Part 62: Cooldown

Update 51: Cooldown






Well, back to it, then.



I'm assuming we're all in favor of giving the Grail to Dubois and taking a break?
I could go for, I dunno, a week or three of time off...
A break would be nice after taking on a g-god.
Dunno how much more I can take after that, yeah.
Mmmrrr... Nrrr. Rrrr!
You have far greater stamina than any of us, Ursa.





Oh! Guild Lumen! I have just heard the news! It's true, then, that you have penetrated to the heart of the floating castle... And retrieved the holy Grail of Kings!
Yep. It's right he-- Okay, who has the Grail?
...Okay, fine, I tried seeing if the thing could duplicate money somehow. Here it is.
The Duke's life is saved! I will inform Lady Gradriel immediately!


The Grail of Kings... I hardly dared to dream that you would find it. You traveled so long, and fought so hard. I have heard rumors of your battle with the Overlord. Only Guild Lumen could have accomplished so much!
Well, uh, thank you.
Was there ever any doubt?
And my father...the Duke will be saved. My heart has not felt such joy in a very long time. I shall spare no expense in granting whatever reward you desire! Please, take this!


Hm. Looks like your hairpin. Thanks.
I must go now and see to my father! A thousand thanks would not be enough, Guild Lumen, so I shall thank you only once more!


If you recall the first time we met, I made you an offer. Retrieve the Grail of Kings, and we would be prepared to make you a titled noble.
Pass. Never was one for nobility.
Nrrr.
I-I wouldn't be able to deal with the pressure...
My job means that I can't be tied down to one specific place.
Same for me. I'm traveling with Stardust after we're done with everything here.
But even then...I knew you would turn down such a reward. An explorer desires freedom above all things. Even this old man understands that. Rather than nobility, then, let me give you this as a token of all you've done for High Lagaard. Now, don't be modest! Accept your due reward!


Only a little longer till I can finally get my dues.



None of these levels matter, honestly.



Everyone in town has special dialogue now that we've finished the main story. Let's start with Dubois.

WE LITERALLY JUST GAVE YOU THE GRAIL!
...Oh, I am merely joking. Welcome, Guild Lumen. I have already heard what happened... Splendid work. I must apologize that outsiders like you were forced to resolve the mess that our ancestors left behind... I bow my head to you as a representative of Lagaard... I am its Minister, after all. But I would like to ask that you keep this a secret from the public. I do not wish to cause any more commotion among the citizens. When the castle fell from the sky, there was a mighty din, and rubble rained down on us. The people were overcome with panic... In the end, we administrators could not settle on a course of action. In the end, all we could do was try to protect ourselves. But when we looked to the people...we saw them helping one another, working together. I was...ashamed of myself. ...It seems we were quite wrong. We do not shape the country... This country is shaped by its people. It seems so simple, now. It is not merely our work that keeps the nation going. It is only when all its people cooperate that a country truly thrives.
Could say the same of our guild, to be truthful.
Thanks to you, a new age is dawning on High Lagaard. Explorers... Lagaardians... Words cannot express my gratitude. I hope you can forgive a foolish old man's request to remain in your company, and continue learning from you.
W-well, I don't know how long we'll be here...
...Ah, yes. It isn't much, but please take this book as a token of my esteem. It is titled "Stratified Planar Cognition Sortilege..."
_{Luca.
I agree. Just slowly go to the door...}
Hm? Why are you slowly backing away? You see, these theories form groundwork for a greater...
We have things we need to do gotta go bye!
Sorry!
I-I say! Where are you going!? ...*sigh* I suppose explorers will be explorers. What am I to do with you all?




Before we continue with dialogue, this is the Ducal Mark. It's a fantastic bit of equipment for Beasts, and kind of meh on everyone else.


We killed the Overlord and got the Grail, so yes, I'd say we are "all right."
I don't know much about it. All that matters to me is that you're safe! It's such a relief... If you're tired, the beds upstairs are made and ready. What a relief... I'm sure my daughter can rest easy now too. You're in her prayers every night, you know. She always wishes that you'll come back safe. Isn't she just the sweetest? I tell you, she's the spitting image of me when I was a little girl!


Do you see a scratch on any of us? Or on Ursa, who was keeping us from getting any scratches?
That's a relief... U-Um, someone from the Grand Duchy came here earlier... They asked if this was the inn that Lumen stays at... My mom talked with him about a lot of stuff that I...didn't really understand. Everyone else was really impressed that someone from the Grand Duchy visited... But I always knew that you're the most amazing guild there is.
Aww. Thank you, Quona.



I was... so worried something might have happened to you... I didn't know where you were... *sniff*...
If we came this far, dying now would be a terrible disgrace. We were never in any danger.
But I-I'm glad to see you all safe and sound! I'm so relieved! Huh? There's...still another forest above the floating castle? But that's... Wow! That's wonderful news! Imagine...a forest even higher than anything we've seen! I mean, if there's even more forest to explore...that means you'll all stay here, right? Yay! We'll always be open with a smile at Sitoth Trading! Please, take your time and look around!
...Abigail, I think you're mixing up information here. I mean, I didn't see any stairs in the Overlord's throne room.
I mean, we didn't investigate it that thoroughly...



Now I can finally rest easy and focus on cooking...
D-did we make you worry too much?
*sigh* I don't think I've broken a plate since I was five. The customers were laughing, saying I was completely out of it. Whenever you people are involved, I always get thrown off... Listen, be sure to stop by here to eat whenever you're in this city, okay?
Can't think of anywhere else I'd go.
...It's a promise.




Cass started talking as soon as we entered.

I've got a request, and they wanted yeh specifically for the job. If yeh're interested, try taking a look.



...Well, both of those certainly look important. Let's focus on Calamity of Ginnungagap, though.

Aw, that quest was meant for yeh! Glad yeh're takin' it. It's that whole...yeh know, ruins exploration thing. The Ginnungagap stuff.
I'd say "gods, not again," but we're not gonna be the ones doing it, so go on.
They were ravin' about how well yeh did on yer previous work, so they want yeh to handle this one as well. Anyhow, head to the palace. G'luck!

In a bit. For now, we continue with dialogue.


I heard that huge noise, and I thought yeh were goners for sure...
What kind of idiots do you take us for? Hat guy's guild?
Uh, probably shouldn't have said that. No offense, anyhow! Dunno what yeh lot were up to, but...am I right in assumin' that yeh lot won?
But of course.
Well then, time to celebrate! It's on me! Let's get hammered till we can't remember our names!
Stardust and I don't drink, and we've got stuff we need to do. Just let us know when new jobs come in.
...Wh--Jobs? Yeh wanna hear about jobs...even now!? *sigh*... How can yeh be so exciting and so boring at the same time!?



You discovered the floating castle, and recovered the grail the Duke had sought... You are true heroes of High Lagaard. But you don't appear satisfied... Surely, you too must be thinking...there is still unexplored land beyond the floating castle...
I'm not entirely convinced that Abigail was making stuff up, yeah.
Ha... Don't worry, I won't waste my breath. Continue your journey as you see fit... After all, what is an explorer to do with their lives, but explore? Well, that's all I have to say for now. I hope you find fortune on your travels.




Now that we've taken care of town dialogue, let's start Calamity of Ginnungagap.

You have cleared the forest...and even obtained for us the mythic Grail of Kings. Truly, your deeds are without compare! However...there is one final impossible task I would ask of High Lagaard's heroes. ...Ginnungagap Ruins. Do you remember?
I wish I couldn't.
In times past, we asked you to investigate these ruins just outside the city... Since then, I have studied all our records and everything I could find within the Grand Duchy regarding ancient legends. However...my search proved, for the most part, fruitless. We have learned that the land was once a temple, and that a princess from the Duchy of Caledonia performed a ritual there... I am afraid we could not find any details on the ritual...save the involvement of a mysterious figure: the Fafnir Knight. That is, unfortunately, all that we have learned.
Colette's books talked about this Fafnir stuff. All I remember is that Ranger's powers seemed eerily similar to the Fafnir Knight's.
However... It was shortly after you had obtained the Grail of Kings. I had the first restful sleep I had experienced in some time. I had...a curious dream. I was standing in unfamiliar ruins, and I heard a mysterious voice, with no speaker present... The voice told me this: “The day of the Calamity's awakening is near. But there yet exists potential within humans. Send the conquerors of Yggdrasil back into Ginnungagap. That is...the last hope." It was then that I awoke. I...do not fully understand what her words meant...
Oh great, the stuff that voice was talking about is starting.
But I believe I must ask you again to enter Ginnungagap, or something terrible may befall us. The voice told me to open the door that has been. I feel terrible to ask such a thing of you, after you worked so hard to return with the Grail... But please, if you can, I ask that you investigate the final floor of Ginnungagap...and find the truth of this "Calamity."
We'll make sure the next party takes care of it.
H-how are we going to organize the party? Volunteering?
Given the stakes, and what Ursa said earlier, I think we'll have enough.




Before we switch parties, this is what the Overlord's drop unlocks.

Czar Cloth (+50 DEF, +20 HP, +5% Fire/Ice/Volt resistance) is unlocked by selling 1 Imperial Wrath.



Rrr...
The Calamity, hm? I cannot sit idly by while the land, perhaps the world, is threatened!
If that voice in Ginnungagap was talking about it, it's gotta be serious. ...Plus, Realga and Stardust both needed a break.
I get to probably save the world AND taste new monsters! How can I pass something like this up?
Maybe I can find new types of monster steak down at the bottom of Ginnungagap.
Rrrerrr rrrer rrr oor.
Ursa has a point, however. Maybe we should take the time to train and collect strange materials?
If I get to taste what I was missing up in the floating castle, then it sounds like a good plan to me!

This party was decided completely by me--there was no post-Overlord vote. Everyone is pretty badly underleveled for Ginnungagap B5F, so let's take this time to gather a bunch of conditionals and level up.




Firstly, the Bound Root. This one can be a pretty big pain in the ass, since the condition is to kill a Mandrake while it's fully bound. Mandrakes have 50% resistance to all types of binds, so doing them individually is annoying--especially with a Dark Hunter, since you risk killing the thing early.



I have no qualms using Stigmata to get it.


Blech. It just tastes like a dirty plant.



Easy enough.



Next up, the Blue Head Gem. Just kill a Gem Lizard while its head is bound.



Again, no trouble.



For the Sleeping Hoof, we need to kill the Nightmare while it's asleep. That's slightly annoying, and you only really get one shot at it, but not that bad.

The King Gel, however, is another story. The Cursed Core requires that the King Gel kill itself with curse damage. FOEbucks was out of ingredients to make the Curse Damage 3x food, so I have to do this the hard way! HOORAY.



Rrgh.


Eeeew. Why do Gels never taste like gelatin?

And now we wait.



This is gonna take a while, huh?


A little salty for my tastes.



Okay, one more action should cause the King Gel to kill itself.


Moron!

Yes!



A little annoying, but nothing TOO bad. Like I said before, "kill with curse" conditionals were much worse in EO3 and EO4, where there were bosses with conditionals that required that.



And last on the list of Heavenly Keep conditionals I can easily get, Cowering Silver: kill an Undead Soldier whlie it's afraid.



That'll wrap that up for now.




The spoils of war.

Queen's Whip (+213 ATK, +10 Force gain) is made from 1 Bound Root. I've already stated my opinion on Force Up a while back. There's one whip that's ever-so-slightly better than the Queen's Whip, but we won't be seeing it for a while.

Forest Runners (Survivalist ultimate non-body armor; +37 DEF, +20 HP, +3 AGI) are made from 1 Sleeping Hoof.

Cursed Amulet (Hexer ultimate non-body armor; +75 HP, +75 TP, +7 LUC) is unlocked by selling 1 Cursed Core. It gaves the same amount of LUC as a Fortune Necklace, but provides a nice HP and TP bonus. I buy one for Sophie, since we have quite a lot of money.

Medium Ring (War Magus ultimate non-body armor; +6 STR, +6 TEC, +6 VIT) is unlocked by selling 1 Cowering Silver. I kind of wish it had an HP or TP bonus on it, but +6 to the three most important stats for a War Magus is good, too.




I hope you didn't forget about Scylla. Her conditional is to kill her while she's asleep, which is easier said than done given her 25% resistance to sleep and the fact that, even ~20 levels after we fought her, her HP is still pretty high.



You'll forgive me for skipping over the uninteresting fight, I assume.




Bindings (Dark Hunter ultimate armor; +93 DEF, +3 STR, +3 LUC) are made from 1 Lavish Bone.




And lastly, this jerk.


Cursed Knight
HP: 15669, STR: 62, TEC: 44, VIT: 46, AGI: 35, LUC: 45
Skills:

• Dark Blade: Cannot be disabled. Deals 150% melee STR-based Cut damage to the party. Attempts to inflict blind on hit targets, with a 200% base chance. Has no speed modifier and 110 base accuracy.
  
• Death's Edge: Cannot be disabled. Deals 120% melee STR-based Cut damage to one row. Attempts to instantly kill hit targets, with a 200% base chance. Has a 300% speed modifier and 1 base accuracy.

Drops:

• Normal: Jet Black Iron. 100% chance. Sells for 3000 en. 1 needed to make Arbalest (+131 ATK, +20 HP, +3 VIT). 3 needed to make Darkness Spear (+153 ATK, +25 TP).
  "Broken-off piece of a helm's steel horn. Good for weapons, due to its hardness."
  
• Conditional: Bound Shard (Kill while head is bound). 100% chance. Sells for 5500 en. 1 needed to make Shadow Glove (Dark Hunter ultimate non-body armor; +45 DEF, +3 STR, +5 LUC).
  "Pitch-black shard, now darker from binding. It's almost impossible to see at night."

Damage resistances:
75% 75% 100% 100% 100% 125%
Disable resistances:
50% 75% 75% 75% 50% 50% 50%
10% 10% 10%
25% 0% 0%

A jet black suit of armor that wanders this world and the next, bringing death to all.

I hate Cursed Knights with a passion. Note how, not only does it have more STR than both Juggernaut and the Overlord, but both of its skills are real fuckers. Dark Blade is almost guaranteed to hit you innately, and is literally guaranteed in almost every situation to blind whoever it hits, if it doesn't just kill them outright. Death's Edge is designed around that--it has shitty base accuracy, but that doesn't matter when blind disables your evasion.

If that wasn't bad enough, the Cursed Knight also nullifies arm binds, so fuck you if you rely on binds! Mercifully, it's at least weak to two debilitating ailments, and neutral to the rest.




I have Ranger use Transform immediately, since I need this thing dead very quickly.



My plan is to have Sophie inflict panic on the thing, bind its head, and then use Black Mist.



Phew.


Oh gods, blech! Blech blech blech! It just tastes of metal and ghost!
Gh-ghost?



So much for the Black Mist plan.



I have no idea if this is really the right action, but whatever.



Alright, looking good!



...Never mind.



Worth a shot--I need to keep a debilitating ailment on the Cursed Knight, or else things will get really ugly, really fast.



Bah!



I find it kind of neat that Rheine is nearly matching Ranger in damage.



Shit shit shit, the Cursed Knight's free to do whatever now.


I am NOT eating another bite!

Oh thank god.



Not pictured: Ranger has Accelerate active. I think the conditional's in the bag.



Phew.



Jackie's still working towards Double Action, after spending hew new skill points from earlier on getting all the Charged elementals maxed.




Shadow Glove (Dark Hunter ultimate non-body armor; +45 DEF, +3 STR, +5 LUC) is made from 1 Bound Shard.

Arbalest (+131 ATK, +20 HP, +3 VIT) is unlocked by selling 1 Jet Black Iron.

Next time: Ginnungagap B5F.