Part 21: A Mile in Another's Shoes Part I
Last time... well, a lot happened. Akzeriuth was lost, The entire party lost their respect for Luke, and Asch revealed that...
Yeah.
: “...ning? Asch!”
: ...Why am I wearing Asch's cloths?: “Asch!”
: “I'm listening. Don't shout.”
: ...What's going on?! Why is Tear looking at me but saying 'Asch'?”
: Can you hear me, Luke? You're over here.
Okay then... wait what?
: You and I are perfect isofons. You're a perfect replica, right down to your fonon frequency.
: I-I'm no replica...: A perfect replica and its original can connect with one another via their fon slots. We adjusted your fon slots at Choral Castle so that they'd be open to me. You've heard my voice several times since then, right?
: Then, right now my voice is inside your head...? Then that means I...
: Not just your voice. I controlled your whole body. Of course, I doubt dreck like you could pull that off.
: Stop making fun of me! I'll do it! Just watch!Skit: Luke and Asch – Part I
: Why can't I controll him...?!: Humph. Is that all a stupid replica like you can manage?: Shut up! I can control this body! I'll show you!: Oh you will, will you? Why don't you go ahead and try, you defect!: Dammit...!
So uh...
Yeah, we're Asch now! Didn't see that one coming.
Asch can be described as, most fittinly, a more developed Luke. He has more fluid combos, a much wider array of artes, and even a handful of powerful fonic artes at his disposal! Remember when I said it was impressive that Jade was able to channel all six fonons, since most people only specialized in one, maybe two? Asch has Thunder Blade (wind), Stalagmite (Earth), Icicle Rain (Water), and Explosion (fire). Asch definitely isn't a God-General for nothing.
: Mieu...
Though this does mean we aren't going to have access to the sorcerer's ring.
Examining the book on Tear's table gives us the Ramen recipe, which restores TP. It would be handy if it weren't going to be usurped by a better recipe within 2-3 updates. Just saying.
Let's talk to Tear.
: “You're going back to the Outer Lands, right? I told you, I'm not going back.”: You're going back up?!: There's no point in staying here.And that's all Tear has to say to us.
Skit: Asch's Miscalculation
: ...How come you opened a channel to me?: I wouldn't have if I'd known how stupid you were, defect.: W-what?! Why?!: I had hoped to use you to stop Van.: You mean... Akzeriuth?: That too, but after I attacked you in Kaitzur, I found out that Van was planning to use you to destroy the Outer Lands. I planned to use my position in the Order to keep track of Van, and let you deal with him instead...: So why didn't you tell me...?: Like you would have believed me. You would have gone straight to Van and told him everything!: ...I...
: Tch! I should never have counted on a damn replica in the first place.So for all of you complaining about nobody telling Luke anything, here's Asch's justification. To be fair he has a point: Luke had such blind trust in Van he would have tattled on Asch instantly. Then again if Asch had actually explained the plan to the party, or at the very least attempted to come off as an ally rather than a villain... whatever. I just think his entire plan was stupid from the get-go.
: “...Fine.”
: “...Um! Do you... do you remember me?”
: …: “I...I'm sorry. That was a strange question, wasn't it...”Remember that Luke is a replica, not an amnesiac. That means that the marriage proposal that Natalia wanted him to remember was never even given by him in the first place: it was given by Asch. That makes Asch Natalia's true fiance.
Over here is another sidequest. You have to start it now, before you leave Yulia City. Insert grumbling here.
: “Uh-oh, this is bad. What am I going to do...”: …: “Don't startle me like that! If you're there, say something!”: …: …
: “Say, you wouldn't by any chance be able to give me some apple gels, would you? I went to replenish my supply, but they didn't have enough. I don't want to get in trouble again. Do you think you could give me just three?”Considering dungeons give out apple gels like candy, I think we can part with three.
: “Oh! Thank you! Now I won't get in trouble. You don't talk much, but you're a nice guy.”: “...Sh-shut up.”I-I didn't give you those apple gels because I l-like you or anything... b-baka!
: “...Sleeping. I'm sure he'll wake up eventually.”
: “I see... if he thinks by himself for a while, I'm sure he'll realize what he needs to do.”: “Humph. I wonder.”: Guy...: He's as naïve a fool as he always was...
: “I don't trust you, you know. I'm going with you to make sure you don't do anything suspicious.”: “...Do as you please.”Guy, of course, was originally Asch's servant, not Luke's. Things are getting complicated...
: “Did you say you were coming, too?”
: “I'm just going with Ion. I didn't know Luke was that stupid. I'm not so sure about marrying someone stupid... even if he is rich.”: Hear that, replica?: ….Ouch... let's go talk to somebody less judgemental.
: “This is your first time here, isn't it?”: “...Yeah.”
: “I don't like this city. The peoplle of this city and I think too differently in regards to the Score.”Food for though.
: “If we make use of Akzeriuth's Sephiroth as planned, we should be able to get back.”: As planned?: Carrying the Tartarus back to the Outer Lands: You can do that?!: Shut up! Be quiet, replica!
: “What's wrong? You look like you just swallowed a bug... oh wait, you always look like that.”Jade and Asch have a fun dynamic. Asch is constantly serious, humorless and brooding. Jade has none of it and is constantly prodding Asch to try to get a rise out of him. What else would you expect?
: “It's just as I'd heared... not very pleasant.”
: “The miasma and Outer Lands cover the sky. The land is a liquefied crust flowing over the mantle. It is no place for human beings to live.”: Then why are these guys living here?: “Why don't you move to the Outer Lands?”: “You know our role. We are the watchers. We cannot lave this land.”: 'Watchers'? What are they watching?: “So I hear there may be a way to raise the Tartarus back to the Outer Lands?”: “We've attached a fonon activator to the Tartarus similar to those used by the passage rings. It should be able to stimulate Akzeriuth's Sephiroth and raise a tree one final time.”: “Then we ride the Sephiroth Tree back up to the surface, huh?”: “Exactly. But do you really need the landship that badly?”: “I wouldn't have asked if we didn't!”: “All right. Then would you like to head to the Tartarus right now?”: “Yes.”: “Then let's go.”
: “Only with the bare minimum maneuverability.”I think this is the handwave for the Tartarus handling like a sack of bricks.
: “Sephiroth are the pillars that support our Outer Lands, right? How are we going to use that to get back up?”
: “The Sephiroth are places where the planet's fonons are concentrated and memory particles spout forth. The pillars – Sephiroth Trees – are the result of artificially strengthening those memory particle spouts.”: “In other words, we're going to be pushed up by memory particles.”: “We'll temporarily stimulate the Sephiroth and catch the memory particle spout with the Tartarus' sails.”
: “I hope it works...”: “Don't worry. Begin!”
: “Looks like we made it up.”
: “I can't believe this is floating in mid-air...”: “So, where do we go now?”: “We can get information at Fon Machine Lab I in Belkend. Van goes there often.”
: “He does?”: “I misunderstood Van's objective. We'll have to uncover his activities to find out what he's really after.”: “I want you to take Ion and me back to Daath...”: “We'll take you back once we're done. I need bodies here to operate the Tartatrus.”
: “Why not just use your own men?”: “I can't. Everything I do would be leaked to Van.”: “I don't see any problem with heping Asch. We, too, need to know Van's true objective.”: “Natalia is right.”
: “...If you say so, Ion, then I'll go along.”
: “I have something I want to confirm as well. I'll cooperate with Asch for a time.”
: “Belkend is to the east. Now, get to work.”As usual, Abyss's brilliant conveyance of where to go next. It's a little more complicated than 'go east!' but whatever: you'll find it eventually I guess...
Skit: Back to the Outer Lands
: “Well, we're back safely form the Qliphoth.”: “So that huge thing that looked like a tree of light comes from the Sephiroth? It's hard to belive those are all that's supporting the Outer Lands.”
: “Yes... but it was enough to push us back up here.”
: “Yeah, it's a good thing it worked!”: “...Of course it worked. The theory was correct.”: “Only because we got lucky. We could've all ended up dead down there.”: “Guy, that's quite a sharp tone to be taking with L... Asch.”: “...My apologies.”: “Guy...”: “Natalia! Forget it, it doesn't bother me.”: “Asch...”
So yeah: we're back in the Outer Lands, and we have the Tartarus with us now. Same rules apply: We can go most places on the water (we're railroaded a bit, but we'll get to that) and can only dock at ports. Also take note of the minimap: That big white splotch is around where Akzeriuth was. There is just a giant hole in the world now.
Skit: Thinking of Luke
: “So Yulia City is miles below us, huh...”: “Guy... are you thinking about Luke?”: “Huh? Well... yeah, I guess. Everyone but Tears' back up here... I'm worried he'll think he's been abandoned. After all this, he still needs me to help him along.”
: “That's some ego you have, Guy! Besides, you were too lenient with Luke in the first place. The rest of use were quite shocked at his irresponsible remarks.”: “But he's a replica, so... it's partially my fault he's grown up the way he has over the past seven years... and partly yours too, Natalia.”
: “Yes... perhaps you're right. As you say, Luke may be in need of someone to support him right now. But what of Asch, then? Who is to support him, after seven years of loss? Isn't that our job as well?”: “I suppose you have a point...”I've talked about it before, but one of the things I love about Abyss is that it always manages to keep all members of the party relevant pretty much all the time. Natalia has had a purpose for hanging around with the party, but up till now she has been the obvious tag-along if there was one. Now suddenly her character is thrust into the spotlight over her dilemma: who does she support: the old Luke who is her fiance, or the new Luke whom she's spent the last seven years with? Guy too has this problem, but acts as an opposite balance to Natalia: she obviously wants to support Asch, Guy wants to support Luke. Both their internal conflicts are externalized by the conflict between the two of them.
tl;dr – The writing in this game jumps all over the place, but sometimes it just shines.
So once again, please direct your attention to the minimap. We were told to go east, but if you just head east you run smack into a continent. So that's obviously where you have to go, right? Nope: you actually have to go around this continent to the one after it. You also have to go south, because if you try to sail east you get bombarded by mysterious explosions and are forced to turn back.
On the northwest side of the second continent over from where we started, we find out destination: Port Belkand.
Port Belkend and by extension the actual city of Belkend are some of the coolest cities in the game. Again, the game does a lot of interesting things blending sci-fi and steampunk together.
: “The city is to the south. Let's go.”: “Asch...”Skit: Searching for Van's Tracks...
: “Do you think we'll find out what Van's up to in Belkend?”: “I don't know, but we don't have any other leads right now.”: “Indeed. We should investigate the Fon Machine lab in Belkend.”: “Yeah. Van's been in and out often. There's bound to be something there.”: “Yes, I'm certain we'll learn something.”: “...You're all pretty optimistic...”: “Guy! Do you have a problem...?”: “Natalia! Don't bother.”: “Whoa, ouch! What's with all the drama, Colonel?”: “Ansie, a proper lady doesn't pry.”
So here's the thing about Asch: he sounds good on paper, but he has a lot of problems that aren't apparent at first.
First of all, he gets a handful of cool fonic artes. Nifty! Except Asch has a very, very low fonic attack score, which means he doesn't do much damage. See those 6's flying out? That's from Asch's arte. Granted I'm on hard mode, but the point stands: Asch's artes are for the most part useless because he just doesn't do that much damage.
Second, his equipment is locked on him. So even if you could get your hands on some equipment that would give him a boost to fonic attack, he can't use it. His weapon is also only barely better than Luke's was, and obsoletes quickly.
Third, he has no Capacity Core bonuses and no Fon Slot Chambers equipped. This actual leads to him having lower P. Attack and less AD Skills than Luke.
Now having said all that, Asch isn't bad. His combos are much more fluid than Luke's, and if you're interested in Pro StratzTM, his fonic artes allow him to cast-cancel in and out of combos, which means he can continue his combo forever in theory. Still, a lot of people get Asch and expect him to be an unstoppable force. The fact is he's just as fragile, if not more fragile than Luke, and you have to be careful with him like anybody else.
Anyway, enough walls of text. We've reached Belkend.
Immediatly upon entering, you can activate this control panel to the left.
A giant crane picks up a box...
And smashes it, revealing a chest. Of course the chest only has an orange gel, which is a pretty low tier reward for that little secret.
Also, see these stairs here?
You can actually run under them. I didn't even learn that trick until my last playthrough.
: ….
: “What're you lookin' at? Yeah, I got stuck. I fell! I didn't think that was going to happen!”: “...Grab my hand.”: “What, really? You'll help me? Thanks! You're actually a nice guy, huh!”
: “I was running an errand, but I got curious. I wandered over here and... well... fell in. To show my appreciation, let me give you this. I found it down there.”
This does exactly the same thing as the Ramen recipe we just got. But hey, never a bad thing to have options.
: “If no one had ever found me... Man, it's scary just thinking about it!”I think the developers threw this line in to make you feel bad for all the times you missed him.
Skit: A Promise Fulfilled
: “L... Asch? Do you remember the time we visited this town as children?”: “...Yeah. You made me pinky swear to come here together when we grew up.”: “...But you said there was no point to pinky swearing. That your father had never kept his promises anyway... and then you left me behind and went off to play with Guy...”: “...That's all in the past now.”: “But you did keep your promise. The two of us have come here again, in the end. Have we not?”: “You made that promise with Luke... I'm not Luke.”: “No... you are Luke, the same Luke that I knew. I can tell...”
So remember how I said half of Belkend was designed like shit?
Welcome to Fon Machine Lab 1. Like this room? Good, because almost every room looks like this. It's supposed to be a modular design, which is okay on paper, but in practice you'll get so lost wandering around this place forever, trying to find that one NPC you have to talk to...
To your immediate right is the medical lab, which holds a Dark Seal which gives one character x1.5 experience at the cost of 2x damage and uncurable poison effect, which makes it pertty terrible honestly.
We also get the Warrior Maiden, which is another doll for Anise. This one gives a sizable boost to both Physical and Fonic attack. This is generally the doll I have her walking around with until later in the game.
I navigate through the maze offscreen and get us to where we need to be.
: “Luke! No... Asch.”: “Hah, so the traitor to Kimlasca still lives here in this city. What a joke.”: “What do you mean, 'traitor'?”: “This guy was involved in my kidnapping.”
: “Don't tell me you're the one who broke the ban on fomicry!”: “It's just as you imagine, Jade.”: “Jade! The Necromancer!”
: “Applying fomicry to living creatures is forbidden.”: “Every fomicry researcher longs to try it at least once. You're no different, Jade Curtiss! Or should I say, Dr. Jade Balfour! You're the father of fomicry! You made dozens of replicas!”What.
: “I won't deny it. I am the one who proposed the principles of fomicry.”: “Then you have no right to criticize me!”: “I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'm not interested in mutual wound-licking. I have no intention of covering for someone, just because they've committed the same sin as I.”: “I'm well aware of what I've done. That's why I forbade it. The replication of living organisms presented both technical and ethical problems. You, a fomicry researcher, should know well the fate of the first replicas of living creatures.”: “I-I only... all I did was help with Van's preservation project! I figured, if all we were doing was recording the replica information...”: “Preservation project? What are you talking about?”: “You didn't know?!”: “Tell us!”: “...I can't. I shouldn't have mentioned it at all.”
...And he takes off. Though why Jade let him is quite the mystery to me.
Hmm....
Skit: Forbidden Technology
: “So you're the one who invented fomicry...”: “Yes. There was a time when I cared more about my own desires than the multitude of problems surrounding fomicry. Even I had my young and foolish days.”: “Jade...”: “Ion, are you okay? You don't look too good.”: “Yes... yes, I'm fine. I was just... a little surprised.”: “So your invention of fomicry was what allowed Luke to be born...”: “Does that make the Colonel Luke's father?”: “Father...? If I had a son, I'd expect him to be much smarter and more lovable.”Never stop, Jade.
: “Hey, that's mean!”: “In any case, it was Van that used fomicry on Asch, not me. That would make Van Luke's father.”: Van... my father? But...: ….
Trying to go north blocks us, and you get an empy text bubble that pops up and then vanishes. Glitch? Something missed in translation? Whatever.
There's nothing else to do here, so let's head out. On the way, we can overhear some of the researchers talking.
Go to Ortion Cavern. Got it.
Skit: They all went with Asch...
: Everyone... everyone chose you over me...: It seems a former enemy is still preferable to worthless dreck like you.: Hey!: Don't worry, replica. I won't be with them forever. If they're that important to you, I'll send them back later. Though I can't guarantee they'll actually return to you.: ...They wouldn't want to come back anyway.: Probably not. They may be tough to work with, but at least they have common sense. More so than you, anyway.: ...Dammit...
: “Well, I'd assume he's going to make replicas...”: “We're going to Ortion Cavern.”: “The cave on the western continent of Radessia? But why?”: “I presume he intends to investigate the replica issue. Fominin can be gathered there. And...”: “And?”: “...Well, you know. Radessia is Kimlascan territory. Malkuth can't interfere. Dist was originally a researcher from Malkuth. It's a logical place for him to go after stealing fomicry technology.”: “Enough talk, let's go.”: “Boooo. Do you really think we should go, Ion?”: “Yes, for now, let's do what he says.”
: “Why?”: “I'm worried about Luke. I have to go back for him.”
: “I don't believe you! Who cares about that idiot!”
: “I do, because he's an idiot. I don't know what he'd do alone.”: “And... I have faith that he can get past this.”: “Guy! You're Luke's attendant and his friend! The real Luke is right here!”: “This may be the real Luke, but my friend is that idiot.”
: Thanks, Guy...: “It's up to you if you want to go back for him, but how do you intend to return to Yulia City?”: “...Aramis Spring. It's a cave northwest of Daath. If the replica comes back to the Outer Lands, he'll pass through there.”: “Thanks, Asch.”
: “...Humph. I knew you'd choose him.”: “Did Van tell you? Well... that's not the only reason.”: “What are you talking about?”: “...Nothing. See you.”
: “Luke! Aren't you going to stop him?!”: “Don't call me by that name. It's no longer mine.”: …See, I think this was something people failed to understand from the scene where everybody turns their back on Luke, particularly in regards to Guy. They weren't mad so much as they were disappointed. Once the dust settled, and he'd had a chance to cool his head, Guy knows that he's still Luke's friend.
Synopsis:
...What does Mieu think he's doing, writing in my diary? Oh well.
While I was unconscious, everyone cut their ties with me. Not that I blame
them. I really was an idiot...
Anyway, they all decided to work with Asch, so they could get back to the
Outer Lands and he could use the Tartarus to get around.
Of course, I only heard that secondhand, because I was still out at the
time. But I'm kind of relieved... At least I didn't have to see them giving
up on me.
Afterwards, Asch sent his voice into my head again. He says it's a channel
that connects the two of us, usable because the two of us are
isofons...because I'm a perfect replica of him, down to the fonon frequency.
That's why he's able to talk to me like that. ...I don't want to admit it,
but I guess I really am a replica.
Asch told me to try and control him. Of course I tried, but in the end I
couldn't tell whether I really was controlling him or he was just moving on
his own. In any case, for a time I was able to see things with Asch's eyes
and send my voice to him.
Asch plans to meet with Tear's grandfather Teodoro, the mayor of Yulia
City. I guess I'll just watch for now.
Asch was working on a plan to use the Sephiroth to raise the Tartarus back
up to the Outer Lands. Teodoro said that there was still enough power left in
the Sephiroth at Akzeriuth to do that, if only once.
The plan succeeded. Asch, Jade, Natalia, Anise, Ion...and Guy--all of them
made it safely back to the Outer Lands inside the Tartarus.
Asch wants to head to Belkend. Apparently there's a fon machine laboratory
there that Master Van's been using, and Asch wants to find out what he's up
to.
So I really was tricked and betrayed by Master Van... I have no idea why
he wanted to make me destroy Akzeriuth. Maybe it would be best to try and
find out, like Asch says.
Everyone else on the Tartarus wanted to return to their homelands, but
they ended up deciding to work with Asch for a while. They're heading east to
Belkend now.
The group reached Port Belkend, a small town north of Belkend itself. I
wonder what'll be revealed in Belkend? At any rate, we have to head south to
get there. (Though it'll be Asch doing the walking.)
So Belkend is part of Father's lands... It's the first time I've ever seen
it.
Asch seems to think we can learn something about what Master Van's trying
to do at Fon Machine Laboratory I, here in Belkend. We'll just have to head
there and see what we can find.
At the laboratory, Asch's group encountered a researcher named Spinoza.
Asch says that Spinoza was involved in his--no, in the original Luke's
kidnapping, and that he's studying the use of fomicry on living things.
And it turns out that Jade is the one who invented the technology of
fomicry itself. I never knew that Jade was such an incredible scientist...
Not only that, Spinoza's deeply involved in Master Van's plan as well. He
said something about a preservation project... What could that be? It sounded
like it had something to do with fomicry and replicas.
After listening around, a place called Ortion Cavern started to sound
suspicious. A chemical called fonimin that's needed for fomicry can be
obtained there, and if Master Van's researching fomicry, he'd need lots of
fonimin. With no other clues, the decision was made to head for Ortion Cavern.
But just then, Guy announced that he was leaving. He'd always been worried
about me, and now he said that he wanted to wait for me to return, trusting
that I could recover.
Guy... Thanks. He even said it without me present, which made me really
happy.
Guy left the others at Belkend, and Asch and the rest headed west for
Ortion Cavern, on the Radessian continent.