Part 10: Update 9 – Bellena

I promised you some story progression in this update, and story progression you shall have!

...right after collecting all the discoveries in the Nasr area.



Remember these? No, it's not a stack of caramel-flavour profiteroles, it's the Topple Rocks Domingo was looking for, and I don't see him anywhere around here, do you?



This one is much kinder than most of the discoveries – it's actually visible before you stumble across it.





This happened just after discovering the Sandfalls. I forget if I mentioned it before but every random encounter has a minute chance of dropping a Moonberry, which is exactly what just happened. Naturally, it went to Fina to unlock her first Super Move, Lunar Blessing. A free 200hp every turn is actually pretty handy, particularly early in the game.



I don't know how this one even counts as a discovery. The description even says it's a major trade centre.





These are kind of unusual in that they weren't in the original game. The Legends version added an extra 25 discoveries to the game, including these two and the Mirage Island that was in the last update. Also, Maroon Island is a real dick move because it's totally invisible until discovered, island and all. It's just sat there near the entrance to South Ocean, mocking you. Speaking of which...



There's a strong crosswind that blows from the West. Nobody has ever made it through there.

Wow...sounds like fun. Let's give it a shot.

Idiot! Don't take it so lightly! If it was that easy, I wouldn't be warnin' you like this! Small ships are torn apart by the fierce winds. Even large ships need considerable power to just move forward. The Little Jack's engine is strong enough to get through here. We must turn back.

South Ocean isn't so much an ocean as a channel between two sky rifts. The entire area is plagued with crosswinds and tornadoes, so going in there now would be suicide (read: nothing would happen but the game won't let you go in yet).


Click for video!

This scene is started by approaching the nearby desert town. I actually triggered it by accident, hence the slight jump in the video where I cut out half an our of exploration and discovery hunting.

So this is a desert... I've heard sailors talk about them before, but it's my first time actually seeing one.



There's a few of these hand-drawn scenes in the game, mostly when you approach a new area, and they're all pretty great.

Now that you mention it, I've heard sailors talking about them, too. They said that Nasr deserts are so hot, If you walk around in the sun too long your hair catches on fire! Everyone carries buckets of water around with them so they can put their friends' hair out. And then...

Oh, come on, Aika... you don't actually believe those crazy stories. Sometimes I wonder wha goes on in that head of yours.



... I'm just kidding, Vyse. It's just a story that I heard long time ago. I didn't really believe it either... Hehe... But you can't be too careful.

The Moon Stones that fall from the Red Moon give off a great deal of heat It's too hot for most plants to survive. Because of this, the lands of Nasr have been reduced to barren wasteland.

I see... There isn't much down there besides sand and rock. The Red Moon Crystal should be hidden somewhere in the desert, right?

That's right, Vyse. It is buried deep within the ancient Temple of Pyrynn.



If we find a bunch of treasure... we'll be rich! We can go buy whatever we want!!! What's the first thing you'd buy, Fina?

B... buy?... Ummm... Um... What does that mean... exactly?

What?! Fina... you don't know what that means?!



I really do love the facial expressions in this game.

You don't need to look very far to find a shop... Everyone buys stuff... It's... it's normal. Well, Fina, you really don't get out much, do you?

According to the map, there's a city nearby called Maramba. let's go there first.



And yet he kicks more ass than the rest of the party put together. Anyway, onto the desert town of Maramba!



...Huh? Where'd the Cap'n go?

Whoosh!

Hey!

W...wait! Cap'n! Where are you going?!



I can't really show it off in screenshots, but the Little Jack starts to pull out of the port, leaving Vyse, Aika and Fina behind.

What?! W...wait a second! What are we supposed to do? We're in the middle of a desert without a ship. How are we supposed to continue on our mission?

That is not my concern. I have no interest in crystals or temples. I must find Rhaknam. I cannot waste any more time babysittin'.



And with that, he's gone, vanished into the stone reef.

Oh, my! This isn't good at all. What should we do?

We can't even get out of the city, let alone make it to the temple! We're stuck here.

Well, we have no choice right now other than to start exploring the city. Maybe we can find someone who can take us to the temple. That's all we can do... for now.



Again. But Drachma or no Drachma, we have a new town to explore and/or loot!





This Moonfish is right here in the docks for the taking.



And being abandoned in a strange town somehow got Vyse a title upgrade.



See how Topple Rock is worth much less than the other discoveries? That's because the Guild already vaguely knew about it, or in game-mechanics terms, because the hint for it was available and Domingo was close to discovering it. It's in your best interests to pick up all the discoveries ASAP.



The chap with the strange hat and stranger jawline is the Mystery Merchant. He can show up in any number of places, including the inn on Sailor's Island, but it can take some wrestling with the RNG to get him to show up. He sells quite a number of things that you can't buy anywhere else, including the extremely useful Crystales Box.



AUGH!



This strange-looking and noisy creature is a Dhabu. Maramba is split into two segments, and if you want to get to the other one you have to ride a Dhabu. They're also useful for getting onto rooftops to grab the goodies thereon.



This Cham is not such a one, being accessed from inside the inn, but never mind. As Cupil's fourth Cham it evolves into him to the mighty Cupicone.





I love this hyperactive little guy right here for two reasons. The first reason is that he sells a wonderful little item called the Glyph of Might.



Just as the various crystals cast healing spells, this lovely little item casts Increm. Like all items, it costs no SP to use and is unaffected by Delta Shield. Very, very useful.



The second reason is that when you leave the store he bows so vigorously that he cracks his head on the counter.



This here is the Kabal Skewer Shop, complete with the infamous Kabal Skewer Lady. She's not really important at all just yet, but she'll be involved in a rather important sidequest later on.

Kabal Skewer Lady: I had a daughter, but she fell in love with this sailor who drifted into town one day. The next thing I knew she ran off with this good-for-nothing sailor and left me here to run this shop by myself. I have not heard from her since. Hrmph. She's probably lying dead in a gutter somewhere by now.



I'm not going to show all the equip upgrades I bought at the weapon shop here, but the weapons shop guy does have one interesting bit of information.

Weapons Merchant: To keep them from being destroyed in the war, my father hid our merchandise and family treasures in the city sewer system. But the sewer system is a complicated maze. When my father went to retrieve our things after the war...he could not remember where everything was hidden. After searching for weeks, he gave up. I wonder if it is all still down there...

You know what that means. To the village well!





Specifically, to the well in the second half of town, which is all dried up and filled with an annoying switch/gate puzzle. I'm going to skip that and just show off the more interesting prizes.



A nice straight path to a Moonberry nets us Fina's second Super Move, Lunar Glyph. The damage is negligible, but the chance to petrify can come in handy at times.



A weapon for Drachma. I'm sure you will be astonished to hear that we haven't seen the last of him yet.



Kalifa the Fortune Teller lives in a little building in the second half of town.

Travellers from across the skies come to me seeking the knowledge and wisdom of the Moons. There is no future I do not know...no path I cannot see. Hark my words and heed them in your journey.



Haaa!!! The Red Moon has spoken! To the east of here lies a temple in which a sacred red jewel lies buried in the hot sands! Go forth, and seek your fate. And may the Red Moon watch over you...

As fortune tellers go she's remarkably accurate, plus I really like her design.



Finally, the tavern, complete with dancing girl.



And here she is. Quite a few people around town will steer you in her direction, if you're not sure where to go. Bellena's costume was actually censored for the English version and both versions of Legends – here's the original version.



To be honest I don't know why they bothered. It took me five minutes of comparing the two to spot the difference.

If you've come to rest your weary feet, you've come to the right place. Make yourself comfortable and stay awhile.



A Swashbuckler choice! The answer here is to stay and rest, we're getting nowhere just running around town.

That actually sounds like a great idea! It's been a while since we've had to time to relax...

Please stay! Stay as long as you like! Sit down, sit down.



Yeah, it feels good to finally sit down.

Well, we shouldn't rest too long, we gotta go look for a ship. I wonder where we can find one. Maybe we should try the docks.

I can't believe that Cap'n Drachma just left us here... I'm sure he had his reasons to leave, but I wish he said something sooner He didn't have to leave us here in the desert, right Vyse?

.....









I don't want to keep going on about the expressions and character animations, but they really do give the game its character. Also, the scene here is interspersed with shots of Bellena twirling by.

Uh... Y... yeah. I'm listening... You were talking about the desert.

You're acting like you've never seen a girl before.. If you can pry your eyes away from that dancer for a few seconds...



Caught red-handed! There's no backing out of this one, so be a man and own up to it.



What kind of excuse was that?! You're undressing her with your eyes, not that it would take that long. You weren't zooming in, were you?

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But, seriously... don't you think she's looked over here more than just a few times? I think she like me.

Yeah, right. Fina, will you try and talk some sense into him?



Aika is looking in the wrong place for a female alliance here.

Well, Vyse is very attractive... I don't think it could be strange at all if that dancer was looking at him.



One guess as to who owns the shapely purple leg right behind Aika.



Tell me something... You wouldn't happen to be the group of Air Pirates that escaped from the Grand Fortress now, would you?

Huh?! How did you know about that?

Well, if you hang out in places like this, you overhear all kinds of things... rumors, local gossip, news about the other lands...



If you want, I can give you a lift. What do you say?

Really?! Thanks! That'll help us a lot!

Wait a second. Why would you help us? You don't even know who we are.

Let's just say that anyone who can escape from the Valuan Grand Fortress, interest me.



She blows Vyse a kiss as she leaves. At least, I assume it was at Vyse.



If anyone watching the video was wondering why Vyse started skipping on his way to the inn, it's nothing to do with Bellena's effect on him – it's because the batteries in my controller started dying. Our stay at the inn is free, courtesy of Bellena, and in a JRPG that can only mean one thing: plot time!







Hrmph... Should I have left those kids there? Bah! What am I worrying about? Someone else will take care of them.





Wait... that ship! It looks like...

Yes, yes it does.

.....

Ominous indeed! Next update, we tackle the Temple of Pyrynn, but something tells me it isn't going to be as easy as all that...

Video list

Maramba