Part 32: Gunners' Heaven

Last time, we found out the truth about the Neosapiens and the Elw, and Doc had an idea about investigating a ruin he'd visited before.
But he also suggested we go do some sidequests first, so lets tackle some of them now.


Update 32: All Guns go to Heaven

I've not shown it off yet, but there's been a new intro sequence ever since chapter 3 began.

VIDEO: Chapter 3 Intro
(I'm aware the start is corrupted for a few seconds. I have reencoded this video about ten times but apparantly youtube really hates it. All this effort for something you guys have seen twice before...)

As with chapter 2's one, it's fundamentally the same as before except with some new scenes spliced in over old ones.



Malik,



Melody,



Leehalt



And Siegfried show up now. And Siggy's face is great if you freeze-frame it.

By the way, there are two different versions of the Japanese opening song on the soundtrack. Seems to have a different singer and lyrics, though I couldn't tell you what they were. I've used version two on this video.

Anyway, lets look around and see if we can find any leads we can follow up on.

In Baskar Colony


Hope lies beneath the deepest darkness, courage in the cracks of boulders. Love, swallowed by cruelty, is banished with tears to the sand. Meanwhile, desire lies at the end of mankind's prosperity. Where do our thoughts and emotions go? As long as our souls are parched and fatigued, the guardian lords' strength is lost.

This is just a vague overview of where we can find all the Guardian Lords. Other NPCs have more complete clues.


In Boot Hill


Desire will lead you to tomorrow. However, if you fully succumb to desire, you will lose everything. Do you remember Gob's Hideout south of here? That mansion used to belong to a wealthy merchant. However, desire got the best of him, and he lost it all...

Now that I think of it, there was an unexplored area in the Gob's Hideout, Pearl's intro dungeon.



Remember this room with the collapsing floor, and the ledge Pearl refuses to climb up onto? Billy can easily jump up to that ladder with the Radical Sneakers.
There's a hidden storeroom up the ladder.



Neat.
There's also a Tiny Flower in the second chest, a Gimel Coin in a crate and a Duplicator hidden behind the stairs on the way out.



Back to the Fallen Sanctuary, and up to the second altar we'll attempt.

The visions in your mind are bound together. The ripples spread quietly, but cover your minds. You feel a presence closer than anything to creation and destruction. The power of desire gives off a sudden impulse. The bearer of the Ark Scepter's light must have the power to fight that which has no form. Fight, and show your strength to Lucied!

BOSS BATTLE: LUCIED, GUARDIAN LORD OF DESIRE



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

A considerably easier prospect than Raftina, for a few reasons.



This is one of them. It's an awesome looking non-elemental arcana that's pretty potent in the right situations, but...



This isn't the right situation. To quote the mechanics FAQ...

quote:

G) DARK LUCEID
[[[(X*MAG-MGR)*0.75]*(80...119/100)]*(1+FP/100)]
Where X = A + B + C + D + E, and
A = 1*number of elements halved
B = 2*number of elements resisted
C = 3*number of elements active
D = 1*number of elements absorbed
E = -1*number of elemental weaknesses

This arcana can trash enemies with lots of elemental resistances, but if they don't have ANY... well, zero multiplied by anything is still zero.
And aside from Pearl carrying around a Dark Ward, we don't have any.



Lifedrain allows him to steal HP, though apparently not a lot of it.



He's also vulnerable to weaken, allowing Boone to wreck his shit in subsequent turns.

His summon - Dark Destruction - is kinda cool though.



An inky drops falls into a pool of black, making it ripple and expand.



Lucied claws his way out, and...



FUCK EYES EVERYWHERE



The ground opens up, swallowing the drifters and...
Hm. Still not a lot of damage.
Did I mention I got through this without needing to heal once?
Overall cool, but disappointingly easy for a Guardian Lord.

VIDEO: Lucied



Defeating the big bad wolf lets us use his Lust Jaw medium and upgrade two of our older mediums to gold again.

Lust Jaw is a pretty good medium.

Arcana
Dark Matter (10FP): Attacks the enemy, doing Dark damage
Lifedrain (16FP): Steal HP from the enemy.
Dark Lucied (32FP): Situational, but powerful in those situations.
Curse (48FP): Makes an enemy more susceptible to status effects.

Personal Skills
FP Plus: Four levels, each level lets the user gain one more FP each time they gain FP. So at level 4, you'll gain 10 FP for attacking, not 6. I love it.
Restoration: If the character has a bad status, and gets a Force Level Up (25,50 or 75FP) their status is cleared. Very good, since it allows you to do things like lift statuses with Mini Carrots while also raising FP.
Weakness: Increases elemental damage done to weaknesses by up to 100%.

I'll be giving Lust Jaw to Doc for now, that rapid FP gain on a character who is constantly attacking is great, but I can see him being tossed between Boone and Doc quite a bit as situations require.

We've got time to go looking for another medium. Any ideas, random passerby?


In Humphrey's Peak


Did you hear the rumor about Gemstone Cave having a different <<entrance>>?
<<Entrance>>
I hear that cave extends as far as the island that borders both the inland and open seas. But why would someone want to make another entrance on an island with no shore?

Yeah, I remember finding a secret passage in the gemstone cave where we fought Witch Maya, but it just led out to a dead end.


Everybody has courage. In some people it's so small, they're like pebbles or <<rocks>> you find lying around.
<<Rocks>>
Speaking of rocks, let me tell you a little story. The <<Guardian of Courage>> changed his will into a rock, and is lying around somewhere, waiting for the <<valiant one>> to come.
<<Guardian of Courage>>
This guardian is said to possess unrivaled strength. You better not catch him when he's in a bad mood. Anyway, where do guardians get their patience and these crazy ideas?
<<Valiant...>>
But how do you prove you're the valiant one? Maybe a test of strength? Oh, I'd hate to do that...

Hm, seems promising. So we're to look for a test of strength?

In Boot Hill


Southeast of the cape where the giant's statue stands is an area full of rugged mountains. South of there is a fighting arena called Gunner's Heaven, where fighters risk their lives to show off their skills. It's hard for an average farmer like me to fathom the existence of such a preposterous place.

In Jolly Roger


On the continent facing north from the Sand Canal, there's an arena where combatants fight to the death. To gamble there is to dance on the brink. You have to keep your eyes open or greed will ruin you. The coliseum sits at the terminal of a dead railroad, but don't make it your last stop in the journey of life.

We'll check that out. Even if we weren't getting any mediums out of it, it'll probably be worth our time.



For old time's sake, I land Lombardia at the sandcraft beach we'd use to access this place, and ride horses down the abandoned railroad we need to follow. The target location is found where the tracks end - Gunners Heaven.



MUSIC: Bad Guys & Bad Land

It's a small arena, some shops and an Inn.


Step right up, my friend! Gunner's Heaven will show you things they don't teach you in school! Feel the rage come to a boil! The crowd roars and howls at the first sight of blood! You can live, you can die... You can even come back from the brink to die in vain... But if you ever, ever disappoint the crowd, I'll make you regret it. You'd better believe it!

Coney also explains how it works, but I'll summarize. We start in the Novice division, and need to beat 5 battles in 25 rounds in order to win. The Entry fee is 2000 gella and we get 5000 if we win. We get a bonus item for each round we pass, and can quit after each round if we're hurting too much. Success in the Novice division gains entry to the exclusive Journeyman and Master divisions.


Of course the games are only for <<grown-ups>>. Plus, you have to join the Patron's Club to even watch them.
<<Patron's Club>>
Oh, all the holier-than-thou types call us decadent, but who cares? I don't have time for their sermons. What harm is there in responsible adults enjoying <<precious>> few seconds of pure joy?
<<Precious>>
And we celebrate the preciousness of victors by awarding choice prizes to the survivors. We present victors of the Novice Division with an Item Scope. I hear Drifters use it to scour for items in the wasteland with its cutting-edge search waves. I suppose you could even locate the lost Guardian of Courage, wherever it lies out in the wasteland.

... that's a pretty direct hint. Very well then, lets do this.





Prepare yourselves for the Novice Division! Cut your way through five battles in 25 turns or less for fantastic prizes! Best of luck, challengers! Ready... Fight!

ROUND 1: 3x GANGA



All of the enemies in Gunners Heaven are unique to these bouts, so you can think of this as a string of minibosses.
These guys are possibly the most time consuming part of the battle for a few reasons.
1) They have no elemental weaknesses.
2) You'll be casting buffs here, and they carry over to later battles, shortening those battles.
3) They can cancel turns, which can put a dent in Doc's damage.

This lot is pretty simple though. Damage and be done.

Bravo! Bravo! Lord Begucci is quite pleased! Surely their next bout will be a breeze. Of course they'll continue, won't they?

Yes
No

ROUND 2: WENDIGO



As already noted, HP/FP and status carries over from the previous round. Interestingly this even includes Replay status. Doc got replayed in the last turn but did not use it - he will replay his action in the first turn here even if it's not explicitly cast on him. That's because Replay is a status that removes itself when it activates.
The Wendigo hits hard thanks to it starting the battle with an attack buff, which you can erase. It also counterattacks physical attacks.
But it has a weakness to Wind, so Boone can kill it easily.

Lord Begucci seems pleased by their captivating performance. Of course, I liked it, too. Since they've come this far, they'll accept another challenge now, won't they?

ROUND 3: 6x SHAMBLING MOUND



They inflict bronze status - no biggie. The biggest problem here is their sheer numbers. Weak to fire but they're not grouped so you can't extend or mystic fire damage on them. Trying to take them out individually would eat up turns, so Billy gives Firey Rage to Boone and he summons. All gone.

Somebody put the brakes on these fighters, folks! They've steamrolled through every opponent so far. Look at them now. Somehow they're able to hide their glee at their meteoric rise to glory! I think it goes without saying that they belong in the ring, doesn't it?

Honestly it's really been more of a faceroll.

ROUND 4: BALOR



Inflicts Poison and Disease, but not in the same move and only on one character at a time so chances are good this won't be a problem. On top of that he has a Lightning weakness, so zap him with that and he'll go down.

Incredible! We've all heard of unlimited potential inside us all. Well, here's proof! These courageous gladiators have leaped across every hurdle with such extraordinary grace! In spite of the great challenge before them, they maintain a cool, nonchalant facade! Now, the moment you've all been waiting for! The final match, a won-way ride... Will it go to heaven... or to hell?

ROUND 5: ARMORDRAKE



The final round. It's weak to wind, but will counter arcana. Doesn't matter, Boone can spam Vortex without too much trouble.
It'll also cast Shield on itself, and keep recasting it if you erase it, so you can get through this with relatively little damage taken.
The only question is if you got through in less than 25 turns.

VIDEO: Gunners Heaven Novice League

Fantastic! The challengers break past all five skirmishes under the turn limit! I'm so glad to see them succeed, and I'm sure Lord Begucci is, too! Now, we award them for their impressive victory!

Our rewards include three antidotes, four heal berries, a revive fruit, a potion berry, 5000 gella and, most importantly of all, the Item Scope.

We've been able to find the occasional treat while searching on the world map, but it's been limited to large piles of gella. Now we can find all kinds of items out there too.

Gunners Heaven always awaits new champions to come and test their mettle! So remember, ask your friends and loved ones if they've got what it takes to be a champion!

Well, this is certainly some barbaric entertainment. I wonder what kind of sicko runs a place like this?




Everyone looks <<exquisite>> with blood on their clothes. Especially when it's their enemy's!
<<Exquisite>>
Yes... Speaking of exquisite, do you like mustaches? You know, the long kind you can curl around and around? Why, yes... Sort of like my very own mustache... <<Exquisite>>, isn't it?
<<Exquisite>>
My eyebrows are exquisite, too.

... I should definitely stop asking about <<Exquisite>> before he starts talking about body hair.
I'll check his bookshelf though.

The books on the shelf sport titles that mention corruption, beauty, destruction, angels and blood.

Well, look at this... I read that series in class when the teacher wasn't looking.

The Journeyman League also opened up for us, but... uh...



I tried for ten minutes but couldn't get past the first battle. For later!



Anyway... it's off to the Gemstone Cave now. Take a trip through and find the secret passage that leads to that empty little island. Search and find...



A sign.

Search just slightly further to the west, and find...



There.
Now it's back to the Fallen Sanctuary.



The visions in your minds are bound together. A stalwart mind pulls you out of the depths of doubt. Its presence is like a powerful sword. The power of courage beckons you to battle. The bearer of the Ark Scepter's light must have the strength to fight that which has no form. Fight, and show your strength to Justine!

BOSS BATTLE: JUSTINE, GUARDIAN LORD OF COURAGE



Harder than Lucied, but still easier than Raftina.



He can cast Hyper on himself, doubling his ATT score.



Justine Attack is his summon...



A sword is planted in the ground, reflecting the image of the enemy leader. Justine's eyes glow above its handle.



He brandishes the sword and leaps into the air, bringing it down on the entire party.

Justine Attack inflicts Fallen on all of the enemies, killing them instantly. The chance of success is directly proportional to the summoner's current FP.
But since we all have Fallen Ward, this isn't doing jack to us.



Magnarise shoots some non-elemental damage at us, but not a lot.

VIDEO: Justine



His defeat gets us another two mediums upgraded and a new medium - Brave Seal.

Arcana
Magnarise (32FP): Non-elemental magical attack. Its damage depends on your current force level (not current FP: force level 1 is 0-24, 2 is 25-49 and so on)
Synchronizer (48FP): Copies all status effects the caster is suffering from over to the target. Highly, highly situational, but occasionally amazing.
Distortion (24FP): Gives the target a damage shield that will absorb up to 1/4 of their max HP.
Hyper (48FP): Doubles the ATT stat of the target.

Hyper presents a conundrum - it will not stack with Valiant, you will have to choose.
I'm positive people will disagree with me on this, but most of the time I think I'd go with Hyper. It won't reach the amazing heights Valiant can, but it consistently does what it does in a completely risk-free way, as opposed to valiant being nearly useless at full health and a dangerous incentive to get characters killed. In certain situations though, Valiant might be better.

Personal Skills
Focus: Protects against status effects that wear off after battle - bronze, confusion, glass, paralysis, sleep and FALLEN. Yes one of my Fallen Wards is now obsolete. It was still worth getting it. A must-use PS.
Regeneration: Makes force gauge levelups heal the character - up to 20% of max HP per levelup.
SOS Support: Activates all of the support arcana the user has if they go into critical health. Actually pretty good since this will at minimum give them Distortion, which is as good as a 25% of HP heal.

I'm giving this to Billy, and probably giving Einander a seizure. Sorry dude.


Well, that's three Guardian Lords retrieved. There's one left, but... I think I may leave that for a few updates. (I hate that place)


Lets see, other stuff... I got another 5 Arioch battles done.

Arioch Count: 10/100

He's still weak, but able to deal damage and non-trivial to one-shot now.



While hunting the little bastard down I dropped in at the Sand Canal and remembered I could open a locked door now. I couldn't before because you need to fall onto this switch to open the door, but using the Radical Sneakers to jump on it is the same thing.

Inside there was a chest with a Grab Bag and a sealed chest with the Nine Lives - a gear that gives the SOS Guard PS. Not great but good.

I also got enough Dragon Fossils from random battles to buy an upgrade for the sandcraft - the Dragonheart NG, the strongest engine. Why bother to upgrade the sandcraft at all at this point? I don't know... because it's there?


Next Time: We find Doc's dungeon


A Day A Day


Today is March 11, Fingernail Day. A man who swore not to bite his nails anymore applied lethal poison to his own nails. But when he was washing his hands, he accidentally scratched himself. The man was found dead in his house the next morning. The townspeople who learned of his death honoured the man as an example to avoid doing anything so extreme.

Today is March 12, Radish Day. Once there was two men, each claiming they had raised the best strain of radish. When their feud escalated into great debate within the gardener's guild, King Garbeth III, ruler of Meria Boule, stepped in to resolve the controversy. The king made the two men hold the roots of their radish sprouts and announced, the one holding the root with a leaf after a pulling contest is to claim the breeder title. So the two men glared into each others eyes and... As you might have read in the history books, the baron Kaiwarl claimed the title for his show of love, refusing to tear apart his own creation.