Part 43: Ash-las Shrugged

Welcome back. Last time on Exit Fate, we called up four teams and took the Shiva Passage, and from there we decided to launch an assault on the central plains of Kirgard. While we were doing this, however, we also found out that Brunhild had done... something... to Trevor and Sick, involving some kind of "summoning." Once again, there doesn't seem to be much that we can do about this on our end, so we're just going to have to continue with our retaking of Kirgard. So let's get to it.

Music: Destiny - Xenogears, "Bonds of Sea and Fire"



We actually get some narration from Daniel to start this update.

With the open plains of northern Kirgard providing little cover, the Almenga army was quickly driven back to the northern banks of the Fafnir River. Now, only the area surrounding the capital of St. Reinard is still under their control. Plans are being made to further our progress, but right now, there are other things on my mind...




Calm down. You're really in a hurry, aren't you?
Well, I have some reason to be, don't I?
It's been a long time for all of us, Daniel.
Yeah, it has...



Music: Kirgard 2 - Xenogears, "Wings"



So, now that the central plains of Kirgard are under our control, we can finally get around to doing what Daniel's been attempting for several updates now: returning home to Levier.



It stands in the center of this new area on the world map, just north of the Shiva Passage, but before we head there, we might as well take a look and see what's around here.




To the east of Levier is a bridge over what is presumably the Fafnir River. However...



... much like when we were confined to Trarcia, Daniel won't go into enemy territory on his own. So there's not much to see in the east.




The western road loops around to an area with a couple of forts, one of which appears to be sitting on a bridge.




The fort to the west is Jormundgand, which apparently marks the border between Kirgard and Almenga, or at least the one that existed before Almenga invaded. We can't pass through right now.



Likewise, the bridge-fort is impassable, due to the enemy controlling it.



And that's about all there is to see in this area. So let's head home.



Music: Levier - Xenogears, "October Mermaid"

There's no dramatic scene when we enter Levier. We simply have the run of the place, and this time, we won't be teleported around whenever we try to enter buildings like in our dream. So let's see what's here.




Not surprisingly, most of the NPCs here make references to Daniel having lived here at some point.



We can also visit Angel and Jovian's houses and speak to their parents. Though it appears none of them have names.



Angel's father, as was mentioned in her interview, is the town's blacksmith, and acts much like any other.



He's level 11, which isn't any better than the blacksmith in Trarcia, but I max out Angel and Klaus's weapons anyway.






I also decide to splurge a bit on critical chances since I've got money to burn.







Jovian's family is apparently one of the richer ones in town, since they appear to be able to afford a servant.




Neither of his parents have anything important to say, though.



If we go to Jovian's room, we find a chest containing Battle Plan #5, which is the plan for the battle where we defended ourselves from Erin at Elysium Castle.




There's also this guy hanging around. Do I smell a sidequest?



In any case, logic would dictate that our most likely destination is the orphanage at the north end of town, which we entered in our dream.




The room that originally contained Brunhild and our evil self, however, is empty. We need to go elsewhere.



Our actual destination is the door on the first floor, where we find a new face.



Oh! Daniel! And you too, Jovian, Angel! You've all come back!
We happened to be in the neighborhood, so we thought we'd drop by.
I'm so glad to see you all again. We've been so worried about you, with everything that's happening lately... but at the same time, it's been far too quiet inside this large house.
So this place is still empty...
The children from the plague years are all gone. Fewer young ones lose their parents these days, and fewer parents are unable to support their children. But, I should be glad. It's not a fate I wish upon any child.
Yes, it's probably a good sign...



Well? Go ahead and ask. You don't have to be so humble.



It's surprising... This is the first time you've ever asked me about this. You were one of the few who never dwelled on his origins. It seemed you were quick to accept what life had given you. But yes... you're right. You were not born in this town.



They could not take care of this child themselves, which is why they came to me.
Is that really what happened? Merchants from another city brought me here after my parents passed away?




You think they were lying? Didn't you ask them about it at the time?
It wasn't important to me. I only cared about the well-being of this child. Whatever reason these people had to get rid of you, it didn't matter. I couldn't refuse to take you in.
I see...



Daniel, do you...?
It's fine, Eliza. You can tell him about her. He remembers again.
Is that so? I'm so glad to hear that. You were acting so strange after she left. I thought you just couldn't cope with it for some reason, but even then... And she was such a sweet child...
So Brunhild really is my sister?



Do you... have any idea why Brunhild left Levier?
I'm sorry, I have no idea. She just vanished without a trace. But I know one thing for certain: she was not taken away by force. She left her room behind spotless and empty. No, she did it all on her own accord. She packed and left without telling anyone.
I see...
I wish I could be of more help to you.
No, it's all right. I wasn't expecting her to have told you either. Thank you for your time, but we should be going back now. People are waiting for us. I promise I'll come and see you again soon.



The same goes for you, of course, Jovian and Angel.
Bye, Sister.

Fade to black...




No, it would probably break her heart. I don't want to burden her with all of this. It's better that she doesn't know about it.
Being back here... Does it bring back any memories?




Do you want to stay here a bit longer, Daniel? It might help.
No, I shouldn't do that. We have other things to take care of first. We'll come back another time.



Fade to black...



Welp, so much for that. Before we head back to Elysium, though, there's a couple of things we can do on the world map. The first involves the "strange guy" that the man in town told us about. You don't actually have to hear about him to do this, but as you can see, there's this small mountain northeast of Levier that looks normal enough. When we approach it...



... it turns out there's a hidden cave. I'd like to gain a few levels before we explore this place, though, so we'll be coming back here next update.



Also, the Pandora's Boxes that we saw in Shiva Passage are regular enemies in this area, and it turns out that they carry Menu Set #6 as a steal, so I nab it.



Menu Set #6 is the Arms Set, which I assume refers to Wild Arms. I've never played that series, though, so I have no idea.



Now then, it's time for us to head to the meeting hall once more. You know, it's starting to dawn on me that this is an incredibly inefficent way to make our plans. We may have our teleporter and Portal Key, but how are Eander and Bast and our other generals getting back and forth between here and Kirgard? It seems like sailing back and forth would waste days, if not weeks. But whatever, it's a game, we'll roll with it.

Music: Mission - Xenogears, "Leftovers from the Dreams of the Strong"



First of all, what is our current status?
To reach the capital, we must first cross the river. Obviously the enemy is aware of this as well, so all bridges, save two, have been destroyed. They left one bridge in the south alone, but it's small, and there's no doubt they've rigged it so they can easily destroy it if we head that way.
Then the other bridge must be Ft. Brahma.



Indeed. It's the last stronghold before St. Reinard itself. Just like the Shiva Passage, it was designed to protect a narrow passage, the river in this case. I'd like to suggest a direct attack, but the costs would be high. The Almenga army still outnumbers us, so we should look for alternatives first.
What about the lake? Can't we just cross it by ship and ignore the bridges completely?
Impossible. They wouldn't have overlooked something like that. All larger ships have been taken away or scuttled by Almenga.
All right, so that's not an option. Do we have any ideas that -could- work?
Sorry, but we don't know yet. We've been looking at our options, but nothing jumps out. We'll need more time to come up with a good plan.
Wait! I have an idea!



These mountains are even higher than in Highland. An army like this can't cross them so easily.
You're right, we can't. So, we'd need an army that -could- do it.



Why not? I think we could get him to join our side. He wasn't actually affiliated with Almenga, and he seems to respect you.




As long as we can't come up with any alternative strategies, I see no harm in meeting with Pereious. I can at least see what he thinks, and you'll have the opportunity to come up with something better in the meantime. Whether you trust him or not, he could still make a valuable ally.
Sounds fair to me. We have the occupation forces here cornered, but we can't give them too much time to build up their defenses. We have a possible attack from Almenga itself to worry about as well.
I strongly disagree with this... but if these are your orders, I will follow them.



Yes. It's located in a valley not too far into the mountains. To reach it, you'll have to cross the Jinen Gama.
The Ji... what?
It's the pass on the place where the mountain range is the narrowest. It's the main road between Kirgard and the mountains.
That's well and good, but the pass lies beyond the river, in enemy territory.



You can take a few people with you, but not many.
I'll come with you. You shouldn't go there without your chief strategist, right?
All right. Bast and I will go see Pereious. The rest of you, try to come up with another way of breaking down the fortress. We'll continue this discussion once I return.



Bast gets the required flag here, so I stick him in the entourage.



Afterwards, we talk to Eander, which transports us to Jinen Gama.



Music: Jinen Gama - Suikoden II, "Children Playing In The Fields"

Trying to head west will result in the standard "that's enemy territory" line, so there's not much to do here but head east. The soldier nearby will take us back to Elysium if we need it.




Like the other mountain passes we've traveled through, Jinen Gama is a pretty short and straightforward dungeon. There's no gimmicks; we just have to reach the end.



Oh god they're evolving




The Sand Shark is just like the Land Shark, a straight physical attacker with one hell of a bite. He's got a lot of HP and can two-shot our frontliners, but there's enough time between his attacks to get ourselves healed up. He's not all that worth worrying about.




We also run into some Harpies and Brown Cobras.




Brown Cobras are also straight physical attackers, though they are noticeably weaker than the Sand Shark. Their HP is also pretty low, so they go down quickly.




Harpies are a little more interesting. They can use Wing Beat to deal decent damage to a column...




... and they can also use Air Raid to launch a physical attack against any character on the field. Their damage isn't that great though, so they're not too bad.





Finally, there are encounters with these praying mantises known as Black Deaths.




They're yet another variant on the "weak but agile and numerous" enemy theme. But their HP is pathetic, so it's unlikely you'll be in danger before they're all dead.





There's a bit of treasure scattered around the pass, but nothing too major. The Studded Belt adds to Klaus's growing collection of belts though.



It's not long before we come across a save point...



... and as we continue onwards...



Music: None




I am Daniel Vinyard, General of the Elysium Army. I've come to meet Pereious.
Daniel Vinyard!? No, I can definitely not let you in! If you want to enter the city, you'll have to pass through me first!
Wait! We just want to talk to him! If you let him know, I'm sure he'll be willing to meet us.
That would be too easy, wouldn't it? It's been a long time since I last had the opportunity to test my strength against someone of your level. If the stories about you are true, this will be a most enjoyable battle! Prove to me that you truly are Daniel Vinyard!



BOSS FIGHT: Rashnu

Music: Boss Battle - Wild Arms 2, "Battle vs. Solid"



So, uh, yeah, it appears that we're having a boss fight not because the boss is defending Tal Gren, but just because he feels like giving us a boss fight. Rashnu here is a returning boss from Last Scenario, and has the same gimmick here as he did in that game.




Namely, Rashnu has two "modes" that he'll switch between during the fight. In Last Scenario this was shown with a pair of scales he held, but here it's signified by whether his sword is sheathed or not. When it's unsheathed, Rashnu will focus on physical attacks, such as Sword Slap, which deals moderate damage and stuns the target.




He's also got Mind Cleave, which deals a hefty chunk of damage while also inflicting Amnesia. Though it's a bit odd that this move can only be used on our frontliners, who have shit MAG to begin with.





After we beat on him for 4-5 turns...




... Rashnu will sheathe his sword, indicating that he's switched to his other mode.




With his sword sheathed, Rashnu will use magic. He's got Photon Beam, which isn't too bad...




... but he's also got the unique Psionic Blast, which deals decent damage to a column.




It's worth noting that regardless of the mode he's in, Rashnu has a beastly MDF, much higher than any boss we've faced thus far. You'll definitely want to stick to physical attacks to take this guy down.



He also carries a White Fez, a pretty great mage hat. The White Fez grants +10 MDF for 3 weight, and also imparts a +1 boost to MP+.



Anyway, provided you keep your frontliners' HP up to deal with Mind Cleave, this battle isn't too bad. Rashnu goes down a few turns after sheathing his sword.

Music: Boss Battle Won - Chrono Cross, "Victory (A Cry In Summer)"



Winning nets us a nice chunk of Arn and a Lightstrike that probably won't get used for awhile.

Music: None



As I promised, I'll take you to see Pereious now. Follow me.



Fade to black...

Music: Tal Gren - Wild Arms 2, "Guildgrad"



I'll be direct, since that's the kind of man you are. I'm here because I need your help.
Explain.
You must have a good idea of what our situation is like right now. It's time to continue our push north towards the capital, but our options are limited. In order to cross the river, we'd either have to attack Ft. Brahma, or wait long enough to construct ships to take us across. Neither option is looking very attractive. But there is another way. An attack from the mountains would completely bypass their outer defense lines. However, we don't have the knowledge or experience to pull it off. And that's where you come in.
Hmm... so you're basically asking me to attack the Almenga encampments from behind to give you a clear passage to St. Reinard.



Of course you'll want something out of this as well. As you know, I'm a lot more cooperative than Almenga is. Relations between you and Kirgard haven't been good for a long time, but the same went for Kirgard and Zelmony. That should be evidence enough that I have the power to change things. I'm more than willing to recognize the autonomy of you and your people. When the war is over, we can reach some sort of settlement.





Whoa whoa whoa. Hang on. Are you suggesting that you're going to turn down a request from Daniel Vinyard? Nobody says no to him.

If you respect me, then surely we can work something out. There must be something we can offer you.
You're wasting your time here. Everything we achieve, we achieve by ourselves. There'd be no point otherwise.
I see... It seems the skeptics were right... But it's not the end of the world. It was just an idea. We'll come up with something else.



This fortress, for example... do you know who's in command there?
The commander of Ft. Brahma? We interrogated the troops at the Shiva Passage and found out that his name is Colonel Regin, but we don't know anything else about him.



You've met him, haven't you?
That's right. General Vinyard, let me tell you something. When I look at a man, I can instantly tell what kind of person he is. It's an ability that's helped me a great deal throughout my life. I haven't met with the Almengans much, but I did meet Regin briefly, and I'll tell you what he's like.



And how do you suppose we take advantage of this?
You're a smart guy, aren't you? Can't you figure out something yourself? You crossed the river to get here, so there must still be some boats left. If you can get your men across and attack from both sides, they won't stand a chance. It should be easy.
Do you have any idea how long that'd take with what we have on hand? They'd catch us long before we get everyone to the other side.



As long as you're a little careful, he won't know until it's too late.
Hmm... I think I have an idea, Daniel.
Looks like you've been some help to us after all.
Think of it as a small gift out of respect for your accomplishments. Just don't expect anything more from us.
Thank you, Pereious.



Elsewhere...

Music: Empire - Final Fantasy Tactics, "Anxiety Before The Battle"





That would mean they could be heading our way any time now... aren't you in the least bit worried?
Why should I be worried? We're strong enough. Thanks to the terror I've instilled in the people, their own soldiers will fight for us. They know refusal will result in their own deaths as well as that of the others in their section.



Quite the opposite. Anyone who tries to dissent will be silenced by their comrades who are fearing for their lives. The system will sustain itself. They know no better than that the resistance is nearly crushed. Cooperation is their only option.




Principles and honor don't win battles, and employing these methods will save us casualties amongst our own men.
I expected you to be more sympathetic to such people. Didn't you come from a poor family yourself?




Oh good lord, not only is Ash a smug fuck, he's a smug fuck who's a believer in fucking bootstraps. When do we get to punch this fucker in the face?

I can see why you were chosen to lead this campaign. Your dedication is admirable.



In any case, it's time to make our preparations. You should get going.
Let me stay here! I will help defend this city!
So eager to fight against his former allies. Is it for revenge...? No, it's just for recognition. How sad. But I don't care. Your orders are to return to Vanaheim. We have been sent two new men who will take care of our problems.
Two new men...?

Music: Darkness - Chrono Cross, "Dragon's Prayer"





Next time: We receive aid from the unlikeliest of sources.