Part 8: Separate Ways

Chapter 8: Separate Ways



No, I know for a fact that it will be ridiculously easy.



We start T,E,B's chapter by concluding the rafting trip down the Lete River. The monsters are the same as the first half of the trip, so it's just as dull as ever.



We finally end up just a stone's throw away from Narshe. We could theoretically just walk the rest of the way to there, but there's a little detour I'd like to make first.



I didn't show this off before, but there's a Chocobo Stable hidden in those trees. Seems to me that hiding yourself in a forest would be a bad way to conduct business, but what do I know about commerce?



That would be a bit of a stiff price if we had come here post-Figaro, but as of the moment, it's pocket change.



Upon exiting with the Chocobo, it becomes abundantly clear that Banon was never intended to ride one.



Music: Techno de Chocobo

I mean, just look at that head! Or the lack thereof. Fortunately, unlike later glitches to come, this doesn't mess with the game, so we just ride back to Narshe and disembark.



Oh yeah, there is that detail of us massacring half the town, isn't there?

: Wait a second!
Narshe Guard: Get out of here! If you don't...
: Hold on, I'm the King of Figaro!
Narshe Guard: Liar!



So it looks like the front door isn't an option. Good thing that Locke showed us an alternate way into this town.



: Knowing him, there's probably some secret switch in this rock wall...



And we're in.

Music: The Mines of Narshe



The Narshe Mines can be summarized in this one picture. You have bridges, you have stairs, and it's yet another dark cave. This game sure loves its caves.



When we come to this room, a light appears and makes a criss-crossy type path through these rocks, summarized in the following picture:



As you probably guessed, what you have to do is follow the path that the light takes to the end, exactly as shown.



Should you mess up along the way, these lights will surround you and start spinning around really quickly. If you touch the orange light, then you get to continue on, but if you touch a blue one, then you get into a short battle and it drops you back at the start again.

Now, normally I'd say that such a thing is really silly and makes no sense in the context of the game, but Terra's scenario has almost nothing else going for it, so I'll take whatever variety I can get.



Oh hey, this place looks familiar.



When we were here last, we were too busy protecting Terra from the Empire to take a peek through this door. I wonder what's on the other end.



MOOGLES! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!!

Music: Mog's Theme

In all seriousness, these moogles aren't much for conversation right now, seeing as they can only say "Kupo."



For now, just remember that there's a treasure box hidden in the back of the moogles' home. As of now, there's a Rune Blade inside, which absorbs 10 MP in order to get a guaranteed critical hit. However, there are three reasons why we're leaving it be:

1) Limited MP pools. Right now, Terra just doesn't have enough of it to make it a worthwhile weapon.
2) Once the user's MP is gone, its attack power is only 1 more than the weapon Terra currently has.
3) That Rune Blade turns into a Ribbon.

Ribbon: Protects against almost every single negative status effect in the entire game. Needless to say, it's worth waiting for.



Taking that passage in the lower part of the Moogle Cave drops us off a short distance away from the exit to the mines.



And here we are. Before I go inside, I take care to unequip Terra's Mithril Shield, White Cape and Sprint Shoes and Edgar's RunningShoes. Other characters will have need of these things.



Oh look, the old man has a name now! How quaint.

: Arvis! What's happpening here in Narshe?

Arvis: The town's neutral. I've tried to get the people to side with the Returners, but... Anyway, why on earth have you come here?

: First, how are your people doing?



: We believe this young woman is our only hope of reaching out to that Esper.

Arvis: My people are dying to know what the Esper looks like. Maybe Terra can help restore some order to our town...?



And on that ominous note, we close Terra's chapter. One down, only two remain.

Next Time: We glitch Locke a swanky new pair of duds