Part 26: Bread
Update 26: Bread
Just wanted to show off that I nabbed this between updates. I have yet to actually put it on anyone, but I might give it to Gala or even Vahn someday. Noa shouldn't ever really need it.
Music: Mist Covered Town
It's time to head into the lower, monster-infested levels of Sol Tower. Many good things await us down here, so let's go get them!
There are eight of these special treasure chests throughout the lower floors. Each one has a great item inside (six stat boosting waters, a Wonder Elixir, and a Healing Berry) and each one asks for Soru Bread.
There's basically one chest per room in the various shops and homes of the lower levels, so you have to do some exploring, but this section of Sol isn't terribly large and the game is basically throwing fantastic items at you here, so I don't really mind this part – the problem is actually getting all that bread in the first place, but thanks to Baka Fighter even that isn't really a problem.
Of course, there are a few enemies down here, and they proved to be surprisingly irritating. This one ghost knight decided to block something like 2/3rds of my attacks and managed to nearly kill Gala.
Random battles are normally just a drain on your HP/MP/items to make boss fights more tense, but that doesn't mean they can't occasionally surprise you with difficulty.
I also witnessed an attack I've either never seen or forgot about. Curse All could be debilitating to a wounded party, although I don't think random battles should last long enough that it really causes a problem (unless maybe he's paired with one of the jerk ghosts).
Also someone finally learned Spoon! Unfortunately, it's the character who I would ordinarily use it the least with, but hey, one Spoon is better than zero.
Upon feeding the final chest, something activates in Sol Tower...
???: ...Yeaaa...! Woooooo...hoooo!...am most...impressed!
Music: Dr. Usha
Dr. Usha: I am pleased to make your acquaintance!
Hi, Dr. Usha!Dr. Usha: Don't be alarmed. This is a mechanical device. It is not the real me! I know not whether I will still be alive by the time you hear this message. I recorded this message just after sealing the Sage's Gate. This I did to protect the Warrior's Square from the approaching Mist and its cohorts. If I am lucky, I will survive the Mist long enough to meet you. Proceed with the Genesis Tree seedling. Heroes! Drive the Mist from Sol!
The hologram fades away...
Dr. Usha...He disappeared!
Vahn! How did Dr. Usha know we were here? We should take the Genesis Tree seedling to Warrior's Square, like Dr. Usha said.I'm tempted to do these things out of order sometime to see if the dialogue changes; that is, do the Soru Bread stuff before ever going to the roof to get the seedling. I doubt it does, but I wouldn't be horribly surprised if they coded it in. It might even be possible to get all the way to Warrior Square without the seedling. I may have to test this...
Anyway, since we DO have the seedling, let's just move on.
There's a little library here. None of the stacks seem to have books worth reading, but I thought it was kind of cool that they actually bothered to tell us what books are there anyway.
The enemies change down here, with the notable difference being that Kemaro is down here and Spoon isn't. Sadly, Noa couldn't get Kemaro, but she would suck with it anyway so it's not really a problem. Medusa can inflict Stone, a status effect I didn't even remember existed and which never posed a threat in battles against her. I'm operating on the assumption that it works like it did in every other RPG and is just an alternate form of KO.
Did I mention the lower levels of Sol have some great items? The Wonder Amulet blocks all negative status effects, and the Golden Book increases money gain from battles. Not bad at all!
Music: Warrior Square (Buma in the Mist)
The air is stale form being sealed in here for so long. Hey, what's that? There, in the middle – those strange rocks. That must be the Warrior's Square that Dr. Usha was talking about. The Square must be behind those stones. Ooh, I want to see the Square! I want to go through the stones!
This place is an obnoxious little gate maze that I've never liked even though it's really not that painful. Basically, there are two big switches, and each one lowers half of the stones surrounding the Warrior's Square. Meanwhile, there are also a bunch of colored switches and colored gates of electricity. Flipping a switch will deactivate the electricity of the same colored gate, but only until you walk through it, and then it activates again. So we have to navigate the colored electric switches and gates to get to the big switches (well, just one, since the other is right at the start) and then make our way to the Warrior's Square once it's opened up.
Oh, and you'll want to go back and save before you go to the center. Trust me.
Vahn, hurry! I'm worried about Songi and Gaza.
Oh, thank you for always thinking of me, members of the Moron Brigade!
Music: Songi's Theme
I seem to recall finding Songi annoying as a kid, but now I look forward to every scene he's in. He's just so much fun.
Songi! Leave here peacefully! Now! Songi! What did you do with the old man, Gaza? Well, well. How touching! The barbarian girl is fond of the old geezer! Ooh, I'm steaming! If you want to see him that much, then go ahead! Gaza! Come out, Gaza!
Ha ha ha! I'm just as crazy about this geezer as you fools are! In fact, I like him so much that I gave him a custom-fitted Sim-Seru! He's a Super Geezer now...and quite a formidable opponent, too! Now, then...I'll leave you to the geezer. If you'll forgive me, I must be going. I'm so busy now! I would wish you good luck, but that won't do you any good! Ha ha ha!
Music: Boss Theme
Old Man! Noa! Stay away from him! He's possessed by a Seru! Vahn! The old man...Gaza, he's...He's being destroyed! He's in a frenzy. There's nothing to do now but fight him!
T-Thou wouldst hinder mu path of carnage. You must die! Prepare to die by the steel of the Astral Sword!
It's time for the real boss fight with Gaza.
As usual, his attacks aren't terribly devastating when I'm Spiriting, but...well, you know, I have to attack at some point to win. This can do a good 800-1000 damage otherwise.
I held back in the last fight, but for this one we really need to go all out, so Noa's job is Spirit a lot and bust out Miracle Arts when possible, maybe stopping occasionally to heal when things get really bad.
I just want to take a moment to say that this is the first fight I went in to fully expecting to lose. I haven't gotten any equipment updates from the shops here, and I only have one person who can call on the powers of Spoon. I managed to pull through anyway, but it got kinda close a few times.
Fuck
That attack doesn't need to be charged, by the way. He can just deal a good thousand damage to everyone on a whim.
And if Noa is even just a little hurt, there's a very real chance this will be the result.
As hard as this game can be, I think I've been
I used a Phoenix on her, and then decided it was time for more healing than Orb could offer...
Spoon is an even better healing spell. It's nearly a full heal for my team even at level 1. The downside is that it's more expensive than Orb (32 MP versus 18) but it's still not too much compared to my MP pool and it's great for emergencies.
He puts up a pretty good fight, and he's a much ruder awakening to Karisto Kingdom than the last fight...
But somehow I still managed to beat him.
Music: The Funeral
I d-dropped my guard...I am...utterly defeated...by the enemy...Failed to keep the vow...I made...My dream...never to come true! Mar! Theodore! Belde! Terra! Terra! He's dying! Don't let him die! Help him! Terra, you're a Ra-Seru! You have amazing powers! Please, help the old man!
Noa, Gaza's body is dying. There is nothing we can do. However...Yes, that's it. It may be possible to keep his spirit alive.
Special powers are needed to raise the Genesis Tree seedling into a full-grown Genesis Tree.
Gaza's strong spirit, which trapped Gaza in its prison...It's pure an earnest enough to provide the Genesis Tree seedling with the energy it needs! Gaza's soul will live eternally in the Genesis Tree in Warrior's Square!
I...am to become a G-Genesis Tree? Now that I have failed...to uphold my vow...Then I can die contentedly. Please help me join with the Genesis Tree! Noa! Gaza's pulse is getting weaker! Old man! If you really want to join with the Genesis Tree... Vahn! Place the Genesis Tree seedling next to Gaza! Let his energy flow into it!
Music: Reviving a Genesis Tree
The Genesis Tree envelops Gaza's body...
And Sol Tower is purged of the Mist!
I just realized that this is kind of an inversion of Jeremi. Instead of climbing to the top of a tower, we...still climb to the top, then dive down into its depths.
Vahn, Noa! Look! That's Gaza's keepsake! Vahn, it's...it's the old man! He wants us to use it now that he's gone! For an instant, Gaza saw his grandchild Mar's face in you, Noa. Old man...I mean, Grandpa! Watch over all of us, OK?
And thus ends Gaza's story.
The Astral Sword is quite strong, but has the downside of making the Arms command take up a lot more of the attack gauge than normal. It's not really worth using, but it's kind of a fun way gameplay way to show that Gaza could use this huge-ass sword that Vahn can barely lift.
Woman: It was Grantes! Grantes helped build the Floating Castle!
We don't really have a clear goal right now, but finding Dr. Usha seems like it might be nice. And there's one person in the lower levels of Sol who can help us with that...
Music: Dr. Usha
Etora: I have heard much of your exploits. I am pleased. Many citizens fell victim to the mist in the long years before you arrived. But you have saved us. I also foresaw the danger posed by the Floating Castle...I ordered Dr. Usha to seal the Sage's Gate. I was correct in doing so. I have from Usha a message intended for the heroes who revive the Genesis Tree.
Etora: That is the message! I now entreat you to destroy the abominable Floating Castle!
Seriously, I need to a sequence break update for Karisto or something. I'm pretty sure this code is always the same, so you could conceivably know it before ever visiting Sol...
I grabbed a couple of weapons from the downstairs armory...
And we're off to find Dr. Usha!
But as we leave, we're treated to one more scene...
Zora: Hmm...so the brats managed to awaken the Genesis Tree in Sol. Not bad.
Music: Mist Generator
Zora: Ha ha! You're quite confident. But leave him be. While they're wandering around, Koru will...
Don't worry about Koru. Leave him to the Delilas family!Zora: Ha ha! Then go! I'm counting on you!
Yes, ma'am!
Well, that was uninformative. Anyway, join me next time as we explore Karisto Kingdom!