Part 15: Stratum 2: Oblivion Part 2 Boss: Gergedeus

Gergedeus is the master of the wastelands of Stag, and both fire and darkness are his constant companions.
- excerpt, Legend Cycles of the Ancients

A Chance Encounter

The Guardian of this Stratum was a horrible bat-thing named Gergedeus.

Video- “Oblivion Part 2”

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Ally Team:
Same as normal, this is especially important because we really might have some Mental status to restore with Velnor.

Enemy Team:
The enemy are pretty harsh on this map. There are two Exo Machina, two up-leveled Armatus, three Vespula, a Pyromote, and the big guy himself, Gergedeus.



These Armatus are no joke. The Curse status is ruinous, as it both seals active skills and negates our passive skills. They’re very hard to overkill and it’s probably not worth it to try when we’re on the clock.



Here’s our boss, Gergedeus. He’s big and slow, he hits hard with his Fire and Dark spells, and he can hit a whole four square arc at his front with Terrastorm. He’s nearly immune to Fire and totally immune to Dark. Only Water and Light are really great against him. He’s going to be a tough nut to crack, and he’s the only target on the map we really care about capturing.

Deployment:



We deploy far to the left of the zone. I don’t want to push up the right, because that’ll mean I’m up against two Exo Machina, two Armatus, and probably at least one if not two Vespula. If I go left, I can take the first Exo Machina and have it dead or mostly so by the time the Armatus engage (they’re very aggressive and will come straight for us no matter what we do). Then we just blow through them and we’re almost at the boss.

Tactical Objectives:
-Complete the sweep of Desert bosses by capturing Gergedeus
-Smash everything else

Map:



We start to execute the plan, pushing towards the Exo Machina while buffing. I give Ashley Salva to give her some healing even if she does get Cursed by an Armatus. Exo Machina moves in, so we start hitting it with everything we’ve got.



He must.
Gergedeus, the guardian god of the scarred lands…
Light magic should break his Demon Aura.

Fortunately Light magic is something we have in excess. We keep throwing everything we’ve got at the Exo Machina while the two Armatus finally catch up. They’ve got themselves in a nice little cross formation that’s pretty convenient here in just a sec.



I promise, it’s not a sign of good luck for you…!
We’re going to crush you!

A Sacrasphere kills the Exo Machina and bloodies both Armatus, additionally confusing the back one. We keep the heat on, literally, with a Pyrosphere from Reyna. Yuri throws a Sacra II at the near one, Irina shoots it, and then Glynne finishes it off by spearing them both. He levels up and doesn’t get anything obvious on the skill screen. I think he got an extra use of Crow’s Beak or something, which we won’t be able to use this fight anyway. We start getting a combo ready with Ares, hoping to take the Armatus down as soon as Ashley has a turn.



Vespula comes in and shoots at Ares, which she evades. Still, she manages to level up. She gets a skill called Dual Attack, which lets her attack a target two times in a row. We send Ashley in and she joins Ares against the Armatus, but sadly we miss the Overkill by about three points. On the plus side, though, Ashley levels up.



Between her heavy resistances to elemental attacks and her significant raw physical defense Ashley’s getting pretty damn tough to kill. We start throwing everything we’ve got at the Vespula, which is barely able to respond before we finally overkill it with a Crow’s Beak from Glynne. We quickly capture it while pushing ahead to draw in the last few enemies, one of the two remaining Vespulas and the second Exo Machina. We start throwing fire on the Vespula and hit both it and the Exo Machina with a Sacrasphere.



Your Falsin myths are both truth and lie, in one.
Are you ready to fight the truth before you?

We drag the Vespula down to critical health, but it moves away from the combo that was supposed to overkill it. I end up just having Ares cut it in half. The Exo Machina walks right into the combo intended for its friend, so we kill it too. Now there’s nothing in between us and Gergedeus.



Ashley, if it’s too much, fall back!
Glynne, worry about yourself! I’m fine!

Ashley breaks the Demon Aura with a Sacra. Gergedeus responds with a Malus IV, though Ashley is largely unaffected by even so powerful a spell. The Pyromote joins in, which is worrying because it does have Release. Ares moves up to Bleed Gergedeus. This is a better choice than Fracturing him overall, because he’s actually got a pretty low Overkill threshold. Now all we’ve got to do is throw some shots at him and make him bleed all his health away. He does respond with the powerful Terrastorm special for a lot of damage on Glynne and Ares, but as soon as I landed a Bleed on him it was all over.



Have you seen a man who’s dressed like us?
If there was one, I would have crushed him!

We quickly capture the big guy so he can’t be released, finishing the map.



Submit to me and die!
Hahahahahahahahaha!
My greatest wish has been granted! Izel returns…!

Battle Results:

Levels:
Ashley 20->21
Glynne 15->16
Ares 14->15
Velnor 11->12

Majin:
Vespula Lv 15 x 1
Gergedeus Lv 17 x 1

Gold:
12800

Refugee:
Marion

Reyna seems worried about me.

Video- “Oblivion Lead Out”

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(If that’s true, things are about to get even more complicated…)
Is everything alright?
Yeah, how’re you holding up?
I’m good…
No, you are not.
Huh? Who’s there!?

I certainly didn’t expect to see her here.



Princess Lenarshe!
Princess!?
Reyna, can you leave us alone for a bit?
You going to be alright, Ashley!?
Please…
Okay.
Ashley, it’s good to see you. It’s been far too long.
Yeah… Hello, Lenarshe.
…
You sure have matured since last time.
What are you doing in a place like this?
Please, don’t ask me that. I mean you no harm.
I know.
You should leave this place, Ashley. It’s useless to proceed further.
You want me to return, when I haven’t found Master Leto yet!? I can’t!

I know she’s just trying to help me, but I can’t accept that Lenarshe is right.



No…!
It’s the truth.
No! I won’t believe that!
You’ve done all you can!
There is nothing more you can do… especially in your condition.
You know it’s the truth.
If you travel any deeper into Besek, only more suffering will await you…
And I couldn’t bear to see you in pain.
…
You’re as stubborn as always.
But I’m happy to have seen your face again, even if only for a short while.
Farewell, Ashley.
(No… Master Leto..!)

When I looked up Lenarshe was already gone. If she’s really here in Besek, and this deep… That’s just one more person I need to rescue now.



Basil: Isapolis was once a lonely place with very few people.
But now, many are passing through here as they journey through Besek.
I’m so pleased to meet all these new people.

I’m glad the Count has eased up on what he was calling me, right now I don’t think I could take it.



Is everything alright…?
If you don’t wish to share your troubles with me, I understand.
But you work far too hard. Please take some time for yourself, too.

Maybe I’ve been misunderstanding Shivan, could it have never been about me?



Shivan: I see a light, gradually being engulfed by darkness.
The light wishes to reject the darkness, but it needs your help.

I’m not even sure she wants to be rescued, though. What the hell is going on in here?



Leon: I heard that if I rescue the Princess, I’ll get a huge reward!
I wonder what kind of reward it is…



Muse: I have to practice my dancing, and I have to clean my house!
Argh, I wish there were two of me! It would be so much more convenient!

Evan talked with the person I wanted him to get in touch with, but I’d forgotten he’s from the past when things worked a bit differently.



Hi, Evan.
Evan: I spoke with the priest you introduced me to…
Is it true that one must learn magic in order to join the Church?
U-Uh, yeah, you’ll have to study at least a small amount of magic.
Evan: Are you referring to the power to wield dark energy!?
That’s one way of thinking about it, but—
Evan: Are you insane!? How can you study the dark arts!?
But without it, it’s impossible to defeat the Majin.
Evan: Even so, you’re harnessing power from forbidden sources!
I will have nothing to do with it! It’s unacceptable! It’s blasphemy!
Evan…
Evan: I am sorry, but I cannot accept your offer to join the Church.
…I-I didn’t mean to raise my voice, but I just… I can’t do it.

Yeah, that was really uncomfortable. I decided to just train with Zadikus, since nothing I’ve found has been good enough.



Hey!
I heard you’ve been training really hard.
Zadikus: I been trainin’ REAL hard. Hey, how’d ya hear ‘bout that?
A lot of people are talking about you!
Zadikus: Wow, they’re all watchin’ me?
Well, they might-should help out, rather than just standin’ around!
I’ll help you train!
Zadikus: Ya what now!?
Don’t get me wrong, darlin’, I’m extremely thankful…
But if I hurt that pretty face of yours, well, I dunno…!
Hahaha, don’t worry!
I’m a trained Protector! I wouldn’t be in Besek if I couldn’t handle myself!
Zadikus: Well, hey, I guess you’re right!
Let’s go!
Zadikus: Whooo-wheee!

More on that next time. Keiko’s been talking with Velnor as well I think, had to be someone from Stag.



Well, YOU look happy today.
Keiko: Hehehe, I borrowed another book from someone else!
I talked to this guy from this place called Peluna, and he gave me a book.
It’s got lots of stuff in it, too!
Hm, can you read the scriptures of Stag very well…?
Keiko: No, but he taught me what it says.
I see.
Keiko: What’s Stag, anyhow?
It’s a religion that branched off of the Church of Valdia, long ago.
Well, you should get back to your research.
Good luck!
I’ll check in on you later, okay?
Keiko: I’ll be waiting!
Goodbye, Keiko!

Since things were getting all nostalgic, I asked Nolstein what he thought about Commander Olifen.



Hi, Mr. Nolstein.
So I heard you grew up with the Commander. Is that true?
Nolstein: Olifen? Yes, that’s true.
He wasn’t very smart, so everyone had to help him with his studies.
But he was quite the athlete… I don’t think I ever saw that boy just walking.
He always liked to run around, playing hero.
Hero?
Nolstein: Do you remember that ‘legendary hero’ fellow? Rondemion, was it?
He was Olifen’s idol.
At the time, I thought it was a joke… Who knew he’d grow up to be Commander?
Why’s it so surprising?
Nolstein: If you knew him back then, you’d understand.

Poor Olifen, he seemed like a nice guy and I think Lenarshe liked him. I’m not sure what the deal with Marion is.



Aw, don’t worry about it!
Marion: Hehehe, I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble…!
No, stop. It’s fine!
So what were you doing there, all alone?
Marion: I…
I was looking for something to help rebuild my homeland.
“Something,” huh…?
Marion: The Majin attacked, and I was separated from my traveling companion.
I’m so sorry…!
Marion: I don’t know where he is, now.
Please, if you see him here in Besek, let me know at once.
You got it!
Don’t think about him right now. Just get some rest. You need it.
Marion: Thank you…

I think she might be after the Eternal Poison. I wish I knew more about that thing. I guess it’ll all make sense in the end.
- journal entry