Part 5: Den of Miasma

For the final character we chose the name "Doc." This is of course a reference to a famous Old West hero.

UPDATE 5: Welcome to fucking Ballack Rise! Hope you like miasma!



MUSIC: Let's Run Around, Let's Look Over There!






This is an assignment I alone have accepted. I shall take it from here.


And you've heard of the buddy system, right? They always say two heads are better than one. I can help you.
Yes, I appreciate your concern. But my mission is to exterminate the keeper of these caverns and to protect the residents of the village. I believe that was the deal.
Uhhh... Yes, but... What does that have to do with me?
In other words, you are one of the residents I must protect.


As a result, I would not be able to ensure your safety if you accompany me. Please, there is no need to worry. I shall complete my assignment, and return promptly to accept my bounty.

With Borgnine properly patronised, the two men start to head deeper into the cave.

He seems confident enough, but going in there alone...? Doesn't he realise this cavern is called...



Oooh, ominous.
No wait, that's not really all that ominous a name. It's rather to the point and descriptive.

We get control of the character pretty quickly in this section. Borgnine will hang around here near the entrance - if you talk to him you can get up to three free Heal Berries off him before he runs out.


The tunnels are narrow, and passing though small cracks in the rock is the only way to proceed. There's a chest with another Heal Berry in it on the other side.
... all these free healing items are making me nervous.


At the end of the tunnel Doc finds this suspicious sight.

This wall appears to be more frail than the others...

Fortunately Doc has the perfect cure for this kind of blockage.

BOMBS!


Yes, this is his special tool. Pressing Square drops a bomb that explodes several seconds afterwards. You can drop up to eight at a time and you don't even have to move out of the way as the explosion doesn't damage you. (years of playing Zelda, however, have trained me to always do so anyway)


Passing though the gap the bombs open brings us to this round cavern. Note those boulders to the right, we'll be back here.
Heading to the left brings us to a doorway. It's impossible to get to that treasure chest from here, as it's too high up.


We actually passed this area on the way in (the lower path.)These squishy beasts sit still and block the way, squirting out plumes of miasma every few seconds. Bombs will disable them, but only temporarily. They spring back to life after only a few seconds.
The chest contains two revive fruits. I don't know why the game is giving me so many given that you can't use a revive fruit on yourself. (on account of hypothetical deadness)


In addition to the red squishy things, these lizard/dog things are also attacking us. Their bark is worse than their bite but not by much.


Doc, on the other hand, does plenty of damage. He is actually our best physical attacker.


Returning to the main path, we blow up those boulders and proceed to this room. That narrow causeway and steep drop remind me of Knightmare...


These blue squishies are just like the red, except that they don't come back to life after being bombed. On the other side is the treasure chest we couldn't reach earlier, which has a Gimel Coin.


Blowing up these boulders would let us proceed, but first there's a secret room to the west.
Inside we find 300 gella and a Heal Berry, and...


The hell is that thing?

A powerful and wicked presence emanates from the holographic archive.
You sense something moving toward you from the darkness!

AAAAAAAAHH!!!!

... actually, nothing happens for now. Later though, this could be a pain.
Some more messing about with bombs gets us though those boulders and some blue squishies, and into the final room.



This miasma... I can sense the keeper... It's not too far now to the throne where the keeper awaits.

As Doc advances however, the floor falls away from behind him!


Hm!?
So my retreat has been blocked off... I take it guests are not very welcome here. I must confront the keeper and ask about the way out.

To be fair, you did come into this thing's place waving about a sniper rifle and high explosives. That's not very considerate to your host.

The keeper waits in its nest, just a few paces away.



It looks pleased to see him!

BOSS BATTLE: GOLDRAKE

MUSIC: Blood, Tears, and the Dried-Up Wasteland


I mustn't let this one escape. I won't get another chance if I let it fly off. As long as I have accepted this assignment, I will carry it out with grace. I shall get rid of you at once!


Despite having wings, the Goldrake starts off running about on the ground.


It only has one attack, this lunging bite. Likewise, all Doc can do at this point is blast it with his rifle.


Small downside though - Doc only has space for two bullets in his ARM. This means that while he has the highest ARM damage, he will need to stop and spend every third turn reloading.
This is a problem for everyone of course, but worst for Doc because he has the smallest bullet capacity. Thankfully we'll eventually have the chance to fix this shortcoming.

After taking a certain amount of damage, the Goldrake finally takes to the air.


With your evasive maneuvers... It may be easy for you to evade my shots...
But I will not just stand here and allow that to happen!

By taking to the air, the Goldrake's evasion has skyrocketed. At this rate Doc is pretty much guaranteed to miss with every shot. Thankfully he has a trick of his own.

Lock On is Doc's Force Ability. It costs 25 FP and requires at least one bullet in his ARM.
It's a single shot, but with spectacularly high accuracy and double damage.


The final blow lays the beast low.



Doc takes a moment to gloat.

I possess the ability to track my prey's target. I can foresee its slightest move.
Hm...!?


Oops, spoke too soon


I could have easily prepared if only I had predicted the source of this miasma to be the monster...



The creature flies away...



Doc! It looks like you got your head handed to you. So, how about giving it another shot?

> Yes

Doc decided to return after summoning all the courage and energy he had.


Toxic matter has entered my system... The effects do not appear to be too serious yet, but the more I move, the more it will eat away at my body. Calling out for help will not do... It may be quite a risk, but the wise choice would be to head back to the entrance, rather than wait here until help arrives...

MUSIC: From Beyond


This is actually pretty harrowing. As the purple bubble on the status screen shows, we have been afflicted with our first status ailment - Poison. And we have no means of curing it.


It's not a complete disaster. On our way out, we'll take about 3HP damage every few steps which is manageable. What's much worse is...


OUCH
In battle, poison costs you a fifth of your HP every turn. It can be mean as hell and a hot priority for immediate removal.
We'll want to avoid battles as much as possible on our way out.


Fortunately I conserved a decent amount of the Encounter Gauge for this eventuality, and a block of white gems in the next room help even more. We should be able to skip most of the battles on the way out.
But this is genuinely the first difficult part of the game, and a new player could very easily die here if they don't remember the way out or get bogged down in battles.

As we pass this area the screen starts to shake and part of the roof caves in.


A boulder of this size probably would not budge from one or two bombs... Perhaps placing a number of bombs in succession may work...


WOO BOMB SPAM!

This path is a shortcut back to the circular room with the pool. From there it's a short walk back to the entrance.



Good heavens! Are you all right? What a fever! What happened to you in there!?
I believe... I have been afflicted... by poison... if only I had been... more... careful...

You know, I noticed them, but these ellipses never bothered me so much until I had to transcribe them. I guess doing LPs really does make you hate the game.

Wh-What about the monster?
It took to the sky... and...
Okay, understood! We'll take care of the rest, so...



Doc blacks out

MUSIC: Impatience Leading to Trouble











'When' am I going to get some explanation about what that was?

MUSIC: Healing the Scar



Doc wakes up in the saloon in Ballack Rise.

Oh, you're awake. Hold on a minute. I'll go make something.


Why, thank you.


Wow, this is really something. What is it?
Knocked your socks off, huh? Well, here's a hint.


That's right. It's more potent than regular off-the-shelf antidote. We boiled it in a great cauldron. Well, I'm just glad it had the effect I was hoping for! Now I know I can sell it to customers.

"There I was, worried it would completely shut down your liver or bring about the most awful diarrho..."
"Thank you for making me your guinea pig."

Of course, I almost broke my back hauling you out of that cave when the monster got you. But... All's well that ends well, right? Now we can get on with our lives.
A monster... in a cave...?



What's that supposed to mean? You chased it away, didn't you? While you were recovering, the men grouped together and marched to the cave to look for the beast, but it was gone.
All they could find was its lair, seep in the bowels of the cavern. No trace of the monster was found.
And? What did they do with the lair?
Well... They torched it, of course. We don't want the thing coming back, do we?
They... They torched it!?
Yep. Now the monster's toast, right?
All I did was hurt the monster and chase it from the cave. But inevitably it will want to nurse its wounds in the safety of its lair. If that is gone, then certainly...

Everyone turns as a hideous shriek is heard from outside




Where do you think you're going!? You need more rest!
I accepted this assignment. That's why I must see it through to its completion. I'd never forgive myself if I gave up on my clients. Very unprofessional.
Then, here... take this.


The monster's poisonous, right? I think it'll come in handy.
I'm sure it will.

Excellent, we got an antidote.

MUSIC: Gun-Equipped Cavalry



"The regrets of the past become chains, burdening you more with each step you take though the sands of time."



"Through knowledge of oneself, one can live without regret!"



BOSS BATTLE: GOLDRAKE (take two)


The epic rematch. Goldrake starts off flying so normal attacks can't hit it. We'll have to depend on Lock On.


This time it leads with its poison breath attack.


But we have learned from Batman and come prepared. It won't try that again, so we're safe from poison for the rest of the battle.


Like I said, we can't hit with normal attacks, but it's still worth attacking to help build our FP.





All it takes is two Locked On shots to bring the thing down.





The roar of the crowd! It's not bad for only five people.





... nobody knew where the train was headed? Nobody?
I know this is meant to sound mysterious, but I've been on trains, and they usually know where they're going. It's not like they can just go off-roading. Yes, even British trains.

Thus ends Doc's prologue. I like Doc a lot. He's the only genuine pro on the team, and brings a sliver of Common Sense to the group. Most definitely the driving force behind this team and a fan favourite it seems. He's also fantastically effective in battle.


But wait! There's more!

MUSIC: Walking into the Heart of the Sunset's Light


Typical teenager, thinks the world revolves around her.
(it really revolves around Billy's ego)


Pearl, if you have a moment, you should probably check the timetable and see where it's going. I'm sure people would love to know.









Bonus Video - Youtube
In this video - the boss battles, escaping from the cave, and the strange sepia dream.


Next Time: The train, again, and one of my favourite boss battles in the game.


More e-mails. I've pretty much given up on blocking them now.