Part 24: The Warrior, the Pimp, and the Spoon

Update 24: The Warrior, the Pimp, and the Spoon



Now that we're in Karisto Kingdom, it's time to head to the nearest town, the tower of Sol.





There's not much of note on the way there; it's just a bunch of recolored enemies. The Queen Bee is our old nemesis from the Honey Tree, but they're nothing special anymore.







Music: Mist Covered Town


So this is Sol! I never imagined that such a huge city could be built by human hands! This must have been build with the power of the Seru of long ago. The flying trains...The city itself...Truly a pre-Mist civilization!

Let's go see what it's like inside!

Noa, wait! Don't go in alone!

Well, come on, Vahn and Gala! Let's go!


Noa charges in to the tower entrance ahead of the boys


Ha ha ha! There's no arguing with Noa! Come, Vahn! We're all going inside!


Gala has really lightened up since he first joined, huh? Back then he'd never laugh at something like Noa's antics, or laugh at all for that matter.





Wow, it's huge! Vahn, Gala, look! It's huge!

I heard Sol was a big place, but I never imagined it was this big.

But it's engulfed in the Mist...

Wait! I sense human thoughts. There are survivors in there!

The Mist doesn't seem to have reached the upper parts of the city.

But be careful! I sense indescribable depravity.


Oh, c'mon, Terra. It can't be any worse than that business with the Seru brides, right?





Sol Tower is, of course, a vertically oriented place. It consists of seven floors, a roof level, and some sub-levels that we can't access yet and I'm not going to bother trying just yet. The first three floors are covered in the Mist, and for now we want to head to the city proper – specifically the roof.

And along the way...





It's Spoon!





Spoon is the main contender against Mushura for my favorite Seru. Curiously, it doesn't seem to have any spoons in it's appendages, favoring forks and maybe some sort of tongs instead.





DON”T CARE NOT SPOON





Sadly, I did not learn Spoon for anyone on my way up, but rest assured that all three characters will get it before I leave.





Spooooooon.





Music: Boss Theme


I hear something! I hear someone fighting!

Yes, I hear it, too! The sound of a monster roaring, and the sound of a sword! It must be someone being attacked by a monster!

Vahn, let's go help!


Our heroes rush towards the room the sounds are coming from, only for silence to replace the noise.


Oh, the sound stopped.

Whoever it was must have been killed by the monster.


Well, that's one theory. Or...







Grotesque beasts from Hell! Pack of Seru demons! Prepare to meet thy doom. Thou shalt die by my Astral sword!

Hold it! Old man, calm down! We're not Seru monsters!

Yeah, we're human beings.

(Silence) Forgive me. I apologize. Thou art indeed human, as I detect no madness in thine eyes. I am Gaza, an old man who walks the path of carnage and bloodshed. Forgive me and my incivility, as I live in such a defiled land. But this demon's lair is no place for woman nor child!...Hmm?





No, of course not. Mine eyes doth deceive me. Mar is no longer of this world. In the upper floors are ones who would greet thee. Make haste! I take leave of you now.


And off he goes. And here I thought we'd go an entire game without someone saying thou.


That old man, Gaza, now there is a true swordsman! He does not drop his guard for an instant! But his eyes...His eyes showed no emotion at all. They were lifeless, cold eyes. Very disturbing...

That old man talks so funny...I couldn't understand him. But when he looked at me and called me Mar, he seemed so nice!





Music: Sol Tower

With that scene done, we can reach the safe part of Sol Tower. There is a lot of stuff to do here, and I'm going to bypass most of it for now and do it in the next update or two. However, there is another scene we must see to continue, and it's one of the game's more famous ones. Enjoy.





It's Cara! Vahn, that's Cara's voice!

It's coming from in there. It sounds like an argument.

Let's go see! Vahn, let's go inside!


Noa once again charges ahead of the others...


That Noa is always poking her nose into everything! Come on, Vahn. Let's go.





Music: Cara's Theme


Grantes! I'm not saying this because I hate you! I just want you to get back on your feet! I want toe Grantes of ten years ago, before the Mist!

Grantes: (Silence)

Everything I did, I did them hoping that someday, you would get back on your feet. I was a no-good thief! I used the confusion to steal from people! I did things that would make my parents cry if they knew. Me! A woman! I did all those things. Don't you feel anything?

Grantes: I'm grateful. I'm sorry...

Grantes! You're a sorry excuse for a man! Living off a woman...You're no better than a pimp!





Uhhhhhh...





Oh. Well then, Gala, can you tell me what a pimp is?

Uh, well, I am a monk, and know not of such things very well. That seems to be what one calls a bad man who doesn't work and has a woman support him.

Oh! Uh-huh, I get it! Grantes is bad! I hate people who are bad!

Wait, Noa, don't be so hasty!




Music: Battle Theme




POW





No, don't. Stop, please. He's not bad. I'm the one who's bad. It's all my fault. So, please, don't hurt him..If you want to hit someone, hit me.

Why should I hit you, Cara? Grantes is the one who's bad!

Noa, don't interfere in their business. Come on, let's go outside!

But I didn't do anything wrong! Grantes is the one who's bad!





Why? Adults are humans, too! And I'm a human! I'm just like them! Oh, I don't understand! Gala, tell me why!

Oh, brother.





Cara steps out and silently walks past our heroes.


You're so strange.

Come on, Noa! You want to go to Conkram, right?! You want to see your parents in Conkram, right?

Y-Yeah, I do. OK, Gala. I'll take care of Grantes later!





Now we can keep heading up. Again, there's a ton to do here, but for the moment I'm going to press on with the plot just a little further.







Music: Biron Monastery

Man, the game is just throwing these at me lately. And I didn't even get that one in underground Octam. I need to remember to do that next time I play.

Anyway, the roof is a Biron establishment. Let's see if we can talk to the leader, see if he knows anything about the Mist or Genesis Trees or something.





Deez: Let alone those wearing the despised Seru on their person! GO away! Now!

Old Master, wait! Please, wait a moment! I am Gala. I embraced Biron and studied under Master Zopu.

Deez: Zopu? So, you speak the name of Zopu! He certainly is of Biron...

Please forgive my impertinence!





Gala leaps in the air and strikes some sort of action pose.


Wow! Gala, you're so cool!

Biron Martial Arts, seventh degree. What do you think?

Deez: Hmm. There indeed is deft mastery in your techniques. Those could only be the secret arts of Biron, taught by Zopu himself! Having seen your skills, it would not do to turn you away. Come with me.





Deez: The Ra-Seru and Genesis Trees...To witness such miracles! I am indeed impressed! I apologize for my rudeness earlier. Yes, there is a Genesis Tree here. However...





Oh my god, it's the world's adorablest Genesis Tree! I'd totally grow this on my windowsill.


Deez: See for yourselves. This is the temple's Genesis Tree!

Hey, Vahn! That's only a...

That's...a seedling! This tiny, frail-looking Genesis Tree is going to help us?

Deez: Correct! This is a Genesis Tree seedling. That is what we call it. One hundred years ago, the wilted Genesis Tree of the underground Warrior's Square was transplanted here. Amazingly, it transformed itself into this seedling. The prophecy of the Holy Emperor Etora IV says that when the time is right, the Genesis Tree in Warrior's Square under Sol will come back to life. I now entrust you with the Genesis Tree Seedling!

I am honored, Master Deez.

Vahn! Gala! We did it! Now we can drive the Mist from Sol!

Deez: Good luck to you. And may Tieg smile on Sol.


Well, we have a basic idea of what to do with this, and it involved getting to this Warrior's Square place, presumably in the deepest depths of Sol Tower. We'll do that in a little while, but there are several things to take care of first.

Speaking of which, on our way out of the temple...





Music: Boss Theme


This I have vowed on my honor, and on the mighty Astral Sword! No one who would prevent me from keeping that vow shall be spared! Now put down that Genesis Tree Seedling! Do not resist me, lest thou die by my blade!


I, uh...what?





The Biron monks surround Gaza...





...to less than stellar effect.


Fear not, that was just the back of my sword! I do not take life without reason. I am Gaza! I bear thee no ill will. Yet if thou doth seek to drive away the Mist, and with it the Seru...Then I would be forced to stop thine evil scheme by taking thine lives. Now, how dost thou reply?

You're weird! I don't understand a word you're saying, but I can tell you're a weirdo!





There's no reason for us to fight, Gaza! The awakening of the Genesis Tree and your vow...They are the same thing! That means you, old man, and we share a common goal! There is no reason for us to fight. We are not sworn enemies!

Misjudge me not! My bow is to live the way of the sword! That and no more! The grounds where my sword holds the power of life and death is the demon's lair below! I exist to fight there! My sword was forged to slay the demons! I live for carnage!

Power of life and death? Demon's lair? Carnage? Ooh! I don't understand what this old man is saying at all!

Noa, the gentleman seems to think if we revive the Genesis Tree and drive away the Mist, then he won't be able to practice his swordsmanship on Seru in the Mist anymore.

? That's too weird! That's just too weird! There's something wrong with this old guy!

Enough idle talk! Let thine steel do thine talking!





Gaza is our first boss of Karisto Kingdom, and he's not too bad.









I mean, yeah, he hits like a fucking eighteen wheeler with his special attack.





But besides that, his basic attacks are kind of underwhelming (although I guess that's not totally fair since a normal attack followed by his special will probably kill anyone), and more importantly he can't hit everyone all at once, so it's not too hard to outheal him and even if he KOs someone you've still got two people alive to revive/damage control.











So that's basically the gist of the fight.





I once again held back and didn't use Noa's Ark just because I don't think the Gaza is hard enough to justify using something so overpowered right now. You can bet your ass I'll be using it in the next fight against him, though







I'm probably making him sound a little easier than he really is, but my point is he's not too overwhelming an introduction to Karisto bosses.


Oh, the old man...

Such a senseless fight! Why must human fight human?! Vahn, the old gentleman still lives. We must treat his wounds.







Music: Songi's Theme


My, my, Gala, do you realize what you've done? You've killed a human being! You're all a disgrace! Your cruelty puts the Mist's henchmen to shame! Bloodthirsty beasts! How could you murder this poor old man just because he was a little eccentric? Oh, the horror! Just watching it sent a chill through me!

Songi...Y-You bastard!

Hey, wait! Wait, you simple-minded muscle-bound oaf! I will save the old man! After all, I've taken to him...and unlike you, I am a merciful person. Ha ha ha! I'll heel him and help him recover! So stay alive long enough to see him get better! So long!





Songi uses telekinesis or something to pull Gaza back through the portal with him...


That Songi...What is he up to?

Vahn, is the old man going to be OK? I'm worried about him.





Well, that's all for now. Join me next time as we explore the most distracting locale this side of the Gold Saucer!




Spoon.