Part 36: The Doctor

Update 33: The Doctor




Well, we've made some decent progress on the sidequests. Let's get a little more done before we finally go pay a visit to Larikush.








These are the animals I forgot to get from under Calbren's museum, the lovely Hograts.

Now, let's move on to Anuenue.





The Komo Mai cookies I've been looking forward to are all sold out...Why was I assigned guard duty the day of the festival? Oh...I would settle for some Pow milk yogurt, the perfect complement to Komo Mai cookies.


Oh...pow milk aging magnus. Right. I guess I better go back to Sadal Suud and get some of that.






While I was there, I stopped by Rodolfo's mansion again. In one of the guests rooms there's this monkey that the maid will let me have. Chalk up another animal for Wazn!


A trip to Cebalrai, a return to Anuenue, and standing around waiting for the magnus to age for about a half hour later...





What? You brought me Pow milk yogurt? That's awfully kind of you! Pow milk yogurt is a Sadal Suud specialty, isn't it? I missed out on the Komo Mai cookies, but you've just made my day with this gift. I'd really like to give you something in return, but this is the best I can do right now...I'll prepare a nicer present. Next time you stop by Anuenue, please look me up.





Aww, what a nice guy! I did this for the constellation, but I wonder what additional reward there is?

Now let's take a trip to the waterfall village where we recruited Savyna.








Hey, sneaky ladder placement. It took me a few seconds to figure out exactly how I needed to place Kalas so he would climb the thing.





And here at the base of the Celestial Tree, we have a rare instance of a real animal appearing in the Baten Kaitos world.



All right, that cleans out Anuenue, and I'm pretty sure I managed to get everything I can in Diadem on my first run through it. Let's head on the the Empire, then!





The house at the docks contains this elderly couple and their pet Fluffpups. They entrust the last one to me because Alfard is currently too scary a place for puppies. Sounds good to me.








In case the snow machine didn't tip you off, this is Exposition Mechanic's home in Azha.





The final missing collectible is in the Imperial Fortress. I wasn't looking forward to this since the fortress is a bit of a maze, but it was fairly close to the entrance. Just one elevator ride to the second floor and a couple of screen later...





Damn! Don't scare me! I thought you were one of the dark ones! But...this might be destiny. I'll have to go to my fellow comrades. But the Bunnycat under the desk is the only thing I'm worried about. It's my favorite pet.


So we take the Bunnycat for him. See, so many things in this world are hybrids of real world animals, or like a real life animal but not quite (such as Pows and Cows). And then there's...pigeons.






All right. I think that's enough aimless wandering. Time to progress the plot a bit.


Warning: infodump approaching! There's not much to add to this huge pile of text, so if you'd rather watch this scene, click me!





Thanks. It shouldn't take long.






Music: Amid Butterflies and Moonlight

Things must have been pretty awful for you, but I'm glad to see you're in good health.

Thanks, doc. Long time no see. I got your letter. So you have something to tell me? Were you really working with Gramps, and for the Empire?

Now then...where should I start? From the very beginning, I suppose. With the experiment we were working on. It's been almost twenty years...





village. We were recruited by the Empire around twenty years ago, and began working on military research. Under Emperor Geldoblame's orders, we were supposed to design new weaponry, battleships and Iron Beetles.


Oh yeah, didn't Giacomo say something about Georg designing the Goldoba? Makes sense. I wonder if he designed that self-healing beetle from back in Diadem?


But there was also another project we were assigned to, one that was kept strictly confidential. We were attempting to solve the secret of the Magnus.





warlocks of old. It consists of encoding and storing the essence of matter, and decoding it later on to restore the material to its original form. Yet, it was said to be impossible to encode a living creature into a Magnus. Since quite some time ago, this type of research has been strictly prohibited. Creatures cast into a Magnus would end up distorted and defective when later invoked. But Georg had succeeded...He was truly a genius.


I'd like to point out real quick that I have a few living animals in my inventory. I think Lyude joined with a Rooster, and I know there was a silkworm in there at some point. Even people, if the Peach Boy is a person. Oh well, gameplay and story don't always have to match.






It turned out to be one of the sealed End Magnus...Giacomo, Ayme, and Folon were the results of those experiments. That's why all three have extraordinary powers.

So Giacomo and his goons had gotten some power from the End Magnus...


Hmm...I wonder if they volunteered for those experiments or if Georg forced them? Ayme and Folon are certainly crazy/sadistic enough to go for that, but...

That's right. But with the End Magnus sealed away, that was the best we could do. So we took it to another level...You know what I'm talking about? Can't you remember? This is about you and your brother, Fee. Kalas...Georg created you artificially.


…?!






But even Georg couldn't succeed in encoding a living creature. Something very important, not found as a mere object, would be lost when a creature was encoded, and would be missing when the creature was reconstructed. It was then that Georg altered his approach yet again. Instead of encoding extracted Magna Essence, he began working on modifying an existing, working Magnus to create a living creature...Georg seemed totally engrossed in his work back then. He chose a base material, and spent months modifying and improving it, slowly altering the Magnus properties. His experiment was successful. Several months later, a new life was created.

You were the result, Kalas.







Music: Mystery Crystal


I know this is difficult to believe, but you'll understand someday. Born from a magnus, you were...how should I put it...excessively human. You had too many of the flaws present in human beings, and you were born with just one wing. Geldoblame was unsatisfied with the results of that experiment. What he wanted was a pure, life form. His intention was to study the Magnus of such a life form, and to unlock the secret of eternal life. He would call this hypothetical life form the “Divine Child”...

The Divine Child?

Since around that time, Geldoblame became obsessed with overcoming the limitations of human beings. Georg furthered his studies based on your Magnus, making improvements until, several years later another life was born. A child born of a true, living Magnus.





But Kodelle, one of the witches, said she didn't feel any Magnus within me...

Your Magnus is quite different from those found in this world. Georg had drastically modified the original Magnus. Suppose you brought in a creature with blue blood instead of red, and asked someone to study its blood. Many would shake their heads and say it's not possible, as the creature has no blood at all...When people picture blood, they think of a red liquid. A blue liquid would not fit the description. They would need someone to point out to them that it's simply a matter of the creature's blood being blue. Until then, they would picture the creature as being bloodless, even if the blood was right there, in front of their eyes. A similar thing could be said about your Magnus.

I think I see what you're trying to say...


I was going to make a quip about how people should be smarter than this, but I suppose that the people of the Sky probably don't have high school biology courses, so I can forgive the idea. I still think Kodelle should have been able to figure out that the soul-like thing where Kalas' soul should be is probably a soul. But whatever.


Back to the subject. After Fee was born, Georg was a man redeemed...The time he spent with you and Fee may have stirred something within him that had been dormant for a long time. Or, maybe there was something about Fee that brought about these changes in him. Eventually, twelve years ago, we decided to escape from the Empire.





We succeeded in creating life from a Magnus...But for what purpose? Is it worth anything at all? Or did we merely open a door leading to further sorrow and despair?

Georg, we have other things to think about right now. We need to make a decision. After all, we're their “parents”. It's our responsibility to do the right thing and protect them.

Right...You're absolutely right.

What do you want to do? Follow Geldoblame's orders and continue your research?

No. We must put a stop to this. Kalas and Fee can no longer be victims of his vile ambitions!

I understand. There's only one things we can do then...

Yes...let's destroy this lab with explosives, so that no records or samples can be recovered. Nothing shall remain.


I don't know if it's intentional or not, but I like the call back (forward?) to Larikush not-so-randomly having explosives.


We'll feign our deaths in the explosion, and leave the Empire in secret...We should head for Mira.

That island is close to the dimensional boundary and periodically shifts between dimensions. Even if they find out we set up the explosion, being in Mira should buy us some time. The four of us will live in peace. You, I, Kalas, and Fee...




Shh! Someone's coming!





How is your analysis of its Magnus coming along?

No problems...It's going exactly as planned.

We need to account for fluctuations related to his growth patterns. We need more time to be sure...I've told you this repeatedly.

Humph. So you need more time. How much? Five more years? Ten? At your current rate, it may well take forever. We need results, not excuses. The Emperor's patience has its limits. Also, you have orders to dispose of the defective sample tomorrow. It's no longer of any use to us. No need to keep it alive.

…! Giacomo, how could you...

Georg! Don't!

Grr...

Giacomo, let me ask you...The Emperor's plans...Don't they bother you at all?




What's the deal with power auras anyway? They don't seem to do anything, it's just a visual indicator of “hey I'm turning my superpower on now okay?”


Humph. You of all people should know better. I'm not like you, or my father. Thanks to your experiments, I now wield a power no mundane human could ever hope for! Besides, you started all this in the first place. Now is not the time for regrets. You will continue the experiment. I will see to that, I assure you.

I, myself, can hardly wait. What this project will show us...where it will lead us...There's so much to look forward to! Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha!





Despite Giacomo's threats, Georg and Larikush proceed as planned, so they don't have to “dispose of” Kalas...





...


One last Geldoblame Angry Face for the road. I guess the wanted to keep us from forgetting about the original villain of the game.





Maybe it was from the shock of the explosion, when you awoke, after escaping from the Empire, you'd lost memory of everything that had happened until then...Fee was only three years old, so he didn't seem to remember much either. Soon after, I left Mira, and came to live here. I don't know what exactly happened two years ago...Georg and I had lived separate lives. Imagine how surprised I was when seeing you brought to this village...



Giacomo died, in the Imperial capital...

...Is that so?...






Georg created me? I can't believe that...


I still don't really get how that works, but nonetheless I think it's cool how they managed to integrate the card-based battle system not only into the world, but into the main plot, even if it's a little confusing.


I'm not surprised. Take your time, boy. Let it sink in. Either way, you are yourself. That's what counts. How you were born is unimportant. It's the same for anybody. We don't choose to be born. We simply realize one day that we're here...That we exist...




...I have something for you. Georg asked me to give it to you, should you need it one day. This must be the time.

Gramps left me something?

Yes. Way back then...When we had settled down in Mira. Georg told me he intended to leave something for you. I don't know what it is, but you'll find it in a cabin up in the Celestial Alps.

The Celestial Alps?


Dude, saying you have something for me usually means you have it with you right now, not that you know where it is and want me to go get it.

Yes. There's a cabin near the mountaintop. Georg and I built it, after we left the Empire.

A cabin in the Alps...he stashed it there, huh?

Yes. I suggest you go there and look for it.



Well, that was a...quite a conversation. We regain control here, but trying to leave pulls up one last bit of dialogue...





The Emperor, Geldoblame. Hearing you were not the perfect being he had envisioned, he called you an ill omen, a cursed premonition of things to come. He named you Kalas, which means Raven in a long-lost language. After we left the Empire, Georg and I tried to give you a new name, but you would have none of it. Your name was the one thing you remembered...

I guess it was the reason for my existence, and my hatred...Something I just couldn't get rid of...




Holy crap that was a long, awkward conversation. So basically Kalas is a test tube baby and so was his little brother Fee, who was also the Divine Child that's been mentioned a couple of time. Also we're going to the Celestial Alps now to get some present that Georg left Kalas.





Music: Brave Way

I'm fine. Would you all come with me to the Celestial Alps? The Doctor said Gramps left me something there.

No problem! I don't know what went on in there between you and the Doc, but cheer up kid.

Yes, we have so much left to do. We need you in high spirits.

Up you cheer, Kalas! The Great Mizuti be with you!

Focus your thoughts solely on this mission. You'll have plenty of time for reflection once it's over...Survival is priority one, right?

Thanks, all of you.





I'm up for a new dungeon, I think. (also apparently both options here are positive so it's a good thing you guys didn't vote for the coal answer )

All right, everyone. Let's go!




-

Decision Time!

Surprisingly enough, there aren't any Guardian Spirit choices coming up despite it being a Kalas-centric area.

However, there is also a boss fight coming up. Once again, Kalas is mandatory; which two characters will fight alongside him?