Part 14: Episode 2: Part 9: Marna Stretch Part 2: So long Marna!

Episode 2: Part 9: Marna Stretch Part 2: So long Marna!



Jumping the river in a spot near the Guided camp... going south a bit lets me jump to a suspiciously shaped piece of land and then to another.





Kind of dickish, but the location is eye-catching. So I guess it's fair.



On the only route to reach the settlers...



The Guided camp is the yellow dot to the NE while the settlers camp is the one on the smaller isle to the NEE.


Also wooo. I slot a Lyn Rock and a Heart Stone in immediately.





Sometimes these secrets aren't so bad.



More flowers. You can see the settlers right there too.


Hey buddy.
Hey.

Welcome to our settlement, heh.

Settlement? Where?

We haven't really started building it yet.

Why would you build it at such an out of the way place as this?
You're surrounded on four sides by rushing water and have only a small bridge connecting you to the mainland shore. This location is basically an island...

Are you afraid of someone or something?

We're not afraid, we're just taking precautions.
We have bandits, the Guided, and that freak shadow killer to worry about.

Everyone seems to know about this "shadow killer."

Yea, walking death. Wanderers are dying left and right. Wanderers with nothing in common.
Wait a second... Maybe there is a common element...

A common element? What?

All my buddies that were killed were... uh...

Are what?
WERE what, Rhue!!!

Heh, they were all good men. Anyway, nice to meet you, I'm Tiller.

(What was he really going to say? He was acting strange, that much is for sure.)



There's also a very silent small boy here.



Hail, I am Rhue of the Landorin Stretch.
You did it again!!!


... Nice to meet you Rhue.
This comes up very slowly, letter by letter.

You don't sound too happy. Is something wrong?

I'm sorry, it has nothing to do with you really.
We're just having a little trouble with some Guided that are passing through this area.

Guided?

Yes, those nuts who say they are dedicated to obeying and enforcing the will of the Purpose.

So what's their problem with you?

Well, my friends and I here were planning on building a settlement here.
As you probably know, the Guided hate settlements. They say that they are an abomination on The Way.
They believe wanderers are meant to wander The Way. Settlements undermind (SIC) that idea.

How far will they go to stop you from building your settlement?

They'll probably try to kill us.

They'd murder you just like that?

Just like that, yes.
So it is obvious what we have to do.
We have to kill the Guided in order to save ourselves and the lives of others.
Would you consider helping us?

Maybe. What is it you need me to do?

We need you to go to find their camp which is on the other side of this river somewhere.
Talk to the leader and inform them that you just came from our camp.
Tell them that we have all become very ill and can hardly lift a finger.
Then lead them back to our camp to this very spot.
We'll spring a little trap, so make sure you aren't standing too close to any of them.
What do you think, will you help us?



I believe if you talk to these guys before the Guided, this is just a simple yes or no choice. I stick with the Guided plan, for reasons that'll become obvious.


When you see me next, the Guided will be following close behind me right into your trap.

Great, we'll see you soon!

(Actually, it's going to be you who gets trapped...)
(Time to go get the Guided.)
The third guy doesnt say much of anything.



Making my way back to the Guided...



"They plan to ambush you once I lead you to their campsite."

Then we'll turn the tables on them.
When we get near to their camp my men and I will split off from you and trail secretly from behind.
You will call the deserters out of their hiding places and then we will strike.

Brilliant.

Then let's go.

The Plunge theme plays as you walk back to the settlers... and...



One of our new friends is very bugged and always starts battles with more XL than any one mortal should be allowed to have.

When you get CLOSE to the settlers camp, the plunge track fades out. Kind of a strange choice, Lun.





The three men come out of hiding. You can see the kid's still hidden.

Oh, I found it all right.

And they weren't there?

Well, they're not there anymore.

Huh?



The three Guided charge in.


Really easy and simple boss fight, even without Jeng's bug. All three Guided have Light Mass Mend too, but you won't even need that.











The boy comes out of the trees.

Why are you crying, dear?

BOY: My father... These men, they killed my father!!

You saw them do it?

BOY: Yes...

I wonder why... Hm...
Velicia begins searching Tiller's corpse.

What are you doing?

Checking this body for marks... Ah, yep, these guys were bandits all right.
Looks like you did a doubly good deed today, Rhue.

They were bandits?

I've seen this many times before.
The bandits set up a base of operations and then proceed to attack and rob passing wanderers.
Sometimes larger bandit groups build their bases across high traffic areas.
Only the strongest groups have done this in the past though.
I wonder if the Blue Scarves are planning something of that nature...

The Blue Scarves...

Their leader is called Dancing Violet. She is supposedly a remarkable woman, much like myself.
I think I'd like to face her one-on-one someday.

Some how I doubt you'll ever get close enough to fufill (SIC) that wish.

You may well be right.
Thank you for your help today. We will see the boy back to his mother.
If you need our help for something, we'll be back at our base camp.

I won't.
Velicia and co. depart.


"Found Chest Key!"
Nice.





So, this key opens this chest with a VERY handy item nearby.


It also opens this completely hidden chest. Fuck you Lun.

As an aside, you don't get any reward at all if you kill the Guided.








I continue exploring, heading to the point of interest in the NW corner of the map.




So this is what the point of interest marks. This woman is standing around here upset that her family is missing, the big hint that the 'settlers' are up to no good.
There's also a chest behind them with a Soul Stone (+2 Max XL).



Now to just make my way to the POI close to the cenrte of the map and I can focus on leaving Marna Stretch.



Fucking Lun.



Hail.

MAN: You look like the fighting type, at least that's the impression I get from the sword strapped to your back.

I do my fair share of fighting.

MAN: Finally, a challenge.

What?

MAN: I've been looking for someone to test my skills against. You got time for a quick plunge?

You think you can make quick work of me?











So, the first pass goes VERY well as you can see, with me winning a drop slash risk attack. Because I abosrbed the Blan Rock earlier, 9 damage is only a step 1 injury too, thank god.


On the second pass I do 15 damage to him AGAIN and now he's forever doomed to only do like 1-4 damage at most.

Though, Rhue starts rolling lower damage after, he still does better than his opponent. 2 more Plunge and drop slash risk attacks do wonders don't they?


A few low damage passes later, Rhue finished him with another 15 damage step 2 pass.

Rhue wasn't even knocked out of the deep green HP state.







MAN: No thanks.

Wimp.

MAN: ...



Not too shabby.





We literally doubled Rhue's Plunge stat with items from Marna Stretch. Also, we reached the Hylyn classification. At 6 Plunge, the plunge damage roll is 2d6.

I wander around some more and find some NPCs. Most don't have much interesting to say, but one guy welcomes Rhue to the Marna Stretch, and when Rhue asks how he knows the stretches name, since there didn't seem to be any Way Posts, he says some wanderers told him.



MAN: Yes, I know that. But I haven't seen the Way Post declaring the name of this Stretch myself. Some wanderers told me that they saw it though.
And they said that the post read, "Marna Stretch."

Hmm, someday I think I'll just rename one of the Stretches after myself.
All I would have to do is get rid of the original Way Post.

MAN: Oh, I wouldn't try to do that. It's bad luck to rename a Stretch. Plus, Way Posts are virtually indestructible.
And if you've ever tried to move one, well I'm pretty sure that it's impossible to do that.

What are Way Posts made out of anyways?

MAN: All I know is that the Forerunners are the ones who make them.

I wonder what makes the Forerunners so powerful...

MAN: I have no idea.

The woman there also says Dancing Violet is reputed to have violet eyes, which makes Rhue wonder if she and Cetsa could be one and the same.

Time to leave.



Then let's go kill it.

MAN: Unless you're an upper class Lyn, I don't think you stand a chance.

A Lyn? You mean one of those combat addicts?

MAN: Yea, a combat junkie, warrior, murderer, trained killer or whatever you want to call them.

I'm not a Lyn, but even so, I'm handy with a sword.

MAN: You should also know that I wouldn't be able to help you at all.

Why not?!

MAN: I follow the path of Para. I'm a Paradan.

You're a flaming pacifist?

MAN: Yes, it's not right to kill.

...

It's a wild beast right? You wouldn't even be killing a person!

MAN: I don't care. I will not cause bloodshed. If you want someone to help you kill it, you should look else where.
But I have a plan of my own.

You have a plan? What is it? That we go and make peace with the monster?

MAN: No. Follow me.



No, what are they?

MAN: Yellow Dusters.

Wonderful... So what?

MAN: The petals of these flowers can be ground up to create a fine dust.
This dust is powerful because of its temporary blinding abilities.

So we blind the monster with dust and run by? Is that your plan?

MAN: Yes.

So why haven't you done it yet?

MAN: These flowers alone won't produce enough dust. It will take at least 3 more bunches.
If it weren't for my poor eyesight I would go out and try to find some more myself.

So I guess you want me to go and fine (SIC) some more.

MAN: Yes. Bring them back and I will make the dust we need.

All right, but I may find another to defeat that beast just yet.


To the games credit, there is a few ways to handle this.
Option 1: We do as the Paradan Man says.
Option 2: We do as the Paradan Man says except we kill it while its blinded.
Option 3: Fight it normally. This is nearly impossible in a straight fight unless you have Rhues Sleeper Move and you don't get anything extra out of it.
Option 4: Ask the Guided to help.
All the options except the first one turn out the exact same in the end, in terms of reward. You get nothing for just running by it.


Anyway, I already have the three flowers. I hand them over and he makes the dust. Then we make our way south.
Apparently the dust loses its potency quickly though, so we can't dawdle.



So when you enter this narrow pass, the monster immediately roars and charges. Rhue simultaneously hurls the dust and jumps over it.





MAN: You lying scumbag! This wasn't apart (SIC) of the deal!

You're the scum! If we don't kill this thing it will likely kill other wanderers who come this way later!

MAN: We don't know that for a fact!

You worthless whiner. Don't you care anything about you're (SIC) fellow wanderers?

MAN: Yes, probably even more so than you! I know your kind... You're the the (actual error) type that kills for pleasure.

Get out of my face! My motivation doesn't even matter!
Other wanderers will thank me for this! Now get lost you lousy Paradan!

MAN: Consider me gone.



So, this version of the fight is basically an execution. The Spiker doesn't even take turns. It doesn nothing at all. Not even so much as a "It does nothing this turn." type turn.



The rewards nice though.



After that we have to jump a gap to get to the exit to the next screen.


This area is filled with the VERY loud noise of a waterfall.

In fact, just a screen south...


Hmm...



WOMAN: I think he's going to throw himself off the cliff.

Why?

WOMAN: I don't know. I can't hear him very well from here. He might do something rash if I get any closer.

I don't share your fears.

WOMAN: W-w-wait!

Rhue marches over.


lol. Ah... The thing with this sequence is that various options give 0-3 JP (JUMP POINTS). You want to keep the JP total under 5 if you want a reward out of this scene.

MAN: ...

I've never met a suicidal wanderer before. I'm curious, what drove you to this?

MAN: ... So you're curious. But you probably don't care what happens to me in the end, do you?




If you don't care about yourself then it doesn't matter if anybody else cares for you.
You can't go about life moping around trying to get sympathy from others.

GUY: I'm going to do it. I'm going to jump.

If your heart is really set on jumping then I would advise that you try to land...



If you hit the rocks then you'll probably die pretty quickly.
In addition, the birds and the worms will probably dispose of your body within a few days.

And I have never liked the thought of drowning.

Just think what would happen if you landed in the water and broke your arms and legs.
You wouldn't be able to do anything and would eventually have to start swallowing water.
I think I would hate that.

GUY: ... I'm tired of wandering... I'm ready to end it all.

I would never waste my life by killing myself.

GUY: ... What do you think will happen to me when I die?

Hmm... I don't know.

If you really want to find out, go ahead and jump.

GUY: I feel so depressed. Nothing I do really matters. There's no point. I'm tired of wandering.

Is this about a girl?

GUY: No, nothing that shallow.

Wanting to kill yourself over a girl isn't shallow!

GUY: Sure it is. If you lose a girl you can always find another just like her.

...

Well I've lost a girl, and I haven't found anyone else like her1

GUY: She's dead?

No, I'm sure she's alive... Somewhere...

GUY: And you're looking for her?

Yea.

GUY: Have you even tried to get to know any other women?

... I... uh...

GUY: You haven't, have you?

I couldn't betray her like that!

GUY: Take it from me, you should forget about her and move on. If you haven't found her by now, she's probably dead.



This never fails to make me laugh. Anyway, pushing the guy is +3 JP. Pushing him off the cliff is exactly what it sounds like and nets you... -3 Rhue points!

Never. I think I'm done talking to you now.

MAN: Hey, I'm sorry. Please take this Heart Stone and be safe.

Thanks.

Rhue automatically leaves the area as we fade to black...


And that's the Marna Stretch done! Now, the next update will be the end sequence of Episode 2, which isn't particularly great, much like its opening sequence. And then we're on to one of the bad episodes. The worst one, even. But it's also the episode where the story starts to kick off and the lore starts getting a bit more interesting.

the end