Part 10: Second Thoughts

Chapter 9: Second Thoughts

Last time on Disgaea 2 we were about to head out and fall into Tink's cunning trap. Today, we learn Tink also sucks at traps.

Drama- Poisonous Swamp Intro




She doesn't really talk about it, but according to the townspeople, she used to get requests from nobles and royalty.
Hmmm... Did she learn how to summon all by herself?
No, she said a friend taught her a long time ago. But she doesn't remember much since Zenon's cursed our world.
I see. You must be very proud of her.
But, to be able to teach someone else skills to that extent, that friend must have been a great summoner.

Map- Poisonous Swamp


This map introduces a new Geo Effect to Disgaea 2: Encroach. Any Panel with an Encroach effect will turn all adjacent tiles to its color at the end of your turn. In this case we have Ally Damage 20% along with it. Luckily, there's a Clear Symbol that can be used to destroy the effect. Throw someone like Rozalin over and shoot it down. The Zombies in this map aren't really a threat without the Ally Damage.



Drama- Poisonous Swamp Outro




She is right, Monsieur Adell. Do you expect a princess to dine in such a pigsty?
So, what, you're not gonna eat?
...I shall try some.
Princess!? You are going to eat?
We mustn't let Hanako's food go to waste. Besides... I'm hungry.
Alright... Here ya go.
Mmm. So this is a rice ball? I have never eaten food of this kind before.



(That isn't what I was going to ask you. Are you certain I can leave all the planning to you?)
(Princess, your doubt is like an arrow zrough my heart. Do you not trust Tink?)
(Honestly, I do not trust you at all.)
(You did not even stop to zink about it... ...Eh, very well, let me explain.)
(Zese swamps are famous for being quite dangerous. You see, zere are unique monsters around here.)
(Some of ze older ones are said to be well over level 100. Zey are zought to come from UFOs.)
(So, I suggest we get zis monster to eat Adell. Instead of fighting, we can run away.)
(I see... You are evil.)
(Au contraire. I am not as evil as you... Oh ho ho ho ho ho!)
(All who oppose my father must die...)



It's actually a minor plot point that Hanako is an incredible cook. It comes up again in an Extra Stage. Rozalin is starting to feel bad that she's trying to kill Adell given that he's being totally straight with her. She's not as evil as she tries to claim she is.

Drama- Dangerous Refuge Intro




You!! You dare mock me!? Are you implying that I am not the real daughter of Zenon!?
Um, what are you talking about...?
My father cherishes me!
A beautiful mansion built just for me! All those furnitures made just for me! Servants who work just for me!
And he sends me flowers and gifts everyday! All for me, and only me!
Who else would Overlord Zenon do such things for? Who? Answer me!
What are you getting so angry about? No one said anything about you not being his daughter. I just wanted shoot-outs...
...Hmph. That is what you get for asking rude questions.

Rozalin is quite insecure on this topic, although at this point in the story there's no solid reason why she should be.

Map- Dangerous Refuge


This map introduces another new wrinkle in Disgaea 2: Geo Monsters. Geo Monsters are Geo Symbols that move around as their own turn after ours. This leads to variability in where the Effects take place, and is used as a timer in some maps.



Drama- Dangerous Refuge Outro




...Are you planning to ask another rude question?
No, I'm not. I was just wondering what kind of man Overlord Zenon is.
All I've heard are the legends. No one has seen Zenon and lived to tell about it. So, I have no idea what he's really like...
Well...
My father... is a kind and generous man. He always protects me with all his might. There is no one more respectable than him.
Hmmm... What do you say, Tink?
Well, I have never met him personally, but uh, he is not someone you want to upset, eh.
Anyone who defies him, or fails to follow an order is killed immediately. His cruelty... Mm, he is indeed an Overlord.
Wow. You're talking about the same guy?
But I guess even the feared God of All Overlords can be sweet to his own daughter.
Heh... I guess Zenon does have one soft spot...



I guess demons have families too...
Do you really believe that?
H, hey! Don't stand so close to me.
It is exactly as you said. My father does love me.
That special bond between my father and I, it is the love we share between father and daughter.
Well, it's good to know that demons feel affection too... I guess.
(But, her father is the demon I must defeat.)
(Dammit... I shouldn't have asked her about him. It just makes it harder to defeat him...)

Drama- Corpse Garden Intro




(Have some patience, my dear princess. Do not worry. Ze monster will find us soon.)



A new kind of monster!?
Princess! We must run! Don't look back! Leave only your memories behind!
......
If father... if Overlord Zenon is the one who kills him, then his death will have had meaning.
But, to be killed by a nameless monster in the pursuit of his life's goal would mean he had died in vain.
And if he dies, Taro and Hanako will be really sad...
Princess! Are you getting soft!? You are a demon! Not to mention, you are also ze daughter of Overlord Zenon!!
Ze weak will perish! Zat is ze way of ze world! Princess, do you count how many eggs were cracked to make your omelettes?
O, omelettes? I prefer veal and truffles for breakfast...
What you eat for breakfast is beside ze point, eh. Ze point I tried to make is zat you must make sacrifices to survive.
Princess, some day you will rule over ever demon! Such happy, sugar-coated zinking will not work with zem!!



Making a promise to an enemy, or even trusting an enemy... I cannot understand why he did it.
I wish to discover what his true intentions are.
Princess!! What you speak of...!!



You! Stay right zere!! It is 2000 spankings for you!!

Map- Corpse Garden


This can potentially be a difficult map. There's a lot of level 8-10 Warslugs and a level 12 Vodianoi to deal with. Warslugs have a nasty area of effect attack and are immune to Ice attacks. Try not to bunch your characters up while fighting them, and draw their fire with high RES characters, since they're caster monsters. If you want, you can try to steal the Dark Rosary from the Vodianoi the first time through the map.

Drama- Corpse Garden Outro




Level 100... huh? We better be careful the next time we see them.



...I suppose. But, he trusts me and he is trying to keep his promise to me, his enemy.
I cannot understand why he is doing this. I wish to observe just how far he is willing to take this.
Princess... Do you feel alright? Has being in ze outside world for ze first time clouded your mind?
...Perhaps. I may be acting irrationally at the moment.
Please forgive me, Tink. But, you will have to put up with my madness for a little while longer.

Meanwhile, elsewhere...



...No. Not yet...
Fool... Why have you returned then?
...We uncovered an interesting bit of information during our hunt for the princess....
Well...? Tell me what you found.
The palace near Holt Village was attacked...
Could this be the doing of that Demon Lord who is rumored to be hiding out there...?
...That is the most likely scenario...
Hmph... A mere Demon Lord trying to oppose an Overlord... They do not know their place...
Fine... Lure that Demon Lord out into the open...
...We understand...
...As you wish, my master...

And now we have a tiny little problem.



A pass?
Friday: Yes. Only those who have committed a crime can travel there.
Those who have committed a crime...
Friday: Yes. One of you will have to become a Convicted Criminal to go through.
...You've got to be kidding, right?
Friday: Please accept a Subpeona from the Post Officer to continue.

Disgaea 2 101

Let's get a few little game mechanics out of the way all at once. We'll start with the Hospital. We have to pay to recover HP, SP, and to restore defeated characters. The upshot is that the more HP, SP, and Deceased characters we recover the more bonus items we get. Muscles that improve HP for HP, Orbs that improve SP and RES for SP, and emblems that increase all stats for total aggregate recovered. Here's some example screens. Every time you leave the bonus page it generates new items of the types you qualify for. You can use this to ensure you get Rare quality items, ones with green glowing names.



Let's get our subpoena from the mailman. The only crime we have right now is for Tink.



Mailman: The subpoena was issued for...
Crime: Your Existence it says.
I'm sorry I was born! But, what ze hell is zat!?
Is he a felon now?
Mailman: Not yet. Next you have to go to the Item Worlder.
Take the subpoena you received to the Item Worlder and enter the item world of that subpoena.
The item world of the subpoena will have a Dark Court, so you can receive your felony there.
Am I the only one who feels like we're just getting sent all over the place...?
That is how bureaucracy works.



Yeah, that's right.
Item Worlder: Then "Go to the Item World" and select the Subpoena.



Item Worlder: The Item World is made of many layers, and as you progress one layer, the level of the item will go up by 1.
So basically, the Item World is where you come to strengthen your item.
I see. So if I want to strengthen an item, I just keep going deeper in layers.
Item Worlder: But your goal this time is to get a "Felony" by going to the Dark Court, right?
The Court is on the 4 th level of this Item World. See that the status of this item is Bailiff 4?
That means that the court is on the 4 th level.
When you enter the Court Gates on the 4 th level, you will receive a trial, and can obtain a Felony.
The subpoena is sent to Mr. Tink, but the person who actually enters the court gate will receive the trial and the felony.
Oh? Then it's possible to lay my crime on Monsieur Adell instead?
Item Worlder: That's right. By the way, you won't be able to return to town until you finish 10 levels even after the trial is done.
W, what!? You should have told us that first!
Item Worlder: If you really want to come back to town, use this item Mr. Gency Exit.
Even if you use Mr. Gency Exit, you can continue on the level you left off. Well then, good luck.

The Item World is one of the main features of Disgaea. We enter an item and clear random maps to power up the item. Disgaea 2 Item Worlds have some new features. There are Secret Gates that can, among other things, let us get our items to substantially higher levels than normal. It's also where the Dark Court waits for us.



You know, though, Tink is Rozalin's servant. I mean, his crimes are practically hers, right?




Prinny: Although, it appears that the defendant standing before us is not the one who we summoned.
Oh well, no skin off my beak, dood.
We, the Dark Court, give Your Existence our highest praise...
And grant the defendant, Rozalin a glorious 1 Felony on your criminal record! Even if you didn't earn it.



Prinny: Case closed! Court adjourned, dood!

So, why do we want felonies? Felonies take the place of Statisticians in this game. Every felony a character has gotten gives them +1% experience, up to +300%. Furthermore, the first 33 felonies we get each give us a 1% discount at Rosenqueen's. We don't have to restrict ourselves to just one character per Court Gate either. We can throw a stack in, which will give them all the felonies. Exploiting the Court is a vital part of power leveling in Disgaea 2.




Let's do that, and move on. We've gotten our felony, and next time we'll travel to Tragedyland.

Next time on Disgaea 2: Fury of the Beauty Queen