Part 53: Sexy Nerd

Music: The Cliftlands



Our first new town of Chapter 2 will be Quarrycrest, within the Cliftlands. Fortunately it's a very short walk, just across the bridge and up the mountain.



If we felt compelled, we could enter this side dungeon to get our butts kicked, but that's better spent for another day.



For now, adventure awaits!

Music: A Settlement in the Red Bluffs





The eight towns in the middle ring of Orsterra house two different chapters each.



Quarrycrest is the only one with two Chapter 2's, while the town in the Sunlands has two Chapter 3's. Every other town has one character's C2 and a different character's C3.

You can choose which you start, or hold off and explore the town first. To start the chapter later, head to the tavern and pick the appropriate option.



Since you voted for Cyrus, we're starting with him.





One nice thing about the game's episodic structure is that it's a lot easier to pick up in bursts of one or two hours and still be able to follow along with the plot, which works well with the Switch's portable nature, as well as the likely busier lives of players who probably had more free time when they played the games that inspired Octopath's aesthetic. The game's kind enough to recap the story so far, which is handy when you're juggling eight of them!



It's hard to believe it's been ten whole years since Odette left the academy.



(I should take another look...)



"But allow me to offer you a word of warning: For all your intellect, you have always been clumsy in matters of the heart. I know that your research is more important to you than anything."



"You are more handsome than you give yourself credit for."





(I should have known better than to read that again.)



(To think I'd be banished from the academy because of a trumped-up scandal like that!)



But there's no point worrying. I have to face her sooner or later, after all.



Music: How Amusing!



(But is my face truly so easy on the eyes?)



Cyrus and I have so much in common.





And as Cyrus enters the city, he unintentionally titillates a couple of young women. The man is truly cursed.

Music: A Settlement in the Red Bluffs



And as we gain control again, you'll notice the top-right corner with what is simultaneously one of the cooler and more infuriating mechanics in this game, Travel Banter.



From Chapter 2 on, you can activate optional skits where the central character can have a one-on-one with all seven other characters during the course of the chapter. They're usually relevant to what's going on in the quest itself, and are pretty much the only times you can see the main cast interact with each other.

The execution is infuriating, however. First off, those characters have to actually be in the party to trigger the cutscene, and if you miss a character's cue you'll permanently miss the banter, though generally you get ample opportunity to hit the tavern between cutscenes and the trigger will stick until the next cutscene happens. So you either end up rotating characters out constantly, have to use a guide to see what order to rotate your party, or just ignore it all and look it up on Youtube later. And unlike the in-game cutscenes, you can't even rewatch banter you've seen! Considering how polished everything else in the game is, travel banter ends up feeling tacked on and awkward, even if there's a lot of great conversations within. But thankfully since this is an LP you won't have to deal with all of that, as of course I will include every travel banter conversation.

One last thing, because of this mechanic, I'll be generally building my party around triggering these banters, so my dungeon teams will generally be based more on that than anything else.



Oh, that? It was a message warning me about women.



Oh, I don't mean that in a bad way. What it actually said was that I should be careful how I act toward women, lest I give cause for misunderstandings.
Well, intelligence such as yours can be very attractive...
Please, my dear.



...



Hm?
I think maybe that's the kind of thing the letter writer was talking about...
You think so? But I was merely speaking my mind. Am I not allowed to tell a beautiful woman that she is just that?





Yes, the last screenshot has the wrong name attributed.

Anyway, this conversation elaborates further on how obtuse Cyrus is about how attractive he is. It's also a nice hint as to the biggest revelation from all of these travel banters: the Octopath Travelers are really horny.

Well, except for Cyrus. He's only horny for books.



Quarrycrest itself consists of two main levels. Cyrus's tale doesn't really dive much into the town itself, though we'll definitely learn more about it later from exploring it and particularly once we tackle Tressa's Chapter 2. It's mainly a mining town.



Odette's home is simple enough to find, just follow the radar!

Video: Reunion with Odette



Anyhow, here we are.







It's been some time, Odette.







um





It's me, Odette, in the flesh! Good to see you as hale and hearty as ever.
And you're as insufferable as ever, no doubt. What are you waiting for? Come in already.



-----

Music: Tranquil Days





How did I know that would be your reaction...?

Odette may be a bit difficult to grasp from just text, though her voice actress does a great job delivering the character as envisioned. She constantly teases and mocks Cyrus, but deep down she does have respect for the man, and knows him better than he probably knows himself. She pretty much treats every situation with a hearty sense of humor and wit.



Just watching you go about was fun in and of itself.



Somehow, you've managed to exceed even my wildest expectations.
By expelling me, they hope to protect Her Highness's good name. Needless to say, there's no truth in any of this.
Of course, of course. I'm sure it's all as you say.



You're something else, Cyrus... But it's a relief to find your powers of observation are as keen as ever.
...?



Save your congratulations for another time.



Music: On a Knife’s Edge



I can tell you that it's a compendium of ancient rites and rituals. Not that I've read it myself, of course.
I know that much. I was hoping you could tell me more.



Necromancy...?
Necromancy. That said, as to what extent, I know little.



A quick transition here, as the voiced cutscenes end in the middle of this exposition for whatever reason.



Is that supposed to be flattery? All right, just give me some time.





I always took you for the type who chewed up and spit out your problems before pickles they could become!



As it happens, a number of people have gone missing of late.
Under suspicious circumstances, I presume?
Just so. Many quite literally seem to have been spirited away.



Another turned a street corner only to vanish entirely, leaving his friend who was strolling with him in disbelief.



How curious indeed...!



So how about it? Do you have any ideas?





I'll look into that tome while you're away.
A fair trade, I'd say. Though I daresay that having the opportunity to solve this peculiar puzzle is a reward in itself.



-----

Music: A Settlement in the Red Bluffs





So the goal is like in Chapter 1. Scrutinize people, then logic your way to the next steps.

But first, more travel banter, this time with Primrose.



Oh, definitely. I am very much looking forward to the challenge!
Hehe. Your enthusiasm certainly is charming, but don't you find the scholarly life to be...exhausting sometimes?
You must forgive me, but I don't see how it possibly could be.
Well, you lot can never let a mystery just be. You need to figure everything out...



Life is too short to spend it with a furrowed brow and a nose forever stuck in a tome.
Ah. Clearly, you are not a fan of natural philosophy. Still, I enjoy your refreshing frankness. There's a certain beauty to your honesty.



What do you mean?
...



Primrose is generally much friendlier with her other travelers than you'd probably expect, and really more than we see in her actual chapters. She has a habit of being flirty with others to mess with their heads a bit, but of course all that goes straight over Cyrus's head, and Primrose isn't used to anyone resisting her charms.



Right, the investigation. There's three NPCs to check on, and the first is right in front of us.







There's our first clue.







Then our second...







And our final clue.

SILENCE





We got this clue straight from Odette. They've been happening near the inn.



We can say with absolute certainty that they did not vanish into thin air, or some such nonsense.



The townsperson said he witnessed two abductions at completely different times of day, so they're happening at all hours.



And that the kidnapper made use of a hidden path or passage to evade the public eye.



The other NPC mentioned the thorough underground canals that nobody really ventures into. That makes the sewers the perfect escape route, and potentially hideout.



Yes, doubtless the culprit stole underground to spirit his victims away.



Looks like we've got our next destination!

Music: A Settlement in the Red Bluffs



But first, time to talk to Tressa!



Er, Professor?
...



...Ah, hello, Tressa. Why are you shouting?
I was trying to offer you some sweets, but you weren't answering me.
Oh, I do apologize. Once I get to thinking about a thing, I oft become lost to the world.



W-wow... Being able to concentrate like that must be super handy as a scholar!



Quite true, Tressa, quite true. I shall endeabor to be more vigilant.





The one about the house burning down is my second choice for quote of the update. So many good ones...

Cyrus/Tressa conversations are generally some of the goofiest, which makes sense as they both lean more toward light-hearted comic relief.



We haven't done sewer-diving yet. Time to correct that!

Music: Beneath the Surface



(From the looks of it, these aqueducts predate the founding of the village itself. There is a good chance many of the villagers are unaware of their existence.)



(...But I must be wary. For all I know, the culprit could be lurking in the shadows as I speak. I will proceed with caution. After all, it simply wouldn't do if I became our villain's latest victim.)

That sounds best. We should maintain complete awareness, focus on the task at hand, and--



NEVERMIND BANTER TIME



As we suspected.
Muddy footprints on the floor and handprints on the wall. Recent, too. The mud is still wet.
I see. That is very useful information. I must say, you have a keen eye, to spot such subtle signs.
It's just experience.



Your experience is the result of careful study, and gives you valuable skills. You see...



Don't worry about it. Your lectures give me a headache.
...





This one focuses on Therion's two primary character traits: he's really good at his job, and he's a big jerk. He's particularly rude with Cyrus though, since Therion can't really stand his personality or general inquisitiveness. For his part, Cyrus is more curious about Therion's work than anything, not really having any personal qualms about Therion's profession.

Therion does get more interesting when paired with other characters, at least.



Plenty of treasures. Plum Baskets restore SP to the party, the only way to do so if you don't have Alfyn in your party (or aren't using some crazy combo like Sealtgice's Seduction with Share SP).

Music: Battle II



My party is high 10's. The recommended level is L24.



These foes hurt.



It's nothing I can't manage, but you better be prepared to pull out a lot of tricks if you're going to tackle these dungeons underleveled.

Music: Beneath the Surface





Really nice sword upgrade that Olberic appreciates. At this stage of the game, you should expect a purple chest in every dungeon, with many having either solid weapon upgrades or stuff like stat nuts. You can easily live without any of this stuff and use gear bought with Tressa or whatever else, but they're still nice to grab. I don't think they're really worth making Therion a permanent fixture of your party though if you don't want him.



The back and front paths lead to the same area. I hope you're learning how to navigate these environments!



This is a massive 4BP boost. These may be invaluable later on.



At this point, I'm going to be gaining skills like crazy between all the new jobs and the large jump in JP for this stage of the game, so I'll be glossing over most of that stuff now. However, I did get Second Wind for Cyrus, which currently restores 7SP a round for him. That's almost the cost of a basic elemental spell, so now Cyrus can wreck faces and do it for almost free!

SP management really is the biggest focus of the mid-game, as you're getting to the point where the basic Plums won't cut it, the higher-tier Plums are expensive, and abilities aren't getting cheaper. Stuff like these Support skills, Steal and Share SP, and Concoct make your life significantly easier for this stretch, especially for randoms.



Looks like we may have found what we're looking for! Join us next time as we conclude Cyrus's Chapter 2, and laugh at more antics of Cyrus's misadventures with women in another light-hearted goofy installment of--



...Oh dear.