Part 83: Memos From the Past

Memos From the Past

PC-88 Version







: HA! Finally nailed those pesky bats!

: I wish those things would just hold still for a sec.





: My formulas seem to be in working order. Onwards!



Okay, let's play a lot smarter this time, and hope that the game doesn't decide to randomly screw me over.



There's a series of rooms down here that lead absolutely nowhere.





: Go @%#& and &%#^ yourself! Oh, and &%#$@ with a squid *&%#@ send that to your mom!

: That's quite the colorful language...

: Where did she even learn that?

: Are you all sure she's not some sort of hellspawn?

: For the last time, yes!





: Perhaps you're feeling agitated? This concoction should relax you.

: Thanks gramps! Wow, that took a lot out of me.







: Ah yes. Your blood is mine! Your delicious blood!

: Why. Why did you put me on a team with these people?

: You kept begging me to be put on a team, and now you complain?



Pulling all this off is kind of tedious, but essentially allows our party to last forever in dungeon romps.



I should probably mention that Woodbats do have one more trick to them. They seem like weak enemies, so they're perfect for grinding up Force, right? Well...



: Does anyone hear roaring? And stomping?

: Yeah, I hear it too.

: Hmm, I wonder what that could- OH MY GOD!



If the Woodbats aren't dead by turn 12, they'll summon a Riptor.



: We're getting out! Now!









: How many more of these creatures will it call over!?

Woodbats will keep summoning Riptors until they die.





: THIS ISN'T WHAT I-

: Ha ha!



:

: Gramps!

Oh right. I should probably highlight how terrifying this situation actually is.


Riptor
HP: 3200
AT: 80
DF: 80

Riptors are postgame FOEs. More specifically, from the 27th floor! Run.



: AAAAAHHHHH!

: Do you really have to scream while running?

: But it's fun!




Nitemare
HP: 456
AT: 54
DF: 42
Exp: 3245
Skills: Horror
Item Drops:
-Common: Black Hoof - 1 needed for Rune Tweed. 2 needed for Lochaber (Axe.) 5 needed for Bardiche (Axe.)
--Pitch-black hooves of a dark horse.
-Rare: N/A
-Conditional: N/A
Description: A horse that stalks the darkness, swiftly crushing any who attempt to mount it.
Weakness: Fire (150%)
Resistance: N/A

The only noteworthy thing about these enemies is that they'll always target the party member with the lowest amount of HP in the front row. Horror is just a hard hitting skill that has a low chance to inflict terror and deals splash damage.



: And #$%^#% mouth $%@^# while you're at it!







: I thirst for blood!



: My blood runs cold.



: Ha ha! Uh, not laughing at you, gramps.







There's an FOE patrolling right around this area. I don't advise fighting it at all unless your party is very powerful.

PC-88 Version




Deathman
Type: Normal
Behavior: Patrol
Aggressive: Yes
HP: 1755
AT: 57
DF: 57
Skills: Edge
Item Drops:
-Common: Jet Shard - 1 needed for Wild Beads.
--Broken piece of a black knight's helm.
-Rare: Metal Chip - 1 needed for Circlet. 3 needed for War Flail. 10 needed for Onimaru (Katana.)
--Sharp, silvery fragment of some sort of metal.
-Conditional: N/A
Description: A suit of jet black armor that patrols the castle, cursed sword in hand.
Weakness: Volt (125%)
Resistance: Fire (50%), Ice (50%), Physical (50%)

They hit very hard with their regular attacks, and Edge is a physical AOE that has a moderate chance of inflicting instant death. I would seriously avoid these until you're more powerful. They're very dangerous FOEs.



: Interesting, armor that can walk around on its own.

: I wonder if they're haunted.

: Ha! Well if its a ghost, I'd like to see it stand up to this!







: Lie down. Have a cookie.

Ha! I didn't expect that to work! Deathman are very resistant to status effects.









: Mm, I think my formulas were more effective.





I just got really lucky here. Deathman fights rarely go that smoothly.

PC-88 Version





Satisfied, you examine the wall before you and find strange hieroglyphs drawn there. It is nothing like the written language you know, and will be quite difficult to decipher. You could try to decipher it with the knowledge you've gained in your adventures...



: Hmm, let me see if I can read this... Oh!



A flash of white.

Using every half-remembered scrap of information, you slowly piece together the meaning. Your lips move as you begin to understand, involuntarily reading the message out loud.



Immediately upon reading the last line, you stiffen as a light rises from beneath you. The light disappears with no ill effect, and indeed your body feels lighter... It seems the light was meant to heal rather than to harm!



: Well, that was refreshing. Maybe we should remember this spot for la- oh.

However, the glyphs on the wall begin to crumble, as if their duty has been fulfilled. You silently thank the castle's mysterious power and hurry onward with your exploration.

: What a shame. This could have been been a handy spot to revisit.

: But at least we all got healed!

PC-88 Version









:



Ah, sweet catharsis.





Also, it turns out that Emilia is strong enough to one shot them herself. So all I really have to worry about is being blindsided.



: Why didn't you heal me?

: Oh, sorry. I had to regain my strength.

Of course one of the disadvantages of Cursecut is that the War Magus will be busy trying to restore their own TP at the cost of not being able to heal anyone for the turn.



















Everyone aside from Aliara, who maxed out her TP pool, is working on raising their HP. At this point, it's absolutely important that I increase my party's defenses as much as possible.

PC-88 Version



There are two Deathman patroling the right area.



And there's a Chop point here.

Chop:
Common: Gum String - 3 needed for Tormentor (Whip.) 5 needed for Shidgedou (Katana.)
-Thin, golden threads coated in rubbery skin.
Uncommon: Ironwood - 3 needed for Ebon Staff
-Long, thin club that's hollow in the middle.
Rare: Light Chip - Unlocks nothing.
-Gold fragment with a circular engraving.

Huh, those don't sound like natural materials at all.



The first one is eliminated easily.

: Child's play.

PC-88 Version



The 2nd is a different story.

: Bah, more of these? I'll just crush them all like bugs.













: How is this possible?

Oh crap, there goes my firepower,



I should probably note that my back is pinned against a wall, so I can't run from this battle.



: Bellamy! Get up!



: I'm back, you subnormal halfwit!





Crap.



:

Crap!



: Never mind.

CRAP!





Fortunately, it didn't opt to use Edge a third time.



: All of you! Wake up!

I didn't want to have to use that, but the game forced my hand there. Desperate times call for desperate measures.



: It'll take more than that to keep me down!



: Back again! Now it's personal!





: Finally!

All her other Torpor attempts just ended up in failure.





: Payback time, you metal abomination!



I thought I was about to game over there for a second, but I made it through that fight.

PC-88 Version







: This is redundant.

Same attack power, just has a different element. Emilia being able to dish out Volt damage provides a lot more for her than being able to stab things.



Back in the central area, there are two more Deathman patrolling the hallways.





The flavor text for finding the right entrance to a shortcut is also different.



: Hey, what's this?

: Careful with that, you don't know what it could do.

PC-88 Version



It seems to have been neglected for years, but it somehow manages to catch your interest. Though pressing it seems to accomplish nothing, before long a disembodied voice sounds.







The mysterious voice abruptly ends there. You cock your head, marveling at the strange phenomenon, before returning to your quest.

: What was that about?

: Hmm... Well, we're not gonna find out any more by standing around. Come on, there's still some floor left to explore.

If you've played the first game, remember that both EO1 and EO2 take place in the same world. If you haven't, this is meaningless to you, but feel free to speculate.

PC-88 Version



Over to the left is just the other Chop Point.



We're completely done with the 21st floor. Take note of the floor shape, because all the floors in this Stratum have a similar shape. It's a nice little touch.





: Those who have fallen to earth. What are your feelings on the dispensation of nature?

: Huh?

: Wha?

The question perplexes you, but the mysterious voice has not finished speaking...

: The dispensation of nature is death. Those who live will one day die. It is inexorable. What if you could defy it, however... thereby overthrowing death itself? I have researched the problem of death for many aeons. You shall be put to good use. The greater one's vitality, the more effective the sacrifice...

The mysterious voice falls silent once again. You have no choice but to press onward...

: Well, this sheds some light on a lot of things.

: Like what?

: I'll... tell you later. Maybe.

: Did he say he wanted to use us? I'm not letting that Overlord turn me into a monster!

: Relax, Aliara. I won't let him do that to us. I hope.

New floor, so let's go back to town and see what the NPCs have to say.

PC-88 Version



: If you have time to spare, I could offer you some tea...

: I could go for some, yes.

: Oh, your sleeves are smudged. It would be no trouble for me to find you new clothes...

: Uh, what? Is that okay? You don't have to do this.

: You are heroes of Lagaard. No one would think twice about donating one or two shirts! Ah, here they are now. Follow her to the changing room, and we'll talk afterwards. I expect great things from you, Guild Firefly.

PC-88 Version



: ...Oh.

: That floating castle you discovered... I wonder why such a thing was built. Nothing in this world is done without reason. There must be a motive behind the castle. Perhaps it was created to show off some country's power... I'm not certain our entry into the castle is entirely a good thing, to be honest. If anything unusual happens, tell me at once. I'll provide whatever support I can.



: ...You've done well, Firefly. I'm proud of you all.

: Uh, thank you.

PC-88 Version



: Smoothly. Aside from almost getting knocked out by screaming plants a couple of times.

: I thought my brain was gonna explode when I heard those things!

: I heard the Grand Duchy sent some guards up there... Think they'll be all right?

: Uh, how much experience do they have?

: I'm going to guess little to none.

: If they were as strong as yeh lot, I wouldn't worry, but... They're not.

: ...Yeah they're gonna die.

: Aliara!

: What? It's true!

: She does have a point.

: It's not as though yeh know every nook and cranny, but yeh'd still do better than that lot. Hmm... The floating castle floats... All right, enough of that, just hear me out! It's huge, but it floats in the air, right? And it was built forever ago! I just wonder if the castle can support the weight of all those people in it at once.

: I... think we'll be fine.

: Well, whatever... Just so long as yeh lot don't die in the crash! Aren't I a sweetheart? I sure would't want it falling on my head! Haw haw haw!



: Ha! We're doing fine!

: I'm really happy that someone I know found the castle first!

: Should we tell her about Cass'...

: Pfft, who cares about her? We're the ones who came back alive!

: Now, whenever I have a customer, I tell them all the stories you told me about the castle! So keep stopping by and keep the stories coming!

PC-88 Verison



: It looks like my assumptions on the floating castle were correct! You finally climbed to the very top of Yggdrasil... I know you could do it!

: Uh, actually-

: Old news, doc. We're on the 22nd floor!

: What...? You're already at the 22nd floor!? But I only just heard that you found the castle! Well, I don't need to tell veterans like yourself not to let their guard down, but... Take care of your health while you're in the Labyrinth!



: What?

: What do you mean, "What?" You found the castle! And I had to hear about it secondhand! I knew you'd be the first ones to make it up there, though. Now I can brag to everyone I know that you stay at our very own inn! Why, I was out shopping and the clerk said, "Oh, I saw the guys who found the castle." So I got to say to him, "Oh, them? They're practically my own children! Bahahaha!" Well, I know you're still exploring the castle, so take it one step at a time, okay?

PC-88 Version



Let's take on some quests.

: Ah, are yeh taking on that quest? It'd be a big help. It's from a lad around here. He's a guard's only child, and he's a bit of a bookworm. His dad was having none of that, and said any son of his should be practicing the sword. The lad dutifully tried his hand at the Labyrinth's beasties, but he's so clumsy! It's a sad story for them both. I guess yeh can't force someone to be who they're not. But the next thing yeh know, the kid gets cozy with a lady scholar without telling dad. She's s'posed to be some type of astronomy professor at the Grand Duchy. Well, the dad went ballistic. He stormed off to the Labyrinth and hasn't been seen since. Now the two young scholars have decided to marry, and he wants his dad's approval. I couldn't stand listening to the boy any longer, so I told him to file a request.

: That's a quest?

: I was kind of expecting something more... important.

: Oi, a quest is a quest, innit!? It even has a proper reward! Come on now! Where to start...? Well, the dad's a career soldier, so he wouldn't stray from his duties. He's usually posted on the bottom floor of the Heavenly Keep. G'luck up there!



: Now what's going on with this one?

: Ah, that quest... It's from the same healer as before. Yeh'd be perfect to handle this one. I haven't got the details, but I hear they've discovered some new medication. If all goes well, the economy should get a little boost from that. And of course, it'd be a boon in yer line of work as well. Anyways, head to the Hospital. They can tell yeh more there. G'luck!



: Lemme see this one.

: Yeh're taking THAT quest!? Hawwww haw haw haw!

: What's so funny?

: Maybe he was just laughing for no reason?

: What...? No, I wasn't laughing for no reason! I'm no freak! It's another job from the doc, yeh see. Looks like he's got some good news for yeh. Why don't yeh head over to the hospital and ask him about it?

PC-88 Verison



: You must be here about our request! Thanks, we appreciate this. Our recent research has led to some new breakthroughs using materials from the Labyrinth. We can't take all the credit, since it was explorers who found the raw materials... But our initial tests on humans indicate that these compounds have medicinal applications. We've always had theories along these lines, but the experiments were never stable. But with this new substance, we finally got a stable result! Isn't that amazing!? With this, we can minimize the loss of lives!

: Uh, could you get to the point?

: Oh... Sorry about that. It's just a pet topic of mine. I need you to acquire some more raw materials for us. Specifically, 2 Life Honeys and 1 True Shard. I heard you can get them from the monsters of the 25th floor, but that's unconfirmed so far. We're in close contact with Sitoth Trading, so sell whatever you find to them. Good luck to you, and thanks again!

The Life Honey is a common Take point item from the 22nd floor. But he's wrong about the True Shard. You can get those off of certain enemies on the 24th floor. Anyways, let's see what he has to say about the tree quest.



: Do you remember the medicine my assistant was testing solo?

: Oh yeah, couldn't forget that kind of stupidity.

: The one for the withered trees... The Northern Academy has finally approved its use! This calls for a celebration! If it weren't for you...



: Oops! Sorry, I lost track of time... I'm so unprepared! Anyhow, I'd like you to--

: Come ON! Everything's ready! You have to go! That man... When he gets started on medicine, it's like he enters another world.

: Tell me about it.

: Anyway, we should go, too.

: Wait a minute, just what are we doing?

: Hmm...? Wait, he didn't tell you anything? But it looked like he was talking so much...! Ooooh, I can't believe him! Okay, I'll explain. That salve I was testing was accepted by the Northern Academy for general use. So we'd like you to come into the Labyrinth and help us apply it to four areas:



: If anyone is injured such that they can't walk, we'll put the whole expedition on hold. As you'd expect, and outing of doctors and assistants is very safety-conscious! I'll come with you. Just try to make sure no one gets heavily injured. Now, shall we head out?

So basically another escort mission and a tile hunt. Yay.

Equipment: