Part 7: "Yeah. Do your best."
Death count guesses are due by the posting of the next update. It'll go up around 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM, same time as usual.Chapter 07: "Yeah. Do your best."
(The Sands of Remembrance 1, Nana 4, Mole 2, Aaron Aaron 3)
Welcome back! Last time, Randolf took over as main character for a while, then relinquished his role and became Camil's sidekick and the party's mage. This is the Sands of Remembrance, the next main area, and the next place I'll be exploring.
Courtesy of (the incredibly generous) HenryEx, a map. It isn't necessary here, but you may want to keep it open.
Let's call the first row A and the first column 1, so the middle square of the 3x3 is B2. Once you climb the ladder, you emerge from the well at A4.
This is the first type of enemy in the area! And they are absolute fuckers.
They do a lot of damage and take a lot of punishment! Damage shown is after Shout, even. It takes four full rounds of Sagarmantha + Lightning to take them down. Neither of these things is what makes them scary.
THEY SUMMON. More than once sometimes, even.
The other enemy shown here is the black scorpion variant of the area. They go down in one hit + one Lightning, so they're much less frightening.
Now, this is usually true of any red enemy, but it goes double here: respect red scorpions. Double that again, because they are fast and aggressive on the map. I don't fight it the second time around.
Left to A3.
As I said in The Snow Fields, the game expects three things of you: learn detection ranges, learn the area, pick your battles. The red scorpions make that tricky here.
There's nothing on the high plateau, so it really just serves to divide the area. Scorpions don't understand ladders, so it's a breathing area... But only if you lure one of them to the right, since it'll hang out by the ladder and bother you otherwise.
And that's a reset!
Lessons learned: high plateau area is a death trap. Got it.
Two exits from the area. One of them leads south, to B3.
The other is to the lower-left, down below the deathtrap plateau. I'm going left.
The blue scorpions are usually docile, but they'll go aggressive if you get into a fight with something else. The black ones sort of do, but they don't try very hard. Strength-wise, the blues are between the black and red vareties, so they take about two rounds to kill.
Spent too long lingering by the door while I was waiting to heal. Very embarrassing death.
Next time around, I go left to A2.
(The music cuts out in the next area, replaced by the sound of very, very quiet birds.)
Hmm. That area looks significant. And it has a shortcut hole right in front of it! And Kumo's on top of it!
(Previous death is doubly embarrassing when you realize this area has no enemies. Oops.)
Shame that jumping is forbidden, same as always--like any major landmark, there's a shortcut here waiting for us there. We'll come back to it.
Left to A1.
oh god run
I avoid the red scorpion by the skin of my teeth and fight a normal one.
Obvious fake door and an exit south. If there's a way to the right after that, then we can get to the fortress we just passed.
First, though, run into this house to despawn the scorpions! SO MANY SCORPIONS
That is a lot of money to just be sitting in a chest. I think the previous record was about 25.
Then I accidentally get into a red scorpion fight and duke it out. I end up burning 4 Stamina Restores and 3 Energy Restores, but I win!
...and then get killed by the two more that intercept me just before I leave.
I should have run back to the chest room and reset the area to something safer. That was solidly on me.
This chest on the second screen has a Glass Fragment. Decided to check.
And this is why you shouldn't fight red scorpions. There is absolutely nothing, save death, that stops them from just flooding you with scorpions. Sure, you can take them down in one round if you're not unlucky with damage rolls, but they can do it again and again and again until you just run out of resources. They usually do. I got up to four scorpions at once here.
Another reset.
Two black, one blue fight. In the process, the blue reveals that it can use Sand Blast to hit both characters, for about this much damage. Blues are a problem!
The black scorpions drop Scorpion Pinchers--1 HP, 6 Defense. Not bad, but not really worth a slot. I head back and stock up again.
Then I end up fighting everything on the plateau AGAIN the second time around, so I throw up my hands, say 'fuck it' and go on anyway.
I end up playing goddamn Pied Piper to the assorted vermin of this screen before I finally get in.
I hope they were seeing things. Just the thought scares me. I hope the day doesn't come when we have to leave this refuge behind.
The treasure chest contains White Sesame, which gives +12 SP when equipped. Not worth it unless you really want the Energy Restore free.
The way to the next area is free when I go (south to B1), so--
OH HELL NO.
...except that's the game's clever trap, because the south has like three different red scorpions headed directly your way.
Then I get sniped by another damn red scorpion right before I enter the 300 gold house.
It takes me one more death to figure out that I can get by the Pied Piper area much more easily if I just go straight instead of going down.
The scorpion plateau party, though? No way in hell to just walk past that. I tried. There's even another red scorpion there to catch you if you try, because the developers are dicks.
Okay yeah south isn't happening either. I guess this way's a lost cause for now.
(Keep in that though I say that, there's a healing spring in-area. I could clear all of the red scorpions one by one if I wanted to... I just don't want to.)
I grab the 300 gold and White Sesame, then head back to the save point. Time to check the southern route.
In the process, Randolf levels up--+1 HP/SP/Attack. Stat-wise, he's kind of a late bloomer.
South to B3!
I kill the red scorpion (it doesn't summon, so it's not too rough) and grab the single non-cracked pot outside the house for 100 more gold. About 100 more and I'll be able to get Light Axe! The one inside the house is a Glass Fragment.
Glass Fragment.
I should have made another Empty Bottle before coming here... Oops. I have six Fragments in-inventory. I'm going to die by virtue of not having that one extra bottle, clearly.
Fortress or bust. It should be one more screen up. Left to B2.
So, naturally, it's not that easy. Chest had another Glass Fragment--up to 6 now. I take the southern exit to C3.
50 gold. The red frog moves in great big fits and starts, but it's easy to avoid.
This chest exists only to make you move JUSSSST a bit too far forward and have to fight the red scorpion. Remember, dicks.
There's no other exit; this is a dead end.
Then I die to a single red scorpion on the way back because of bad luck. And twice again on the way back in to pick up those chests again.
The Sands really are the next area you're supposed to go, but... Earlier in the thread, there was a question as to whether I would break the game. The answer is "yes and no." Yes, I will be exploiting the game systems for every bit of power I can get. I will be doing this because this is a requirement to play the game normally. Remember the White Dragon? I went in at about 75% capacity and barely won. If you go into an area half-assed, like I did here, then these are the results you get--I'm pretty good at the pre-battle part of this game, wrt managing encounters, and I still hit the double digits on party wipes with no real progress.
That said, the game isn't completely unreasonable about it. You don't have to be perfect, you just have to make a sincere effort. So long as you aren't expecting to win the first time, you should be just fine.
(And that's why the death count votes are due next update: the updates from this point forward will be sincere efforts, not game philosophy demonstrations.)
So I wander around and kill rats for a little bit.
(...just don't repeatedly kill the rat right outside the entrance to The Nest, for Reasons. It's a very Demon King Chronicle sort of thing.)
Any battle will do for levelling up items, but I really just want to pass a little in-game time. In the meanwhile, I sell the three Scorpion Pincers I've accumulated (coupled with the 300 gold, that earns me a "have 500+ gold" achievement) and buy Light Axe for Randolf.
Despite having two out of the five crystals in that room, the next one doesn't unlock yet--I need one more crystal for that. I'll pick up Flame Fang when I have 800 gold.
After sending Randolf's diary down The Gate's river, Nana pops up there.
As I gaze upon the flow of the river, I find myself at peace.Talking to her again:
This quiet flow returns to the ocean, and eventually reaches the continent. I believe that the "Demon King Chronicle" made its way to the continent riding this current.
The kind that wipes the smiles from everyone's faces. Even still, they preservere and defeat their final enemy. A lot happened, but it's still a happy ending. That's the kind of ending I'm searching for.The fourth story is also labeled number 3. Significant? Probably not.
The girl didn't get the baby brother she longed for. Even her mother... left her behind without any remorse. It was decided that the girl would take over for her grandfather. The girl always listened... She listened to whatever her grandfather said. She was even forced to do many terrible things at the old man's behest. These trying days continued on and on. She began to believe that the days of living happily with her family were nothing but an illusion.
Even so, the girl never forgot. There was never a day when she didn't think of the boy. She wanted to see him again. Even if only once. She wanted to see his smile again. She wanted to tell him so many things.
One day... The girl was completely exhausted as she plopped down on her bed. Then she looked up and noticed something. There was a pigeon on the window with a letter wrapped around its leg. "The rocky shore"
The girl took the same road as before, and made her way to the usual spot. Just as she used to, she grabbed the "Demon King Chronicle" in one hand...
And made her way to the meeting spot. Just like in the old days, he was waiting for her next to the rocks.
"Hey there, can you believe it's been 17 years?"
The boy... He gave her the same smile as back then. However, Nana couldn't help but think, how much she wanted to apologize for what had happened. And how much she wanted to play together like they used to.
"I need your help. Nana."
This country is being swept into ruin. There's no food to eat, no clothes to wear, And there are many people with nowhere to live. All of this... is the tragedy brought on by the demon possessing your grandfather.
The boy had found a cause. He was the leader of an organization. The organization had a special purpose. It was created to stand against her grandfather. The boy was trying to set right the tragic events that had befallen the land. However, the girl knew the truth. In the past... There were many people and organizations that had tried the same thing. All of them were crushed, and so much blood was spilt.
"We need to strike down the cause of this nightmare, for the sake of everyone following me."
The boy hadn't changed even after so long. He spoke with the same clear and pure look in his eyes.
I want to help him. If it could just make up for that time.
She made her decision then. She smiled up at thim with a bittersweet smile.
The girl then turned around and ran away.
Demon King Chronicles does fairy tales in the old fairy tale style. Old fairy tales were not nice stories.
The Mole's dug a little further. This is the third and final Glass Shard you get from the chests out here.
Looks like there's something ahead. Can you give me a hand?There's a "Nod/Shake Head" prompt here, but you need 90 attack, and Camil's best +strength gear puts her just short. I'll come back to it.
I head back to The Hamlet's shortcut. There's an optional encounter I haven't dealt with yet.
I hate scorpions. This scorpion will die.
It has an unassuming appearance, but this scorpion is basically a red scorpion on steroids. First, it has a lot more HP. Second, it also has Call Friends... And it summons red scorpions every time it uses it. Those scorpions can summon as per normal.
This fight largely comes down to 1) where the scorpions get summoned and 2) how often it summons them.
Thankfully, I get lucky with the positions of his summons. You can't see it very well, since they overlap, but Light Axe is doing triple-digit damage on its main target. And unlike Lightning, Light Axe can hit more than one target. If you want to do areas early, or at a lower power level than expected, then Light Axe will be your best friend.
(No, you cannot get Light Axe before the White Dragon. The game doesn't let you purchase his crystals until he's a permanent party member. It'd make the fight much easier.)
The Scorpion Tail is the red scorpion drop, and it gives +8 attack and +1 defense. I switch the Nails for it.
The Magnificent Zenith is the reward for winning the fight, courtesy of this clothes rack. It's good armor! The defense is a little low (only +4), but +2 HP/+3 SP/+5 Critical/+20 skill more than makes up for it. And that's not what makes the Magnificent Zenith good.
As an All-Purpose item, the Magnificent Zenith gives all of the same bonuses (crit is a little lower! oh no) but adds +5 Agility and increases its defense bonus to +12. The Magnificent Zenith is amazing, and once Randolf maxes it, he will wear it in his accessory slots for most of the game, even once +20 Skill is no longer quite so good; the overall boosts just make it overwhelmingly worth it.
That fight unlocked both the "do more than 50 damage" and "do more than 100 damage" achievements. Randolf will probably be responsible for unlocking the later ones in that sequence, too.
I level up the Scorpion Tail and Scaly Sequin Coat, putting Camil just above the 90 strength threshold for the Mole.
(Sounds of two impacts, then of breaking rock)
Well whatever. It doesn't matter to someone like me, who has forsaken the light.
My technique has greatly improved. I'd like to challenge him again. If only I could meet him just one more time.
His story's over, but ours isn't yet.
Progressing further in the story of the islanders has unlocked another segment of Aaron Aaron's
One large mystery is caused by the book's title, as the existence of the Demon King does not come up even once inside the work. Another important piece of the puzzle revolves around its heroes. Chapter 1 has character named Sera, Chapter 2 has Ritzea, and Chapter 3 has Randolf. There are real people with striking similarities to the 3 main characters that appear in each chapter. There are 3 very famous people on the continent known as Ares, Aeritz and Flodnar, who could easily be seen as models for the story's heroes. However... At the time when the "Demon King Chronicle" was written 21 years ago, they were all completely unknown, and no ties can be traced to Harold Diester.
Back in the room that The Mole opened is a dead end with a single book. Despite its appearance, that wall isn't breakable. As for what the book says...
Eh, it probably doesn't mean anything.
Next time: let's break the usual rules and sequence break a bit.
Annihilation Record:
New in this update:
Annihilation count:26
[2014/03/20 21:01] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
[2014/03/20 20:59] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
[2014/03/20 20:57] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
[2014/03/20 20:42] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
[2014/03/20 20:39] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
[2014/03/20 20:37] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
[2014/03/20 20:36] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
[2014/03/20 20:33] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
[2014/03/20 20:20] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
[2014/03/20 20:15] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
[2014/03/20 20:05] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
[2014/03/20 20:01] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
[2014/03/20 19:52] Defeated at Sands of Remembrance by Scorpion.
Battle Record:
2014/03/21/ 16:55:18
Demon King Chronicle
■Battle results
Playtime:05:08:06
Save count:79
Steps taken:27524
Battle count:244
Max damage:107
Max damage taken:27
Items:25 Types 58 Items
■Treasure Chests
The Nest: 3/8
Demon King's Castle: 13/26
The Hamlet: 26/31
The Snow Fields: 12/20
The Dragon Mountain: 6/6
Sands of Remembrance: 3/26
Unmapped area: 3/10
■Camil(10)
HP:59
SP:26
Attack:63
Defense:14
Range:32
Critical:18
Skill:15
Agility:34
・Sagarmatha(1)
・White Dress(1)
・Lucky Rabbit(1)
・Scorpion Tail(1)
・Marbled meat(2)
■Randolf(8)
HP:44
SP:46
Attack:24
Defense:8
Range:15
Critical:10
Skill:60
Agility:25
・Rat Slayer(2)
・Magnificent Zenith(0)
・Energy Restore(2)
・Salad(2)
・Snow Maiden(1)
■Top 10 defeats
Rat(112)
Monkey(54)
Mutt(29)
Turtle(26)
Abominable Snow Monkey(23)
Turtle(20)
White Dragon Wisp(15)
Scorpion(12)
Ferocious Rat(11)
Mutt(9)
Glossary:
New in this update:
■Flowers
Due to historical reasons, they are
not often found on the continent.
These rare flowers miraculously
bloom on the island.
■Mole
For a time he was the right hand man to
Zelphie, and was counted among the true heroes.
There was also a time when he trained Aeritz
as his disciple.
(This name is a nickname
he got on the Island.)
Mole has continued his search for a way to
save Zelphie from his madness. After much
contemplation and searching he realized the
only solution was to kill him.
Mole challenged Zelphie,
but was instead defeated,
and lost one of his eyes.
Even though he has lost some of his passion,
he still swears to defeat Zelphie,
and constantly practices his
techniques on the wall of a cave.
The Mole might be Alma, mentioned back in one of Update 03's books. He's the one described as "one of Zelphie's right hand men," anyway. It's interesting to think about.