Part 19: WHY
Update 19: WHY
Cat's Cradle
After the mindfuck of the Lost Forest, we're back and ready to jump in the minecart and get the hell out of this forest!
Oh... I foresee a large pink castle in our future...
BAAAAAASILLLL!! WHERE ARE YOU!?
Hmm... It doesn't look like Basil is here either.
Hey look! It's Mari!
BY YOUR SIDE
Mari, Mari!
D'aaaw.
Hero... This is kind of embarrassing...
Sigh... It's times like these I really wish Basil was here. He could tell Hero about how spiders are harmless and good for nature or something. Maybe then he wouldn't find them so creepy.
I'm not sure if that would help him right now.
Oh, Hero... you're going to have to deal with this eventually. These things will only get worse over time.
Maybe... Or maybe I'll naturally outgrow it! You never know what the future brings! Heh heh...I'm not sure that's how it works when you're already nearly 16 dude.
This forest is full of creepy-crawlies... It sure is giving me the heebie-jeebies! Not to mention I keep hearing skittering from up ahead... Seems like it could be something potentially dangerous, so you all should probably rest up.Not to worry, skittering heebie-jeebies are our specialty! Let's just grab another block of tofu before heading out.
This forest is a lot scarier than the one near the playground... And a lot older too... It does have a mysterious air about it, doesn't it?
I heard there used to be a huge library filled with books here... but since no one took care of it... over time the library slowly sank into the ground...
Who told you that, Mari?
Oh... Just some shadows here and there... if you focused, you could see them too!
Whatever! Reading is boring! Who wants to read anyway? Where is this library now, Mari? Well... If I were to guess... I'd say it would be right beneath us!
Like... underground? Yeah! Somewhere around here, probably!A lost library, huh? Sounds like something we should go spelunking in. Who knows what we could find?
Here's the current loadouts for the party. I really like Omori being able to go first, otherwise Hero would get the rabbit's foot. Kel's going to have Hector Jr on for the rest of the game. I like giving Hero the Veggie Kid since that's an extra bit of heart and juice for the guy. Keeps him upright longer and keeps him healing longer.
The only new skills equipped are on Omori and Aubrey. Omori's hack away is 30 juice for 3 attacks, really good and will become a new feature of boss fights. Aubrey's Power hit ignores all defenses, and then lowers defense. It's basically the best move for her to make on turn 1.
There seems to be a lot of dead sprout moles around here. I wonder what's up with that?
Why would I want to do that? If something's killing Mole Sprouts, that sounds like a friend to me!
King Crawler
Sweet Paralysis
Say hello to King Crawler. A pretty easy fight for such kicking rad boss music.
We're not going to be doing anything out of the ordinary for this fight. Make him sad while an angry Aubrey headbutts him into dust is the way to go.
Every now and then, the boss will spawn a Sprout Mole. While you don't want to tear Aubrey away from continuing to do damage to King Crawler, everyone else should focus on taking that Sprout down. If not, King Crawler will eat it at the end of his turn and gain a decent amount of life back. Healing is only for the player characters!!
After losing half his HP, King Crawler gains an all party attack. It, like all multi-target attacks, suck to deal with. Still, he's not a hard fight so we take him down easily.
No level ups, but a couple of Sprout Masks... I don't know what we're planning to do with those.
Ah, a ladder leading do- wait... this looks familiar...
See In Your Fantasy
NO
NOOOOOO
WHY DID WE HAVE TO COME HERE OF ALL PLACES!?
Yes, and then squish the rest of them.
Did you know? Sprout Moles really love tofu! I bought some tofu at a tofu stand earlier... Feel free to try some!Tofu heals for 5 HP by the way.
No picnic to go with the tomatoes, sadly. Man, some fresh from the vine tomatoes are so good. Supermarket versions just can't compete with that.
At least this Sprout Mole has the decency to give us a quest. The two on the right tell us about how they hate Mondays and how they lost countless sprout moles moving from the colony in otherworld to here. Sadly, their tales of joy do not lift my spirits.
BROTHER MOLE: I want to send him a care package, but... I'm afraid of getting lost. Would you be able to deliver this to him?
Yeah yeah, sure. We'll bring him a package. May as well become mailpeople.
There's only one ladder down from the top area, though this place is already much bigger than I'd like it to be.
I like how the dunce cap somehow makes his leaves larger than everyone else... unless his head is just unfortunately shaped.
... That is indeed cool. We've the found the first good Mole Sprout.
No, next question!
I have nothing for you but hate, sadly I must be going or I'll be late.
SOUS CHEF MOLE2: Are you mad? Any sprout mole with decent sense knows that Tofu is better when served cold!
Hey, there's no need to fight. Why don't you two come to a compromise?
Who knows? Maybe you're both right! Or maybe you can cook Tofu in a way that hasn't been done yet... Somewhere between hot and cold, like...
I don't know... L-Lukewarm?
SOUS CHEF MOLE2: Eeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwww...
SOUS CHEF MOLE1: Lukewarm Tofu? That's the worst idea I've ever heard. Even cold Tofu is better than that...
SOUS CHEF MOLE2: Lukewarm Tofu? I want to throw up. Even hot Tofu is better than that...
I've never had any tofu, but from what I've heard it's basically as good as the food surrounding it. And since food is best served hot... I'm gonna go ahead and say the mole that likes hot tofu is correct. The chef in the kitchen will relay fun facts about tofu, if you think learning facts about tofu is fun. There's also a Jash merchant above us who will sell a block of tofu for one clam. There's an achievement if you get 99 pieces of Tofu, so the easiest way to get that is to have a turbo controller and hit confirm on this guy and come back in like 5 minutes.
This place is really big, there's two paths down from the previous location, we're taking the right path for now.
Hey! This is the first joke we've found since getting the joke book! We'll need to go back and get the other jokes at a later date.
Look, I may not like these creatures... but Christmas is a good time of year and I can't ruin this poor mole's day by doing this. Also, the item isn't even that good.
This group of sprout moles is kinda interesting. Going from left to right:
SPRING MOLE: Ahh, spring... Spring brings us beauty! Spring brings us joy! Spring brings us life! Spring brings us a rejuvenating spirit to start things anew! Spring is the best season! Don't you agree?
SUMMER MOLE: Ahh, summer... the sand... the sun... the beach... the waves... not to mention... summer vacation! Finally, some time for rest and relaxation... That's what life is all about! Summer is the best season! Don't you agree?
FALL MOLE: Fall... autumn leaves... comfy clothes... the smell of cinnamon... the perfect time to cuddle up with a book... and with holidays right around the corner... You just gotta love fall! Fall is the best season! Don't you agree?
WINTER MOLE: Ahh, winter. It may be snowing outside, but winter is time for friends and family! Cuddling next to a warm fire... Sharing stories... Sipping on hot cocoa... and most importantly... taking a breather after a long year! Winter is the best season! Don't you agree?
Each of the four moles will ask you to agree with them on what season is the best. And if you agree, the other three refuse to talk to you because they're angry that you don't agree with them. My first time playing, I talked to winter mole first and, winter being my favorite season, I agreed with him and never got to talk to the other 3. You also get an equipment item depending on who you agree with. Those are:
Spring Mole - Watering Pail (Juice +10)
Summer Mole - Sunscreen (Heart +15)
Fall Mole - Rake (Attack + 3)
Winter Mole - Scarf (Defense + 3)
Despite winter being, objectively, the best season... we're going with fall because it's one of the few attack up accessories in the game. Spring and Summer item are made obsolete by Veggie Kid and winter item is made obsolete by the hard hat we got from Scott.
Gah! We can't escape her! It's like she's following us around, even to her own home!
Welcome to the Mole Town Power Plant. Why yes, they are powering the town by certain moles running on a treadmill. The mole next to the ladder is called the Warden Mole, so I'm not sure if they're using prison labor to power the town... which is just too bonkers for me to try and even treat seriously.
Just a giant plug controlling the entire town's power supply. No big deal.
This is a big deal, however.
This is the final area of the town - the mayor's house. Nice lava lamp.
Oh no! It sure would be a shame if we just... bumped the table, accidentally of course.
That... doesn't look friendly. Hmm, that thing above it's head does look friendly, though.
And there we go! That solves that problem! There's a bunch of really good healing items behind it that you'll probably use if you fight him legit...
King Carnivore
Sweet Paralysis
And of course I fight him legit. Who do you think I am? Someone not insane? I'm doing an LP of a JRPG, my sanity is clearly no longer extant.
So this fight will NOT be working how I usually like to operate. This guy loves to spam his laughing gas, which means everyone is going to be happy, which means making this boss sad is a capital B - BAD IDEA. I'm at level 15 for this fight, and I can be oneshot at any point - even after Hero reduced his attack.
This guy comes along with 2 roots, which make this fight a pain in the ass. They can deal decent damage to you, and can do a multi-target heal on themselves every couple turns. Nothing like them both rolling a heal on the same turn to really make the blood pressure go up.
Because we don't have a multi-target anger skill (air horn can only be used on friends), Omori breaks out a present while Kel annoys King Carnivore. The second regal fight of this update, also contains the same kick ass tunes. This guy lives up to the billing that the song gives though, sheesh.
Aubrey must be on counter duty for this fight, it's imperative.
This is why! King Carnivore packs a hell of a punch. This is with reduced attack from smile, and Omori having the emotional counter and... if he had full health would have been 10 points away from being oneshot. He's an optional boss that the game decides to make difficult because of that, which means he's quite fun!
Seriously, dude just deals so much damage. Sure, he's angry now but that also gave Aubrey the type bonus to survive the hit!
I meant to use Hero's spicy food on the last root but accidentally picked Snack time... which actually worked out for me since Aubrey took such a big hit.
And then the root gets a crit anyway
I haven't talked about it yet, but something this game does that I LOVE is the ability to queue up a healing skill on a downed teammate if you've already queued up a revive. It makes it so much less likely to get into one of those vicious spirals where you're constantly reviving someone who gets killed immediately.
The good thing about the roots and King Carnivore being angry is that Omori can use mock on them now! Which drops their attack bonus from being angry so we get the type benefit while they get nothing. Also, Omori buddy, you're a little... too happy. Dial it back a bit, yeah?
Here's the roots healing in action. This is why there are priority targets first, otherwise you're in a damage race with a boss who can oneshot anyone not at full HP.
I really needed to use Mock on King Carnivore, but I was doing so much damage to the roots that I didn't want to switch targets, even if just using one turn of mock on the King would have made it much more likely for Aubrey to live through a turn.
While I've used the super attack before, it was usually as a finisher move on bosses. This time, it's just to deal damage and try and equalize things in our favor. As such, I'm able to take advantage of the emotion bonus even on the super attack to increase damage done from 600 to 900 on the angry root and King Carnivore. Really wish I hadn't forgotten to make that last root angry too...
With the left root down, I'm able to switch targets to the King and man... look at that damage. Stage 3 emotional Omori is really quite powerful.
From that fight we gain 3 whole levels! Despite how difficult it can be, it's really quite fun and rewarding to beat this guy. It took me 4 tries here trying different strategies, most of them ended quite quickly because the King would target Omori while I was still setting up so Omori would die before I could get Aubrey to counter. It's why I go to her for counter so quickly, despite the fact that her using power hit on all three opponents would have really sped things up. It's also worth noting that Omori had the Seer Goggles on and Aubrey had the binoculars on, both because they give better hit rate. It's why they never missed despite being happy while Kel whiffed a couple times.
As for the skills learned: Aubrey's mood wrecker does more damage to Happy enemies and never misses, Kel's ricochet hits an enemy 3 times, and Hero's homemade jam is a 40 juice skill that revives a party member.
We've explored most of the town, minus this little part near the entrance.
SPROUT MOLE: If so, you've come to the right place! This sold-out extravaganza spectacular will be starting very shortly!
Wait a second! I know this show! We have front row tickets for it! Ah... I can see it now! A dazzling, epic tale about the hardships of romance! Heartbreak... Betrayal... Desperation... Loneliness... Oh the drama! This is going to be so fun! I can't wait to be swept off my feet! I don't know... I guess it looks... interesting? But now doesn't seem like the right time.
But you promised we could earlier! Please, Hero! We should at least check it out. Please, please, please, please, please, please!
Well... alright. Hopefully this won't take too long.
Yes yes, of course Mr. Sprout Mole, sir! We have our tickets right here!SPROUT MOLE: Oh... oh, my! I can't believe my eyes... These are front row tickets! You... You all must have made some great sacrifices to be here today... I applaud you. Forgive me for calling you strange-looking earlier. At a second glance, you four are the most normal-looking sprout moles I have ever seen. Please enjoy your front row seats, fellow normal-looking sprout moles!
Yes, the sacrifice included Kel getting slapped for 7 damage by the true owners of the tickets.
Sweetheart's Quest for Hearts
There's a lot of Sprout moles here that talk about how amazing Sweetheart is, including several who I'm sure who have actual shrines to her at their homes. I'm getting the impression these sprout moles are a bit obsessive on top of their other negative quality traits.
Gah! The library! We wanted to visit there...
Let's take our seats. It looks like the show is about to start!We've got the four empty front row seats that we
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: Before our show, we wanted to take a moment to honor the life of someone who has been an inspiration to us all. Our beloved leader, Ye Old Sprout.
How sad...
Uhhhh, whoops! I mean uh, whistles innocently?
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: He was truly the father that none of us deserved. Let us have a moment of silence in memory of him.
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: ... ... ... ... ...
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: May he rest in peace.
Or uh, pieces in this case.
Sweetheart's Quest for Hearts
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: Last time on "Sweetheart's Quest For Hearts"... Our favorite princess... once again... failed to fall in love with any of our eligible bachelors! This time... we've rounded up three new very attractive contestants! Will one of them be able to capture Sweetheart's heart? Let's reveal them now!
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: Contestant #1 is a local of Sprout Mole Village! He's coming in at three-feet tall! His favorite food is Tofu. He has a huge collection of plastic flamingos... and enjoys long walks through narrow tunnels! GIVE IT UP FOR CONTESTANT #1!
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: Contestant #2 is... Yup you guessed it! Also a local of Sprout Mole Village! Careful! He's coming in hot at three-feet-and-one-whole-inch! His hobbies include walking, running, and crawling! His favorite color combination is brown and green, and he spends his weekends rolling around in dirty laundry! Mmm... spicy!
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: And now for something completely different! Contestant #3 comes all the way from Otherworld! It's like he just fell out of the sky... literally! According to him and us, that makes him a catch. Give it up for Snaley!
Hey! I thought that guy died! Good for him!
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: And now... it's the moment you've all been waiting for... DIM THE LIGHTS, PLEASE!!
You just said beautiful twice! Though maybe it is shade considering the first ask by other people is "Is it a bad word?" Considering it's describing Sweetheart, I'm going to assume it is.
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: Yes! You know who we're talking about! She's all that is amazing and wonderful, and she is just about to set foot on this very stage! Please... Give a big, warm welcome to... the one... the only... the magnificent... SWEETHEA-
Oh... well now he's dead.
Oh, no! There's a blackout! Now what do we do? I have to know what happens next!
Let's wait it out... I'm sure the Sprout Moles will get the power back on in no time!
... Well... Maybe we should look around just in case.Uuugh, I feel a migraine coming on.
Hero, what do we do now? Don't worry, Aubrey. This is where my handyman expertise comes into play! In cases like this, we should probably be looking for... some kind of back-up generator!If the town is being run by moles running on a treadmill, I'm not sure there's such a thing as a backup generator.
There's like a dozen of you in this room, how did NONE of you notice the plug wasn't in the outlet??
Turning on the power again unlocks the use of the treadmills. True to the stats, Kel runs faster than everyone else while Hero gives out after like 10 seconds. Dude needs to practice his cardio. Sadly, no one gains any heart from running on the treadmill. Despite it being the best way to improve your heart!
With the power back on, we head back to the theater to finish watching the show.
MUSTACHE MOLE: You there, in the striped pants. You magnificent beast! Yes... Ohohoho... Yes, you look like you'll do just fine!
H-Huh? Wow... Uh... W-Why thank you! I-I don't know what to say...MUSTACHE MOLE: Please, kind sir. Will you help out a poor, lowly mole? I am desperately in need of your service.
Well, since you asked so nicely... How can I refuse?MUSTACHE MOLE: Thank you! Thank you, young lad! You are too generous. Please, come this way now. Chop-chop!
W-wait, hold on! Can my friends come too?MUSTACHE MOLE: Ah yes! Your friends! You are all here to see "Sweetheart's Quest", yes? If so, you will all meet again soon enough. Now come, sir! We must make haste. Time is short!
Hero actually leaves the party too. Hopefully it's not too serious.
MUSTACHE MOLE: During the break, we regret to inform you that a tragic accident has occurred right here on this very stage.
How tragic...
MUSTACHE MOLE: It is at this time we announce the sudden loss of Contestant #3. We will remember him fondly for the few seconds that we got to know him. He was truly a unique and irreplaceable soul.
Sweetheart's Quest for Hearts
MUSTACHE MOLE: Get this, guys. Hero's a real hunk, standing at a whopping 5'7"! His passions include baking, cooking, and cleaning... and if that doesn't sound like the perfect man, check out his killer smile and mild personality!
MUSTACHE MOLE: And now, once again... it's time to introduce the star of the show! DIM THE LIGHTS, PLEASE!!
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: Yes! You know who we're talking about! She's all that is amazing and wonderful, and she is just about to set foot on this very stage! She's the one... the only... the magnificent...
Sweetheart Laugh
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: An excellent entrance, my liege!
AHHHHHHH YES!! IT IS ME!! Hello, my stupid adoring fans!
Sweetheart Laugh
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: Sweetheart... We have brought three of the best bachelors in the world onto this stage.Will today be the day that one of them steals your heart? Let's start with some questions. One thing that Sweetheart values most in a companion is complete and absolute obedience! Do you, contestant #1, agree... to pledge your allegiance to Sweetheart for the rest of your life?
CONTESTANT #1: Uh... sure. I don't know... I guess...
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: Playing hard to get, I see! What do you think about that response, Sweetheart?
Mmm... Just three feet tall? My, that is much too short! Send him off... to the Dungeon!CONTESTANT #1: Hey... W-What did you say? The D-Dungeon?
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: Now onto Contestant #2. We ask you the same question. There's no right or wrong answer. Just answer truthfully! Contestant #2... Will you pledge your allegiance to Sweetheart for the rest of your life?
CONTESTANT #2: Well, uh... sure! If that means I won't get sent to the Dungeon...
My word! This one... His very being offends me. Take him away, boys!
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: Contestant #3! It looks like you're the last one standing. I'll ask the same question one more time. Again, no pressure at all. Do you, Hero, agree to pledge your allegiance to Sweetheart for the rest of your life?
... Well... no, that doesn't seem fair at all. Why would I do that?Welp, it was nice having a healer in the party.
SPROUT MOLE MIKE: WHAT AN EXCITING TURN OF EVENTS! This must be fate! A match made in heaven!
W-wait, but I just said- AH, YES, YES! YOU'LL DO JUST FINE. Now, what was your name again? H-Huh? I-It's uh... It's Hero, ma'am... Hero! My Hero! We must go to my chambers at once! Guards! I have chosen my suitor. TAKE HIM AWAY!
GUYS! PLEASE... DO SOMETHING!! Whoa! Hero's gonna marry Sweetheart? I didn't see that one coming at all!
Kel, what are you saying!? We have to help him! What do you want me to do about it? I don't want to go to the Dungeon! Ugh, Kel you're so useless... Hero! You have to reject Sweetheart! It's time, Hero! Your princess awaits!Sweetheart Laugh
OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!! Uhh... I don't think she's going to listen to me. JUST DO IT ALREADY!! Okay, I'll try.
Ah, yes... My lovely Hero! How I yearn for the sound of your sweet voice! Say my name again! Wow, haha... That's so nice of you... I mean- Ahem... I'm sorry, Sweetheart, but... I'm... not... interested... Why... Whatever do you mean, my prince? I... uh... This is all really flattering and all, but, you know... We only just met like... a few moments ago, and... Well... I have to reject your... umm... offer? Oh, pish-posh! Oh, don't be silly, Hero! I've never heard anything sillier! It's true... I'm sorry Sweetheart but...
This... This is preposterous... No... This... This is blasphemy!A Rose With A Lot of Thorns
EVERYONE LOVES SWEETHEART!! YOU HEAR ME!? EVERYONE!! SEND HIM OFF TO THE DUNGEON!
Ah... I see... You must be Hero's fans! The nerve of you lot... First, you make a fool out of me... then, you interrupt me during my own show!? I'm the one who makes the rules around here! GUARDS! TAKE THEM AWAY!!
