Part 95: Exposition? What's That? (feat. Vampire DeRosso)

Entry 87: Exposition? What's That? (feat. Vampire DeRosso)

So by this point, it's pretty clear we're not going to get any major changes in the Eternians.



Halt!

Of course, you can skip these sidequests, allowing the Eternians to continue to torture themselves and the world.



Artemia hunt. Hunt many orochi.

At Einheria's orders?

Artemia obey. Only obey. Sister's orders only truth.

I see... You haven't changed. You could not stop Einheria...



There are no really good choices here; so far, with the exception of Qada, the game's open-world doesn't extend to offering third options.

Artemia not tell Sister how to think. How Sister think tell how Artemia live. Only Sister tell how Artemia live!

I understand. I've heard enough...

Artemia hunt. Hunt all prey... All in range Artemia's prey...

I said enough...

Nothing runs. Nothing escapes... As long as prey has pulse... Keep firing... Never miss...

Edea's exasperation mimics how the player probably feels by this point. Which leads to one question:



Why put the player through this?

Grrrrrrar... You... Edea...prey... Prey...chase...hunt... Artemia...run...catch...

Whatever the game's leading towards, is it worth all this? We can't know until we get there, but the stakes are raising higher and higher with each refight.



Between repeating tragedy and ignoring it, at least one option gives some gameplay benefit.

Hunt...is...on!



The party kills the boss and collects their 999 JP.



Sister...

The party returns to town, warning them of Eternia's toxic plot so the last of the chemicals can be disposed.

After clearing Eternia out of the region, the party takes a well-deserved break.



Now, will you please take back what you said!?

Never! This is one matter in which I refuse to give an inch!

This is a clear-cut issue! Black and white, with no room for gray!

Wow, Agnès and Edea are really going at it. Don't see that too often.

I wonder what happened. Any ideas, Tiz?

*sigh* Why don't you ask them yourself?

Heh, I see you're in fine form, too. What's eating you?

How can you even say that's the best, Agnès?

I mean, your explanation doesn't make any sense!

And what of you, Edea!? Everything is always black or white with you.

Never have I seen such obstinance!

I still don't understand. Would you mind filling me in, Tiz?

I told you, ask them yourself. *sigh*

Baked custard with strawberry whipped cream!

No! Sweet bean filled wafers!

......

Huh? Those are both desserts. Are you telling me this argument is about which dessert is the best!?

That about sums it up. *munch munch*

Hm? What're you eating there?

Strawberry whipped cream custard with sweet bean filled wafers.

You make 'em yourself?

Yes, but it was really just a matter of combining the two. Rather tasty if I say so myself.

Rgh! You're simply infuriating!

Me!? It is you who is utterly vexing!

I feel sorry for them...and you, too, Tiz.

Ha ha, the party's bickering over sweets. They just killed a kid, insane woman, and Edea's childhood friend!



With the ocean cleared, we can finally go see how this version of Grandship's holding up.



I can't...can't see... *hic* What IS that thing? ...Eh? What is it?

A single drunk guy notices the flying twin Grandship. Not so unusual when you consider everyone else is busy stumbling and staring down at the water:



It won't be long before this Grandship stops functioning. Without a double of the party delivering orichalcum, it's doomed to sink.



More importantly, the tavern's gone bad. It's no longer the proprietress's Drunken Pig -- now it's the Sea Slug, run by some new guy. Let's go check it out.



Oh, put a plug in it, old woman. We ain't open yet!



What business is it of yours, you old hag!?

Oh, well excuse me for disturbing you when you're clearly so busy. I shan't bother coming back! Datz, Zatz, we're leaving!



She exits the tavern just as the party enters.

What's going on?

The proprietress wanted to find out what the Drunken Pig was like in this world...



"I'd take my Drunken Pig over this any day," were her words.

Seeing the guy running the place, I don't fancy slaking my thirst in there either.

Too right.

Datz and Zatz follow after the proprietress, leaving the party to wander around on their own.



What happened to the proprietress in this version of events? Who knows. At least the party ended up with her and not this guy.



Well, she is rather attached to the ol' Drunken Pig, you know. Must've been a shock for her to see her beloved tavern being run like that.

What would possess anyone to name a tavern the Sea Slug?

Who knows? But it could be one of those places popular with the local crowd.

The type with a cantankerous proprietor, die-hard patrons, and a stubborn refusal to serve strangers.

No, I think not. The only clean area there was around the proprietor.

The knives, cutting boards, even the barstools...they were all covered in dust.

And the menu should have been filled with the sea's bounty, but all I could see were some dried nuts and dried meats.

You two sure have some sharp eyes.

Hee hee, well, I guess I just notice things that you don't, Tiz.

You mean food, right?

Ooh! What did you just say, Ringabel!?

The party returns to the Sea Slug at night to see if it magically transforms into a better tavern.



Nope.



Not only is the proprietress not around, there's no sign of another Datz or Zatz, either. Nobody's recruiting for the Shieldbearers.



Before going to the last continent, let's see if we can get some answers from the most likely source.



In a small favor, the party can reuse the front door keys from last time, though if you want to refight the dragons you can. The battles are the same as in Chapter 4.



If, on the other hand, the party hadn't done Vampire Castle in Chapter 4:



Who are you who disturbs my serenity?

Lord DeRosso... May we have a moment of your time?

Ah, you know my name. Very well, then. If you wish to pass this gate, seek you the six keystones throughout the lands.



From there, everything before and during Vampire Castle would progress identically to Chapter 4.



Back to our regular party. They've already been through here once and heard all of DeRosso's old war stories.

It is the same protrait as before. And just as big.

Right, and what a beauty his mother was. Same description, too.

"Lester, eldest son of the House of DeRosso, future clergyman of the Crystal Adventists and cardinal of the Crystal Orthodoxy... ...born in the land of Eternia on a cold winter's day."

It seems a struggle between the Old Faith and the Orthodoxy arose here in this world, too.



DeRosso, of course, has been watching the party since they arrived.



Some things may have changed, but DeRosso still loves his appear/disappear-in-a-puff-of-smoke trick.

Lord DeRosso!

Ah, you know me, then. You must be... Yes, I see. And it seems there is much you already know. Yes, yes, I see...

DeRosso magics himself away, leaving the party to start climbing.



Next floor up:

Lord DeRosso's ordainment portrait...

From the Old Faith to the Orthodoxy--an era of great change that sealed DeRosso's fate...

The meaningless power struggle took place in this world as well, it appears.

You know much. How uncanny. Almost disturbing, which is perhaps ironic coming from me.

*poof*



Heh heh heh, I see. My fate has already...

He magics away without bothering to finish his sentence. Okay, then.



Lord DeRosso's castle seige painting...

This is where his never-ending struggle began.

And his never-ending sorrow.

So, you feel pity for me? Well, I suppose stranger things have happened.

*poof*

Lord DeRosso...



Y'know DeRosso, if you stuck around longer than a couple seconds, maybe we could figure out what's--

Too late, already gone.



Lord DeRosso's portrait of Immortality...

"Accept me and I shall grant life everlasting. Though it shall be filled with grief, thou shalt have all eternity to wreak vengeance upon thine enemies."

Who or what was talking to him...and why?

Even I know not. Just as I know not how you came to know those words.

*poof*

Lord DeRosso...



Getting the impression this version of DeRosso spent a little too much time being castle-bound.



Lord DeRosso's war landscape...

The war that changed the very land we walk upon... I shudder when I think of the manner in which it was waged.

Heh heh heh. Care for a taste of my power? The power to fell mountains and tear the earth asunder...

*poof*

Lord DeRosso!

Then again, you people might... Well, we would simply have to try it to find out what would happen, no?

Next floor:



Lord DeRosso's portrait of the archbishop...

So, Yulyana was responsible for cutting off the vestals and temples from the corrupt Orthodoxy...

But the description for this portrait only tells of the time he was hatching his plot.

Precisely. The actual events therein shall be told in other paintings.

*poof*

Lord DeRosso...

Or perhaps you have already... Yes, 'tis in the realm of possiblity for those such as you.

DeRosso stares hard at Agnès, who flinches away.



Finally, we reach the top floor.

Lord DeRosso's asterisk painting...

There are asterisks in this world, too? It seems the sage here in this world also wanted to reduce the Orthodoxy's authority.

I've always wondered what they were made of. They have such a warm, bewitching glow.

Truth be told, he never shared the secret of their making with me, either.

Ringabel's statement about asterisks in this world makes less sense if you've collected job asterisks in Chapter 5.

DeRosso *poof*s in as usual.



Heh heh heh... The next time we meet, I shall have him explain it to me.

At DeRosso's throne, he presents the same challenge as in chapter 4, with a slight change:



You're referring to the angel painting.

Precisely. You know much that has yet to happen, my friends.



This battle is exactly the same as chapter 4, not even any raised stats.



Still, there must be something we can gain for coming all the way up here, aside from JP.



Something aside from DeRosso giggling to himself...

Lord DeRosso's angel painting...

It's as he said. She looks just like Agnès.

You can say that again.

Yes, they could be twins.

Is there really such a resemblance?



Oh, Lord DeRosso. I don't recall if you truly said that.



We know he did, because despite it not being mentioned in any cutscene, Ringabel wrote it down in D's Journal. Confirmation that Bravely Default's cutscenes are abbreviated versions of what the party actually experiences, the story equivalent of how every RPG city is made up of a dozen buildings max.

Well, no matter. The truth is, there is a striking resemblance.

And with that apathetic line, DeRosso's done speaking to us.



That's right: we're done with Vampire's Castle. No new info aside from learning this version of DeRosso is not really all there.



But as Airy said, only one crystal left to go, and one continent left to save. Let's move on.



On the way to Eisenberg, the party takes advantage of inflight shopping, with products straight from the black market capital of the world, Neo-Norende!



The Tale of the Heike is an epic recounting the bloodied history between two ancient Japanese Wa clans, the major theme being one of impermanence for even the most powerful. Order a piece of cursed commemorative gear now!



This weapon's available in some Final Fantasy games, but more interestingly...



...it also has an anthropomorphized sexy-man version (not the swordsmith, the sword) who wields...guns.



Anyway, the party completes their shopping just as Grandship reaches Eisenberg.



On arrival they attempt to rest in Hartschild, but it's closed off until they clear themselves with the Shieldbearers.



Ehn... Screw it, let's just go take care of the crystal first. Hard to relax with Airy yelling like that.



Strangely, the mythril mines are unguarded, and the way to the temple's open, but they don't see a soul.



The legions of demons surrounding the crystal must've been enough of a deterrent.



The Eternians may be a disappointment, and DeRosso may have been a dud, but at least with the crystals, we know we're getting somewhere.

...Right?


Next: Ha ha, whoops!

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Event Viewer
Sub-Scenario:
How Artemia Lives
Drunken Pig and Sea Slug
The Sealed Gate
Family Portrait - C
Ordainment Portrait - C
Castle Siege Painting - C
Immortal Portrait - C
War Landscape - C
Archbishop Portrait - C
Asterisk Painting - C
Angel Painting - C

Party Chat:
Agnès vs. Edea
The Sea Slug