Part 8: Strange New Feelings

Video: The Hassaleh Servitude




I'd certainly rather be here than back in Alfard. This place is so relaxing...and it's not like we have any real goals at this point. Why not?





Thanks. We could start by helping out around the village.





Milly! What are you doing out here?

Oh, um...

I couldn't sleep. I was getting advice from Meemai about where to go from here.

I couldn't sleep, either. There's so much racing through my head right now...

Oh...

Hey...Sagi. I don't mean to pry, but there's something that's been bothering me. What were you doing in the Dark Service? How could someone born in Hassaleh bring himself to work for the Empire? I know about the Hassaleh Servitude. I learned about it back when I was at the School of Magic. Didn't the Empire force the Hassalites to work on the construction of Alfard's cities?

...If you know all that, you shouldn't have to ask me why I joined the Service.

…


Music: Tears of Compassion


I joined to avenge everyone. To kill Olgan.

Avenge them?

Yeah. Five years ago every able man in Hassaleh was led off to slave away for the Empire. Most of them never came back...The kids in the orphanage are all the children they left behind. Mom would get so sad whenever she talked about it. So I made up my mind. To get revenge for everybody. And that's why I needed to get as close to Olgan as I could.


Huh...I never pegged Sagi as the vindictive type.


…

But what I said before about earning the money – that was true, too. Mom works hard to get by, but the orphanage is still a wreck. Lucky for me, an elite group like the Dark Service pays a cut above the rest. Way better than when I was just a nobody in the Imperial Army.

Sagi...I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to drag all this out of you...

You didn't.

Does your mother know about all this?

I'm not gonna tell her. She'd just get worried or mad – and either way, she would have stopped me.

...Oh.

Well, I think I'll head in now. Good night, Milly.

Good night, Sagi.


Well, this has given us some interesting insight into Sagi's character. Oh, and Milly's probably a spy. I guess that's good to know?





Music: Ancient Homeland

Mm...morning. No's not...the cluckers haven't crowed....

What are you talking about? They crowed hours ago! Stop your mumbling and get out of bed!

...I'm up!...Sorry to keep you.

Aw, what's the matter? Did Sagi-wagi stay up past his bedtime?

Heh...


Okay, it's time to explore the village a bit more. I decided to take this opportunity to wander around the village and talk to some people.









Oh my...

(also that weapon is a pretty decent weapon for Guillo right now, and I got it on my first try because I got lucky am a TRADE MASTER).





This is in the building under the Brierclock. Elements function sort of like weapons – you can equip them at the start of a turn and they'll power up your next attack, and make it Fire Elemental, plus give a power boost. However, they only give that effect to one attack, so I don't generally view them as all that worthwhile. They can be situationally useful, though, in areas with lots of enemies weak to one particular element (for example, this would be good in the next water/ice-themed dungeon). They're also nice in that, unlike weapons, any character can equip an element magnus.





No, no, there's no need to be shy about it. It's perfectly normal for a lad your age to experience strange new feelings about greythornes. What other creature can adapt to such a wide variety of climes? I've discovered that the remarkable beings have an unusual source of power. I'm still researching it right now, but I should be able to share my results soon. Sagi, drop by again later on. I'll give you a chance to witness a true biological wonder.

Hey, I was named after a greythorne! You're cool, old guy..





This girl is the one who triggers the next event of the day. She informs us that some villagers, along with a dreamy Imperial fellow who's been staying in Sheratan, went to the lake and haven't come back. Naturally, it's up to us to go check things out.

But let's put a hold on that and explore the village some more.





Shera Blue: Even if we can't beat you alone, there's nothing that can stand up to all of our powers combined!

Shera Pink: Yeah, we can still win!

Team Shera: Our powers, as one!

Shera Pink: C'mon, Ted, combine your powers?





Rrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaagggggggggghhhhhhh!

Shera Pink: Take this! All our powers combined!

Shera Green: Even small powers can triumph, when gathered together!

Shera Blue; There's no evil that can't be stopped!

Dark Lord of Evil: It...It cannot be!

Dark Lord of Evil! Feel the brunt of out powers combined! Take this!

Dark Lord of Evil: Uwaugh!



Shera Blue: Red...

Shera Pink: Welcome back, Red.

Shera Green: I knew you'd come back for us!

Shera Blue: And return you did. Without you, we never could have defeated the Dark Lord of Evil. At last, his reign of evilness has come to an end. Please, you're the only one fit to carry this. Wield it with pride.







The Toy Sword is pretty great. This quest magnus increases everyone's offense by a decent amount. Definitely worth the inventory space.





The local village doctor also starts up one of those classic game-long sidequests by giving us the Field Guide. He'll reward us for collecting enemy data. That doesn't seem very doctorly, but okay.


Let's go ahead and move on to the lake.







The lake ruins are a dungeon...But not yet. All we can do now is walk in, get this mystery item, and walk back out.





The woman informs us that the mystery item we found is a Magna Mixer, which we can use to combine Quest Magnus to turn into New quest magnus! We'll need to do this a few times to progress through the game, but not for a while.

Yet another day/night/morning transition, and...





Video: The kids! Uh-huh, the kids!


Mm...mmm? What is it, Wacho? Keep it down...

B-But there's a monster! A humongous one, in the lake! Right, Tik?

Yeah, a humongous monster one!

The monster must've gobbled up the people who didn't come back from the lake! Right, Tik?

Yeah, it gobbled them! That's why they're not back!

I don't like the sound of this...Wacho, why don't you start at the beginning?

OK, um, well, Tik and I went out to pick some cottoncap fruit. And so yeah, so yeah, we had all this fruit, right? And we were talking about how Sagi would go wild about all the fruit we had. Right, Tik?

Yeah, all this fruit! We were gonna give it to Sagi!

Enough about the cottoncap fruit. I asked you about the monster!

Oh, right.

Right.

So we grabbed all the fruit, and started back for the village.

Yuh-huh, the village.

And that's when it came flying out of the water! Splooooosh! Right, Tik?

Uh-huh, “Sploosh!”

It was as big as the Brierclock, I swear! With long, gangly claws. Kind of Greyish. And it had these beady, glowing eyes!

Sagi!

I know, that sounds just like the thing that attacked us in the emperor's residence. These monsters...





I'd like to know why these things keep popping up, plus we should probably fight it off so it doesn't eat the kids or something.


I kind of would like to know what those creatures actually are. You and I both acted funny the last time we saw one, Guillo. Besides, if sounds like the villages are caught up in this. We can't just leave them.

You do realize I'll be going with you? I don't know what this monster business is about, but it woulds like fun.

Did you just say “fun”? Are you some sort of half-wit?

If this creature's anything like the last one...it's gonna be strong. Let's make sure we're ready for it.







Talking to Wacho or Tik allows you to draw a Cottoncap Fruit. I went ahead and got one just for the hell of it, which really paid off later in an unrelated sidequest.


Okay, let's go ahead to the lake ruins.





Music: Mossblossom Pillars


Y...Yeah...

Sagi, are you all right? You buckled over the moment you set eyes on that thing. You're sweating a lot, too...

...I'm fine. Just got a little dizzy, that's all. Let's go after it.


...I'm starting to think maybe this isn't a good idea.





All right, we're finally ready to start the dungeon!

This place has a few different things going on. First of all, we're going to have to go underwater. If Sagi spends too much time underwater, he'll pass out and wash up back at the start. However, these Photosynth Lilies apparently produce a burst of oxygen, and so Sagi can use one when he's about to drown to replenish his air supply.





Using the power of FLIGHT, we can use these pillars to get into the ruins proper.







There are three enemies here. The giant crustacean creatures hit hard and have lots of health, and are generally nasty critters. The two-dimensional rainbow creatures use nasty ice attacks and can heal, and are much frailer, so I usually go for them first. There are also frog enemies which fail to be noteworthy in any way.





Now for the second feature of this dungeon, the walls. There are two sides of the ruins, and both sides have a wall that we need to push back. Sagi has to be underwater to push then,m and it takes a while, which is why you want Photosynth Lilies to breathe.





Hmm...





Here's the other side and the other wall. Also some guy just sitting on a crate underwater. Is that how drowning works? You can give him a Photosynth Lily if you want. I seem to recall that I didn't do so on my first playthrough and he survived anyway, so I'm not sure it does anything.


Pushing both walls back drains the lake...







...and makes an elevator appear.





Another first level finisher for Sagi. I think that's all for his first level ones, though I may be mistaken.





The final feature of the lake ruins is the survivors. Despite being attacked and underwater for who knows how long, the villagers have survived!...but we have to resuscitate them through various means. This one needs a Photosynth Lily for some oxygen.





Using this in battle temporarily boosts ice defense by 100%. Not bad! He also gives us 10 gold so we can buy half a stick of gum.







The crate was originally a Suspicious Crate, but examining it in the right spot makes it Unsuspicious and causes wheels to pop out. Pushing it to the right spawns the chest with the cap in it. Also, that guy is passed out but just asleep – we can't wake him up yet. A lot of the villagers can't be rescued until after the boss fight.





The other guy out here just needs water. I ran all the way back to Sheratan to get this, which was a mistake because there's water down the elevator.





Already got one, but thanks anyway.

Time to head down that elevator.





These must be some of the missing villagers!

Are you all right?

Elder: Mm...mmmm...

Oh, thank goodness. They're just passed out.





Does that one have fins? How interesting...


It's...that thing!

Sagi! Get your magnus ready! It's going to attack!







Music: Poacher

Video; The Lake Monster


Well, here we are fighting another monster boss. While Icy Death is a fairly brutal attack, I'd still say that this is the easiest boss so far. His attacks are painful but not quite to the degree that Giacomo's were, and he has no hi-all attacks like his predecessor, plus the game throws a ton of ice defense magnus at you before this fight so you can realistically play defense here if you so choose.





Plus, I have that brand new fire attack for Sagi, and the Mars Sophia weapon for Guillo, both of which seem fairly effective. Milly's damage with her lightning weapon was none too shabby, either, and while I didn't use it, there's also that Fire Element I picked up in Sheratan that could be useful as well.

Basically, this fight can be a challenge, but nothing too major due to how much the game prepares you for it.


Anyway, I beat it down in short order, but...







Oh come on, you don't even know Mountainmaker!





Music: The Dead-End Creatures


It's just like the last time! This could get ugly...Let's retreat to Sheratan for now. Guillo! Take Milly and go. I'll buy you some time.

...Hishhiiishsiishishh...













FUCK YEAH SEVENSTAR DUST! My favorite finisher for Milly.





…

Hey, Guillo! Are you listening?

...Oh. It's you.

Guillo, you ARE acting weird. You don't remember anything this time, either?

Alas...this time, I remember it all. I think I may have been made for the sole purpose of killing these things.

What does THAT mean? Why would someone make you just for killing? You were buried in the ground!

We can talk about this more once we get back to Sheratan. Let's look a little further before we go. We might find some more missing villagers.

…


I don't care what you were made for, Guillo. I'll always love you.





All right, time to save the last of the villagers. The Elder just needs a splash of water, and the woman next to him just needs to be talked to. The Elder says he's got a prize for us if we rescue everybody, so let's get to it!

Oh yeah, the Elder gives us a Magnus Pack Coupon for saving him, and the woman gives us a Potion.




This guy woke up only to get attacked. Fending off the monster will rescue him. He hands of a Magnus Pack Coupon as a reward.





The girl hiding in here won't come out until you clear the room of all three enemy encounters. She hands over a...mattress...?

And that's everybody, so let's report to the Elder again.







Wow, I really need to get back to the church and actually use one of these charms to get an Aura.





Time to go back home. I wonder what new things lie in store for us?