Part 59: ARC VI Part 3: And Into The Tower.

ARC VI Part 3: And Into The Tower.

Seraphic Neoman posted:

hahaha this game was made 15 years ago and the rhetoric is still the same

The rhetoric never changes all that much, really. For example, a lot of the transphobic messaging that comes from the right or less socially progressive centrists and leftists today are repurposed anti-gay messages.
And if you go way, way back some of those homophobic arguments were used against women's rights movements.

The most memorable one to me being the debate over the semi-illegality of women wearing pants at one time. One argument was that if women starting wearing pants, they'd become more man-like and then the pants-wearing women would start sleeping with the non-pants women and steal all the women from men and then men would become more feminine (presumably to get manly girlfriends...?) and this would COMPLETELY ANNIHILATE the TRADITIONAL family unit.

I'm so glad the traditional family unit was wiped out like a hundred years ago and then we've just apparently been flogging a dead horse ever since.

Anyway uhh.... There's a metric FUCKTON of words in this update so make sure to set aside the time to read a lot.







"Where the hell am I now?"
Guess we just walk around and look at things. If we look at the top left corner, Cade comments someone else was here for a pretty long time.







"Damn. It's reinforced. And I'm still too beat to cast anything stronger than that."



That voice...



GASP! More characters we haven't seen in a while. Arc VI is almost like when everything starts coming together. Finally.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE59rlKJRPs 'Gabriella's Theme' aka Rogue Galaxy - 'Shadow of the Sun'



Cade! I thought so! What are you doing over there?!

I came here to take out that winged lunatic and it didn't work out.

Clearly. I can't say I'm surprised by such an outcome.

... He's over there, too?

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. To think, both of us in prison. What do you think of your vaulted "justice" now, imbecile?
I think you mean VAUNTED, imbecile.

Alright, enough. You may belong behind bars, but Gabriella and I don't.

Are your friends near? Can they break us out?

No... I came by myself.

You challenged these people on your own? Have you lost your mind?
Yes.

It's a long story, but it doesn't matter right now. Now that I know you're here, I've got to get you out!



Yeah... But wait. You can teleport. Why haven't you escaped yourself?

That wretched psychic of his has robbed me of the knowledge I need to perform most of my techniques!
Yeah... Cari is uh... She's a really hardcore psychic.

Wait... She made you forget?

Yes. I had just discovered a new ability as well. But now it doesn't matter...

I suspect the effects are only temporary... but she visits periodically to make sure we can't do it. Quite infuriating, really.
I think her pretty young neck would look better with some holes in it.
Settle down, Beavis.

Stop! What have I told you about that?

Silence! You are not my supervisor!

Doesn't seem like we have any options at the moment... But hopefully the right opportunity will present itself.
For the time being, I still have my wind magic... If I get a good shot at a guard with keys or something...

What? She allowed you to keep your skills? What strange rationale is behind that?


...





"It's a common experience that transcends race or wealth... and short of hiring your own personal psychic, there's not much you can do to stop it.
Don Kovak has been my friend for over 30 years. I look at the crimes he's accused of and find them unfathomable, given what I know of his character.

The unfortunate truth is... The only thing Mr. Kovak is guilty of is making partnerships with allies who were not what they seemed.

Some time ago, Equipment King was in the midst of a financial crisis. We were expanding beyond our own means, and debts piled up.
They promised to "work within the community" to raise awareness of our store and reinvigorate sales. In our desperation, we accepted.

Now we see the evidence compiled by Mr. Marin and others, and it's plain as day this group was behind a series of horrific events in several different communities. This was, ostensibly, to help us... but now I think it was to further their own agenda.

As I've said, we made errors in judgment... but to blame Mr. Kovak alone for what these towns have experienced is nothing more than scapegoating.
For some time now, Mr. Kovak has been targeted by several vigilantes who seem to have nothing but contempt for the very idea of business.

Their rhetoric seems to have been somewhat successful. In addition to this, I find myself wondering why nobody from the group that is truly responsible for these crimes is sitting in this courtroom.
You see, Harrol knows this group well. They currently own a huge compound on the town's north end.

The leadership of Harrol advocated fiercely for the group to be allowed to create this sanctuary for themselves. Is it becoming clear?

You, the jury, have the power to do the right thing. Don't punish Mr. Kovak for crimes he was not involved in simply because your leaders want to save face.

Thank you."



Vec takes his place at the table and...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzCe8OvfRCE 'Galdar's Theme' aka 'Doyle's Walk' by Terence Blanchard.



"awareness of the activities of his business partners. An innocent lamb undone by his own trusting nature and corrupt city leaders.

Ha! And I'm the elven queen.

None of us have made the suggestion that Mr. Kovak committed these crimes all on his own. Yet he is the one currently on trial.
We hope to have his collaborators in here when the time is right, regardless of whatever dealings they've had with Harrol.

Make no mistake, however, that Mr. Kovak was intimately involved in the planning of these crimes, if not always the execution.

Now... as we debate the legality of Equipment King's methods, allow me to remind you of a time when no business could have enjoyed their kind of success, regardless of what they did.
In Gallian times, the different races could not cooperate and trade the way they do now.

Since the Empire's fall, Solest has enjoyed a continuing economic boom which is lifting us all out of the darkness that too many of us remember from then.
However, sometimes we get a little too protective of our current success. We can fool ourselves into thinking that gratitude should overtake vigilance.

And there are those out there who will address any criticism of business method by accusing us of having some sort of irrational grudge against wealth, or making a silly claim that we... "hate business."

I think it would be very difficult to find a person who truly despises all business... So why this rhetoric?
It's meant to intimidate people into not saying anything at all. Do not allow yourself to be silenced by these logically bankrupt false dichotomies.

One can question the tactics of one business while being fully supportive of an improved climate for merchants.
The fact that I even need to clarify this point is regrettable.

Why have I gone on so long about one comment in my opponent's opening statement? Well... I believe it betrays the sort of arrogance that leads powerful people astray from goals that may have once been noble. Unfortunately, anyone is vulnerable to corruption, be it an empire or a business.

We are grateful for the prosperous times we are living in, but no amount of wealth is a replacement for our core values.
These values are what led us out of dark times... and we must never allow them to be compromised by an extremist philosophy again.

I'm confident you will make the right decision."

Boy, that took a bit of typing haha. Let's move on.


...



As Ketsu enters his cell, Cade tries to cast a spell.





I thought so. You're quite skilled at healing magic in addition to wind. Makes you resilient.

You... uh... What's with... these chains? Afraid to.. fight me yourself?

You've been humiliated enough, don't you think? Truthfully, I would prefer not to damage you any further.
The chains are to keep you in one place while Cari takes a tour of your mind.

Forget it!

I'm afraid the decision has been made for you, Cade. Cari needs to become familiar with the details of your persona, and make adjustments where needed.

If you relax, it will be much less uncomfortable.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X130NPh92HM 'Defined By A Mask' aka 'Mask of Kemosabe' - Bubba Ho-Tep)



"It's up to you and me now, Cade."


Ah, I see. This is your father's funeral.
Goodness, this is some time ago, isn't it? Back when we first began looking for the five different families. You were the one we tracked down first, primarily because Mina Lolian had gained such fame from her role in the Gallia Wars.

It was easy to search her family tree to find someone suitable for The Awakening.
I believe we assigned Cleon to this particular mission. Your father... seemed very against service to Arcadius. He didn't give us an inch.

It got to the point where he attempted to fight Cleon... which did not end well for him.

Why... why are you telling me all of this? You don't care that I'm learning more about your crazy plans?

None of that will matter in the end. After your father's death, we decided to wait a few years before reaching out to your family again.



You know you can't say that with a clear conscience. At your age, you weren't privy to what was going on around you. Even now, you're not fully sure.
Instead of trying to argue with me, why don't you let me educate you?

Go.. jump off your tower.

Let's... move ahead. About two years, to be precise.






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctuI3oqNVtg 'Requiem' from the Collateral score.





RAYNE: Find a place to hide, Cade.

CADE: Why? I don't understand! Who is that man?! Why is he chasing you?!

RAYNE: I don't have time to explain! He's not the only one hanging around here... You have to find a place to hide.
We can't let them see you... Or else everything we did won't matter.
Find some place in the woods and stay there until the sun comes up. Hopefully by then, they will have all left.

CADE: What about Mom? I don't get this, Rayne! What's going on?!

RAYNE: Not Mom... they're not after her... She's too old. You're the one that needs to hide.

CADE: But... what will you do?

RAYNE: I have to lead them away. I'm... not sure when I'll be back.
Rayne looks back the way he came, and then back to Cade.
Once this is done... You have to take care of her. You'll be all she has.

CADE: I don't understand!

RAYNE: They're coming! Go hide, now!



Cade runs, and Rayne begins casting spells at someone offscreen until he has to leap back to dodge an earth spell.



It's time to come with us. I'm in no mood for any more violence. It's just a hassle.
Well? Are you going to come along or are you going to make my night even more miserable?

RAYNE: Sure, I'll come... But you'll have to catch me first!





Rayne flees as a dust cloud envelops Cleon and his flunkies.

CLEON: After him!





"Had we known there was a younger Mistral son, we would have sought you out instead of your brother. Kids are far easier to educate.
And all this time later, we never actually managed to catch him. He's evaded us for years, but at the same time, he was never far from our sight.

He kept us busy enough that we never had a reason to come back here, and we never found out about you."

Are you saying... That he's still alive?

Oh, certainly.
But we don't need him anymore.
Requiem stops playing.


...



Do some research. I'm not your... god damned... tour guide.

Why do you fight me? It's just more strain on your mind.
All I need to do is give you a little... push... and you'll drop the attitude.

Arrgh!!

Now then... What happened next?



CADE: To... school?
I've missed a lot of days. I might not be able to pass the classes if I miss too many more.

VANESSA: If you think I'm going to let you out of this house, you're sorely mistake! It's far too dangerous out there! Those maniacs could snatch you up at any time!

CADE: So... I don't have to go to school?

VANESSA: No. Your safety is far more important.

CADE: Neat!

You weren't excited forever.

... No. It wasn't just school... She didn't want me to go anywhere. I suppose all that happened scared her to a point where she was beyond reason. If I was older and knew more about what she was feeling... Maybe I could have helped...

You were just a child. It's impressive you came out of that anywhere close to mentally intact.


...



"I started trying to sneak out. I never would have left her, but there were times when I wanted to visit the nearby town or take a walk on the cliffs.
But she had her friends spread the word that I was supposed to be home. I guess they didn't challenge her... Probably just wanted to be supportive."



"She would give me a lecture, and then go back to being by herself."


...





"... Here we go."
Cade heads over to the mirror and puts on a mask.







"I was at the age when I should have been about to finish school, but I had missed the last several years. If I started from where I had left off, I would be a laughing stock. I knew that I was nearly an adult, and the time would come when I would leave the family house for good.

... But what would I do? I hadn't learned much of anything except how to sneak out without tipping off my mother."





...



VANESSA: Cade, I... I can't stay here anymore.

CADE: ... Yeah. We should start over somewhere new. Somewhere with less bad memories.

VANESSA: No... That isn't what I meant.
I can't... stay in Solest anymore. Hurts... too much.

I... don't just mourn your father... and Rayne... It... breaks my heart what's been taken from you, son.
You... are so gifted. You would have been greater than all of us... But I... I couldn't teach you alone.

CADE: ... Teach me what?

... She never answered.







"My whole family had been destroyed. And nobody... not one person offered to help us.
I wondered... How many other people needed a protector and weren't getting one?

And then I wondered... What would I do with the rest of my life?"







"It probably isn't that heavy for your average person... but when you have that wind magic lightness, it can really weigh you down.
Still... You can get used to anything with enough practice. Eventually, it felt like a second skin."

You came out of all your traumatic experiences with a desire to help others. I think that's a mark of great character.
With us, you can achieve that in ways you never dreamed of. You can help us save the whole world from the corrosive influence of today's society.

Ugh... No... I don't like what you do.



"Just as the world saw Arcadius's anger the day fiery stones fell from the sky. With your help, we can create a world where all humans are in harmony with Arcadius and we don't see this sort of suffering anymore.
Leaving out that she and hers cause that suffering.

"Others have seen the possibilities of our Great Awakening. You can join the others and help make it a reality, but you must leave behind your barriers.
You must open yourself to me and allow me to relieve you of the weight you have carried all these years. Aren't you tired of the hurt? The regret?"

... Yes.

Then let me in. I've calmed you down, but you still have created walls around your innermost essence.
I can't help you unless you drop those defenses.

... No. No! Arcadius didn't do all this to me! Arcadius didn't destroy my family!
You did!

That's your anger talking. You have to leave it behind. It distorts reality until you can't tell what's right from what's wrong.
I doubt I have to go into much detail on how Cari's whole thing here is typical indoctrination bullshit.



Cari is propelled away with a 'Ugh!'





He's exhausted. That's probably all he can take today.

Goodness, does he ever have a strong will! This could take a great deal of sessions.

Too bad we didn't get him while he was young.
Then again, we always knew we would have this sort of trouble with Rayne if we ever managed to catch him, if not more.
Have a guard come in and unchain him, will you? He won't get a good night's rest like that.


...



Well, well, look who's finally catching up.

Yeah, man! This has been a happening place over the last few years! My family wanted to open a separate branch of Donner Range Weapons here, but we never got around to it. Anyway, I hope Gino found his buddy. He seemed really excited.

He's found him, and he's helping out like he always does.

Do you sense Cade, Bud?

Nope... Nothing yet.
Bones suggests finding Galdar and/or Mina.

Anyway, only a couple NPCs have something new to say, so let's check in with Gino.



Ha ha! Sorry for being hasty, but I haven't seen Heath here in ages. He and I once had a shop together. Those were good times!
He doesn't have anything new to offer though, so we'll be on our way to the courthouse. We can't get inside the Lolian home.





Stoic! My goodness, I almost didn't recognize you without your war uniform!



"And Laurel! My, you have grown since the last time we saw one another."

Hey, don't forget me! I'm Finley Donner!

Good to meet you, sir. Your family makes fine weapons, though I still prefer an axe myself.

Recognize.

So how goes the trial?

Hard to say just yet. I feel we have a strong case and a good collection of witnesses. But Kovak's people will search for every possible loophole or technicality. They did not get so rich by being easily outsmarted. However, I feel the documentation we have in both Marin's book and The Rellenia Justice Commission Report should be enough to convince the jury when all is said and done.
But what brings you to Harrol? Did you want to watch the rest of the trial yourselves?



"Not only that... We're just about positive our friend Cade Mistral is going after them alone."

Yes. Right now, he's our best chance.

Wait, what? You know about this whole thing?

You bet we do! I just found out we're all family. Well, except Galdar, but he's close enough.

*Chuckle* Thank you.

Family? You mean you and Cade?

Yeah! My grandfather married into the Mistral family, even though we have his name, Lolian.

That must have been quite the surprise for him.

No doubt. But I want an explanation. Where is Cade now?

He's inside The Hand compound.

What?!

He was determined. And hopefully he can put a stop to this before it gets too far.

Are you saying he told you his plan and you allowed him to continue?!



He'll be killed!

Not necessarily. He is very capable.
Also vital to their plans... but they didn't know that before. Oops.

Personally, I would have enjoyed a chance to help him. Unfortunately, Mina and I both are more mixed up in this mess than we would like.
They came to us in the guise of a different group and built that whole compound. It revitalized the entire town. Now... we know the truth.
It would create a fiasco in Harrol if we were the ones to go after them... Particularly since I am also involved in this trial.

Gah! If we were going to do this, we should have done it together! But he got so caught up in... self pity that he just left on a whim!

Self pity?

... You all aren't aware of what he's been going through lately. Laurel read his mind... He does not intend to win.
And if you allowed this to happen, you clearly have no idea of how powerful those Hand ingrates are!

*Chuckle* I think I have an idea, Stoic.
The Harrol theme stops here.


Wait... What? That... No... No!
Oh no, this isn't going to be good for Laurel.



That can't be!

What in the hell is she talking about?

*Gasp* She must be reacting to Ketsu's transformation.

Ketsu? Who is that? And what transformation are you talking about?

Ketsu is the leader of The Hand... and he recently acquired some familiar holy mage... accessories.
They would be especially familiar to anyone who remembers Dasani.

You don't mean... the wings?

Yes.

Laurel, it's all right. There must be some sort of explanation.

*Sniff* It's all... for nothing. I believed in him... and now...
He's... switched sides.



Somehow I doubt that.
We are in serious trouble. And Cade is in even more danger.

Wait...

What is it?



The Harrol theme starts up again.

Auburn is here too?

... So should we call her Sparrow now or what?

What?! Sparrow?! And you say this person is nearby?

Wait just a minute! You mean to tell me Auburn... I need a break from all this.

We heard Sparrow had left Kovak's employ before we arrested him. If this woman is really Sparrow and she is willing to testify...
That could be the final piece of the puzzle we need to finish off Equipment King.

Not sure about that... But I suppose it is worth a try. Plus she's connected with The Hand. She may be able to help us.
Though I'll have to hold off my own urge to slam her against a tree trunk a few times.

You know, if you tone down the bloodlust, you might make a good poet someday with imagery like that.

Silence.

Where is she?

In those woods just over there.

Let's go. Are you okay, Laurel?

Pff! No. But I'll try not to think about it for a while.
Thattagirl.



Perhaps I just have more faith in him than you do.
She gives directions to her home and then we walk off to the east, to the previously pointless area.



We need to talk, Sparrow.





Rrrgh... We need to get into that Hand tower. We were hoping you could help.

Hmm. Sorry, I haven't been inside.
And if you all would like to stay alive, I suggest you stay away. All of their most powerful officers are inside.

It will surely be dangerous. But we don't have much of a choice if we want to save Cade.

Cade... is in there?

Yeah... seemed sudden. And he didn't want help. That's the part that I don't understand.

Before I left that night... I left him that copy of the Cole Marin manuscript I stole from you back in Pearlton.

You kept it?!

... Yeah, though I told Kovak it was destroyed. I kept it in case I ever needed it as leverage. But I felt he should have it now.
Something in there... Must have really set him off.



"He may already be dead. How do you like your handiwork?"

... Handiwork?! You think I'm not hurt?! You think I wanted it to be his face under that stupid mask?!
Idiot! Didn't you know I set up this entire thing just to hurt his feelings?
If you really think that, someone clearly forgot to put your brain back in after you came back from the dead.
You... *sniff*
God damn it.
Just... go.

I suppose we're done.

Wait. Galdar wanted to see if she would be a witness during the trial.

Ugh. Absolutely not. I'm done with all of that nonsense.

Nonsense, huh? If that's how you feel about it, why did you even get involved with Equipment King?
Come to think of it, there's a lot I really don't get about you. You're Sparrow... but I thought Sparrow was some guy named Evander.

Yeah... That's true.

But what's the link? How did you get the costume? Was he your father or something?

Oh, who cares?
Pause.

My father? Yeah... you could say that. He was certainly more of a father than that creep who got my mother pregnant.

We're not here to bond and get all gooey.

Aw come on, B-Man! Why still hold a grudge? You gotta take the good with the bad, you know?
This is still the person who helped us against the Toutens and helped us get through that ancient dump back in Artagel.

I don't care! Let's get the hell out of here and find Cade!
The two guys begin to walk off, but...



I... I don't understand! You love him, so why do you pretend not to care when we tell you his life is in danger?
Why do you wish for happiness and then do nothing to make it happen?

Wha?! Stop that! Just leave me alone!
Auburn vanishes from sight.



Well, that went pretty badly.... Time to go see Mina!



I'm still annoyed. You're basically the only family he has, but you let him risk his life like this?

*Sigh* Maybe you're right. Perhaps it was careless.
But the way he talked about the situation... It made me remember back when this town was at the mercy of the necromancers.
I was the only one willing to stand up to them... Nobody thought I was strong enough to do it, but I knew I had no choice but to try anyway.

So when he started talking about how somebody needed to step out from the crowd and fight for all of us... It just took me back.

... I hate to change the subject... But this... Ketsu... Did he appear to have similar skills as Dasani?

Goodness, yes. It deeply frightened me. I realized how lucky we were back then that Dasani was on our side.

That's all we need. I'll personally have to be extra cautious.
Ugh, Ketsu might just obliterate Stoic right now.

But no more chatter. Every second we waste puts Cade's life at further risk.

*Chuckle* You're wrong, you know.

What are you talking about?

The worry on your faces when you talk about Cade's safety...
Violet and I aren't his only family. Good luck.




They've had a bit of a falling out.

Hmm... Well, if it's any consolation, he may not have gone in there alone.

What do you mean?

Those crooks you guys fought back in Port Arianna... They're here.
... Something corps.

Touten Corps?

Yeah, that's it. He said he was going to find them.

Sheesh. Them too. Before long we'll bump into Chard and the Ember Mages at this rate.
Ha Ha Ha. You just wait Finley. Anyway, Bones thanks her for the tip.



Yes... But the conversation didn't go all that well. Something tells me she won't testify.

That's a pity. Can't say it's entirely unexpected, though. Especially because I would need to arrest her shortly afterward.
That one's got quite a list of crimes to answer for.

I think very few of them were actually her. She's not the first one to wear that costume.

Yes... That makes sense. Well, I suppose I will have to turn the jury on Kovak without her help.
Anyway, let's goooo and see what we can do





This is the path to the compound, but.... huhm. I wonder, if we head to where the Toutens were...?





We steal a pocket item, and follow a path north.





"He must be well inside the tower by now."

In that case, let's not even bother to look for the Toutens. Let's just figure out how we're going to get inside.



Wow, this is nice. It's a full HP and SP and status effect cure to the whole party. I'll be sure to never use it.



Anyway, we have to backtrack a bit now.







Using firespinners causes them to attack you, obviously.



The firespinners aren't remarkable except that they have fire attacks (including a multi-target one) with a decent chance to inflict burned. Burned is very damaging. After only a few fights, Laurels out of SP from the combination of healing and doing her costly attack spells. Thankfully I have a ton of ethers I've never touched.



The firespinners seem to cook their prey slowly. This man may have been our enemy but I would never wish a fate so cruel on anyone.

Think of it this way. That's one less ingrate we'll have to face when we charge into that tower to rescue Cade.

Look! He had a note on him that survived the flame.
"I need a 100 meters more firespinner web for my new security system. No excuses this time. Get me my web or there will be consequences."
I wonder what that was all about.



... What.



After killing all of the firespinners, there's a screech.

What in Arcadius's name was that?



A HUGE spider climbs down a web...



And shoots a web across the water.





The queen isn't even all that much stronger than the regular ones.





Nice.





Also nice. There doesn't seem to be weapons for The Baron, but we did just weapons for him at the end of Arc V.

Unless I missed his new weapons. Oops. Anyway, lets gooooo







Stoic gets a whole slew of holy spells cast on him all at once.





Baron shoots a guy, but it's too late.





We're surrounded, man. It's not looking so good.







Then Auburn saves the day, and the others take the opportunity to finish off the rest, except for...



Except for this guy saying he has to warn The Master, as he teleports away.



Actually, no. He was referring to someone different.

Whew! Nice save, Auburn!



I'll help you get Cade out of there... But then I'm gone.

Oh, really? What do you say we skip ahead to that second part?

Stoic! What are you doing, man?! We need all the help we can get!

She's a killer!

*Chuckle* And you're not?
Come on, don't play dumb. I know you've been around a long time. I know you've fought in many wars.
You should know better than anyone that we each do what we have to do to stay alive.

It's not the same!

Keep telling yourself that.

Enough semantics! I can already tell you we're in big trouble once we go through that gate!
Hurry up and decide who's coming and who isn't, because the longer we wait, the worse it will be!

She's right, man. We gotta put aside this other crap until Cade's safe and sound.

... Fine. I suppose it is ill-advised to turn down any potential advantage.
Besides, seeing you play the role of diplomat is just more irony than I can stomach.

Uh... Thanks?
Auburn does her teleport out and then back in...





Wow is that a special power



She's pretty solid. Not as strong as Stoic, her int SUCKS... But she's fast.

Anyway, a couple of those mooks have items on them which I nick and then we move on.



Wait!

Now what?









New Toutens, huh? Have you guys seen Shroud recently?

Yep. By now he's well inside this place.



This... mission... was a very poor idea. We're here to get him out of there before he winds up dead.

He's not leaving until his mission is complete. Ketsu must die. The sooner the better.

But he won't be able to beat Ketsu all on his own!

Then it shall be a noble death.

There's nothing noble about this whole mess. Now step aside.

Wha?! The Sparrow?! What are you doing with them?



Arrgh! This tough-guy talk is so irritating!



Do your worst, ingrates.





Sparrow's got a nice range of attacks. Soul Burn reduces enemies magic resistance... Vanish sets Sparrows evasion to 100 but magic attacks can still get her.





You know, I think Pilc has shifted to female forms more often than not but has been explicitly referred to as a he. Anyway, this is the third turn I believe.



We do so much damage in one turn that he shifts the very next turn too.



And then the next turn too!



The other two primarily do physical attacks and aren't much of a threat while buffed up. I defeat dragon Pilc before he does anything, and the other two fall in the same turn.



Well fought indeed.
Very well. We will not attempt to hinder you further.
But you know just as well as us that the fight against these maniacs is a fight for the survival of every non-human on Solest.
I hope that when you are ready to take on Ketsu and the others as a team, you remember us. Perhaps together, we can win.

... Maybe. But for now, Shroud needs our help.

The party enters the tower...

And I think I'll leave it here for now. Boy, that took hours for me. So, we didn't learn all -that- much new about Cade's backstory, it was just given more context for why it wound up the way it did.
And we did learn Cleon is the one most directly responsible for it too.

Also we finally saw that both Gabriella and Andau are in one piece each still, so that's nice.
I might get the next update up in only a couple days because, well... Something big happens in it!

the end