The Let's Play Archive

Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight

by Ragnar Homsar, Dr. Fetus

Part 10: Bats and Lizards

Update 6: Bats and Lizards




To start off the update, I sold two materials I forgot to sell off before the end of the last update. Deer Hide Boots are made from 1 Deer Hide. I don't buy them because they're basically Leaf Sandals with slightly more DEF and +5 HP.



I do upgrade Zack and Phoebe's armors from Half Armors to Breastplates, however.



Looks like some of the pillars here aren't that stable.
Betcha I can climb over them!
I sincerely doubt that. We have to walk around them.

And here's 4F...I guess it's best described as a gimmick: rubble everywhere that make you take very long paths around. I say "best described as" because as far as I'm concerned, 4F is just a very maze-like layout (which is reflected in how I map it later on ).




Oh hey, new enemy.


Hypnosis Owl
HP: 110, STR: 6, VIT: 8
Skills:
Drops:
Damage resistances:
Ailment and bind resistances:

A giant owl with unique feather markings. It can put its foes to sleep!

Hypnosis Owls are mildly annoying at best. Sleep Powder is a single-target skill that'll probably put whoever it targets to sleep. Just one, though. If Sleep Powder was all-party (like it was in the original EO2), it'd be an issue...but it isn't.

That's on their own, however. Paired with something like this Wild Wing, Sleep can seriously screw you, because it doubles whatever hits the target while they're asleep. If anyone in our party gets afflicted with Sleep and then hit by Beaked Rush, they'd almost certainly die.


Meh...

Oh yeah, Sleep. Sleep makes the afflicted target unable to act. When they take any damage, the damage is doubled, and the ailment is dispelled.


Thanks for stand--um...hovering still?

Charged Ice still easily takes care of encounters like this, though.

Shortly after that fight:



SYSTEM: It shows no interest in you for now, but there's no knowing when it may change its mind. Moreover, this enemy can fly, allowing it to pass over terrain you cannot. You think it best to keep one eye on its movements as you proceed.

Vampire Bats are, as the game said, FOEs that can fly over impassable terrain, and can ignore any special tile types. They have an incredibly simple pattern: they're non-aggressive, like the Ragelopes were, and will just fly back and forth between two points in a straight line. There's an exception to this, but we'll see it soon enough.

Vampire Bats are also pretty weak FOEs; we could probably take one on right now and win, but there's always the potential for something going wrong that discourages me from trying it.



EO2U loves introducing you to FOE movement patterns by designing them in such a way that, if you just blindly walk forward, you'll end up fighting the FOE. If I'd just gone forward after the game told me about the Vampire Bat, I would've ended up fighting it.

Instead, I just take a few steps back and pace a bit while I wait for the Vampire Bat to turn around. Simple enough.


Look, treasure!
...treasure that's blocked by rubble.
I feel like the Labyrinth is mocking us, sometimes.

A brief few steps later:



Is someone intentionally taunting us with all these flying jerks?!


Flying Lizard
HP: 119, STR: 11, VIT: 9
Skills:
Drops:
Damage resistances:
Ailment and bind resistances:

A winged lizard that glides to build momentum and delivers a shattering kick!

I really hate these things. Dive Kick is a splash-damage attack that hits fairly hard, even in the back line. That's not that bad on its own, however. The problem is when there's multiple Flying Lizards, plus possibly other monsters. At that point, not only can multiple Dive Kicks kill one person, the splash damage could potentially kill another person, or leave them low enough that another monster could easily clean them up.



Tornado was practically built for these encounters, though. The Wild Wing will lose a little over half its HP and deal a decent amount of damage to the Lizards.


Ground these overgrown pigeons for good!


Augh! I didn't mean it!
Please move away next time you get hit, Rheine. Ow...

Dive Kick's splash damage in action.


Heh heh, birds hate...tornadoes...right?
Work on your quips, Zack!



Flying Lizards aren't as weak to Blind as Wild Wings, but it's still a good way to take out a major threat.


Hey, that bat's moving towards us!

Oh yeah, that's the exception in the Vampire Bat's movement patterns I mentioned. When you're in a battle, Vampire Bats will aggro towards your party, and try to join in on the battle. I said that Vampire Bats aren't that bad on their own, but they can get annoying when they join in on a fight.



This is when Dive Kick gets dangerous, when it gets stacked on people that have already been hit by it. Had Jackie been the target of the first Dive Kick, not only would she be dead, but Rheine would be in mortal danger too.



Nothing bad happened in the end, though.



Yeah, that's right, scram!
You must admire the creature's opportunism and hunting sense, though.
And I gotta admire the kinda woman who sees positive traits in monsters.
A leader needs to see the good in everything, even her opposition. T'was key to quelling the revolt incited by my parents' missteps.
Ooh, can you tell me the whole story about that sometime?
Possibly.


So close, yet so far...
After mapping out the tiny last portion of that room, and going through the door, we come upon this.


Looks different from the other shortcuts.
I don't think we'll be opening this one any time soon--Jackie, please stop shooting at it!
One of these...has gotta...break the tree...eventually!
Jackie, c'mo--AHH! That one ricocheted and went right by my head!
Bleh. This tree's really sturdy...
SYSTEM: No matter how much you try, the way seems impenetrable for now.

And exactly 3 steps after that:


Heyyyy!


Oh...! You must be Lumen, right?
That would be us, yes.
I heard that many guilds were sent to defeat the Chimaera. But I must tell you, Beowulf has already ascended to the 5th floor to challenge it. You see...some time ago, they lost many of their comrades to the king of beasts. The remaining two decided to press on in hopes of defeating the monster someday. But if they couldn't do it with five, I don't see how they'll manage it with two...
Tw-TWO?! What is Hrothgar thinking?!
SYSTEM: The guard shakes his head worriedly.
Beowulf's leader, the one called Hrothgar, is an amazing man. I only hope the worst is not about to befall him...
I'd like to hope, too, but...taking on Chimaera with just a Protector and a wolf?
SYSTEM: The guard looks up into the forest again anxiously. If you would challenge the Chimaera, you must hurry and pursue Beowulf to the 5th floor.
We are doing nothing but making this guard more nervous. Let's press on.



More Vampire Bats in the next room. They're as easy to dodge as the first one.


SYSTEM: It just so happens to be the hedgehog you've rescued time and time again.
The hedgehog's not in trouble this time. Huh, go figure.
SYSTEM: The hedgehog hasn't noticed your presence yet, and is dazing dreamily at the sky. Perhaps it is fate that has brought you together... You may greet the hedgehog if you wish.
Why don't we say hi to him? Maybe thank him for the sap last time?
Don't see why not.
SYSTEM: You elect to hail the hedgehog, though you think you ought to proceed carefully. After all, your history with the hedgehog leads you to fear it my attack you again in some way. You keep that in mind as you consider how to approach it...
He's harmless. Let's just walk up and say hi.
SYSTEM: Seeing no need to approach this with any special plan in mind, you wear a friendly demeanor as you walk up to the hedgehog. When you are but a few steps away from petting distance, the hedgehog breaks from its reverie and turns towards you! Its spin is a touch too vigorous, for the hedgehog slips and falls over! Worse yet, it falls on its back, causing the spines to once more become tangled in the tree's roots... It is clear to you now that this hedgehog is helplessly dull-witted.
I swear this hedgehog must be cursed or something.
What're you waiting for? Pull him up!
SYSTEM: Reasoning that you and the hedgehog have been through too much together, you decide to rescue it. Though it sees you clearly reaching for it, the hedgehog puts up no resistance and remains motionless. Even after it is freed and back on terra firma, it simply gazes up at you without any hostile movements. You stand there motionless with bated breath, when suddenly the hedgehog rams its head into the nearby tree!
Oh no--
SYSTEM: Before you can process what just happened, an enormous pile of leaves falls from the tree above! Dumbfounded as you are by this unexpected turn of events, it takes some time to notice the hedgehog has disappeared. As you stand there bewildered, you see something gleaming amidst the leaves scattered about on the ground. You sift through the leaves to get a closer look and find that it's a useful set of materials for explorers. Whether the hedgehog intended on leaving you with this gift or not is unclear, but either way, you take the items with you.


SYSTEM: When you finish collecting the items, you go to resume your investigation of the forest.
Befriending forest creatures has benefits, it seems.


Oh, come on. Twice is just mean.



Haha! Nice t--


--ry... Ow...


Come on now, Jackie. We have no time for death.
P-please try to keep me alive. That was a very cold few seconds...


Regain your lost vitali--


...Jackie.
That thing was going to kill me if I let you give the speech. Sorry!




If you select a Force Break, but don't actually get to it before the battle ends, the character's Force isn't broken, but it is set to 0.


We have the Byeahs for this.

This Grimoire's a lot more useful in Story, where you don't have the option of creating a gathering party.

It's also our introduction to the fact that treasure chests can sometimes contain Grimoires. Most of which are...actually pretty useless.

Before we head back to town to unload new materials and rest up, the first stop of Supply lines is a mere 4 steps away.


SYSTEM: As you push through the final thicket, you see a group of guards. You have found the camp! Seeing you, a guard approaches. Wiping the sweat from his brown, he speaks to you uncertainly.
I heard a group of explorers signed up to bring us our supplies. Please tell me that's you...
Pretty sure that's what these boxes are for, yep.
SYSTEM: You tell him the story, and his face breaks into a smile of relief and he takes the heavy box from your hands.
I knew it! Thanks, guys. Now that we've got these, we'll be able to stay and keep investigating. Oh, hold on. If you're delivering this here, I'm guessing you've got a box for the other division too, right? If you want, I can take that off your hands as well. We can drop it off when we run into them next.
SYSTEM: You pause to consider their offer, since it wouldn't hurt to leave the heavy load with them. However, as the task was assigned to you specifically, it might be better to finish the task yourself...
Wait, really? Yes, please take the box--
We will deliver the other supply box ourselves.
I understand. In that case, I wish you good luck in delivering the provisions to the other camp.
SYSTEM: As the guard bids you farewell, you head once more into the verdant forest to complete your task.
Aw, come on, Rheine, this thing is really annoying to carry...
I wouldn't accept servants taking the easy way out of their jobs, and I will not allow myself nor the rest of my guild to shirk our duties, either. We have reuptations to maintain.
Can you please carry the box, then? It's nerve-wracking when we get into a fight and I still have to be careful with this thing.
...very well. Give it here.




And back to town we go. Our first stop is Sitoth Trading, where I sell everything we've gotten so far.



Gladius is unlocked by selling 3 Spotted Carapaces. It's a downgrade from Zack's current Wyvernbone Blade.

Kodachi's unlocked by selling 5 Wyvern Skulls. It's the 2nd best Katana you can buy in the 1st Stratum.

Beast Bow is unlocked by selling 5 Bent Twigs and 1 Large Feather.

Bayonet is unlocked by selling 1 Owl Beak. It's the best gun you can buy in the 1st Stratum, so I buy one for Jackie.

Leather Shield is unlocked by selling 3 Glue Hides. I don't buy it to upgrade Phoebe's Targe because it only gives +3 DEF compared to the Targe. We'll be getting a better shield before Chimaera.

Venom Ring is unlocked by selling 7 Venomous Wings and 2 Glue Hides. It provides immunity to Poison to the person who equips it.

Stab Talisman is unlocked by selling 8 Wyvern Skulls, and provides 25% resistance to Stab attacks. The elemental resistance accessories were super overpowered in EO3 where you could stack them, but in EO4 and beyond you're limited to one accessory per character, making the resistance accessories kinda sucky.

And lastly, I talked to Abigail after selling all this stuff, but before leaving the store:


My dad and I are both so grateful! I've already put it on the show floor, so please take a look. I left the reward with Cass, so you can claim it from him. Thank you sooo much. If I have another request, I hope you'll be the ones to help!

And Abigail's 4F Talk dialogue, because it was blocked off by her quest dialogue before:

Welcome... Oh, hello everyone! You've already gotten up to the fourth floor, right? All the other customers say nobody's ever climbed that quickly. Hee hee... I told them you got all your equipment from this shop! Oh, sorry... I should probably ask you before I start giving away things like that. I didn't cause you trouble, did I?
We are not a secret society, telling customers where we purchase our equipment is no issue.
R-Really? Hee hee...phew, thank goodness!

And before we go back to 4F, time to turn in The item trade II:


Welcome back. How was the weapon they worked up? Well, I s'pose yeh'll find out soon enough. Here yeh go! Thanks again!





These three have uninteresting level ups. I'm leaving Blind Arrow at level 9 for now to keep the TP cost at 8.



Leveling up Charged Ice to 5 would make its TP cost jump up to 20, which I'm not that interested in right now. I had a bit of an internal debate as to whether to go for Charged Shot or another Charged elemental shot, and eventually decided on going for Charged Fire. We won't be needing fire for any big enemies until the 3rd Stratum, but might as well get started now.



Leveling up Attack Order and Guard Order to 3 each unlocks Dauntless Order. Dauntless Order is a buff of mediocre usefulness during the main story, but is an absolute lifesaver, bordering on necessity depending on your party composition, in the postgame. I won't be leveling it up for a long while, but it's one of the Sovereign's best buffs.



I also equip the Beast Bow that we got from turning in the quest. It's a pretty decent upgrade from Nadia's old Short Bow, especially given that we got it for free.



One quick stop at the inn to rest and save, and we're back at it.


Incoming bat!
Wha--pay more attention to where you're leading us!

Whoops. That was careless movement.





Vampire Bat
HP: 1152, STR: 17, VIT: 12
Skills:
Drops:
Damage resistances:
Ailment and bind resistances:

It swoops down to feast on blood. Puncture its wings if you hope to survive.

Like I said earlier, Vampire Bats aren't that deadly on their own. They'll always open with Echolocation, which has a high chance to bind a single target's head. Unless you're using an Alchemist, that shouldn't be that huge a hindrance, although binding a Medic's head will stop them from being able to heal, and binding a Troubador or Sovereign's head will stop their buffs for a while. Blood Drain is something to watch out for; it's likely to kill one person, and heals the Vampire Bat based on how much damage it did. Fortunately, it doesn't use Blood Drain until a few turns in, so taking it out quickly is in your best interests.



My basic strategy for the Vampire Bat is basically the same as it was for the Ragelope, except Rheine'll just buff everyone's damage out of the gate. Prevent Order can't stop binds, so it's worthless against Echolocation.


Mmh.

And the bat basically gave me a free turn. Phoebe has no skills that make use of the head right now, so binding her head does nothing.



I didn't mention it when taking on the Ragelope, but the Survivalist's Force Boost, Illusion Step, adds an extra chaser attack to any bow skills they use during the Boost's duration. It's decent enough damage, but it's never going to make much of a difference.


HAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH--did I completely miss it?!

Tornado sadly doesn't have the 100% accuracy modifier it did in EO2, and Landsknechts don't have the highest AGI, so them missing isn't infrequent.


Bodyshot!

Now that's what I'm talking about. Vampire Bats are weak to Stab damage, so Nadia and Jackie are hitting really hard here. Jackie's new gun helps, too.



I have Phoebe start using Front Guard in case the Vampire Bat starts using Blood Drain.



I don't think Guard Order will really be the difference between anyone living or dying, but Rheine has nothing else to do.


Mhmmmr mr mhr mhrmhr mrmhr mr mhr?
I cannot understand a single word you just said, Zachary.


Do keep doing that, though.



Yeah, Vampire Bats are really weak FOEs. This is turn 3, mind you.



Both Supreme Bolt and Summer Rain have really high speed modifiers, and will qualify me for the conditional drop. I just decided to use them both and see whatever went first.


Say goodbye to your hea--um, wings, I guess?


Easy fight.

You might be wondering why Vampire Bats are really easy, especially given that they are FOEs. We'll be seeing why next floor, so just wait till then.




Now THIS is a potentially deadly encounter. Whoever gets put to sleep is in very serious danger of being killed, even from just the splash damage of Dive Kick.


A'ight, let's get serious.

Shield Protect is a weird Force Boost. The game says it "Increases the effectiveness of Shield skills for 3 turns," but what it actually does is halve whatever damage is incoming towards a person under the effects of Shield skills, after the effects of the Shield skill.


It's only 9 AM...I could use some more sleep...


Ha! I barely felt that. These things hit like bricks normally!
Told you I was gettin' serious.



Hypnosis Owls will sometimes "panic" and do nothing for a turn. I'm not entirely sure if this is based off of killing its allies, or if it's just after whenever it uses Sleep Powder.




And we're almost done with the floor. You can see what I was referring to earlier with seeing the floor as just one big maze. I know some people mark rubble with the rock icon the game provides, but rubble might as well just be another wall as far as I'm concerned.

When we go through the door, the second destination for Supply lines is directly to our left.


SYSTEM: Weapons at the ready, you make your way forward. As you listen, however, you realize that you hear footsteps and human voices. Seeing you, a guard approaches. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he speaks to you uncertainly.
I heard a group of explorers signed up to bring us our supplies. Please tell me that's you...
Yes, that's us.
SYSTEM: You tell him the story, and his face breaks into a smile of relief as he takes the heavy box from your hands.
I knew it! Thanks, guys. Now that we've got these, we'll be able to stay and keep investigating.
Whew... That box was surprisingly heavy...
SYSTEM: You have completed the quest! When you have time, you should visit the bar and report your progress.



And with that, 4F is finished.



The game will let you know when an ad campaign has finished in the same manner that it'll let you know when a quest or mission is finished.




As soon as we enter FOEbucks, the game goes to the ad campaign results screen.


Now then, regarding the money earned from this campaign... Grandfather has given us a suggestion. He is asking if we would use the profits to help develop the town.
Oho, civic development. Another opportunity to put my royal experience to work!
If High Lagaard develops, more people will want to live here. And then we could try geting those new people to come here... Get it? The more customers we get, the more famous this restaurant becomes... And as a resident, it simply makes me happy if this town gets better. But, I'll let you handle how you use the money. Grandfather gave you this power because he trusts your decisions.
You must be joking--of course we'll use the funds for development. Where's the development map? I must get started right away!




Town Development is basically how you create more opportunities to advertise your food, along with an additional effect we won't see until later (hint: it will involve Grimoires). It's incredibly simple: you select a district of Lagaard, and then choose whether or not to develop it.

Only 100 ental for basic infrastructure? Get on with it!



W-well. That was certainly quick.

I dunno how town development can happen that quickly, but whatever. Town development can either increase the number of people that a certain group on the map counts for, or introduce new groups with different food tastes.

Very well, then. If development happens that promptly, let us proceed once more!


Oh, nice, I can get advice on my fighting style and attacks!
I hope spinning around isn't a common Landsknecht technique...

Some of the groups that are introduced by developing districts are tied to specific classes. We'll see the relevance of this later on.



When a group's population increases, if the food you advertise in that district appeals to them, you'll sell more of that food.

Since we're nearing the end of the 1st Stratum, I take the opportunity to develop whatever food I can:



Deer Steak restores HP every turn. I don't really find it that useful, even for exploration sustain.



Butterfly Tsukudani doubles any damage dealt by poison inflicted by the party. Meh.



Owl Cartilage Karaage gives the party's basic attacks a Volt element for one turn. I don't think you can get more situational than this, really.



Walnut Yokan slightly increases the chance that a Griomire Chance will occur. Not worth using food for.



We need the ingredient from a 5F monster to develop this food.



Stir-Friend Roller slightly increases the rate at which your party recovers from ailments and binds naturally. I prefer to just take precautionary measures before getting hit with disables, but that's sometimes not an option, in which case...Stir-Fried Roller still isn't that great.



Citron Owl Bowl massively increases the party's resistance to Poison. Useful for Chimaera, pretty worthless otherwise.



Seared Deer blocks one bind per character for 3 turns after a fight starts. I literally cannot think of a single use for this; there is not a single boss or FOE in the game where this will make a significant impact.



We also need ingredients from a 5F monster to cook this.



You'll see why this is actually a mistake later on.



I also drink the Yggdrasil-Clover Tea to demonstrate an interaction it has with quests and missions.

Before we leave, Regina's 5F dialogue:

Ugh! Completely ridiculous! Hm? Oh, I just had to kick out a customer who was being stupid. This is supposed to be a place to eat, but he kept trying to touch me about the waist and my bottom. I mean, really! The imbecile never even touched his food!
You must be pretty dedicated to being a chef if him not eating's what upset you...
I would've smacked that man several times! How absolutely perverted.
I would've done much, much worse...



In any case, let's go turn in Supply lines.


Hey, nice job! Looks like yeh got everything delivered. Those poor saps have been in the forest for days. If they're not careful, those trees might just close in on 'em.
Just a few days? I guess the Duchy doesn't teach their guards basic survialism.
So it's a good thing yeh gave 'em a hand! Here, take yer reward. Let's do this again sometime!



Fire Jars are basically low-level Fire Formulas. Use them on an enemy, and you basically cast Fire Formula on them.

Oh yeah, that interaction between the Yggdrasil-Clover Tea and quests I mentioned.



The tea triples all EXP you receive. This includes quests and missions! It distributes what would've been the normal EXP reward to everyone in your guild, too!

I won't be using this after this demonstration. It's far, far too easy to completely snap the main game's difficulty in half by doing this. Mission EXP can sometimes be enough for 3 levels with this!



The 5F quests. We'll start with Braggart Chap's tall tale:

Oi... I'm not so sure yeh should take that one. It's a bit...fishy.
We do every quest we can, Cass. Give it to us.
Mm? Really...? Welp, I s'pose the quest is up there, after all. All right... There's a geezer that lives far from the main city, name of Chapman. More commonly known 'round High Lagaard as Braggart Chap. His story is that he was an explorer once, but no-one believes it.
Wait, what? Why?
Why do yeh think? That old man Chapman always lies. All kinds of ridiculous stories... How he killed a dragon, or how the top of Yggdrasil is made of crystal, that kinda stuff. But he never has proof t'back up his tales. So nobody listens to his boastin' anymore. Insists that there's a spring that collects the moon's tears. Swears up and down he saw it. Well, yeh can ask the old coot himself for details. I think Chap's drinking in this bar right now, even.
We'll talk to the braggart in a bit. What're those other quests, first?

The nameless flower:

Huh? Takin' that one, are yeh? Heh...s'pose that one's a good fit for yeh folks. So there's a good family livin' 'round here, and the grandma's not doing so well these days. Real nice old lady, but her old husband finally gave up the ghost last year. In the old days, he was a guard 'round these parts. Saw them around town a couple times, myself. Cute couple, for old-timers. ...Seems like grandma doesn't have a lotta time left. So the family wants somethin', a present to remind her of grandpa. Now, the way I hear it...back when the ol' man proposed to her, he gave her some kinda flower, yeah? I looked into it, an' sure enough... It's a Labyrinth plant.
'course. Why wouldn't it be. I was looking forward to a nice stroll outside'a town, too.
The damn thing grows smack dab in monster territory. In any case, yeh'll know it when y'see it. The tiny navy blossom blooms 'round the 5th floor, looks like. Think yeh guys can handle that? Awright, then go get it done! G'luck!

This is a quest that's basically positioned exactly along where you need to go in 5F. Not too difficult.

Lastly, A taste for venison:

Ah, so yeh're gonna take that one, eh? That's a special request from me. See, I tried sellin' some Deer Steak here, but it's not sellin' so great. People ain't used to it. Since yeh're all helping with that cafe the Duchy set up, I thought I should ask yeh to get the word out that it's good!
You're asking a competitor to help you with your business... Why?
Huh? Why ask FOEbucks for help when they're my rival business? Haw! Bein' stubborn about this ain't gonna make me a single ental. Got no reason to grumble.
Very pragmatic of you, Cass. You'd make an excellent commerce minister.
Anyways, on to business. What I want yeh to do is to advertise Deer Steaks to the folks of the South Ward. Every customer has their likes and dislikes. If they ain't into the food yeh make, then obviously yeh're not going to get any sales. All yeh gotta do is find folk that like meat, and then advertise it to them. That'll get me sales, sure enough. I'll leave it to yeh to work out the details. I'm counting on yeh.
Pretty sure we just started a campaign for Seared Deer in the South Ward.
We...did. My mistake.

Yep. I forgot about A taste for venison when I did that Seared Deer ad campaign. I could cancel the ad campaign, but that'd be a waste of ingredients, and we'd be losing out on potential money. I'll just wait it out.


Onto the barflies. Patrons with a yellow exclamation point are related to quests we've accepted.

Braggart Chap:

Huh? What d'you want? Got somethin' to say to me, y'little punk?
Well, aren't you rude! We'll go talk to Tramonte, then.
Hold it hold it hold it, Nadia. I think this is the braggart guy.
Are you the gentleman who put up the request about the "moon's tears?"
Quest? Wait, for finding the tears of the moon!? Ah, I see, I see. Finally, somebody that believes me...
I don't believe a single--
Quiet, Nadia. Go on, sir Chapman.
Right, okay! Let me explain! I saw the tears of the moon on the 5th floor of the forest. Now where was it, exactly? Hrm... If I remember right, during a moonlit night, I was walking on the 5th floor. I was about to collapse, and I saw it... Hrm... I can't remember where, but I remember I had been goin' through the forest for so long...and there it was! Please! You gotta find the spring of the moon's tears, and tell me where it is! I'll be waiting here until you come back and tell me where to find that spring, awright?
You can rely on us, sir Chapman.
Why in the gods' names are you giving that man more respect than he deserves?!
Diplomacy leads to peace and prosperity, Nadia. Being confrontational leads to conflict and war.

Exhausted Tramonte:

Gh...nnngh... Snails...so many...snails...
Hmm. What was that substance that snails despise, again?
Pretty sure it's salt. How is that relevant, though--
Cass! Some "Manly Saltwater," please!
Nnhh--Bleagh! Salty!? Wh-What are you doing to an innocent sleeping person!?
Pfffhaha... We're sorry. It seemed like it'd be both funny and appropriate!
...Ah. But I do feel much better now. I've been seeing these snails in my dreams all the time, and I'm so tired... Recently, I've been hunting King Snails because I want an Electric Shell. You can get it by defeating a King Snail with an electric attack, but... Day after day, snails, snails, snails... Snails every day. Trailing snail trails. I'm pale and frail from tailing snails. And now they're even in my dreams... ...No. I can't lose heart! I must do this for Lilly! I'll do it! I'll get it done! I'll do my best!
Aww, that's sweet. Willing to suffer non-stop snail nightmares for the sake of your lover.

Lastly, Statuesque man:

I work, and work, and work...but I keep getting fired... ...What did I do so wrong? Why did the owner's wife have to make a big scene about how she'd fallen for me...? Well, I can get by as long as I have a place to sleep, thanks to the ingredients in the forest. Recently, I've been enjoying Ragelope's Venison! It's fatty, filling, and melts in your mouth... The first time I saw one, I thought it was gonna tear me apart...but now the sight of one just makes me drool in anticipation. ...Huh. ...Maybe I should give up the daily grind...and start a new career as an explorer!
That Deer Steak Regina prepared for us was quite delicious, I will say. I would not say, however, that you'd be able to live off of it...

And before we go to Sitoth Trading, Cass's 5F dialogue:

Looks like yeh made it to the 5th floor.
Well, we took a few steps out of the stairs, but we haven't actually explored it yet.
Not bad for still bein' new at this! Careful, though. I hear there's quite the beastie up on that floor. Just recently, a guild ran into it and was almost wiped out if it weren't for another guild coming in to save 'em. And that guild ain't no pushover. It's the beastie that's not normal here. Yeh lost best be careful, yeh got that? It's no laughing matter if I end up never seeing my regulars again.
Aw, Cass, you got no idea how much that means ta me...



Morcego Staff is unlocked by selling 1 Punctured Wing. In addition to giving +1 TEC like the Amud Staff, it gives +20 TP instead of +8. I buy one for Rheine to give her a bit more TP for long explorations.

Red Choker is unlocked by selling 1 Bat Membrane. It's the second best collar you can get in the 1st Stratum; it gives +5 HP in addition to its +21 DEF.

Wing Leaf is unlocked by selling 2 Large Feathers. If Jackie and Nadia (Zack, Phoebe, and Rheine can't equip clothes) were dying enough, I might consider buying this; as is, +7 DEF isn't going to save them from anything that'd kill them.

Abigail's 5F Talk dialogue:

Welcome! Uh-oh, look out...! Phew, that was close. There we go... Oh, um, it's just this sword is really heavy... W-Wah! Oh no, I-I'm so sorry!
Lemme help you, Abigail. Gimme that sword.
Oh...! I-I'm so sorry! Um, you didn't have to go out of your way to help me... But...um, thank you.
You don't have ta be sorry. It was nothing.
I couldn't reach that shelf, so I was having trouble. I probably shouldn't have customers helping me out like this...b-but it was kind of nice. Hee hee... Well, I'm going to go clean up over on the other side. If you need anything, feel free to call for me.



Marion's 5F Talk dialogue:

Hm...? Oh, it's you. I've been hearing quite a bit about you. Sounds like you're doing pretty well for a new guild. But you're on the 5th floor now. I suggest you exercise caution. If you underestimate the monster that dwells in the depths of that floor, you'll sorely regret it. Well, that's all I have to say for now. Try to avoid any unnecessary risks.

Nothing we didn't know.



Dubois's 5F Talk dialogue:

Hm, explorers. How may I help you?
We reached the 5th floor. Does the Duchy have any advice for us?
...Ah, so you have reached the 5th floor. Be sure to exercise caution. I have heard that many explorers have lost their lives on the 5th floor. I'm sure that you will be able to take care of yourselves, but remember to stay on your guard.
...thank you, I suppose.



I went back to FOEbucks to swap the Yggdrasil-Clover Tea out for the Walnut Rye Bread (because the EXP tea snaps the EXP curve in half so hard it's not even funny). In the process, I also triggered Regina's dialogue for A taste for venison:

...Hm, I see. So you want to sell steaks made from deer meat. I'm sure it'll do well if you advertise it to people who like meat. If no region comes to mind, you could develop the South Ward?
We've done that quite a few times. The region is quite open to meat.
Just my opinion, but I think that might do some good. You might even get some meat-and-potatoes people to advertise to. That's pretty much all I can think of. I'll handle the cooking just fine, though, if you bring me the ingredients.

I'm slightly regretting that Seared Deer ad campaign now. Oh well.



Quona's 5F dialogue is the same as her 4F dialogue, so here's Hanna's dialogue to close out the update:

Did you hear about the monster on the 5th floor? The barkeep was talking about it earlier, I suppose... One of my guests told me about it, too, and I know they'd never lie. All those different kinds of monsters mixed together...gah! The thought gives me chills! Are you sure you'll be okay, loves? Try not to overdo it, okay? Listen. However much you like exploring, there's no sense throwing your life away over it!
Wait. "All those different kinds of monsters mixed together...?"
A chimaera is a mythical--well, I believed it was mythical--monster that is several monsters fused together.
Ohh, that can't be a nice sight...