Part 21: Episode 20: How Many Friends

When we left our gang Haschel had kind of cold cocked Meru in the back of the head. Hopefully our new party member has not been killed.


Dart: "I guess there are only Rock Fireflies here. Meru!! What happened!?"

Meru: "Ouch... Um... Something bumped into me and... Oh boy? Where is Haschel?

Dart: "Did he go by himself?"

This screen is pretty convenient. We have an Angel’s Prayer here and the rock fireflies to heal up on. And just to the north is the save before the boss fight. This short area is pretty nice after fucking around in the Valley.

The fights in here are largely the same as the earlier area, except now a weaker version of the Bandit mid-boss can show up in random battles.


Mappi: "I guess that pebble I took was super important."

Gehrich seems to be some sort of stereotypical Frenchmen head attached to Hero Yui’s body.

Gehrich: "There are too many people who don't care about their lives. The
snotnose from Donau too."

Mappi: "Let's just kill that kid! I don't care that he's the son of the Mayor!
I got that woman with us now! Now is a good chance, cuz the woman is in
control of the palace.... It'll be a piece of cake to take over this
country...."

Thank you cut scene for solving that mystery for us.

Gehrich: "My fist doesn't desire that kind of thing. I just want to live free.
If she wants the power, I'll give it to her."

Mappi: "Boss!! You're gonna be taken advantage of, being a wimp like that!!"



Mappi: "Who are you!?"

Haschel: "Shut up, you small fry."

Mappi: "What did you say!? Boss? Is something wrong?"

Gehrich: "M, Master...."

Mappi: "Master of the Rouge School?"

Haschel: "Head of the bandits? How low you have fallen. I was right to kick
you out."

Gehrich: "Yes!! You were right!! Thanks to you I obtained freedom. I am not
the person you remember!!"


Haschel: "Except, it seems your heart has forgotten the ache."

Gehrich: "...."

Mappi: "Shut up!! I'll shut you up!!"


Luckily Dart and company arrive to protect Haschel from threats suitable for a 12 year old.

Dart: "Have I kept you waiting!?"

Meru: "It's not fair leaving me like that!!"

Meru is surprisingly forgiving towards someone that she just met knocking her out cold and leaving her in a bandit infeste4d area.

Haschel: "You...."



Time for a boss fight! Haschel is forced into the party. I, uh, kind of forgot to equip Haschel before he ran off. Woops. Luckily he does ok as is and really Albert is my MVP here.


Mappi is back again to join his boss in failed last stands. Killing him is going to be our top priority. For one, he has a death attack and I already made my stance on Talisman to stop it known. Defensive accessories are for losers! Also he needs to be alive for Gehrich’s strongest attack.


With that in mind, we hop Albert up on methamphetamines and send him on his merry way.


Albert hits him for about 180 which is a pretty solid amount. But the little bastard has about 1200 HP this time.


Hashcel actually hits for a pretty solid amount using just his base addition.


Mappi rushes forward with his double hand claws and goes to town on Haschel.


Then he sexually assaults him.


Then does a dance on his chest. It hits pretty hard and Haschel takes 144 damage.


Gehrich finally decides to join the party. By kicking Haschel in the balls. What the hell kind of martial art do these guys practice. Maybe that’s why he was kicked out?


He then raises his legs to show off his sexy polygon count.


And leg drops his master for 185 damage. They are just out to get the poor guy.

Battle goes on business as usual for a few rounds with Albert stabbing away, Dart slashing, Hashchel punching.


This is the start of the Gehrich/Mappi double attack. You know its serious because he’s throwing down his knife.


Mappi kicks Albert back into Gehrich.


Who punches him into the air.


And then there is some horrible kicking/punching combo which is probably pretty painful if you are in the middle. Which hits for about 200 damage to our character with the highest defense. On Dart or Haschel it would really sting.


Fortunately for all of us Haschel kills Mappi and we can move on with our lives and the murdering his rogue student.


Did I mention that Gehrich is earth aligned? No? Well Gehrich is earth aligned. This may matter.


MERELY over a sixth of his health. Despite having a 1800 HP he’s going to drop faster than Mappi.


Haschel decides to get in on the Dragoon action. Although he is merely dragoon level one.


He takes this opportunity to perform an aerial chorus line dance on Gehrich’s skull for a healthy 200 damage.


Research shows the quickest way to a man’s heart is not, in fact, through his stomach. But through an elemental spear to the chest at 70 miles per hour.


Nothing like a little curb stomping the main character’s face to get even.


Holy shit he can actually use his knife in an attack. But that’s his last hurrah. Haschel goes ahead and gets the last in game and cut scene finisher.




Huh. Apparently ball punching is a legit part of the Rouge school of martial arts. I reiterate: remind me not to upset old men in fruity sounding martial arts.


Seriously.




Actually you are just going to continue to lay on the ground and bleed to death. The concepts are kind of similar though?


Unfortunately the celebration of this prick dying is cut short by a horrible rumbling.


Woops. Maybe punching Gehrich into that load bearing statue at mach two was poor decision.


Jesus Christ. What the fuck is wrong with your face?


The party is so horrified by his face that they all stare as the statue falls. Instead of running away. Well, nice knowing you guys.






Wait a minute. Nobody in this room wears a loin cloth. What the hell is going on here?




Kongol out of motherfucking nowhere!


Apparently he wanted to die with the people that beat him up and murdered his boss. How honorable.


Holy shit. Kongol has been hitting the roids since we saw him last me thinks.


He can even yodel while carrying several tons of statue!


And then he just casually chucks it to the side.


Smoookin’




Haschel: "Gehrich.... Now I seem to be helping you remember the ache in your
heart with my fist."

Dart: "Will he make it?"

Haschel: "Barely, at least for now. But if the Giganto over there hadn't
saved us, he would be completely dead by now...and all of us too."



Rose: "It's a strange way to get revenge on us. What's going on in your mind?"

Kongol: "You enemy no more. Here Holy place of Gigantos. Me survivor."

Shana: "What about the other Gigantos?"


Kongol: "Human thinks other species can die. Human selfish creature."

Albert: "That was the reason why you joined with the human's war?"

Kongol: "It's for Emperor Doel. Me still small and ran. He saved Kongol. He
fought against bad people. Kongol comes with you. So Kongol is here.
Emperor Doel say he make world where every species equal. World needs
strong leader. Whether you can be leader, Kongol will watch to the
end. Giganto's sadness should not be repeated...."

Damn it. Why didn't you tell us this BEFORE we made Albert kill his only living relative?


Man. Way to be a downer again, Rose.

Dart: "Wait! I have my own objectives. I am just continuing my journey towards
them. I don't think I make a good 'leader'."

Kongol: "You defeat Emperor Doel. Strong Strong Power. Stronger than Emperor
Doel. Kongol wants to see where the power goes."

Meru: "Sounds good doesn't it? Cuz more people makes us feel more secure.
Besides.... “




Man did things just get awkward around here. Clearly Meru didn’t join to save Lynn, but to jump Dart’s bones.

Meru: “Don't you guys feel that way?"


Dart is...slightly concerned about this. He’s unsure on the legality of it in the first place, also his laser shooting girlfriend is in the room.

Dart: "We are friends now."

Kongol: "...Friend. It sounds good."

Meru: "We did it!"

Rose: "You have forgotten the most important thing."

Meru: "Come on! We gotta find Lynn!"

Shana: "The Dragoon Spirit too!

Kongol: "What you are looking for may be down there. You push the thing up
here."

Dart: "Is this it?"


Dart hits the button then hops off as the throne lowers down and becomes a staircase.

Gehrich: "Ugh...!!"

Haschel: "Gehrich, you have come around."


To the Gigantos this chamber was known as the room of too much information.


And right there is one of my favorite lines in the game. Even if it sounds better out of context


Gehrich: "I gotta tell you...this or...I'll die as a real fool.... It's about
the Princess Emille in the Castle.... She's...a fake.... That woman
was switched.... Ugh...!!"

Haschel: "Don't say anything!"

Gehrich: "Ugh...!! The real one is hidden in...the castle......."


Well, I guess in the end he could have been a worse dude. Even if he was a bit of a fan of ball punching. Now the party AND the player know the deal on the asshole princess. I wonder how Kongol feels about Haschel burying a guy who took over his people's ancestral home and turned it into a bandit camp?



Lynn: "Meru!! Are you here to rescue me!?"

Meru: "Of course! Kate't totally worried about ya! Oh no? I'm letting you out
now!!"


Meru procedes to beat the shit out of the bars with her bare hands. Because dancer hands ar known to be tougher than steel.


Albert: "If your brawn doesn't work, you should use your brain.

Lynn: "Meru! Thanks!! Do you know these people?"

Meru: "These are my pals! We are traveling together for a variety of reasons!"

Lynn: "You came all the way to such a dangerous place.... What great people!!
Thank you!! People's courage hasn't dried up yet!"

Dart: "You showed it yourself."



Lynn: "I wanted to solve this by myself. Besides, I thought I might be able
to talk to Gehrich if he hadn't changed. But something had changed.
Probably, the person who joined him a half year ago changed Gehrich."

Also my parents dropped me on my head a few times as a child. I never quite developed that whole commons sense thing.

Albert: "And that person is now assuming the form of Princess Emille. We need
to go back to the castle quickly."

Rose: "That's after we find the stolen Dragoon Spirit."

Lynn: "Any stolen goods should be around here. They were throwing all the
stolen items in here."

Shana: "Now, let's split up and look for it."


To get the spirit back we just need to check the bottom right of the screen near Shana.

Dart: "I got it!!"

Meru: "Wow!!"

Shana: "It seems happy to meet you again."

Dart: "Now let's go back to Fletz and see Princess Lisa and tell her
everything!"


Back upstairs: Stardust! Also I totally lied last update THIS is stardust #30. The sparkle there was the handle to stop the arrows. Oops.

Kongol: "Did you find thing?"


And that is that for the Home of Giganto. I mean, we SHOULD rush off to save the princess Albert has a huge boner for, but instead we’re going to go to a wedding and do a little shopping next time. You gotta have your priorities straight!

Bonus! Kongol concept art.