Part 46: Stratum 1: Guests

Some sages believe the realm of Besek is not where the Majin originated, but rather is a place whose properties they exploit. The fact that the very air of Besek is poison to normal humans certainly supports this theory.
- excerpt, Legends of Besek, Vol I

Shared Goals

Knowing what Besek is like and actually being here are two very different things.



It’s insulting that it thinks these illusions are a distraction merely because they’re from my past.



Raki’s certainly unhappy that we’re bringing Retica along, given what he is and all.

Video- “Guests Lead In”

Click For Video

Why else would I have put the Oath of Obedience on him?
We’re here to find the Eternal Poison.
We can’t be dragging that kid along with us.
And you know what he is…
That’s why I’m bringing him along.
It’s fatal for a human to go into Besek without a librum’s protection, but he came here anyhow.
Something’s driving him, and I think it’s the Eternal Poison. It might be calling out to his blood.
…
Even if you’re right, and this boy DOES have a connection to the Eternal Poison…
I think we should be way of his cursed blood.
Whatever happens with this boy, I just hope you don’t come to regret your decision later on.
I know.
Let’s keep going. The Majin are waiting for us.

Given why we’re here, it’s really a good omen to have him around.

Video- “Guests”

Click For Video with Commentary



Ally Team:
We added Komori and Alexei to the party before this map. I really like Alexei in this story because he’s a solid anchor for the line and his slow speed actually fits well with the way I like to play Thage’s Tale. Komori will eventually go away, but for now his healing is a great addition to the team.

Enemy Team:
We’re up against a really diverse mix of Majin this time. There is a Caprus and Pyromote as on the prior map, and then there are two Nightwalkers, two Exo Machina, and two Aquamotes. There’s really nothing new about any of these Majin, and they’re all jokes given how brutally powerful our party can potentially be.

Deployment:



I deploy off to a side, but honestly I didn’t really need to. I’d have saved some time just taking the middle and dealing with the Pyromote and Caprus as they came.

Tactical Objectives:
- Get Thage a bunch of levels

Map:



This place is just an illusion.
Huh? It’s not real? How do you know that?
Kid, that’s enough. We’re here to fight, not talk.
Shut up, Majin. I wasn’t talking to you.
Wasting your energy on chit-chat will get you killed.

I immediately start out realizing what a mess my deployment was and trying to get people spread out a bit more so they can actually move. Raki does get ready to catch the Caprus, though.



I guess they like to talk, too.
They’re animals. Don’t listen to what they say.
Have you looked in a mirror lately?
Kid, save the petty comments for later.

The Caprus moves up and ineffectually flails at Raki, setting us up nicely for our first blood.



Ra-Ranunculus… Dezenchatsu?
Oh, you know the Silver Wolf’s name, do you?
That means you’ll be honored when I shred you to pieces.

We do just that with Raki’s turn, taking the Caprus down to the red. Then I set Komori up to be the front end of a combo on it.



Kid, get out of the way, or I’ll bite your leg off.
You try that, and you’ll get a mouthful of arrows.
Think you could focus that rage on the enemy for once?

Now Retica moves over to be the back end of the combo on it. Let’s kick things up.



It’s just Majin gibberish. Don’t listen to them.
She’s a goddess, I think. The “Purity of Zalis.”
That name shouldn’t be coming from such filth.

Do you like how Raki pretended it was nothing and then played it off when Thage new it wasn’t? Anyway we blow up the Caprus with the combo we just set up. Meanwhile I move Raki up to the upper center and Thage over to the side to draw in the Pyromote. Aquamote takes the bait and moves in to cast on Raki, and Pyromote does the same with Thage even though it can’t harm her. Raki brutally replies on the Aquamote, and gets a level out of it.



Raki gets Bleed Attack this level, Bleed is amazing and getting it on our party is amazing. Now we also start rolling our support crew up to get stuck in on the new Majin we’ve acquired.



Do you think the Majin use it?
This Stratum feeds off human consciousness…
I don’t think I like someone looking into my mind.
Huh? What’re you talking about?

Thage throws a Malus at the Pyromote and pulls back to the protective aegis of Raki’s Martyr skill. I’m not really worried that it’ll melee her but you never want to risk things like that.



Ha! Don’t make me laugh!
Izel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You mindless Majin hordes are all the same!

Aquamote moves a bit to the side and casts on Komori, and Pyromote pushes up and casts on Alexei. Alexei whacks it with his hammer and then I send Raki to finish the job with a bite. Thage throws some Malus at the Aquamote to bring it into Overkill range, and it seals its own fate by moving in to cast again instead of healing itself. After a Terra from Komori to squeeze some extra experience out of it I finish the job with a Combo from Thage and Raki. This lures the Exo Machina in, which is perfectly acceptable. Raki hits it and then pulls back a bit, and Komori casts on it to bring it down quite low. I’m not confident that I can overkill it with a spell from Thage at the health level it’s at, though, so I just capture the Aquamote and pull back.



You like my librum, huh? It’ll be the death of you.
Adimo iste librum!

Exo Machina takes a final swing at Alexei and then pulls back to be healed by the last Aquamote. Retica takes a parting shot but it ends up getting brought back to almost full health.



If you want to die, I can grant that wish for you.
Edere! Edere! Edere!

Raki runs up to the Exo Machina and gets a new start on it, and he gets another level out of it. His Wind affinity improves to B, which is awesome. Most of Raki’s levels are just small increases in his resistances, but he does get them pretty consistently which is awesome. The Nightwalker on the left moves up and casts on Raki, which isn’t anything to be worried about. Komori levels up from casting a Terra at the Exo Machina, never a bad thing. Now we’ve got to deal with a Nightwalker, an Exo Machina, and an Aquamote.



Messis? Demetere?
Tch, it’s useless talking to these Majin.
Kid, you better watch your tongue.
I wasn’t talking to you!

I think we might know a Majin with a giant scythe. Anyway we keep things going on the Exo Machina and Raki gets a brutal start on the Nightwalker, who is actually pretty vulnerable to Wind. We then move Raki up to keep Alexei from getting killed, he’s been taking a lot of fire and I don’t want him to miss out on the experience he can get in the rest of the map. The Exo Machina is hurt again and pulls back again, which is fine really because we blow up the Nightwalker with Thage and she levels up.



Now Thage is become death, destroyer of worlds, because she’s got Pyro II. With this great power comes great responsibility to murder the hell out of everything on the map with it. Alexei continues to be a sponge for both healing and enemy fire meanwhile, and gets a level for his trouble. He gets the ever-useful Fracture Attack this time. At this point I want to get as many Majin low as possible so as to take advantage of Thage’s newfound brutality, so Raki runs over and bites the Aquamote down to a quarter health. This attracts the other Nightwalker but I’m entirely unconcerned by this. Komori whacks it with his last spell, and then Thage goes all out on the Exo Machina and leaves it quite dead. Healing Alexei has proved fruitful for Retica, who levels up.



Now we see some of the really interesting stuff Retica gets, Panic is a spell that causes Fear on a target. Fear is an incredible status if we can land it so it can be worthwhile at times. Alexei moves up to capture the Exo Machina and draw in the last one while Raki grabs the chest. It has the Clergy robe, the pretty nice female only robe that makes the wearer immune to disease. We weaken the Nightwalker and Exo Machina a bit and Thage blows up the Aquamote.



They have no intelligence. They’re lesser Majin.
Are you a higher-level Majin or something?
Your mind couldn’t fathom the power within me.

As we work on the Exo Machina Thage blows up the Nightwalker too, getting another level and satisfying me for now. She even advances to B rank in Air, because her spell affinities are awesome like that. Alexei and Retica finish the map with a Combo to the Exo Machina’s face, which gets Alexei another level too.



Cowering in fear, huh? How pathetic…
We were outnumbered! What do you expect!?

Battle Result:

Levels:
Thage 7->9
Raki 6->8
Retica 4->5
Alexei 4->6
Komori 3->4

Majin:
Caprus Lv 2 x 1
Pyromote lv 3 x 1
Nightwalker Lv 4 x 2
Exo Machina Lv 5 x 2
Aquamote Lv 6 x 2

Refugee:
Musician

Retica asks a lot of questions that he really doesn’t need the answers to.

Video- “Guests Lead Out”

Click For Video

(This girl’s gonna get me killed at this rate.)
Hey, where do you think you’re going?
Huh!?
Don’t tell me you were thinking about running away, were you?
Um, well, I wasn’t… quite, uh…
You finally grew a backbone, is that it?
Look, I’m not going to play your games or let you talk down to me anymore. I don’t have time for this!
I don’t care about your excuses.
Huh!? Hey, you’re responsible for me being here. You put that Oath of Obedience on me!
I came here for a reason, and I’m in a hurry! Take this Oath off me already!
Oh…?
Yeah… And if you have something to say, go ahead and say it.
I’ll show you what happens when you disobey me.
Cry out, oh Goddess.

Anyway I think he might have seen how this can be mutually advantageous.



*pant pant * You…!
Do you see now? This is what happens when you go against me.
Arrrrrgh…!
Well, if you’ve learned your lesson, we should get moving.
I don’t want someone else finding the Eternal Poison before me.
Eternal… Poison…?
That’s right. So let’s move.
(The Eternal Poison…!?)
(She’s after the Eternal Poison, huh…?)
(Maybe I should stay with them, after all…)
(I don’t owe these two anything. I won’t feel bad betraying them…)

I don’t know what the Count’s game is.



How did you fare? Is your journey as entertaining as you hoped?
Be warned, one false step may lead you into the neverending darkness.
Your will is admirable, but that alone won’t protect you…
I shall look forward to hearing more of your exploits.

The Church has also sent some people to Besek it seems.



Stein: I am investigating Besek under orders from my Master.
For a mission of this importance, he’s sent the best… so I stand before you.

One of them is even tagging along, which might be even more ironic than us having a Knight on the team.



Yuri: I’m traveling around the world to help those in need! How about you?
The Eternal Poison? Hmmm…
You know how I’m here to help people? I wanna help you now! What do you think?
Hehehe! Great!

Besek certainly has a way of drawing people from all over.



Vivian: I sense great power emanating from you… So you seek the Eternal Poison?
A fugitive from my country has escaped to Besek. I’m here to bring him back.

Elizabeth is exactly the kind of cheap fake aristocrat I find most distasteful.



Someone like you would never be able to appreciate it.
Elizabeth: Wh-What!?
Maybe velvet is too lavish for someone like you?
Elizabeth: Hmph! Who cares about velvet?
In fact, I feel sorry for that dress.
It’s tragic to see such finery wasted on the likes of you.
That’s funny because I feel pity for you, too.
Trying to hard to look classy in such cheap clothing… It’s sad.
Elizabeth: Ergh!
How dare you!

We should be nearing the end of this useless stratum, which means we’ll be one step closer to the Eternal Poison…
- recovered text fragments