Another LP? It must be Friday! Let's play Windseal!

[nosimpleway]

Kate: Seriously?
Lyssa: We really need to get--
Kate: DON'T SAY IT.
Kate: Listen. My orders are to not let anyone past me, okay? So as long as you don't try to get PAST me there's no problem.
Kate: I have an idea. Step aside.

Lyssa moves to one side, and Kate walks past her.

Kate: Right. Now you're already behind me, so you can't pass me. Okay, I won't look. Just go.
Lyssa: ...Uh, thanks. You're okay with us going after your boss?
Kate: Yeah, he's not good at all. The old boss was much better. Anyway, he's still very powerful, so be careful.


And in the next room there's a teleporter to get back down to the third level, which in turn lets you teleport outside, so that you can teleport back to town and stock up.


Kate gets mad if you don't use the teleporters to get back up, though.

[nosimpleway]

Shadow of Angaraxasak, High Demon Lord of the Burning Legion Demon Lords: I assume my progenitor granted you the means to bypass my barrier. None other could destroy it. And you have defeated all five Guardians. Though I sense that the Maid and the Dragon still live. You must think yourself strong, to come this far.
Lyssa: Why are you building an army?!
Shadow: It speaks. It questions me.
Lyssa: Garax told us about your plan to attack Favros! We won't let that happen!
Shadow: It presumes it can stop me.
Lyssa: We know what you are, Shadow! You're just a cast off, a pale clone of a real power!
Shadow: I think you're the fake hedgehog around here!
Lyssa: We won't let you free your master!
Shadow: The progenitor was a part of this absurd realm. He embraced the chaos and whimsy that rules this world. For his idiocy, he was captured. And even now refuses to escape.
Shadow: My goal, insect, is not to free anyone. This army I have built is just the beginning. Kye, Favros, Senn. They are but kindling to the fire I will ignite. I will create a vast and merciless horde. We will march to every village, every town, every castle. This disgusting, absurd world will be cleansed of 'whimsy'. And when the embers have faded from red to white, when the ashes no longer stir from the wails of the dying, then, insect, you will know my goal.

Wait, the evil army's motivation is that they hate how silly and nonsensical it is to live in an RPG? Dren's threats of being the final boss don't sound so much like joking anymore.

Dren: You! You're going down, you overblown bastard! We won't lose to scum like you!
Morgan: As a Templar, I am sworn to seek out and destroy evil wherever it hides itself from the light of the sun. You have hidden yourself under many rocks, behind many doors, monster. But today, my blade finds you!
Lyssa: You... you...
Lyssa: YOU are why I became a hero! You're nothing but a bully, who uses his power to destroy! I believe in the good in all creatures. Even those we call 'monsters' can choose to walk in the Light.

The ogre living in Morgan's house is proof of that.

Lyssa: I've known bullies like you my whole life. They choose to walk in the shadow. Some, because their lives were hard. Some, because they were never taught better. But you... you chose this path because of your hatred for laughter. For love. For life. You must be destroyed. And I, Lyssa the Hero, and her loyal companions, will be the ones to destroy you!
Lyssa: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!





Shadow: It Oversouls. How quaint. Perhaps this will be at least minimally entertaining. Come then, insects! Show me what measly strength you possess!




Oh, word. That 30 TP is a hefty cost but Lyssa gets it for free here.


Shadow of Garax gets... two? three? actions per turn. Look, it's been a while, I forget.


Some of those actions are healing itself. Jerk.




Nice.


Oh, also, it wipes out any buffs you build up, and is nigh- or entirely-immune to debuffs itself.




Fork Bolt is probably the least threatening thing it can do. Consider this a breather.




I didn't get a screenshot of the dialog box saying so, but this is the point where Lyssa's Oversoul wore off. Only ten rounds, remember? And spoilers: the fight isn't anywhere near over.

[nosimpleway]

Stop that.






Oh, I stand corrected. This is the breather action. Remember, Dren has lower MDF than anyone else, so that's the most damage anyone took.


Yeah, I had to break out the precious what-if-I-need-it-later? items for this one.


I remembered I have a spell to remove the particular status Dren has been suffering under for most of the fight. Go back and see how long ago that little skull and crossbones has been on his status bar. I'll wait.

[nosimpleway]

Surprise! Lyssa is a pottymouth. The days of 'what the heck' are behind us.

Shadow: This... Impossible! IMPOSSIBLE!!! To think you worms could push me this far... You will PAY for your insolence! I summon the ultimate destructive power, Meteor Swarm!


I remember back in the day of freewheeling AD&D that there were a damn lot of game masters who ruled that Meteor Swarm took a lot longer to cast, on account of the Final Fantasy Tactics-esque spell delay, than was listed in the rules because you had to actually pull a giant celestial object from outer space down through the atmosphere to hit somebody with it. And like, I get it. It's a ninth-level spell, you want something flashier than "a bunch of fireballs all at once". Then Final Fantasy came along and cribbed everything it could from D&D (back when TSR's official legal policy on having their intellectual property stolen was "eh, fuggeddaboudit"), and with the escalation of powers possible with a graphical format, made it explicit that big fiery rocks are being rained out of the sky. Anyway, point is, you've got a two-word spell name that makes it very clear what's about to happen, even when that thing that's happening is kind of inexplicable as a spell effect choice.

There's probably a TVTropes page about it.

Anyway.


Meteor Swarm does exactly what you think it does.


Theoretically.




Angaraxasak: You've lost, Simulacrum. You do not possess the power to wield that magic.
Shadow: No! You're wrong! I've become far stronger in your absence than you could ever--
Angaraxasak: No. Even now, your body is crumbling from the strain of the magic you just cast. It's over. You were never more than a shadow of mine. A reflection of the darkness that lurks in my soul. The shadow in all of us. You cannot possibly hope to wield true power.
Tellah Shadow: Ha... Ha ha ha... I see... I see now... Yes, I have failed. I have perished. Because, like you say, I was merely a shadow, a projection of darkness. But... I can see it... Another will come... One who is not a shadow. A true emissary of evil. They will destroy Windseal... The darkness will return... And this land... This farcical fantasy will perish! It will all burn... Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Enjoy your lives while you can, insects! The day is coming...!


Dren: We did it! We really did it! Wooooo!
Morgan: Great job, everyone! That was intense!
Lyssa: Thank you for saving us, Lord Garax.
Garax: You're welcome. Hey, guess I can reclaim my face graphic now.


Garax: Uh, wait! I mean, I was never here! I was in jail the whole time! I'll be waiting for your report on your victory in my cell! You never saw me!

Garax leaves through the same swirly portal he came in.

Lyssa: Great job, guys!
Dren: You too, Lys! And what the heck

Oh.

Dren: was that crazy power you unlocked?!
Lyssa: I have no idea! Um. I can't seem to use it anymore.
Morgan: Looked like a power some sort of "Hero" might have.
Lyssa: Stop it! You're just saying that.
Dren: I dunno, it looked pretty heroic to me. Of course, a real hero would be able to use it whenever they wanted.
Lyssa: I am a real hero!
Morgan: We just took down a genuine evil overlord bent on destroying the world. I'd say we're all heroes right now.
Dren: What do you think he was talking about right before he bought it, you know, with that evil emissary and Windseal stuff?
Lyssa: Eh, who knows. Evil dudes like him are always shooting their mouths off before they die to try to look cool. Though I mean, it sort of does tie into these weird dreams I've been having about trees.
Dren: Wait, what? What dreams? Trees?
Lyssa: Yep, looks like the main plot might FINALLY be kicking off! Frankly, it's about time. I was getting tired of small fry stuff.
Morgan: Come on, let's get out of here and report back to the Captain!
Dren: Okay guys, let's go home proud.

[nosimpleway]

One last CAT UPDATE before we head back.




Morgan's up to old tricks.


I might have been able to squeak out an update here or there but all of them at this point are just words words words words words and it's really time-consuming to transcribe. So hey, fair warning: here come some more words.

Morgan: Sir, we successfully eliminated the threat from the castle up north.
Lyssa: That's putting it mildly! We totally stormed the gates, blew up a succubus, a vampire, a dullahan with a head, and a dragon as big as two dragons!
Dren: It was more like a three-dragon sized dragon. And we didn't blow that one up.
Lyssa: Dren, we agreed I would be the one to tell the story.
Dren: No we didn't.
Lyssa: And then after we killed the five-dragon dragon, we fought this super evil dude who was almost as big as the seven-dragon dragon.
Morgan: Despite Lyssa's penchant for dragon-related exaggeration, we really did defeat the Lord of the Castle, who was building an army of monsters to attack human civilization.

We also got to pet some cats.

Nathan: ...a dullahan with a head?
Dren: Don't ask. There was a freak accident.
Nathan: ...fair enough.
Nathan: Well, in any case, good work. With that threat dealt with, I can turn my full attention to the problems in the south. But before we discuss that, I think a reward is in order.
Lyssa: OH GOD CHAPTER QUEST REWARD
DO IT
HIT ME
MY BODY IS READY
Nathan: Uh, don't get too excited. I've been spending a lot extra recently so the coffers are nearly dry. And your very first quest here involved losing 9000 gold... This is the best I can do.

(Quest complete! Received 500 EXP and 500 GP.)

Lyssa: WHAT
Nathan: I'm kidding, of course. That was for calling me 'Sir Captain Pants'. Here's your real reward.

(Quest complete! Received 8000 EXP and 8000 GP.) All three hit level 25 with this exp boost.

Lyssa: Thank you, sir! I just want you to know, that if you have any other totally rad evil castles that you need stormed, we're your guys.
Dren: What, no pun? No stupid joke about buttresses? You're slipping, Lyssa.
Lyssa: Shut up, buttress-head.
Dren: Better.
Morgan: Sir, what about these problems to the south?
Nathan: ...I suppose you have proven yourself trustworthy. Some time ago, a bunch of fanatics that worship the Void showed up in the ruins of Axlek, to the south. Before I was captain, that town fell to monsters and has been in ruins ever since. Anyway, these Void Cultists moved in a few months ago and set up a base there. They call themselves the "Void Blades" for short. I know, I know, I didn't name them. I think their full name is something really ponderous, like "Emissaries and Blades of the Eternal Void, May It Consume Us All." Or something like that. Anyway, these guys are bad news.
Morgan: Huh. I think I've actually read about them. Weren't they all destroyed like a hundred years ago?
Nathan: So we thought. But it appears they were only driven off the continent. I didn't want to cause a panic, so I kept the information on a need to know basis. People don't react well to news that a cult has set up camp near where they live.
Morgan: Have they tried to attack Favros?
Nathan: Only a few skirmishes. They can't cross the river in force without my scouts telling me. We've been able to hold them at the bridge just south of here so far. I've also sent about half of the Templar forces south and set up a military base camp there. That camp, and my men there, are my primary concern. They've been attacked several times, and so far have been unable to determine what the cultists are up to.
Nathan: That's where you guys come in. I want you to travel south, through Verda Forest, and make contact with the Templar in command there, Lieutenant Andrews.
Lyssa: Who?
Nathan: Tucker's brother.
Lyssa: Right.
Nathan: The forest has grown dangerous. Bandits and monsters make it difficult to keep up communications. One of the Templar Mages was working on some sort of teleportation link between here and the camp. I sent him south with a guard, but haven't heard anything back since. Setting up that link should be your number one priority. Beyond that, Andrews will have a better idea of the situation.
Lyssa: Gotcha. Go south, kick evil cultist butt, teleportation, dragons.
Nathan: I'm not aware of any dragons.
Lyssa: Shh. Don't ruin this for me.
Lyssa: Alright! Let's teleport south, guys, and defeat the evil Void Nine-Dragon Dragons and the Laser Plasma Forest Cult!
Morgan: ...Don't worry, Captain. We're on it.
Nathan: You're an excellent Templar, Miss Kastel. An example to us all.
Morgan: Thank you, sir.
Nathan: Don't forget to stop by your house before you go. Say hi to Samantha and Isabella for me.
Lyssa: Yeah, and we need to go see Lord Garax in his cell, too.
Nathan: Oh, and Mr. Jacobs. Good work. I'm sure your father would be proud of you.
Dren: ... Thank you, sir.
Nathan: Good luck, you three. I'm depending on you. Dismissed.

[nosimpleway]

There's another lengthy conversation at Morgan's house over another fine dinner of whole roast pig, pie, and tomato salad. Lyssa overexaggerates her heroism, Isabella drinks up every word, Samantha doesn't want Morgan to leave again, Morgan has A Job To Do And Will Be Back Just As Soon As It's Over, Promise. But I'd like to get done with this update sometime today.






~The Darkness Consumes, The Void Brings Peace~
~The Sun Will Set, The Stars Will Fade~
~All Life Shall End, As All Light Shall Dim~
Lyssa: Hey! Cut it out! Stop it!


Lyssa: That's right I am! Get your creepy chanting away from that tree!
Masked Cultist: ...She is here.
Lyssa: Yeah, I am. You're a little slow on the uptake, aren't you?
Masked Cultist: ...She is... here. The interloper. The one with the cursed blood. The one who could stop us.
Masked Cultist: Destroy her.
Destroy her.
Destroy her.
Destroy her. Destroy her.
Destroy her. Destroy her.
destroyherdestroyherdestroyherdestroyher
destroyherdestroyherdestroyherdestroyher
destroyherdestroyherdestroyherdestroyher
destroyherdestroyherdestroyherdestroyher

I'm... h... a... p... p... y...

Lyssa: Holy crap, shut up!


The water-stars turn into... water-clouds? No, regular clouds are water clouds. Water-nebulae?

Masked Cultist: You will die, if you come here. Do you understand, half-elf? You will die.
You will die.
You will die.
YOU WILL DIE.
Lyssa's Mother: Lyssa! RUN!


...
...
Hero... You know...
What must be done...
Hero...
Do not lose...
Courage...
Hero...
Wake up...

[nosimpleway]

We can go check in with Garax, who has no idea whatsoever that we already won and is totally not going to go back to taking over the world when he gets out. Wink, wink. Not that you can see him winking under the helmet, but still.
Garax hands over the Sceptre of Shadows as a reward, which is totally not cursed. Wink, wink.


It's good, but not don't-get-butt-pounded-by-monster-ambushes good, so I don't actually use it.


So yeah. Man. Clean-up questing before we leave Favros. The checkpoint in the pass to Garax's castle is still intact, by the way.




You knew there'd be at least one reference.




I don't know how RPG Maker could possibly handle it, but man, there should be a radar or something for these things. I went through this area twice looking for secrets I'd missed, but you're keeping an eye out for "this nondescript screen is missing one of the trees you'd expect to be there that keeps you from doing a map transition", so they're super easy to miss.




Not only is the ironically-named Visible Stalker a bitch to find, it's got enough partywide status effects that it's actually still kind of hard, even at post-chapter levels.




This one you've seen before.


The reward is a Megalixier.


That's all of 'em.

[nosimpleway]

There's nothing to do across the bridge but go into the forest. I know, I checked every map tile looking for a wandering monster.


Likewise, the forest is completely linear. There aren't even any monsters. And at the end...


Oh yeah, the game isn't finished. Did I mention that?

(Thank you for playing!)
(Make sure to keep your save file, as it can be imported over for part 2.)
(If you don't keep it, you'll have to play all this over again!)
Lyssa: What was your favorite part? I bet it was me.
Dren: Stop talking to the player, Lyssa.
(See you next mission!)

[Friday]

Not for beating the game, which was comparatively easy, but for finishing transcribing words words words.

10/10 would pet cats again

[Mongrel]

Oh hey I finally read this, after meaning to for ages and now

Somehow I have a deep understanding of what it's like to be in one of Friday's D&D games.

(game is gud, also lolz, many lolz, out loud irl even)