Part 36: The kewlestest thing EVAR!

It's rather annoying, having to run back and forth like this. Viki, where are you...?



Estrise is much the same as the last time we were here, so there's no need to look around town.

We want to stop the revolving bridge.

No need to beat around the bush, either.

What?! Stop the revolving bridge?! No! We can't! The revolving bridge is one of the Professor's greatest achievements!

Modern gaming has tainted the word "achievement" for me. Now all I can think of is some douche going "Wow, you managed to walk across the room! Have a shiny so we can keep your attention for another five minutes, you fucking retard!"



Maybe it's just me.

Professor?!

Anyway.

That old bridge hardly moves anymore, when it does, it's just to assist some unscrupulous soldiers, hmmm? And who needs 'em, right, 'cause I didn't build that bridge for a big band of soldiers, they're nothing but fools!

Every dialogue box from Babbage is one long incredibly unbroken sentence, moving from topic to topic so that no one has a chance to interrupt it...

R-Right, Professor! Absolutely! You built the bridge for the good of the people, and--

Whereas every dialogue box from Sorensen is MAY I PLEASE SUCK YOUR DICK PROFESSOR.

Nonsense, Sorensen, it's an exhibit for the beauty of gears, their ability to operate without human intervention! These soldiers have come along, ruined the entire purpose of the apparatus, so I ask, what's the point, hmmm?

If you couldn't tell, I like the professor a whole lot more.

Er, um... Yes, of course, Professor! You are absolutely correct! As always!

Blech.



It's worth putting up with Sorensen for things like this, though.

Brilliant, Professor! I'll go with you!
Well, then, Prince! Is it off to the revolving bridge?



The two of them join the party, and it's goodbye Takamu. Babbage is one of my favourite support characters; Treasure Hunt increases the chance that enemies will drop loot, and loot is always nice.

Sorensen is a playable character, although not a terribly good one. I'll stick him in the active party anyway to show him off.



Sorensen is taking Lyon's place for the duration of this quest. The window for this misplaced dialogue box is approximately one second of gameplay.



As soon as we exit the house, we run straight into another scene (and Lu) and once it's over, Sorensen's dialogue will have corrected itself.

Lu?!

So, were you, like, not gonna tell me about all this?! Huh? Huh, huh? I get to go, too, right? Right? Right? Right-right-right?

I love Lu, mostly for the reactions from people who hate her dialogue.



Well, either way there's no reason to be a condescending prick about it.

Really?! Sweet! So kewl!
So who made you in charge? Huh? Huh? Huh? You've gotta be, like, younger than me! What can't I be in charge?!

Um, Lu, this is actually the Prin--

Prin...

Prinny?!



...no, no. That's not right.

Oh, it hardly matters, anyway, let's get going so we can get on with things, need to get back to my gears, hmmm?

Yeah, yeah, yeah! Let's go-let's go-let's go! C'mon, you slowie!

I... forget what I was even thinking.



Lu is another playable character. Like Sagiri, she has a long range weapon that can hit multiple times. And much like Sagiri, we're getting a sneak preview of what she can do here, but she won't be joining us for good for a good while yet.

Get a boat, with a boat we can enter the revolving bridge through a pillar, you see, but let's be quick about it, hmmm?

That's the next objective.



We'll have to be quick about this. I don't enjoy your company anywhere near as much as Lyon's.



Here's the spot recently vacated by Raftfleet. It's identical to the wharf we arrived on when we went to Lordlake, so I'm not going to show off what's inside.



There's a guy there with a boat that takes us back to Raftfleet. Now, we could go straight to the bridge, but Oboro has finished investigating himself while we were gone...



...and we get our first case report!

I promptly tell him to continue navel-gazing, and we're off to the stores.



Not that there's much we can do there. Look at all those points I can't have!



Go time.



The regular dungeon music plays here, but there's a somewhat annoying rumbling mechanical noise playing on top of it. I can't really see why all these wheels have to be moving when the bridge isn't in use.

...at least that's what I'd say if it were a bridge, and not an exhibit for the beauty of gears.

So, this is what the inside of the revolving bridge looks like! Wow! I never thought I'd actually see it!



uh



professor

was there something you wanted to tell us

Ah, almost forgot, that's the security I designed, mechanical guards built to attack trespassers, you see...

A-Attack trespassers?!

Hey, but the Professor's got some big giant brain, so I'm sure he made it so they won't attack US! Right-right?!

Come now, Lu, machines wouldn't know the Queen from the head maid, and they certainly won't remember me, hmmm?

Whaaaat?!



I'm beginning to regret this already.



Actually never mind, it gives me an opportunity to show off Shigure's damage output with Boost and Violence runes attached.

Violence status is basically a double-strength Fury - which triples your damage output - and activates after you take two hits. These things attack a lot, so... yeah.

Also pictured, Kyle's attack with Magic Sword level 1.



Shigure has a funny-looking dodge. And here's Zegai's attack, too. Noticeably weaker than Kyle's, since he doesn't have anything boosting his damage.



Anyway, with Shigure hitting for four digit damage, we quickly dispose of the robothingies. They're also regular encounters in here, but there's nothing much to be said.



The most interesting thing about them is that they drop Steel Pieces and questionable paintings. Steel Runes are new for this game, and they set your magic defence to 0 but reduce physical damage taken by 80%.

Yes, by 80%.

...however, I don't think I'll have much use for them. I'm not really in the business of letting enemies damage me in the first place.



Of more interest, we find our first epic just lying around in a chest! I know people frown on the word around here, but as you can see, that's what it's called.



Epic skills combine the effects of two or more regular ones, though they add less to each stat than the regular skills do. Armour of the Gods combines the physical and magical defence skills.

In order to learn an epic skill, the character must first get the regular skills it combines to A rank, so we still won't be able to use this for a long time, and even when we do, we'll be expending a lot of resources to do it. This one isn't that bad since it's only two skills, but once we get some that combine more effects, there's a lot of skill points being thrown around. We'll have to wait and see how many of them we'll actually have the resources to use in the end.



From one thing to another, Lu will never have Armour of the Gods, but here's a random close-up on her anyway. Her weapon is a repeating crossbow, and I'm pretty sure Lucretia won't be getting the credit for this one.



Sorensen uses a back-mounted barrel... hammer... arm... thing.



He also sounds like a girl.



There are a couple of chests in here, but aside from the Armour of the Gods skill, this is the only really important one. It increases lightning attack by one step. I already have someone in mind for this thing...



And, on the highest floor of the bridge...

Another of the Professor's wonderful creations! Splendid! A masterpiece! True scientific genius to be sure!
And... frightening!

...there's a big fucking robot horse with a giant crotch-mounted sawblade. Sure, why not?!

This way to the heart of the revolving bridge, hurry along now, let's get a move on, we don't have time to spare...

So you say, but I don't see you fighting this thing!



I...



I don't even know.



It's a horse robot.



And it hates Shigure for some reason.



It doesn't take very long for him to get revenge, though. And so we can move on to the last room.



Wow! It's incredible!

This is, like, twice as awesome as I imagines! No, THRICE as awesome!



This choice only gets us a point with one or the other, and I know which one of these bozos I'm actually going to use in my party, given a choice.

D-Destroy... this scientific genius?!

Hint, it's not this one.

Duh! This fastest way to smash something to itty-bitty pieces is to give it a good BAM-BAM-BAMMING!



But, that's--

What are you blabbing about, there's no need to destroy anything, you sure are bloodthirsty, hmmm?

He pokes the thing he's standing next to a couple of times.

There, that oughtta do it, just a simple adjustment, easy for a man with intellect such as mine, hmmm? This revolving bridge will revolve no more, that's right, our work is done, and we can go home, I'm hungry, hmmm?

Huh?! That's ALL?!

Professor, you only removed ONE gear! With just one gear missing, won't they be able to easily repair it?!

Sorensen, this gear is one-of-a-kind, they'd have to replicate it precisely to get this bridge moving, hmmm? Don't wanna toot my own horn, now, I'm the only person in Falena who can build such a gear, you see, it takes--

Professor... That's absolutely incredible! Genius! Inspirational!

Wait-wait-wait! That's it?! One gear?! No BAM-BAM-BAM?! Not even a "whoooooosh" or "whrrrrr"?!

I'll just keep this gear with me at the workshop, now it's time to go home, yes, yes, back to my wonderful gears...

Well, it looks like we shut down the bridge.



And it's about time I got rid of this guy.



Yes, of course, Professor!

The two of them disappear out through the door on the left.


C'mon, don't you think that was the most awesomest thing EVAR?! Don'tcha-don'tcha-don'tcha?!

It was certainly... uh. A whatever it was.

...Oh, by the way, who are you, kid? You sure do like to dress all fancy-dancy! You some rich-kid royalty?



Frey doesn't need more squealing fangirls.

Not important?! It's ALWAYS important when a cute little girl who goes "dink-dink-dink" is involved! Tell me-tell me!



But before we can make up any excuse, Sorensen comes out and ruins everything.

...You've gotta be joking!

No, I'm not! I tried to tell you earlier, but you didn't listen! You must learn to pay attention, Lu!

No waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! You're not all "lie-lie-lie," are you?! The real Princey???!!!
...So that means I just went on an adventure with the Prince!

Yes, you did, and you might want to watch your manners if you--

Squeeeeeeeee! Wowies, wowies! This, is like, the most kewlestest thing EVAR! I gotta go tell all my friends!

...have you been drinking my Distilled Essence of Tumblr again?



Wow, mean. That's more like Distilled Essence of Reddit.

I'm very sorry about her... Well, I suppose it's not really my fault, but it's just...

Babbage: Sorensen, I could use your help, come over and open this cupboard, will you, hmmm?

Of course! I'll be right there, Professor!
I must get back to work, Your Highness. It was great to see the revolving bridge with you, though!



Our guests leave the party, and a quick fade later, everything's back to the way it's supposed to be.

Please join us!

We're not quite done here yet, however, since this becomes an option after completing the quest.

Ah, you've clearly recognized my technical prowess, not really a surprise, but I'm rather busy, hmmm?
Ah, I have a solution, a perfect solution, Sorensen, I have something to tell you, hmmm?

Uh, what is, Professor?

Sorensen, go and work at the Prince's castle, yes, that will work just fine, what a grand idea, hmmm?

B... but I want my awesome treasure hunt support, not this asshat.

What?! P-Professor... Does that mean I'm f-f-fired?!

Not at all, I'm far too busy, you go in my place to help the Prince, build mechanical devices for him, hmmmm?

You mean, like...
...A representative of Professor Babbage's workshop?! Wow! Thank you, Professor! I'll put everything you've ever taught me to good use! I look forward to serving you, Your Highness!

...I suppose I could use a boot licker. Fine, get in.



Babbage will also join us eventually, but we have to go through some other stuff before that.



For now, we'll head back to Raftfleet. Oboro has finished his second assignment...



...but although there are clearly three background investigations, we won't be able to get him to do the third one at this time. Several characters are like that, and you won't be able to investigate them fully until a certain event happens or a certain other character joins up that's relevant to their backstory. I put him to work on investigating Shigure for now, instead.

Anyway, that's all for now. Next time, we'll finally head over to Lordlake and see what we can do about... well, everything.




For now though, since I forgot about it last time, Oboro and Shigure artwork, since they've officially joined the team.