Part 39: Dim Root Path
Last time, we failed to rescue Maya, and we failed to keep the teardrop. It was a miserable failure all round, thanks Pearl.Today, we'll try to set things right.
Update 39: Ch-ch-ch-ch-changecrest!
We waste no time heading for the coordinates Alfred tracked them to, but while we can find the place we can't get in.
The station's defensive system somehow activates, preventing entry by anyone. Not even the dragon's cannons could penetrate the barriers deployed all around the station. It seems you must find another way in.
Beware, mere mortal... This flying vessel is the cradle of the last metal god. Observe for the time being... The time for you and your friends to be born anew is at hand.
Ahh... Life on Filgaia has reached its pinnacle of evolution. Only evolution stands in the way of extinction, and pushes back the tide of entropy. It is a salvation reserved for divinity.
No longer an ugly larva, the butterfly slowly emerges from its cocoon. Tremble in the joy of the shining moment. Shudder at an end that is all too near. Quiver in a new beauty risen from death.
But worry not. I will return the woman I borrowed... further evolved through nanomachines, of course. After all, I am not interested in woman other than Mama.Malik, you're one creepy guy. Bird. Birdthing.
Right, we need another way in. Might as well drop in to Laxisland, see if they have any ideas.
I commissioned this <<coat of mail>> especially for dragon-slaying. Why, it deflects razor-sharp claws and plumes of flame with nary a scratch.
<<Coat of mail>> Upon finishing it, the master blacksmith donned the armour and dove head-first into a raging pit of fire! Come, look closer, child. Not a single instance of warping... Not one piece discolored! Furthermore... I believe it features an <<emergency escape mechanism>>, for only the armour was found in the burning pit. <<Emergency escape mechanism>> I assume that my daredevil craftsman ejected to safety. Since then, he has not written, but I am sure he is living well. Mayhaps he married?I believe it would be for the best to continue to choose to believe that. Anyone got anything useful to say?
Hm, Martina's mother seems to have recovered.
Thank you for all you've done for me and Martina. Stop by our saloon in Claiborne. We'll welcome you with open arms.
It's been a while since I worked so hard, but I'm glad I could save a life. It's been so long, I almost forgot how good it really feels. 
I'm so happy. Now we can go back to Claiborne together. Thank you, Cheville, Ian, and everyone for helping me. It was all because of you. And I'm glad I found the strength inside me to come all this way.Hey, that's great kid. I don't suppose you know how to get through an impenetrable forcefield?
...No, forget it, stupid question. Anyone else?
Everybody's saying something strange is going on inside the ruins on the hill... I sure hope it's nothing. Come to think of it, some members of that Order of the Ark of Destiny went to go survey the place, but they gave up for some reason or other.That's... actually useful information. The Ark would be the guys to go to about old ruins.
At the Ark of Destiny
We were able to pinpoint the location of another ship that descended from land unknown. It was called the Cradle of the Metal Gods, which was once used as a hangar. We attempted to excavate the Cradle, but the ruins were located high above a cliff, which made access difficult. So we decided to dig a tunnel west of Survey Point #17 in order to penetrate the Cradle from underground. Just as the tunnel was nearing completion, there was a cave-in by the entrance, which forced us to halt any further operation. Had we been able to excavate the second ship that soared the heavens, it would have aided us greatly in the promotion of our Order. We were planning to name the tunnel that would have led to the cradle, [Dim Root Path]. An outlined report of this plan can be found in the library.Sounds interesting. The book is located on the upper level of the library.
Full Account of Survey Point #08 posted:
Survey Point #08 was named the [Cradle of the Metal Gods] after the folklore about the Deus Ex Machina. The excavation of the ruin faced difficulties from the get go, as the ruin was located high atop a cliff where access was difficult. A plan to penetrate the ruin from underground was devised, and work began on converting a cave into a tunnel, which would lead into the ruin. The initial construction point began at coordinates X:8296, Y:22777. This was to be a large step forward for the Order. The tunnel construction was proceeding smoothly, until a sudden cave-in halted all operations. Construction has been put on hold indefinitely until a plan is devised to remove the debris.
There we have it, we can access Siegfried's crib from a tunnel at X:8296, Y:22777.
The cave-in is visible from the world map, but Lombardia's rockets can clear the path and reveal the entrance.
... wait a minute
WHY WOULD YOU PUT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAVE ON A DIFFERENT CONTINENT?
What, you decided to make your followers dig UNDER THE OCEAN when you could just dig from a nearby cliff face that's accessible by sandcraft?
Wait... I see the problem. I'm expecting logical actions from a UFO cult.
MUSIC: Soaked Through with Fear
Immediately after entering the dungeon, we're confronted with a tightly sealed door. Twelve wards bar our way.
If we hadn't got the four Guardian Lords and upgraded the other eight mediums, we'd be forced to turn back now and find them. As it is, we can proceed.
The twelve golden mediums resonate brightly! The power of the guardians, unified as one, breaks the seal on the door!
We quickly encounter a gap we cannot cross. Fortunately, the next room contains a single treasure chest, containing Pearl's final tool - the Changecrest.
This thing does a lot of different things depending on what it hits. For example, it turns these orange blocks into orange gems (and vice versa) allowing us to access these two treasure chests. (Three Lucky Cards and a Potion Berry)
Heading back to the previous room, we can throw the Changecrest at this white gem to warp to its position.
Converting the orange gem into a block opens the door.
Note the panel to the left. If we collected the orange gem, another one would spawn here after a few seconds. It's a good way to refill your VIT or ECN if they're running low. Doc can pick up orange boxes with the Mighty Gloves.
Meanwhile, the Prophets and Asgard are getting re-acquainted. Maya struggles in Asgard's grip. (not sure why they let her get back in Calamity Jane mode...)
You cannot be too careful with her in her current form. Hold her firmly. Acquire the energy from the Teardrop and supply it to the incubation plant, [Deus Ex Machina]!Ah, that must be where the scriptwriters live.
Commencing energy acquisition and supply process.
That's my Teardrop! The Teardrop will distill into pure energy, which will supply the Deus Ex Machina... Then, we can regain our flesh and blood...What? I thought you wanted to be demons...
Heeheehee... Watch, in place of your dead friends, as this planet begins its transformation. Afterwards, you can tell all your friends in the netherworld about the beautifully reborn Filgaia...
Meanwhile, the Drifters continue along the secret path and come to this wall. The Changecrest can break through it easily, but arranging the blocks like so allows Pearl to galecrest across the gap and access a treasure room - three Gimel Coins, 20000 Gella and two Gella Cards.
Using the Changecrest removes the orange blocks. Once they're out of the way, Pearl can Galecrest over the gap.
A treasure chest in the corner contains a valuable treasure.
The Violator... a piece of gear for a medium.
This...
I'm pretty sure the name refers to how this gear makes a mockery of every mandatory boss in the remainder of the game. It is a piece of equipment so gamebreaking I'm almost afraid to show it off.I'm not going to equip it for now, but rest assured I intend to use it soon. It's far from being necessary or fair.
Transfer of energy to the Deus Ex Machina, normal... 740 and counting until plant operation level. Preservation of nanomachines, normal. Ready to defrost in accordance to plant operation... Asgard... I welcome you back. But how were you able to return after being sent beyond space-time?
Beyond the spiral of space-time, lies a world that existed before the first humans, neosapiens... It was a Filgaia covered with ocean and greenery, unlike the Filgaia of present. It was as beautiful as this gem... (Gem...?) Hah-hah-hah-hah! A fighting machine likens the planet to a gem!? That I am, but I am free to speak what I feel. That world was so peaceful and tranquil, and touching... It was the first time I felt a sense of love for the world... However, my duty is to protect my master. I devised a plan to return to the present world, and the result is history.Asgard has definitely been changed by his experience. He's much more erudite than before, for a start.
So, you cut off your power supply and traversed through time by perpetual hibernation? Quite a risky and painstakingly long plan you devised. It was the only option. I firmly believed it would work, provided my body was not disturbed during my deactivation. I admire your dedication, Golem. I would like you to act as my shield as well. And do you have records of the Filgaia of old? The data is stored in my memory. Then prepare the emulator to play back a quasi-image of how this planet used to be...Emulator discussion is fine, but shut up about your
Asgard.
Really easy this, one, you don't even need to use the changecrest to convert any of them.
Similar setup to last time - rearranging the blocks lets Pearl galecrest across. A side door leads to a treasure room - a Revive Fruit, Adventure 7 and a Migrant Seal guarded by three Imitators.
Changecresting white crystals let you warp to their position, and the Changecrest can be thrown through this netting.
... back to the Prophets!
Asgard speaks the truth... Yes... I cannot believe how beautiful this unsightly planet once was... This sample data is amazing... I can study the planet's life structure from it... With this, I can probably...
An alarm starts to sound, and the lights turn red.
What is it? Someone has broken into the [Cradle]. We have an intruder, it seems... Sire? My wish is to transform this planet into a giant life-form conglomerate. It shall act as an interstellar ship as well as an ecosystem to breed and raise demons. I shall call it... Starship Filgaia! With this, I shall head to new frontiers and quench my thirst for battle!That's an appropriately
plan! I approve! Find the intruders and eliminate them! Leave no stone unturned...
The prophets teleport away, while Asgard manually carts Maya off.
This room is similar to a previous one, but more complicated.
First thing you need to do is Changecrest the orange gem to turn it into a block.
Then changecrest the three orange blocks, and use the Steady Doll to push the other blocks off the platforms.
Pearl can now galecrest over the gaps, and if she hadn't created that block on the right earlier she'd have sailed right off the edge of the platform and into the pit.
The door is locked, but Doc can now move the orange block next to the gem below, and Billy can throw a boomerang so that it hits the side of the orange block and falls on the gem.
Door open.
Final puzzle for today. All four gems need to be collected before any of them respawn, but they are too far apart to do it by running or galecresting.
A jewel thief must also use wits, instead of always relying on speed.
Took me way too long to get this one...
i r dumb.Converting the gems into boxes and moving them close together lets you change them back into gems and collect them quickly, opening the door.
Hm... big heavy blast doors like these are never a good thing.
As soon as we open the door at the end of the passage, the alarm sounds.
And the doors quickly close.
MUSIC: If Tails, Despair if Heads, Hope
They know we're here!?
No... If they did, I reckon there would be pursuers, but that does not seem to be the case... Perhaps it's Alfred and company?
Either way, we better get movin'! There's no turning back now! Run for the gate!They run off, almost leaving Boone behind.
H-Hye... Wait...! Argh... Whatever!
MUSIC: Music title is a bit spoilerish
While all this is going on, Malik is in his lab.
This time... This time for sure! I will perfect life... by reproducing memory... Using the original data of Filgaia, I should be able to...
You won't be able to get your mother's memory back with that...
He turns to see a little girl behind him.
Who the...? You wanna get your mother's memory back, right?
After a moment, the tank starts to glow.
What do you think you're... There... Your mother's memory should return soon. Once she regains her memory, she'll hold you gently and lovingly, just like before.She walks away.
Who are you!?No answer would be given, but Malik doesn't have time to worry about it now anyway.
Malik...? Is that you, Malik...? Answer me, Malik...Next Time: Many bosses
A Day A Day
Today is March 23. The flower of the day is dogwood. It is known for its beautiful white flowers, and heralds the coming of spring. When I first heard of dogwood, I thought it was a kind of tree that puppies liked to munch on. Today is March 24, Boot Day. Once, a couple found a gold coin that would grant three wishes. The husband asked for boots that never leaked. It's free to ask, you know? Surprisingly, his wish came true! Angered by her husband's idiotic wish, the wife wished a boot stuck on top of her husband's head. Strangely, the boot looked fabulous on him. And they lived happily ever after.