Part 29: Episode 4: Part 2: Lexus.

Episode 4: Part 2: Lexus.





Why did they lock her in with a skull? Is it meant to be company?
"Do I deserve this? Was I really so evil?"



"How did I end up like this?
Where did it all begin.
..."

What am I saying, I'll never forget it.
The pendant. When I got the stupid pendant. That's when it all began...
Stupid thing!



Cetsa starts pounding on the cell door.





"Not a word till then or we will gag you again!
Outside, the wind is howling.
Sheesh, who would have thought the infamous Dancing Violet would be such a whiner."



GUARD: Yea, I really don't like being this high up. It's so windy!

GUARD2: On the other hand, the view is incredible!

GUARD: It certainly is.

A midi version of this. This is probably the closest version that doesnt have a childrens choir. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7jl3cC4tEM
We begin to get a slow pan to the southeast, which'll eventually start going directly south. This is all one big screen too, and we only see a relatively small part of it for now. Estrana is big and detailed. A beautiful masterpiece. After Episode 4 came out, a slew of RPGMaker games tried to copy this sort of slow pan over a city, which they shouldn't have even bothered with cos their cities were usually 1/4 the size and ugly to boot.









That kid annoys the guard, who chases him away.



Gaius talking to a Guided woman, before a girl distracts him and he kneels down to speak to her.



Alan chasing a woman.



Who hides from him behind a guard. I guess Alan jumping while spinning in place is either him bragging or desperately trying to explain himself.





In addition to the guards I believe belong to the Vigilance Council, the other half of the city's police force are... the Guided?!



This must be Estrana.

Lands, it's huge!

Yea, it's a real giant!





GUARD: There is no debate. Get lost, you are hereby banned from Estrana.

MAN: But the Phantom Slasher is out here! Please!!! I don't want to die!

GUARD: You stand a better chance against the Phantom Slasher then (SIC) you do with us if we find you in Estrana ever again.
So get lost!

The man takes off very quickly.
GUARD: You newcomers have to check in at one of the booths. You won't end up like that scumbag unless you behave badly in Estrana.
Good day.
He also leaves.

I guess everyone knows about the Phantom Slasher by now.

Yes, it's kind of odd how quickly the news has spread.

It must be killing a lot of people! Let's get checked in before it gets any darker out here!



GUARD: Right, right. Just fill out these forms and pay the entrance tax and you'll be good to go.

Entrance tax?

GUARD: Yes, it's only 50 kiphers of seru or an item of equal or greater value.

I don't have anything that valuable!

GUARD: What about those clothes you're wearing?

I'm not taking anything off for you, you jerk!

Can't she just take a government job and work the tax off or something?

GUARD: Well... yea, but I think it would probably be better for her to just sell off some of those baggy clothes.

No thanks, I'll just take a job! Where do I sign up?

GUARD: I'll take care of that for you. You look like you're a warrior so I'm sure you'll get something that's right up your alley.

Yea, I'm a fighter, Not some pretty little bimbo! (Capitalisation in text)

Oh, you're not a ditz?

(Wait a second...)

What did you say?!

Nothing.

(No, it can't be... He wouldn't have... would he?)
Yes, Kloe. He's -that- much of a psycho.

GUARD: Ok, you are all being instated as Standard Citizens. Here are your cards.
It's my duty to notify you that in order gain access to some areas of the city you will have to up your citizen status.
This can be done at the courthouse if you meet certain requirements.
Also, every 28 days you will have to pay an additional 25 seru to remain in the city.
Your landlord will fill out all the papers once you have found a place of residence.
Death to landlords!!!
Here is a map of the city, Welcome to Estrana citizens. (Capitalisation in text again!!)

One quick question. Where is the grand tournament being held?

GUARD: It's at the Grand Casino owned Verdanna. It's located in the northwest corner of the city.

(Verdanna...)

With this map getting to the casino should be no problem. Take a look Traziun.



Yep, all one big map, with NPCs and stuff going about their business. Though it'll be a while before we can do free exploration of the city.


All right let's go.

You guys go ahead, I'm going to have a look around town.


...



BIG place!

Yea, let's go inside. I'm going to sign up for the tournament. What about you?

I don't think I will. I've got other things to do. (Cetsa is here somewhere.)

Okay, but I hear the women here go crazy over guys who know how to fight.

I told you, I only care about one girl!

Oops, I guess I forgot for a second.

Anyway, before we head in, lets check our new blade art.



MEH

Anyway, we can't leave the immediate vicinity of the casino right now and none of the NPCs hanging around really say much of interest.
Also this area has a theme song no one was ever able to figure out the provenance of. It doesn't sound familiar to me either and it's not credited as one of the original songs. It's named BCastle in the files and is almost entirely just a rapid beat.





The entry hall only has one optional encounter of note...



This character used to lack a portrait too. Keep that in mind.


This dialogue gives us a chance earn some points.

code:

"Get it yourself."                      -1 Sorya
"What will you give me if I do?"
	"Works for me."                 +1 Sorya
	"That won't cut it."            -1 Sorya
"Why don't you fetch me a drink?"       -2 Sorya
"My pleasure."                          +2 Sorya

Sorya points are one of the ones that actually do have an effect on some things. Curiously, we -don't- want more than 6 points with her, so I don't go with the best options.
I won't tell you what she effects until much later though.




If you're really lucky I might say thank you.
Then I have Rhue say "Works for me." for +1 Sorya point. Then the screen fades black for a moment.

Thanks newcomer. You are new in town, aren't you?

Yea, just arrived today.

Are you here to compete in the tournament? Are you a Lyn?

Uh... Not exactly.

Then why are you here? Are you running scared from the Phantom Slasher?

No. I've got my reasons for being here. It's business.

Business. Interesting. Still, I think you should consider fighting in the tournament.

You can be sure that I'll be watching if you do.

(That's probably not a good thing...)

I'm meeting someone here very soon, so I'll have to cut our conversation short for now. Goodbye dear.

Oh, and my name is Sorya.

All right, I'm Rhue.
And with that, we move on to the other end of the hall...



And up the stairs to the next room.



The next floor seems to be a restauraunt. Rhue doesn't respond to Lossus, who also once lacked a portrait. We head up the smaller set of stairs and...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7YtvbiM1Hk



Well, well.


Rhue!?

Oh, look who's here. I didn't think I'd ever see the likes of you again.

Lyrra, what are you doing with his creep?!

Creep? How dare you refer to the love of my life with such a contemptuous word!
He cut through a hundred Blue Scarves to save me!

Yes, seems you were too busy running away.

I wasn't running away! I was running after Cetsa!

Cetsa???

I mean, Dancing Violet.



Traziun gets bored and wanders off at this point. I'll show you where he went when I can.
You're not who I thought you were at all Rhue!!!

You don't understand anything.

...



Lyrra shoves Rhue. Also note that woman Traziuns speaking to. That's Verdanna. When she sees Traziun she jumps in surprise and/or excitement.



"I just meant to give you a gentle pat!"

Don't apologize, he deserved it. Come on, lets get out of here.

... Woe to me! The rippled water assaults my soul with waves of regret and sorrow!

You're so cute when you talk like that. Come on, forget him.



The unlikely couple depart.



... And a new challenger enters from the south!
Accompanied by midi version of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUawCrHH2cw which is used as her theme song.



No.

Here, grab my hand and I'll help you out of the water.



Please call me Lexus! What happened anyway?

I'd rather not talk about it.

I understand.

...

... So, what's your name? Are you new in town?

Rhue, and yea, how did you know?

Most of the people who are here have just come to fight in the tournament. It's a huge deal.

Apparently so.

That's why I'm here to sign up for it!

You're going to fight???

Yea!!! What kind of wimp do you take me for?

Besides, twenty percent of the proceeds go to charity. What kind of jerk wouldn't want to help a worthy cause?

Uh... right.

Great, let's go sign up together!

(Lands...)



CLERK: The registration fee is 100 seru, I trust that that is agreeable.

It certainly is.

(I've got to get out of this! I need an excuse and quick!)

Lands, it looks like someone pickpocketed me... I don't have any seru, so I guess I can't sign up.

How dreadful! I'm sorry Rhue!

Oh well, maybe next year.

...

No Rhue, I'm not going to let one little incident keep you from your dream!

My dream?

Yes, I can see it in your eyes. You've been waiting for this day all your life.

I can't let your dream just die like this!

That's why I'll be paying for you. Here you are, mister. Please register my friend Rhue as well!

I can't let you do that! Please, I wouldn't feel right about it!

What? Is my money not good enough for you or something?

Uh, no, I mean yes, I mean...

Good, I guess you're in then!

Wonderful...

To celebrate why don't we go out tonight and have dinner at the Val Parra Cafe?

I don't know where that is.

Just ask anyone around here, it's right across the way from this casino.

See you there at sundown! Bye!
She takes off. Lexus... While she's no Strata, Kloe or [Two other characters we'll meet before long], she's up there as a character I really like. I think Lun's personal connection to whoever he (possibly) based her on shines through a lot. Anyway, Traziun comes over now. And if you really paid attention to the NPCs in the screenshots, you may notice one man following Lexus around.



What are you smirking at?

I thought you weren't going to be in the tournament? I thought you had other business?

Shutup.

Yea, you don't have time to talk. You've got to get ready to have dinner at the Val Parra Cafe!

Don't remind me.

I've found you a room here at the casino. It's not the greatest, but hey, it's on me.

Thanks Traziun, I'm sorry you're always having to pay for me.

No problem, at least you'll be bumming off your new girlfriend instead of me for awhile.

It's not like that!

Right... Let me show you your room.



Do I ever let you down? I've got a lot of business to take care of myself now that I'm here.
Don't expect to see me around much.

All right.

Have a nice evening.

Well, I'd better get a move on. Better look at my map and see where this Val Parra place is.



Not too far at all.



Geez, Rhue. You have problems.

Anyway, that's all for this update. Next time we uh... We do one of more bizarre sequence of events in the series. To me, anyway. More that elements of it feel strange for this setting. Kinda funny though.


the end