Part 21: Summer/Autumn 1992

    



Welcome back to Scenario C! Last time, we did some exploring and also some hunting. It also seems that Linda and Ken really have gotten married during the time while he was incapacitated.

Today, we'll continue with the relaxed mixture of hunting and exploration, although it's time to visit a new location which we haven't really seen before and it's also time to start meeting some new animal species!



And so here we are, just outside Hardia. It's been a while, but I think it's time to head up north for a bit again!



In order to that, of course, we'll make use of this convenient tunnel northwest of Hardia. In scenario B, this tunnel was closed, but now it's of course open again, considering that this time there are no parts of the world which are off-limits to us. So let's head out there and do some more hunting to start with.



For example, those barely visible dots flying around on the screen...



...are, of course, fleas.



Here we can also easily find some dolphins, although they can be found elsewhere too, as we've seen in Scenario B.



Also in the northern parts are found otters. As mentioned previously, it's important that you capture them before 1997. I mean, that's still plenty of time, really.



Probably best to avoid fighting eagles for now. They're just a bit too strong for us still.

But, since we're already close by, let's go and visit again Battle Park and see how things are looking there this time!



Here we go.



This gentleman sitting here has a thing to say.

With only a few exceptions, most of the best hunters are Beastians. It seems they have some kind of a secret hunting ground that only they know about...

A secret hunting ground, you say? Hm.



Also a bit of tutorial from this guy here working at left luggage counter.

It seems it may sometimes difficult to catch an animal which has low defence. You might have to use a different tactics, such as fighting with your bare hands or a low level hunting dog or something like that.

Yeah, we know this already too. Don't grind for levels, it really doesn't work in this game!



Also up on the Bird Line counter.

The main tourist attraction in this area is Koshikata, a Beastian town that has just completed a miraculous reconstruction after what happened years ago. The beautiful church built on a pond will surely bring you a peace of mind. Be sure to go and visit!

Ah, so in this version of events Koshikata is not abandoned, huh?

Anyway, going in...



...brings us to this farm. Let's first talk to this lady here.

The Bronco husband and wife who run this breeding farm have so much money that they don't know what to do with it any more. I've heard that they managed to collect all the different animals on this planet, just so they could eat them. I wonder if they will move on to humans too at some point... because it's just the kind of people they are!

Wow, ok.

Talking to the other peron standing at the fence...

Have you ever heard the legend of the "phantom animal"?
[ Nope, havent! ] / Yeah, I've heard of it..

Well, we did hear this one before, but now it's actually relevant to us since we will definitely want to look into it in this scenario.

That animal apparently only appears during heavy blizzards, when you can barely even see in front of you. But I've lived here for 20 years and I've never seen a blizzard that fierce. I'm sure it's something they must have invented just to attract more tourists in winter... it's the kind of thing they'd do!

Any guesses on what this mysterious animal might be?

Also, the public opinion on the Broncos doesn't seem particularly high, huh?



Over here, there is also a hunter.

Rumour has it that here on the farm, they often stiff you with the number of pups you got from animals you entrust to them, and they just sell the rest. I also heard that they are hiding a number of protected animals here, too, without permission! They are not good people.

Ok, let's head over inside.



Inside, we'll first take this staircase down...



Here we find Mr. Bronco.

My name is Bronco, and I'm the owner of this farm! When I was young I had a hard life, but now I'm one of the richest people on the planet, if you forive my bragging. I have everything I've ever wanted, and I've done everything I've ever wanted to do, so I don't mind about dying.



Back upstairs, talking to this guy...

First you have to bring one male and one female animal and pay the cost of keeping time. Then all you have to do is wait for the spring and will probably get to meet a lot of lovely youngsters. It's easier to make money that way than via lottery!

So this is another (minor) game mechanic. As he says, you can bring here a male/female pair and then next spring you get several of their offspring (up to 8). Obviously, this will not give you any species you don't already have, but if you need a bunch of animals to make a piece of equipment, it might save you some in-game time to do this instead of spening time hunting them. Obviously, this is very situational and probably not super useful in most cases.



And then this guy here in the corner...

The trap rental shop in Koshikata is not too bad. After all, all you have to do is wait in a safe place for the animal to get caught. You don't even have to go and collect it yourself! If only their prices were a little bit lower...

We've seen this before, but not yet used--setting traps to catch animals. Eventually Ken will learn to do it himself, without the aid of a shop.



Next, we'll go into this building with glass doors.



First, the gentleman sitting here at the table.

The bar at the hotel in Koshikata is small, but the service is very good and the staff is friendly. If you ever go to Koshikata, make sure to pay it a visit.

We definitely will. Who knows, maybe we'll even run again into Angela, the famous travelling songstress?



We stop by the bank to take out our salary money!



Back outside, we'll head out into the equipment shop.



This person here has an interesting comment...

Here on the breeding farm, the animals sure seem to be making babies like crazy all year round. In order to keep animals in heat until they die, regardless of the season, all you have to do is inject them with a small amount of a certain animal's hormone. Of course, by "certain animal" I mean us, humans.

This farm just seems like overall not a great place.



Outside, another hunter off to the side of the shack.

A man named Poliska from Koshikata is said to be hiding some treasure from the ancient ruins here on this planet. Apparently it's some kind of an unusual statue...

Yeah, we've seen the ruins and the archaeological digs in a few places. We'll have to look more closely into all that.



Here, of course, is the tent where hunters can fight each other for prizes. Let's go inside.



This gentleman here...

Thanks to Dr. Panheim, the tower of the mansion of the former president of Green Pharmaceuticals in Eterna is now a popular dating spot for the young people. The old guy is a real piece of work, isn't he? Anyway, in the end, love is perhaps the only thing remains.

We'll have to check and see how Panheim and/or Elizabeth are doing in this timeline!



This hunter here has a comment.

Women and children may not understand this, but a man's worth is determined based on the number of champions belts that he earns during his lifetime.

Champion's belt is of course one of the rewards you can earn for fighting here.

And so that's about it for here, for now. Most of the rest of the dialogues is the same as before, really.



So at this point, we'll do some more capturing before we proceed. In order to do that, we'll take this tunnel that leads to the area west of Battle Park.



As we approach the tunnel exit, we ca talk to this person for a short reminder.

If you are carrying any rotten meat, better get rid of it since hyenas will smell it and start chasing after you. They don't care if your heart is rotten or not, they just like the smell of rotten meat, that's all.

We are indeed carrying some rotten mean, that's why I picked up that duck meat last time during spring, so it would become rotten by the time summer comes, so we can catch some hyenas. So thanks for the advice, but we'll proceed as we are!



After some wandering, we finally find ourselves accosted by a bunch of hyenas!



Oh, wow, that's quite a few of them! They always show in large groups and it's not so unusual to get 10+ of them in one fight! However, usually most of them will run away pretty much immediately so it's not too big of a deal. Otherwise, the benefit of having a weapon that hits everybody at once is pretty clear in situations like these!

After capturing a pair, it's best to just get rid of the rotten meat immediately, so that they wouldn't keep chasing you!



Over in the far nortwestern part we find...



...some goats! Luckily it's not snowy around so this will be easier than usual.



Finally, walking around these northern forests...



...you will typically run into some weasels disguising themselves as trees!



Turns out, we're right next to Eterna! It's been a while, so let's stop and see how those folks are doing!



As always, the people from left luggage counter have some good advice!

If you underestimate penguins, you may get hurt! I mean, it's not too bad one on one, but you get a large group, they might make you leave the world of the living!

Well, ok, let's head inside...



...where as it turns out is no longer constantly Christmas! Although they didn't exactly take down all the decorations.

The person in white shirt will give us an update on this topic!

Since chairwoman Elizabeth retired, Christmas has become a once a year only event. This town has become so lonely...

You will recall that in Scenario A, this town was quite the tourist trap because of its constant Christmas thing. I guess now that it's a town like any other, tourists aren't coming so much any more.



They do still have a bunch of hotels, though. So let's go in.



If we talk to the priest first...

Ah! Aren't you perhaps...
...the brother of Nek...
...the crewmember on the ark...
...THE BANANA BOY?

Ugh, just go away.

The guy in white:

I've heard that this house was given as a present by the former chairwoman to the family who used to live here before. If I'm not mistaken, I think the guy used to work as a guard in front of her office door.

Ah, yes, I remember that guy from Scenario A. He was a pain in the ass when you wanted to get an optional/missable scene with Elizabeth because he wouldn't let you in and you had to try many times until he does. I hate him.

If we go over to the inn on the opposite side of the road...



I gave all my money to that hunter Gomez, over in Paraside and asked him to go out and hunt me down a rare animal. Then I will take them all to the breeding farm in Battle Park and hopefully I'll be a millionaire in two years!

Well, hopefully it works out for you, buddy. For us, we'll go and check upstairs.



I've heard that after the change at the helm of Green Pharmaceuticals, the subsidiaries on all planets are looking to transition into completely unmanned operations in order to increase efficieny. As a model case, they've already made G-Factory a robot-only town.



Back outside, we have also this person here.

Are you two heading up to the Confession Tower in the mansion? I hope you're a couple by the time you come back down!

Well, we're already married, actually. Under slightly unusual circumstances, admittedly, but still...

Since we're on a tour, we'll have a look at that inn too.



Dr. Panheim taught us that the life can change with just one word. But should you be honest about what you are thiking and should you say it? It's a bit difficult...

Upstairs...



If you work hard for a couple of years doing "hole diving" in Lina Valley, you can make a fortune. The only question is whether you will have enough physical strenght left afterwards to enjoy spending that money...

Lina Valley is that town right next to Eterna. We haven't been there yet, however we will make our first visit today!



On the other side of the walkway is not another hotel, but a combined animal trader/butcher shop.



These guys don't have anything new to say, so we'll head directly upstairs.



I want to stay a child forever! Adults' faces are so dirty that they always wear makeup to hide it!

Okay, this one is a bit on the unsubtle side.



Next on our tour is this random person here.

The girl who becomes Nek's girlfriend will be quite lucky! He's a little childish at times, but has a good sense of humour and is kind. And not to mention... R.I.C.H! 🎔
Rumour has it that he has inherited such an amount of money that we the commoners can't even fathom!



The priest here is looking for donations.

Half the people who are fleeing this planet have no kind of guarantee regarding their livelihoods once they arrive to their new homeworld! Your goodwill will give them hope for life!



Sure, we'll give 1G. Let's see if it gets us anything.



This lady here has an interesting comment.

"Elizabeth! Please marry me, or else I will jump to my death!" This place is called The Confession Tower, ever since Dr. Panheim successfully proposed to her from the top of it!

It seems the relationship between Elizabeth and Panhein also worked out better in this timeline, huh? Although that proposal is quite something...



Well, ok, let's head into the mansion then.



This guy here in this place which looks like it's where all the Christmas trees have come from.

My father has always been a stubborn man who doesn't listen. Now he's saying that he prefers to share with my dead mother whatever fate brings to this planet. It's quite a bother...



Over on the upper floor next to the entrance to where Elizabeth's office used to be is this rather well dressed lady.

My husband, whenever there is a problem in the family, he always says it's because my grandfather and I don't get along. It's really annoying.

That is a surprisingly random comment...

But anyway.



Going into the office, we can see that Elizabeth is indeed not there. However...



...it gives us a chance to look around the side rooms.



It's all rather elaborate, isn't it?

(By the way, you can get a pig sausage from that fridge in the top left corner. They are all about pig sausages here in Eterna.)

But well, for now there's nothing else to do here, so let's just go up to the top where the Confession Tower is. Presumably this is the place where we had the showdown with Nek in Scenario A!



We can just climb the usual series of steps to get there.



Up there, we find two people. Let's talk to the man first.

Sylvia! Please marry me, or else I will jump to my death!
Huh? Does she not hear me? Hey, you, I'm sorry, but could you please convey my feelings to that woman in green over there?

And then if we approach the woman...

Why does that stupid guy over there keep spouting such nonsense. Could you please tell him to just die then?

Uh, yeah, I guess this confession didn't go so well.

In any case, this is all in Eterna for now. But before we go...



...I'm sure you will be happy to see that this time there isn't anybody imprisoned in those underground cells.



We can also see that this "famous" door is already open. Unfortunately the chests which previously used to contain a weapon (jellyfish needle) and a piece of clothing (sheep sweater), in this scenarin they are empty. Nevertheless, I will remember next time to buy some better clothes/armor. We have upgraded the weapons, but we could improve our defence situation a little bit too. Next time, though.

Anyway, let's get out of here.



Exiting from Eterna, we are informed that it's now Autumn 1992.



Also, since we are right here. Let's go and have a look at Lina Valley, since it's right next door!



That's definitely a weird name for a dungeon/cave, but as always, this really is its official name, as evidenced by this page of the game guide:



But then again, most dungeons in this game have somewhat weird names.

Anyway, getting in...



..we find out that the news bulletin has been updated!

N.K. NEWS BULLETIN

A Miraculous Recovery of the Male Ark Crew Member

Ken Challenger, who was seriously injured in an accident one year ago, has finally returned to the ark project! It is said that it is all thanks to devoted nursing and care by his loving wife, Linda. We sincerely with them both the best of luck!



The person at the left luggage counter has an ominous comment.

Our storage room here is always full! Many people get stuck in Sperm Lina while hole diving and never come back to pick up their belongings...

Continuing inside...



This place definitely doesn't look particularly inviting! But let's talk to this gentleman standing on this terrace.

If you go through the small entrance at the bottom of this valley, that's where Sperm Lina cave is. The animals you catch there can be sold in bulk to the animal dealers here who buy them on behalf of Green Pharmaceuticals.

Note: despite this description, it's just a normal animal dealer same as everywhere else. Also, the cave has other entrances--one is at G-Factory and the other can be reached through that "secret" door in Elizabeth's mansion basement.



Using this staircase takes us indoors.



We stop to withdraw our money from the bank, and have a chat while we do that!

When you spend some time around here, eventually all animals start to look like walking banknotes to you!

We'll check out the animals in the cave soon enough. Most of them are species we have NOT yet seen.

Let's also talk to the person sitting at the table.

There is a pharmacy downstairs right next to the animal dealer. Green Pharmaceuticals is very good at their business. They immediately let you buy medication to heal yourself from injuries as soon as you earn money by selling them the animals you caught! It's very smooth!



On the other side is the equipment shop! (By the way, the above screenshot is not broken/half-loaded. The bottom part is just a part of the wall around the whole structure. But it looks weird from this angle.)

If you are going to G-Factory, you should at least replace your clothes with something that protects well against cold air.

One of the few useless bits of advice given by the NPCs. The outside season and temperature has no influence on Ken and Linda whatsoever. It does, however, influence which animals may or may not appear and how strong or weak they are, as we already know. G-Factory is, of course, located far enough north that it's always covered in snow there.

We can also talk to the guy in the butcher shop next door.

Meat can have some bad side effects... but also it can be useful. A hunter is a true hunter only when they master the art of throwing it. The trick to a good throw is to throw it far... as hard as you can... like your life depends on it!

This might come as a surprise, but he's describing yet another game mechanic. If you are being accosted by animals, you can throw meat on the ground to distract them and get away. Also some animals can only be caught in this way. I will demonstrate it in the next update.



Taking that staircase down, brings us to where, as already mentioned, animal dealer and pharmacy operate their shops right next to each other! First we talk to the animal dealer.

The animals from Sperm Lina are very imporant and save many lives. They are processed into important medications at the Green Pharmaceuticals factory.

And then the person working in the pharmacy.

If you see anybody else around here selling drugs, they are probably unlicensed, so be careful. If anything happens to you after consuming their products, we will not be held responsible.

If I recall correctly, it's in fact possible to find an actual drug dealer in a tent somewhere in Sperm Lina who sells those performance enhancing drugs and stuff. We will look for him when we go there.



Over on the other side of this floor, there is a guy standing in front of a room.

My father raised me on his own all this time while doing hole diving... But now just as I have finally managed to stand on my feet and ready to properly take care of him, he's collapsed...



His father is over here in bed...

I've been hole diving here for 30 years and my insides are all falling apart from the poisonous air. Well, at least with the money I earned, my son was able to go to college and is now head of the labour management office here. If that's all I've achieved with my life... it's more than enough.

If we exit north from this building...



...we get into that area we were able to see from the terrace above. There is a hunter here to talk to.

The white river that runs through the bottom of the valley is actually sulfurous acid flowing out of Sperm Lina. Every step you take in the acid river is a step closer to crossing over to the other world. Isn't it just a lovely place here, no?

Sure seems like it. In fact not many places on this planet seem to be doing particularly great. Walking in acid does in fact damage your HP very slightly, so don't do it. Except in places in the cave where you're forced to as there is no other path.

Also, sulfurous acid in reality is colourless, not white, so this one here is probably mixed with some minerals from the cave or something.



If we take that big staircase up, we reach an area with a couple of metal shacks. You know what, let's just head to the bar, why not?



A few people to talk to here... Let's start with the hunter standing to the left of Ken.

Having to come close to the turtles in the lake, or having to camp alone in the poisonous swamp of Sperm Lina... what do you think is a more fun punishment task for a party?

We can also talk to the very skimpily dressed dancer on the podium

For us dancers it's easy, because we only have to show our bodies to earn money. For singers it's much harder because they have to bare everything down to their hearts, otherwise their audience won't be too happy. They have to really go all out.

The waitress in bunny costume (a bit hard to see but she's standing next to the bar counter), surprisingly only has a capture hint to give us.

Penguins come ashore at the beach near G-Factory only in spring, so if you want to catch one there is your chance.

The big lake to the south can get frozen in winter and you can also find penguins there during that time, so this is not a super useful hint.

Finally we can talk to that lady standing by the sink in the kitchen.

Thar singer Angela, I don't like her. She's so proud of her success that she'd never perform in a seedy bar like ours, even if we ask her to. She says that the air here in town is bad for her throat. But she's lying, because she's never even been here!

Well, I don't know, with all the acid it seems to me that Angela has a valid point here. Anyway, maybe we'll run into her somewhere over the course of our adventure? Let's hope so!

Taking that staircase up...



...we get to the area where the guest bedrooms are. We can of course talk to the guests, as always.

Every since I was a kid, I was wondering about how the word "FUCK" can be used both to describe an act that creates a new life and also the act of murdering someone. It's curious that people are able to use this word without ever being confused which particular meaning is used at a specific time...

Dude, you definitely think too much.



The reception desk for the inn is on the other side.

I've heard there is an animal around K-24 area which specialises only in night attacks without ever showing up at daytime. If they are so shy, they must be very cute.

And this shows why you really need to keep talking to all NPCs constantly. Basically, we're now quite far up north, but the location K-24 is all the way down in the caves of Samakia, so the animal this is referring to is the hydra, which you can only catch if you get attacked while camping overnight. Cute they are not, though!



Back outside, there is this guy standing by the barrels...

For those who want to earn a lot of money at the cost of their lives and health... there is no more obvious place to do so than Lina Valley.



One of the other shacks houses a doctor who will patch you up if you get knocked out in battle. We're not here to talk to him, though...



I only came in to show you what the hospital beds look like here.



Around the back and in the corner here is another person...

If the animals are going to kill you already anyway, it would be nice if they would at least eat all of you. But most of the time, it's only about half, so that's pretty annoying.



And then, taking this staircase down...



...leads into the house.

In autumn , swallows appear off the coast at G-01 peninsula, gliding on the westerly wind. They are travellers, just like us humans... except, unlike us, they have somewhere to go to.



At the other end of the house, there's another person.

You know, this planet is not too bad. There's still lot to like about it. So you might as well relax and wait for the Grim Reaper to come and give you a kiss. At least then you can be happy in knowming that you've been beaten by someone much stronger than yourself.

All righty then. That's all we're going to do here for now, so let's make our exit.



While we book our flight, we can have a short chat with the Bird Line employee.

A friend of mine told me that in the olden days, Beastians were able to use a whistle to call a Pterano bird whenver they wanted. If people could do that today, our company would surely go bankrupt. That worries me a lot, but I try not to think about it.

Of course, you will recall that Bird Line does provide a "pickup" service, but it's not cheap. However, it should not surprise you that the stuff she's talking about is indeed an ability Ken will be able to learn soon! However, this ability is not learned by leveling up, but you have to trigger a specific event in-game to get it. We will of course make sure to do so when the time comes.

Anyway, let's take a flight back to Hospico for now.



We won't be going inside this time (also, man, it's still completely flooded around here, huh?).



Instead, we'll head to this cave, which is a bit southeast.



This place is called Dagpond and I guess it's also a bit flooded at the moment. No matter, we have a thing to do here.



We'll head up this way...



On the way, we can see this interesting situation. Because of the fact that the whole area is flooded at the moment, there is here a staircase which is not accessible! I guess we would have to come during a "drier" season, such as summer or winter if we wanted to be able to go downstairs.

Anyway, eventually...



...we can find here some hermit crabs to add to our tally.



Eventually, we get to this area, which is also flooded. But thanks to that fact, we are able to find here another new species!



The ducks!



So they only actually appear during those two seasons during the times the area is flooded. Also don't ask me to explain what is going on with their legs. Also, I know you are already curious how much more crazy did they look in the PC Engine version, and so I'll tell you. Actually the remake version looks exactly the same as the PC Engine original. This is one of the few species which really didn't undergo any design changes at all.

Anyway, after this we can make our way out back to the exit.



We'll take this tunnel back towards Hardia.



Before we go back, we'll head a bit south first...



...to catch some dogs!



Ok, now let's head back to the ark. By the way, in the next update, we'll finally start figuring out what is up with those ruins that you can see in a few places around the world (like the one visible here on the screenshot).



Back in the ark, we'll hand in everything we've caught today.



We're informed that we have so far captured 20 species total. So we still have a full 100 to go. This will take a bit of time, I think.

Well, ok. I think we can stop here for toda--

Actually wait, I almost forgot.

We still have that message that we haven't listened to! Let's head quickly into Hardia and see what that's all about.



The message is from a person unknown to us.

Um... I... Uh, my name is Spectra. I am currently at the Hardia hotel...
Um...
Actually, I... wanted to ask you for a favour... if that would be ok to do.
I'm in the room furthest in the back. Um... if you could come as soon as possible.
I will be waiting for you...

That was kind of weird.



But I guess she's waiting for us here at the hotel, so we should go and have a chat. Next time, though.

So this was kind a bit of a leisurely start to this scenario still, however from now on things are going start to happen a bit more, including also broadening of our exploration.




Today, a nice collage with illustrations of bits from various cutscenes!



Speech bubble translations, kind of in three columns from the left:

KANZENBAN = The complete version (also the title under which the Sega Saturn port was sold).

(Left)
1. Insect-robot: "3... 2... 1... Attack!"
2. Emory and Sachiko: "How about Sachiko!!"
3. Ark drops from the sky: "What is this!?" "The ship of salvation!!"

(Middle)
1. Ken: "Ken attacks!!"
2. Linda: "Easy-peasy, right?"

(Right)
1. Nek and Elizabeth: "Hurry up and get started..."
2. Ben doing the presentation: "Absolutely no guarantees!"
3. Ken and Linda with the dogs: "I'm tired..."


Also... What do you think, are we going to run out of illustrations before finishing the game?