Part 42: A Rose as Red as Blood

Entry 39: A Rose as Red as Blood



Today's Norende gift is imported from Harena. Sounds neat. It will be by far the best rose we deal with in this update.



When we last left off, the party's plan was working like a charm.

Edea got DeRosa's full attention, and he began escorting her to... wherever he disappears off to.



Boy, Edea sure is putting on a convincing act.



The party watches from a distance away, hidden in the (invisible) crowd. DeRosa and Edea stroll off, the party moves to follow, and--



But I didn't hear a peep, let alone a scream...

In any case, we have to find her.

...Have a look at this. Something is caught between the paving stones.

Ringabel goes to look.





It's a scrap of the bikini. ...A hidden passage, then?



And don't leave my side, no matter what.

Why do you say that?

Women are fickle beasts...

Ringabel, you have the worst taste in role models.

Come again?

Well, are we going in?

Guessing Tiz just tunes out most of Ringabel's chatter by this point.

The party opens the hidden passage and steps in.



The stairs lead down, eventually opening into a large, hazily lit chamber.



Secret passages, and now this?

The worst taste, Ringabel.

What is all this? It's all machines and laboratory tools.



No, seriously. The worst.



There! Edea!



The party unlocks the cage. The women are all either unconscious or too disoriented to move or speak.



All these women, left here unconscious... We have to free them from this place.

Tiz nods.





Now that is unfortunate. "Red" is a fine nickname, but you've gone and butchered it.

I'll ask this once. What have you done with Edea?

Ha, I gave you fair warning, boy. Said I'd have her in my pocket, didn't I? I'm telling you, it's all in the technique. And the technology.



Toxin!?

As in poison, yes. Follow along. You mix pheramore with nidaphyx...

As a refresher, nidaphyx was the addictive hallucinogen extracted from the orochi.



Can't imagine the stuff is good for you, but my, is it effective. Any woman within arm's reach falls for me. Guaranteed. A slave to my every word.

Ha ha ha, so yes... There's a chemical technique, to start.

Why do this? To attract women? Why imprison them here, then?

What are you really after?



Ladies in the right places to help me climb my way to the top. Once I spot them, it's just a matter of making them fall for me. That part's easy.

Then they do my work for me. Whatever I say. Recruitment technique, check.

That's it, then? All this, for some lazy ambition?



It extracts toxins from the seduced women to make cologne to seduce more women. Rinse, repeat... There's a fine technique for bringing down a nation.



Hush, darling. Red still has the floor. Now... I never forget a lady's face. Ever. It's my gift. I knew yours in an instant.

Imagine my surprise, seeing not one, but two golden geese trundling along behind you. How you saw them as anything but an opportunity, I'll never know.

Were I in your shoes, boy, I'd use every trick of the trade to make them fall for me. Once they're in love, they're yours. You've won. For women are creatures of emotion, my friend.

Bar wench or grand duchess, a gal in love will give anything--do anything--for the man she loves.

And her wishes, her identity? These mean nothing to you?



Regardless, your capture will be my ticket to riches and glory, and I thank you for that.

A traitorous runaway and a wanted witch. I can think of no two finer instruments.

He's Eternian. Are you with the legion!?

Quiet in the back, thank you! Where was I? Ahh, yes. Techniques for getting ahead.

We should've locked this guy in a room with King Khamer and let them talk each other to death.

Use every tool in reach until it crumbles to dust. That's how a man succeeds. Eh, dandy?



DeRosa's attitude towards women is not nearly as fictional as a reasonable person would hope.



Women in real life commonly deal with being treated as nothing more than disposable playthings, merely because they're female.



This makes the PUA an interesting choice for the final boss of this storyline.



Let's make this formal. I am captain of the Eternian Forces' Bloodrose Legion--



So, who's raring for a fight?



Despite her earlier condition, Edea joins us. Unfortunately, she starts charmed, meaning she'll attack us instead of DeRosa.

The charm status can be overridden by equipping her beforehand with a rebuff locket (anti-charm accessory). But then you'd miss out on this nice bit of story/gameplay integration!



Breaking someone out of charm is no big deal. Just takes a light bonk on the head.



Friends don't let friends stay charmed!



DeRosa hits for a good amount, especially with Thundara, so ideally you'd come prepared with lightning resistance.



He'll also attempt to fear and charm opponents throughout the fight.



In all the times I've done this fight, DeRosa almost always tries to charm Ringabel or Tiz. Coincidence or are the game makers sending a hint?



In any case, torturing and murdering women is not a healthy way to deal with buried personal issues. Edea demonstrates the results in this case.







DeRosa won't mind if we raid his clothing closet.



Ringabel took a turn at stealing and nabbed these. Hermes is one of the best known Greek gods. This description is pretty accurate.



Red mage has an interesting gimmick in this game involving a chance to gain BP when hit. That'll get covered in the job summary.



Did you know crowbars can be used for more than just bludgeoning? Video games have misled me.







So ends DeRosa, with an indelicate flop onto the ground.



Have to wonder whether a more direct approach might not have been more effective.

Look here, at these papers. I imagine they are his writing.



...Reports? They're awfully thick...



Ringabel led the charge the whole way. Direct your thanks at him.

...Thank you, Ringabel. You're squarely on the "white as the driven snow" list for today.

Appreciated. Come to think of it, that suit is the wrong size for you. You're liable to--



Why are you upset? It's a simple fact that the size isn't--

Augh, I'm moving you to my "dead to me" list!



Ha ha! All's well that ends well.

Except for the women who DeRosa killed, or are going to suffer life-long PTSD or physical effects from the drugs, or those two girls who murdered each other with their bare hands, or the hundreds/thousands of Crystalists who were slaughtered in raids, or the younger Venus sisters who were arguably dragged into this without being made aware of the mind-altering side effects and subsequently lost their minds and were murdered by the protagonists seen here.



Ah ha ha, sorry to have worried you like that!

What I can't figure out is why all those women would fall for that man's tricks.

Indeed. I would have refused that old degenerate out of hand!

Young degenerates aren't much better. Ringabel wouldn't stop going on about "technique"...

Oh, but it was Ringabel who was the most concerned for you. And it was Ringabel who was the most flustered when you disappeared, Edea.

And he only got that angry at the red mage because of you, you know.

I guess you're right. I suppose he's "white" today, then.

Why? Does he have days when he's "black"?

Well... Say, Agnès. What do you think of Ringabel?

What do I think of him?

Oh, no! I didn't mean it like that!

Mean it like what?

Umm...uh... What I mean is...he's muttonheaded, lecherous, and lacking all social graces, but every once in a while--



Or were you just gossiping about me? Remember, I'm always there for you--even when you don't want me.

Eeew! Creepy! And now, we didn't mention your name! Now go away!

Edea reflecting on Ringabel is cute, but this conversation doesn't make sense. Why are they blaming the women and forgetting the whole hallucinogenic toxin deal? Why are they acting like Edea wasn't also a victim? Why is Agnès acting even more naive than usual and acting like the other DeRosa victims were ignorable?



After DeRosa's death, the party found his papers. They've been added to D's Journal, so let's take a look.


The corrected Red Advent page:
that downer khint refused to come aboard our plan to plunder eternia. we'll have profiteur deal with him, and strike the orthodoxy treasury as planned. we'll incite the hostages to martydom in order to furnish a scapegoat, qada will ready every compound he can, and the fools will all die where they stand...

Interesting takeaways here. Some thoughts: Was DeRosa affected by the hallucinogenic toxin as well, or did he have a way to negate it? Was the Matriarch one of the bribed officials, or was she such a doormat she was ignored during the Crystalist purge? How did DeRosa get to such a high position when he's so terrible? Edea's father is either a terrible person and/or a terrible judge of character.

Although two of the characters referenced in Red Advent have been met (and killed), there's a third we haven't yet seen who deals in 'compounds'. Maybe eventually we'll find out what that's about.




With DeRosa's death, we've cut off the head of the Bloodrose Legion and completed the last side quest of Chapter 2. Tiz will be carrying his sword magic over to the Red Mage job.


Next: Hope Victoria and Victor haven't gotten too bored following us around and watching us kill their coworkers, because it's time to go find the water vestal!

--

Event Viewer
Sub-Scenario:
Are We Going In?
A Cellar of Secrets
Red Mage Fiore DeRosa
Red's Report

Party Chat:
Ringabel's Worry