Part 45: Episode XLI: Tower

Music: Dead Sea


Welcome back. When last we left Team Lynx, they were in the epicenter of some time-space cataclysm which has apparently rocketed a city from the post-apocalyptic future of Chrono Trigger back into a frozen state in some forbidden part of El Nido.


Also, we are now in the middle of a shopping mall. The Tower of armaGeddon, as suggested earlier, is a bizarre fusing of a multitude of post-apocalyptic ruins. The mall is the first of them.


Unfortunately, it's about a millennium after store hours so must all of the shops are closed.




Window shoppers are still welcome, however, as the mall is stocked with robotic mannequins that appear to have stepped off the set of Metropolis. Like the robotic fowls, they're mostly harmless. They only stop to occasionally slap those that provoke them. When not attacking, they strike alternating mannequin poses in an exceedingly creepy manner.


To the northeast of the mall is the wreckage of a train station. This setting straight out of Fallout 3 is devoid of any enemies. Though, not entirely empty...


There is a lone talking Geos that has a tight schedule to keep. Now I feel kind of a jerk murdering all of them on sight knowing they were actually capable of a bit of haunting speech...


The friendly ghost will slowly trot up the nearby ruined staircase before fading away into nothingness. It will drop its boarding pass upon loss of corporeal form. Well, I don't think he will be needing it.


Taking the pass to the upper platform will grant access further into the station. Wouldn't want to just jump the gate. That would both be entirely rude and breaking the law. For shame in even entertaining the notion!




The gateway fails to lead into the Arris Dome. Not that we'd want to go there. Bunch of uppity jerks with their fancy pants "seeds" and all. But, it does lead to a nearby trashed balcony containing a Medical Book. It is apparently filled to the brim with pictures of future dongs. Terrific...

Heading back to the store-filled section...


Heading to the well-lit western section of the mall will continue our ascent of the tower. No time for browsing today. Heh... Ya get it? No time... Because it's frozen in time...?


Past the mall pavilion is some manner of dilapidated theater complex. Theaters were just not a safe place to be in late-90s Square RPGs. Last time I visited one half the audience caught on fire. Damn thing ruined my rental suit.


"Enough asbestos to give a bull cancer. But eh... You guys hear some laughter...?"


The apparition of a little blonde girl in a blue dress appears on the fallen chandelier. It quickly runs off and fades away after noticing Lynx staring at her.


"Sure...other than the whole creepy little kid just now. I preferred the ghosts that looked like orange glow sticks."
"What...? You saw a child? I didn't see a child anywhere."
"Sheesh. Pay more attention. It was right there on top of the big smashed thingamajig in the middle."
"Nothing will surprise me here... Let's just keep going."


The theater holds a new, very, very annoying and possibly dangerous as hell enemy type.


Meet the Tragediennes. Fuck these awful things. They come in groups of four and begin every battle by politely introducing themselves. Then announcing what element attack they will immediately be using following the conclusion of all four's introductions.


This gets very, very old very, very quickly. Said introduction takes about 10-15 seconds each, cannot be skipped, and must be heard for each and every one of them. On top of that, they'll each go through their lengthy spell animation before the party gets a chance to attack. Which means around a minute and a half of just sitting there doing nothing but getting your ass kicked before getting a chance to retaliate.


This is not helped at all by the fact a lot of them wield some pretty damn damaging Elements like Blackhole (which will pretty much guarantee to KO two of your party members before you can do a thing.) Seriously, fuck these things.


That said, some of their introductions are really bizarre. Like Ms. Mariuana here. Some other highlights included:

"I'm Carolina, and I'm 10. When I grow up I want to be Miss Universe."
"Hi! I'm Valentini. I'm an Aquarius and I'm 15."
"Hola, soy Arianna. Tengo 17 años. Soy del signo Escorpio."
"I'm Richard. I'm 29. And I'm here to protest beauty pageant sexism!"


In any case, the stage holds a trinket which is entirely useless in this playthrough.


This prop-sword in the stone is part of Pierre's Hero Equipment set and would have powered him up significantly were he not ripped in half by Solt and Peppor's mustachioed cousin KETCHOP. Shame, that...


Continuing further west, the party comes upon the wreckage of some manner of Terminator-esque aircraft crashed into a shaft of the tower.


Heading up the wreckage a ways will lead to the sighting of yet another specter. This time a purple haired little girl in an orange outfit.


"This place is beyond me."
"Ergh... Why are we even here again...?"


Continuing up the tower leads the party to quite an unexpected sight. Ever wonder what happened to the Acacia Dragoons...?


Welp...wonder no longer! I think we found them. Or at least what is left of them... Looks like Viper, Riddel, Glenn, salon hair, loli, and ZOAH along with a bunch of red shirts all got Time Fried three years ago.


"It iz unfortunate, but it appearz zey were held captive here before zey died... It'z too late... Zey are so close, yet so far. No one can help zem..."


A little red haired boy in a green outfit appears before Lynx before teleporting away and running off into the some manner of swirling portal to the north.


"You have been acting strangely ever since we entered ze building. Iz it zat child again?"
"Seriously, you guys ain't seeing this...? No...it was a different kid this time. There's like a friggin' ghost day care around here somewhere that is really dropping the ball."
"Zere'z no turning back now! We must keep going, Serge."
"Serge? When did you start calling me Serge?"
"Do not get uzed to it, Monsieur Lynx. Zey were just lazy wit' ze accent generator zis time."
"Bunch of slackers."


The party enters the portal, despite indications that something which possibly murdered the shit out of an entire arm could be within. Well, what is the worst that could go wrong...?


Here is a full view of the room. I'm not really sure what is up with all the frozen flying books. But, hey...it looks nifty!

Through the portal...




"It appears zat ze dimension itself iz more unstable here zan elsewhere. It'z a time and space witt'in a structure completely different from anywhere else."
"Sheesh. I'd have brought some sunglasses if I'd known we'd be heading here. Would I look silly in sunglasses...? I wouldn't look silly in sunglasses... Would I...? No...no...I'd be a cool cat..."
"Luckily, ze distortion to leave zis place iz still here. Zat'z good newz for us."
"Hey, what's that thingie?"


Hey, I remember those. They were great for doing a bit of grinding in 2300 AD.


Well, that was a lot more handy before the advent of a battle system where you'd almost always fully heal following fights. But, at least it's a free refresh. Can't have enough of those.





The children's ghost brigade trots off into the distant. I think... I think we're coming to the end of this area... I see... something up ahead...