Part 50: Chapter XLIX: Castle Crashers, Part II
Well, after beating Dragonne, you can walk past its hut to get to the room where the elevators actually are.
This one's useful for going to where we've already been.
We'll see more of this elevator in a little bit. But first, we have some business topside.
With the Blue Charm we can unlock the doors we've seen with a Blue Seal, including this one by the entrance.
Inside is a very nice piece of equipment. If Ershin's in the front row in the first round with this equipped, he casts Barrier for free. This halves all magic effects on him for three rounds.
Another item from behind a Blue Seal door is ours!
I honestly don't remember what Blessed means, I think it gives a resistance to Death and status effects. Only Ryu can equip this, but the Shaman's Ring is so incredibly useful nothing will ever take its place.
Rather underwhelming, really. And yes, we approached this door from above, so the door isn't unsealed yet.
Since we've had approximately a Metric Fuckton of random encounters since entering the castle, the faeries should be fully developed by now.
Sure enough, they're thriving and the village is as developed as it will ever be. This will be the last time I need to check up on them, as they'll be autonomous with food and I won't need to change their job allocations for the rest of the game. I'm proud of my little retard army.
It's time for Njomo to give us her last move.
FaerieCharge can either be utterly worthless or the most devastating attack in the game, depending on what your troop levels are. When they're low each faerie hits for 0 or 1 damage each, but when they're high, this move can obliterate nearly anything. The biggest draw is each individual hit can become three hits if it's performed at the end of a combo, meaning if you have your entire village as soldiers, you can get 60 hits from this move alone. If I was a patient man I would simply grind troop levels and smear the final boss into paste with FaerieCharge, but I am not a patient man.
: "You're amazing! Not only have you built up the village, you've also learned all my magic! I've already shown you all the magic I know, but promise me you'll keep looking after my friends!"
Back in the castle, this is the second save room of the dungeon, just to the side of Dragonne's room. The door to the right leads to a long stairwell to B1, and the left door...
Fucking cocktease dungeon. Let's take the stairs down to B1.
You dicks. Yes, this is a complete dead end only made to show you there's another seal color.
Several random encounters, a long staircase, and an elevator ride later, we're on the other side of the four-foot fence.
I'm sure these symbols mean something.
SERIOUSLY?
B1 introduces us to a new enemy, the Gecko. They can increase the defense of all enemies, use Cleave, and generally be a massive pain in the ass. They have a rare chance of dropping Ascension, a powerful sword that does holy damage, but fuck farming it.
I'm sure this won't be important in a few rooms.
I'll be honest and say I have no idea what's in that chest. I've never gotten it, because it involves screwing with that movable plank.
Oh my God I hate all three of these enemies. Beihl is the goat-headed one, which loves to cast Death and Blizzard. If a Quisit (the bat) is present they can cast Kyrie as well, and it can kill anyone in your front row instantly. It's kinda weird that they have a holy attack. In compensation for their dick nature you can steal an Ouroboros from them, which is a weapon for Nina that can cast Raise Dead for free. I didn't bother getting it though, since it doesn't matter that much when I'm swimming in ammonia and angelfish.
Quisits are mostly annoying little shits unless they're with Beihl, when they're deadly little shits. They cast Gloom to lower the party's Holy resistance, letting Kyrie wipe them out if they're in the front.
The real asshole here is the Skullen, who are insanely fast and can use Counter and Backlash. Their counterattacks hurt like a bitch, and even if they don't decide to counter your stuff they can use Magma Blast to tear you a new ass. Kill them immediately.
Anyway, this plank goes up and down when you hit the switch, and you can't pass under it if it's lowered. The problem is you need to have it raised to get that mystery chest, and you can't get across to the side where you'd normally walk across it from where you hit the switch without it being lowered. You're supposed to screw with the elevators but that's a massive pain because they don't have a call function.
Spooky. This is the general look of B2.
Wait, you're just giving me the seal? No boss fight or anything?
Don't mind if I do!
Here's FaerieCharge, by the way. The faeries all appear in a circle (or as much of one as they can make) and move back and forth while pseudo-accordion Turkey in the Straw plays. No, seriously.
Then they rush in and punch through all the enemies present.
Also, this is what it looks like when you luck out while using FaerieAttack and get the big bomb. A short scene plays where they carry it out from the village and blast the enemies with it.
Yesssssss.
This is probably the best armor in the game. It has incredible defense, and it's Blessed, which is a good thing. Somehow.
On the way back up with the Yellow Charm, we find another Shaman's Ring. I'll put this one on Scias.
There's a sealed door deep in B2 that needs a yellow seal to open.
This room only serves as the elevator drop-off for the floor. Weaaak. Let's open the Yellow Seal on the first floor and follow the staircase down two floors.
Hey, it's B3! I didn't come down here because there's nothing to do but stare at the red seal and shake your fist angrily unless you come through this route and take the upper path. That elevator in the middle is the only route to B4.
Yet another new enemy for the floor, the FireWing can use Tempest if it has more than one of its buddies present.
Their casting animation is pretty damn goofy, too. This is an instant before they honk at you.
Hello, Red Charm.
I'm annoyed by this charm because there are only three places to use the thing. It exists only to make your life more difficult rather than to introduce paths to visit later.
Fun fact: all seals burn blue.
Even the ropes they're attached to.
Vengeance!
It's lootin' time.
I like the sound of this.
Hel-LO. Ryu's the only one who can equip this, so Scias gets the Slicer. It makes Shining Blade wreck astounding amounts of face.
Well, here's B4. Pretty ominous.
Off to the side is the last place in the dungeon where you can rest and save before tackling the horror of B4/B5.
That horror is stairs. Loads of fucking stairs with what is possibly the most brutal enemy in the game.
The Titan is a Smurf cyclops on a roid rage bender. Its normal attack can instantly kill you if it's a Lucky Strike, it can spam Lightning while Shades are present, and it can still use Jolt and Spirit Blast if the Shades are killed. Just run the hell away from these guys, they exist only to eat up your HP and AP on the route down to the final boss.
However, if you do attack them, you're gonna need a lot of attack power to overcome their bricks of HP and defense.
War Shout, as stated, is both incredibly powerful and astoundingly goofy. Using it makes the background music cut out while the faeries sing the tune of the first few measures of Endings and Beginnings a capella. It's surreal.
This is technically B5, but it's just a long hallway down to a final staircase.
Welcome to B6, the final part of the castle. Look familiar?
This is why we didn't open that chest with Fou-Lu. Ryu and the gang will desperately need these in short order.
Before you ask, no, you can't activate that teleporter platform. I know, it sucks.
While not the point of no return, this is a damn good approximation. Before you enter this building, finish everything you've got left to do before the end of the game. So, we leave the throne room for later so we can do the last two errands we have left.
First off, we cough up some fish to get the Repeater, Ursula's best +1 hit weapon. This will definitely be our replacement for the Culverin in the final fight.
Second, we catch a Black Porgy in Saldine and make a final visit to an old friend.
: "I can see it in your eyes and your sweat-stained clothes. Excellent! You're an inspiration to all fighters everywhere! Flex! It took me a long time to perfect that move, but I give it to you in honor of your skill!"
: "What!? You've learned all my moves! How'd you do that!? It took me my entire life to learn all those! ...Must be because I'm such a good teacher! Ha ha ha! Don't thank me all at once!"
With the power of Kahn by my side, nothing can stop me. Not even rampaging deities.
Wait, no. There's one final thing I need. One thing that will give me the ultimate advantage, something that even Fou-Lu will quake at the sight of.
(That's supposed to be a <)
I love the Power Glove. It's so bad.