Part 43: Chapter Forty Three: Jade Dynasty

Welcome to Pagoda, the penultimate dungeon of Breath of Fire. All the enemies here are ones we’ve previously encountered. Except two, that is…



The oh-so-cleverly named ICU attacks with powerful magic including single target Blast spells dealing over 100 damage and Blizzard spells that deal 50 damage to the entire party. It has a lot of HP and high defense, so expect a prolonged battle with lots of healing.



Ghouls are Zombies on steroids. They seem to have taken a leaf out of the REmake’s book since they’re super-fast and always attack first. They can Silence party members and seal their magic, although they have weak defenses and go down in only a few hits.



The staircase to the west of the portal leads to a dead end with a chest containing an outdated piece of headgear.



Stepping on the raised buttons causes a mini-stairway to appear leading up to the raised section. Leaving the room resets this, however. The stairs to the left lead up to a chest containing a PowerAR (Which turns out to be a dress for some reason…).





: A bridge leading to the next tower?

: It reminds me of my trip through Karma Tower.



The purple floor panels don’t do anything fancy, but the battle backgrounds they provide are fairly cool.





There’s a chest in here containing the AgileAR, an excellent armor for Bleu or Nina.





This floor is a maze. The doors are controlled by floor switches, and the player must push the right switches in order to reach the next staircase.



Thankfully it’s not too hard.







:…Sara is around here somewhere. I can feel her presence, I know it.

: Alright, we’ll be careful.



: Argh! A shield! We’re being pushed back!







This is an understatement – the entire party actually gets reduced to 1 HP.



: You can only watch as Jade marches towards world domination!

: Sara! Don’t do this! Your will is stronger than Jade’s! I know you can beat him!

: Nonsense! I am…! I…am…No, no! I won’t let you control me, Jade!



The screen shakes, and Sara is flung backwards!



: Aaah!!!

: Sara! Hold on!





: Quickly…before he takes control again…

: But I can’t just leave you here!

: Ryu! Remember what’s important! We have to stop Jade! More than just your sister will suffer if the goddess is released!



:…That’s right. Please go, Ryu. I’ll fight him…as long as I can.

:…Argh!



: Yes, what is it?



: That’s why…that’s why I’ll kill you now! For Lord Jade!!!



: Sara, no!

: It’s too late! We have to fight!



Tragically Sara succumbs to Jade’s mind control spell and transforms into a dragon to fight the party. In terms of HP, she has a similar amount to Zog, although since she has no second wind it’s easier to tell when you’re about to win. Sara attacks by spitting energy balls at a single target for around 80 damage. She also has a surprisingly weak T.Bolt spell that deals 50 damage to the entire party. As long as Nina keeps the party well-healed this fight is relatively straightforward.

Some of you might be wondering if it’s possible to use the D.Hrt on Sara. Unfortunately the woman in Tunlan won’t give you more of it after you defeat Zog. However, if you choose not to use it against Zog then you do indeed have the option to use it against Sara. Doing so will drop her down to 1HP, letting you finish the fight in a single turn.

(Video – Sara)



: Aaah!

: Sara!

:…Ah. At last…I can think clearly once more…

Music: 06 – Sara



: Don’t talk, Sara. Nina! Please help my sister!

: Okay, let me take a look.

: It’s…too late for me now.

: Ryu, I’m so sorry – her wounds – they’re too extensive for me to handle. I’m so sorry, but I can’t do anything for her.

: No…



: I will always…be watching over you…Ryu…

Sara’s body flickers, then rises up into the sky.





:…

:…Ryu…are you-

: Come on. Let’s go. Now is…now is not the time. We have to keep going. I’ll…I’ll be fine. Please. Let’s keep going and stop Jade.





:…Now we’re going back to the first tower.

: If you ask me, I think Tyr was a fan of ‘alternative’ architecture.



A healing spring lets the party heal up after the fight with Sara.





The chest here contains a StoneHT, a helmet for Mogu.







Oh hey, it’s the return of the invisibility nubs from Mogu’s dream. Honestly though, this room isn’t really that hard, particularly as there are plenty of red nubs that turn the invisibility off.







: I can feel a tremendous power beyond this point. The goddess is in the middle of awakening – I fear we are too late.





: JADE!!!





: I was beginning to think you’d died.



: You filth…



: I am all-powerful!

: You really have no idea, do you? You think you’re in control, but you’re just a plaything for Tyr. She’ll toy with you until she finds someone more interesting.

: Is that right? Oh, by the way, I’d watch where you’re standing if I were you.