Part 5: You are a boy, you should not be such a sissy.
It's finally time to leave Tenel Village.
But first, let's go to Tenel Village.
Music: Tenel Village
We're here to deliver that pebble to the baker at grandma's request, but we might as well talk to Julia since she's right there.
So you're some macho tough guy, now? You're going further and further away from my ideal. I see what you're trying to tell me. You never really cared about me. I was right to say good-bye to you.
Poor Ari just can't catch a break.
We head to the bakery next.
Bakery Woman: Oh, Ari, I hear that you're off to travel. Remember this. A man should act with dignity! Keep your chin up!
The Bakery Woman has her eyes on the "Mere Pebble" which Ari has!
Bakery Woman: What? From your grandma? This pebble for me?
...Ari has relinquished the "Mere Pebble"! Gave it to the Bakery Woman!
Bakery Woman: Hmm, I don't know how she does it, but this looks like just the right stone. Great, it fits the gap perfectly! Your grandma, she seems senile, but she's far from it. She's a mystery.
...Ari has acquired "Bread Crust"!
The inn is open now that the water's running again. Every town has an inn, where you can pay Sukel to rest, change your party loadout, or save the game. Ari's room also functions as an inn, so there's no reason to pay to rest in Tenel.
The landlord over there doesn't have anything interesting to say. He just explains all the cool things you can do in an inn, like I just did.
There's also someone through the door to the side, though.
Fortune Teller No.1: There's a reason I can't reveal my real name. But "Love Fortune Teller Master No. 1" is what most people call me. Just one look at the crystal an I'll identify exactly who loves you the most. So, would you like me to tell your fortune of love?
Yes, please!If you really want to.
Fortune Teller No.1: Here we go! Hey! Hey! Hey! Show me, my crystal ball! Ah, it's come to me! You are matched best with... Whoa!
Fortune Teller No.1: The compatibility of two persons changes from time to time depending on the actions you take. Well then, come again soon!
This will probably change a few times as the game goes on. If anyone's curious, on the original save I wrote the first four updates with, we were most compatible with Stan.
Music: The Forest of Willkur
Alright, we're finally leaving Tenel for real this time!
But first, we need to solve the first Cyphertext. If you recall, the Cyphertext said:
Cyphertext 1: "Sdnourg eht ot og s'tel ereh si sucric eht."
Now, this is a pretty tough puzzle. If you write it backwards, though, there's a hidden message!
".the circus is here let's go to the groundS" :1 txetrehpyC
So the solution to the puzzle is to go to the circus grounds! I can't believe how smart I am!
Suspicious Guy: From now on, you are a member of the "World Crypto Organization". The World Crypto Organization is a great organization. It "searches for the world's secrets through cyphers". We are playing... I mean studying the creation and decoding of cyphers. Now we give you, the newcomer, the following command. The cypher indicates a location somewhere in Madril.
Ari acquired "Cyphertext 2"!
We open our inventory and use the Cyphertext 2.
Cyphertext 2
5: ownha
1: Knockth
4: sideoft
3: nthe
6: llofth
2: reetimeso
7: emachines.
I don't get this one at all. Maybe someone in the thread can solve it?
While at the circus, I notced the so-called stone circle was glowing green.
If you approach it, Ari vanishes in a flash of light.
Music: Islands of Wap-Wap
It takes us to a bizarre, tiny island covered in stone circles. There's also a mysterious woman nearby.
Woman in Black: Also known as "Traveler's Island", it connects to all over the world from this stele. If you are to continue to travel, you will have to frequent this place. See you again, if fate allows. (In monotone)
That has to be the most awkwardly translated dialog in the entire game.
There's nothing else for us here on the Isle of Wap-Wap, so we return to the circus via the green stone circle.
Music: The Forest of Willkur
And we continue leaving Tenel Village! This time nothing will stop us!
...As you proceed southward along the path, the game eventually stops us.
And so we begin the game's most obnoxious sidequest: The Tiny Gear Quest!
There are a total of 32 Tiny Gears scattered across the overworld areas of the game. They'll never appear in dungeons or towns. They're hidden in totally random places, and are completely invisible. Thankfully, if you walk over one, Ari will automatically pick it up, you don't have to press the button to search. It'll be awhile before we can actually learn what they're for, but Ari will compulsively collect them regardless.
As we continue south, we come across a wooden bridge.
If we go over to the right instead of crossing the bridge, we can go underneath it and talk to that man. There's also a chest containing a Holly, an accessory that increases your Luck by 1. Ari starts the game with one equipped, so now we have two.
Wandering Painter: Oh no! I tried to erase it with my finger and the canvas became completely black. Bread Crust is the best for erasing a charcoal drawing... but I don't have...
The Wandering Painter has his eye on the "Bread Crust" that Ari has!
Wandering Painter: Well, it's Bread Crust. Are you giving it to me?
Give it to himThink about it more.
Wandering Painter: Thanks. In return, I'll give you this Worn Brush.
Ari acquired "Worn Brush"!
Man, we just left Tenel five minutes ago and we've already started like, fifteen different sidequests! Now we need to find someone who wants a Worn Brush, in this Legend of Zelda trading sequence.
We cross the bridge, but something stops us along the way...
Music: The Encounter
But Slave, you should improve your skills. Now, slave, destroy the one there. A true servant of mine should be able to do this easily. Now go!Ghost: Boo... Boo...
Another ghost appears behind Ari!
This is a real pinch. There's only one thing to do in this situation...!
Ari fully apologized!
...That didn't work at all!
Music: A Hero Appears
Aw yeah, check out that sweet PS2 motion blur.
The ghosts fade away as Ari returns to his feet.
Music: Big Tree Hole
Thank you!Wanna have a cup of tea with me?
I love how wide she opens her mouth. It looks completely ridiculous, and it's great.
Don't walk around here so vulnerable like that! In addition, you don't even have a weapon... I can't believe it! Hold on a sec!
It's a cheapie, but it's better than nothing!Ari acquired "Leftover Sword"!
The Leftover Sword automatically replaces the Picked Up Branch in our equipment.
You are a boy, you should not be such a sissy. Okay? You got it? Um... Can I have your name...
You are pretty.
Man, why does every woman react like this when I make a move on her?
Um, can I have your name...Goodbye.
Pull yourself together, young boy! See ya!
Like all women, she exits my life as quickly as she appeared...
You are a pathetic thing, slave. Two lowly beings show up and you cower like a troll. Then you were saved by some passing woman! Oh well. Be grateful that my evil hand is merciful to my servants. I may render aid from time to time. But you must still become stronger! Discipline yourself by giving these lower beings a thrashing! We will have issues if you can't protect yourself. Don't forget that your shadow is important to me now!
Immediately after Stan stops talking, approximately one million (give or take 999,996) ghosts appear behind Ari and we run like heck.
Music: Normal Battle
In Okage, enemies appear on the map, and combat begins when you touch them. Normally I really like this in RPGs, because it lets you avoid combat when you don't want to fight. That's not really the case in Okage, because enemies appear in huge numbers, suddenly and out of nowhere, often immediately in front of Ari right where you're walking. They're just barely more avoidable than random encounters.
I'm dumb, surprise attacks happen at random. This one coincidentally occurred when an enemy touched Ari's back.
I've already explained how battles work, but there is a mechanic I neglected to mention.
Sometimes during combat, Stan will lend his aid, and attack the enemies.
Stan's attacks hit all enemies for high amounts of damage. Against ordinary enemies, it will often end the battle.
Stan attacks at random, but he's very likely to help out when Ari's HP drops into the criticals. You can tell when his HP is considered at "critical level" because the music changes. Stan can often save you from an otherwise hopeless situation, but he's random enough that you really can't depend on it.
Music: The Forest of Willkur
We can also get underneath the bridge on this side, and if we do...
Something is there... Ari found "Tiny Gear"!
Continuing to the south, we encounter a lake. If we run along the lake shore...
Something is there... Ari found "Tiny Gear"!
And immediately north of the lake, we can play in the grass to get...
Something is there... Ari found "Tiny Gear"!
And now that we're done collecting garbage, we continue along the path. Make sure to pay attention to the minimap if you're having trouble following where we're going. The zoomed-in camera basically makes it impossible to tell what's going on even when you're playing, so I imagine it's doubly impossible to tell from screenshots.
Hey, who's that over there?
Traveler: Soldiers were walking in line guarding some incredible beauty! She must be a Princess!
Continuing to the south, I gain newfound appreciation for games with good cameras.
Bridges are a popular place to meet new people in the Forest of Wilkur.
He's ignoring us. This is our only way forward, so let's try getting his attention again.
What? I am making an extremely important observation now. Do not disturb me.
And so we talk to him a third time.
My past calculations projected that my present calculations would show... Nothing! ...Huh? What is it? Excuse me...Have you taken root here?
...Huh? What is it? Uh-huh. You want to know who I am? Not really.
I want to know when you'll move.
Music: Gutten Kisling
The face of a man you can trust.
I am Evil King Stan, the lord of darkness & evil. How do you do. My hobbies are world conquest and the harassment of fake Evil Kings. Humph, see the difference. I am a superior class of being. Now get out of my way! ...Ha, you're still green. A person like you who tells stale jokes to any passerby wouldn't understand. My main concern is to construct a new paradigm by hypothesizing the dichotomy of the light wave/particle relationships to supradimensional non-corporeal, malicious existence exuding into the observable planes and how it permeates corporeal ideas of positive and negative morality and its numerous permutations, through... Th, that's enough.See the results of dictionary abuse.
Arrggh! No scientific babble! Just get out of my way! And take your theories with you! ...Based on that theory, in order to establish a feasible hypothesis to plot empirical data we must...the retreating figure in the drizzling rain, on a dark and cold road and other metaphysical metaphors...bending time and reality! And there you have it!!
And he turns around and leaves us.
............Music: The Forest of Willkur
We can cross the bridge now, so we continue to the south. It's not long before we encounter yet another mysterious woman. That makes three today.
Mysterious Woman: Currently in Madril there are two gangs. They are involved in a terrible conflict! Please! Don't go! It's dangerous! You are going anyway, aren't you! Oh no!
At last, our destination is in sight! The gates of Madril!
You may also notice the red stone circle. Now that we've reached it, it's active on the Isle of Wap-Wap, so we can freely teleport to Madril from any stone circle.
And so we arrive in Madril, the city with the coolest gate you will ever see.
Tune in next time, when we continue our quest to harass the Evil King who's hiding out here!