kirchen Bell you know? Is it the same?

Yes … I guess that place really will never change …

Did you want it to change?

Haha, no, not at all. I like Kirchen Bell just the way it is. Oh … Right. What about the church? Is it still there?

Yeah, of course … Are you worried about Pamela?

Yes. Wait … Do you know about Pamela’s … thing?

You mean how she’s a ghost? Yeah. I was so surprised when I first found out!
For someone who’s utterly terrified of ghosts, Sophie’s reaction to learning Pamela’s deal was surprisingly muted, especially compared to the other Mysterious quadrilogy protagonist who’s really scared of ghosts. Case in point.






I am, but … just thinking back on it is terrifying. In an instance, I felt I couldn’t care less about the dream I’ve worked long and hard to achieve. Or about anything else, really. I was drifting along, haunted by this strange feeling of loss.

Just hearing about it is horrifying enough. So, those monsters really are capable of that …

Knowing such creatures exist … It makes this place a little scary.

Oh, I wouldn’t feel that way. We have a goddess on our side. It’s thanks to Miss Elvira that I’ve regained my dream, make no mistake about that.

Yeah. As long as she’s here, we’ve got nothin’ to fear!

… That’s right. Everything will be just fine with Miss Elvira around, won’t it?



(Everyone’s so happy. Elvira really is amazing … )




If there’s something you’ve got your eye on, you’d better grab it! Once we’re sold out, that’s it!

Whoa! What’s with this crowd?! I wonder what’s going on …




Yep! I figure I probably should start getting my stuff in order before I go home.

Huh?! Alette, are you leaving?!

Not this very moment, but … that chat we had earlier really got me thinking. This world is a ton of fun. There are people from all different time periods, and no end to the unique items. I’m sure that so long as I keep running my shop here, I’ll end up rolling in a ridiculous amount of Cole.
But … the difference between selling things here and back home is like night and day, right? At this rate, when I go back, I’ll end up having to just live off what I’ve made here … I mean, I plan to earn enough so that I’d be comfortable doing just that, but … I wanna be a merchant until the day I die. So, I wanna take the skills I picked up here and put them to the test back home.



Yeah, I think that’s a wonderful dream. And knowing you, you’re bound to succeed!

Thanks, Sophie. To tell the truth, I’m a little nervous about it, but … you better believe I’m gonna be a huge success! I’ve loved every minute I’ve spent here, so there’s no way I’ll let this experience go to waste.



The Eaglescope is an endgame accessory I want for certain party members while the Asterisíma is a key intermediate ingredient for a certain endgame synthesis. I’ll pick both books up.



And this field accessory will let me win more money when beating up mooks!




Huh …? Uh, did I do something worth thanking me for?

You did! Don’t you remember the necklace you gave me the other day? It’s been super handy! It’s better than anything I expected!

Really? It’s nothing special, it just glows a little …

Shh, I know I said that at first, too, but I realized how great it is after I started using it! This necklace glows exactly when I need it to, even if I think I’m feeling fine! Thanks to that, my mind feels clearer than it has in ages.

Erm … But I thought you already knew how many times you could duplicate before getting tired?

Only for until I zonk out. This necklace starts glowing way before that happens!



But with your help, I’ve learned how to work together with this power!

That’s great! I’m just glad I could help.

Yeah! And it isn’t just me you helped, Sophie. This is something that will help the descendants of my clan for generations to come! Because of you, I can pass this knowledge on. You have no idea how thankful I am! Thank you so much, Sophie!
This isn’t the only business we have here:



Wait. Don’t tell me …

Yep, you guessed it! An even bigger discount for my favorite customer!

Hehehe, yay! … But are you sure about this, Pirka? Can you afford to go that low?

Heh, don’t you worry about me. You’re easily buying enough to cover my losses!

Oh! In that case, I don’t mind if I do!


Much appreciated, since the traits, quality and base value of my endgame bombs and medicines would otherwise make restocking unaffordable.



Hehe! Gnome sure is working hard!

*Sigh* … He really ought to be putting all that effort into his art, though.

Why not tell him that? I’m sure he’d listen to you.

He might, but … He also said that he loves working here just as much, so I can’t really say anything.



How are they? Easy to use?

Oh, yes. Very much so. They’ve made painting even more enjoyable, if you can believe it.

As an adult, it gets harder to find things that truly inspire you. Count yourself lucky, hm?

That’s nothing to worry about. He’s got plenty of time to figure it out!

… Ah. I suppose you wouldn’t know, huh.



Whaaaaaat?! I-I’m so sorry …! I thought you were younger than me! I’ve been so rude!

Please don’t worry about it. Honestly, I prefer it this way. I might be older, but you are far more worldly. If anything, you are more of an adult.

I suppose you weren’t brought up in an environment that most people would consider normal.

Exactly. Although I have no intention of remaining a child forever. Once I’ve made a name for myself, and I’m spending my days here and my evenings at my easel …



*Sigh* … You’re sure you’ll want to keep working here once you’re a big shot?

Of course! As long as I’m living in Erde Wiege, I won’t even think about quitting! So I’m afraid you’ll have to put up with me for a little while longer!

… Well, I suppose that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.




Hey, Diebold. Make us a combo attack.

… What has brought this on, Ramizel?

Well, I was thinking about how long the two of us have known each other. We’ve got a good grasp of how the other fights. Together, we could really do some damage.

Hmm … You make a good point.

Great! I’m counting on you to come up with something fantastic!

As you wish. I’ll see to it as soon as possi–



Why must you be so …? Fantastic AND brilliant? Hmm …



… Would something like that suffice?

Oh, wow! You really came through!

Truly?

It’s got victory written all over it. I love it!

Ah … You would, wouldn’t you?

Hm? Did you say something?

… No, nothing. I am simply pleased that you’ve taken a shine to it. Let us show everyone the power of our collective might.

You know it! They won’t believe their eyes!


But wait, that’s not all!



Indeed. I was astonished to find that alchemists can fight with such skill. And it’s almost frightening how much Alette has improved in such a short time.

Yeah, tell me about it.



As in a coordinated attack?

Well, yeah. We’re both professional bodyguards, aren’t we? If alchemists and merchants start showin’ us up on the battlefield, we’ll never live it down.

Hm … I see. You make a fair point, Olias.

The fairest! So I guess we should sort out the specifics, huh?

No, no need. We’re both experienced combatants, after all. We simply have to strike as one. Move together, swing together. With instincts as finely honed as ours, we can improvise the rest if necessary.

Haha! Now we’re talking! Y’know, Diebold, you’re all right! We’ll hit ‘em with the combined might of two mega masters!

Indeed. Anyone who dares stand in our way must answer to our strength.


And that’s the last of the Dual Triggers. It wouldn’t be an Atelier game without finding some way to work in a super special move called Einzelkampf, would it? It’s also going to be Revy’s special move in Firis and Mathias and Alt’s Combination Art in L&S.
With all that out of the way, time to head back to the field.



First things first, now that the Illusion Vale’s depths are accessible to me with the Gibeon, I’ll take a quick detour there to pick a treasure chest.




This is an insanely useful catalyst; all I have to do is press X to activate Element Switch and Link Morph at will instead of them auto-triggering at 5 and 7 links respectively. Hitting the Components Inverted threshold also lets me press ZL/ZR to flip a component horizontally, giving me even more flexibility when crafting.


Heading back to the new land: I have to bring the thunder to open this door. Although the objective is to the northwest, I want to go southeast first.



Atop the peak is the recipe book for Ōkeagyrn, Sophie 2’s Tier 5 ingot. Needless to say, it’s one of the aforementioned intermediate ingredients needed for Plachta’s final weapon. That was well worth the detour and the climb!


Silverius
Back on track: near our destination is a dragon area boss. He only shows up when it’s raining.


Even with his Aura broken and a rainbow of debuffs/negative status effects active, he’s still one beefy motherfucker.





Yes, this is like centimeters away from being friendly fire. And then Olias draws his bayonet for…




Bromance of the year 2022


But since this was on Legendary, I was in for a world of hurt the moment Silverius got a turn and multiple moves in. This is the first time all LP long someone got KO’d.



I owe this victory to Ramizel’s signature bomb. Even after using it and knocking him back once…






Its three timecards kept knocking Silverius back long enough for me to kill him before he could get another move in.


I’m more aggressive about triggering Dual Triggers now because I need to unlock this recipe; it’s a key intermediate ingredient for endgame. Now, let’s continue to the objective…


The Promised Land



Yeah, no kidding … Wish someone woulda told us we were goin’ into a desert …



No one would want to come to a place like this. Can we leave already?

Alas, we made a promise to survey the area, and there is yet more ground to cover. We must press on …

I curse myself for ever being excited about this journey …


Music: Laughing Sand
The promised land this is not! Still, this desert bears treasure that will make coming here worth it–much deeper in.



Making it rain dispels that sandstorm, letting us pass.



I wasn’t kidding when I said Sophie can jump 50 feet in the air with the Gibeon! After scaling the cliff…


Making it sunny lets me access the chest containing this recipe book for Geranóvirgen, the game’s Tier 5 cloth. Going back and heading northwest…



This is the last catalyst and the best in the game. Needless to say, the next few updates will feature a goddamn ton of crafting. Now, back to the objective…


Bringing the thunder opens the door, and…


Edge of the Earth

Foes?! Be on your guard!

Huh?!



You’ve got to be kidding me! This place is brand new, and there are already Groll out here?!

We ain’t gonna let ‘em munch on anyone’s dreams anymore. C’mon guys!

Alright! Let’s do this!


It’s the Groll I beat up to get Plachta’s current weapon! And there’s three of them, and we’re on Legendary!





What if Sophie and Plachta summoned the Sword of Damocles and used Plachta’s giant robot arm to bring it down on the enemy?





It is done …

Yeah … Right, let’s get this show back on the road.



Hm? Everyone, stop right there!

What is it? Not more Groll?!

No, it’s … this …


No, Ramizel is not playing pantomimes. It’s an honest to god…

A wall?! There’s an invisible wall right here!

Huh? But there’s still more desert up ahead …

That may be, but we can’t go any further. It looks like we’ve reached the edge of the world.

Is it possible that there is a barrier because this section is still so new?

Guess we’d better go back and report it. “Sorry about the survey, but we ran into a literal wall,” or something like that.

I suppose … But the last time I went out to inspect a new area, there wasn’t anything like this … So I wonder why it’s here … What could possibly be on the other side …

In any case, we have done all that we can for the time being. Let us return to Roytale. There is no sense in idling in a barren wasteland.

You’re right. I can’t wait to go home and take a bath …



Hehe … Everyone was soooo happy … It was just a hunch … but I’m glad it worked. Everyone was able to remember their dreams.
I guess I really am getting better at this whole goddess th–





N-no way …! I … I swear I had this under control …!
No … Stop! I’m not hungry …

I don’t want to … eat anyone’s dreams …



H-help … me …






…
…

We’ll get back to this in the next full update!