Part 3: Everything's Not Great

Entry 3: Everything's Not Great



Obviously we're in for a light-hearted romp.



The screen fades in and out for a few seconds.





I serve as captain of the Caldislan guard. My name is Owen. Can you tell me yours?



You were found unconscious in the ravine near Norende.



Your village is gone.

A great chasm opened in the earth and all of Norende was swallowed up in darkness.

You were spared, but the others... Pray, do not think on it now. You need your rest. There will be time for mourning later.

Tiz says nothing, understandably. Owen leaves the room.





Aye, and all alone in the world. And past that solitude, what? Guilt at surviving? Pitiable lad...



Owen exits.



We switch back to Tiz, out of bed and now playable!



While standing/walking around, the 3DS lower screen displays a map of the area. White shows where accessible area. Yellow circle is player character. Blue shows area exits. Yellow exclamation shows where to go next for main quest. The marker on the left edge of the screen pops up a secondary menu, which I'll cover later on.



Standing in place long enough will zoom out the camera, showing off the game's often quite outstanding art.





No need to worry, ma'am and sir, Tiz has the fortitude of a JRPG protagonist.

But before we leave...





Tiz scrounges around in a planted pot for some loose change. Every bit helps when you've just lost everything and everyone.

Stepping outside gives us a pan of the city:











The staff icon indicates a magic shop, vial icon an item shop, and sword icon an equipment shop.

There are few interior areas in towns; checking the shop door brings up a shopping screen. Minimal, but it works. The pink hat icon with the tiny S next to us is the man in red, the Adventurer.



The Adventurer will appear all over, save our game, handle some online game features, and later act as a shop.



Huh? Not the Adventurer, I assume.



Ah-ha, it's our Don Juan friend from the opening movie. How long has he been loitering around Caldisla? RIght now he's speaking gibberish and seems wrapped up in his own thoughts.



Attempting to leave town to find adventure and glory in battle results in resistance from Tiz. Let's head to the castle first, chatting with the local populace on the way.



Good to know.

They're saying Norende's lost. No survivors. ...Huh? You're from the village?



Might have been when the nearby village fell into a 50-mile diameter glowing sinkhole.



A nice graveyard in the corner of town.



Someone left a potion next to the church door. Wouldn't want it to go to waste.

Also, a phoenix down was on the other side of the graveyard. Someone in this town has either a sick sense of humor or is very naive.





The in-game encyclopedia entries often have neat details, so I'll be posting those.



The entire sea? That should be cataclysmic.



The palace is at the top of the hill.





It seems like a relaxed court as far as visitors are concerned.

The kingdom is under attack from the Knights of the Eternian Sky at present.


There's a large lake to the southwest. The Sky Knights seem to have taken up camp there.



Hm, so things aren't peaceful in the kingdom at the moment. Let's speak with the king.



I offer my deepest regrets for your loss. I cannot ease your pain, but time may. Stay and rest all you need.

Your Highness is so very kind, um... but my plan is to leave for the village straight away.

Admirable lad. But danger hounds the road to Norende. That gaping maw has drawn beasts of all stripe to it. It's overrun with monsters.





...Very well. Though it shames me to send you off alone.



I'll manage on my own. Thank you, Your Highness.

Do be careful, child. And know that you've a place here when you return.



And that'll do it for a start. Now we've got a goal. Next time, the first battles of the game.

--

Event Viewer scenes watched:
Awakening
Caldisla, Land of Beginnings
An Audience with Caldisla's King