Part 2: Part Two: Nerd Defender

Part Two: Nerd Defender


Here we are, still on the world map, still just outside the cave the game started in. Which Sephy managed to fall into despite its clearly being set up like a standard cave.

On the top screen, you can see a larger view of the local environment. Icons appear on it as you visit towns, but it's nothing particularly exciting, so don't get used to seeing it.


Our destination right now is straight south of the cave. Looks like a pleasant enough little town, n'est-ce pas?


Welcome to Ur. That is a shitty name for a town, guys, come on. That's what you say when someone asks you what your town should be called and you can't think of anything right off the top of your head.

Nomenclature aside, Ur is also Sephy's hometown. So at least he didn't wander a hundred miles away or anything in order to stumble into that cave.

There's also music here:




Talking to these two people tells us that "the others" are hanging around the corner of town. I don't know what that means, but I'm sure it's important.

The second guy also tells us that "the elders" are looking for Sephy. Since the little bio that introduced the character to us said Sephy was raised by Elder Topapa, it sounds like that's more important. Let's go see him.



Elder Dahn: You must now heed the words of Elder Topapa.

Uh, alright, hoss. I don't really know what happened to me, myself, but I'll be sure to do whatever the old man says.


Over here is a healing spring. The area around Ur isn't a bad place to gain some levels, because healing is free. It'll have to wait, though, because we only have one character right now.


On the other side of the room is a spring that...does nothing. It should revive knocked out characters, but since I don't have any of those right now, who knows?

This spring is actually really handy in this game, because Phoenix Downs? You know, basic revival items, pretty much a staple in every Final Fantasy, make sure you stock up before you leave town?

Yeah, fuck you, you can't buy those in Final Fantasy III. It's not like the game lets you get revival magic really early, either (though, thankfully, it does let you get revival magic) so revival in dungeons is just at a heavy premium instead.



Elder Homak: You must know by now that she is not your birth mother, but she has taken care of you as if she truly were.

To see Topapa, we have to go into this antechamber. This guy is also here, as is Nina (you can see her on the left side of the screen), and Topapa is top-middle. These lines really have nothing to do with that business with the crystal, so it looks like one of the elders is out of the loop.



Nina: I'm going to worry about you, so promise me you'll be careful!

What day finally came? Did you know that your kid was gonna fall into a hole and have a chat with a floating rock? Because if you did, it would have been nice of you to maybe give him some potions to help with the monsters in that cave. Or are you just kicking Sephy out?



Elder Topapa: You must understand that your meeting with the crystal was not happenstance. It was the crystal's will. You have been chosen.

Chosen for what, exactly? Hey, old people in RPGs, stop being so goddamn cryptic all the time. It's not helping anyone.


See?


What does that have to do with anything?

Elder Topapa: His face was covered in soot and his clothes were burned to tatters. The child he carried in his arms...was you.

That's nice an all, but can we go back to the thing about being chosen? It would be real helpful for me if you cleared that up.

Elder Topapa: To think, even as a newborn, you were already destined to be chosen by the crystal...

That's still not clearing anything up.

Elder Topapa: You must now set forth on your journey. Take your power, the light you hold in your heart, and use it well!

Whatever, Topapa, you're not my real dad! You didn't even tell me anything, you old asshole!

That's all we can get from the old guy right now. Let's go back outside.


And learn about the ruling class! Sort of. I guess we learned the king's name, but that doesn't really tell us anything.


A curse, you say? Yeah, I'm sure that's not going to come up anytime soon.


Talking to this lady, we hear more about "the others" the first person we talked to was telling us about. Is this what we were chosen for? Dealing with noise complaints?



While I'm hanging around town, I pop into the magic shop to see if they have any cool magic, but all they have is Poisona. It's not worth buying right now, but maybe I'll come back later. That's goes for pretty much all equipment at this point, too, again because I only have one character.


Over to the east, another person tells us about Kazus. Ghosts, cursed, got it. I'll be sure to steer clear of it.


There are some useful items in the storehouse, but there are also enemies on the way there, so I'll hold of. Only one character, &c.


This is the main event of the town right now. Heading to the northeast corner starts a scene in this flower field.


Sephy stops and sees a set of identical triplets hassling another kid.


The nerdy-looking kid they're ragging on is just staring at the ground.



While the other kids call him a wuss. Didn't these kids talk to the random adults around town? Because in case you haven't got it, let me clear something up for you: Kazus is fuckin' full of ghosts. Just loaded with 'em.



We get a chance to rename the kid. The default is Arc, but the popular goon vote was to name him Jecht for irony's sake.

The blurb here makes it sound like Jecht would have higher intellect than Sephy, but that is not the case. Every party member has exactly the same stat progression through jobs.


I, uh, took this in case you wanted to see the keyboard? I don't know. Probably left the picture in the batch when I was cropping.


Like a true hero, Sephy steps in to defend that nerd in need.




The bullies take one look at him and just book it out of there. He might not look like much, but remember, Sephy is carrying a sword and a knife, so it's probably a safe bet to run away before he decides that your ribs look succulent or something.



Jecht's pride has been hurt, and he also books it out of there.


I get the feeling that this is kind of a common occurrence.


The scene follows Jecht instead of sticking with Sephy.

: I'm not a coward... But I know I have to be stronger...

The solution to that problem is not in Kazus, man. Like, there are ghosts and shit there. I don't want to go to a ghost town, dude. Don't make me go to a ghost town.

: But I can't ask for Sephy's help...I'll show them!

You're going to the ghost town, aren't you?

Ffffuck.


Whatever, nerd! I have girls to talk to!

Next time: I guess I better go rescue that nerd before he hurts himself.