Part 90: There and Back Again

There and Back Again





Starting off the update on a good note, I level up Aliara's stats some more.

: Soon...

PC-88 Version



Back to where we were in the last update, a Stir Eye spawns when you walk over this tile.





Meh, Pauline's already using a postgame bow.



Wait, what? I just exited the menu! I didn't even do anything! Apparently the quest bug makes it so that looking at the menu passes the time too.





What the crap?



Yeah, that persisted throughout the entire battle. No, it's not the emulator glitching out. There's an explanation for it.



See that open prompt in the top-right corner? That's what caused that little bug. When you walk onto a tile, the game checks to see if you get into a battle before popping up the prompts. But since the prompt was already onscreen when I got into a battle, it stuck around and caused that bit of weirdness. One bug is a weird occurance I won't think about too much. This many in the game makes me wonder just what was going on during bug testing.







Level ups and dumping skill points.



And here's a shortcut back to the entrance.



: Hmm!

: Still got the scent?

: Mhmm.

: Good. Move out!

And because I'm tired of having to deal with the turning bug, I put Ling into the party so I can get that quest over with.



It sniffs the air, trying to remember where it's smelled this before... You, however, already know that it has to do with the quest you accepted at the bar. You agreed to find a lost item somewhere in the Labyrinth. The scent your beast has picked up is clearly the one from the guildmaster's scarf. She must have dropped it somewhere on this floor...

: Find anything?

: Hmm... Hmph! Hmm...? Mmmph...

Your pet suddenly whines, indicating it also smells a monster. Curious... You make a note to follow the scent's trail wherever it may lead.

Fun fact: Beasts are called Pets in Japan. Anyways, that text was why the game was lagging so much. The game was waiting to trigger it, and checked to see if there was a Beast in the party. But instead of checking once, like a sensible game would, it checked for every single step! Even though it's impossible to switch out your party members while in the Labyrinth! Oh, and I was wrong about needing the Beast to get the hint from Cass. You flat out can't do this quest if you don't have a Beast at the moment you accept the quest. Accepting the quest and then switching in a Beast later and going to this floor does not count. And you can't talk to Cass again without reporting the quest early and accepting it again. Good job, Atlus!







:

: Uhh... that's gonna make things complicated.

: Anyone have a Therica B? There's none in the pack.

: I'm not dragging him around.

: We'll just have to carry on.



:

: I think he's saying that monster has the brooch.

: How is he doing that?

: Even as a statue, he's still dedicated to his job.

When a quest requires a certain class, it doesn't matter if they're a statue or dead. Oh, and since that flag was triggered, the turning glitch isn't in effect anymore.

PC-88 Version




Tortevil
HP: 1350
AT: 42
DF: 41
Skills: Armor Up, Crusher
Item Drops: N/A
Description: A voracious monster that will swallow anything that fits into its maw.
Weakness: Fire (125%), Ice (150%), Volt (125%)
Resistance: Physical (75%)

This FOE is actually a stronger version of a regular enemy we haven't met yet.

















: Your days are numbered.

That part was overkill.



Because I already got him into Climax range.

: Oh yeah!

: I wonder if we should just throw the brooch away and tell Cass that we couldn't find it.



PC-88 Version



:

Sniffing around the monster's corpse, it discovers a palm-sized piece of jewelry. It is separated in two, but it looks as though it could be used to pin a mantle in place. This must be the brooch that the guildmaster lost! You resolve to visit her upon your return to Lagaard to present it to her. You tuck it away safely in your bag and leave the area.

: Good job, Ling.

:

: You know what, let's visit the hospital first before we return this.





PC-88 Version



: Well... We found this.

: That's...! Where did you find this? More importantly, why?

: Wait, what?

: Didn't you file a request with Cass? He told us you lost your brooch.

: Hah! I see. That bartender... I wonder what's gotten into him. I filed no request, yet he sent you on a search for one of my possessions. I must thank him.

: Is there a story behind that brooch?

: Long ago, I was a soldier in a country to the west... Though it's no longer on any map. I was second -in-command of the military there... My father was the commander. I rose through the ranks, hoping to please him... But I was still young... and when he needed me, I could not help him. This is a keepsake from him. I was born in an enemy country, yet he raised me as his own. Guild Firefly, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And tell that lout Cass that I'll come to his bar before long to raise a glass. Hah... It's strange. Watching you in action makes me believe in people once more. May we meet again.

: So uh, why'd Cass put up a request for that?

: I dunno. Maybe it's because... Ohhhhhhh... _{Note to self: gossip about this with Gilbert later.}

PC-88 Version



: Hey, yeh're back! How'd it go? Did yeh find the brooch?

: Yeah, we just gave it back to her.

: Haw! Yeh did it! Yeh lot really are something...

: By the way, the Guildmaster's coming here to raise a glass for that.

: What's that? She's... coming here for a drink to celebrate? W-Well, that's... unexpected. I thought for sure I'd get I'd get a talking-to for not minding my own business!

: Ahhh, so it was you who put up that request!

: That's right... there was no official request. Haw haw! Yeh heard me! Yeh think she'd ever come into a place like this? Haw haw haw!

: Not counting all those other times she came in here?

: Nah, this one were my request. Yeh don't have a problem with that, do yeh? Don't worry, there's still a reward in it for yeh. Everyone's happy, see? I'm always counting on yeh! Come back anytime!



: Oh boy, do I have a lot to tell you about Cass and the Guildmaster.

: _{Don't leave out a single detail.}

: _Later.

PC-88 Version



By the way, you want to be exploring this part of the floor at night, because the Evildras are back!



It completely blocks off this hallway at day.



But aside from that, we're done with this part of the floor. There's still a lot left, so don't celebrate just yet.



Now onto the other side of floor 23.





More evasion for Ken.



The floor is pretty much symmetrical. There's one more passage we need to go through.



Now onto the other side of floor 22.



I wouldn't call that every corner.

: Think this'll be enough for the Grand Duchy?

: Um, not really.

: It looks good enough.

: But we're missing a whole portion.

: Yeah, I bet they'll get a lot of use out of this.

: Never mind.

: Eh, it's not like they can't get a better copy of our map later.

You painstakingly copy out your finished work onto a second parchment so as not to lose it. Investigating the Labyrinth will be much easier once the Grand Duchy has this! You carefully tuck the map into your pack, and take your leave of the place. You have only now to report to the bar once you reach Lagaard.



So here's the conveyor belt back to the central area. Like the other side's exit, it's a one way trip.



There's another Evildra here, and it blocks off this hallway at day.



Satisfied, you examine the wall before you and find more of the 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...



: Okay, now let's see what this one says.

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...



As you read the last line, you hear something from the other side of the wall! You can investigate the sound or continue to explore the castle.

: What do you think that one did?

: Aw man, I hope it's another refresher!

: Another break like that would be nice.





Another level up for Frederik and lowering the TP cost of Cure 3 some more.



: Whoa nelly!

You quickly jump back, but the only result is a pillar falling from the wall. You pick up the fallen object and stow it away in your pack.



The sound you heard upon deciphering the glyphs came from around here...

: Crap, the mechanism for this thing must've broke.

: This castle has been around for a long time. It's probably wore out due to age.

: Awww, I wanted to know what it did.

But it seems that due to a fault in the mechanism, the objects didn't move correctly. You leave the broken wall as it stands and leave the area.





Oh, HELL NO!



Okay, phew!



Crap.

: Cover your ears!













: I never knew plants could scream that loud!



: SHUT...



: UP!



Oh sweet sweet catharsis.



:

I wasn't so lucky with the next blindside.



The stairs are right here.



But this conveyor belt leads to some treasure.





Sadly, it is a one-way trip. I don't put these on anyone. That said I had to go back since supplies were running low, and my pack was getting filled.



Let's go complete that quest.

PC-88 Verison



: We got all the ingredients.

: Excellent... we'll only need a moment to synthesize the medication.



: Thanks for waiting. Please take this to the Flaus Inn.

: Why can't you do it yourself? You're the doctor.

: Aliara!

: Hm? Oh, haha! The medicine's very bitter, you see, so she won't drink it if I deliver it.

: Oh, I see where you're coming from.

: But she really likes you, and I bet she'd drink down anything you brought to her. I know it's a little extra work, but it's for her sake. Please make sure she gets it.





: M-Mom, it's Firefly! They're here! *cough*



: I'm touched you took time out of your schedule to do all this for us! We really owe you! Here's some water, honey. Now drink the medicine these nice explorers brought you!

: *cough* urk... Well... ...... *gulp* ...... *cough* It tastes so bad...!

: Good girl! You drank it right down! You're usually so stubborn about it... Maybe we should ask you all to fetch the medicine every time... Bahahaha!

: I always drink it, Mom...! Stupid... O-Oh... that flower is still blooming... I'm taking good care of it. That charm I made... it must have withered... I'll make you another one, okay? I'll get well soon so you can take me there again...! *cough* Thank you so much, Firefly!

: All right, sweetie, time to take a rest. Up to bed! Thanks so much, loves. You've done a lot for us!

: Not a problem.

: Your reward is back at the bar. Don't forget to pick it up!

PC-88 Version



: What? Already done?

: Yep! Delivered it straight to her.

: Is that right? Great, glad to hear it. Yeh always stay with them... I bet it felt good to pay them abck a bit, eh? Here's yer reward. Come back anytime!





Acts like a level 2 Health.



: Welcome back! Did yeh finish that map?

: Take a look.

: Let's see now... Interesting. Yeh have to go up to the 24th floor to get ehre, eh? Anyone who'd design a castle like this must have been touched in the head. I mean, s'posing yeh were to run a bar in that part of the 22nd floor. No one would be able to find the counter! The bartender'd be polishing glasses all day!

: What?

: Haw haw haw! Ahh, I don't know why I even bother talking about this rubbish. Anyways, good work, yeh lot. Take yer reward. See yeh next time!



PC-88 Version



Back at the 22nd floor, we're completely done with it. There's nothing left for us here.



And the final side area on floor 23.



Like on the other side, there's a Stir Eye here.



Anyways, we're completely done with floor 23.



Now onto the last part of floor 24.



It is then that you notice something round and red sticking out from it.



: Hey, what does this do?

: Don't!

The moment you touch it, the hall becomes dark and you hear a tremendous rumbling noise! The sound eventually dies down and the castle is still again. It doesn't seem as if anything has changed, but you have no way to know for certain. Proceed with caution!

: What the crap just happened?



All this really does is spawn a Stir Eye nearby.

: Really? I was expecting something more deadly.

: Are you trying to kill us!?

: I gave up on that a long time ago.

: I was wondering why my mouth stopped tasting like Poison every morning.



There's more doors to go through on this part of the floor. The Chop point is through this one.



At the bottom right door, an Evildra blocks off this treasure chest at day.



It contains a very handy consumable.





More HP for Aliara.



Satisfied, you examine the wall before you and find more of the 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...



: Okay, you guys know the drill. Let's see...



A flash of white.



Your lips move as you begin to understand, involuntarily reading the message out loud...



As you read the last line, you notice that your surroundings have completely changed. It seems the message was there to teleport who read it to another location. You are left with no choicce but to continue your journey from where you stand now.

: GODDAMMIT!

There's no shortcut back to that portion of the floor, so you have to back track all the way there.













Just leveling up some skills.



A Stir Eye spawns here.



And here.



We're done with this floor. Onto the final one.





You instinctively drop into a defensive stance before realizing the sound is some distance away. The Rain Twig you hold responds to the sound by emitting a radiant glow... The thunderous noise continues for some time, then fades away. There must be something here...

: Hey, the twig!

: Why's it glowing?

: The shrine must be on this floor.





: Ugh, lame! And there's two of them!

: Think of them as something to look forward to later.



: I'd say that's enough exploration for today. Let's go back.

PC-88 Version



: Oh hell yeah! Should be a snap to get it!

: We've made it this far.

: I've been worried sick about the Duke and his daughter. Often have I caught her asleep in his chamber after staying awake tending to his health. She runs herself ragged. Your quest is as much for her health as for the Duke's. I may be asking too much, but try to understand my concerns.

PC-88 Version



: Ahaha... I remember when you first came here. You looked like children to me.

: Including us?

: I was surprised to find that the first thing you wanted to do was to form a guild. Now... there's nothing else I can tell you. Do whatever you feel is best. That's all I can say. May the Labyrinth's blessings be with you.

PC-88 Version



: It seldom happens, but every now and again, I get dry spells where no patrons show up. Usually, it's a good chance to get some things done, but... I already finished cleaning and making food... There's nothing left for me to do! I'm going stir crazy in here! If yeh're bored too, maybe we could have a nice chat, eh?



: I heard you made it up to the top of the castle! That's fantastic! Just finish exploring that floor, and your journey is all over! Oh... Um... I haven't thought of that... What are you planning to do afterwards?

: Hmm, probably gonna see if I can meet up with my old guildmates. I just have to find out where they went off to.

: Y-You're not going to leave High Lagaard, are you!?

: Uhh...

: I never really thought about what would happen when there was nothing left to explore... B-But I heard you might get to become High Lagaard nobility! What about that!?

: Ehh, sounds like too much responsibility.

: W-Won't you stay here with all of us? If you don't... I...

: All good things must come to an end someday.

: Oh, I guess it's not my place to ask... I-I'm sorry...



The only piece of equipment I unlocked this update.

PC-88 Verison



: I hard that you've made it to the top of the floating castle. Only a little further to go... Are you well-prepared? I assume whatever's up there will be the hardest battle you've faced. Even a minor cold or tiny scratch could lead to more serious injuries. Spare no expense when it comes to your health before you challenge that fiend!



: There's water in the tub and dinner on your plates.

: Is this some sort of special occasion?

: Huh? Oh, no, nothing special is going on. She just wants to help out, you see.

: Who?

: Who? My daughter, of course! She won't even let me help get things ready for you anymore. She's the one who drew the bath and cooked your meal. Bahaha... Sweet girl, isn't she? I tell you, she's exactly like me when I was your age! Don't you think so? Bahahaha!

PC-88 Version



: Wait, what? Etria?

: Ahh... If yeh do this one, I know the client will be grateful. It's from a widow whose husband was a well-known explorer. He did a lot of jobs for me... Yeh know that place where they first found the Labyrinth? Etria, right? He was there too. Got married here, and the two of them had a kid. But one of his excursions went wrong, and... Must've been about half a year ago, just after the Labyrinth appeared. Tragic, really. The kid's five now, and he doesn't know yet that his dad's never coming back. Apparently, the lad still has some ancient relic from the man's old journeys. He doesn't know what it's for, but he holds on tight to it. His mom took it, though, saying she was returning it to the dad. I'm hanging onto it for now. And yer job is to take it back into the Labyrinth.

: I don't even know if Etria is still-

: But I'm not saying yeh need to go all the way to Etria. I don't even know the way! Haw! It's a big world, innit? Just take it into our own Labyrinth and leave it there. That should be enough.

: Is that even returning the thing?

: A Labyrinth is a Labyrinth, right? It's not technically a lie...

: I dunno...

: Why don't yeh leave it at the pinnacle of the floating castle? Though an ancient relic like that... if it were up to me, I'd sell it off in a flash. Then again, it's a keepsake from his dad...Might not sit too well with my conscience. Well, it's up to yeh lot. G'luck!





This quest is a slight reference to a postgame quest from EO1. There's plenty of false ends to this quest, but doing it properly gets us the full reward. For those of you that have played EO1, can you figure out what this relic is?



This quest will unlock when you complete Explorers! Heroes! Caterers!

: I'm gonna miss doing this.

I'm not!

: Ah, yeh're here. Yeh've really done it this time... Sit down and listen. Remember when yeh brought back some monster meat for that noble's dinner party?

: Oh, yeah.

: Well, one of the attendees couldn't stop talking about yeh. And now there's a bloody waiting list for people to meet with yeh!

: Wait, what!? I didn't know that was going to happen! Why!?

: Turns out the client for that dinner party was larger fry than I thought... He wants yeh to attend the test of strength that's held on our national Founding Day.

: The what?

: Oh, that's right... I keep forgetting yeh're new here in High Lagaard. Well listen close. The test of strength is of great importance to this country. It's a battle to be named the national hero, held once every five years on Founding Day. The ceremonies began yesterday. Normally, yeh can't join in halfway through... But it looks like they've made an exception for yeh lot! Haw haw! It only lasts half a day, and the one who slays the most beasties in the designated area wins. It was originally held in the canyon northeast of here, but now we've got the Labyrinth. This time, it's up on the 23rd floor. If you leave during the test, yeh're disqualified. Only the bigger beasties are worth any points. Small fry don't count.

Translation: You need to be in the central area to kill the FOEs. Not the random encounters in the side areas.

: Got all that? Just slay as many huge monsters as yeh can by evening's end. Do whatever yeh want until the opening, but be there at the first crack of dawn. I'm expecting good things from yeh lot! Just take it easy and give it all yeh got! G'luck!

This is the origin of the killing contest quests in the EO series. You basically have to kill a lot of monsters in order to get the maximum reward. This is the only quest of that kind in this game, but a couple showed up in EO3. In EO4, they only show up in QR quests. You can actually cheese this one by just wandering around not killing anything, but they got rid of that in the later games by forcing you to kill a certain amount of monsters before you qualified for the minimum reward. Leaving any earlier was considered failure, and you had to accept it again to have another try.



: What's this one about?

This is part of the rampaging monster quest line. You needed to have completed The value of knowledge in order for this to show up.

: Ahhh, Firefly... that job's specially for yeh lot. The client's that weirdo. Yeh remember... the man on the 18th floor who's made himself an expert on monsters. He came by the bar, yeh know. It was my first time seeing him in person... What a weirdo. I couldn't even see his face with that long overcoat he had buttoned up all the way! All I could see were his eyes darting this way and that... Gave me the willies. Ahh, but I digress. He said yeh'd have to go to his place to hear the details. Yeh'd better be careful around that type... Yeh never know what they might be thinking. Don't let yerself be kidnapped, now! Haw haw!



This quest is part of that important quest line! Make sure you complete this one!

: Ahh, Firefly. That quest is specially for yeh. It's a secret quest from the Grand Duchy. I can't even talk about it in public. Truth to tell, I don't like sending yeh on a quest I don't know the first thing about. But I s'pose if I can trust anyone, it's the folks at the Grand Duchy. Sorry I can't tell yeh more. Go ask about it as the Duke's Palace. G'luck...

PC-88 Version



: So, what was that request about? Cass didn't know anything about it.

: Cass objected, but I could not publicly reveal the details of the quest. He became quite irate at the idea of sending you into the Labyrinth with no information... Hohoho! He's arrogant to most, but he treats you as his own comrades. I understand his feelings, yet I cannot let this information out of the Grand Duchy. But enough formalities... On to the reason I brought you here. You are familiar with the Holy Grail, I'm sure: the cup that brings life. But our universe is perfectly balanced, and there is equilibrium in all things. Day and night. Sun and moon. Light and dark. The Holy Grail... and the Foul Grail.

: Wait, wait. WHAT!?

: That seems like it would be kind of important to know about!

: I believe that's why he called us here.

: Oh.

: If you'd read the ancient documents on the Holy Grail, you'd understand better, but... Where the Holy Grail gives life, the Foul Grail has the power to take life away.

: Ohhh... I see where this is going.

: So that's why you were so secretive about it.

: Our stance on the Labyrinth says that whoever finds an item may keep it. I cannot alter that. But if the Foul Grial falls into the wrong hands, the Duke or his daughter may be in danger! We know what the Labyrinth artifacts are capable of. The Foul Grail's power could be real. Please find this Foul Grail and bring it to me. According to the documents, it is hidden somewhere in the Heavenly Keep.





: These re all the clues on the Foul Grail that we could glean from the documents. I assume the "sacred cup" refers to the Holy Grail. I have here the Gold Shard mentioned in the document to take with you. May luck be with you.