Part 43: Episode XXXIX: Damned

So, next up on our adventure is a return venture to the Isle of the Damned. Or at least a venture where we're actually meant to go here this time around.

Music: Island of the Dead


Even in Home World, the blighted land is still a boneyard hellhole. It just lacks clown bones at this juncture. The actual region is actually exceedingly short.


The only real obstacle is in the second map. This one is a trippy loop of rooms with entrances that hop around to other entrances like a Scooby Doo chase scene. Going southwest upon first entering...


...and following the path it dumps Lynx and company out at will lead them to a mirror like wall of ice. Waving Garai's Keepsake in front of it will make it become a translucent and passable, allowing the party to continue.


After that it's just a hop, skip, and a jump to the entirely out of the way location Radius decided to finally dump Garai's hulking behemoth corpse. How he lugged a ten foot guy decked in full plate-armor this far is anyone's guess.


Huh... Well, I suppose a beautiful endless field of flowers at the center of the demon infested island is as good a place as any to stash someone you murdered. Checking out Garai's gravestone has a bit of an unsettling message.


"Dude, my name is Serge! SERGE! I know it costs like $1000 per letter and Lynx is shorter but...come on!"
"No... Garai...! Nary a day passes when I haven't looked back on that day... I was overcome by the power of that sword!"
"Weeeeyooo-weeeyoo-weeeeeyo!"
"What on earth are jou doing?!"
"Flashback alarm!"

Some years ago outside the flashback cavern from earlier...


"I know... Who in heaven would expect to find the thing in western Nebraska?"
"Indeed, a strange turn of events."


"Knock, knock!"
<sigh> "Again, Radius...?"
"Come on! Knock, knock!"
"Who is there?"
"Are."
"Are who?"




"Aren'tcha hating that sword stuck in your back?"

Garai falls over dead...


"Man, I'd been saving that one all afternoon! Now I'm the top swordsman of the Acacia Dragoons! Hah, I did it! I'm the greatest! HAHAHAHAAH!!"

After his evil laughter fit, Radius regains his senses long enough to cast away the demonic blade...


"Oh Lord...? What have I done?"




"But I must admit, the sword is not entirely to blame. I was jealous of Garai... I want to be the better swordsman. The once renowned Masamune... 'The Holy Sword That Conquered Darkness.' Could it merely be a tool for murder...?"
"Well...it *is* a SWORD!"


Radius' musing is interrupted by the Einlanzer flipping out and cracking with energy. It stands to reason we probably could have avoided what follows if we didn't stand around and let Radius wax nostalgic about cold blooded murder for five minutes. But...too late for that now...




The spirit of Garai erupts from the sword. He's somehow gotten even more ridiculously gigantic in the afterlife.


"Listen to me, Garai! We need the Einlanzer to seal the cursed evil sword!"
"Then express your intent to the Einlanzer... As a true swordsman would do. You must defeat me to proceed!"
"In order to believe in what is right...must one suffer pain and sorrow?"
"You STABBED me in the FRICKIN' SPINE! Take your philosophical musings and SHOVE IT!"
"Very well..."
"Do not hesitate. Show me the pride and honor of the Acacia Dragoons. Come, Radius!"


And so the party is thrust into battle against the bastard child of Siegfried and Cervantes from Soul Calibur in a somewhat hairy fight. Garai is one of those nasty White innate enemies we've seldom had to deal without outside SunOfAGun's jerk ass. He has a very, very high attack rate and a big pile of health at the bizarre 1987 HP.


Garai alternates between wrecking someone's day for around 50 HP per strike with physical attacks (which he really likes to do twice in a row.)


And following up with his punishing unique techs. In his skillset he has TripleCut, which does around 150+ damage to a single character. It's a physical strike so Harle's magic shield tech is pretty useless against it.


His secondary tech is WillBreaker hits for 175-200 HP of damage to normal characters. I had it do nearly 300 HP to Lynx at one point as our furry hero isn't exactly a fan of White elements. It is again, a physical strike so there is precious little to defend against it.


The thing Garai has working against him is that he is very, very weak against Black innate elements and they work to debuff his tech strikes with the Field Effect. So, pouring them on between rounds of healing (with something BESIDES White innate elements like CureAll) is the best way to deal with the bruiser.






Eventually, the ghost Garai will be busted and the party will receive a well earned level-up for their efforts in covering up Radius old homicide.


The party also pilfers his family keepsake the Einlanzer for their trouble. Welp, that was easy enough.


"I have always been prepared to fall to a sword held by one of your sons... Perhaps Glenn will take on that role, now that Dario is gone. However, I must attend to some unfinished business. Please wait a little longer. Garai... Forgive me, my friend..."


Yes, rest in peace completely undeveloped and inexplicably fucking huge dude. May your vague, untouched-upon dream shine forth into oblivion.




In any case, back to Death's Door. Let us hope there is no more cockblocking going on to finally seeing what the full with this lousy Dead Sea is all about.


The Masamune is flipping the hell out even more than previously. I guess getting stuck in a cave with no souls to devour has made it all ornery. Or maybe it is just pissed to be retconned into such a sad fate and being overshadowed by some new legendary weapon Chrono Cross pulled out if its ass. What? Fictional weapons can get jealous.




Radius shoves the Einlanzer in front of the Masamune.




And show the evil sword shatters into a million pieces. Oh well, so much for all that effort putting the thing together in Chrono Trigger.


"Yes, the poor, poor piece of forged steel. How it suffers! Can we just get along and see what this Dead Sea thing is? I'm getting all antsy up in here."
"The Dead Sea... I cannot image what kind of spectacle lies ahead..."


Welp. It's been pimped for a quarter of the game now. Let's finally take a look...


"..."
"The fuck...?"
"Zis iz... ze Dead Sea... Zis iz some sight... I feel like I am living a nightmare..."
"The waves are at a standstill... And... What is that dark shadow in the distance...?"
"Ze treacherous ocean... Ze eart', condemned by Dragon Gods... It'z not all zat bad..."
"You and I have very different definitions of the word 'bad', Harle..."




Detailed Garai Portrait