Part 22: Doros is the Only King

Wilme arrives at last in the mountain fortress city of Bilthem, which is apparently ruled by some nice fellow named Doros.

Okay, I know this is a console RPG, and I know most RPG villagers can only talk about one thing, but this is just fucked up. The will of Doros is literally the only thing these poor folks can think of. If you haven't figured out something is wrong here, you should probably go back to the Patrof update and reread it.

You have to admit, the likelihood of staying in business with that sales strategy is a bit low, sir.

Blah blah Doros is awesome, blah blah castle above. Let's pay this guy a visit.

Oh. Goddamnit. These walls of flame prevent forward progress directly to the throne room, and only appear when you step next to them. That's right, an invisible wall puzzle. This one can't even be solved, it just exists to funnel me the long way around the castle. Thanks a lot, Doros.

This door is weird. When you step inside, it takes you...

...here, but when you step back in, it takes you...

Here. I guess it's a chimney or something? Or maybe 7th Saga is just being an asshole, again.

Another new enemy. These are notable only because they look like bizarro snakewomen but are named "Griffon."

In the throne room, another invisible wall puzzle, this time with columns!

Doros is actually right; you don't stand a chance if you confront him directly. He will use a mysterious power to split himself into three images, and you can't hit any of them. With anything. But there is a way (a way the game does not mention to you at all)!

We open this guy's cell...

...and get the Star, an item which can dispel Doros's little trick. He has something quite different to say when we fight him now, which I'll do:

Boss Fight Video - Doros

I made Doros a little harder than I needed to by forgetting to boost my attack power, but he's not an easy fight by any means. His physical hits look lame, but they're actually pretty dangerous, and he casts quite a few nasty spells. Esuna is lucky to have not had her MP drained, though with the Sky Rune it's not a big cause for concern. Still, he's got a lot of defense and plenty of HP.

"Screw you guys, you can have your crappy rune. I'm gonna go be the final boss of Morrowind."

Of course, this being a console RPG, people still can only talk about one thing, but it's a little less creepy now.

He sure did! Good thing I had no way of knowing that and just happened to get the thing I wanted from helping you miserable zombies with your predicament!

The game is about as confused as I am here. By what this guy says, you'd think the Light Rune restored MP, but it doesn't. The Sky Rune does that. The Light Rune acts like a B Power for the Magic stat, an effect which to my knowledge cannot be replicated by any item. It is for this reason that we will henceforth refer to the Light Rune as "the Best Rune."

Western continent you say? Dreadful you say? Rune, you say? Oh, you didn't say Rune. But that's where the Wizard Rune is, so I know I'm going there anyway.

It's hard to tell, but I'm not talking to the innkeeper in these shots. It'd be a lot funnier if so.