Part 102: The Countdown

Entry 94: The Countdown



Two continents and two crystals left.



The team heads south from Florem to Harena and the wind crystal via Miasma Woods, which has another blue chest.



Can't be sick or sinful if you're dead! That's the joke.



The residents of Ancheim don't seem particularly under stress at the moment, but don't worry! We'll depose the tyrannical Eternians anyway!



The party starts by cutting the oasis thieves out of the equation. A blue chest in their den has this special knife.



We never did find out what happened to the previous leader of the thieves - the one who presumably took in Jackal. Maybe the older, wiser boss had a disagreement with Profiteur.



Jackal, young and driven by nothing but rage, would be a breeze to control in comparison. It's a sad story, but one we nevertheless should bring to an end.

But this time, the moment Jackal falls:



We discover a new change in this world.

You're going to be alright!

You can't leave us! What will we do!? We can't go on without you!

This version of Jackal had more to him than rage.



You might think this is a cheap guilt shot at the player. It is.

But luckily:

......

...Will you stop all the bellyaching?

The party continues to be a lot less thorough at killing than we first thought.



The kids cheer as Jackal gets to his feet.

How's a man supposed to...sleep with all that racket? ...Ow-ow-ow...

The party leaves them be and heads off to fry bigger fish.

Soon, at Profiteur Merchantry's HQ:





Profiteur proceeds mostly as before, hiring the mercenary Khint and fighting the party when they get too nosy.



...Until Khint abandons him when he's on his last legs.

Former commander of Eternia's occupation... Reduced to a lowly bodyguard to pay for his daughter's treatments. How far ze... mighty fall...

He had his chance to share in ze spoils. But zat boat sailed fifteen years past... Treatments? Bah! What a...bald-faced...

*dies*

We know about Khint being a commander from notes in Everlast Tower. At the time he seemed business-like but not unhappy with the Duchy's takeover, keeping watch over the city as ordered. Apparently, however, something soon happened to break him away from the Duchy -- and we might have a clue why.

Way back in Chapter 2, the party uncovered DeRosa's private notes, which stated the following as part of a plan to take over the Duchy:


Which puts Khint in a situation similar to Jackal: a person secretly sabotaged by Profiteur, forced into a bad situation where they'd have no choice but to act as Profiteur's pawn.

As for Khint's daughter and her medical treatments, we can't be certain, but there is a chance we've seen the girl before.



This is Eternia City's healing facility in chapters 4 and 5. An Eternian would know there's no better hospital in the world. A doting parent would want nothing less for their child, no matter the cost.



Mmm, that...that looks delicious... Zzzz...snrkt...

The party waits until nightfall to take out King Khamer.



The blue chest in Grand Mill contains another example of the historical tensions between the Crystalists and the rest of the region.



Greed has been a problem here for some time. Profiteur, Khamer, and Jackal are merely the latest incarnations of--



Oh, right.



Khamer and Khint face the party, Khint for the third and final time.



Khint has no new dialogue, but we do now have some context for what he says.



The party, for their part, has no interest in dealing with all this pathos.

???

It lets you attack your opponent's MP with a conventional attack, and absorb it, too. Just use Brave, then conventional attacks between magic attacks. You'll never want for MP!

It's perfect for you, Agnès!

Oh, I never thought of that.

Why are you telling us this now, Tiz?

I just wanted to let you know how wonderful spell blades could be.

It can really help you, too, Edea. You could add some sort of element to your blade attack. Start with Brave, then cast a spell blade. You can attack right away and even switch to another spell blade if you want.

Spell blades are incredible, aren't they!?

Not as incredible as your endorsement of them. If they're so great, why don't you change your job to spell fencer, Tiz?

Oh, um...uhh... This wasn't how the conversation was supposed to go.

And how was it supposed to go?

(Uh-oh, what do I do now?) Hey, Ringabel, what am I supposed to say in this case?

...... (...Ack! The cat's out of the bag!)

You said to get Agnès and Edea into those flimsy spell fencer outfits, I should "sell them hard" on the job's merits... And well, I said exactly what you told me to, but their reply was different. So what do I say now?

Yes, tell us, Ringabel... What does he say now?

I can't wait to hear this!

Another cutscene misplaced from an earlier chapter. Keep in mind you could trigger this chat just before getting the crystal scene where Edea tells Ringabel he doesn't act like this anymore.

Someone wrote these characters to evolve over the course of the game, then someone else shuffled these party chats around as though the game's story were a sitcom with no change from beginning to end.



Let's just move on to the Temple of Wind. Awakening a crystal is sure to distract me from the narrative's inconsistencies.



They defeat the demon infesting the crystal. Airy guides Agnès as usual.



But for the second time, Ringabel interrupts just as they're about to start.

More questions?

What are the crystals? Are they really born of the vestals?

Now's not the time for a lesson on crystal lore.

I haven't heard the full story, either. I'd like to know.

Let's save it for after we awaken--

The crystals are not born of the vestals, nor are they creations of the Orthodoxy. They existed long before human civilization arose.

They turn hopes and prayers into energy that builds up within them. The vestals then--



Ringabel!? You have that I'm-in-pain look again.

If the crystals thrive by storing the prayers of the faithful... What were they before they were objects of worship?

I cannot say. The scriptures say naught of such a time.

Do you know, Airy?

The crystals have always been crystals.

It's simply a matter of more and more people worshiping them.

The templar spoke on this. The crystals should be overseen by one who looks out for the good of the people, he said.

...Not some power-hungry cult that has rotted to its core. What exactly did he mean by that?

Huh? What's he talking about? Someone care to fill me in?

Who is worthy of looking after the crystals? Not the Crystal Orthodoxy, we know that much.



Should anyone look after the crystals? If so, how?

No, it's... Never mind. Apologies for interrupting.

The 'how' of the crystals is at the heart of all this. Without knowing how they work, all we can do is blindly follow Airy's directions. We can't know how we're failing.



Agnès awakens the wind crystal as instructed.



Immediately afterwards, Ringabel passes out.





Hm...











I'm sorry...










We had some guesses about this already.

Can you hear me, Ringabel!?

Ringabel!

Those fears are now getting all but confirmed.



I'm sorry, everyone. I... I couldn't... Forgive me.

The party questions Ringabel, but he refuses to say anything further, claiming to be too ill. Eventually they return to the ship, confused but ready to head to the final crystal.

That night, Tiz finds Ringabel alone out on deck.



Tiz, I... I remember everything now.

Your memory is back? That's great news.

I'm not so sure. But at least it all makes sense now.

Will you tell me?



I spoke before of my suspicions that we'd been transported to a parallel world. I've been seeing more and more glimpses of the past these last few days. I remember crossing swords with you, Agnès, and Edea any number of times.

And I've witnessed firsthand your death at the hands of a horrible creature.

And it wasn't simply a dream?



Leaving Eternia may have been the best thing for Alternis/Ringabel. He's learned how to exposit.

Do you remember when we first met in Caldisla?

Yes, in the world before last.

And what did the pattern on Airy's wings look like then? It looks like the number three now, but in the previous world, it was a four.

Now that you mention it... How about the world before last?

It was a five. I recall it clearly.

It's decreasing...?

In my memory of you three getting killed, the pattern looked like the number six.

And that means?

In short, I'm the dark knight from the world before your own.

I see... The pieces are starting to fall into place.

We still don't know for sure what Airy's role is. Given what little we do know, however, it probably wouldn't be wise to confront her directly.



Of course, that's assuming the Airy from Ringabel's memories is the same as the one here now.

I could only watch it happen. I couldn't do a thing!

Ringabel...

I have a favor to ask, Tiz. Please tell Agnès what I just revealed to you. Some time, someplace where Airy isn't around. Will you do this for me?

...Alright. Of course.

Then, you'll believe me?

Tiz nods. The two return to the others, but Airy is glued to Agnès the entire evening. Airy is always with Agnès. Always.



The next day, Edea and Agnès meet while the ship flies northwest to Eternia.

He's up on deck with Tiz. Something about having a man-to-man talk.

I see. Ringabel has been acting strangely of late, has he not?

I suppose so.

Yes! Yes he has!

......

I wonder if something is wrong. Perhaps he remembered some unpleasant event from his past.

An unpleasant event from his past!?

Is that why he's been giving me a hard time!? Well, I won't stand for it!

If he gets in our way again, we should kick him off the ship!

Stop it, Airy! I don't see why you're making such a fuss!

We're talking about one of our comrades--someone who lost his memory and nearly his sanity, too.

Surely you could forgive such a minor things as this!

...Edea! Where are you going?

To see the proprietress! I'll be drowning my sorrow in parfaits tonight! And don't try to stop me!

*Edea exits*

......I-I can't believe it!

Did you hear that, Agnès!? Edea was so mean!

......

Time wears on.

When they approach Eternia, Tiz calls everyone to the bridge.



The only point of the journey where Agnès and Airy have separated was during the meeting with the sage in the cave.

The sage? Whatever for?

Sounds like a good idea. To the sage's!

It's a longshot, but there isn't much choice. Nothing less could tear Airy away.



Edea and Agnès, however, aren't wild about the idea. Edea in particular doesn't want to delay going to Eternia any further.



As a compromise, the party agrees to assess the Duchy's situation before swinging back to visit the sage. The benefits of high-speed travel!



First stop: Eternia City.

Eternian special...parfait!!!

It starts with a honey pancake, double-rolled, thick and fluffy!

...Um, Edea, listen--

Then five irresistible scoops of ice cream on top! Vanilla, green tea, mint, strawberry cheesecake, and chocolate!

Edea, sorry to interrupt your food fantasy...

But didn't you just say your diet was going so well?

You are your own master. Only you have control of yourself.

Weren't you going on about boosting your femininity by dieting?

Tsk, mind your own business, all of you!

I know how to control myself! I'll be back on my diet tomorrow!

But they say those who cannot today, cannot forever.

That's right! How can you ever succeed with such weak willpower?

W-weak willpower!? I'll have you know it's plenty strong!

I'll show you. I'm back on my diet from this moment!

That's the spirit, Edea!

And I'll start by forgoing the cherry that goes on top of the parfait, terribly difficult though it is!

......

As much as Agnès loves her friends, she's ending a whole lot of conversations lately with silence and an implied wish she were back in a peaceful temple.

The party stops by the healing facility to see Mahzer, who is the same as always (though this time Edea doesn't mention fighting Kamiizumi, since that got resolved for the better).



They also go visit the kid who might be Khint's daughter, but for once, she's gone.

Money turns up here, sent anonymously for who-knows-what purpose. I've been donating it to help cover the local children's medical expenses.

How long has Khint been away from Eternia? If he's been out of contact a while and something unexpected happened, he might have never have found out...



Vampire Castle is unchanged from last time, but we do find another blue chest tucked in one of DeRosso's closets. He probably won't need it.



This is an odd relic. So far as I can tell, it's referencing the Greek god Hades, but I don't know any legend like this connected to him. When the Greek gods were first taking over, Hades was assigned the domain of the underworld, which he wasn't completely happy about. However although he's often made out as the jealous bad guy among the pantheon nowadays, in the original myths he gets over the jealousy for the most part and keeps to his underworld. He also has an unusually good (in Greek myth terms) relationship with his wife, Persephone, aside from starting out by kidnapping her.

Maybe it's a reference to the idea that Hades, like DeRosso, is an evil-looking individual with a bad reputation who is actually harmless as long as you don't trespass in his hellish house.



The party continues on to Central Command and finds Victoria and Victor sneaking around the front steps again. This time, Victoria can't even get a spell out before she starts seizing. Victor panics and takes her inside as before.



When the party follows, Victor proceeds to delay them. At first his speech is the same, but after the first few lines he veers off in a new direction.

She began her treatments in this land after the Lord Marshal conquered and renamed it the Duchy of Eternia.

It was I who created the white magic cable. I was charged with studying the combined use of white magic and the crystals. I advocated the use of treatments by amplified white magic on her. But there was one who voiced objections...



We've heard a bit about Vincent's work from the scattered files in Everlast Tower. Vincent's experiments in alchemical life were officially nixed by the Duchy's researchers early on due to its danger, but apparently Vincent was more eager to experiment with alchemy than he let on.

He pressed endlessly for an alternate treatment--one not based on the amplification of white magic. But it was alchemical genesis he proposed! It is a forbidden art--a foul heresy, banned since the time of the Old Faith. The Lord Marshal and I both rejected my father's proposal out of hand. But he would not be swayed. He didn't so much as ask Victoria's consent...

He believed his cure had rid her of her affliction, but the truth was far different. It stilled her growth, and periodic fits grew more frequent. Soon, it began to cripple even her mind. My father has since passed.

Victoria's lack of consent explains some of Victor's guilt, though at least in previous worlds there were more parallels between Victor and his father than Victor's probably comfortable with:


Anyway, Vincent was apparently not the nicest fellow, but what killed him?



Ah.

I was devastated. ...No, in truth I was already a broken man. You must think me a fool for not loathing my father's murderer. But, I could not exact vengeance on her. I was entranced by her innocent eyes and child-like form. I devoted myself body and soul to her healing. ...Yet I failed to relieve her suffering.

Victor may act fairly normal on the surface, but make no mistake, he and Victoria are two of a highly damaged pair.

After this Victor's speech repeats what we've already heard. Victoria recovers enough to leave her tank.



The dialogue for all the different ways of killing them is almost all the same, except for two lines when you kill Victor first.



First, Victor mentions his father before fading away. After the Victoria experiment, he likely never made up with his father. It doesn't help he's had to spend the rest of his life dealing with the violent outcome of his father's mistake.



Finally, after Victoria is left alone and defeated, her sentiment toward Victor has changed. A part of Victor may have hated her, but another really did want things to be better for her. In a last moment of clarity, that latter part meant something to this version of Victoria.



So! Our time in Eternia is almost over. After that, it's off to the sage. But can Agnès be warned in time? And even with a warning -- what will we do now?


Next: The secret of the crystals.

--

Event Viewer
Main Scenario:
Suspicion
Fragments of Memory (3)
Conviction
Getting Her Alone

Sub-Scenario:
The Jackal and the Orphans
The Arcanist's Fit
Broken, Heart and Soul

Party Chat:
Spell Blades
Edea's Parfait Binge
Without a Cherry on Top