Part 1: Beginning of a Journey

Watch the anime cinematic!

Our world, Terca Lumireis.
No one knows how far its lands and oceans stretch.



For the people are no match against the hordes of monsters that crawl the earth.




Barriers protect the cities in which we live, and we are completely dependent upon them for our survival.
These barriers are generated by the blastia.
Blastia use the primeval power of aer that fills the world to provide us with fire, water, and light. They provide us with everything that has made the empire prosper.






Perhaps one day, we may even forget the threat of the vicious monsters lying in wait, just beyond the barriers.




The blessings of the blastia will bestow ever more prosperity to the world and peace to its people.












Oh no... I don't get it. What could have happened to the barrier in this town?








From the imperial capital Zaphias, bedrock of peace, we pray: May tranquility bless this world.
















Watch the cutscene!



After the opening cinematic, we start the game in our protagonist's room in the Imperial Capital, Zaphias, taking a look at his dog. A kid enters the room.



Yuri! This is not good!
What's with all the yelling, Ted?



And they just finished fixing it.
What's the big deal? Just leave it to the mighty Imperial Knights. That's what they're there for.
Hah, the Knights? You know they never come to the lower quarter.



I already tried to get Flynn. They wouldn't even let me see him!



Never mind that, come on! We're short on people!
??? (offscreen): Ted! Ted! You get down here! They need your help, too!
I'll...I'll be there in a sec!
Yuri... Come on already!
That's weird. He always comes running whenever there's trouble...
This place is gonna become an aquarium soon if this keeps up.





Our view switches to outside, and we see Ted running down the stairs, into the inn, and back out again. Yuri feels that jumping down from the window is much quicker, so he does just that.



Yuri!



We now gain control of our character and immediately get introduced to one of the defining features of the series: Skits. Skits are small conversations between your party members that happen while walking around in towns, dungeons or the world map. I really like skits since they do a great job of developing the chemistry between the characters and can be quite fun, and kinda wish more jRPGs had things like them.

Unlike Symphonia or Abyss, Skits are actually voiced in the English version of Vesperia, so I'm providing a video clip of each skit we encounter.

Skit: Everyday in the Lower Quarter
First, the trouble with the Knights yesterday. Now the aque blastia breaks...
Why does stuff like this happen every day in the lower quarter?
Woof!
I know, I know. There's no use whining about it.
Woof!

You can also open up the menu now to take a look at it, but aside from changing your settings there's not much to do there yet.

If we walk forward a bit, we get another cutscene.

Watch the cutscene!



We've got to seal it off somehow!



Resident: Yeah, but you're late so I'm not sharing.
Hah hah. How nice.
Resident: Hey, its sink or swim in this world. Looks like that blue-blooded mage we hired to fix the blastia left the job half done.
Glad you could find the time to stop by, Yuri!
Take it easy with the water sports, old man. You're not getting any younger.
You're up next. Not afraid of a little water, I hope.
Yikes.
Come on now, put your backs into it! Heave, ho! Heave...
Hanks is really going at it.
Resident: He feels responsible. He's the one who pushed the people to get the money together for the repairs.
And now he's the one who's all wet.
It's not Hanks' fault that mage did a two-bit repair job though.
Resident: That's true. He even parted with his wife's keepsake to help raise the money.

Yuri walks a bit around the fountain to take a closer look at it, and notices something...




Hey, Yuri! If you're not gonna help out, stand clear! This is dangerous!
Hanks, did you see the blastia core anywhere? You know, that shiny piece in the center.
Huh? ...Is it gone?
Yeah. The blastia won't work with the core missing.
That aristocrat who came to do the repairs was the last person to touch the blastia, right?
That's right, a Mr. Mordio.
And he lives in the royal quarter?
Yeah, so?
Forget about that Yuri, give us a hand here!
...Sorry Hanks, I just remembered an errand I've gotta run.
Hey, wait just a minute!
You're not seriously thinking of going to Mr. Mordio's place are ya?



Damn it, Yuri... Just because you can do a few tricks with that bodhi blastia, you think you're invincible.
Here's hoping he doesn't do anything crazy...
Resident: He always seems to cause problems when the lower quarter's involved.
Even the Knights have started keeping an eye on him...
Resident: Well, it's just an average day for Yuri. I'm sure he'll be fine.



We continue along the way and after a while reach the Public Quarter. To the right we could go out of the city, but for now we want to go to the left, towards the Royal Quarter.



I stop by the item shop to buy some Magic Lenses, which allow you to scan your enemies' stats and view their current HP, and an Apple Gel or two. Apple Gels are a cheap and reliable health recovery item throughout the entire game, as they heal 30% of your max HP.



Going a bit further, we run into this weird... guy.



Wonder Reporter: Over here! Right here! I'm the Wonder Reporter! Bringing you the articles about what matters most, every day! Do you read the newspaper in the morning? Cup of coffee? Donut? What? You don't? That just won't do! What epic thing has transpired today? You'll never believe it! You can read it whenever, wherever, and with no effort at all! Yes, it's the Wonder Log! Put it to good use! ...And by the way, let's let the fact that I'm in the wall be our little secret, okay? ☆ Well then, farewell!
...?

The Wonder Log allows us to view a Synopsis of all past events in the menu, a really useful feature if you ever lose track of what you're supposed to do. Sadly, the Synopsis in this game is very plain and boring to read, unlike Abyss' or Symphonia 2's, which are written in-character. Oh well.

Walking up those stairs in the background, we reach the Royal Quarter, but that's for next time!