Part 65: Episode LX: Return to the Lost Shrine

Episode LX: Return to the Lost Shrine



Music: The Lost Forest 2


"The Lost Shrine is at the other end of this cave."
"And the Shadowlord's castle lies just beyond."
"Let us make haste."


I dunno about you kids, but I quite like the more subdued version of the Lost Forest track. Anyhow, if we take a gander around the area we'll see that this back path to the Lost Shrine is located just beyond the iron bridge. Indeed, the beach over there right by Nier's knees is where we found the final piece of granny smuggler's cargo in the previous update.

The party passes through the cave to the Lost Shrine's rear path...




Nier's graphics might not be top of the line, but the game can still look pretty damn nice when it wants to do so.


Our heroes strike a pose before their assault to on the Lost Shrine and hopefully the Shadowlord's Castle (which I am guessing is...beneath the shrine...?) I certainly never expected to return to this place alongside a talking snarky magical tome, a violent chick in her underwear that swears like a sailor, and a 1300 year old boy that turned into a grinning moon headed skeleton mage. I guess life is just weird like that.


The gang must climb a rather rickety wooden path running alongside the sheer cliff edge below the shrine in order to enter the main structure.


While climbing the path, we can see that the Lost Shrine's canyon edges are lined with old world dams. I guess at one point the Lost Shrine used to be sitting on an island in a now mostly drained lake. Neat.


Along the rear path, Nier comes upon yet another new weapon in the form of a spear: The Devil Queen.


The Devil Queen is a few ticks below the currently equipped Twin Fangs two-handed sword in terms of stopping power. But, it is a bit superior to the basic spear, Transcendence. I do not have a translated weapon story for this one. But, like the first two-handed sword found out in the field, this too is a Drakengard refugee. So, have a blast from the past....


This weapon was obtained in the Empire's Ocean Fortress in the path where Leonard having Caim visit the fortress is an entire waste of everyone's time. He gets kicked in the back of the head by Caim for being a blind fuck-up shortly thereafter. You know what sword didn't make it in from Drakengard? Slaughterism. Damn shame. Slaughterism was the best sword name in all the land.

The party enters the Lost Shrine.

Music: The Incomplete Stone ~ Chant (Lost Shrine Theme)


The rear path of the Lost Shrine deposits Nier at roughly the same exact place he entered upon his first visit. The shrine itself has changed very little since our first visit.


Well, other than the swarms of mid-level, extremely hostile and armored Shades now are patrolling the area. Not that they are all that much of a threat having a full party of Kainé and Emil backing Nier up. The two NPC companions are both fairly good at handling themselves when it comes to basic Shade mobs. Emil has lost his stone gaze ability. But, in its place he's gained a bunch of fairly decent projectile spells, a weak healing magic, and a rarely used but crazy useful spell that disintegrates Shades' armor in one shot. Kainé just flips around like crazy, beats the shit out of monsters, and Hadokens things that look at her funny.


We'll need to take the same exact path we took the first time to reach the summit of the Lost Shrine. Nothing in the layout has been altered in the last five years. Well, other than one minor obstacle...


Sliding block puzzles in the middle rooms of the Shrine... There is about eh...six or so <very very easy> block puzzles impeding progress up the tower.


The objective of each one is merely to clear a path to the next room. This means there must be basically a two floor tile square space in front of the door cleared before Nier can progress. They're all bush league puzzles that take less than a minute a piece, so I won't bore you all with the details.

Several block puzzles and floors climbed later...


Nier must do battle with a new (albeit silly looking) mid-boss at the top floor of the shrine.


Other than bog standard melee strikes when close, this boss attacks with an endless stream of plus sized magic orbs directed at Nier and the gang.


Being orbs of unusual size (and power for that matter) this ones can easily break Nier's guard and leave him vulnerable to a face full of glowing purple energy if he isn't evading the strikes. Luckily, they can still be swatted away with melee attacks like normal.


The spear works to great effect in both clearing a path and putting Nier closer to the creature in order to strike it down. If Nier manages to get behind the monster, it has very little in the way of defending itself other than slow and easily avoided swings of its chubby club arms.

Though while close to this enemy, it is worth noting that it is very important to stay away from the edge railings. The central chamber of the shrine is one big map. If Nier gets booted off the edge, he's going to land several stories below on the first floor and have to re-climb the place. I learned that the hard way once...




In any case, taking out the clock faced mini-boss Shade is the final obstacle between Nier and the roof. The rest of the way is mostly free of Shades. Almost done with this place...




It is worth mentioning that just past the doors leading out to the roof access pathway is a back room with the most complicated sliding block puzzle in all of the Lost Shrine. It's still really easy to complete (Nier just needs to shove all the blocks toward the bottom of the room) but it is easily the most time consuming of the lot.


Completing the final additional brain teaser will lead to a back room just filled to the brim with over a half-dozen breakable goodie boxes. The reward for going the extra mile in exploration?


A single medicinal herb that I couldn't even pick-up since my inventory was full...


I should have known better...

Nier and the gang head outside. Nier suddenly begins a talk while they're running up toward the rooftop...


"All right?"
"Sorry for what?"
"I'm going to talk to the villagers. I want them to let you in."
"Ha ha! Oh, it's no big deal. Right, Kainé?"
"I'm used to it."
"Well, you shouldn't be! It's crap, and it needs to change!"


"Emil..."
"It's all right. Really! I like camping out with Kainé! It's kinda fun in a weird way. Sometimes we sit around the fire and tell stories, or roast-"
"Emil! That's enough! ...I got a fucking image to maintain."


D'aww. Emil and Kainé have a fantastically lame time together out in the woods. Anyway, there is little resistance on the roof until we're outside the boss room where Nier met Weiss.


"Just kick 'em aside."


A huge swarm of low level Shades are blocking the courtyard just outside the Shrine's central chamber. I guess we slaughtered all of the big boys on the way up to the roof.

Several violently punted Shades later...




A second shiny free new weapon for Nier is awaiting in a crate just next to the gates to the boss arena. I like the look of this thing. Big, ugly, sharp, and an awesome title. I can dig it. Unlike the previous few arms, this is not another Drakengard transplant; it's a brand new weapon made just for NIER. I also have a story to go along with it...


Uhh...I think the translators skills rotted toward the end there... Moving right along...


Hmm...it has been quite some time since we saw this joint. I wonder who keeps the torches burning all day long. You'd think the Shades living here would have brought that up with the superintendent.




That is never a good sign.




The roof of the Shrine's chamber is smashed in violently and out pops...


Hey...didn't I murder you already?! This is two slain bosses that have come back now. I'm starting to think that Caim had the right idea with that stabbing the corpses of his fallen enemies thing...











Lost Shrine Revisit Highlights


Campfire Tales (You should probably watch this.)



Music: The Lost Forest 2




Emil No. 7 Render