Part 105: 01/04/10 - 01/06/10: Adamah The Earth Below (Part One)
Not much time left on our break before school picks up again. Probably for the best, since we're swiftly running out of things to do during the day here.
Living With Determination -Iwatodai Dorm-
Newscaster: The detainee was an unemployed 30-year-old man intensely devoted to cult-related magazines...
Not much to do in the dorm today, at all, so we'll just check out the TV now and... wait, a suicide
...But Nozomi hasn't been arrested. Phew.
Joy
> Nozomi seems more energetic than usual.
I did it! I finally met my quota! I found someone else to welcome into our flock! Well, well! Speaking of which...
Finally, Paradise is smiling on me!
Just stop it. Y-You think I should just abandon these people in their sin?> Nozomi seems furious.
I'm trying to save these people! ...People who have been suffering, just like me!
If... If this is how you really feel, Makoto, then we're through! Don't follow me around! Only true believers are allowed into Paradise!
> Out of concern for Nozomi, you decided to follow him.
Calamity
A shakedown!
...an emergency! A serious emergency!Middle-aged Man: You going to talk about the end of the world some more? I remember another cult that got into that... Except they weren't really about "initiation fees," I think it was just about giving up material wealth. A lot of these cults just borrow ideas from other, actual religions, don't they? Tell the truth!
Y-You mean... This was all a trick?
Middle-aged Man: You went too far, kid. I tried to do this civilly, but I don't even feel bad anymore. ...Try not to hit his face. If he gets scars, then he'll be able to press charges or something.
Ah... Ahhh... *sob* Am I gonna die? I... I... *sob*
I'm not s-scared...!Wicked Man: Ah geez... He's getting snot everywhere.
...Makoto!?
N-N-No, c'mon... *sob* I hate pain!> Nozomi really seems to trust you.
> Your relationship is stronger now!
Troubled
Wicked Man: ...Look, we gotta take off. I have work, and this is a drag.
Middle-aged Man: Look, just forget about the money. But, I don't ever want to see you near my son again!
> After taking Nozomi home, you returned to the dorm.
Not much else to do today, unfortunately. We could go to Tartarus, sure, but eh nah.
There's plenty of time for that, even if we do need to squeeze a lot in quickly.
Living With Determination -Iwatodai Dorm-
As you know, this is something that someone would really, definitely say.
That includes atacks by Shadows. So if a person is found injured, the attack is usually blamed on a robber. And if someone disappears, it's considered a kidnapping or an abduction. These incidents are sporadic... ...and are classified as mysterious causes because everything about them is unexplainable. But now, the numbers of incidents are increasing so fast that they're drawing the public's attention.
I wonder if anyone actually thinks that's true... It kind of reminds me of those advertisements in the back of a magazine... You know, the ones that say, "Buy this product and you'll be happier!"Oh yeah, and everyone has something new to say. Mostly about the cult stuff, of course. Akihiko's was different, though, so maybe someone else will be too.
We'll need those eyes to see through the lies of that cult.
Brainwashed by the cult.
Y-You're joking, right? I mean, you can't be serious... ...cuz if that's how it's gonna be, I'm not going, dude!
There have been a lot of people reported missing as well. This is not good. Society is crumbling before our eyes.
It makes me sick... I hope our school won't be like that. It'll be okay. I hope so...
But, people have different ways they want to be saved... Some people want money, others want peace... I wonder what the cult members want...We could, and arguably should, watch the TV right now but I'm sure better stuff'll be on this evening.
Plus our daytime stuff today is really quick since Nozomi gave 0 points before, naturally. Threshold for getting from rank 9 to 10 is only 5 points, though, so it's such a non-issue.
Narrator: This man was the first patient that the young doctor was not able to save. Tears rolled down his eyes...
Newscaster: That was our special report. Coming up next, the news.
Just check out the news tonight and... well, that's it. Yep.
Maybe should've staggered everyone else's dialogue, in hindsight.
Not much to do today, though, so we'll just skip right on over to Nozomi.
Joy
L-Let's go to Hagakure!> You decided to grab some ramen with Nozomi.
Everyone compared me to my brother, and I was never able to surpass him. Not at anything. For a while I'd hit him for no reason, but he always treated me like a brother. We did always enjoy eating together... But, when I was in 8th grade, he got food poisoning. ...I guess it was undercooked or something... But I couldn't even cry. I was relieved, because I finally didn't have to measure up. I felt free. That's terrible.
At first, I tried to be like my brother. I went to cram schools and did martial arts and everything... ...but I was never as good as my brother had been, so I started to feel like people were laughing at me. When I eat, all I need to focus on is the table in front of me... everything else disappears. See? That's what the Gourmet King is really made of... I only ate to make the voices in my head shut up. But, if I keep going like this... I'll never be anything like my brother, will I? You should be yourself. ...I guess. So, I should only worry about being myself...?
That might be true... ...... You're right! Of course, Makoto! I can never be like my brother! We're two different people! Ha ha... How could I miss something so obvious? Thank you, Makoto... I really owe you one.> Nozomi appreciates your help.
> Your relationship is stronger now!
The Path Is Open
> A mysterious voice rings in your head...
Joy
Sandalphon's level 74 and so thoroughly mediocre for something we might not even get a chance to use. He's even upgraded from vanilla where he was level 71. Yes, really. He's got an added immunity to Strike and has Akasha Arts added to his moveset. Shame that he sucks.
This is gonna be a recurring trend today.
And, hey, added bonus: now we've only got 3 links left to spend time on. Empress, Fortune and Sun are all that remains.
...Because you're the new king. All hail Gourmet King the 2nd!> Nozomi took something out of his jacket pocket and handed it to you.
The restaurants in the strip mall gave this to me because of how often I eat there...
I feel like I've been a fake all this time... But, I will become the true Gourmet King one day! I wil become a food critic. It will be my job to eat... And I will master it! Then, once I die and go to the afterlife, I can face my brother... And he'll be impressed by the fact that I was able to master something, all by myself! Hold onto this until I achieve my ultimate destiny, okay? I may have lost my position, but once I educate myself in the ways of the culinary arts, I shall reclaim it! That's my promise to you... and to my little brother.
...and I just realized this ramen is actually really good!> After Nozomi ordered an extra bowl of ramen, you returned to the dorm.
We should, shouldn't we?
The Voice Someone Calls
So, we will. This is our party composition this time around, and we don't have much else to worry about. There's only 3 quests available now, so we probably won't be back to see Elizabeth just yet.
But, hey, we've made it what is clearly definitely the final block now. Both because we've been told as much implicitly and explicitly. And also because it's at the top of the screen.
tartarus_0d06 
In a bizarre twist, the instant we enter the block Fuuka knows where the boss is!
...Oh, wait. ......! Only around five more! We're almost to the top. We can do this together!In an even bizarrer twist, Fuuka's suddenly become so competent she can tell us exactly how many boss fights are left.
And just entering the block gives us a rank up for the Judgement link. A few ranks come from getting to specific floors and floor 215 is the very first one.
Speaking of which, welcome to Adamah. The second world in Kaballistic tradition and it's a very simple word. It is Hebrew for "earth," with a lower-case e, or "country." It's also a very pretty and simple white but it's not overtly clean; it's got a weird filthy tint to it that makes it seem a little off.
And its super-hard to see most of the time, but the background in battles now is meant to play into the general atmosphere and moon stuff.
In particular, it's meant to be visualy similar to Van Gogh's painting The Starry Night. I can definitely see it, but it's a little hard to make the connection when playing. All in all, I'd have to admit that Adamah is my favourite block overall really.
Speaking of fights, Adamah has 29 new Shadows to deal with (30 if you include the requisite Gold Hand). Fortunately, they're not all around immediately, but that's easily more than any other block. So, let's get to it then...
Mass Destruction / Wiping All Out
So, Shadows in Adamah start at level 65 with the Amenti Raven here. They're potentially a little bit more survivable than normal. Sort of. Amenti Raven is a poor example though, because they cast Mamudoon and don't have any resistance to Curse.
Repelling Fire is more of a minor annoyance than anything else, since they sometimes come with stuff weak to Fire.
Not necessarily the Bigoted Maya, but they're weak to Fire alright. Being Mayas, they're also incredibly boring and have very little to talk about. Ziodyne isn't a big deal any more, Diarama is a wasted turn presuming they get one (no).
Death Dice are very, very simple and very blunt. They like to kill you dead. Resistances are more varied and interesting than a lot of other stuff in this stretch of Adamah. That's about it, really, since they're weak to Mitsuru.
Slaughter Drives have a relatively lot of health and... that's about it. Tetrakarn is weird and pointless; Makarakarn would make more sense but still presumes they'd get to use it (no). Matarukaja and Power Charge are almost threatening with that Deathbound, but getting 1 turn is a stretch never mind 3.
Green Sigils are maybe the first real possible threat in Adamah purely because of Sexy Dance. Repelling Expel is kinda neat and draining Elec is a nuisance when they inevitably come with Amenti Ravens.
Megidola is ridiculously stupid and pointless though. Spirit Drain isn't as intimidating as it seems since it only drains 20 SP.
Death Castle is, well, a tank. 1200 HP all but is comparable with bosses, but that's all it has going for it. Weak to Wind helps cut through its health quickly, but it's just survivable enough to maybe not drop immediately for once.
Still won't get turns but it's the best attempt at it.
And finally, we have Onnen Musha. A level 70 Strength Shadow who stands out by being, well, here and not with the level 70+ dudes. Meanwhile in his stead up there we have two different Shadows that are in the 60s.
That's basically about it as far as this guy goes. He's a pretty standard Musha but with a Fire weakness this time. No resistances, so he's really banking on those Evades. They won't help, though, so whatever.
...I guess he has a nice eyepatch?
Oh yeah, and we have Rank 9 cards in Shuffle Time now. They're mostly just the same as ever, but at least now the stat boosts in the Wands rare alternative result are pretty dang good.
Have I ever mentioned that can happen? I don't even remember. But, yeah, it can. It's not at all common but it gives your active Persona a stat boost. +5 isn't too shabby, all things considered. Beats what you can get from cards, never mind the arcade.
tartarus_0d06
Real quick, there's a lot of new equipment we can obtain in Adamah which is nice. Damascus Rapier is the most relevant for this party composition in particular...
Being a stronger sword than what Mitsuru has been using since the Hanged Man fight (barely) and it has a more generally useful added effect.
And we even managed to snag a rare pair of women's boots for Mitsuru as well.
Evading Elec isn't a big deal at this point, but the only other person who can use it is Yukari. She needs that effect even less now, really.
Floor 220 brings with it 3 Shadows to fight, as per usual. We'll take a brief run back downstairs via the Terminal for the full heal and all.
Poem For Everyone's Soul (Reincarnation) / Blues of the Soul
And while we're here, since Makoto hit level 66 during the ascent we'll make some new Personae. Mostly off-screen, but Kohryu's noteworthy since he's our Hierophant capstone, made in the exact way you'd expect and...
...He's kinda garbage and it takes spending so much time and effort to fix that. He gives a Heart Item at level 73 which grants Null Strike. That's sort of okay, I guess, but by default Kohryu is incredibly bad. He's primarily Magic/Endurance and his only default skills are Samarecarm, Mediarahan and... Weary Thrust. Two spells that don't care about his stats and Weary Thrust.
Weary Thrust is sorta good sounding on paper, with a base 405 power, 99% accuracy and a 5% crit rate. Problem is that it gets a power boost from being Tired. Which at this point requires actively trying to get, and his Strength isn't super great for this point.
Hermit Noble Seeker x3 (Portable) Master of Tartarus / Danger Zone
So, anyway, Kohryu's trash and I'm not gonna waste time making him useful. Not worth it. We'll just dunk on these Seekers and move on.
This is such a low-effort easy fight. The Seekers have all the dynes, both single and multi-target, sure...
But they sure don't use them all that cleverly or anything. That's basically it as far as they go.
...Yes, really. They have 1700HP and SP each so they don't even last that long. Sure, they resist Fire, Ice, Wind and Elec but that's it. It would be a really boring fight, but it's far too short to really even register. That they only have 31 Endurance plays into that, too.
End tartarus_0d06
We're one step closer to the promised place! I know we can make it! Keep it up!
Beating bosses (snrk) in Adamah also give us ranks for Judgement. This could play out the same way as the normal "reach a floor" rank up, by making it trigger at the start of the floor after a fight. Glad they don't do that, though, because it feels more like something you earned this way.
Well, it would if it was attached to real fights. Noble Seekers count in name only.
They dropped 15 Beads, which is nice I guess, but the chest is just one Egg.
And this is where things would normally end, but first I had to take folks and let 'em catch up level wise.
...During which, a Gold Shadow turned up. Gonna take advantage of that, then.
Need 3 of these things, though, so this is not at all close enough for it. Sorry, Akihiko. Your gag weapon is a pain in the arse to get.
Fuck it, while we're here lets use Raktapaksha. Level 65 required, since it's Gurr + Garuda. It costs 15% SP for Dekaja which can maybe Knock Down.
Dekaja costs 15SP if you ever feel the need to cast it (you won't; enemies don't (de)buff much here you may have noticed). Rakapaksha costing 15% makes it actively useless. Knock Down is nice and all, but it's not worth the absurdly high SP cost that comes with it.
Poem For Everyone's Soul (Reincarnation) / Blues of the Soul
A gust of wind so fierce that it's hard to remain standing... If you're wearing a hat, take care that it's not blown away. Oh... doesn't one of your friends always wear a hat...? I wonder what he does with his hat when you use Raktapaksha... Please accept your reward.
Junpei's winter outfit might very well be the last one we obtain. At least for real.
Because Akihiko's is next and it requires being level... 87 to get. Yes, really. Rakapaksha is level 65. Last Judge is next and it's gated behind level 87. The final Fusion Skill request requires level 88.
There's several between Last Judge and that one. Just for quick reference, because we might not even see them, here's the remaining level requirements in order:
Request 74 is Last Judge here at level 87.
Request 75 requires Susano-O to do, so that's level... 76. Goddammit, Elizabeth.
Request 76 requires two high level Personae, for once, but the highest one is 78.
Request 77 is a pretty simple pair, and requires Makoto to be at least level 82.
Request 78 is the final Fusion Skill request, which is level 88.
Yes, after this, they drop back down to a more realistic climb. Fucking hell.