Part 49: Mistakes Of The Past

Welcome back. Last time on Exit Fate, we sent our entire army after Trevor and Sick and only succeeded in forcing them to retreat. It's clear that straight-up force isn't going to get us anywhere, so we're going to have to take another approach. Tarlia informed us about a nearby building known as the "Hall of Memories", an archive of sorts that contains information about Almenga's distant past. Will we find any information about demons and their summoning there? We don't know, but it's the best chance we've got. So let's get to it.

Music: Hall - Final Fantasy IX, "Freya's Theme"



And in we go. We can actually leave at this point and explore the area of Almenga near the border that we're currently located in, but we'll be doing that next update. Let's see what we can find here first.





Our first destination is this small alcove off to the left of the entrance, where we find some NPCs milling around.




The one on the right here introduces us to this dungeon's gimmick. There are many bookcases scattered around the ruins, and we can interact with them to read the translations that the scholars have done for them. Most of them will just give us the message "Found no translated books," but others will contain some pretty interesting information about Almenga's past.



Though not all of them.




Another one of the scholars mentions monsters roaming around the ruins. Our job is never easy.




As we leave we run into a few of them, Scylla and Charybdis. If you know your mythology, it shouldn't come as a surprise that these two always show up as a pair.




Scylla has a number of attacks, but her physical attack isn't that threatening.




However, she also has the much more annoying Ghastly Shriek, which deals light damage and has a high chance of inflicting paralysis. She has a third attack called Lash Out, which hits the front row for moderate damage, but I didn't get a screenshot of it.



Charybdis, on the other hand, is a gimmick monster. On its first turn, it will always use Absorbing Current, which does nothing.




On its second turn, it will use Belching Water, hitting our entire party for moderate damage. Then it will repeat. Fortunately, we're strong enough to take it out before it can use Belching Water a second time.



Anyway, as we head back to the main hall we find some more bookcases. Looks like the summoners of old weren't aware that a sixth element existed.



If we head up the stairs, we immediately run into someone.



I'll use the knowledge of the ancients to wipe you off the face of the earth!



BOSS FIGHT: Marid King

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



We've only reached the second room of the dungeon and we've already got a boss fight on our hands. The Marid King is another returning boss from Last Scenario, and should be much more familiar to people who've played it because in that game, he was single-handedly responsible for ending many people's playthroughs. Fortunately, he's not as troublesome here. Reod kicks things off by stealing a pair of Djinni Shoes from him, a great pair of shoes that grant +8 PDF and +8 DEX for no weight at all.




The Marid King's signature move is Full Stop, which inflicts both Silence and Sleep on the target. It's around this time I finally realize that I don't have any copies of the Alarm spell to wake Daniel up, and the Marid King doesn't have any physical attacks that will reach him. So he's essentially been knocked out of the fight.




In addition to Full Stop, the Marid King also uses Deadly Haze, which deals okay damage to the party.




And he wouldn't be much of a Marid King if he didn't know Waterfall.







But that's all he manages to get off. The battle ends quickly.

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



Winning the battle nets us a Crystal Orb, an accessory that grants +16 MDF.

Music: Hall - Final Fantasy IX, "Freya's Theme"



There must be something he's trying to protect! Let's go after him!



And control is returned to us. Before we head any further, though...



... I head back to Elysium and stock up on status heals. We now have three of each.




In order to get up to where the summoner was standing, we need to go up the stairs and around the room. There are small alcoves on each side.




One of the bookcases in the left alcove gives a hint about the Black Ruby we had to find for Marcello. Helpful, but you'd have to have found Marcello and known that you needed a Black Ruby for him in order for this information to be useful.



There's also a pair of Purple Glasses here, which grant +16 ACC.





As we head around the large room to get to the right-side alcove, we run into a pair of Deep Spawn.



Deep Spawn... are not exactly resilient. I kill one of them before it even gets a turn.




Their attack is quite powerful, but the battle ends so quickly that they're not dangerous.



A treasure chest in this alcove contains a Crystal Battlehelm, the strongest helmet in the game outside of the post-game content. It grants +18 PDF for 10 weight.



The only translated bookcase in the room makes mention of the city of Valaskialf and its king, Odin. Everyone ready for a whole bunch of Norse mythology? Because this is just the first of many references we're going to find here.



We run into a bunch of Mermen as we continue on.




Mermen have a decently powerful physical attack...




... can cast Waterfall...




... and have an annoying attack called Bubble which can hit anyone on the field.



Like their little brothers the Sahagins, though, their HP is pathetic.



We also find another cat who is also a wizard.




Black Cats are pretty much the same as their predecessor, the Cathead, spending their turns casting an assortment of second-tier attack spells. Fortunately for us, though, second-tier spells aren't as threatening as they used to be.




Heading through the door where the summoner originally was leads us to a room with a whole bunch of bookcases.



This room is where we start to see the "story" of this dungeon. This particular room has a continuous paragraph of text that is spread out throughout the bookcases. For ease of reading, I'll consolidate them all here.

"It was said that Mimir the Wise was the first to analyze the procedure and attempt to refine it into a usable form. However, the process had been known amongst circles of 'witches' as a way to call upon their pagan gods. Purely by accident, the ambitious alchemist stumbled upon the practice, and found out that it was in fact very similar in nature to the powers possessed by those called 'Summoners'. Those who were aware of the correct procedure could call upon spirits from another plane of existence. These spirits often manifested themselves as ghosts or specters, but skilled summoners were able to draw upon more powerful forces and conjure beasts to fight for them. Due to the ethereal nature of such spirits, summoned creatures were limited in power and lifespan. However, there was a way to surpass these limits. The spirits would be summoned directly into a person's mind, thereby 'possessing' them and forming a new and stronger personality. The results of Mimir's experiments were impressive. His test subjects became nearly unstoppable, although they regressed into a feral state of mind. Realizing the possessed warriors could make an army the likes of which the world had never seen, Mimir turned to the King of Asgard, Odin."




The next room contains a passageway with several walls blocking our progress. There's also four switches around the sides.




Pressing one of them will remove or replace one or more of the walls.



I've never been particularly good with this kind of puzzle, so I just randomly hit the switches until all the walls disappear.



The chest beyond contains Battle Plan #11, the plan for the battle against Brunhild and the Imperial Elite Guard.



After that we hit a save point...



... and just south of there we find the summoner again.





BOSS FIGHT: Fafnir

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



Starting to sense a pattern with the bosses here? Fafnir is a recolor of the Wyvern we fought back in Fading Dream.




Just like with the Wyvern, Fafnir's wings are separate targets from the boss itself. Unlike the Wyvern, however, Fafnir's wings don't seem to get their own turns.




Fafnir has a decently powerful physical attack, though it's nothing we can't handle.




As we take out one of the wings, Reod swipes a Purple Cape from the boss, which grants +16 DEX.




Fafnir then uses Half Wing Beat, which... doesn't do all that much. The Wyvern used a move called Full Wing Beat when we fought it, so my guess is that the moves the main body can use are determined by whether its wings are alive.





Fafnir also has access to Tendon Slicer, which deals moderate damage and causes Slow. Man, I nearly forgot Slow existed as a status effect, it's been so long since we last saw it.




And he's got Frostwave, but this is only really threatening to Bruce.







Like the Marid King before him, Fafnir doesn't last all that long.

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



We land another Diamond Dust for our trouble. I think we've got enough now to equip every one of our party members with one.

Music: Hall - Final Fantasy IX, "Freya's Theme"






We duck into another small alcove as we continue.



The alcove contains more bookcases, which continue the story we started reading earlier.



"In fact, they were proud to have been bestowed such an honor. To lead the mighty army, Odin was forced to choose between two men. One was the renowned general Hugin, a successful and widely respected commander. The other was leader of the king's royal guard, Munin, a man whose loyalty to Odin was second to none and often provided the king with valuable advice. After pondering the question for days, the king finally decided to give the position to Munin. However, much to Odin's surprise, Munin refused the honor, and put Hugin forward in his place. Although he claimed that Hugin deserved it more, the truth was that the old veteran was wary of Mimir's sorcery and didn't trust this new procedure. Soon, the gats of Valaskialf would open for the most destructive army the world had ever seen. Odin sought to bring all land under his rule, by whatever means necessary. This legion would soon be known as the 'Demon Army' for its brutality and ruthlessness."



Well, it looks like we're starting to get somewhere with these translations. A treasure chest nearby contains the Goddess Robe, a female-only armor that grants +10 PDF, +15 MDF, and +40 max HP for 12 weight.




Leaving the alcove and heading up the stairs brings us to another save point.




Oh hey, look who it is.



Give up! It's a lost battle!
Never! I'll protect this information with my life if I have to!



BOSS FIGHT: Tlazolteotl

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



Another recolor, huh?



Well, at least his steal is good! We're going to have some fun with this later, oh yes we will.




Anyway, like the other bosses we've seen here, Tlazolteotl is little more than a speedbump. His physical attack is fairly powerful...




... he has a laughable Fireball...




... and he can use Cave-in to hit everyone for decent damage.






Then he dies.

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



While the boss is rather unremarkable, his drop definitely is not. Inferno is our first third-tier attack spell, costing 125/150 MP. I'll show it off in a moment.

Music: Hall - Final Fantasy IX, "Freya's Theme"




There's a bit of side info in the bookcases in this room once we've defeated the boss.




And beyond the door where the summoner was are more bookcases which continue the story.



"Some groups began to attack the others seemingly without reason, while others sought to impose their will on the weaker ones. One faction, however, had no interest in the other demons. Instead, they reversed course, and headed straight back to Asgard. Odin's worst fears had come true. Outside the gates of Valaskialf stood a violent horde of his former men, ready to spill the blood of their own people to satisfy their primal urges. But even worse than that was the news that the leader of these rogue beasts was none other than Hugin himself... The capital was in chaos. Since the Asgard elite soldiers were now all part of the demon army, little remained of the city's defenses. Valaskialf was utterly destroyed by Hugin and his raiders. There seemed no limit to his bloodlust as he laid waste to the streets of the once glorious capital. It is said that Hugin did not hesitate for a second as he faced his former master, and struck down the king with a single blow. Asgard had fallen to its own might. All that remained of its former glory were bands of demons scouring the countryside. They were no better than wild animals. In many ways, they were worse."



There's also another copy of Blink in a chest here.




The next room contains several switches that cause stairways to appear elsewhere. It's not really a puzzle, though, as each switch just opens the way to the next one and not much else.





There's another switch in the room beyond. We can hear something move when we press it, but its effects aren't immediately obvious.




We find out what it did as we head south and find ourselves in the room where the summoner called up Fafnir. However, the doorway we just went through wasn't originally present.



If we head around the room, we also find a new path forward.




Hello again.



Curse it... I'm almost out of strength... This... This has to do it...



BOSS FIGHT: Thanatos

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



A recolor of the Frostmonger this time, but thankfully there won't be any freezing shenanigans this time around. Thanatos is actually dark-aligned.



Reod kicks things off this time by stealing a Power Gear, which grants +16 PDF and +8 STR for 8 weight.




Thanatos hits fairly hard. This is also the only attack he will make.



With the extra MP from his turn spent stealing, Reod also has enough MP to cast Inferno on his second turn.





Not bad.



On his second turn, Thanatos casts Shield.






It is not enough.

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



Nothing special from the fight this time, just a Purple Herb.

Music: Hall - Final Fantasy IX, "Freya's Theme"



We've got some more bookcases to read in this room.



"Amidst the wasteland, they struggled desperately for survival as the demons continued to ravage the land. One of those who survived was Munin. Left without a home or a master, he aimlessly wandered the barren plains of his former country. Whether it be coincidence, fate, or the alchemist's sorcery, the guardsman's journey ultimately led him to Mimir's hideout. His face was grave and solemn, and there was no wavering in his voice as he spoke these words to the mage: 'Grant me power, for any sacrifice it requires I am willing to pay in order to correct our mistakes, to cleanse this land, and to avenge my king.' Munin knew that despite the demons' current state they were originally obedient. He could only hope he could stay in control of his power long enough to fulfill his quest. And so it was done. Mimir helped Munin acquire the strength necessary to fight his nemesis. Now a demon himself, the guardsman began his search for Hugin. It was an epic battle. The two rivals were evenly matched, but in the end Hugin could not stand against Munin's terrible wrath. At last, the slayer of Odin was dead. Finally, in order to prevent further tragedy, Munin took his own life rather than risk the same fate as his old friends. With his death came an end to the 'Demon War.'"





Not much further to go now. The passage beyond leads us to the final save point.





I don't have a choice... I have to... perform the summoning... on myself! For the emperor!





BOSS FIGHT: Phaseshaper

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



And for the final boss of the dungeon we have a final recolor: the Phaseshaper. The Phaseshaper is even more of a copy than the other bosses we've seen here, since its moveset is exactly the same as its little brother, the Riftgate.



Thankfully, this time the boss's script doesn't bug out. The Phaseshaper opens the fight with Mana Channel, which does nothing.



Reod takes advantage of the delay and steals another third-tier attack spell, in this case Solar Flare, the light-aligned one.




On its next turn, the Phaseshaper uses Armageddon. This hits pretty damned hard, but it takes so long for the boss to charge up another one that we can easily heal ourselves up in the meantime. And thanks to what we've picked up in this dungeon, we can also do my favorite thing in the game.



Yes.



Yesssss.



Look at all those turns Bruce is getting. He's faster than Klaus now!




Aside from the Mana Channel/Armageddon combo, the Phaseshaper also has Ravage, which was fully demonstrated by the Riftgate.



He manages to get off another Mana Channel...



... but he cannot stand against Bruce's incredible damage and goes down before he can use Armageddon again.

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



We land Menu Set #9 for our trouble.



Menu Set #9 is the Retro Set, but I can't place this one either. Anyone?

Music: Hall - Final Fantasy IX, "Freya's Theme"




Following the battle, control is returned to us, and we can read the last of the dungeon's story. Most of the bookcases in here are untranslated, but there are three very important ones that are.



"But instead, he told me to continue studying the phenomenon, to find a way to reverse the process. I will spend the remainder of my life attempting to prevent another war like this. I will atone for my sins by doing so."



"Perhaps it's for the better. Even if I destroy them, the process will be rediscovered eventually. May future generations learn from our mistakes."



"When the demon soldiers lost their minds, it meant the spirits had taken over. This leads me to the conclusion that most of these spirits are violent and possess low intelligence. Therefore, the knowledge of demons is not absolute. In fact, the vast majority do not know about the summoning process themselves. But more importantly, even in the final stages of their lives, the soldiers were still not entirely taken over by the spirits. They remained in a hybrid form until the end. This realization provided me with valuable insight: the power of demons cannot manifest itself in our world directly. The link with a human body is required."





Fade to black...



Once we've read the bookcase in the lower right, a scene will start.

If these records about demon possession are accurate, it sounds very much like what happened to those two commandos. It's too big a coincidence for it not to be related.
Yes, I have no doubt that is where Brunhild learned how to create these demons from... But... It's been making me think... Isn't this very similar to my own condition?



But your situation is different, isn't it? Your mind hasn't been taken over.



Yan Angwa, you insisted on coming along to this place. Did you already know what we read about here?
I've learned some new things as well. But to you, this information is useless. There is no way to remove the spirit once you are possessed. You have no other choice than to continue to resist it.
Even if there's nothing I can do about it, I still want to know more about my condition. You're saying it's true that I'm the same as them? Well, if you compare them to what I'm like when I lose control, it's not much different. But anyway, let's not forget that our purpose here is to find a way to defeat the commandos. Should we go over these records again? We may have missed a vital clue.




Those two are a serious threat. They must be eliminated. Look around some more if you must. I will tell you what I have in mind once we are outside.
Well... you've certainly caught my attention.



We're given control back here, in case we read the bookcase in the lower right before the others. As soon as we walk out the door, however, we transition into another scene.

Fade to black...

Music: Darkness 2 - Final Fantasy Tactics, "Cardinal's Anger"




Yeah... I feel it very strongly now. They're close.
But they're still not showing themselves. Isn't that strange?
Ugh... they're toying with me. They know that I have no choice but to fight them. They're probably delighting in seeing me cornered. Do you really think your plan will work?



No matter how strong they've become, they're still simple-minded buffoons. There will be no problem.
I hope you're right.
You all understood the plan, didn't you? What are we waiting for?
Hmm... If they're not attacking immediately, that gives us a little more time to prepare. Let's not be too hasty.
Suit yourself.




We will not get a second chance if we fail. We must be fully prepared.
This place is giving me the chills. If we're not going to fight them yet, then let's leave quickly.



So here we are. It's finally time for us to take on Trevor and Sick, and as Yan Angwa mentioned, we're going to be doing things Luca Blight-style. Deus and Yan Angwa will each be leading their own party, and will do what they can to weaken the commandos before we face them ourselves. While I'll be holding a vote for these two parties, though, we're not going to be attacking just yet. There are still a few more characters for us to recruit--the final five of the game, in fact--as well as entire area of Almenga to explore. So next update, we're going to be doing the rest of the optional stuff available, and following that, we'll vote on who gets to help take the demons down.

Next time: We find out just what is in that treasure chest in the basement of Elysium Castle.