Part 7: Part 07

I think the shopkeeper next door will find this very interesting.

I'm selling off Milo's morningstar since he got an upgrade last time. Selling rare items gets a different message than when you sell regular ones, and they'll go into the rare deals section at the proper store - this guy takes any defensive gear, for instance.

While I'm at it, I upgrade Sue's chainmail to the breastplate in the rare deals section, and his leather helm for a bronze one. Milo gets a fur hood; it's the best normal hat for him at this point. The magic hood is still too expensive.





The Rune Key opens the grey door close to where the original Kaiserkrab was lurking.



The Cave of Wisdom is the "last" and toughest of the Trials.




It's full of traps. This is one of the few visible pits; the others will only reveal themselves once you've actually stepped on them. Navigating this dungeon is a piece of fuck and a half without maps, but fortunately, the game takes pity on you... somewhat.



War lizards are pretty tough. They hit hard, and they can cast Quick 1, making any that survive the first round potentially even tougher on the second.



Pyra makes the most out of this level up. Blaze 3 is nice, and Peace is a wonderful spell that prevents weaker enemies from attacking you for a short while. It's kind of expensive, but when you're backtracking, it's not as if you have much other use for the MP anyway.



Blaze 3 in action. This is about as much as Sue deals with his physical attack against this guy, but he is made of water.



Another chest behind bars. This is starting to become quite the pain in the nethers.



For some reason, there are still ostriks here. 20 points isn't a lot at this stage; many of the stronger enemies can deal damage in the high teens with their normal attacks.



These guys like to cast Slow 1. It's not a big problem since that means they're not damaging me that turn. However, while they refrained from doing so on this run, they're supposedly capable of casting Freeze 3, which would be quite a threat.

Behind them,




...I fall into a hole in the ground.



I'll be trying to avoid these things in the future.



This is a thing.




If I didn't already have a map, this would be very welcome. As it is, it's a curious treasure I'll sell for a couple of hundred bucks when I get back to town.



Tarantias can shoot webs at you, which is basically the same thing as sleep; if it sticks, you're tangled in it for a while, but get out in a couple of rounds.



Milo upgrades Quick. Level 2 affects the entire party, but instead of 50%, it only offers a ~33% boost, which is a bit of a pity.



There's a long line of doors here, each of which opens when you approach them.



However, if you turn around after passing them...



...you'll find that you're trapped. There is only one way to go: forward.



On the other side, a familiar face awaits us...

Video: Lost and found (recommended viewing)



Dai here sounds very adolescent. I bet the other knights pick on him.


You came all this way to rescue me?! Praise be to the Ancients!

...not really, but sure, he can believe whatever makes him happy.


With your help, I might just see my sister again!

Dai joins your party.

That's great! Now make yourself useful - this is an even tougher trial, so I expect you to pull your weight just like Gila did, all right?




...

So yeah, don't expect Dai to do anything useful, ever.



Nightwraiths can cast Blaze 2.



It's ~10-15 points to the entire party, so it's not a huge threat, but still unpleasant. Sleep 2 is nice against big groups like this.



Smelling salts.



Another one-way door leads out of the area where Dai is hiding.



Along the way, I kill some spiders and find a fur robe. Milo and Pyra can use it, but neither of them wants to; it's worse than their current gear. I might get some money for it in town, though...




We backtrack a bit and fall into another hole. This one is on purpose, honest!




This is the only way to get to this treasure chest, which sits behind a one-way door.



No matter how painful this dungeon is, the Firesword is worth it.


What's more, it's pulsing with magic.
This thing might break if it's used too much.

That will only happen under very specific circumstances - feel free to hit things with it as much as you like.




Climbing these stairs leads to a pleasant surprise:




a chest with the bars on the other side! Much like the Firesword, this one can only be reached by falling through a hole, though I suppose you could come back after obtaining the proper key and open the gate on the other side as well.



Imagine navigating that without a map! That hole is suspicious...



That's the "defend" command in a funny hat.

The fact that these guys can cast Bolt 1 makes them somewhat threatening, but other than that, they're no big deal.



Sue demonstrates why the Firesword is to be feared.



Oh, hey, that chest I already looted!



The proud tradition of walking potatoes in funny hats continues. These guys can drop critical hits ("awesome blows") for upwards 40 points.



So Sue sets them on fire.



Yeah, I suppose I forgot to mention that the Firesword casts Blaze 3 when "used".

However, it can't keep this up forever...




This map is incorrect, but it can't fool me.



The flail seems useless when looking at its stats...



...but trying it out in battle reveals that it allows Milo to attack twice in a round. This being a JRPG, where the number of hits you can land with each attack directly corresponds to your worth as a human being, it is, naturally, an upgrade.



For comparison, Milo's damage with the axe against the same foe.

This can lead to a situation where he attacks two different enemies, killing neither where a blow from the axe would have got rid of one of them, but it seems to work out well most of the time.




...this path leads to a dead end, though. Oh well, they can't all be winners.




Here's our first chest monster for the area. It's less of a threat now than it used to be, but beware Desoul...



...at least until you have someone who can cure it! ('course, this doesn't help much if Milo is the one they get.)



This big room looks suspicious...



...oh, god damn it.



...let us never speak of this again.



The chest contains the steel saber. It's pointless for Sue, and while Pyra can use it, it only has 25 WF, the same power as the thornwhip. It is worth some money back in town, though; we're hanging on to it.



The cokatoris can not petrify you. There is no "stoned" status in SitD. What it can do is paralyse you, either with its normal attack (low chance) or by "glaring at you with bloodshot eyes" (slightly higher chance). I didn't see the second attack this time through. Guess I just killed them all too quickly.



Bet you're glad to have that map now!



This is interesting stuff! We can't do anything with it for now, but interesting stuff nonetheless. Just you wait.



However...



...I still need to fall down here to show off this huge, empty room,




...as well as this chest.

Well, I've seen worse. Not much worse, but worse.



Driffids (?) have an AoE sleep attack but are otherwise unremarkable.



...




Here's where that hole was on the map we found.




There's no avoiding this one.



The lower path is unremarkable.



I did run into a new enemy, though. Shroom-thing 2.0 has gained the ability to "divide in two", summoning another fungoid to join the battle. The new enemy has full HP when it appears, but gives full GP and XP as well.



...well, I'm almost out of MP anyway. Here goes...




The first chest we saw in this dungeon, but from the other side. The herb-water apparently protects your party from magic once, but I don't remember ever having used one of these.



I blew 9 of Pyra's 11 MP on Heal 1, and I don't have any use for the remaining two. Take them! Take them, you bastards!




At the end of a long, hard road lies a chunk of mithril ore. The name may sound familiar, and like the dark block before, it may become useful... at some point. Right now...



...it's just costing me money.



Damn you, Trial of Wisdom, I will not yield to you. I may not have the MP to use this, but I will not yield.



WILL NOT YIELD.



And so finally...



Video: Wisdom


You have passed the Trial of Wisdom.
If it is Wisdom you seek, then step forward.


Trial Passed: Wisdom



...I think that was what I'd consider a close call.



Theos is still grumpy about the whole sequence breaking thing.


You have also passed the Trials of Truth and Wisdom.
All that remains is the final Trial.

Melvyl is still completely and utterly useless.



And Vyrun is-

VYRUN: I'm sorry for doubting you. I wish you luck in facing the Trials.

-actually taking us seriously?! Holy shit, is it raining pigs outside? Toasters, maybe? Toads, blood? Clearly the world is about to end.

But speaking of rescuing people from the Labyrinth...


Thank the Ancients! You're alive!

Video: Reunion


Come over here! Show her you're in fine health!


My heartfelt gratitude to you, SUE.
I found the Cave of Wisdom as I wandered around in the Labyrinth.
The cave is loaded with trapdoors - one of which I fell into.
I found the MAP where I fell. It's marked with the trapdoor locations.
I don't think it shows all the traps. So there's probably another MAP.

No reward for dragging his worthless carcass around with us through the entire Trial

Oh well, I guess it's worth it for the fuzzy feeling. I mean, these guys' names are actually pronounced "die" and so close to "dying" that it basically doesn't make a difference; I imagine I've just thwarted a prophecy or something. And, technically, Dai has now gone through the Trial of Wisdom. That's pretty badass for a scrawny little dog... person... thing.



Anyway. Some close-up artwork of the group. I used to think Dai and Dyan were just ugly elves, but apparently they're some kind of furry.



EDWARD: I understand that it was you who brought Dai back from the Labyrinth.
If there should be anything I can do for you in return....

...money? Please?

DAI: It's good to be alive. I think my lord regrets the rashness of his actions.
My sister and I are going home. Where, I know we'll find some peace.

Well, good luck to you, brave soldier, you've probably earned it.

GNORN: That girl, over there, has been cryin' her eyes out for her brother.
Edward, over there, is probably the oldest guy in the village.

Not sure what that has to do with anything, but whatever.

TACK: I'm glad that off-key minstrel's left the kingdom!

You and me both, little green man.



Like I said, rare items go in "special deals".



If you sell something to the "wrong" merchant, they'll say something about taking it to another store. It's a nice little touch.



And here's the updated rare weapons section. We could actually buy the long spear now, but I think I'd rather save my money for now. I'm going to need it later...


Firesword (WF 60), Breastplate (AF 32), MADU (AF 20 and WF 15), Bronze Helm (AF 14)


Flail (WF 12, TWO HITS), Chainmail (AF 26), MADU (AF 20 and WF 15), Fur Hood (AF 12)


Thornwhip (WF 25, GROUP), Hemp Robe (AF 14), Wood Shield (WF 20), Royal Tiara (AF 16)

Next: Well, I did promise to wreck the Cave of Courage - I just didn't say how badly.