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Etrian Odyssey III: The wdango'd City
- Thread starter Baroque
- Start date
- Let's Play
Hadiz
The Final Solution. To Others.
- Location
- Somewhere.
Why didn't you take the guy who could shoo-
Oh wait. My gun damage is still around useless to Ping damage.
Darn it late gun relevance!
-IC-
Anyway.
"Good luck gals~" I wave goodbye.
"And some advice remember this word. Dodge. The bird can't hurt you if they can't hit you."
Oh wait. My gun damage is still around useless to Ping damage.
Darn it late gun relevance!
-IC-
Anyway.
"Good luck gals~" I wave goodbye.
"And some advice remember this word. Dodge. The bird can't hurt you if they can't hit you."
Last edited:
Update 10: Meregho Saeno
Baroque
Medi Aide, Whom Needed That
- Location
- Cosmic Ark, WIZ Faction
Last time, we had begun to face Meregho Saeno, the first Sea Quest boss, alongside the Princess Victoria, and her vassals, the Gladiator Albert and the Hoplite Benjamin.
As linked in the last update, this is the boss music, which I recommend listening to.
This would be part of why, when Lance gave me the go-ahead to allocate her SP as was useful, I rushed for Refresh instead of plonking more in Fist Mastery or the like.
Meregho Saeno has three different attacks it can use: Panic Claw, Godly Flash, and Thunder Feather -- the former two single-target slash attacks, the latter being a row-targeting volt attack, but more importantly Panic Claw lives up to its name. Here's hoping we don't get to show off why.
He has 736 HP -- which, given that up to now we've been doing damage around the lower double-digits, topping around 40's at best against certain victims, this is going to be a prolonged battle. Fortunately, Victoria can actually chuck Medicas and Amritas around because her pockets are loaded.
Wasting no time, the beast opens up with Godly Flash, but it was targeting the person Benjamin was protecting (likely Victoria, though I honestly missed it) with (aptly enough) Bodyguard -- which is good, because Godly Flash does heavy damage, a fact I want you to remember. However, this turn Bunny used Provoke, so I imagine harsh words about the bird's mother will be quickly changing its focus.
Nicely enough, however, Bunny is armed not just with a sharp tongue, but a sharp spear -- and of the two things Meregho Saeno is weak to, stab damage is one of them.
The other is Ice damage, so folks like a clubbing Gladiator, Zodiac, gunning Buccaneer, or Arbalist could do some definite good in this fight as well, but here we are with a second hoplite because I trust Bunny to do the job a bit better.
Surprisingly, it ended up being the case that Benjamin once again had to Bodyguard for Victoria as Meregho Saeno seems to have been unfazed by the Provoke, continuing to go after the Princess in lieu of the Seiba; Lance heals him up right, and Bunny proves that I was right to put my faith in that spear.
And here, on just the next turn, is a good case of why I say that EO for the most part doesn't do dumb things with their NPC's; they gave Victoria, the Princess, Prevent Order. If Meregho Saeno goes after one of the front party members with Panic Claw, it won't confuse them if Prevent Order's up. However, as Benjamin decided to add his own choice expletives to the pot with his own Provoke, we now need to cure the princess fast as the only way we all have to revive anyone is that Nectar we got our mitts on before.
A careful bit of protection by Bunny of the front line spares Benjamin more grief as, once we had cured Victoria, he'd taken some lumps instead, and this turn had decided to take a few more in his lady's stead.
This is the sort of combat that Etrian Odyssey rewards: Be bold, but be smart about it. Of course, now that I've said that . . .
Finally, one of us charges up a Limit -- that bar down at the bottom of the menu charges up per character, even between characters that are sharing a Limit (meaning it's actually not charged-up for Bunny right now) -- and because Victoria has been a bit busy managing the buffs on her own men, it's time for us to take our future into our own hands.
Everyone's future.
Nicely enough, setting your Limit does not end your turn's selection -- you actually set up and execute limits in addition to the rest of your turn, meaning that for example I can have Lance set up her Limit, which will go off at turn's start, and decide to attack Meregho Saeno this turn.
Everyone gains the boost, and we get to go to town now. Though, I cannot help but feel as though something may be due to go wrong, as we're nearing the halfway point on the boss's health.
Yeah, that'd about do it.
Time for us to work overtime, Bunny using Line Guard on the front row as Lance cures Albert, whose condition is most critical of them.
When it rains, it pours, but at the very least Victoria had put up Prevent Order a turn or two earlier, sparing us the fallout of Confusion.
Essentially, Confusion is worse here in Etrian Odyssey than most Pokemon players could dream, as a party member afflicted by it is one whom you have no control over whatsoever, and whom will actually strike out at all and sundry both at-will and at-random -- it's a normal attack, but it's an attack nonetheless, and something like a seasoned melee character (or worse, your Hoplite or Monk) getting afflicted by it and beginning to wail on a back-row squishy . . . it's a good way for things to go south faster than you can say 'Atlus'.
Despite seeing that it's 'made from boiled seaweed' (meaning 'we won't be getting more for a while'), I decide to use our Amrita as soon as Lance gets low on TP rather than risk losing her healing support.
A Thunder Feather that very turn tells me I chose wisely, as once again rabbit and duck set to work protecting and patching-up our front-row allies.
Good, good, he survived that tur--
--welcome to how quickly even the best-laid plans can be rent asunder by contact with the enemy. We're faced with a conundrum -- do we protect our allies and try to pull through with just this much, or do we invest ourselves in Benjamin's welfare?
I make a decision, and start praying to Yggdrasil that I chose wisely.
The things I do for victory, or Victoria for that matter.
. . . Oh yeah, I forgot to check Meregho Saeno's health. Thanks, Albert! Our investment in your well-being paid off, ehe. Ehe. Dammitdammitdammit.
Triumphant, Bunny and Lance get the EXP that was the primary reason why I invested in this attempt (catching-up; they were at the start of Level 5 at the start of this update, as I hadn't ground for it after all)!
As you confirm that the sea has swallowed the beast, the princess rewards you all with her smile.
To report your victory, you leave the lighthouse and set sail.
"Thanks to you, the marines can continue investigating that lighthouse without fear.
"If all goes well, the lighthouse will be on its way to serving its purpose soon! Well done, everyone!
"...Oh by the way, this was found on one of the previous investigations. I'd like you to have it."
Obtained Triple Script.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention, didn't I?
The first clear of any request of a given Sea Quest location rewards you differently than the individual requests do -- usually with a Limit (the requests' own rewards, on the other hand, are typically equipment). There's one or two of these in particular that we're going to want before we face a later boss, but for now? Meet Mumyouken.
Mumyouken's much like Cross Slash, but requires being set to 3 characters, and in turn unleashes 3 strike attacks 'to all enemies at random at turn start' -- meaning it opens the turn with another strikes-at-random multi-hit skill, which is a fun prospect indeed, though I will say that there are considerably more devastating options down the pipeline that're worth serious consideration. For now, however, it'll be a rather useful alternative to Cross Slash going forward.
With our first actual boss fought nowhere near the actual Yggdrasil Labyrinth, I think our next update should take us back inside, don't you?
See you guys next time, when we do just that.
As linked in the last update, this is the boss music, which I recommend listening to.
This would be part of why, when Lance gave me the go-ahead to allocate her SP as was useful, I rushed for Refresh instead of plonking more in Fist Mastery or the like.
Meregho Saeno has three different attacks it can use: Panic Claw, Godly Flash, and Thunder Feather -- the former two single-target slash attacks, the latter being a row-targeting volt attack, but more importantly Panic Claw lives up to its name. Here's hoping we don't get to show off why.
He has 736 HP -- which, given that up to now we've been doing damage around the lower double-digits, topping around 40's at best against certain victims, this is going to be a prolonged battle. Fortunately, Victoria can actually chuck Medicas and Amritas around because her pockets are loaded.
Wasting no time, the beast opens up with Godly Flash, but it was targeting the person Benjamin was protecting (likely Victoria, though I honestly missed it) with (aptly enough) Bodyguard -- which is good, because Godly Flash does heavy damage, a fact I want you to remember. However, this turn Bunny used Provoke, so I imagine harsh words about the bird's mother will be quickly changing its focus.
Nicely enough, however, Bunny is armed not just with a sharp tongue, but a sharp spear -- and of the two things Meregho Saeno is weak to, stab damage is one of them.
The other is Ice damage, so folks like a clubbing Gladiator, Zodiac, gunning Buccaneer, or Arbalist could do some definite good in this fight as well, but here we are with a second hoplite because I trust Bunny to do the job a bit better.
Surprisingly, it ended up being the case that Benjamin once again had to Bodyguard for Victoria as Meregho Saeno seems to have been unfazed by the Provoke, continuing to go after the Princess in lieu of the Seiba; Lance heals him up right, and Bunny proves that I was right to put my faith in that spear.
And here, on just the next turn, is a good case of why I say that EO for the most part doesn't do dumb things with their NPC's; they gave Victoria, the Princess, Prevent Order. If Meregho Saeno goes after one of the front party members with Panic Claw, it won't confuse them if Prevent Order's up. However, as Benjamin decided to add his own choice expletives to the pot with his own Provoke, we now need to cure the princess fast as the only way we all have to revive anyone is that Nectar we got our mitts on before.
A careful bit of protection by Bunny of the front line spares Benjamin more grief as, once we had cured Victoria, he'd taken some lumps instead, and this turn had decided to take a few more in his lady's stead.
This is the sort of combat that Etrian Odyssey rewards: Be bold, but be smart about it. Of course, now that I've said that . . .
Finally, one of us charges up a Limit -- that bar down at the bottom of the menu charges up per character, even between characters that are sharing a Limit (meaning it's actually not charged-up for Bunny right now) -- and because Victoria has been a bit busy managing the buffs on her own men, it's time for us to take our future into our own hands.
Everyone's future.
Nicely enough, setting your Limit does not end your turn's selection -- you actually set up and execute limits in addition to the rest of your turn, meaning that for example I can have Lance set up her Limit, which will go off at turn's start, and decide to attack Meregho Saeno this turn.
Everyone gains the boost, and we get to go to town now. Though, I cannot help but feel as though something may be due to go wrong, as we're nearing the halfway point on the boss's health.
Yeah, that'd about do it.
Time for us to work overtime, Bunny using Line Guard on the front row as Lance cures Albert, whose condition is most critical of them.
When it rains, it pours, but at the very least Victoria had put up Prevent Order a turn or two earlier, sparing us the fallout of Confusion.
Essentially, Confusion is worse here in Etrian Odyssey than most Pokemon players could dream, as a party member afflicted by it is one whom you have no control over whatsoever, and whom will actually strike out at all and sundry both at-will and at-random -- it's a normal attack, but it's an attack nonetheless, and something like a seasoned melee character (or worse, your Hoplite or Monk) getting afflicted by it and beginning to wail on a back-row squishy . . . it's a good way for things to go south faster than you can say 'Atlus'.
Despite seeing that it's 'made from boiled seaweed' (meaning 'we won't be getting more for a while'), I decide to use our Amrita as soon as Lance gets low on TP rather than risk losing her healing support.
A Thunder Feather that very turn tells me I chose wisely, as once again rabbit and duck set to work protecting and patching-up our front-row allies.
Good, good, he survived that tur--
--welcome to how quickly even the best-laid plans can be rent asunder by contact with the enemy. We're faced with a conundrum -- do we protect our allies and try to pull through with just this much, or do we invest ourselves in Benjamin's welfare?
I make a decision, and start praying to Yggdrasil that I chose wisely.
The things I do for victory, or Victoria for that matter.
. . . Oh yeah, I forgot to check Meregho Saeno's health. Thanks, Albert! Our investment in your well-being paid off, ehe. Ehe. Dammitdammitdammit.
Triumphant, Bunny and Lance get the EXP that was the primary reason why I invested in this attempt (catching-up; they were at the start of Level 5 at the start of this update, as I hadn't ground for it after all)!
As you confirm that the sea has swallowed the beast, the princess rewards you all with her smile.
To report your victory, you leave the lighthouse and set sail.
"Thanks to you, the marines can continue investigating that lighthouse without fear.
"If all goes well, the lighthouse will be on its way to serving its purpose soon! Well done, everyone!
"...Oh by the way, this was found on one of the previous investigations. I'd like you to have it."
Obtained Triple Script.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention, didn't I?
The first clear of any request of a given Sea Quest location rewards you differently than the individual requests do -- usually with a Limit (the requests' own rewards, on the other hand, are typically equipment). There's one or two of these in particular that we're going to want before we face a later boss, but for now? Meet Mumyouken.
Mumyouken's much like Cross Slash, but requires being set to 3 characters, and in turn unleashes 3 strike attacks 'to all enemies at random at turn start' -- meaning it opens the turn with another strikes-at-random multi-hit skill, which is a fun prospect indeed, though I will say that there are considerably more devastating options down the pipeline that're worth serious consideration. For now, however, it'll be a rather useful alternative to Cross Slash going forward.
With our first actual boss fought nowhere near the actual Yggdrasil Labyrinth, I think our next update should take us back inside, don't you?
See you guys next time, when we do just that.
Last edited:
BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
I'M A BUNNY! NOT A RABBIT!
Hadiz
The Final Solution. To Others.
- Location
- Somewhere.
Yahoo Answers said:
Thus. They are the same thing.
BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
BUNNY ABUSE!
Thus. They are the same thing.
Hadiz
The Final Solution. To Others.
- Location
- Somewhere.
I am stating facts. It's not my fault your holding on to your beliefs rather than accepting it.
Baroque
Medi Aide, Whom Needed That
- Location
- Cosmic Ark, WIZ Faction
Look on the bright side; the only person on the NPC team doing more damage to the boss than you was the Gladiator who was using Crushing Blow to try to scramble the bird's brains.
Which, I might add, was the source of the status effect that I lucked out on in my test fight against it on my physical copy of the game, leading to my earlier do-I-or-don't-I worries -- Crushing Blow happening to inflict the very same sorta Confusion that the boss does, it should be said (the benefit to this being that if he's confusedly swinging at random, he's not using things like Thunder Feather or Godly Flash).
Pensive Rumination
Praise me more?
- Location
- Australia
Huh, I thought she already went back to the moon in her bamboo rocket...
...I see I'm not the only Zodiac around that has been enlightened to the beauty of FIRE. We must discover if he Worships the Sun and believes in Jolly Co-operation.
Update 11: Taking in the sights
Baroque
Medi Aide, Whom Needed That
- Location
- Cosmic Ark, WIZ Faction
When we last left off, we'd just had a major victory, defeating Meregho Saeno as our very first actual boss (the Great Lynx just being merely a cute little fuck-you to the wayward novice).
This time, we'll be going back into the Labyrinth . . . but, we might not be heading to the next floor JUST yet.
First off, we sell the Slashing Nail, though I can't quite yet purchase what it would unlock -- we need more materials. Thankfully, it tells us just what we'd need to sell, so when we get one you guys'll be the second to know (because naturally I'd be the first). It also illustrates another benefit to taking on Sea Quests' bosses -- their drops can actually unlock some very useful gear (note: Bondo's current ATK without that sword is 53, so that'd be a 9 point jump), including and in some cases ESPECIALLY their golden drops. What do I mean by this?
Well, for that, let's head on back over to the Senatus -- I've something else to show off.
At the Senatus, as I mentioned in a previous update (though with some slightly incorrect details, fo which I again apologize), we can report to the Senatus the discoveries we've made in the Labyrinth -- both monsters and items. If a monster has drops that you haven't found yet, they'll be noted here.
The 2nd slot is usually occupied by less-common drops that can also fall from a monster, like the Forest Frog's cheek, but the 3rd slot is always occupied by a golden drop a monster has, which the majority of the time (with seldom few exceptions) is a conditional drop in some fashion or another; in the case of Meregho Saeno, its condition is to kill it whilst it suffers from an Arm Bind, which causes it to drop the Eastern Nest.
Alas, I don't think we'll be getting one of those just yet.
Instead, however . . .
Time for the one place we haven't been in Armoroad.
"Here at the Butterfly Bistro, you can talk to people and take on side jobs called "requests."
"There are all kinds of different jobs, from monster hunts to item collecting.
"If you accept a request and complete the mission, report back to me!
"When you do, I will then give you the reward that the client gives me when they put it up!
"Doing these requests might make you some easy cash!
"I'll keep getting more and more requests as time goes on, so come back here lots, okay?
"That's pretty much it. Do you want to be taking on one of the requests right away?"
. . . The game knew what it was doing.
I will say, though, the cash's not the only easy thing we'll be getting out of quests around here; EXP's a big part of these rewards, too, and it's why I made this detour -- I want to prepare a bit more for B2F, because I don't want a repeat of the Lynx incident anytime soon thank-you-very-much. Get your minds out of the gutter.
In any case, meet Missy, who runs the establishment, and whom just from the sound of her voice is most likely not from around here. The artist for the game (and series, for that matter) even describes her in the artbook as "An innocent girl with a not-so-innocent body and a baby face. She's honest and kind-hearted, but has no filter between her brain and her mouth."
As it is, there're only 3 quests so far, and 1 actually takes us out to sea, but whatever -- they're EXP for us, and a chance for me to show off what quests're about!
"I am wanting to make a new menu item here at my bar, and I am needing ingredients.
"What is required is 1 Frog Cheek and 3 Slimy Legs.
"I am most sure you can gather them by killing Forest Frogs on B1F.
"I can be counting upon you, yes? Good, good! Now "hop" to it! Ahaha!"
No filter.
How is she so sure of this fact, however, despite not being an adventurer herself? Well, more on that in a bit. For now, the other quest for the Labyrinth.
"The client is Bill, an apprentice fisherman who is known for being a lazy oaf.
"He says he is wanting a safe place to sunbathe... I bet he is looking for a nap spot.
"You may be finding such a perfect spot somewhere on B1F, yes?
"You find a good place for him and let me know, yes? That will be the end of this.
"You be running along now, adventurers! I can be counting on you!"
Hmm. We MIGHT know a place, but just to be sure we'll probably want to check up on that when we go back in.
No, I'm not just saying that because I want to beat up another Great Lynx, why do you ask?
Anyways, the reason Missy's so sure about where we can get her frog legs is because her place is actually pretty happenin' with the adventurin' crowd -- a lot of rumors fly through here, and people with stories to tell are available to not just her . . .
. . . but to us, too. We'll even be seeing a few faces here regularly, and they tend to change much like Talk dialogues do -- between floors, which is why I'm taking care of this now rather than later (as I forget if the dialogue changes between B1F and B2F). There's a lot of useful information to be had here, in fact, like certain monsters' weaknesses, or the conditions to gain certain drops. It's good stuff, so be sure to check back here each chance you get.
"There's all kinds of fish around Armoroad. If you catch any, folks at the port will pay handsomely.
"The rarer your catch, the more you'll rake in. Give it a try."
He's not incorrect, but I'd honestly say that Farmers are a more lucrative investment, in the long run. However, there is ONE fish (if I dare call it a 'fish') that's worth fishing for, if possible . . . but that's for a bit later.
"Did ya know if you beat monsters a certain way, they'll drop different stuff than usual?
"Some ya gotta kill with fire, or maybe defeat 'em while their arms are bound. That kinda thing.
"I know all sorts of secret tricks like that to get good treasure. If ya wanna know 'em, just ask.
"I don't give 'em away for free, but ya buy me a drink or something and I'll gladly spill for ya!"
Well, he's at least up-front about extorting us. Meet Toma, who we'll be seeing a lot of in the future. Ignoring his off-hand remark that might well be a vague hint about the boss we just fought, essentially this is one of those regular faces that I was talking about -- as we continue, there'll be monsters in the Labyrinth with those conditional drops I mentioned earlier, and this guy's the guy you can go to to find out about them without resorting to a guide or trial-and-error. Admittedly, I don't recall him being much help with bosses, but that's understandable.
He's more than enough help with almost everything else anyways.
"I used to challenge the Labyrinth when I was your age too. You gotta start from B1F! No shortcuts!
"Speaking of which, have you seen any Great Lynxes? Its sharp claws can rip rookies in half!"
There's a smile on my face right now, the kind seen on a certain white-faced Jack Nicholson role.
"They're weak against fire, but that doesn't make them any easier. It's good practice for beginners.
"There's a famous phrase around these parts: Great Lynxes are where rookies become explorers!"
. . .
"...Alright, you got me. I just came up with that a second ago! Bwahahahahahaha!"
Ha. Ha. Hee. Hoo. Ho ho.
Anyways! Last up's Wolfram!
"I'm Wolfram, a troubadour. I've wended my way from the far north all the way to this ocean city."
I can only assume this to be a reference to one of the first two games, most likely EOII; Troubadours were a class in both prior EO games.
"I've been here a long time... I may have a few words of advice about challenging that place."
It's here we get our choice of exposition; let's do it in order.
"A free city of clear skies and white clouds, an endless sea, and a vibrant, eclectic culture!
"...But freedom can't exist without order. This country does have a royal family.
"Sadly, the modern royal family has been reduced to mere figureheads...
"Ah, but who then governs Armoroad? The aristocrats of the Senatus, led by a fearsome old crone!
"Consider her to be the true power behind Armoroad. You'll most certainly meet her yourselves.
"There's more to Armoroad's royal family than that, but... Let's leave that for another time, hm?"
Oh, we've met her alright. We've met her . . .
"But around 100 years ago, the center of Armoroad was suddenly swallowed by the ocean!
"Afterwards, the rippling waters became tidal waves... The gentle breeze gave way to earthquakes.
"Armoroad's advanced technology was sunk, which ended diplomatic relations with nearby countries.
"It's been a long road to recovery for Armoroad, but even today, it's nowhere near what it once was...
"Not since the Calamity. If you ask anyone here, you'll get nothing but a stony silence.
"Then again, that's just because no one knows exactly what went on 100 years ago!"
Oh, I bet if we asked Flowdia real nicely she'd telloh who am I kidding I can't type that with a straight face.
"It wasn't all bad, mind you. After the Calamity, a Labyrinth was revealed, drawing explorers here.
"Though the Senatus had other reasons for gathering explorers... But that tale can wait for now."
I suppose this explains things like the ginormous shoulderpad of the Zodiac. It's also got a heavy, irony taste of 'foreshadowing' in it, but for now let's hear the last bit; we've not talked much about the Princess yet, after all.
I'm sorry you what--
"Her sobriquet of the Porcelain Princess comes from her pure, white shining skin..."
That can't be natural.
"Her voice is like music from the harps of the goddesses; radiant enough to tame monsters!"
I'm reminded of a siren.
"But even the goddesses wouldn't linger in her presence for having to compete with her face..."
I also smell a fanboy.
"She is Princess Gutrune, a lovely goddess of Armoroad in her own right!
"Her visage is the stuff dreams are made of... Though, mind you, I've never seen her in person.
"Each successive princess in Armoroad is named Gutrune. I'll tell you the reason... later."
Later, huh.
"Ah, but I jest, I jest. Come again, explorers, if you wish to hear my stories."
We might hear from this guy again later, yeah.
I'll admit, for all my heckling during that, Gutrune's actually not bad. I'm tempted to put art up of her ahead of time, but for now just know that her fanboy here isn't entirely viewing the situation with rose-tinted goggles on; he's mentioned a couple interesting facts about the situation. For one thing, for all he praises her, he's never seen her, and for another even he admits that the Senatus is the real power here.
It seems the Porcelain Princess is kept on a shelf, hmm? Ah well, for now, it's time to do those Quests already; I've wasted enough of your time and my images on exposition.
. . . This was not a waste. This is never a waste. Also, now you know what the Unmaker was busy messing around with gunpowder for a few updates ago.
Returning to that spot with the event that seemed to do nothing the first time around, we are greeted with a similar intro, but a different followup.
Since you sense there are no monsters nearby, this would be a perfect place for sunbathing.
You can return to the bar and report your findings whenever you feel like it.
Aha. I knew it was wise to mark that on my map. As for 'when I feel like it', I think that'll be 'in the next update' and 'after I finish killing more frogs than a Frenchman'.
See you guys in the next update, folks, when I actually do a bit more Labyrinth-ing than exposition-ing, and we maybe get a little further!
This time, we'll be going back into the Labyrinth . . . but, we might not be heading to the next floor JUST yet.
First off, we sell the Slashing Nail, though I can't quite yet purchase what it would unlock -- we need more materials. Thankfully, it tells us just what we'd need to sell, so when we get one you guys'll be the second to know (because naturally I'd be the first). It also illustrates another benefit to taking on Sea Quests' bosses -- their drops can actually unlock some very useful gear (note: Bondo's current ATK without that sword is 53, so that'd be a 9 point jump), including and in some cases ESPECIALLY their golden drops. What do I mean by this?
Well, for that, let's head on back over to the Senatus -- I've something else to show off.
At the Senatus, as I mentioned in a previous update (though with some slightly incorrect details, fo which I again apologize), we can report to the Senatus the discoveries we've made in the Labyrinth -- both monsters and items. If a monster has drops that you haven't found yet, they'll be noted here.
The 2nd slot is usually occupied by less-common drops that can also fall from a monster, like the Forest Frog's cheek, but the 3rd slot is always occupied by a golden drop a monster has, which the majority of the time (with seldom few exceptions) is a conditional drop in some fashion or another; in the case of Meregho Saeno, its condition is to kill it whilst it suffers from an Arm Bind, which causes it to drop the Eastern Nest.
Alas, I don't think we'll be getting one of those just yet.
Instead, however . . .
Time for the one place we haven't been in Armoroad.
"Here at the Butterfly Bistro, you can talk to people and take on side jobs called "requests."
"There are all kinds of different jobs, from monster hunts to item collecting.
"If you accept a request and complete the mission, report back to me!
"When you do, I will then give you the reward that the client gives me when they put it up!
"Doing these requests might make you some easy cash!
"I'll keep getting more and more requests as time goes on, so come back here lots, okay?
"That's pretty much it. Do you want to be taking on one of the requests right away?"
. . . The game knew what it was doing.
I will say, though, the cash's not the only easy thing we'll be getting out of quests around here; EXP's a big part of these rewards, too, and it's why I made this detour -- I want to prepare a bit more for B2F, because I don't want a repeat of the Lynx incident anytime soon thank-you-very-much. Get your minds out of the gutter.
In any case, meet Missy, who runs the establishment, and whom just from the sound of her voice is most likely not from around here. The artist for the game (and series, for that matter) even describes her in the artbook as "An innocent girl with a not-so-innocent body and a baby face. She's honest and kind-hearted, but has no filter between her brain and her mouth."
As it is, there're only 3 quests so far, and 1 actually takes us out to sea, but whatever -- they're EXP for us, and a chance for me to show off what quests're about!
"I am wanting to make a new menu item here at my bar, and I am needing ingredients.
"What is required is 1 Frog Cheek and 3 Slimy Legs.
"I am most sure you can gather them by killing Forest Frogs on B1F.
"I can be counting upon you, yes? Good, good! Now "hop" to it! Ahaha!"
No filter.
How is she so sure of this fact, however, despite not being an adventurer herself? Well, more on that in a bit. For now, the other quest for the Labyrinth.
"The client is Bill, an apprentice fisherman who is known for being a lazy oaf.
"He says he is wanting a safe place to sunbathe... I bet he is looking for a nap spot.
"You may be finding such a perfect spot somewhere on B1F, yes?
"You find a good place for him and let me know, yes? That will be the end of this.
"You be running along now, adventurers! I can be counting on you!"
Hmm. We MIGHT know a place, but just to be sure we'll probably want to check up on that when we go back in.
No, I'm not just saying that because I want to beat up another Great Lynx, why do you ask?
Anyways, the reason Missy's so sure about where we can get her frog legs is because her place is actually pretty happenin' with the adventurin' crowd -- a lot of rumors fly through here, and people with stories to tell are available to not just her . . .
. . . but to us, too. We'll even be seeing a few faces here regularly, and they tend to change much like Talk dialogues do -- between floors, which is why I'm taking care of this now rather than later (as I forget if the dialogue changes between B1F and B2F). There's a lot of useful information to be had here, in fact, like certain monsters' weaknesses, or the conditions to gain certain drops. It's good stuff, so be sure to check back here each chance you get.
"There's all kinds of fish around Armoroad. If you catch any, folks at the port will pay handsomely.
"The rarer your catch, the more you'll rake in. Give it a try."
He's not incorrect, but I'd honestly say that Farmers are a more lucrative investment, in the long run. However, there is ONE fish (if I dare call it a 'fish') that's worth fishing for, if possible . . . but that's for a bit later.
"Did ya know if you beat monsters a certain way, they'll drop different stuff than usual?
"Some ya gotta kill with fire, or maybe defeat 'em while their arms are bound. That kinda thing.
"I know all sorts of secret tricks like that to get good treasure. If ya wanna know 'em, just ask.
"I don't give 'em away for free, but ya buy me a drink or something and I'll gladly spill for ya!"
Well, he's at least up-front about extorting us. Meet Toma, who we'll be seeing a lot of in the future. Ignoring his off-hand remark that might well be a vague hint about the boss we just fought, essentially this is one of those regular faces that I was talking about -- as we continue, there'll be monsters in the Labyrinth with those conditional drops I mentioned earlier, and this guy's the guy you can go to to find out about them without resorting to a guide or trial-and-error. Admittedly, I don't recall him being much help with bosses, but that's understandable.
He's more than enough help with almost everything else anyways.
"I used to challenge the Labyrinth when I was your age too. You gotta start from B1F! No shortcuts!
"Speaking of which, have you seen any Great Lynxes? Its sharp claws can rip rookies in half!"
There's a smile on my face right now, the kind seen on a certain white-faced Jack Nicholson role.
"They're weak against fire, but that doesn't make them any easier. It's good practice for beginners.
"There's a famous phrase around these parts: Great Lynxes are where rookies become explorers!"
. . .
"...Alright, you got me. I just came up with that a second ago! Bwahahahahahaha!"
Ha. Ha. Hee. Hoo. Ho ho.
Anyways! Last up's Wolfram!
"I'm Wolfram, a troubadour. I've wended my way from the far north all the way to this ocean city."
I can only assume this to be a reference to one of the first two games, most likely EOII; Troubadours were a class in both prior EO games.
"I've been here a long time... I may have a few words of advice about challenging that place."
It's here we get our choice of exposition; let's do it in order.
"A free city of clear skies and white clouds, an endless sea, and a vibrant, eclectic culture!
"...But freedom can't exist without order. This country does have a royal family.
"Sadly, the modern royal family has been reduced to mere figureheads...
"Ah, but who then governs Armoroad? The aristocrats of the Senatus, led by a fearsome old crone!
"Consider her to be the true power behind Armoroad. You'll most certainly meet her yourselves.
"There's more to Armoroad's royal family than that, but... Let's leave that for another time, hm?"
Oh, we've met her alright. We've met her . . .
"But around 100 years ago, the center of Armoroad was suddenly swallowed by the ocean!
"Afterwards, the rippling waters became tidal waves... The gentle breeze gave way to earthquakes.
"Armoroad's advanced technology was sunk, which ended diplomatic relations with nearby countries.
"It's been a long road to recovery for Armoroad, but even today, it's nowhere near what it once was...
"Not since the Calamity. If you ask anyone here, you'll get nothing but a stony silence.
"Then again, that's just because no one knows exactly what went on 100 years ago!"
Oh, I bet if we asked Flowdia real nicely she'd telloh who am I kidding I can't type that with a straight face.
"It wasn't all bad, mind you. After the Calamity, a Labyrinth was revealed, drawing explorers here.
"Though the Senatus had other reasons for gathering explorers... But that tale can wait for now."
I suppose this explains things like the ginormous shoulderpad of the Zodiac. It's also got a heavy, irony taste of 'foreshadowing' in it, but for now let's hear the last bit; we've not talked much about the Princess yet, after all.
I'm sorry you what--
"Her sobriquet of the Porcelain Princess comes from her pure, white shining skin..."
That can't be natural.
"Her voice is like music from the harps of the goddesses; radiant enough to tame monsters!"
I'm reminded of a siren.
"But even the goddesses wouldn't linger in her presence for having to compete with her face..."
I also smell a fanboy.
"She is Princess Gutrune, a lovely goddess of Armoroad in her own right!
"Her visage is the stuff dreams are made of... Though, mind you, I've never seen her in person.
"Each successive princess in Armoroad is named Gutrune. I'll tell you the reason... later."
Later, huh.
"Ah, but I jest, I jest. Come again, explorers, if you wish to hear my stories."
We might hear from this guy again later, yeah.
I'll admit, for all my heckling during that, Gutrune's actually not bad. I'm tempted to put art up of her ahead of time, but for now just know that her fanboy here isn't entirely viewing the situation with rose-tinted goggles on; he's mentioned a couple interesting facts about the situation. For one thing, for all he praises her, he's never seen her, and for another even he admits that the Senatus is the real power here.
It seems the Porcelain Princess is kept on a shelf, hmm? Ah well, for now, it's time to do those Quests already; I've wasted enough of your time and my images on exposition.
. . . This was not a waste. This is never a waste. Also, now you know what the Unmaker was busy messing around with gunpowder for a few updates ago.
Returning to that spot with the event that seemed to do nothing the first time around, we are greeted with a similar intro, but a different followup.
Since you sense there are no monsters nearby, this would be a perfect place for sunbathing.
You can return to the bar and report your findings whenever you feel like it.
Aha. I knew it was wise to mark that on my map. As for 'when I feel like it', I think that'll be 'in the next update' and 'after I finish killing more frogs than a Frenchman'.
See you guys in the next update, folks, when I actually do a bit more Labyrinth-ing than exposition-ing, and we maybe get a little further!
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Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
"Oh hey, welcome back! How was the lighthouse?"
"...why are you looking at me like that? What'd I do?"
"That we are, very nice to meet you. Call me Unmaker. Don't let the name bother you, it almost has nothing to do with how I act."
"Sure, been cooped up in town to long anyway. Murder for money's our bread and butter right now, got anything like that?"
We'll get on swimmingly, I can just tell.
"Sounds like our thing, we'll-"
"...You live only because you pay us."
"Right. Fishing. Snoresville, count me out."
"Unless you hook some kind of fighting fish, just let me get my murder on if that happens."
"THIS IS FOR BUNNY YOU FUCK! DIE IN A FIRE!"It seems the Porcelain Princess is kept on a shelf, hmm? Ah well, for now, it's time to do those Quests already; I've wasted enough of your time and my images on exposition.
. . . This was not a waste. This is never a waste. Also, now you know what the Unmaker was busy messing around with gunpowder for a few updates ago.
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Hadiz
The Final Solution. To Others.
- Location
- Somewhere.
-Prepares Self to shoot legs and run later-When we last left off, we'd just had a major victory, defeating Meregho Saeno as our very first actual boss (the Great Lynx just being merely a cute little fuck-you to the wayward novice).
This time, we'll be going back into the Labyrinth . . . but, we might not be heading to the next floor JUST yet.
-Waits outside with the gang for Bunny and Lance to finish-
At the Senatus, as I mentioned in a previous update (though with some slightly incorrect details, fo which I again apologize), we can report to the Senatus the discoveries we've made in the Labyrinth -- both monsters and items. If a monster has drops that you haven't found yet, they'll be noted here.
The 2nd slot is usually occupied by less-common drops that can also fall from a monster, like the Forest Frog's cheek, but the 3rd slot is always occupied by a golden drop a monster has, which the majority of the time (with seldom few exceptions) is a conditional drop in some fashion or another; in the case of Meregho Saeno, its condition is to kill it whilst it suffers from an Arm Bind, which causes it to drop the Eastern Nest.
Alas, I don't think we'll be getting one of those just yet.
Instead, however . . .
Fiddling with the Pistol for awhile.
'Huh. First time coming here. Hope the place got some good sugar drinks.'
Time for the one place we haven't been in Armoroad.
-Cast a significant glance at Bondo While listening to Missy-
"Here at the Butterfly Bistro, you can talk to people and take on side jobs called "requests."
"There are all kinds of different jobs, from monster hunts to item collecting.
"If you accept a request and complete the mission, report back to me!
"When you do, I will then give you the reward that the client gives me when they put it up!
"Doing these requests might make you some easy cash!
"I'll keep getting more and more requests as time goes on, so come back here lots, okay?
"That's pretty much it. Do you want to be taking on one of the requests right away?"
. . . The game knew what it was doing.
I will say, though, the cash's not the only easy thing we'll be getting out of quests around here; EXP's a big part of these rewards, too, and it's why I made this detour -- I want to prepare a bit more for B2F, because I don't want a repeat of the Lynx incident anytime soon thank-you-very-much. Get your minds out of the gutter.
In any case, meet Missy, who runs the establishment, and whom just from the sound of her voice is most likely not from around here. The artist for the game (and series, for that matter) even describes her in the artbook as "An innocent girl with a not-so-innocent body and a baby face. She's honest and kind-hearted, but has no filter between her brain and her mouth."
'Don't even start.'
"Thanks for the tip Miss Missy."
As it is, there're only 3 quests so far, and 1 actually takes us out to sea, but whatever -- they're EXP for us, and a chance for me to show off what quests're about!
"I am wanting to make a new menu item here at my bar, and I am needing ingredients.
"What is required is 1 Frog Cheek and 3 Slimy Legs.
"I am most sure you can gather them by killing Forest Frogs on B1F.
"I can be counting upon you, yes? Good, good! Now "hop" to it! Ahaha!"
No filter.
How is she so sure of this fact, however, despite not being an adventurer herself? Well, more on that in a bit. For now, the other quest for the Labyrinth.
I read this request.
"The client is Bill, an apprentice fisherman who is known for being a lazy oaf.
"He says he is wanting a safe place to sunbathe... I bet he is looking for a nap spot.
"You may be finding such a perfect spot somewhere on B1F, yes?
"You find a good place for him and let me know, yes? That will be the end of this.
"You be running along now, adventurers! I can be counting on you!"
Hmm. We MIGHT know a place, but just to be sure we'll probably want to check up on that when we go back in.
No, I'm not just saying that because I want to beat up another Great Lynx, why do you ask?
Anyways, the reason Missy's so sure about where we can get her frog legs is because her place is actually pretty happenin' with the adventurin' crowd -- a lot of rumors fly through here, and people with stories to tell are available to not just her . . .
"This guy does know his boss could see this right?" I said in disbelief.
'Well the fish we caught are kinda good to eat.'
"There's all kinds of fish around Armoroad. If you catch any, folks at the port will pay handsomely.
"The rarer your catch, the more you'll rake in. Give it a try."
He's not incorrect, but I'd honestly say that Farmers are a more lucrative investment, in the long run. However, there is ONE fish (if I dare call it a 'fish') that's worth fishing for, if possible . . . but that's for a bit later.
'Though they don't earn as much when we go on a monster murdering spree.'
'At least the guy knows his stuff.'
"Did ya know if you beat monsters a certain way, they'll drop different stuff than usual?
"Some ya gotta kill with fire, or maybe defeat 'em while their arms are bound. That kinda thing.
"I know all sorts of secret tricks like that to get good treasure. If ya wanna know 'em, just ask.
"I don't give 'em away for free, but ya buy me a drink or something and I'll gladly spill for ya!"
Well, he's at least up-front about extorting us. Meet Toma, who we'll be seeing a lot of in the future. Ignoring his off-hand remark that might well be a vague hint about the boss we just fought, essentially this is one of those regular faces that I was talking about -- as we continue, there'll be monsters in the Labyrinth with those conditional drops I mentioned earlier, and this guy's the guy you can go to to find out about them without resorting to a guide or trial-and-error. Admittedly, I don't recall him being much help with bosses, but that's understandable.
He's more than enough help with almost everything else anyways.
I laughed. For different reasons.
"I used to challenge the Labyrinth when I was your age too. You gotta start from B1F! No shortcuts!
"Speaking of which, have you seen any Great Lynxes? Its sharp claws can rip rookies in half!"
There's a smile on my face right now, the kind seen on a certain white-faced Jack Nicholson role.
"They're weak against fire, but that doesn't make them any easier. It's good practice for beginners.
"There's a famous phrase around these parts: Great Lynxes are where rookies become explorers!"
. . .
"...Alright, you got me. I just came up with that a second ago! Bwahahahahahaha!"
Ha. Ha. Hee. Hoo. Ho ho.
I sit down on the chairs listening with full attention to our senior.
Anyways, Last up's Wolfram!
"I'm Wolfram, a troubadour. I've wended my way from the far north all the way to this ocean city."
I can only assume this to be a reference to one of the first two games, most likely EOII; Troubadours were a class in both prior EO games.
"I've been here a long time... I may have a few words of advice about challenging that place."
Letting Bunny. Our unofficial leader do the talking.
'Huh. The old lady is that powerful? The more you know I guess.'It's here we get our choice of exposition; let's do it in order.
"A free city of clear skies and white clouds, an endless sea, and a vibrant, eclectic culture!
"...But freedom can't exist without order. This country does have a royal family.
"Sadly, the modern royal family has been reduced to mere figureheads...
"Ah, but who then governs Armoroad? The aristocrats of the Senatus, led by a fearsome old crone!
"Consider her to be the true power behind Armoroad. You'll most certainly meet her yourselves.
"There's more to Armoroad's royal family than that, but... Let's leave that for another time, hm?"
Oh, we've met her alright. We've met her . . .
'The same story again.'-sigh-
"But around 100 years ago, the center of Armoroad was suddenly swallowed by the ocean!
"Afterwards, the rippling waters became tidal waves... The gentle breeze gave way to earthquakes.
"Armoroad's advanced technology was sunk, which ended diplomatic relations with nearby countries.
"It's been a long road to recovery for Armoroad, but even today, it's nowhere near what it once was...
"Not since the Calamity. If you ask anyone here, you'll get nothing but a stony silence.
"Then again, that's just because no one knows exactly what went on 100 years ago!"
Oh, I bet if we asked Flowdia real nicely she'd telloh who am I kidding I can't type that with a straight face.
"It wasn't all bad, mind you. After the Calamity, a Labyrinth was revealed, drawing explorers here.
"Though the Senatus had other reasons for gathering explorers... But that tale can wait for now."
I suppose this explains things like the ginormous shoulderpad of the Zodiac. It's also got a heavy, irony taste of 'foreshadowing' in it, but for now let's hear the last bit; we've not talked much about the Princess yet, after all.
'Really. What happened?'
'... Why?'
I'm sorry you what--
-Eye Twitches-
'If that's true than why are the monsters still trying to kill us would be adventurers.' I say sarcastically.
'Ah. So that's the reason.'
'So what we're hearing is probably some hyped up descriptions then?'
'Why can't you tell us now?'
"Ah, but I jest, I jest. Come again, explorers, if you wish to hear my stories."
We might hear from this guy again later, yeah.
"Thanks for the Info man." I said.
'I feel sorry for the poor person that doesn't deserve to get hit by that.'
. . . This was not a waste. This is never a waste. Also, now you know what the Unmaker was busy messing around with gunpowder for a few updates ago.
Returning to that spot with the event that seemed to do nothing the first time around, we are greeted with a similar intro, but a different followup.
"Well. At least we can say they died with a painful bang.'
'Found the place where that lazy guy could sleep at. Now. I'll pass this 'request' onto his Boss's doorstep.'
Since you sense there are no monsters nearby, this would be a perfect place for sunbathing.
You can return to the bar and report your findings whenever you feel like it.
Aha. I knew it was wise to mark that on my map. As for 'when I feel like it', I think that'll be 'in the next update' and 'after I finish killing more frogs than a Frenchman'.
See you guys in the next update, folks, when I actually do a bit more Labyrinth-ing than exposition-ing, and we maybe get a little further!
Khawy
TITANNNNNNNNNNN
- Location
- The United States of America
-Stares at the Sea Mongrel and his gun-
-Rubs the wound on his handsome face on the way out-
'Maybe some wine will calm my nerve. Or vodka. Whichever comes first I suppose.'
"Greetings, milady you looked abs-, I mean today is a fine day to go out adventuring."
-If glares could kill a person, Hadiz would have died a thousand times over-
"A sound advice, I will keep it in mind. Thank you for your wisdom, Miss."
"Tch. Lazy dastard. I will admit that he has the gall to put this in the public, where anybody can see it."
'For such low class ingredients, they taste surprisingly well. But they still got nothing on the castle's food.'
"One of these days......" I mumbled in a low voice.
-Resisting the urge to scratch the wound on his face-
'Huh. She does looked the type.'
"That is because they have seen your snout, you sea dog."
'Hidden information..... ugh this is annoying.'
"You have my thanks for sharing this with us. I am sure it will be useful to us in the future."
"Something we can agree on. THIS IS PAYBACK YOU OVERGROWN PUSSY CAT!"
'I'm definitely going to drink and pass out after this. It have been a long day.'
Update 12: Quests on land and sea
Baroque
Medi Aide, Whom Needed That
- Location
- Cosmic Ark, WIZ Faction
When we last left our heroes and heroines, they were up to their ankles in Fanged Fish and Deadly Durians, with nary a Frog in sight.
Though Bunny did get to ram the tip of a flaming spear into another Great Lynx off-camera. Sorry for not capturing the moment!
Now, however, we have our frog giblets to give to Missy, and combined with our now knowing a spot for the lazy bum to go this'll be a good time to go back into town. Nicely enough, when you complete a request like this . . .
You should report back to the bar when you have time.
. . . it actually lets you know!
"The frog dish that has been swimming in my mind can now become reality. I thank you!
"Perhaps you would be liking some? I am most sure it will be tasteful!
"...Oh, wait, yes. I am almost forgetting. You deserve reward for hard work!
"You will be getting more requests now, I am sure. Many thanks again!"
We get 3 Tents, and a cool 1000 EXP split between our 5 party members. Hadiz even hits Level 7 as a result (of it AND the amount of mooks we killed trying to get those frog bits)!
"So, you have found a safe place for Bill to sunbathe in? He will be happy to hear it!"
He'll be a little less happy when a Lynx jumps him en route, but oh well.
"If he gets fired for napping when he is supposed to be working, it is not my concern.
"Well... Regardless, here is the reward. I look forward to further dealings with you!"
We get 100 Entel, aaaand . . .
Ta-da! Close enough.
Now, so that I get it out of the way NOW rather than LATER, it's time to go over the dare-I-call-it-a-fish that I keep alluding to.
The tanniyn.
"It is sounding straightforward. Go out on a voyage and catch a tanniyn. Simple, yes?
"The committee wants the tanniyn to be from local waters, so catch one near Armoroad.
"That is all you are having to do! The deep blue sea calls you! Do not keep her waiting!
"Oh, I am being all excitable about this! Get out of here so I can calm down!"
Simple, sure.
Except you forgot to mention the thing's fucking enormous. Meet the tanniyn, a WHALE by any other name.
Launch a spear at the tanniyn? [YES] [NO]
Unlike other fish, the Tanniyn actually takes multiple hits to bring in.
Launch a spear at the tanniyn? [YES] [NO]
The tanniyn is yours!
Obtained Tanniyn Skin x8.
All you need to do now is return to the city and report back to the bar.
Now, why did I equip Sheep Cheese, of all things, despite its proximity? Because this was uncharacteristically easy; tanniyns can be simple to bag sometimes, but other times they may take a good while of chasing and harpooning, and what's worse as you go on you'll learn that tanniyns are another of the few things that can wreck your boat.
However, the added risk has its own rewards. For now, though, just one quick stopover extra . . .
'cause the lighthouse is safe now.
"You came at a good time... I'm out of the clay I need to mend the walls.
"There's an island to the west with red soil called Terra Rossa. Think you can get some for me?"
The mariner thanks you and then returns to the lighthouse for further investigation.
It's up to you whether to search for the mariner's terra rossa or simply go on with the voyage.
After you've cleared a request at a given Sea Quest location, usually stopping back after can turn up a little extra sidequest, typically involving something you can find on one of the various islands. According to the guide, we'll need to do things a little differently than I started off with in order to get it, so we'll grab that on another trip. For now, I fish up a few other morsels aaand . . .
Yeah; and that's just the least valuable bit off a tanniyn, selling for 30 Entel a pop. Their meat sells for 72 Entel, their bones for 430 Entel, their liver (yes, liver, apparently makes a pricey tonic if smoked and crushed) 600 Entel a pop, oil from it(s skin?) is 1,600 Entel per unit, and its . . . whisker sells for 6,800 Entel? Uh, maybe these tanniyns are more like catfish . . . though the vast majority of everything about them screams 'whaling', down to the fact that upgrades to your ship for fighting them typically involve harpooning.
I still prefer gathering in the Labyrinth, but you can't deny the tanniyn's a profitable beastie if you can catch up to and hunt one.
We take another trip, however, for the Terra Rossa.
We'll need 16-turn food, and that Foremast we were given by the harbor master; a cute little star spins atop it, but more importantly . . .
. . . it lets us make double the speed per move, but it's uncontrolled so we'll have to move with caution and care. Don't want to rocket into a whirlpool or the like.
However, after moving south once (2 spaces), and en route west, night falls and . . .
The lit area, about the length of ten of your ship, bobs eerily on the waves...
It may be moving... It does not appear to be alive, but if it is, its size could make it a threat.
You're unsure whether you should dive in and investigate the glow or play it safe and leave.
Investigate the glow? [YES] [NO]
Ducks can swim, right? (In truth, I believe these events determine who goes based on party position, buuut...)
Lance closes in on the glow and sees that it genuinely is something glowing under the sea.
Picking it up, Lance observes that it is jelly-like and does not seem to be dangerous.
But as Lance attempts to investigate further, the glowing objects sink into the ocean...
Once Lance is back on board, you notice jellyfish-like things on Lance's arms.
You have heard tales of Light Salps, creatures akin to jellyfish that live in these waters.
It seems the glow you just witnessed was a colony of these light salps.
Obtained Light Salp.
It's a trade item! Gedditoffgedditoffgedditoff.
Moving further to our destination, we can see in the distance the trade city of Ugarit . . . and some of that 'high concentration of Fuck You' I was talking about before. The currents prevent most access to Ugarit, with pirates actually blocking the couple of routes to it from Armoroad that AREN'T going to rapidly drag anyone to Death By Vortex.
Immediately to our left, however, is our actual destination.
On the cliff, you see a type of soil known as Terra Rossa, often used in baking bricks.
If you wish, you are free to land here and take some of the soil.
Take some terra rossa? [YES] [NO]
We do.
You anchor your ship near the cliffs, pass out shovels, and start digging.
After collecting a barrelful, you raise anchor and return to your voyage.
Obtained Terra Rossa.
As I head east right after . . .
Burned and weary, you can't bear the thought of wearing your armor any longer.
As you despondently gaze upon the beautiful blue waters, one word pops into your mind...
Swimming! Luckily, the sea is calm, making this the perfect time for a dip!
I'm running low on images, but I love how this phrase is set to the background of several rushing currents and a whirlpool.
Any potential dangers lurking beneath the surface cannot hold back the temptation...
You can choose to enjoy a swim in the water, or hold out and continue, avoiding any threat.
Will you take a swim? [YES] [NO]
Something tells me Hadou-san will have my head if Bunny becomes doner kebab, so [YES].
You decide that everyone needs a break once in a while and strip off your armor.
The cold seawater feels good on your burnt skin, and the brightly-colored fish cheer your spirits.
For a brief moment, you are able to forget your troubles and duties, and simply relax.
But, when the party returns to the ship refreshed, you notice Hadiz has yet to return...
You all begin searching the area and see Hadiz pop out from the below holding something.
On closer inspection, you see that it is a blade of Giant Kelp, which can grow as big as a whale.
You tear off a piece of the seaweed and eat it, but you can't say that it's tasty.
However, it may come in handy, so you load it onto the ship and take it with you.
Obtained Giant Kelp.
I'd honestly forgotten that event was even there; I'd just been dicking around.
By the by, regarding that kelp, from the Barter Log (Inver Port's version of the Item Compendium, alongside the Cargo Manifest for ship food and equipment, and one other thing to-be-discussed next time): "Seaweed better used as fertilizer than food."
And on that bombshell, I'm running low on images, so I'll see you in the next one, where we SHOULD be able to get our first peek into B2F after we turn in that Terra Rossa and the quest! Really! Maybe! We'll see?
See you then, readers and roast meats!
Though Bunny did get to ram the tip of a flaming spear into another Great Lynx off-camera. Sorry for not capturing the moment!
Now, however, we have our frog giblets to give to Missy, and combined with our now knowing a spot for the lazy bum to go this'll be a good time to go back into town. Nicely enough, when you complete a request like this . . .
You should report back to the bar when you have time.
. . . it actually lets you know!
"The frog dish that has been swimming in my mind can now become reality. I thank you!
"Perhaps you would be liking some? I am most sure it will be tasteful!
"...Oh, wait, yes. I am almost forgetting. You deserve reward for hard work!
"You will be getting more requests now, I am sure. Many thanks again!"
We get 3 Tents, and a cool 1000 EXP split between our 5 party members. Hadiz even hits Level 7 as a result (of it AND the amount of mooks we killed trying to get those frog bits)!
"So, you have found a safe place for Bill to sunbathe in? He will be happy to hear it!"
He'll be a little less happy when a Lynx jumps him en route, but oh well.
"If he gets fired for napping when he is supposed to be working, it is not my concern.
"Well... Regardless, here is the reward. I look forward to further dealings with you!"
We get 100 Entel, aaaand . . .
Ta-da! Close enough.
Now, so that I get it out of the way NOW rather than LATER, it's time to go over the dare-I-call-it-a-fish that I keep alluding to.
The tanniyn.
"It is sounding straightforward. Go out on a voyage and catch a tanniyn. Simple, yes?
"The committee wants the tanniyn to be from local waters, so catch one near Armoroad.
"That is all you are having to do! The deep blue sea calls you! Do not keep her waiting!
"Oh, I am being all excitable about this! Get out of here so I can calm down!"
Simple, sure.
Except you forgot to mention the thing's fucking enormous. Meet the tanniyn, a WHALE by any other name.
Launch a spear at the tanniyn? [YES] [NO]
Unlike other fish, the Tanniyn actually takes multiple hits to bring in.
Launch a spear at the tanniyn? [YES] [NO]
The tanniyn is yours!
Obtained Tanniyn Skin x8.
All you need to do now is return to the city and report back to the bar.
Now, why did I equip Sheep Cheese, of all things, despite its proximity? Because this was uncharacteristically easy; tanniyns can be simple to bag sometimes, but other times they may take a good while of chasing and harpooning, and what's worse as you go on you'll learn that tanniyns are another of the few things that can wreck your boat.
However, the added risk has its own rewards. For now, though, just one quick stopover extra . . .
'cause the lighthouse is safe now.
"You came at a good time... I'm out of the clay I need to mend the walls.
"There's an island to the west with red soil called Terra Rossa. Think you can get some for me?"
The mariner thanks you and then returns to the lighthouse for further investigation.
It's up to you whether to search for the mariner's terra rossa or simply go on with the voyage.
After you've cleared a request at a given Sea Quest location, usually stopping back after can turn up a little extra sidequest, typically involving something you can find on one of the various islands. According to the guide, we'll need to do things a little differently than I started off with in order to get it, so we'll grab that on another trip. For now, I fish up a few other morsels aaand . . .
Yeah; and that's just the least valuable bit off a tanniyn, selling for 30 Entel a pop. Their meat sells for 72 Entel, their bones for 430 Entel, their liver (yes, liver, apparently makes a pricey tonic if smoked and crushed) 600 Entel a pop, oil from it(s skin?) is 1,600 Entel per unit, and its . . . whisker sells for 6,800 Entel? Uh, maybe these tanniyns are more like catfish . . . though the vast majority of everything about them screams 'whaling', down to the fact that upgrades to your ship for fighting them typically involve harpooning.
I still prefer gathering in the Labyrinth, but you can't deny the tanniyn's a profitable beastie if you can catch up to and hunt one.
We take another trip, however, for the Terra Rossa.
We'll need 16-turn food, and that Foremast we were given by the harbor master; a cute little star spins atop it, but more importantly . . .
. . . it lets us make double the speed per move, but it's uncontrolled so we'll have to move with caution and care. Don't want to rocket into a whirlpool or the like.
However, after moving south once (2 spaces), and en route west, night falls and . . .
The lit area, about the length of ten of your ship, bobs eerily on the waves...
It may be moving... It does not appear to be alive, but if it is, its size could make it a threat.
You're unsure whether you should dive in and investigate the glow or play it safe and leave.
Investigate the glow? [YES] [NO]
Ducks can swim, right? (In truth, I believe these events determine who goes based on party position, buuut...)
Lance closes in on the glow and sees that it genuinely is something glowing under the sea.
Picking it up, Lance observes that it is jelly-like and does not seem to be dangerous.
But as Lance attempts to investigate further, the glowing objects sink into the ocean...
Once Lance is back on board, you notice jellyfish-like things on Lance's arms.
You have heard tales of Light Salps, creatures akin to jellyfish that live in these waters.
It seems the glow you just witnessed was a colony of these light salps.
Obtained Light Salp.
It's a trade item! Gedditoffgedditoffgedditoff.
Moving further to our destination, we can see in the distance the trade city of Ugarit . . . and some of that 'high concentration of Fuck You' I was talking about before. The currents prevent most access to Ugarit, with pirates actually blocking the couple of routes to it from Armoroad that AREN'T going to rapidly drag anyone to Death By Vortex.
Immediately to our left, however, is our actual destination.
On the cliff, you see a type of soil known as Terra Rossa, often used in baking bricks.
If you wish, you are free to land here and take some of the soil.
Take some terra rossa? [YES] [NO]
We do.
You anchor your ship near the cliffs, pass out shovels, and start digging.
After collecting a barrelful, you raise anchor and return to your voyage.
Obtained Terra Rossa.
As I head east right after . . .
Burned and weary, you can't bear the thought of wearing your armor any longer.
As you despondently gaze upon the beautiful blue waters, one word pops into your mind...
Swimming! Luckily, the sea is calm, making this the perfect time for a dip!
I'm running low on images, but I love how this phrase is set to the background of several rushing currents and a whirlpool.
Any potential dangers lurking beneath the surface cannot hold back the temptation...
You can choose to enjoy a swim in the water, or hold out and continue, avoiding any threat.
Will you take a swim? [YES] [NO]
Something tells me Hadou-san will have my head if Bunny becomes doner kebab, so [YES].
You decide that everyone needs a break once in a while and strip off your armor.
The cold seawater feels good on your burnt skin, and the brightly-colored fish cheer your spirits.
For a brief moment, you are able to forget your troubles and duties, and simply relax.
But, when the party returns to the ship refreshed, you notice Hadiz has yet to return...
You all begin searching the area and see Hadiz pop out from the below holding something.
On closer inspection, you see that it is a blade of Giant Kelp, which can grow as big as a whale.
You tear off a piece of the seaweed and eat it, but you can't say that it's tasty.
However, it may come in handy, so you load it onto the ship and take it with you.
Obtained Giant Kelp.
I'd honestly forgotten that event was even there; I'd just been dicking around.
By the by, regarding that kelp, from the Barter Log (Inver Port's version of the Item Compendium, alongside the Cargo Manifest for ship food and equipment, and one other thing to-be-discussed next time): "Seaweed better used as fertilizer than food."
And on that bombshell, I'm running low on images, so I'll see you in the next one, where we SHOULD be able to get our first peek into B2F after we turn in that Terra Rossa and the quest! Really! Maybe! We'll see?
See you then, readers and roast meats!
Update 13: A nighttime stroll
Baroque
Medi Aide, Whom Needed That
- Location
- Cosmic Ark, WIZ Faction
Last time, on Days of our Labyrinths . . .
"Swimming!"
". . . Wait, where's Hadiz?"
"GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF"
And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.
We came back to Skandalia Lighthouse to be greeted by much the same dialogue we got last time. Came at a good time, clay needed to mend the walls, yadda yadda blah bah. However, once he finishes his bit by asking if we can get him some dirt:
"You'll give this to me? Thanks! Now I can get back to mending the walls!"
The mariner then gives you a copper coin and a book.
"Consider this my thanks. The book is something I found in the tower...
"I don't know if that or the coin will be of any use to you, but I want you to have them anyway."
The mariner then disappears into the tower, rolling the barrel of clay as he goes.
Obtained 100-En Coin.
Obtained Tome Page.
After seeing to that, you board your ship and set sail for new horizons.
Much like that pair of chests on B1F, one's a tease and the other's actually rather interesting. The 100-En Coin really is worth 100 Entel.
Oh, and here's a bit more of that 'Fuck You' up north: one of those pirates I mentioned last update as blockading the routes to Ugarit. Getting up past there is gonna be an adventure.
Anyways, back in port . . .
. . . introducing, the Epic Glossary. There are around 12 or so items in this, and they're all found hither and yon on the seas, but each one describes something about the world -- the first two, this Tome Page and one other thing which will remain nameless, talk about something different from the rest of the pieces (including each other).
Still stranger, they have evolved.
The isle is like a flask, with the
flames of chaos boiling beneath it.
And in the depths of that forest,
was the most dreadful beast I have
ever seen. I called it "Manticore."
This Pliny fellow actually wrote all but one of the items we'll be finding -- volumes of the 'arms codex', numbered I through X, with each one talking about a powerful item made from a drop from either a Sea Quest boss, or from something more dire than that. The weaponry and equipment talked about in here is some legendary stuff, and actually fleshes a bit of the world out some in a way. We'll be tracking down all of these eventually, but for now?
"The fishing committee sent the word to me. Well done, as always.
"I cannot believe you caught a tanniyn! That makes you experts in the ways of fishing!
"The way of the fisher is long and arduous! Do not give up! Go on to greater fishy glory!
"Well, here is the reward for this request. Come back any time, explor--I mean, fishers!"
We get 2 Ariadne Threads for our troubles, and . . .
Ta-da! Told you it was close enough!
I have us stay at the inn 'cause our TP's a little lacking, but for a particularly good reason.
Y'know how I mentioned earlier that enemies spawn in particular locations on the map? Well, one of the effects of the time is also that certain enemies might show up and others might not (however, if I remember right enemies might also be a wee bit tougher to deal with at night?).
B2F 'kindly' teaches you this with another gotcha, in the form of the Largebill -- the strongest random encounter on the floor, which appears COMMONLY during the day but never at night. If you have a main-party Farmer for one reason or another, now's a good time to invest in that Horseplay skill.
We, on the other hand, just get to go on a nighttime stroll. No biggie.
It occurs to me now that in the process of us not going back into B1F much, I haven't mapped much more of it since we finished that bit for the Senatus. Time to change a bit of that.
When he notices your approach, he hails you with a cheerful expression.
"Made your report to the Senatus, have you? That means you've the right to go on ahead from here.
"In honor of your accomplishment, I'd like you to have this."
The guard pulls a small, metallic hammer from a bag hanging from his waist and offers it to you.
"It's a forging hammer. Enhancing one's weapons is common practice for explorers in Armoroad.
"If you seriously intend to explore the Labyrinth, you should consider doing the same."
The guard finishes by giving you not one, but three heavy hammers, which you gracefully accept.
Obtained Attack Hammer.
Obtained Guard Hammer.
Obtained Flash Hammer.
You may Forge at Napier's Firm if you possess hammers.
You may forge to confer the innate effects of a hammer onto a weapon to strengthen it.
When you get a chance, bring your hammers to Napier's Firm to try the process out.
After the guard has given his gift, he calmly points out the path and moves out of the way.
You may proceed apace or return to town and experiment with your new hammers at the Firm.
. . . Later. After I do something in here.
You leave it be for the moment to explore elsewhere.
Yep. Even more B1F that we won't be able to explore 'til after we do something. Etrian Odyssey III loved to pack strata to the gills, lemme tell ya.
Would you believe me if I said there's a postgame boss location on B4F?
We also go ahead and open up the shortcut we saw earlier when we were mapping for the Senatus.
Not long after, however, up considerably more north from there . . .
The sprouts look as if they might be edible... Will you muster the courage to pluck one and eat it?
Try eating a sprout? [YES] [NO]
Against my better judgment . . .
Hadiz, entranced by its fresh scent, takes a bite of the sprout and swallows...
Suddenly, Hadiz begins to complain of severe stomach pains!
It seems that the sprout, far from being edible, was a species of poisonous plant!
Hadiz lost 20 HP!
Regretting your carelessness, you return to your explorations.
This is why you don't skip dinner before dungeoneering, and always carry Medica.
A bit around-and-up from there, and we find a room . . .
. . . with a rather lucrative secret, the eastern chest containing Bravant (an item that grants an ATK boost if used) while the western one holds Feather Armor. Said armor boasting 16 DEF, Bunny is quickly shoved into it with an indignant squawk and the adventure continues.
South from there . . .
. . . we find the stair, down from which we will find B2F.
. . . and we also find a passageway we can't open from this side, and thus I march around indignantly back to it from the other end.
On the plus side, that Chop Point might be a bit nearer the entrance than the other one we knew about. At the very least, it might be easier to get to by Safe Stroll-ing through.
Still a bit weird, though.
Morning is nearing, so I'm a little worried the birds might come out . . .
. . . but here we are.
I'll be attempting another two-parter a la Skandalia tonight, so stay tuned, folks.
I'll see you in the next one real soon.
"Swimming!"
". . . Wait, where's Hadiz?"
"GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF"
And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.
We came back to Skandalia Lighthouse to be greeted by much the same dialogue we got last time. Came at a good time, clay needed to mend the walls, yadda yadda blah bah. However, once he finishes his bit by asking if we can get him some dirt:
"You'll give this to me? Thanks! Now I can get back to mending the walls!"
The mariner then gives you a copper coin and a book.
"Consider this my thanks. The book is something I found in the tower...
"I don't know if that or the coin will be of any use to you, but I want you to have them anyway."
The mariner then disappears into the tower, rolling the barrel of clay as he goes.
Obtained 100-En Coin.
Obtained Tome Page.
After seeing to that, you board your ship and set sail for new horizons.
Much like that pair of chests on B1F, one's a tease and the other's actually rather interesting. The 100-En Coin really is worth 100 Entel.
Oh, and here's a bit more of that 'Fuck You' up north: one of those pirates I mentioned last update as blockading the routes to Ugarit. Getting up past there is gonna be an adventure.
Anyways, back in port . . .
. . . introducing, the Epic Glossary. There are around 12 or so items in this, and they're all found hither and yon on the seas, but each one describes something about the world -- the first two, this Tome Page and one other thing which will remain nameless, talk about something different from the rest of the pieces (including each other).
Still stranger, they have evolved.
The isle is like a flask, with the
flames of chaos boiling beneath it.
And in the depths of that forest,
was the most dreadful beast I have
ever seen. I called it "Manticore."
This Pliny fellow actually wrote all but one of the items we'll be finding -- volumes of the 'arms codex', numbered I through X, with each one talking about a powerful item made from a drop from either a Sea Quest boss, or from something more dire than that. The weaponry and equipment talked about in here is some legendary stuff, and actually fleshes a bit of the world out some in a way. We'll be tracking down all of these eventually, but for now?
"The fishing committee sent the word to me. Well done, as always.
"I cannot believe you caught a tanniyn! That makes you experts in the ways of fishing!
"The way of the fisher is long and arduous! Do not give up! Go on to greater fishy glory!
"Well, here is the reward for this request. Come back any time, explor--I mean, fishers!"
We get 2 Ariadne Threads for our troubles, and . . .
Ta-da! Told you it was close enough!
I have us stay at the inn 'cause our TP's a little lacking, but for a particularly good reason.
Y'know how I mentioned earlier that enemies spawn in particular locations on the map? Well, one of the effects of the time is also that certain enemies might show up and others might not (however, if I remember right enemies might also be a wee bit tougher to deal with at night?).
B2F 'kindly' teaches you this with another gotcha, in the form of the Largebill -- the strongest random encounter on the floor, which appears COMMONLY during the day but never at night. If you have a main-party Farmer for one reason or another, now's a good time to invest in that Horseplay skill.
We, on the other hand, just get to go on a nighttime stroll. No biggie.
It occurs to me now that in the process of us not going back into B1F much, I haven't mapped much more of it since we finished that bit for the Senatus. Time to change a bit of that.
When he notices your approach, he hails you with a cheerful expression.
"Made your report to the Senatus, have you? That means you've the right to go on ahead from here.
"In honor of your accomplishment, I'd like you to have this."
The guard pulls a small, metallic hammer from a bag hanging from his waist and offers it to you.
"It's a forging hammer. Enhancing one's weapons is common practice for explorers in Armoroad.
"If you seriously intend to explore the Labyrinth, you should consider doing the same."
The guard finishes by giving you not one, but three heavy hammers, which you gracefully accept.
Obtained Attack Hammer.
Obtained Guard Hammer.
Obtained Flash Hammer.
You may Forge at Napier's Firm if you possess hammers.
You may forge to confer the innate effects of a hammer onto a weapon to strengthen it.
When you get a chance, bring your hammers to Napier's Firm to try the process out.
After the guard has given his gift, he calmly points out the path and moves out of the way.
You may proceed apace or return to town and experiment with your new hammers at the Firm.
. . . Later. After I do something in here.
You leave it be for the moment to explore elsewhere.
Yep. Even more B1F that we won't be able to explore 'til after we do something. Etrian Odyssey III loved to pack strata to the gills, lemme tell ya.
Would you believe me if I said there's a postgame boss location on B4F?
We also go ahead and open up the shortcut we saw earlier when we were mapping for the Senatus.
Not long after, however, up considerably more north from there . . .
The sprouts look as if they might be edible... Will you muster the courage to pluck one and eat it?
Try eating a sprout? [YES] [NO]
Against my better judgment . . .
Hadiz, entranced by its fresh scent, takes a bite of the sprout and swallows...
Suddenly, Hadiz begins to complain of severe stomach pains!
It seems that the sprout, far from being edible, was a species of poisonous plant!
Hadiz lost 20 HP!
Regretting your carelessness, you return to your explorations.
This is why you don't skip dinner before dungeoneering, and always carry Medica.
A bit around-and-up from there, and we find a room . . .
. . . with a rather lucrative secret, the eastern chest containing Bravant (an item that grants an ATK boost if used) while the western one holds Feather Armor. Said armor boasting 16 DEF, Bunny is quickly shoved into it with an indignant squawk and the adventure continues.
South from there . . .
. . . we find the stair, down from which we will find B2F.
. . . and we also find a passageway we can't open from this side, and thus I march around indignantly back to it from the other end.
On the plus side, that Chop Point might be a bit nearer the entrance than the other one we knew about. At the very least, it might be easier to get to by Safe Stroll-ing through.
Still a bit weird, though.
Morning is nearing, so I'm a little worried the birds might come out . . .
. . . but here we are.
I'll be attempting another two-parter a la Skandalia tonight, so stay tuned, folks.
I'll see you in the next one real soon.
Hadiz
The Final Solution. To Others.
- Location
- Somewhere.
I smiled and wave.
I laughed quietly.Bondo said:
I nodded in approval. And ignore that glare to listen Miss Missy.Bondo said:
I just send happy smile to no particular direction when I heard that.Bondo said:
"And yet they struck you first Bondo."Bondo said:
"Yeah. Though keep your voice down. Loud obnoxious noises attracts Monsters like a shark with blood."Bondo said:
"I'll follow you there. Got to make sure you don't get robbed drunk. Or drag your drunken body back to the Inn."Bondo said:
Next three coming.
Last edited:
Update 14: Finally in this Let's Play, F.O.E.!
Baroque
Medi Aide, Whom Needed That
- Location
- Cosmic Ark, WIZ Faction
'Real soon' because this time, I prepared the second post ahead of time! HA!
I also realized just how much time (and TP) I'd burnt futzing about on B1F, so I went back and quickly scurried back to Aman Inn between the last screenshot and this one.
. . . looks like I managed to forget to take the image I intended to place here. Essentially, around D4 we come across one side of a shortcut, meaning that the very first one we've seen actually comes back to a pretty early point on the floor (where we were standing). Makes one wonder how long it'll take before the other end of the shortcut shows up.
Ah well, the next screencap should show it off.
Might as well shrug that failure off and continue on--
However... a sudden, sharp voice calls to you from behind.
"Hold, explorers! There is much you should know to survive these depths. Heed my advice."
He is blond and has a stern look that hints at greater maturity than his youth would suggest.
"Is this your first time on the second floor?" he asks, as if gauging your mettle.
Not mine, but it is the others'. I failed to screencap it, but our turn to the right gave us a glimpse of something ahead.
. . . might as well be honest. "We're novice explorers." I already know who he is and soon will you.
"Welcome, newcomers to Armoroad. By now you must have been to the Senatus, no?"
This man, who is clad in a red outfit of foreign design, speaks much more amicably than before.
"My orders from the Senatus are to give useful advice to novice explorers in this Labyrinth."
You follow the man's gaze to a powerful monster, the likes of which you've never seen.
"But too many novice guilds perish from foolishly charging towards monsters beyond their abilities.
"...I must caution you as well. Watch the enemy's movements before making your own."
The man gives a faintly sardonic smile and bow before walking deeper into the forest.
"I look forward to meeting you again should our paths cross," he calls out as he walks away.
Hmm. I thought he'd introduce himself, at least; damn my memory. In any event, meet Kujura, a samurai in the service of Armoroad's royal family, one individual of it in particular. We'll be seeing him a lot going forward, as he does a lot of legwork.
More importantly, though, meet the F.O.E. -- which means various things, though I prefer the basic version which is 'Field-On Enemy'. If you've seen the earlier post of @Daraken and my reaction to it, now you know why I made that joking scream; he's one of these (as depicted in IOSYS's catchy little song-and-music-video about the wretched thing -- if you've heard 'F.O.E.' before and are a Touhou fan, that song is probably why). This puppy'd also be why I called the Largebill the strongest random encounter on the floor, and not the strongest monster; by its very nature, the F.O.E. of the floor is stronger than even that, the ones on this particular floor actually having HP equal to that of Meregho Saeno.
The F.O.E., a standard fixture in the Etrian Odyssey franchise and actually one of its major defining features, is an enemy that exists on the field -- it is not a random encounter, instead only being encountered if you bump into them (and they move when you do, hence Kujura's comment about watching your enemy first); for the first three games (the original, II, and III) they were represented by various colors of these angry fuzzballs, with the orange ones being the standard -- they'll follow a fixed path, with a fixed movement pattern.
From IV onward their actual physical appearances were able to be rendered, meaning they would no longer be made to appear as color-coded fuzzballs (and as such, some floors in Etrian Odyssey Untold are slightly changed to take advantage of this, so keep that in mind if you're getting it in lieu of the original), but that change would not affect at all the F.O.E.'s core purpose.
Throughout the series, they have remained more obstacle than enemy, intended to be avoided on the first trip through (making avoiding them somewhat of a puzzle). Go after them only once you've progressed a fair bit in levels and equipment. Here, however the answer to avoiding these guys rather simple.
As these particular ones just move one space when you move one (a standard F.O.E. behavior), the trick is to just wait, using the hallway you were just walking out of to advance him until . . .
. . . he turns around and you skulk on right behind him. If you're the LPer, you also realize you should have shown more steps to that, like the bit where you're walking back-and-forth to get him to advance, but oh well; we'll do that another time.
It looks like this particular one's got a bit more hall to go down. Perhaps it's time to do that back and forth some now!
I was wondering when that battle would happen. We got blindsided too, hooray, but this DOES let me illustrate an important point.
Notice how, after the first turn of the battle ended, the F.O.E. moved one? Well, that'd be because every turn in battle that passes is ALSO one that F.O.E.'s will move in, not just the ones that you spend moving in the field -- another factor you need to take into account when moving past F.O.E.'s if you value your health.
Also, despite the platypus, no we're not in Australia. That's Tharsis. You think I'm kidding, but . . .
In any case, after the battle, the F.O.E.'s ended up on the other side of us, so there's no time like the present to . . .
WOOOOPWOOPWOOPWOOPWOOP
Aaand we're safe. For now.
Edie, the hell's-- oh, for cripes' sakes.
This is a Coupon, which you can use to get half-off any one item at Napier's Firm. Essentially, these are worth Ketos' weight in gold.
Namely because there are some pieces of equipment in the future that cost hundreds of thousands of Entel -- typically endgamey gear that you can only get from conditional drops from bosses and occasionally also post-game enemies (JUST to lock you out of them in the main game; some notable ones, however, are not like this, and will be mentioned as such).
Heading back down the passage we just barely avoid ending up in a BATTLE in that hallway and instead end up fighting a new enemy; meet the Claw Shrimp, one of the first normal enemies you can fight with a conditional drop; kill it with Ice damage and it drops a Red Tail.
Guess what damage we don't have yet. I'll be amending this soon thanks to Bondo, but for now we just end the fight quickly. In the future, though, I should say that it has a Claw Cut attack that deals slash damage, so be at least a LITTLE careful around them. Of course, they're not the real hellspawn of the floor (or hour), but . . .
You try peering inside, but it's too dark to make out whatever is glistening within.
It probably wouldn't be hard to reach if you tried, but is that the best idea...?
Reach towards it? [YES] [NO]
Eh, what's the worst that could happen?
You are about to approach the hole when Lance suddenly stops you!
You shift to Lance's vantage point and see that in fact, a monster was hiding inside!
What you saw before was the monster's hide, glistening with viscous fluids!
Welp.
The beast that had hoped to catch you unawares rushes out in a blur! Draw your weapons and fight!
Guess what A) I forgot to do before triggering this event and B) what damage type this new enemy is weak to? If you guessed that both phrases involve 'Ice', then you know me pretty well by now. Regardless, the Spotted Frog is actually an enemy from NEXT floor, so guess who I'm going to be attempting to focus down first?
If you guessed 'the Spotted Frog that just managed to deal 30 damage in one Jump to a Line-Guarding Bunny', get out of my head. But yes, let this be a reminder to examine events CAREFULLY, unlike your buddy Baroque here who frankly should know better by now considering they're in the [REDACTED] on their physical copy's file.
And now we know why that shortcut's there; to avoid the F.O.E. on future trips. Which means that the other one might be similar . . . ech.
Winding up and around, we find ourselves not only a shortcut (no doubt to avoid ANOTHER F.O.E.), but at our first Take Point -- no F.O.E.'s on the way either, if we take the first shortcut we found-and-unlocked. More than ever do I need to organize my Farmers a bit better, but now is not the update for that.
By the by, did I mention yet that Bondo had Regal Radiance? If not, this is what it looks like, particularly when one is using it on a Great Lynx and a Claw Shrimp.
Unfortunately, it didn't net me the conditional drop, so I guess we'll have to try again another time, but with Unmaker just firing frozen bolts at the thing instead.
Pictured here is the result of me realizing 'wait shit there's an F.O.E. in this hall' right after having moved INTO that hall. That'll teach me to not pay attention to the bit in the bottom-right corner! I'd not mentioned yet, but it actually detects how close you are to an F.O.E.
Also of note, those "[REDACTED]"'s I did earlier regarding the Zodiac's Horoscope skill and the Farmer's Keen Eye? They're meant to figure out where F.O.E.'s are so that stuff like THIS doesn't happen.
In our next update, we'll finally meet my favorite character, and I might manage to NOT nearly get us killed.
See you then, faithful readers! I'll be attempting to belt this third update out sooner than later!
I also realized just how much time (and TP) I'd burnt futzing about on B1F, so I went back and quickly scurried back to Aman Inn between the last screenshot and this one.
. . . looks like I managed to forget to take the image I intended to place here. Essentially, around D4 we come across one side of a shortcut, meaning that the very first one we've seen actually comes back to a pretty early point on the floor (where we were standing). Makes one wonder how long it'll take before the other end of the shortcut shows up.
Ah well, the next screencap should show it off.
Might as well shrug that failure off and continue on--
However... a sudden, sharp voice calls to you from behind.
"Hold, explorers! There is much you should know to survive these depths. Heed my advice."
He is blond and has a stern look that hints at greater maturity than his youth would suggest.
"Is this your first time on the second floor?" he asks, as if gauging your mettle.
Not mine, but it is the others'. I failed to screencap it, but our turn to the right gave us a glimpse of something ahead.
. . . might as well be honest. "We're novice explorers." I already know who he is and soon will you.
"Welcome, newcomers to Armoroad. By now you must have been to the Senatus, no?"
This man, who is clad in a red outfit of foreign design, speaks much more amicably than before.
"My orders from the Senatus are to give useful advice to novice explorers in this Labyrinth."
You follow the man's gaze to a powerful monster, the likes of which you've never seen.
"But too many novice guilds perish from foolishly charging towards monsters beyond their abilities.
"...I must caution you as well. Watch the enemy's movements before making your own."
The man gives a faintly sardonic smile and bow before walking deeper into the forest.
"I look forward to meeting you again should our paths cross," he calls out as he walks away.
Hmm. I thought he'd introduce himself, at least; damn my memory. In any event, meet Kujura, a samurai in the service of Armoroad's royal family, one individual of it in particular. We'll be seeing him a lot going forward, as he does a lot of legwork.
More importantly, though, meet the F.O.E. -- which means various things, though I prefer the basic version which is 'Field-On Enemy'. If you've seen the earlier post of @Daraken and my reaction to it, now you know why I made that joking scream; he's one of these (as depicted in IOSYS's catchy little song-and-music-video about the wretched thing -- if you've heard 'F.O.E.' before and are a Touhou fan, that song is probably why). This puppy'd also be why I called the Largebill the strongest random encounter on the floor, and not the strongest monster; by its very nature, the F.O.E. of the floor is stronger than even that, the ones on this particular floor actually having HP equal to that of Meregho Saeno.
The F.O.E., a standard fixture in the Etrian Odyssey franchise and actually one of its major defining features, is an enemy that exists on the field -- it is not a random encounter, instead only being encountered if you bump into them (and they move when you do, hence Kujura's comment about watching your enemy first); for the first three games (the original, II, and III) they were represented by various colors of these angry fuzzballs, with the orange ones being the standard -- they'll follow a fixed path, with a fixed movement pattern.
From IV onward their actual physical appearances were able to be rendered, meaning they would no longer be made to appear as color-coded fuzzballs (and as such, some floors in Etrian Odyssey Untold are slightly changed to take advantage of this, so keep that in mind if you're getting it in lieu of the original), but that change would not affect at all the F.O.E.'s core purpose.
Throughout the series, they have remained more obstacle than enemy, intended to be avoided on the first trip through (making avoiding them somewhat of a puzzle). Go after them only once you've progressed a fair bit in levels and equipment. Here, however the answer to avoiding these guys rather simple.
As these particular ones just move one space when you move one (a standard F.O.E. behavior), the trick is to just wait, using the hallway you were just walking out of to advance him until . . .
. . . he turns around and you skulk on right behind him. If you're the LPer, you also realize you should have shown more steps to that, like the bit where you're walking back-and-forth to get him to advance, but oh well; we'll do that another time.
It looks like this particular one's got a bit more hall to go down. Perhaps it's time to do that back and forth some now!
I was wondering when that battle would happen. We got blindsided too, hooray, but this DOES let me illustrate an important point.
Notice how, after the first turn of the battle ended, the F.O.E. moved one? Well, that'd be because every turn in battle that passes is ALSO one that F.O.E.'s will move in, not just the ones that you spend moving in the field -- another factor you need to take into account when moving past F.O.E.'s if you value your health.
Also, despite the platypus, no we're not in Australia. That's Tharsis. You think I'm kidding, but . . .
In any case, after the battle, the F.O.E.'s ended up on the other side of us, so there's no time like the present to . . .
WOOOOPWOOPWOOPWOOPWOOP
Aaand we're safe. For now.
Edie, the hell's-- oh, for cripes' sakes.
This is a Coupon, which you can use to get half-off any one item at Napier's Firm. Essentially, these are worth Ketos' weight in gold.
Namely because there are some pieces of equipment in the future that cost hundreds of thousands of Entel -- typically endgamey gear that you can only get from conditional drops from bosses and occasionally also post-game enemies (JUST to lock you out of them in the main game; some notable ones, however, are not like this, and will be mentioned as such).
Heading back down the passage we just barely avoid ending up in a BATTLE in that hallway and instead end up fighting a new enemy; meet the Claw Shrimp, one of the first normal enemies you can fight with a conditional drop; kill it with Ice damage and it drops a Red Tail.
Guess what damage we don't have yet. I'll be amending this soon thanks to Bondo, but for now we just end the fight quickly. In the future, though, I should say that it has a Claw Cut attack that deals slash damage, so be at least a LITTLE careful around them. Of course, they're not the real hellspawn of the floor (or hour), but . . .
You try peering inside, but it's too dark to make out whatever is glistening within.
It probably wouldn't be hard to reach if you tried, but is that the best idea...?
Reach towards it? [YES] [NO]
Eh, what's the worst that could happen?
You are about to approach the hole when Lance suddenly stops you!
You shift to Lance's vantage point and see that in fact, a monster was hiding inside!
What you saw before was the monster's hide, glistening with viscous fluids!
Welp.
The beast that had hoped to catch you unawares rushes out in a blur! Draw your weapons and fight!
Guess what A) I forgot to do before triggering this event and B) what damage type this new enemy is weak to? If you guessed that both phrases involve 'Ice', then you know me pretty well by now. Regardless, the Spotted Frog is actually an enemy from NEXT floor, so guess who I'm going to be attempting to focus down first?
If you guessed 'the Spotted Frog that just managed to deal 30 damage in one Jump to a Line-Guarding Bunny', get out of my head. But yes, let this be a reminder to examine events CAREFULLY, unlike your buddy Baroque here who frankly should know better by now considering they're in the [REDACTED] on their physical copy's file.
And now we know why that shortcut's there; to avoid the F.O.E. on future trips. Which means that the other one might be similar . . . ech.
Winding up and around, we find ourselves not only a shortcut (no doubt to avoid ANOTHER F.O.E.), but at our first Take Point -- no F.O.E.'s on the way either, if we take the first shortcut we found-and-unlocked. More than ever do I need to organize my Farmers a bit better, but now is not the update for that.
By the by, did I mention yet that Bondo had Regal Radiance? If not, this is what it looks like, particularly when one is using it on a Great Lynx and a Claw Shrimp.
Unfortunately, it didn't net me the conditional drop, so I guess we'll have to try again another time, but with Unmaker just firing frozen bolts at the thing instead.
Pictured here is the result of me realizing 'wait shit there's an F.O.E. in this hall' right after having moved INTO that hall. That'll teach me to not pay attention to the bit in the bottom-right corner! I'd not mentioned yet, but it actually detects how close you are to an F.O.E.
Also of note, those "[REDACTED]"'s I did earlier regarding the Zodiac's Horoscope skill and the Farmer's Keen Eye? They're meant to figure out where F.O.E.'s are so that stuff like THIS doesn't happen.
In our next update, we'll finally meet my favorite character, and I might manage to NOT nearly get us killed.
See you then, faithful readers! I'll be attempting to belt this third update out sooner than later!
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Baroque
Medi Aide, Whom Needed That
- Location
- Cosmic Ark, WIZ Faction
I honestly forget, to be honest. I'd imagine the damage is good enough, given skills (you actually do alright damage already). However, there IS a way to improve the damage by sacrificing a slot of equipment (it's a bit of an exploit, though), but given your role as our healer I'm not entirely sure about using it.
(There's also another means to go about actually getting some damage in as a Monk, but we won't be able to see it for a good while; I'll make mention of it once we get there.)
Hadiz
The Final Solution. To Others.
- Location
- Somewhere.
'Where are they?'I thought tiredly as I lazily shot through hordes of monsters.
'Okay that's kinda awesome.'
"Finally. I thought we were never going to get this done."
Now, however, we have our frog giblets to give to Missy, and combined with our now knowing a spot for the lazy bum to go this'll be a good time to go back into town. Nicely enough, when you complete a request like this . . .
You should report back to the bar when you have time.
. . . it actually lets you know!
"Your welcome Miss Missy."
"The frog dish that has been swimming in my mind can now become reality. I thank you!
"Perhaps you would be liking some? I am most sure it will be tasteful!
"...Oh, wait, yes. I am almost forgetting. You deserve reward for hard work!
"You will be getting more requests now, I am sure. Many thanks again!"
We get 3 Tents, and a cool 1000 EXP split between our 5 party members. Hadiz even hits Level 7 as a result (of it AND the amount of mooks we killed trying to get those frog bits)!
'The guy won't be much of a happy camper once I sent this request to his boss.'
"So, you have found a safe place for Bill to sunbathe in? He will be happy to hear it!"
He'll be a little less happy when a Lynx jumps him en route, but oh well.
"If he gets fired for napping when he is supposed to be working, it is not my concern.
"Well... Regardless, here is the reward. I look forward to further dealings with you!"
We get 100 Entel, aaaand . . .
Ta-da! Close enough.
"I partly hope he gets jump along the way."
"The Tanniyn?" I blinked as I process this information.Now, so that I get it out of the way NOW rather than LATER, it's time to go over the dare-I-call-it-a-fish that I keep alluding to.
The tanniyn.
"It is sounding straightforward. Go out on a voyage and catch a tanniyn. Simple, yes?
"The committee wants the tanniyn to be from local waters, so catch one near Armoroad.
"That is all you are having to do! The deep blue sea calls you! Do not keep her waiting!
"Oh, I am being all excitable about this! Get out of here so I can calm down!"
Simple, sure.
"Hehe. This will be a great catch everyone! We'll be spearing a huge fish back home! I call dibs on any meat we could cook up from it." I said excitedly.
As we're spearing this huge monster of a fish down. I remembered something.
Except you forgot to mention the thing's fucking enormous. Meet the tanniyn, a WHALE by any other name.
Launch a spear at the tanniyn? [YES] [NO]
Unlike other fish, the Tanniyn actually takes multiple hits to bring in.
Launch a spear at the tanniyn? [YES] [NO]
The tanniyn is yours!
Obtained Tanniyn Skin x8.
All you need to do now is return to the city and report back to the bar.
Now, why did I equip Sheep Cheese, of all things, despite its proximity? Because this was uncharacteristically easy; tanniyns can be simple to bag sometimes, but other times they may take a good while of chasing and harpooning, and what's worse as you go on you'll learn that tanniyns are another of the few things that can wreck your boat.
"Oh yeah. Be careful everyone! This fish can easily capsize our boat if it could!" I yell as we are shaking on the choppy waves made by the Tanniyn.
-After catch-
"Whelp. We we're lucky there. I'll make us a special meal for this haul." I said excitedly.
'I can't wait to eat this fish again.' I thought.
-After eating up a good dinner-However the added risk has its own rewards. For now, though, just one quick stopover extra . . .
'cause the lighthouse is safe now.
"You came at a good time... I'm out of the clay I need to mend the walls.
"There's an island to the west with red soil called Terra Rossa. Think you can get some for me?"
The mariner thanks you and then returns to the lighthouse for further investigation.
It's up to you whether to search for the mariner's terra rossa or simply go on with the voyage.
After you've cleared a request at a given Sea Quest location, usually stopping back after can turn up a little extra sidequest, typically involving something you can find on one of the various islands. According to the guide, we'll need to do things a little differently than I started off with in order to get it, so we'll grab that on another trip. For now, I fish up a few other morsels aaand . . .
"Morning Everyone! Let's catch some more fish before we go back. May not bring as much of a profit as the Tanniyn. But it's better than nothing."
"Well we didn't get the important bits. Those usually go up to the thousands in Entel. But what did I tell ya. Most profit we got."
I still prefer gathering in the Labyrinth, but you can't deny the tanniyn's a profitable beastie if you can catch up to and hunt one.
I went ahead and rip off the Jellyfish of Lance. Leaving behind a few red marks. Showing how strong their grip once they latch on to something.We take another trip, however, for the Terra Rossa.
We'll need 16-turn food, and that Foremast we were given by the harbor master; a cute little star spins atop it, but more importantly . . .
. . . it lets us make double the speed per move, but it's uncontrolled so we'll have to move with caution and care. Don't want to rocket into a whirlpool or the like.
However, after moving south once (2 spaces), and en route west, night falls and . . .
The lit area, about the length of ten of your ship, bobs eerily on the waves...
It may be moving... It does not appear to be alive, but if it is, its size could make it a threat.
You're unsure whether you should dive in and investigate the glow or play it safe and leave.
Investigate the glow? [YES] [NO]
Ducks can swim, right? (In truth, I believe these events determine who goes based on party position, buuut...)
Lance closes in on the glow and sees that it genuinely is something glowing under the sea.
Picking it up, Lance observes that it is jelly-like and does not seem to be dangerous.
But as Lance attempts to investigate further, the glowing objects sink into the ocean...
Once Lance is back on board, you notice jellyfish-like things on Lance's arms.
You have heard tales of Light Salps, creatures akin to jellyfish that live in these waters.
It seems the glow you just witnessed was a colony of these light salps.
Obtained Light Salp.
It's a trade item! Gedditoffgedditoffgedditoff.
"Careful. These things stick on too you pretty hard."
"Nope." As I steer this thing. Away. From the deadly rapids. And moving towards our true destination.
Moving further to our destination, we can see in the distance the trade city of Ugarit . . . and some of that 'high concentration of Fuck You' I was talking about before. The currents prevent most access to Ugarit, with pirates actually blocking the couple of routes to it from Armoroad that AREN'T going to rapidly drag anyone to Death By Vortex.
Immediately to our left, however, is our actual destination.
'Man this heats getting too me.' As I shove another load to be placed back into the Chron.
On the cliff, you see a type of soil known as Terra Rossa, often used in baking bricks.
If you wish, you are free to land here and take some of the soil.
Take some terra rossa? [YES] [NO]
We do.
You anchor your ship near the cliffs, pass out shovels, and start digging.
After collecting a barrelful, you raise anchor and return to your voyage.
Obtained Terra Rossa.
As I head east right after . . .
"Don't worry everyone. As long as we don't swim out too far. We'll be fine and not be dragged into the rapids."
Burned and weary, you can't bear the thought of wearing your armor any longer.
As you despondently gaze upon the beautiful blue waters, one word pops into your mind...
Swimming! Luckily, the sea is calm, making this the perfect time for a dip!
I'm running low on images, but I love how this phrase is set to the background of several rushing currents and a whirlpool.
'Though what does this place remind me off?'
After the decision was made. I made sure to stay away. Far away from viewing distance from the Gals.
I decided to dive a bit into the water. To find out if my memory serves me right.
"Hey everyone! Turns out my memory was right. This the place where Giant Kelp grows. It may not taste as good. But it'll fill your stomachs." I said before I went down to get more of the stuff.
And now I must sleep. I'll do the other two update reactions when I get some shuteye.
Daraken
Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens
Ahahaha. No.
Maybe if this was EO1 or EO4, the combat medic build would be viable. Unfortunately, the monk's unarmed gimmick isn't that great. Great healers though!
Even in your Let's Play, F. O. E.!
Field-On Enemy is the direct translation of the japanese term for them. Atlus decided for the English port to name them Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens which can be loosely translated to "ancient and terrible nature warriors".
I have fond memories of ignoring this advice in the first game, then promptly getting my face smashed in by a god damn deer of all things. Good times.
Ace of Scarabs
Mechanoid Pilot
- Location
- Singapore
I've played the original EO and Etrian Mystery Dungeon, but not the other EOs yet.
FOEs and DOEs alike are terrifying at the time you (first) meet them. Heck, the first DOE in EMD, Fury Horn, is basically the classical FOE Ragelope, complete with Muddle Roar. I'm still impressed with how they made the FOE mechanic work for the DOEs in EMD.
FOEs and DOEs alike are terrifying at the time you (first) meet them. Heck, the first DOE in EMD, Fury Horn, is basically the classical FOE Ragelope, complete with Muddle Roar. I'm still impressed with how they made the FOE mechanic work for the DOEs in EMD.