Part 14: Episode XI: Tourists Are Obnoxious
Music: Another Termina
Well, we've got our guide to infiltrating Viper Manor. But, before venturing into what is more than likely a death trap for only the most reaching of reasons, let's explore Termina a bit. For instance, the shop across from the Bar has a little scene for Leena.
"Since when did YOU have a boyfriend... It's not fair to keep me out of the loop!"
"It's...it's nothing like that. He's...he's my cousin!!!"
"Hah. Like that stops you country folk." "Shut up!"
"No...no that would be really weird considering what we've done err...well, the other you and I did... This dimensional thing is weird."
"Well, if you still wanna go on a date some time, that's cool with me!" "Oh Lisa, stop that nonsense!" "Geez. If I knew everyone in alternate dimensions wanted to rock the casbah as soon as you met them I would have done this years ago!"
Leena delivers a package and has some boring idle chatter before we can check out the store's inventory.
Stores in Chrono Cross all sell nothing but Elements seeing as those are the catch-all for inventory in the game. Lisa doesn't offer anything that cannot be picked up for free at this point outside of the assorted status ailment relieving consumables. It's always good to at least have a couple of each on hand to avoid annoyance in the future.
I hadn't mentioned it until now because...well it's a boring feature...but Chrono Cross features collectible customizable text frames. There is an unseen fellow behind a building to the north of Termina square that rambles for a bit about not being a hoodlum. Understanding his plight nets one:
Yeah...it's none too pretty... In fact 95% of them are gaudy, atrocious looking crap I'll never use. I missed one back in Home Arni Village. It was a terrible seashell theme that looked like a unicorn shat all over the dialogue box. I will never be using anything but the default since it is perfectly functional and stylistically appropriate.
In case you were wondering, these are the current options:
I never noticed it until now, but the big banner advertising Nikki's concert has his Japanese name, Slash, written across it. Whoops! As I mentioned the fortune teller on the bridge has unique dialogue for every playable character in the game. Let's see what the B-List and Z-List members of our group's fortunes are, shall we?
Poshul:
P.S. go die from a heart attack, lardass.
Lucky D:
This is a hint to an event later on in the game. Mojo has one other somewhat strange scene in Termina.
"My long lost-om brother... Where are-om yoou now?"Poshul and Lucky D are cast back into the ranks of characters seldom to be used ever again...
There's a little McMansion situated past Zappa's Smithy at the northern most part of town. This holds a couple points of interest to explore. Well, one really. But, we'll reluctantly go meet a really forgettable character or two while we are there.
Master Gogh...? You get a gold star if you can guess "the young master's" name.
Heading upstairs...
"I believe I am on the right track, however..."
Serge throws more fuel on the Games as Art fire.
"I know that just because I could be named Ramsay and my dad Gordon doesn't mean I can cook for shit."
Speaking of the other half of the pun based family, Gogh waddles into the scene.
They have a conversation which basically boils down to:
"I just got back, but I'm leaving in about ten minutes because I am a rich accountant and busy. Stop being such a fag doodling all day, you'll never make any money that way. Oh well, I left money with the maid if you need money. Money."<Gogh wanders off>
"No, fuck YOU dad. ANGST!"
Van continues to be an angsty about his privileged life and cry me a fucking river. We didn't come here to recruit this dork or hear about his woe is me the struggling artist schlock. We came to this house for one simple reason...
...to rob it. The profiteer purse is an accessory that will raise the amount of gold received at the end of battles. I'm not sure of the exact percentage. I think around ~10% more or there about. Really, if you just fight every enemy in the field you see there's never a shortage of money in Chrono Cross. We've yet to have a serious boss battle in the game yet and Serge is already rolling with in excess of 4000 bucks.
So, what we want to do is to tear this thing apart for scrap since it has a very useful component: Iron. This is the earliest you can pick up iron at this point in the game and it can be used to forge some nice new upgrades early on.
In particular a Steel Swallow for Serge which is a 5 Attack jump in power from his default weapon. I like to forge an Iron Mail alongside it for a nice boost in defense as well. The spiffy thing about weapon forging in Chrono Cross is that they can be melted down to their core components at any smithy and recycled into something more useful with only a loss in the gold to create it.
If we head back to the bridge past the fortune teller, the party is thrust into yet another scene to introduce a new
"Ooooo!"
"Aaaaaaah!" "I thought mermaids were supposed to be...ya know...kind of hot? Well, other than the fish bits... That thing looks like something that would hang out beneath Dracula's castle." "Well, ya know mate...them sailors get mighty desperate out on the sea. They'll probably throttle anything that looks like their part'll match. Kinda like l-" "Do NOT finish that sentence!" "Oi....the hell are ya goin' on 'bout? I was gonna say lonely guys... Sheesh, ya think I was talkin' about you? The fact yer mind goes straight to that when we're discussin' a friggin' slimy fish man is just kinda disturbin'..." "..."
"Her pure, clear skin, like it's made from crystal. Her gem-like eyes. She is the ultimate collector's item! Phew... Nature's creations are indeed great. Such a beautiful thing..."
Suddenly, a boy in a Speedo appears and starts lobbing rocks at people.
"How wouldCHA feel if you were trapped in a tank like that, being stared at everyday, huh?" "Yikes!!! It's Korcha!! Run!!"The children flee in terror from the modestly dressed boy.
"CHA! Shut up! What customers!? You're sellin' a bunch of bull! Why didn'tCHA keep the tank uncovered when I showed up?"
Meet Korcha. He's annoying as fuck don'tCHA know?
"Get back to your demi-human friends!" "Heh, I won't take that from a sleaze-bag like you!" "Hey, you guys. You're not from around here, eh? Don'tCHA wander around too much, or you're gonna get burned. Just watch your back."
And with that he leaps off the bridge and angrily rows away. Had we taken Guile's path, the pantsless Jamaican wonder would have been our sailor hired to take us to the cliffs. Unfortunately, abandoning that route doesn't exactly mean that's the last we'll see of him.
At the easternmost edge of Termina, past the bridge, is some manner of graveyard. Said graveyard is maintained by a luchador priest. Yes, really... Unfortunately, he is not in at the moment.
Instead, we can awkwardly provide an audience for Glenn and his lady friend mourning. That's not weird at all...
Music: Departed Souls
"That is unfortunate. Then let us pray without any flowers for today."
"Just a moment...I can sense a convenient excuse to allow a third party to listen in on exposition, ma'am. I shall follow-up."
"Would you be so kind as to give up that flower to us? We need a bellflower for our prayer." "Well... I mean, this is from aaaaaaall the way over in the Fossil Valley and I picked them myself... I mean, that was a lot of effort..." "Serge!" "Hehe." "How much would you like for it?"
We're given an option of up to 99G to shake Glenn down for like an asshole. I was generous and only demanded 90G for the flowers. Serge can also not be a dick and give them up for free. But, the market has spoken.
"The souls that rest beneath this sword loved this flower in life. That is why we always bring some here when we pray here... Soon, the flower's seeds shall sprout, grow leaves, and bloom flowers everywhere. And we shall age another year, while you remain the same, in memory..." "Is anyone else feeling a bit awkward standing here...?" "Yea... But it's a cutscene. Not like ya gotta choice, eh?"
"It is such a mystery; this sword never rusts, even when left in the rain... It seems as if the souls of its masters live within it. Do you not think so, Glenn?" "Well, to be honest I am not sure I like the idea of my family's souls being bound to a we-" "..." "...I mean..."
I am suddenly reminded of Einhänder and the fact Square used to make games that had neither fantasy nor final in their title. Seems such a long time ago.
"Daddy's face shows such anguish, and even Karsh was saying he was sent on a "ghost-hunt"... Everyone has been acting oddly ever since that beastly guest arrived at the manor."
You'd think at some point word would get around and kings and the like would refrain from inviting ridiculously evil house guests to spend the weekend.
"Do not be swayed by the masses. The splendor of the Einlanzer must not be tarnished..." "As you wish." <chuckle> "...?" "Forgive me, I just found it a little awkward to hear you say such words...." <chuckle> "I umm... B-But, that is my whole thing. I am a polite knight. That is all I have going for me..." "That is all you have to offer?" Ohgodohgodohgodchangethesubject!
"Yes, of course." "Nice save." "Oi, hold yer horses. I think that one is taken. Really rude to try to hit up a boy with their sweetheart in the middle of a soddin' graveyard, ain't it? Don't ya got any standards?" "Serge can I get swapped out of the party...?"
I'm sure none of this will ever become relevant.
If we head back to the Zappa residence we can infer a bit of back-story with that crew of characters. For instance, Karsh from earlier is Zappa and Zippa's son and a middling swordsmen. Not that we needed to be reminded of that.
Glenn and Dario lived in a shed out back behind the smith workshop and Glenn is apparently a pretty badass swordsman. The little crayon doodle on the wall to the left reads "I'm gonna be in the Acacia Dragoons!!! - Glenn"
After checking it out, the drawing falls off the wall and reveals a sketch of a young lady reading "My lovely Miss Riddel - Glenn" So, she and Glenn are childhood friend and he's wanted to tap that shit for a while.
And Glenn's brother Dario was the biggest badass swordsman until he bought the farm at some vague point a few years ago. I am not sure why there is a random group of children now living here while the place is furnished with random childhood trinkets from a group of people in their late teens/early 20s but hey...there's some back-story.
In any case, that is it for our tour of Another Termina. Tune in next time when we tackle the treacherous Shadow Forest in search of a glam rock fruit who's probably talking to a tree as we speak.
Korcha Official Art - Pants and dignity optional.
Glenn Official Art - Featuring the ever stylish RPG protagonist cheek scar.
Riddel Official Art - Her family has snake themed names, can you tell?
Departed Souls
- Van is short for "Vancliff". In the Japanese version of the game he uses his full name.
- Riddel was originally a characters from Radical Dreamers. She was still the daughter of General Viper in that game though Viper was dead before the events of the game begin and she's now the adopted daughter of Lynx.
- The Einlanzer sword is also a holdover from Radical Dreamers. While it had some legendary sword status in that game, its only function was to stop a descending spike ceiling trap in a part of Viper Manor.