Part 13: A Little Cheese with Your Wine

Time to go rescue the little ones from the sleazy mayor and his equally sleazy friends.

Some people never learn, no matter how many times I punch them in the face.


The Wine Cellar has a simple layout, but I've included a map anyway.


We control Joachim throughout this dungeon. Watching him run is an endless source of amusement. I've included a short clip of it in the first video.


We don't make it in very far before we're stopped by another group of thugs.

Where are the children?! Don't try to get in our way!




They haven't gotten any more challenging than the last time.





Why don't you just morph yourself?
I already told you before, Yuma has my mask.

Um...no, you didn't.

What's that got to do with anything?



Tsk, tsk, tsk. A hero has to have one or two weak points, you know. Nobody loves a perfect superhero!



Your brains are enough of a weak point, if you ask me.

Ouch. When even Yuri is calling you stupid...




At least the fight gave us enough souls to pick up the first of Yuri's 2nd tier fusions.

The darkness covers your despair.

You got an Orexis Soul!!


Yuri's 2nd and 3rd tier Darkness fusions are pretty much the only ones of his elemental fusions that didn't get a radical redesign in this game. I guess the developers couldn't think of a way to make them even more awesome than they were before.

Anyway, back to the rescue:

1. Following the straight path north, we come to the first of the "puzzle rooms". In these rooms, you have to figure out how to get to the door on the far end, and there are no random monster attacks while you're in them. (Actually, right now there aren't any random attacks period, but that'll change soon.)


This room is simple. Just use the scaffold along the north wall to cross over to the far end of the room.


Ignoring the door for now, we run up the scaffold on the south wall.


This lets us get to a chest in the corner with a Seal of Wisdom. 'Cause lifting up that one crate blocking the way is too hard for a delicate little lady like Joachim.


Now we go back and go through the door in the western wall.


This lets us into a small storage room where we collect our prize, another Bhodi Bracelet. Joachim has a matching set now, how pretty!

2. Moving a little further into the Wine Cellar triggers a cutscene.


You're right. ...This atmosphere is aromatic, spicy and pungent, a medium-bodied atmosphere with a crisp finish...

Did...did Yuri just make a joke!?



What the hell are you talking about?!
Let's just be careful, that's all.

After this, we can now get in random battles. In the areas between the entrance and here, we'll run into more Thugs and Fat Thugs. In the areas past this point, the enemies are Gregor, Roach Queen and Centipede. Lovely.


3. A little further north and on the right, we come to the next puzzle room. This one is a little more complicated than the last.


First, we cross the south scaffold, then we thread our way through the crates to run underneath the north scaffold.


There's a chest at the far end with a Mana Seed inside.


Then we check out the door to the east. It's locked, we're going to have to find a way to open it.


There's a lever on the wall right next to the door.


It doesn't unlock the door, however. It just lowers a staircase so we can climb on top of the north scaffold.


Which we do, finding the lever that does unlock the door.


Then we can go into the room next door and get our prize, a Lottery Ticket.

YES!! No whammies, no whammies...STOP!
Yuri, I think you have a problem...
Awroo...
I don't have a problem! I can quit anytime I want, and I will, too, just watch me! _{...as soon as we find all the lottery members, meet the Chairman (again) and win whatever his top prize is this time...}



4. Now, all the way to the left is the third puzzle room. First, we'll grab that very obvious chest right by the stairs for a Thera Seed.


Then we make our way through the crates and barrels...


...and pull the lever underneath the scaffold on the south wall.


This lowers a staircase so we can use the scaffold to cross to the far side of the room.


This time, the door isn't locked.


We get a Silver Bracelet for our troubles.


Now, it's time to head all the way north.


5. This leads us to another puzzle room. This one is a little different, though. It has a Save Point, and it also has two doors leading from it, one to the north and one to the east.


First, we climb up the eastern scaffold to a lever.


This lowers a staircase on the western scaffold.


We use it to cross into the center are of the room and run under the west scaffold to pull another lever.


This one lowers a staircase on the east scaffold.


We use it to cross over to the far side of the room and find yet another lever, which lowers the northern stair on the west scaffold...


...and raises the south stairs on the east scaffold, giving us access to both doors. The north door is our ultimate goal, but for now, we're heading east.


6. This brings us to the final puzzle room.


First, we run underneath the south scaffold and pull a lever, which lowers the staircase next to us.


Then we run up the south scaffold and pull a lever to lower the stairs leading up the north scaffold.


We climb those, pull another lever, and get another crotch-shot. I mean, lower another staircase.


Now we can use the south scaffold to cross to the other side of the room. From there, we go under the scaffold again and pull another lever, which lowers a staircase on the north scaffold. You can't really see it because Joachim is in the way.


Now we can use the north scaffold to get to a blocked off area of the room and grab a Pure Seed from the chest.


Then, we go through the eat door and get a Raum Crest (Dark Edge, Evil Ray).


Having cleaned out anything of value, we can now go back to the Save Point and through the double doors to the north.


Dammit! I wanted to be the one to punch them!


Oh, shit, not her again...

Cole: (He's desperately trying to pretend he's unconscious...)


Going further into the room, we find out what happened to the kids. At least she's left all their clothes on...

John: Big brother!!

Poor John. He doesn't even rate his own character portrait.



Ho ho ho ho! I knew you fools would show up sooner or later.
Wh-Who are you?!

I get the feeling that Joachim didn't notice Veronica at all until she started speaking. Now, if it had been Lenny waiting for us...



So that weird atmosphere we were feeling was you, huh?!
Tee hee hee. I suppose so. Now get ready to take your punishment!





You, in the silly outfit! How dare you take my family! I, Joachim, will make you pay for your crimes! Hah!


I don't think Veronica liked being told by the guy with the knee-high boots and skull belt buckle that she dresses funny. They both actually look like they go to the same tailor. Er, leather worker, I mean.

"Silly outfit", huh?!



My name is Veronica, if you really must know. But the time for talk is over!

Put your boots on, ma! It's getting deep!


Joachim starts sliding up to Veronica. If he were a straight man, I'd say the way he's holding his hands makes him look like he's going to lunge right for her boobs, but, well...let's face it, Joachim makes Keith look like Straighty McMachopants from the land of Tits and Beer.


Before he can grab her and steal her fabulous boots, or whatever he was planning on doing, Veronica blasts Joachim with Evil Ray.


Who immediately begins reeling around like a very drunk man trying to do the backstroke. Drama queen.



Joachim!

John: Big brother!


Hah! I love the look of pity on Yuri's face.

What is he doing?


Yuma manages to break free (for someone so into S&M, Veronica's not very good at that whole bondage thing) and throws her Butterfly Clip to Joachim.


Veronica doesn't know what the fuck. She's not alone, believe me.


Joachim struggles to reach his mask (again, drama queen).


Ooh, pretty colors...


Hero theme music out of nowhere!

Wh-What's going on?!



Champion of truth and justice...



Grand Papillon!



Ready to fight all evil-doers!


Now that all the ridiculousness is out of the way, it's time to kick some ass.


This fight is just Grand Papillon against Veronica. Not that we really need anyone else; Joachim's Grand Papillon form gives a boost to all his stats.


Also, Veronica's pretty much a pushover.


She looks like a sad little dead insect pinned to a pasteboard.


Oh, well, who cares! We got an Sp-Attack Down 1 out of her! We've also got Veronica added to the monster library.





Not too shabby, Masked Wonder!



Ha ha ha ha! No evil-doer can stand against my rippling muscles!



Well, I hate to get myself all sweaty. Here. I've got a present for you!

Veronica disappears into the fog and...


What the HELL!?!



Oh. That thing looks pretty tough!
Awroo!
Come on! We've got to help!



Do we really have to get in the middle of this one?


Now that Veronica has scampered, the entire party faces off against her pet toad-demon, Meursault. Who is, somewhat surprisingly, Wind aligned.


Meursault brought friends with him, a Centipede and a Gregor. Unlike some bosses, he doesn't re-summon them when they're gone, so the first priority is to get rid of them.


After that, I fuse Yuri into his cool new Orexis form.


Meursault isn't difficult; just keep up the Combo attacks and he'll go down in no time. This Combo Magic is called Strong Earth.


He does have the nasty habit of Paralyzing your party members. At this point, I only had two Bhodi Bracelets. Equipment that stops Status Effects is relatively expensive early in the game, so I tend to use just whatever I find rather than buying it. Generally having a couple of your party members protected against a boss's Status Effects is enough. The only exception would be if you're going up against something that has an Instant Death attack; you'll want to make sure everyone has something to stop it then.


We send the toad back to wherever the hell he came from. Somewhere dark and slimy, I'm sure.


And that's that. The kids are safe, we're all heroes, and the mayor owes us for saving him from the scary whip-lady. Best of all, we picked up another crest!