Part 40: Update 38 – The Lands of Ice

Finally, we're off to the Lands of Ice! If you remember, I got the actual Lands of Ice discovery as soon as we got the Delphinus just to prove it could be done, but there are still plenty more discoveries to be found here.



Another one that flies all over a huge area, so it can be pretty tricky to find.



Please, no jokes about giant furries. Except this one.

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One of my favourite discoveries in the game, despite the misspelling. It's just so...ominous.



Another one of my favourite discoveries, because penguins.



Come to think of it, this area has a lot of my favourite discoveries.

Discoveries aren't the only things to be found here, though. There's another giant beast to be fought, and this one makes a mile long squid look positively mundane.


Click for video!



Wha, what is this thing!? Is it an insect or something?

Wow... There are things like this flying around? Now this is why I love sailing... You never know what you'll run into...

Meet Aliana, which is probably not an insect but a spider – Ariana is the Spanish word for spider, and of course Japanese infamously has problems with Ls and Rs.



Aliana's attacks are as nonsensical as the creature itself. Spiral is the stronger of its two attacks, but neither it nor its other attack, Shaggy, is anything to worry about.



It also doesn't have nearly enough health to challenge the Delphinus.



Both of Alania's drops are dependant on having Kalifa as your active merchant. The Goddess Figure provides a hefty chunk of magic defense, while the Air Purifier is one of the requirements for the Vyse the Extravagant title, along with other equipment like the Floor Heater.

Alania also has some fun dialogue and choices during the fight, although since I killed it pretty much instantly, we didn't get to see them. Here they are for posterity, then:

It's too thin! We can't hit it from the side...

Okay, we got behind it! This should give us an advantage!

Behind it? Um... Are you sure that thing has a front and a back? They both look the same to me.

J, just leave me alone!! I know what I'm doing! If I say it's the back, it's the back, okay? Just fire at it!!

Alright! It's starting to run away!

See, I told you this was the back! Alright, let's go after it!

Um... sure. Whatever, Vyse. Well, beginning pursuit!



Anyway, this is our destination under the ice. It can be a royal pain to find sometimes because there's very little to indicate that it's actually there on the surface. Fortunately, with the new icebreaker prow on the Delphinus we can smash straight through the ice into the ruins.




Click for video!

The entrance to the dungeon is...strange. There are no enemies, only these crystal objects in rooms full of locked doors.



What?! Did that rock just say something?!

Guardian Stone Deep within the Purple Moon Stone lies the power to hold the world still. What is this power?



Yes, the entrance to Glacia is a pub quiz machine. Get the answer right and you open the path to the next question, along with gaining a Swashbuckler boost. Get it wrong and...I don't know what happens because I've never got it wrong. This question is easy, of course – Purple Moon Stones hold the power of ice.



The second question is rather tricky, though. If you haven't been paying close attention to the seals you'll have no idea what the question is even about. Since we've been paying close attention, we of course know that the answer is two, four and six being the numbers of the red and silver moons respectively.



This one...I don't know. Power and Courage are the traits of the Red Moon, while Life and Healing are the Green Moon, but I'm not quite sure where Will and Spirit come into it. My best guess is that Purple spells have a low Spirit cost compared to other spells.

Either way, with all three riddles answered, we now have access to the dungeon proper.



The fog is so thick... I can barely see what's in front of me...

It's so cold... even the air is freezing...

Well, we can't let that stop us.





...Vyse?

... Hey! Where'd Vyse go?

... I'm down here...



Vyse?! What happened?!

That was close... If we can see the sky through the floor... that means we're at the bottom!

Yes, Vyse just nearly fell through the bottom of the world. He's remarkably chipper about it, all things considered.

Hey... the fog is starting to lift.







Wow... There are buildings shaped like icicles hanging from the ceiling!

...This is Glacia. In the Old World, it was the capital of this region. The people that lived here were powerful mages... Using the powers of the Purple Moon, they built this city. And because this city was built below the ice, it was unharmed by the Rains of Destruction. So, Glacia is as it was during the time of the Old World.

But wait... Then what happened to the people that were living here?

... I, I don't know. According to the legends, the people of Glacia just disappeared.



Maybe they left their city to invade another land... And they perished in the war and in the Rains...

I can't imagine an entire culture becoming extinct. Think of all the knowledge that was lost... Everything that these people worked so hard for is going to stay buried here forever.

...Let's go. We should find the Purple Moon Crystal, before we get buried here forever.

Welcome to Glacia. The dungeon itself is pretty straightforward, it's pretty much a linear path to the end through some spectacular scenery, but it has some of the must cunningly hidden loot in the game.



To get this, for example, you have to follow a hidden side path around the edge of one of the icicle buildings. Despite the name of the weapon, the game doesn't fall into the common RPG trap of giving you elemental themed weapons in areas with enemies that absorb or resist the element, as Skies of Arcadia weapons have no element apart from the one you set. If you want to make Enrique's Frostblade fire elemental, go for it.



Speaking of weapons, let's let Zivilyn Bane here demonstrate the awesome power of the Swirlmerang, shall we?



THWACK



And now he can't do anything but attack. Of course, it wears off every time he gets hit, but so long as Aika goes before him on each turn all he can do is normal attacks. He's almost completely harmless, basically.



Yeah, you raise that lollipop high, girl. You'll be using it again before long.


Click for video!



See? Speak of the devil and he shall show up to wreck your shit with his ice-powered robot.

Said ice-powered robot is Veltarn, the boss of Glacia and guardian of the Purple Moon Crystal. He is also a colossal asshole.







As well as looking pretty neat, Avalauncher deals a hefty chunk of damage to everyone in a wide area in front of it. It can get problematic if he uses it a lot back to back because it deals more damage then one Sacrum will heal, but the real problem is his other attack.



Death Laser does exactly what it says on the tin. It only does 200 or so damage, but it has a chance of instantly killing the target. And because it's not magical, Delta Shield won't stop it.



Fortunately he can be confused so he didn't get to use either of them. Suck it, Veltarn.



This fucking chest . Hiding chests after the boss is not kosher, Sega! This is the chest I missed when I first 100%ed the game and had to go scouring the game looking for the missing one .



I mean, you have to ignore this giant fuck-off door right after the boss and go explore off to the side! Anyway, cutscene.


Click for video!



And while we're here, let me tell you something about myself.

Oh...!

I don't believe it!





Sometimes, I lie.

Drachma?!



I lied to you about Drachma being dead and I'm not sorry.



It really is you. I never thought I'd see you again!



It's been a while, Captain. Heh... I had a feeling you survived the attack!

But, Captain... What are you doing at the bottom of Glacia?



What?







It is!!! What's Rhaknam doing here?!

...Follow me.

Is... is he dead?

No... he's still alive. But, he was badly wounded by Ramirez's ships. It is a fatal wound. Rhaknam is dyin'...



It's very subtle, but the line of Rhaknam's mouth and eye almost make it looks like he's smiling to see Drachma.

When Rhaknam fled from Ramirez, I got pulled along... If I wasn't attached to him, the Little Jack would have been destroyed. This is his... home.

Captain... You mean to tell me that you've been alone... here... with Rhaknam the whole time?

Aye.

Is that...?

Vyse! Look! That light...!



It must be. Which would mean that... this arcwhale... Rhaknam... is the Purple Gigas?

I can't believe that Rhaknam is the Purple Gigas! The... the name of the Purple Gigas is Plergoth. According to the legends, the citizens of the Purple Civilization implanted the Purple Crystal into a living creature.

Then... that means that Rhaknam was once a normal arcwhale?



So this poor arcwhale was also a victim of the war.

But Cap'n... Why did you stay here all that time? If the Little Jack is here with you, why didn't you leave?

......



I wasted all those years... Rhaknam saved me from Ramirez... I... I just thought that I could watch over him in his last moments. It's the least I could do.

...

Why is he making that noise?

I... I'm not sure. What's wrong? I'm here for you.

This isn't good.

Look... at his eye!







Time for you to join your friends... Good-bye...







Look... the Crystal!











I'm sorry, Captain...

So, be honest. When Drachma first told the story of Little Jack, how many of you thought you'd be crying over Rhaknam by the end? Some might say that having Drachma survive sort of spoils the power and message of his apparent death, but I disagree. Moby Dick's Captain Ahab finally dies in almost the exact same way as Drachma apparently did, dragged down to the depths by his own embedded harpoon as a result of trying to take revenge on something that couldn't even understand the concepts of right and wrong, let alone vengeance. But by the end of his story, Drachma finally comes to understand just that, and stops blaming Rhaknam for the death of his son. Admittedly, the whole floating world thing helps too, sudden epiphanies not being much use if they come moments before drowning.



Ultimately, what separates Drachma from Captain Ahab is that Drachma was finally able to let go of his hatred.







......



And now I've got to start over. When you're as old as me... It's not easy to change your ways.
I... I'm sorry, but I cannot go with you.

Vyse... Are you sure we should let him go?



Drachma has made up his mind already. The best thing we can do for him is let him go and find a new reason for living.



Captain... We finally met up again... but I guess this is good-bye.



Boy... Hrmph... You've become quite a sailor. I'm proud of you.

Heh heh... It's a little strange to hear compliments coming from you...Captain... Before you go, there's something I wanted to tell you... You said that you and Rhaknam were both alone...



No matter how far apart we become, we'll still be sailing in the same sky. The same sky... the same clouds... the same wind... We'll always be together in one way or another. We'll never forget you!

...

Captain... take care of yourself!

I wish you all the luck in the world...

Cap'n! You better visit us on Crescent Isle!!!





And so ends the tale of Captain Drachma and Rhaknam. If we ever see him again, it'll be a brand new story. See you then!

Video List
Aliana
Glacia
Veltarn
Plergoth