It's raining protagonists: Let's play Dragon Warrior IV!

[François]

Heh, much obliged! I'm puttin' down a lot of words for these LPs; statistically some of them have to align in a pleasing manner every once in a while. :D

[François]

: So, a monster, then.
: There are monsters everywhere nowadays, this is no surprise.
: All the more reason to thin their ranks a little.


: Whatever do you mean?
: If my daughter hadn't been born here, she'd still be alive.
: Brey, why is there a cursed village within a day's travel from home and why hasn't dad done anything about it?
: Hmm, ah, well... Maybe if they had sent word...
: I don't think much of this answer.
: At any rate, we're as close to a royal envoy as has been here in a long time. It can't hurt to find out what's happening.
: You're not helping, boy.
: Actually, he is. And so are we.








: Eh? That's nonsense.

: I-
: Princess, we really should find out what we're up against first.
: Brey, we're doing this.
: Give me one day. Please.
: Ugh. Fine.
: I understand...


: One day, Brey.
: ...



This merchant is aimlessly going around the well.


: My son was going to marry her...

: So, an Orochi situation, then.
: This girl is strong but she wouldn't be a match for Orochi.
: Well, this small village doesn't compare to Jipang. Hopefully the creature will also be less threatening.


: He threatens to destroy the village if we don't offer him young girls.
: That's despicable!
: Which is why we're doing something about it.
: ...
: Even you have to agree. This can't continue.
: Ah... you may have a point there. Still, to put you in such danger...
: What kind of princess am I if I can't even protect my people?
: That's your retainers' job.
: I don't see any of them around here, do you?
: We're with you.
: We'll suffice, then.






: What a brave and dutiful young lady.
: Nah, her boyfriend has a point.



The shopkeep is obviously too distraught by this monster situation to man his business right now.





Huh, this House of Healing doesn't offer us to save. Aaanyway, let's get into a few tussles until sundown.

We get in a fight with a bunch of Kaskos Hoppers, and they seem to exclusively target Brey. I wonder if there's an AI routine that causes certain monsters to pick on our back row. Anyway, he levels up from it, for 2 Agi, 1 Int, 3 Luc, and 5 MP. The extra IceBolt casts are welcome, but it's distressing to see him fail to gain any HP.





Tempe's pretty much the same at night. The next step is to pledge our assistance, but we have 191 gold in our purse at the moment, which is enough to buy Alena a Leather Armor in Surene. And I do believe we'll need it! Maybe we'll even pick up a level from the round trip as well.



Yup, all Kaskos Hoppers definitely have it in for Brey. Good thing we got him that shield!



Minons have up to 16 HP, 8 attack, an unusually high defense of 22, and 8 agility. They also come with the Lethal Gopher's build up ability, compensating for their low attack. You'd think they're here to teach us how effective magic damage is at dealing with high-defense monsters, but they resist two IceBolt casts, so I presume they're here to teach us to use Sap instead.



We have 268 gold by the time we reach Surene again, so we actually get Alena a Thorn Whip first, taking her attack power from 25 to 32. Selling her Club and her Silk Robes will almost get us back to 180, so we pick a couple fights outside and earn enough for that Leather Armor as well.



Cristo could really use a defense upgrade at this point, so he's next in line for a big purchase. Let's see if we can do without for now, though.

On our way back to Tempe, Alena levels up, for 2 Str, 2 Agi, 2 Vit, 1 Int, 1 Luc, and 6 HP. Cristo follows again, for 1 Str, 1 Agi, 2 Vit, 1 Int, 3 Luc, 4 HP, and 2 MP. And just before we reach town, Brey gets 2 Agi, 2 Vit, 1 Int, 2 Luc, 2 HP, and 3 MP.




: We'll do it!
: Oh! You will? If that's true, please go see the shaman!

That's... the House of Healing attendant. Which is to say, the priest. Huzzah.


: Alright then, are you the man to see about that monster?

: Are you willing to be given as an offering?
: Are you quite MAD?
: Sir Brey, it would put us in prime position to make the first strike!
: Yeah, we're doing it. What's the procedure?
: You are? Please wait awhile. The offering litter will arrive soon.
: The... off...?



: Get in the offering litter, please.
: Oh, what joy it is to have lived a long enough life to hear someone tell you to get into an offering litter.

: Neither will my spine, I wager.

: Words could hardly fall on deafer ears!
: Less complaining, more tucking yourself in. I need to come out first, so I'm getting in last. Come on!
: This... this wasn't built for three people! There isn't much... Ah! Oh dear.
: Oof!
: Alright, we're all set in here. Do your thing.









If later games in the series have taught me anything, it's that it is in fact always time for puns.













The Chameleon Humanoid (fit that in your text boxes, other JRPGS of the era; I'll wait) has 40 HP, 28 attack, 28 defense, and 50 agility. He has the same sleep-inducing attack as Bantam Roosters, and may also cast Heal if you let him live long enough to.

Getting rid of the two Rabidhounds is your first priority, which we accomplished easily by comboing Alena's whip strike with IceBolt while Cristo did his best to bolster his and Brey's defenses. Once the pups are out of the picture, it's all about landing a Sap then going nuts with IceBolt and standard attacks while healing as needed.

Shame about Cristo getting taken out, though; the Humanoid really had it in for him. Experience distribution is back to the way it was in DW2, which is to say you're not given a lump sum divided among living party members. Everyone gets the full amount instead, which means that the experience Cristo would have gotten is lost entirely instead of being shared among his surviving comrades. That's a bummer, but it's the price I gotta pay for not upgrading his armor.







When the game says "And a new day began...", it does reset the time of day to morning.

: Well, we did it.
: You know this won't come cheap, princess. In fact, it already hasn't.
: Can't you be happy about what we've accomplished? A little bit? At all?
: Hmm. I'll... try.






: Congratulations!






: Thank you.
: I'm just glad we could help.


: That's right! And I think this has been a great start!
: I suggest you enter the tournament at Endor in the east.
: ...!
: Oh no.
: A... a tournament?
: Ooooh no.
: You can go to Endor from the shrine southwest of here.
: That's... quite a ways from the castle, princess.
: Brey, look at me. Look at my face.
: Eh?
: This is the face I make when I don't care about your recriminations.
: So, same as always, then.
: You're a smart man.



Anyone can equip a Boomerang so it'd make a decent purchase... but we need to revive Cristo and get him real armor before we can even think about it.

Oh, before I forget... The Chameleon Humanoid is guaranteed to drop Lifeforce Nuts, which increase one ally's max HP. It would be foolish not to give them to Brey.



That's extremely welcome.







Whew, that's not too bad.





: ...is it dinner time already?
: Not for those monsters, that's for sure.






: Oooh. Is that on the way to Endor?
: Yes, I believe so.
: Endor? What do we care about Endor?
: There's a tournament going on!
: Oh! How exciting!
: Please don't encourage her.
: Well, someone has to.
: ...



Searching the middle of the offering dais reveals more Lifeforce Nuts! They go straight to Brey again, for 5 HP this time.



Leaving the village through the north leads us to this mountain pass.

This whole Tempe episode shows a bit of playfulness with the game structure here: we had a tough boss fight, but we haven't even been through a single dungeon yet. We've basically been tested on whether we know how to use support magic and how to pick good equipment, but this party's endurance hasn't been put to trial yet.





Oh cripes, these guys are total bastards. Blazeghosts have 12 HP, 11 attack, 12 defense, and 8 agility, with the ability to cast Blaze (of course), but that's not the whole story. Have a look at this.



From the beginning of the entire series, these are the very first monsters with any combat animation whatsoever. That's the cool part.

The not-so-cool part is that Blazeghosts have a very high evasion rate, and when they dodge an attack, they have a chance to split in two, essentially adding another Blazeghost to the fight at no action cost on their part. Blazeghost fights can go sour very quickly! Fortunately they're either completely vulnerable or only slightly resistant to ice damage, so Brey's magical prowess comes in handy here.



Gah, Demon Toadstools are back. They have 19 HP, 19 attack, 15 defense and 10 agility, with a Babble-like poisonous attack. I didn't think to pick up Antidote Herbs when we had the chance, so we're gonna have to cross our fingers.



Whew.





Carnivore Plants have 17 HP, with a decent 21 attack, 16 defense, and 4 agility, and the ability to summon Healers to the battle. Here, Alena and Cristo hack away at the Plants while Brey eliminates the Blazeghosts.







Brey only has 2 MP left, so that's a welcome sight.







As soon as we reach town, we see a woman running off to the south, joining a few townsfolk gathered around the inn's front door.


: Oh, I-
: Wait...
: Hmm.
: Eh?
: The Princess, you say?


: I see... Thank you, young man.



: What the heck?
: Could this be a visitor from another kingdom?
: The king of Endor has a daughter, but considering the monster population these days, I can't imagine he would let her out of his sight.
: Well, at this point I could imagine it a little.


: I'm sorry little boy, I don't. But I'll let you know if I find him!



Ooh, the item store here actually has a small selection of defensive gear! I know I said we were getting Cristo something, and we could get him a suit of Chain Mail, but it's the best armor Alena will be able to wear for a long time, and we can afford it, so we get her a set. Cristo does inherit her Leather Armor, and he can pass down his Wayfarer's Clothes to Brey, so everybody wins. Both Cristo and Alena can wear a Wooden Hat, but we'll only need one because Alena's Feather Hat is better.


: What does that have to do with anything? It's not because you have royal blood that you have to be attractive.
: A-all the princesses I've ever met are very beautiful.
: Hmm? Did you say something, Cristo?
: Oh, uh, n... nothing. Don't mind me please!




: I might offer her my small savings too.
: Sir, please don't. Trust me. If she really is a princess, she doesn't need your money.
: Huh. I didn't know what to think at first, but this is definitely beginning to stink.








: It caused too much conflict among us and was finally hidden away in the southern cave.
: Hmm! A wise course of action.



As we approach the House of Healing...



...we can see the priest tending to his garden. Once we actually enter...



...he runs inside to greet us. This is so neat. There's no reason to have the local healer look after his cabbages while business is slow, except for it being neat, and it is!



It's a regular House of Healing in every other respect.


: However, a princess is staying here, so I can't really welcome you...
: This is nonsense. You already pay taxes to your sovereign; you shouldn't be losing customers when they visit!
: I'd sure like to meet this "princess".
: Right! Let's go upstairs!



: ...eh?
: Oh I don't like the looks of this!
: What's going on here? Who are you?


: Let her go, you brigands!




: To hell with you idiots!






: Gah! After them!
: R-right!















: We... we've lost them!
: Ugh! Can you guys track them?
: ...
: I... haven't been on a hunt in longer than I can remember.
: I can't believe this!
: Princess, if we-
: If we what, Brey?
: If we learn more about who that woman is, we may learn why these ruffians took her away.
: ...
: Her companions! Let's see if her entourage can clue us in.
: Yeah. Yeah, okay. Good call. Let's head back in.



We need to step off the village tile before we can enter it again, and we run into a fight on that single step. We still haven't rested, so let's hope it goes well.



False alarm, Alena can one-shot Trogs by now.






: Indeed they would be, wouldn't they?
: We don't have time for a lecture!









Well he's right back to business. Let's investigate some more for now though.




: "May", hmm?


: I couldn't not do it.
: That said, let's not hold our breath for this reward.


: They're in over their heads, aren't they?
: Not a clue among the both of them.
: Good thing we showed up when we did, then.
: Princess, please don't put us in their situation.
: ...I won't.




: Oh! It's nice to see someone in town has good news.


: "To get the Princess back unharmed, bring the village treasure, the Golden Bracelet, to the graveyard tomorrow night."
: Hmm.
: What's this?
: You just let us worry about this letter, okay? And take good care of Kit!



: The southern cave it is, then.
: It burns me up that we're just going to give them what they want... but it's not like this town really needs this bracelet, is it?
: In the grand scheme of things, it may be good to be rid of it entirely. Let's only hope it doesn't cause mischief elsewhere. They put it away for a reason.

And so we have our next immediate goal. Of course, what we really want is to go to Endor for the tournament, but what good is Alena's strength if she walks away from this town without a care in the world?

[François]

I would be very surprised if we could retrieve the Golden Bracelet in one go without having to pick up some gear upgrades... but why grind before trying, right?



Brahmirds come with 20 HP, 22 attack, 12 defense, and 10 agility, and they have a chance to start the battle... asleep. Yeah, you heard that right. There's a nasty trick about that, though, which we might see at some point.

In this fight, Alena and Cristo work together to bring the Brahmird down while Brey puts out the Blazeghosts. If many more of the latter keep showing up, the limiting factor for this trip might just be Brey's MP. Cristo finally reaches level 6 here, for 2 Str, 2 Agi, 2 Vit, 2 Int, 2 Luc, 3 HP, 3 MP, and the Surround spell (which costs 4 MP and attempts to significantly reduce the standard attack accuracy of one enemy group).







The cave isn't very far away from Frenor, which is certainly a relief since we don't have the Return spell yet.







Somnabeetles have 23 HP, 24 defense, 18 defense, and 10 agility, so they hit pretty hard and are fairly robust, but as one might guess from their name, they can cast Sleep and the all-new Sleepmore. Sleep still attempts to put an entire group to sleep, but Sleepmore only has one target, with a higher chance to land. I suspect that means all monsters have a separate resistance stat for both, as it was in DW3 for Expel and Limbo, but I can't say for sure.

Alena reaches level 7 after this fight, for 2 Atr, 2 Agi, 2 Vit, 3 Luc, and 4 HP.





Oh, that's actually pretty nice at this point.



Hmm. You'd think Surround would come in handy against these, but it looks like they're moderately resistant to it. Cristo is generally taking more damage than I'm comfortable with and he has to spend a bunch of MP healing himself. I think we'll have to turn back soon. Fortunately we're making decent money; that Toadstool group alone was worth 75 gold, so we'll be able to get him a hat and a shield.







It's hard to overstate how neat this sort of pseudo-3D multi-level decorative feature is. A few dungeon rooms in DW3 sort of attempted it, but there just wasn't space in the tilesets for these angled brick surfaces.



Vampire Bats have 25 HP, 25 attack, 22 defense and 14 agility, with no unusual abilities. It also looks like they have some resistance to cold damage, but Surround seems fairly effective. The Somnabeetles are weaker, but they're a lot more dangerous, so we take them out first.

Gah, Cristo gets put to Sleep. He did Surround one of the bats, so we might still have a chance to pull this off.



Whew, we make it, and Brey gets his level 7 for the trouble, gaining 1 Agi, 1 Vit, 1 Int, 2 Luc, 2 HP, and 5 MP.

At this point though, it's clear we need better equipment to make it any further, so we just go for this one chest and turn back.



Meh. We'll sell that one; there's no one in this party with such mediocre Agility growth that it's worth risking using this.



Ah, there it is. Sleeping Brahmirds have a chance to roll over when they turn comes up, which is effectively a standard attack. Alena's defense is so high that it's not much of a problem for her, but it can take your squishies by surprise for sure.

Cristo gains a level on our way up, for 2 Str, 2 Agi, 2 Vit, 2 Int, 3 Luc, 4 HP, and 4 MP.



Good grief, we barely make it to the exit; Alena's poisoned, and both Cristo and Brey are within one-shot range of anything in here. We'll be using that Wing right away.



Whew, that could have gone a lot worse. We have 521 gold to our name too (well, 516 after the House of Healing's detox fee), which is enough to get Cristo a suit of Chain Mail, thereafter letting Brey have his Leather Armor. We also get him a Wooden Hat.



Ah, that's better. I'd kind of like to go back to Surene or Tempe to pick up a Leather Shield for Cristo and a Leather Hat for Brey, but I think we'll be fine for now, and besides it'd probably help more to save up for a Boomerang.

We do buy a replacement Wing as well as couple Antidote Herbs and Medical Herbs before we leave for the cave again.





A Blazeghost dropped Fairy Water on our last run, so maybe it'll let us avoid a few overworld battles. Every bit of MP counts!



Welp, so much for that. Alena's level must not be high enough to keep monsters away in this region.



Whuh-oh, we get a new enemy as soon as we step in the cave again. Thevros have 25 HP, 21 attack, 31 defense, and 15 agility, with the ability to "emit a fireball" as Saro's Shadow did. Alena is pretty much only vulnerable to elemental damage at this point, so this is rather awful. On the plus side, Thevros can drop Leather Shields, so if we're lucky we might be spared the purchase for Cristo.







Oooh, sweet, there's that Boomerang money already.

Alena levels up after a fight with three Thevros and a Vampire Bat, for 4 Str, 3 Agi, 3 Vit, 1 Int, 4 Luc, and 6 HP. Now we're talking!



Hmm... At this point we're sitting on 763 gold, fights are still a fair deal more dangerous than I'd like, and I don't know how far down this cave goes. I think it's time for a shopping trip; we leave again and go see what that cash can get us.

Brey gets to level 8 on the way out, for 1 Str, 1 Agi, 2 Vit, 1 Int, 3 Luc, 4 HP, 3 MP, and both Bounce and Outside spells. Bounce being on Brey's list so early is interesting, given that DW3 Wizards learn that spell around level 24, and it now costs 4 instead of 8. (It still puts up a shield around the caster that reflects all incoming magic.) We'll get more opportunities to play around with it this time around for sure. Outside still costs 8 MP though, and teleports us out of a dungeon as usual.



Ooh, we make it to Tempe after sunset, and it's actually different this time!



: N-
: Ah, you have a keen eye!
: Yes, well, I suppose it's difficult for my lady to conceal her regal bearing.
: ...if she had any to begin with, I suppose.
: I was right. You're the Princess' Party!
: Do keep it under your bonnet though, if you please.

If you say no...



So he's clearly not buying it.








: Was it at the Castle? I can't remember.
: It must have been when I was very young!

We stay at the inn, and buy both Alena and Cristo their Boomerangs. Brey can use one as well, but he has so much MP he can rely on IceBolt for damage for now. On top of that, we have enough left over to get Cristo a Leather Shield and Brey a Leather Hat in Surene. Now we're kitted out for an expedition and a half!





Cristo levels up just as we return to the cave, for 2 Str, 1 Agi, 2 Vit, 2 Int, 2 Luc, 3 HP, 4 MP, and the Antidote spell, which only costs 2 MP. So much for all those Herbs then, heh.



Oh hey, another new enemy! Crested Vipers have 31 HP, 31 attack, 28 defense, and 18 agility; they have a poisonous attack and may even cast Defence, attempting to reducing our entire party's defense by half. Needless to say these are extraordinarily dangerous, but I don't think we'll run into more than one at a time for now. Attacks from Alena and Cristo on top of an IceBolt will finish it in one round at this point.







It's neat that this hallway has two sets of stairs, because we had to go down one level from the entrance to make it here, and we've seen that our goal on this floor is one level up from the entrance.











: It's got to be that chest, right?
: It's ornate enough, I'll say!
: Hmm. Let's find a way around, we can't go through this rubble.



Oh dang, there are Ozwargs in here too. They're not too hard to kill for this crew, but their ice damage is definitely a threat.



We get in a fight with five Thevro here, and after the first round, it suddenly hits me that our party's single-target-picking routine will almost never spread attacks around when it knows an enemy could be focused down, like it gives very high priority to finishing off wounded enemies. It makes it feel like characters work together a lot better than they did in DW3.

Alena levels up from this fight, for 4 Str, 1 Agi, 3 Vit, 4 Luc, and 8 HP. These are starting to be very respectable Fighter-type gains!







: Ah-ha! Come on guys, we're almost done here!



: ...that's not a bracelet.
: How observant, your Highness.
: The villagers must have hid it better than this.

The Magic Potion is a one-shot Wizard's Ring, restoring a small to moderate amount of MP to its user. It's good to keep it around in case of emergency, but it's also less stressful to use than the Ring since you know it's guaranteed to go away after the one chug. We let Cristo carry it for now.



: Huh. I kinda like this world's Orcs better than ours.

Orcs have 33 HP, 30 attack, 24 defense, and 21 agility, making them tough customers all around. They can also cast Surround, which can make Alena nigh-worthless for the rest of the fight. Brey puts up Bounce just in case though; maybe one of them will Surround himself.



Awwwwwww crap. I don't know if it was random chance or if they have the same back-line targeting AI as Kaskos Hoppers do, but they all attacked Brey at once for around 8 damage each. Good grief! Alena and Cristo working together couldn't even bring one down in the meantime. This trip is definitely over, and I'm not going to take the chance of finishing this fight. We run.



: Oh no, Brey!
: And he was our ticket out, too. We had better take him to the House right away.
: R-right...



We get into several battles with entire crowds of Demon Toadstools, and another refinement of the targeting AI becomes apparent: if Cristo could two-shot a monster that Alena could one-shot, Alena will usually take on fresh monsters and let her chancellor work on his own critters, which is a lot more efficient than if she was always following up on his strikes. On top of that, I didn't think to mention it before, but enemies that are afflicted with status ailments are a lot less likely to be targeted than healthy foes, so monsters that are asleep, surrounded or confused are more often left alone. The finer details of the targeting AI are not known, but it's obvious that there's a lot more going on under the hood than first appears.

Cristo levels up off a trio of Brahmirds, for 1 Str, 2 Agi, 2 Vit, 2 Int, 2 Luc, 4 HP, and 3 MP. Aaaand we make it out.



It's a pretty nasty trick of the dungeon here to show us this fancy chest before we can get to it, since it's actually a detour on a floor full of deadly Orcs. We'll know better next run I'm sure.

We have 1310 gold in our pocket after reviving Brey and getting a night's rest. We could go buy a third Boomerang, but I don't expect it would make a big difference here, and I'd rather save up for the next round of upgrades besides. So we'll just have to risk taking this stash along with us as is.







Let's hope third time's the charm!

Brey follows his companions to level 9 about halfway through the first floor, for 1 Agi, 2 Vit, 4 Int, 3 Luc, 5 HP, 10 MP, and the Return spell, which still costs 8 MP. It's hard to complain about a level like that!



No Orcs so far.



: Oof, that's a lot of bones.
: By the heavens, this place is a mass grave!
: Did all these people really kill each other over a golden bauble?
: Ah... Worse crimes have been committed for less.







The Bracelet is not an accessory we can wear or equip in any way.

: Well, there it is.
: Hmm... Unusual make... That's a very old object. Or a reproduction of some ancient piece, maybe.
: I don't think this massacre happened over a copy.
: Right... but, who knows, really?
: At any rate, I don't think we should hang on to it any longer than necessary.
: Ugh. I hope the kidnappers had the good sense to wait these few days, at least. Come on, let's get out of here.





Brey teleports us out, but the letter mentioned we were expected at night, so we just walk back to Frenor and get in a few fights to burn daylight. This gets Alena to level 10, for 3 Str, 2 Agi, 4 Vit, 1 Int, 2 Luc, and 7 HP.







: There they are.
: We should just kick their asses.
: If that was your plan, why did we bother with the Bracelet?
: ...
: We really shouldn't put their hostage in any more danger.
: Ehhhh... Yeah. Yeah.

The lead kidnapper runs to us as soon as he sees us turn the corner.


: What if I don't?
: P-prin-
: CHANCELLOR!
: D-IIIII mean... A... Alena... Just... we should just give it to them!


The dude is going all but-thou-must on us.

: Ugh. Here you go. Don't spend it all in one place.




The criminals just disappear; maybe they had a pair of Wings.


: Hmm. Have you, now?
: My name is May. I'm just an actress.
: Well, you seem to be rather skilled at it, for what it's worth.
: I got carried away because people treated me nicely when I pretended to be a princess...

The other members of May's party arrive on the scene.




: You just be careful, alright? There are much worse things than kidnappers out there.
: It's not much, but I'll give you this Thief's Key!
: ...!



: Oh! Well, thank you. Safe travels!





May leaves, and her companions follow her out.

: Wait, how did they know?
: You almost let it slip!
: You called me Chancellor!
: Oh... uh... Yes, I... I suppose I did.
: Maybe she was perceptive enough to see who I really am.
: Yes, of course, let us go with that.








: ...but she refused. They say she was a fake, but she wasn't a crook.
: Ah! All's well that ends well.


: ...
: ...
: ...it's not that bad.


: If you're heading south, you should visit it.
: If it's on the way to Endor, maybe we will!



Now that the shopkeep here is no longer gawking at the inn, he's opened his weapon store for good. Only Cristo can use the Iron Spear, so we get him one and hand his Boomerang over to Brey. Alena's Fighter training is starting to show and she can only upgrade to a Chain Sickle... but it has 2 attack power over the Boomerang, and that's just not worth 550 gold.



Cristo's better equipment selection is slowly allowing him to catch up to Alena's combat prowess.


: From what we saw in that cave, you're probably better off without it.
: I hope nothing bad will happen.
: Criminals have profited from their crime. Something bad already happened.
: But it could have been worse. Enough blood has been shed over that trinket already.



We spend the night at the inn, and we're ready to continue our journey. Before we head south though, we can already make use of our new Key! The Thief's Key won't open the grey and red locked doors in Surene or before the Santeem treasury, but there are still a couple doors we can open there, and we have Return now so it won't take long.







Eh.

Anyway, as it so happens, we can now unlock the King's bedroom, so let's kill some time until sunset.





Welp, we heard it ourselves, but there's hardly a thing we can do about it in the end. Back to Frenor, then south!





Sand Masters have 30 HP, 30 attack, only 3 defense, and 24 agility. They're also the first enemies who can "dance a strange dance", reducing one target's MP. This sucks as much as it always has!





Oof, three Vipers. We're much stronger than we were when we met our first one, but they're still quite dangerous and it's worth spending MP on IceBolt and Surround for sure.













As soon as we step inside...



...the guard walks over to block the path to this strange portal.

: Whoa, get a load of that Travel Door!



: Hmm! It's much fancier than the one you have in Midenhall, that's for sure.


: Good! That's where we're going. Never mind that Bazaar, then!
: The King told me not to let the Princess pass.
: ...
: Ah...
: Well then...
: Damn it, dad.

[François]

: Ugh! I can't believe this.
: Your father did ask you not to go beyond his reach. Santeem has no authority beyond this Travel Door.
: But I'm going to miss the tournament!
: I-I suspect that may be the point. Endor is not a barbarian kingdom, but...
: All battle tournaments have their risks, especially when skilled fighters from all over the world compete.
: I don't think you realize how much more that makes me want to go.
: Princess, you've already solved serious problems in both Frenor and Tempe. If you report to your father, maybe-
: Cristo, home is the last place I want to be right now.
: Well you certainly can't be in Endor either.
: ...
: Maybe the bazaar, then?
: Fine. Fine! Might as well!



Before we look for the bazaar, we head back to Frenor to check on something I may have forgotten. We run into an absolutely ludicrous amount of monsters on the way; Cristo levels up, for 2 Str, 2 Agi, 1 Vit, 2 Int, 3 Luc, 2 HP, and 4 MP. And Brey follows for 1 Str, 1 Agi, 2 Vit, 3 Int, 3 Luc, 3 HP, and 9 MP (!).

We arrive just before the crack of dawn.


: I used to live in an eastern town of Endor. I often went to the tournament.
: ...



The healer stays in the House at night, allowing us to get at his garden!



But there are only cabbages. Welp. It's often worth investigating suspicious or out-of-the-way locations, but not this time!

That's all the difference night-time makes here now, but it couldn't hurt to make sure. We spend what little of the night remains in the inn, and set off again in the morning.









This oasis comes into view just as the sun begins to set. If we enter the shrubland tile just to the north...



No, wait, battle first. Kordra have 32 HP, 30 attack, 33 defense, and 25 agility, making them about on par with Crested Vipers. However, they're also the first non-boss monsters able to roll critical hits, so it's best to spare no expense to eliminate them quickly. It looks like they're either highly resistant or immune to Surround, so Cristo just hits them.

On the plus side, a Kordra can drop a Morning Star, a +33 weapon (5 points better than an Iron Spear) that Cristo could equip.



So, as I said, entering the shrubland tile...





...gets us to the Bazaar.





: Huh, that's weird. You'd think desert dwellers would take a page from Assaram's book and conduct their business past sundown.





When we get close to this guard...



...he runs to us and immediately starts speaking.

: You're... I know you. What's going on?
: If you're here to bring me home, don't waste your breath!
: Return to the castle immediately! The king is in trouble!
: Wh...
: Goodness! Sir Brey, quick, take us back!
: Right!
: That's... that's a trick, isn't it?
: Princess...?
: You really think you can fool me this easily? My father, in trouble? Don't make me laugh!
: I do think we should go back.
: Yes, I know very well you think we should go back.
: ...
: Princess, Sir Brey can teleport us back to the castle. It'll be but an instant.
: D-don't be ridiculous! We made it all the way here on our own! I don't want to go back and that's final.
: ...




: ...











Eh... We'll sell it.



Oh hey, a Gum Pod! Gum Pods are amazing; they do nothing when used, and you can sell them for 1 gold.

Okay, that's not so amazing. In fact, in the Japanese version, this is literally horse manure. Yyyyyyeah.



Case in point.




: ...
: ...
: ...
: Damn it.
: ...!
: Damn it!
: Shall I...?
: Yeah... yeah. Do it.









: Dad? Where's my father?!

This guard intercepts us as we enter.



: ...eh?



: What are you talking about? How did this happen?
: I... probably ought to examine him.
: This must be kept a secret, but if he remains like this...
: Well we have to do something!
: Yes, I know! Goz, the old man who lives in the backyard shed, may know a remedy.
: Ah... Right, I suppose he might.


: R-right...
: We shall not. No need to worry.


: Dad...? Daddy?

: ...
: ...
: ...
: Nothing seems... outwardly wrong with him...
: Just... you just rest, okay, dad? We'll take care of this.



: We will take care of this, right?
: Of course.
: We're taking care of it right now.
: Y-yeah.

Of course, if you haven't completed the scenario in Frenor, you don't have the Thief's Key and you can't enter Goz's shed.



: Goz? Sir?
: Please forgive us this late hour, but we just learned the king cannot speak.

: It shames me to admit this, but if anyone knows what's going on here, it's you.
: I know Marone, the poet, damaged his throat once.
: Oh, he performs in Surene these days, right?
: Now he has the loveliest voice in the country. He may know what to do.
: Alright, we'll talk to him. Thank you.




: Excuse me, but are you Marone, by any chance?
: We're looking for a remed-
: He means, we're looking a way to improve one's voice.

: I think taking Birdsong Nectar, an elfin medicine, helped. I found it in a desert bazaar during a trip. La, La, La...
: Well... I still don't care for your lyrics, but it looks like it worked alright. Thank you.

: Ugh! Fat chance getting help from elves.
: It's a different world. Maybe their elves are kinder.
: ...
: ...
: Pfft.
: Hahahaha!
: Heh!
: Aaaah...
: You almost had me going for a second there, Fia.

: The Bazaar, then. Brey?
: Indeed. Let's go.






: At ease, we're on it.
: T-thanks for coming all this way to let us know. I appreciate it.
: Hmm!


: I'm sorry to bother you again, but have you heard of something called Birdsong Nectar?

: Do you remember where you got it from?
: You might get some in the western tower where they say elves visit.
: Whew, okay. Thank you. Alright.
: Feeling better?
: Now that I can actually do something? Yeah. Much.
: We don't know what awaits us in that tower, though. It's been a long time since anyone saw an elf in Santeem.
: Well I'm not turning back!
: No, no, of course not. Just... let's rest up before we go.
: Oh! Right, right.



We're sitting on 2588 gold and we're in a merchant outpost; might as well equip ourselves while we're here.





We can buy Cristo a Morning Star here, but I want to look at the armor selection before dropping all that cash on five points of attack power. The Venomous Dagger is a decent buy for Brey, though. It's sort of a lesser version of DW3's Poison Needle: it has 24 attack power (6 more than the Boomerang) and deals normal damage, but it also has a chance to paralyze its target. Brey has the MP reserves to just use IceBolt every round for a long time, but that paralysis effect will very much come in handy every once in a while.



Only Cristo can wear the +25 Bronze Armor; it's seven points stronger than Chain Mail, so we pick it up for him. On top of that, both Cristo and Brey can use the Scale Shield, and we upgrade them both. It's only 3 more defense than their Leather Shields offered, but it's cheap, no problem there.

This leaves us with 1526 gold once we've sold our old stuff, which is enough to get Cristo his Morning Star after all.



After all this expense, Cristo very nearly hits as hard as Alena, and he's a bit more durable. Alena has pretty much stopped gaining access to new gear for now, and she's not that much hardier than her mage companion. Fighter-types are still relatively squishy!


: Oh! I... almost forgot about that.
: I presume you have more pressing matters.
: ...you can say that.


: Gah, no thanks, lady. I know what you keep in those.


: Maybe later!




: I KNOW! COME ON!



Whuh-oh, being able to buy Full Moon Herbs (paralysis cure) worries me. Let's pick one up just in case.



To the west, then.



Alena levels up off a group of six Sand Masters, for 4 Str, 4 Agi, 2 Vit, 5 Luc, and 5 HP.





Armor Scorpions have 40 HP, 33 attack, a rather high 42 defense, and 9 agility, with the ability to roll critical hits. I couldn't manage to land Sap on that one, so maybe ice damage is a better idea.









This jailbird is running around like a Giant Bantam with its head cut off.



Even if you know to come here for the Nectar, you still can't get it without having earned the Thief's Key.





: ...huh.

: Is this an inn?
: Brey, didn't you say no one came near this tower in ages?
: No, I said we don't know of any elves coming to the kingdom in a long time.
: Hmm.



Cristo lost a bit of MP to Sand Master dances on the way here, but it's not worth resting over yet.



Razor Winds have 41 HP, 29 attack, 31 defense, and a very high 40 agility. Their claim to fame is the ability to cast Infernos, the basic group-targeting wind damage spell. Alena's crew doesn't do very well against elemental damage, so this will stay dangerous for a while. If three or more show up at once, I'll be tempted to use Bounce.





Oof, more Vipers, of course. That Antidote spell might come in handy still.







Okay, that's the way back. Let's try the west side.





That door definitely leads up, but I want to see the whole ground floor first.





Alright, that's all of it. Up it is, then.





Spectets have 35 HP, 30 attack, 30 defense, and 21 agility, which seems pretty average for this place. However, they can drain our MP through the power of interpretive dance, as well as cast Bounce, Ironize (making the caster completely invulnerable to everything and unable to act for a few rounds). On top of that...



... they can "give a hideous shrieking roar", which has a chance to stun each of our allies, making them lose their next turn. Groups of Spectets are enormously irritating to fight, but at this point they only hit Cristo and Alena for 3-5 damage, so it's tolerable.

Flythropes have 34 HP, 31 attack, 34 defense and 17 agility, and they can cast StopSpell, attempting to permanently prevent each of our allies from casting spells.

Both of those monsters are highly unpleasant to fight together, but the Flythrope can keep Cristo from being able to heal us, so it has to go first; Alena and Cristo take it down together while Brey fishes for paralysis effects on Spectets.

Cristo levels up here, for 1 Str, 1 Agi, 3 Vit, 2 Int, 3 Luc, 6 HP, and 4 MP.











Ah, those are a lot less dangerous without support, as long as we don't start the fight low on HP.



Oh hey, stairs already. Cristo only has 10 MP left, but Brey has plenty of juice to cast Outside with, so I'm not too worried about being stranded in here. We can explore the rest of this floor on our next run.





Strange spot for a pitfall over there...



Okay, this place is going to be a bit more complicated than I first thought. Excellent!



Grislysabers have 29 HP, 35 attack, 30 defense, 17 agility, and may roll crits. If that wasn't enough, they can also spend their turn parrying to reduce incoming damage, which has a chance to summon another Grislysaber at the same time! They seem moderately resistant to ice damage, but Cristo's first Surround cast hits the both of them.



Ow! Good grief, I do not want to see Alena get two-shot by these suckers. Cristo can't get his Healmore soon enough.



Oh-ho! We can enter this room to the west through a hidden entrance from the south.



Eh. Our inventory slots are almost all full, so we let Brey eat it, since we don't have to worry about messing up his Strength growth and I don't want to hoof it back to the bazaar to sell it. He gains one point. Woo.



...ah-ha! Nice!

This is a bit of a dead end though, and Cristo has 3 MP left, so Brey casts Outside and we take our rest at the inn in the basement.





Just as we step back inside the tower, we're greeted by this chubby boy. Poison Lizards have 34 HP, 35 attack, 32 defense and 12 agility, and predictably they can "emit poison gas" which has a chance to poison our entire party. As if Cristo needed to spend more MP!

Brey levels up in the morning, for 3 Agi, 3 Vit, 4 Int, 3 Luc, 4 HP, 6 MP, and finally, the Snowstorm spell. For 5 MP, Snowstorm deals a fairly high amount of ice damage to one group of enemies (around 40-50 maybe?). We have a way to hit multiple enemies at once for the first time since Ragnar got his mitts on the Sword of Malice! That should help us end fights here a lot faster, which will decrease our demands on Cristo's MP pool.



We're back on the second floor; let's explore the eastern portion this time.









Whoops, better turn back.









Okay, we know the western path here leads to a staircase, and there's a chest to the north.







It'll be useful if Brey falls in battle, but we'll try not to let that happen.





Butterfly Dragons have 47 HP, 36 attack, 20 defense, and 25 agility; their low defense and high HP makes physical attacks quite attractive and our three champions can bring one down in a single round if they work together. They can predictably "emit a fireball", but they can also cast Heal.





It's nice to see that Strength Seed being put to good use.













: This floor is tiny! We must be close to the rooftop.
: I suppose we had better hope the elves have not left this place behind, despite all the monsters.
: Maybe... maybe they've left a message of some kind? They wouldn't cut themselves off from humans entirely, would they?
: ...
: Elves are elves. Who knows?





Two elfin girls are dancing around each other here.

: Are these...?
: Yes, I believe so!
: Hey!



: No, wait! We just need-
: Yes, sister.
Oops, I dropped the medicine!
: ...!
: Don't worry about it. Hurry!



They flicker and vanish.

: ...huh.
: Hmm, let's see...



: Do you think this is it?
: Hmm... That's a... It's a little abstract, but... Look here. These are old elven designs, representing birds. Either this will restore the king's voice, or give him the power of flight.
: Well, it ought to make him feel better either way. Take us home.
: Do remind me, child, what's the magic word again?
: I'm sorry, I meant to say, my father is suffering, so take us home IMMEDIATELY!
: Goodness!

[François]

: Dad, I know you ended up eating a lot of gross stuff back when Brey was trying to teach me to cook-
: Oh, Sir Brey, I didn't know you can cook!
: As it turned out, I cannot.
: ...ah.
: But this is good for you, I promise.









I'll be the first to say this isn't a high-priority video, but the king's line here is displayed at a very specific rate and it's super neat. This wasn't put together haphazardly; someone came in and decided very precisely how long each syllable would take to appear to make it feel like you're looking at man who's just magically regained his voice.

: Ah, excellent!
: We did it!
: You did... I thank you.
: It was but our duty, Your Highness.
: But what happened to you?
: I had terrible dreams. A big monster came out of the Evil World and was destroying everything.
: The... Evil World?
: At first, I intended to keep them to myself, but I kept having the same dreams over and over again.

: Ah, that's why he was moaning in his sleep!
: ...yes. Right.

: I became worried, so I decided to tell the Counsel about them. Then I lost my voice.
: This cannot be a coincidence.
: Something terrible may be about to happen...
: Dad, I-
: I won't stop you anymore. Travel the world and see what's happening.
: Okay. Y-you can count on me.
: Brey and Cristo, I place Alena's safety in your hands!
: We shan't fail you, my liege.
: I'm not quite certain that task should fall to your only child, but it's not my place to question your decisions. Very well.





: So, Brey, how do we get to the Evil World?
: H-hold on!
: Young lady, I would not tell you even if I knew.
: You're not being very helpful.
: In fact, if I could stop you from planning a raid on whatever this Evil World may be, that would be extremely helpful.
: Didn't you hear what my father said?
: He asked us to travel the world and gather information, not to assault a demonic realm.
: Princess, I doubt whatever enemy we now have has cast a silence curse on your father from across dimensions. It must have agents acting on its behalf.
: And we can track those down. Alright, I get you. So where do we start?
: It may be against my better judgement to suggest this, but... Endor ought to have a great many visitors from far and wide right about now...
: Maybe someone there will know something!
: And we can join the tournament while we're there! This is perfect!
: Well then, so be it.



We Return to the Bazaar and rest up before heading east for the Travel Door shrine. We have 4202 gold to our name, but nothing left to spend it on for now.

Alena reaches level 12 on the way, for 3 Str, 2 Agi, 2 Vit, 5 Luc, and 5 HP.





: Okay, now I know this is going to be hard to believe, but...

: Ah! Alright then.









: Ah, is this Endor?
: It's the kingdom of Endor, yes. But the castle town is a fair distance to the southeast.
: Have you ever been?
: Yes, long ago. But seeing as neither Santeem nor Endor have a male heir, there is only so much diplomacy one can conduct under the circumstances.
: But we're not at war with them or anything, right?
: No worries, we're all too busy with monsters to do anything quite so foolish.





We only had to fight a few Brahmirds on the way, so we don't need to rest yet.


: Just go out and keep going around to your right, you can hardly miss it!







Pteranodons have 41 HP, 28 attack, 24 defense, and 19 agility, with the ability to cast Firebal. They take a bit of effort to bring down, but they're only dangerous in large groups at this point, in which case having Brey put up Bounce is an excellent idea.





Oh hey, classic DW1 Skeletons! They're a lot tougher than they used to be, with 52 HP, 49 attack, 45 defense, and 27 agility. They can cast Defence, and have a chance to drop an Iron Claw, a +38 weapon that only Alena can equip (being a Fighter and all). Ice damage is ineffective, but Surround and Sap seem to work well enough.









: ...wow.
: Haha, it's something else, isn't?
: I wouldn't move here from Santeem, but I'm still glad I get to see this place with my own eyes!



Oooh, cool new stuff. Only Cristo can wear Half Plate, and it's only 5 points better than his Bronze Armor, but we have tons of money, we can spare some for this small upgrade. The Iron Apron is +32, which is two points better than Half Plate, but as it was in DW3, only Merchants can equip it.

: Hmm!
: There's Chekov's Iron Apron right there.
: Who's Chekov?
: Ahhhh, you wouldn't get it.

The Iron Shield is the first Shield that Brey can't equip, but we do get one for Cristo.



Cristo is so much hardier than Alena by now that we actually put him in front. He has less HP so he's more vulnerable to elemental damage, but the elemental damage we're taking right now hits our entire party, so it doesn't matter where we put him in that regard.



That's an inn right by the entrance, but we still don't need to rest yet.




: Hmm? What did you lose?
: Ah, my lady, you had better not concern yourself with this specific type of fool.
: ...huh.
: M-maybe we should move on, find information about-



: What's down there? It's so noisy!
: Nothing important I'm sure! This is a city inn, how intersesting could it possibly be?
: Now I'm REALLY curious.





: ...!
: ...!
: ...oh dear.


: What's a casino?
: No place for royalty, that's for sure!

: Eh, you'd be surprised.

: Only coins can be used here. Please purchase coins from the Coin Seller in the back.

So, yeah, this the Endor casino! If you thought DW2's slot machines and DW3's bloodsport betting were the extent of the series' gambling ambitions, better think again!




: It's wise to gamble only with the money you won't need.
: Or not to gamble at all!



That woman in purple keeps going from the Coin Seller counter to the slot machines. She's got it bad!





: Ah, um...
: Exactly none, thank you ma'am.
: Give me a hundred!
: My lady, you could buy ten cows with that money!
: I could buy as many cows as I wanted back home.
: That's quite besides the point!
: How... how about fifty?
: Cristo! What ails you?
: You heard the man, fifty it is.





Do note the amount of digits for that coin purchasing interface. Yikes, huh?



I don't think it's even possible to carry 1000000 gold at once. Buying coins is an elegant solution to the endgame problem of having tons and tons of money but nothing to spend it on, though.







Ah, here are the prizes.

: Whuh... That's the Mirror of Ra! What the heck?

The Mirror of Ra is optional in this game, but it does have a neat effect that I may or may not be able to show off at some point, if I can get it.

The Wizard's Ring is still a reusable Magic Potion, with a chance to break every time you use it. They used to be an extremely limited resource (unless you bought a ton in the short period where you could do so in DW3), but here, if you have the money or the luck, you can get as many as you like.

The Staff of Jubilation is a +33 weapon that all caster-types can equip. Using it in battle has a chance to cause all monsters in a group to waste their next turn smiling instead of doing whatever harmful thing they were going to do.

The Meteorite Armband makes a welcome return, if you can afford it. It still doubles its wearer's Agility without taking up a standard equipment slot, but if I remember correctly, this time around the bonus it grants does not contribute to your defense power. So it makes you a lot faster, but not any tougher.

As for the Metal Babble Shield, it is literally The Best Shield In The Game, and it can only be equipped by caster-types, including Cristo and Brey. It offers a ludicrous 60 defense power, and will cast Fendspell when used as an item, protecting its wielder from all spells (like Bounce, without the reflection effect).

Needless to say, if you're extremely lucky, or if you have the ability and willingness to cheat, the Metal Babble Shield is a nigh game-breaking advantage. I'm going to be playing the casino games a bit, and I'll to pick up some prizes if I can afford them, but I have no intention to cheat and I prrrrrobably won't be able to show off the Shield. Who knows, though, right?


: Hmm. I'm starting to see what you mean, Brey.
: Ah, there is some sense left to you, then.


: Oooh, maybe just once.
: ...



That's a far cry from the slots in DW2, eh?



: Oh, wow! Brey! Cristo! I won 20 coins!
: That's... that's nice...
: So, are you satisfied now?
: It looks like there are more fun games here, we better have a look!
: My liege... forgive me...



Of course the arena is back too.

: ...unfortunate.


: Ha, you know it!
: Good. Let it ride. Got it? Let it ride!
: I don't know what that means, but I think I like it!


: Pick the winning monster, and you'll rake in the coins!

: Ah, that armored man seems tough, and Skeletons are not very dangerous.
: Not to us, maybe!








: Haha, I sure can pick 'em!

: Y-
: Mmmmaybe later, young man, thank you.



: That was brilliant! I'm the best at casinos!
: ...
: ...


: Oh I have to get some of whatever that is.



That's right. Poker!

: Yes! Yes, absolutely! Give me whatever you got!





It's basic five-card draw, like you'd play on a video poker machine: you bet up to 100 coins, you get five cards, you can keep or redraw any number of those, and your payout (if any) is a multiplier on your initial bet depending on the quality of the hand you end up with.

After any round in which you didn't lose your bet, you can choose to play Double-or-Nothing, where the dealer gets a card, and you have to pick a card higher than the dealer's. If you win, you guessed it, your initial gain is doubled, and again you can cash out or play another round of Double-or-Nothing. (If you don't win, you lose everything.) Doing well on a Double-or-Nothing streak is probably the best way to earn yourself Metal Babble Shields and Meteorite Armbands.

: But... how was I supposed to get a card higher than a King? None of them were-
: You're not.
: Well, sometimes, but not always.
: That's how the house makes its money.
: Gambling is stupid.





: Ah, we're out. There's a relief.




: You are so much more talented than the bards back home.


: Eh.


: Right, back to business!
: The tournament is not the business, my lady.
: For now, it is.


: Oof. I think we know.







Nothing new here for us. The Abacus of Virtue is a +35 weapon that casts Expel for free (attempting to eject a group of enemies from combat, forfeiting their spoils), but only Merchants can equip it.










: I wasn't, but now I'm curious!
: I'm old and plan to retire after selling it... Is there someone who wants to start a business here?
: Pass!

: That's a golden opportunity, though! Ah, if only...
: Aren't you happy with our shop?
: It's... fine.
: Yikes.





Ah, there's the House of Healing, good.


: If it's not hard, it's not worth doing. Put some pep in that step, boy! You're not paid to slog along!





Hmm, we didn't need that Full Moon Herb after all.












: ...the King has a motive for attracting the strong in this way.
: I wonder if the King of Endor has strange dreams as well.
: If this crisis threatens the entire world, I would not be surprised if he did.


: That's... towards Santeem.
: How ominous...
: This could be just an anomaly of the wind. We have to be careful in our search; if we see our foe everywhere, we may end up seeing him nowhere.
: ...right.







That's another door we can't open.




: Not quite, but we might as well!
: If so, proceed through this door.
: Isn't there something else going on in this castle, though?
: Then you came for the tournament, correct? Proceed through one of the two small doors on either side.
: We really had better go introduce ourselves first. After all is said and done, we're still royal envoys.
: Eh, fine.








: Well that reminds me of someone I know.
: Pfft.
: At least you might get along...




: Our King started the tournament to attract the strong...


: He is immensely strong and utterly merciless.

: Necro... saro...?
: Sounds like a tough guy!
: That name's a little on the nose for a gladiator, isn't it?
: Whatever draws the crowds, I suppose.


: Huh. Okay. That's... huh.
: If we were going to have two princesses marry, we would have had a betrothal a decade ago.
: I sympathize with her.
: If my father tried to marry me away to some man I've never met, I would-
: Run away from the castle? That would be a change of pace.
: Keep this up and you'll be court jester one day.
: By all means, if the job has fewer monsters and dusty roads!






: That's... I... Thank you?









This blew me away when I played this the first time. The woman in purple here goes to get water from the well, and as she returns to the kitchen, she closes the door behind her.


: Nah, you don't have to worry about that.







This prisoner gets up as walks to the bars as we approach.


: Yeah, yeah, I get it.



Back on the ground floor, this northern wall looks mighty suspicious...



There is a hidden door, but it won't open with the Thief's Key.








: Eh, I've been pulling people out of trouble for a couple weeks by now, there's no reason to stop.


: If the winner is a woman, I won't be required to marry.
: Ah-ha! There's our loophole!
: Please enter and win the tournament.
: I was going to anyway, but now I'll do it extra hard!
: Princess Alena, I envy you for being so free.
: ...
: ...
: ...oh well. So much for keeping a low profile.
: Heroes become known, Brey, that's how it goes!


: Oh! Here's our explanation, then. Our cover is still intact, my lady.
: Hurray.
: I admire that you're concerned over this doomed world and are embarking on a journey to prove your strength!
: Haha! I'm glad to meet someone who gets it, Your Majesty!
: I have a request. Win the tournament.
: Of course.
: Are you having second thoughts, my lord?
: To tell the truth, I'm regretting what I've promised.
: No worries then, we'll take care of it.











Welp, we're not making it in there.









Hmm...









I usually wouldn't do this, but I'm giving these to Alena for reasons that will become clear in time. She gains 5 maximum HP.
















: Ooooh, I want to watch a bit first. Come on, let's go let's go let's go!





Alena and her retainers climb the stairs to join the rest of the spectators in watching brutal combat in the sandy arena below. The music is pretty rad!

: Guys, I think I want to be the Queen of Endor.

[Friday]

I can remember watching this for the first time; back when my brother would rent and play games.

Ten year old Friday was absolutely in love with this whole chapter. I wanted to be an ass kicking gladiator princess. I begged and begged my brother to let me do the fights, and he (rightfully) told me I sucked and would lose.

[François]

As far as JRPGs go, I think Phantasy Star beat everyone to the "strong, aspirational female party leader" punch, but unlike Alis Landale who is trying to overthrow the tyrant who had her brother murdered, Alena has an entirely self-started quest, and she takes charge of finding her own adventure. Of course she gets swept up in the game's overall narrative eventually, but her origin story is a completely earnest "ugh, my life is boring, I'mma make it better AND get hellaciously swole". And that's... dang, even these days it's such a rare and fun flavor.

DW4's themes are so feckin' strong and well-realized... It's just a bit of a shame on the occasions when the mechanics don't quite back them up.

[François]

This arena is a neat trick on a technical level. The NES can't display more than four sprites on the same horizontal level without flickering, and it definitely can't have that many sprites at once without slowdown. Consequently, the NES doesn't really do crowd scenes. However, we've already established that DW4 can have animated background tiles! In fact, the only sprites here are our party, and the fighters down the pit. Everybody else is a background tile. This also explains why we don't see these specific townspeople anywhere else, and why the grass here is a unique black-speckled tile instead of the usual two-tone grasslands tile, since each background tile is limited to four colors.

Aaaanyway!

: These guys look pretty tough, huh.
: With times being as they are, it would take a fair degree of skill to make it here in the first place.
: I'm surprised that they came alone, though.
: Presumably, they didn't. However, tournaments like these are one-on-one fights.
: I guess it makes sense.
: Ah... I wish we could assist you somehow...
: You'll just have to cheer me on!
: Yes, yes, of course, I'll cheer on my liege's daughter as she sheds blood in pointless gladiatorial combat.
: At the very least, we can help you get ready. There are tough monsters in this kingdom; if they give you trouble, it might be wise to hold off on signing up for these fights.
: I already told the princess and the king I'd help them out, so there's no way I'm backing down from this. But... I guess there's no harm in training a little more.
: Goodness, we got through. Will miracles never cease?


: We'll see about that!









Oh hey, there's a Slime in the audience, in the northern row! Neat. I never noticed it before.







We could sign up right away, but I want to explore the area first, and check out the town at night too. Also, it probably won't hurt to get a level or two. We rest up at the inn, and leave in the morning.







Rogue Knights have 54 HP, 45 attack, 43 defense, and 25 agility; they can roll crits and summon Healers as backup. Alena only hits them for about 15, so they're tough customers all around! They seem vulnerable to Sap, Surround and ice damage though, so magic is definitely the way to go. In fact, Snowstorm will put an entire group within one-shot range for both Alena and Cristo.

Cristo levels up here, for 2 Str, 3 Agi, 2 Vit, 2 Int, 2 Luc, 5 HP, 5 MP, and the StopSpell spell, which costs 3 MP and still attempts to block one group's spellcasting.





Oof, more groups of high-defense monsters. If Alena was alone here, she'd be in huge trouble. Scorpions are only slightly resistant to ice damage though, so... Snowstorm.





It's really starting to show that our party, while not entirely squishy, doesn't have a remarkably tanky member. The critters around here are no joke.





...yikes. Cristo and Brey finish the fight, but we have to retreat for now. A tournament victory is definitely beyond our reach at this time. Brey does level up from this at least, for 1 Str, 3 Agi, 3 Vit, 5 Int, 2 Luc, 7 HP, and 4 MP.



Bringing Alena back costs 150 gold, but that kind of money's not really a problem by now. We rest up, and leave again.



Whoa hey, nice! Metal Slimes have 4 HP, 20 attack, 1023 defense, and 50 agility. They can attack and cast Blaze, but still have a high chance to run away. Their high defense means that any hit that lands on them will deal either none or zero damage, unless it's a defense-ignoring critical hit or a magical effect that ignores resistances (since I have every reason to believe they're otherwise immune to magic). I think the Venomous Dagger's paralysis effect will effectively hold them in place if it triggers.

Taking one down would award us 1350 experience, which is extremely high, considering Brey just leveled up and needs about 1900 to level up again. In addition, Metal Slimes can drop a Golden Barrette, a +12 piece of headgear that only women can equip. Not only is it 4 points better than a Feather Hat, it also increases its wearer's resistance to confusion effects.



Not such luck today, though.













: Who would vandalize a bridge?
: Monsters, presumably.
: Fat lot of good that sign will do, then.





: Would monsters work together to isolate a kingdom like this? Some force must be controlling them.
: At least they couldn't destroy the Travel Door from Santeem. Getting in the king's good graces will reap benefits in time, I'm sure.














: As far as we could, yeah. The bridge across the first river was destroyed.
: You reached a wrecked bridge? Who did such a terrible thing?






: Maybe he's the one who destroyed the bridges.
: How could even a very strong fighter destroy a bridge?
: Same way he'd breach a castle wall, I suppose.
: Oh... Hmm. Right.



Predictably, the casino doesn't close at night. I'll try a few hands of poker while we're here.









Welp.





This guy wanders around, falling down at random. Looks like he's had enough of whatever he's had!


: These are times where one is tempted to look for omens, it seems. The answer may yet turn out to be in the heavens.
: It better not be. I bet it's a pain in the butt to get up there.


: Oh hey, nice!
: I hope it's not a bad omen.
: Come on, don't ruin it. Everybody make a wish!
: Ah... I... wish that my charge returns home safely, in time.
: I wish the princess here gets to choose her own life.
: I wish... Um...
: Hmm?
: Haha, err... I wish... Well... Ahh... Um.
: Come on, Cristo, what's the hold up?
: I wish for... a... good night's sleep?

: ...ouch.

: ...really?
: Fair enough, I suppose.









The castle isn't locked down at night, but...







If the guard here spots us, we get kicked out.



He's got a pretty decent cone of vision, too! He'll catch you from all the way across the room if you wander anywhere in front of him.



It's pretty easy to sneak behind his back, though.


: It's like an extermination.
: Goodness! Are these battles to the death?
: Not usually, no. But even friendly bouts can end in tragedy with a light blow to the wrong part of the body.
: And these are going to be anything but friendly.
: Still, to think this Necrosaro kills his opponents on purpose...!
: All the more reason to take him out.
: ...






: Dang, I can relate.
: It hardly seems that silly, at this point.











The king is sleeping soundly, but the princess is pacing around in the treasury. It's pretty clear who's under the most stress here.





Alright, that's it for Endor nights. We'll get in a few more fights to get Alena one more level, and we'll try our luck at the tournament in the morning.

...and she gets to level 13, for 4 Str, 4 Agi, 7 Vit, 5 Luc, and 15 HP. Holy crap, that's extremely welcome.



In fact, she has so much more HP than Cristo that I put her in front again despite her lower defense.




: Ha, like luck will have anything to do with it!


: Heya, I-

: How dare you adress my lady this way?!
: I'm terribly sorry... I'm jittery before my fight.
: No harm done, I get you. I still look forward to kicking your ass, though.





This small item shop only sells Medical Herbs and Iron Claws. We get Alena her own Claw (taking her attack power from 64 to 84), and cram her inventory full of Medical Herbs. I'm almost glad she can't use shields, since that's one more slot for Herbs.



That's an inn and a House of Healing; I'm sure I don't need to explain why they're here.


: It's looking more and more likely that he did destroy the bridges.
: Do you think he might have been the one who put the curse on my father?
: It takes more than brute strength to take someone's voice away without harming their body. Besides, someone would have seen him, I'm sure.
: And if he had wanted to silence the king, he could have just... assassinated him.
: Hmm... Right. Well, either way, he won't be able to hurt anyone soon.








: Ah... Time to go.
: I don't suppose I can still talk you out of this.
: Brey, you never could.
: Well, then, against my better judgement, let me at least say this. If I did not believe you were strong enough to compete here, I would stop you.
: That... that means a lot. Thank you.
: I have no doubt you'll make us proud, princess.
: Cristo, can you promise me something?
: ...!
: Well...?
: Y-yes, of course!
: If I win this, and I will win, so when I win, call me Alena, okay?
: I-I don't know-
: Look, we're going to be traveling together for a while, right? And the fewer people around me call me princess, the better.
: Okay then! I... I'll try!
: Heh, good enough for now I guess. Alright, we're done here. Get ready to watch asses kicked like no asses have been kicked before!








: Necrosaro is the only one who has defeated 5 opponents so far. Good luck!









Hun has 70 HP, 45 attack, 68 defense, and 20 agility, with no special skills or magic. If Alena's made it to Endor, she can take out this chump, no problem.



We're allowed to use as many Herbs as we like between matches, but we're limited to the contents of Alena's inventory. We'll use one now, even if only to avoid having to spend a combat turn on it later.









Roric has 90 HP, 50 attack, 80 defense and 45 agility, with the ability to parry for some reason. I can't imagine a well-equipped Alena not being able to bring him down.



He conveniently always drops a Medical Herb, which is nice.



We use one Herb, bringing Alena's HP to 87 of 99.













Vivian has 90 HP, 35 attack, 62 defense, and 68 agility. She's also the first caster we get to fight, knowing Firebal, Healmore and IceBolt. However, she only has 12 MP, and she'll run out of juice before long, at which point she's mostly harmless. Still, if you're underleveled, she's going to be a real threat.



She also drops an Herb.



We use it to return to 81 HP. I'm almost tempted to use another, but I don't want to waste any HP, let's just keep going.









Sampson comes with 90 HP, 58 attack, 104 defense (!), and 15 agility. He can use Medical Herbs, but he has no other tricks up his sleeve. In the end he's something of a basic stat-check. There's only so much strategy that can happen while Alena's on her own, really. Just... picking the best time to use Herbs.



He of course drops an Herb as well.



We use two Herbs this time, bringing us to 95 HP.









This guy's got a dirty trick up his sleeve...







...ffffuckin' Linguar.

Linguar has 55 HP, 40 attack, 60 defense, and 75 agility, with the ability to build up power and emit a fireball. Normally this means he'd be a piece of cake, but... he isn't. Every round he creates three mirages and shuffles his own position, so you effectively can only hit him one out of four times, and there is no pattern to it whatsoever. It's pure chance. You can mitigate how quickly he whittles you down by parrying when he pumps himself up, but if the random number generator won't let you win, it only prolongs the inevitable.

I'll be the first to say this tournament is a missed opportunity. You hit the first opponents until they fall down, and then you only beat Linguar if the game feels like it. His defense and HP are low so two or three good hits should do the job, but getting those hits in at all is far from guaranteed.







Fortunately we can try again as we please, and Cristo and Brey are assumed to be carrying our money, so we don't lose anything of great import. We rest at the inn, restock our Herbs, and try again, from the beginning. I'll meet you at the Linguar fight!





...

Was that like three rounds?

Good grief. Pure chance indeed.

No Medical Herb drop this time, though.

: Haha, nice try! Now bring out that Necrosaro!
: Congratulations, Princess Alena! The final match is next. Call Necrosaro.












: Someone's quaking in his boots right about now, huh?
: .........
: WHAT A LOSER, HUH?
: We can't wait for him forever. I declare Princess Alena the winner of this tournament!
: W-what? Wait! No!




: Damn it! Not like this!

The screen fades to black, and we're returned to the throne room.


: ...
: It was a grandiose spectacle, Your Highness.
: The privilege was all ours, wasn't it?
: ...you're welcome.
: I know your father, the King of Santeem, will be proud of you. Perhaps you should return home and let him know you're alive and well.
: Yeah... Yeah, I suppose.


: Heh. I guess I'm pretty strong after all.


: It's no problem. This didn't end the way I wanted, but I'm glad it worked out for you.
: If Princess Alena was a man...
: ...!
: ...!
: Hmm!
: What am I saying... Please forget what I've said.
: No promises!




: So it WAS him!
: What a bold creature he is, to just walk in here and slaughter the world's strongest warriors!
: Ugh! If we had just come here sooner, maybe we could have put an end to him.
: But then we wouldn't have found the time to help the folk of Tempe, and Frenor, and your father, even.
: ...right.







As we leave the castle...



...a royal guard intercepts us and breathes his last!

: What is this...? What are these wounds?
: Ah... nothing good for sure.
: Brey, quick!
: R-right!

: It's... It's not working! WHY ISN'T IT WORKING?
: Sir Brey?
: Gah! What's wrong with me? Curse these ancient hands!
: No, no, none of that. If we can't go by air, we go by foot. Come on!

We finish checking out the town for completion's sake, but there's clearly an emergency going on.








: S-sorry, there's no time. Maybe some other day.







The casino has not changed, but for Reasons, we blow our entire purse on 310 coins before we leave.





The monsters are indeed gone, just as they were at the end of Ragnar's quest.











Now this is a first. As we enter the castle, we are greeted by absolute silence. I can't recall this happening at any point in any of the previous games. It's indescribably eerie.

: The... the guards... Where are the guards?
: Hello? ANYONE?
: At least the castle seems intact, for what little it matters...







Even old man Goz has disappeared.







: Oh I have a horrible feeling about this...
: What happened in Moonbrooke was terrifying, but this is something else.




: Oh... At least... you're...
: ...







: DAD!



: ...!
: Nothing... No one... Where...?
: This is madness! You'd think there would be something... some... trace!
: But there are no bodies.
: Hmm...
: Right. Maybe they were taken somewhere?
: Necrosaro. He saw me in Endor and knew my castle was defenceless!
: Princess, Santeem is hardly a wild flower ripe for anyone to pick, even without you!
: But the timing fits. It has to be him.
: Well then we're TRACKING THIS BASTARD DOWN TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD!
: Right! You have my full support, princess.
: I'm with you, pr- I mean, A-Alena.
: Okay. Okay, let's go. This is what we do, now.

















And that's it for Chapter 2. Pretty brutal, eh? In a few moments, you go from your highest high to your lowest low, and it's over. Ragnar's quest ended on a note of optimism and resolve, but Alena gets her entire home swept from under her feet. And now she too has received from the mysterious forces of darkness a very big reason to travel the world. Unlike the Dragonlord, Hargon, Baramos and Zoma, whoever's in charge here is not the type to blow up one town and then quietly wait at home for their death; events are unfolding as we progress, not only before we start.

Where Ragnar had a single objective with a few parts to it, Alena had four unrelated objectives (ending the sacrifice custom, solving the hostage situation, restoring her father's voice, winning the tournament), making her play more the role of a wandering adventurer, which reinforces her theme and personality for sure. Mechanically you could swap Ragnar and Alena and it'd be fine, but thematically their chapters work best with their respective personalities. It's neat to see the game supporting the character-driven framework even in that aspect.

It's just a shame that the tournament falls on its face on the gameplay side. Everything about it makes it a cool set piece moment... but the actual 1-on-1 fighting doesn't have much to it, and the final opponent is a poor design decision writ large. For all the progress JRPGs have made since DW1, the genre is not done learning its lessons.

We're given the opportunity to save, and we take it. Next time: Chapter 3!

[Friday]

Linguar is a terrible rng design that could be easily fixed by having some sort of subtle difference in the real sprite, but I have to say, him sticking out his tongue at you whenever you miss him is fucking great.

Now this is a first. As we enter the castle, we are greeted by absolute silence. I can't recall this happening at any point in any of the previous games. It's indescribably eerie.

Creatives everywhere constantly ruin good scenes by using music. This sequence could have easily been forgettable if they overlaid it with some generic sad theme, but luckily somebody on the design team had a brain.

[nosimpleway]

him sticking out his tongue at you whenever you miss him is fucking great.

Presumably that's why he's called that.

[François]

Creatives everywhere constantly ruin good scenes by using music. This sequence could have easily been forgettable if they overlaid it with some generic sad theme, but luckily somebody on the design team had a brain.

Dang, yes. It's pretty noteworthy that the game actually has a amazing sad theme, but it knows this is not the place for it. Alena's shocked and distressed by the silence, but sadness is not even close to being the mood here. It would have been a crime to end her chapter on the party wipe song, any way you slice it.

[François]

: J... Just a minute, honey...


: "Darling?" Is this guy married?
: Is that weird?
: Hmm! None of us started out married.
: Having a family waiting for you at home must not be very conducive to the adventuring life.
: It didn't stop my dad.
: He led a virtuous life, but not without regrets...


: Ha, now I know why I get up in the morning!

: Love you, sweetheart.



Alright then, everyone meet Taloon!





He's the Merchant we've been subtly promised back at the end of Alena's chapter! He's a better fighter than Cristo, but he's nowhere near as strong as Alena and Ragnar were, and just as it was for Merchants in DW3, he has no spellcasting ability. He also starts with no money whatsoever, only the Basic Clothes on his back and his wife's homemade Lunch. He does own a house, but it's hard to hit monsters with it.



Of course, being a Merchant, Taloon can "Appraise" items in his inventory.












We generally get more info out of the Appraise command now than we did in DW3, and as we saw for the Lunch, some items have extra flavor text.


: Later, champ! Don't get in too much trouble!

So here's the deal. Taloon is not an adventurer. He has a family and a job. Today, we go to work.







Not bad... but it's not like we're going to get hurt, is it?




: Hmm! Alright, thanks for the message.





That's a basic item shop, but we have no money, or need for items. We could sell our Lunch... but come on.


: Heh! I'll hold out for one with walls, thank you very much.





: Sure, glad to.

: ...welp, you're the boss!



Yup, we're slowly pushing this old man around. Gotta make that paper!




: Whoops.




: Huuuuuuurgh!



: Whew. Thanks, Tom.
: My son was a fool to leave the town. He never writes. I wonder what he's doing.
: He'll be back someday and he'll tell you all about it. And it'll make you proud. That's what sons do.





There's a dog locked up in Tom's backyard. The place could probably use a good mowing... and some drainage work, goodness.




: Heyo!
: Oh, it's you, Taloon. I didn't have to greet you!
: It's alright, I could always use some cheer in the morning!





Taloon can wear everything on this list, but it's not like he has any reason to.






: Can't say that I have! What's the skinny?
: A guest said the Iron Safe might be in a northern cave. I also heard it should protect your money even when you're defeated by monsters.
: Sure sounds like a handy piece of kit!






: Whoa, yeah, sorry, I was helping old Tom with-


: Alright, business face on, I get it.
: I'll pay you on commission so work hard.
: I know the basics, don't worry.
: I'll be downstairs.
: Have fun!



We wait a little...



...and before long, we have a customer!


: Nah, it's a bakery.


: No, wait, I was just...! Aw, crap.



: Welp.




: It sure is!
: Can you show me things for sale?
: Of course, step right up!

: Hmm... Lemme check my ledger here... Huh, it's not.

: Yeah, sorry. The price of copper has skyrocketed since the bridge to Endor fell apart.

We work on commission, so there's an incentive to haggle up!





Well... okay, there's also a risk.



: Dum de dum.



Presumably it's a different warrior lady every time. We don't jerk this one around, though.




: Yeah, sure. Can I see it?

: Good enough, we have a deal.

We don't earn any money on purchases, unfortunately.







Discounts do cut into our commission; it's random whether refusing the original price will result in the customer thinking the price is going up or down (or thinking that we're kidding).

: Eh, sure, it's a Club.






People will sometimes accept an increased price, but offering the standard price has the best success rate.


: Yes ma'am! Excellent choice!

: No, but I won't tell anyone! If you can pay for it, it's yours.







: Sorry, union break. Just a moment.



The Lunch is effectively a Medical Herb.

: Goodness, that Neta is quite the cook!
: That'll explain why her husband is so plump.
: And why I'm still lean and trim!
: ...!
: Oof, you stepped in it this time.












: Nah, it was just slow going for a bit up there.
: Then go back to work. See me when you're done for the day, OK?
: Sure thing!

We can call it a day anytime, and the boss pays us our share immediately if we do.







































Customers will occasionally sell us a weapon we don't usually carry. It actually gets added to the store's inventory, and we can sell it as normal, for a big commission of course. However, we can't sell more of those uncommon items than we've bought; it's only Clubs, Copper Swords, and Thorn Whips we have an infinite supply of.


: ...happens to the best of us, buddy.


Yeah, sometimes even offering the standard price or a discount doesn't make a sale.



It can be worth holding on to Boomerangs until you get someone who will go for a jacked-up price. This particular customer won't have any of it though, so we give him the runaround until he gets annoyed and leaves.



Ooh, another Boomerang, nice.


: It's a rare piece! You don't see Boomerangs this far north every day.

: Glorious! You have a good day now.


: Time sure flies when you're having fun.
: Here are your wages for today.

: Oh, I like the looks of that.
: See you tomorrow.
: Night, boss.



Well hey, we've worked all day. Night falls once you've accumulated over 100 gold in commissions, or something close to that. A day where everyone only buys Clubs lasts forever, while selling a few big ticket items will make it go by much faster.




: That's a big if!
: I hear a big castle called Endor is in the south. You'll make a lot of money there.
: With the way the roads are, I don't know if that's a good idea. You wouldn't imagine the traffic we get at the weapon shop; people are loading up on weapons for a erason!


: Well, yeah. I mean, doesn't everyone?
: You need to gain experience in fighting too.
: Hmm...
: Good arms merchants should know how to use weapons properly.
: Yeah, good point. I should take a day off to train some, I guess.



: I wonder... Hmm...





: ...
: ......
: .........
: ............nah.



: ...sigh.





: Hey, buddy. I, uh, I'm sorry I'm bugging you at this hour, but... What do you think guy has to do to own a shop like yours at some point?

: Can you blame me? Have you seen the decor at my boss' place?
: You should go to Endor and buy one there. Then you can call for your family...
: That's advice for a man with lots of money.
: Nice to have a dream, eh?
: Gotta hang on to it anyway, right? Thanks.


: Good grief, sister, things are bad but it wouldn't hurt to lighten up a little!
: Without the world, you won't have any business.
: Yeah, sure, but I don't know what you expect me to do about it.


: That's why I keep him caged.
: Poor little guy. I hope your boy comes home soon, Tom. For all we know, he could be on his way back as we speak.




: Hey, you hang in there, alright? I'm sure your master will be back someday.





: Neta! I'm ho~ome!


: Haha, glad to hear it!
: When I grow up, I'll work as hard as you and let you two live in comfort!
: That'll be the day, but there's no hurry, alright?


: Yeah, we got in a couple Boomerangs. Non-standard inventory is always extra paperwork.
: Rest well, good night.
: Good night, honey. Love you.




















: Ha, not on the kind of commission you're paying me, boss.

: I'm mostly here for your sunny demeanor, but work is nice too.





: Can someone remind me why we're watching this guy?
: Because he wants to be the world's greatest arms merchant!
: And I want to be the world's greatest pastry chef. Where's my audience?
: No one wants to watch you struggle to crack an egg without obliterating it, Zed.
: I don't know, I think it's pretty funny.
: ...let's see if we can switch this thing back to Alena.

[François]

: Oh. We're still doing this.











Oooh, we get to buy a Chain Sickle! Exciting!







































: ...ehhhhh.





: This isn't how I become the world's greatest weapon merchant, is it? I have to find another way.



If we sell our Basic Clothes, we have enough money for a suit of Leather Armor, a Leather Shield, and...


: Actually boss, I was thinking of getting some hands-on time with the merchandise. I feel just awful about keeping you from doing whatever it is you're doing downstairs, but I'm taking the day off.
: Oh, I see.



We managed to sell the Sickle yesterday, but we can still have our eye on that Boomerang for later. We can effectively buy an infinite amount of everything our employer's store is selling, regardless of how many we've bought from customers. Now it is entirely possible for someone to come in and sell us a Sword of Malice, but it can take a very long time to show up and it costs 3500 gold besides, and neither Taloon nor I can stand to work one more day for someone else's profit. We make do with a Copper Sword for now.







: Alright then, time to see why everyone else has been buying all these weapons!

: Zed! Zed, wake up! He's leaving town!
: Gwah? Huh? Hot damn!



Okay, these are Santeem-grade enemies, nothing too dangerous. Taloon one-shots the Slime and two-shots the Gopher. You could conceivably walk out on the first day and start fighting with your bare hands with only moderate trouble, but it's worth spending a few days at work just for a chance to get some cool gear in the shop inventory and earn enough money for a basic adventuring kit.









Taloon does not inherit the DW3 Merchants' chance to find extra gold after battle, but all enemies in Chapter 3 have a much higher chance than usual to drop a chest, and these special drops pick from a list that includes a wide variety of equipment, including some surprisingly good gear. These Wayfarer's Clothes are nothing special, but they'll be worth selling.





It turns out the Lakanaba region is right between Frenor and the tower west of Izmit!

: This must be the cave the innkeep was talking about, with the Iron Safe inside. It's tempting... but I really ought to get in a few more practice swings first.



Ooh, and Stag Beetles were in Burland also, so we're getting a mix of early critters from both previous chapters.



: Oh crap, can't let Neta wait for me too long!



We've only made 20 gold from a day of fighting, but selling those Clothes should allow us to buy a few Herbs for our first attempt at the northern cave.



: Oh, sweetheart! Sorry I'm late!
: Have you been out for a drink without me?
: Nah, I just went Gopher-hunting for a spell, and I ended up racing the sunset to get back.
: You needed a change of pace?
: If I have to buy one more Club from one more yokel, I'm going to throw a fit.
: Well, as long as you stay safe...
: Don't worry. There's nothing out there that's more important to me than what's in here. It's just... We can do better, right? Better than losing my mind in boredom for a hundred a day, at least.
: So I take it you're not going back to work tomorrow?
: Yeah, no. I'll work something out.
: I know you will. I trust you.
: It means the world to me, Neta.





We leave town with three Herbs and our daily Lunch. We could have picked up one more, but it's best to keep some inventory open in case we get loot.



: Alright then, let's see about that safe.

The monsters so far have only been dealing 1 damage per hit through our gear, so we're not even a little bit worried yet. I suspect it'll take spellcasting monsters to make us sweat.











: Hello, what's this?



: The ground's a lot smoother over there, but it's the only way through. Well hey, I'm not turning back over moderately spooky floor. Forgive your foolish husband, Neta!



: Huh. Heh. Alright then.



: ...better not.

: What kind of adventurer is that?
: The kind that's not an adventurer, presumably.





: Gah, it's like the last slice of pie! I gotta!



: Ha, maybe he has it in him after all!



: Whuh-oh.



: WHEEEEEEEEE!



We get pushed all the way down to the staircases.



: Man, I bet people would pay good money to do this. Better file it for later.



We run into our first foes here; they're tougher than we're used to... but still not very tough. This also earns us our first level, for 2 Str, 2 Agi, 2 Vit, 1 Int, and 4 HP. Not bad!









Oooh, that's a legitimately great find. It does fill up our last inventory slot, so we have our Lunch right here.



: I should probably see what's down this hallway before I try another button.



: There's no way I can jump this far, but...









: Yup, still fun. Man, this cave-exploring business is underrated!



: East is probably the way out. If there is a way out. Might as well go down while I still have Herbs, I guess.







: Mmmaybe the stairs first.












: Mostly I came because this is more fun than my job, but yeah, sure, Iron Safe, why not?
: I think that rolling boulder has something to do with it.



A Stag Beetle down here drops a valuable Leather Armor; Taloon is definitely getting another upgrade soon!





: ...huh.





: Not this way, then.



: I have to try my luck here after all!



: No button this time. I wonder if that's good or bad.













: Whew!

This boulder is a bit tricky, in that it will follow you around corners through east and west passages, but it can't move north (the floor is probably on an incline) and will only stop if it would fall in a hole. The first time you go through this, you'll probably run south past the first intersection, so either you fall down the hole before the boulder does, dropping you in the room with the menhirs underneath, or you'll run to the east path, which essentially leads to the same place whether you fall in the hole or reach the stairs at the south end. The only way forward is to lead the boulder to the westernmost tunnel from the eastern one, then let it roll down south at the last intersection.





If these boulders are anything like they were in DW3, we should be able to push them... but let's see if there's any need to.





: If this chest has what I came looking for, I don't think I'll ever be able to work for another merchant again. I'd put both elbows on the counter, close my eyes, and see this room.



: Welp, here's to wise career choices.







As long as we have the Iron Safe in our inventory, we no longer lose half our gold if we lose a fight. This essentially removes the usual DW death penalty (other than being sent back to a House of Healing). In normal circumstances this would be game-breaking, but given how the rest of this chapter is about to proceed, it's in fact an enormous kindness. That said, the Iron Safe is completely optional, and Taloon never has to set foot in this dungeon at all. It's just... well... he should.

Once the chest is open, the tile under our feet is not an open chest as we might expect: it's an ornate stone plate.



: Hmm... "To Those Who Travel in Search of Treasure: Return the treasure you've stolen to this place. Then the exit way will appear..."



: Pfft, no.

As soon as we step off the plate...



: Yikes!



: No button on this one... There must be something about that plate.



The door opens as we step back on.

: Ah, I get it.



: Okay, lessee...



: Yeah, that'll do.



Surprise! The whole deal with getting Old Tom to the House of Healing every morning was actually a boulder-pushing tutorial!











: Haha! Taloon, one, maker of unusually elaborate underground trap, zero.







: Sucks to be that guy.







This room used to be full of water. I'm not entirely sure why it didn't just drain down the stairs; maybe the button opened a trap door too.







So ends Chapter 3's first dungeon. It would have been easy to throw Taloon into a bunch of battles and basically say "you're like Ragnar but weaker, deal with it", but no, the place has a bunch of unique features and some mild puzzly stuff instead. The Chain Sickle you get inside is enough to one-shot any of the weak monsters in the cave, so you can basically walk in here at level 1 and do everything in one go.

: Dang, this adventuring stuff is a lot easier than I thought! No wonder we get so many randos at the shop.

Just as we leave the cavern entrance, we get into a random battle. Except the town music starts to play, and...



This is another Chapter 3 quirk: we occasionally meet fellow traveling merchants instead of monsters!



This one doesn't have anything we need, but it's an excellent occasion to free up inventory space; we get rid of our old Copper Sword and of our extra Leather Armor.


: ...here? In the middle of the wilderness? I'll... uh... think about it.






: You could say that, yeah.
: You'd better get the Iron Safe before you go south.
: Guess I'll be leaving soon, then!






: Oh my goodness, Neta, wait until you hear what I did today!

Speaking with Neta in the day is basically a free inn stay, and we get our Lunch in the morning as usual.


: Yeah, me too. I think it's about time I start really working on it. And it's pretty obvious it's not gonna to happen in Lakanaba.

: Heh... It feels good to hear you say it.

: Hohoho! There's my motivation to come back with some good news then!

It's canon, people: Taloon's a god in the sack.



: I love you, sweetheart. I promise, I'll be back as soon as I can.



: I might be off for a few days, so take good care of your mom while I'm gone, alright?

We drop a save, and we're on our way.









: Huh. I didn't know there's a village here. Guess it's been longer than I thought since I've been around.









: Hmm...





The lady near the water is going around in circles.


: Well, alright. Thanks for the warning, buddy.

That's a bit out of the left field for a western audience, but in Japanese folklore, foxes have a reputation for being sentient, shape-shifting supernatural tricksters.


: Ask me again when I haven't been walking all day, miss!


: It's not that it's not a nice place, but it depends on the local commercial zoning.

: Um... Bless you?
: Oops, I caught a cold?
: You need to dress a bit warmer than that, young lady. We're pretty far north!


: I decided to marry her and stay in this village. Ha, Ha, Ha.
: You go where love calls you, my good man.





: ...huh. You're pretty new at this, aren't you? I'll take one of those swords, but I won't be held responsible if your boss throws a fit.





We haven't actually received a Broad Sword; this is in fact a Cypress Stick. Yeah, that was too good to be true. There's no way to call the merchant on this nonsense, but we can sell him the Stick right back, and we're only out three gold. If we buy a Medical Herb...



Yikes.



Yyyyeah. No good.



: Fie on you and on your establishment!






: Nnnnnot really. Just a bit miffed, I guess.
: Really? Well, have a good trip!



: Buncha weirdos.







: ...wait, what?







We can go as far west or east as we want, we always end up in front of the village.



: Hello, Traveler! Are you lost?
: Yeah, I think I might be.

: Iiiii dunno. Well... I guess I'm pretty tired. But just the one night.






: What the f...









: I gotta get outta here!

We can leave quickly in any direction this time.

: So, foxes tricking people, then. With... subpar goods and low-quality accommodations. These are dangerous times!

[François]

We're free to continue our travels towards Endor; that whole fox trick episode was largely harmless, and we did get a free rest out of it. Better count our blessings!





We only encounter more Prank Gophers and Giant Worms around here; one such fight gets Taloon to level 3, for 2 Str, 1 Agi, 3 Vit, 1 Int, 1 Luc, and 5 HP.





A bit further south, we start running into Healers and Demon Stumps, who hit Taloon for 4 damage. It wouldn't have hurt to improve our armor before we left Lakanaba... but we still have Herbs and such, it's not a problem yet.



That's the bridge to Endor, still in the same state as it was when Alena was in the area. If we're really going to open a shop down there, we might have to do something about that!





Fortunately there is a castle just northeast of the broken bridge, so there's a chance we won't have to shame-walk back home empty-handed.








: I don't know if it was really foxes, but there's definitely bad mojo happening in the woods north of here!
: A dog could get rid of them.
: Hmm. I know someone with a dog, but there's a bit of an obedience problem.





Strangely enough, the weapon shop here is open at night. Taloon can make good use of an Iron Spear, but the Broad Sword is too heavy for him. In fact, among all our party members since the start, only Ragnar could equip a Broad Sword.





Nothing much going on back there.













That's a standard House of Healing, despite the nonstandard attendant. There's nothing left for us to do here tonight, so we get a room at the inn.





This is an item shop with the same selection as wandering merchants have had so far, no biggie.




: Huh, we get people in and out all the time, but if we're talking about natives... Oh, dang, I hope this isn't Tom's boy.
: To speak to him, you must evade the guards.
: Cripes, that's not the kind of business I was expecting to get into when I left. But if it really is him, I owe Tom news at least.


: I've nothing left to sell you.
: Not enough craftsmen around, eh? If I have one good thing to say about my old boss, it's that he kept us in supply.






: That's good to hear!
: Our King is determined to conquer it.
: Oh. Okay then. I guess war's good business for a weapons trader, but...

: Wait, there are monsters around, but you still have idiots trying to take over each other countries?
: Opportunists come in every stripe, it seems.
: That's one word for it.
: Kings. Are. Dicks.


: Oh, he's held up in the forest. He was talking about marrying a fox. I guess it's kind of weird that I didn't run into him in the morning.
: We can't invade Endor until he repairs the bridge!
: How awful.





: Yyyyyyeah, sure, I guess.

: How about this Leather Shield? It's barely used!


We paid 90 gold for it. It's more money than we'd get selling it at a regular shop, but still, no deal.

: Nah, sorry.
: Too bad.

He asks if we have anything else to sell him. If we try to pawn off our Leather Shield again...



: Sold!

So here's the notion here: Bonmalmo is hard up for defensive gear. Every time you try to sell the quartermaster here a suit of armor, a helmet or a shield, he offers a random price that can reach about 50% more than what you'd pay for it at an armor store. If we pick up another Shield in Lakanaba, we're 61 gold in the black.

: Alright, it's done. If you get more armor, come back.

We could sell our Armor as well, but then we'd be running on base defense power and that doesn't sit with me.

: It's almost too bad I want to be a weapon merchant. There's a racket waiting to be made in here.




: Da Gardi, an architect, should be able to repair it easily...


: Good day, Your Highness.
: Assuming you're a traveling merchant, I've a favor to ask you...
: Heh, I wonder what gave it away first. I'm listening!
: Meet me at night in the weapon shop's backyard.
: Hmm, alr-

As if on cue, the maid in the next room over barges in.




: Whoops, sorry miss, I took a wrong turn somewhere.
: Leave now!



: Man, folk are high-strung in here!


: I met an old man there who wanted to sell his shop.
: Oh! Wow! I hope that wasn't too long ago.

: Right, right, I remember. Looks like everything's coming up Taloon!













The two jail guards here patrol clockwise around the hall, and every time they reach a corner, they look back for an instant, which can be tricky. They have the same vision mechanics as the one guard in Endor back in Chapter 2, but you can't just walk right behind their backs here.


: Oh, I'm sorry lads, I was looking for the privy!

: Alright, I'll take my business elsewhere. Thanks for setting me straight!

We get kicked out of the prison, but we can go right in again.




: Gah, let this not be Tom's kid.
: I think he's from Lakanaba.
: ...oi.



Standing in this convenient alcove keeps you from being spotted by the guard turning back at the southeast corner.


: It's too bad we have to run into each other like this, but at least Tom will be glad to know you're alive.
: How stupid I was to get caught and sent to prison. No more thieving for me.
: Well, as long as you've learned your lesson...
: You're a merchant, right? Would you get me a Wing of Wyvern?
: Cripes, kid. I-I don't have one on me, but I'll think about it.





: I can't believe I'm doing this.





If we say no...



: Oh... Why is it always criminals who do this?
: B-
: Other than me, I mean.
: Such mysteries the world holds multitudes, my love.

: Yeah, yeah, okay, but I'm only helping you escape because I want your old man to stop worrying about you, alright?
: Thanks a lot! Don't worry, I'll work hard when I return to the town.
: Heh, I guess there's a store with a position to fill.
: I'll see you then, OK?
: Sure thing. Say hi to your dad for me.





And he flies off, never mind the ceiling.

: That's done. Better hear what Prince Reed has to say, then.

On our way out...







All that's left now is to wait for sunset. Let's check out the rest of the region, while we're at it.







Welp, that's it. It's an ominous cave for sure, but beyond our reach. As we hunt down critters to pass the time, a fight against a Demon Stump gets Taloon to level 4, for 2 Str, 2 Agi, 3 Vit, 1 Luc, and 6 HP. He's getting a steady if unremarkable amount of combat stats, but those HP increases are rather decent!





The prince's maid comes running out of the castle as we come in, but she doesn't seem interested in accosting us.



: That's my cue.






: With clothes like that, you're hard to miss. But I guess that makes two of us, heh.
: I'd like you to go to Endor as soon as the bridge is repaired.
: Sure, I can do that.
: And hand this letter to the Princess of Endor.



: Ah-ha! Courtly intrigue! That'll be a change of pace from all the sword-swinging!
: ...yaaaaaaay.

: Alright, I can do that for you, no problem.
: I'm counting on you!





: And now, just to make sure it doesn't say "behead this peasant" or anything...

: That's a legitimate concern!











: Yeah, that's about as much as someone like me needs to know. So! To deliver that letter, I need to fix the bridge. The bridge can't be fixed without this da Gardi fellow. Da Gardi is about to have a wedding night he won't soon forget, unless I find a fox hound. Or... failing that, maybe a regular dog will do. Time to head back home!









We reach Lakanaba at the crack of dawn.




: Ha, no problem. I hope that someone helps out my boy if he's ever in trouble one day.

: Sure, why not?








: Don't mention it. Or, well... I have a bit of a favor to ask.
: Yes, I'll reward you.
: Nah, nothing like that. Take care of your dad and we're square enough. But... I could use a dog for a bit. There's some wildlife back south that needs taking care of.
: What? You just want to borrow my dog, Tov?
: That's the long and short of it, yeah.
: No problem. He loves to hunt foxes. I'm sure he'll be a great help.




: Hohoho! Who's a good boy?
: Tov, always obey Taloon.
: Alright then, I'll bring him back in a jiffy. Come along, Tov!







Neta doesn't seem to mind we've brought a canine companion with us this time.





Before we go, we stop at the armor shop to pick up a suit of Chain Mail, as well as a Leather Hat and a replacement Leather Shield. We could sell our Leather Armor and get a suit of Bronze Armor instead of all this, but we can turn a profit off any armor we sell in Bonmalmo, so gradual defensive upgrades are basically free.



Tov follows us around just as Flora did back in Chapter 1; he also won't participate in combat at all. Not that we'd need him to, really.





: Alright then boy, time to show these foxes who's boss!





As soon as we set foot in the village proper, Tov dashes off ahead of us.













: Haha, nice work!



: And what? Do you think I like Gum Pods and Cypress Sticks?
: It's too late... my supernatural power is...



The screen flashes white a few time, then fades to black as if we had rested at an inn again. But this time, when we come to...


: I don't know, my friend's dog is really hungry!


: So, criminals and trickster foxes then.
: ...right.
: How do I know you're not a-
: Don't push it.
: Heh.





Oof, full inventory. It would be nice to know what we're getting before deciding what to discard. Let's bet on it being more valuable than a Leather Hat. (No, I'm not throwing away the Lunch. Come on.)



: Huh, and it's the real deal, too! I guess that's worth a bit of forgiveness.





Just as the fox leaves, da Gardi comes in from the east.


: You almost married an animal is what happened, buddy.
: When I woke up, the village was gone...
: It was an illusion for sure. That broken bridge to the south is no illusion, though.
: That's right! I was supposed to go to Bonmalmo Castle... I have to go now. Excuse me!



Aaaand he's gone. As for that Full Plate...



It's too heavy for Taloon, but it ought to fetch a good price at the castle. We really should return Tov to his owner first, though.



We can return to the fox village, but the illusion is well and truly dispelled, and there is only the empty clearing from this point on.




: Sure thing. He's been a great help!
: Good boy, Tov. Now, go back to your cage. I wish you the best of luck, Taloon.







: And now I wonder why he keeps him caged all the time. But seeing how he manhandled that fox, maybe it's for the best.



Whew, to Bonmalmo again. This may feel like it's a lot of walking back and forth, but you can easily travel with Wings if you feel like saving some time. I'd rather get a bit of experience on the way, though.




: What, really? I wonder how he managed it!
: Oh well, he was such a small time criminal, nobody cares.
: Heh, fair enough.


: An architect did all the work on its own? That's kind of impressive!
: Now I can invade Endor. Ha, Ha, Ha!



: ...I hope I can make it there before he gets his levies in order...

Visiting the quartermaster, we let our old Leather Armor go for 191 gold, and...


: Yes please.

Considering you'd usually buy Full Plate for 3500 gold, let's say this whole fox episode has been mighty profitable!


: I'm sure he'll fix the bridge soon!




: Thanks for the update.

Before we leave again, we upgrade Taloon's Chain Sickle to an Iron Spear, taking his attack power from 30 to 38.





: For all of da Gardi's questionable taste in women, he sure builds a mean bridge.



So for the first time, we get to set foot on familiar ground. I do rather hope we won't run into squads of Skeletons, Rogue Knights and Pteranodons just yet, though.



Whew, okay, more Demon Stumps, and Lilypa are back. We can handle that. The Lilypa does hit for 7 damage, so we'll want better armor very soon. This fight gets Taloon to level 5, for 2 Str, 2 Agi, 4 Vit, 1 Int, 1 Luc, and 8 HP (!).



: Man, that da Gardi guy's on a roll!

We could explore this area in the east that was closed-off to Alena... but first: Endor.







Endor does have a functioning armor shop still. The Iron Apron and Iron Shield are the obvious buys here, so we make the upgrade. Our Chain Mail is worth hanging on to for now, but we get rid of our Leather Shield here to make some room.




: Yeah! I'm going to open a shop and everything!
: There are many ways to make money here, I guess.




: Hoho! My traveling days are over for a while, but if anyone's looking for help, I'll point them in your direction!
: Well, if you change your mind, please come see me.

We could in fact hire this fellow to travel with us on a temporary basis... but it's not like we're going to get into a lot of fights from here on out, is it?


: Nah, I'm just trying to open a shop.
: Oops! Forget what I said then. Ha, Ha, Ha.
: Okay, okay, you got me. I'm all about profiting off the fine arts.
: Me too. I'm certain it will fetch a great price.



This time, as we reach the underground casino, the music does not switch to the casino theme. In fact, the place looks rather deserted. Gold is too important for Taloon; the game won't take the chance of letting us blow all our money on coins.



Oh, maybe it's not so deserted after all!



: Ha! Finally! Now I know we're gonna get started on some real action real soon!

: Hiya, stranger.

: I came here hoping that the person I've been looking for might be at the tournament... But it's over and the Casino also seems to be closed for a while.
: Ah, that's a shame. But hey, if you keep looking, I'm sure you'll find them one day. I just saw a friend and his son get reunited after who knows how long. Good things still happen in this world. You have to remember that.





: Wait, what? No! NO! COME ON!
: What's the problem?
: Why aren't they joining up?
: Why would they join up?
: One is a merchant trying to start his business career, the other is a soldier traveling the world looking for a prophesied hero. What could possibly bring them together?
: ...
: ...
: ...yes, fine, that's not the best way to put it, considering.
: That's still a good point, Alvaro. They have no reason to join forces.
: No, wait, what if Taloon's kid is the hero? Isn't Ragnar supposed to protect all children?
: He doesn't know Taloon has a kid.
: Huh...
: Hmm-mmm.
: Dammit, I just want to see asses being kicked by a proficient ass-kicker again. Is that too much to ask?
: Everyone has to start somewhere. I think this Taloon has potential! Did you not see his Gopher-kebab move? In one swift gesture, slain and ready to roast. Glorious!
: Heh... Yeah, okay, it was a little glorious maybe.

[François]

Alright everyone, welcome back to this Let's Play of Dragon Warrior IV, where we... search for suitable commercial-use real estate!


: Yeah, I just heard about it! It's a shame I didn't make it here sooner, I could have made a mint.


: What's going on?

At least Necrosaro took the stronger critters with him when he skipped town.





Being in a wealthy kingdom, the item shop in Endor has a bigger selection than Taloon is used to seeing. We pick up a Wooden Hat.




: Still, we can't use up all our money. He, He, He.
: Hey, it's no good if you don't spend it.


: I hear the Silver Statue exists somewhere.
: Oooh, right, I heard about that too.
: I want it. I don't care what it costs.
: Duly noted!


: Something dreadful may be happening somewhere...

: I wonder if it's connected to what happened to Santeem.
: There's no way that Necrosaro character is sitting still.



At 35 attack power compared to the Iron Spear's 28, the Abacus of Virtue is right up Taloon's alley. Its Expel special effect is also an excellent panic button. If we had managed to get a +45 Sword of Malice in the Lakanaba shop's inventory, it would be better to save up for it at this point, but we'll be fine without.

Oh, and... I don't usually post out-of-game art because I prefer to let the game speak for itself, but I'm going to make an exception for the Abacus of Virtue, just in case you're wondering how you're supposed to fight with an abacus.



You put it at the end of a pole, and you whack suckers over the head with it. Ah, polearms, so versatile.


: That's the adventurer's dilemma, my good man.

: Sorry, I'm not seeing the need right now. Maybe later!
: Oh well. If you change your mind, come see me.

Just like the spellcasting bard at the inn, we could get this fellow to join us for a bit, but we're hardly in the cave-raiding business anymore.





: Hmm... I wonder... This isn't a bad location, all things considered.



: Excuse me sir, but I was wondering if the shop here is occupied.

: Yup.
: I'm old and plan to retire after selling it... Is there anyone who has the King's permission to do business and wants to buy my shop?
: Ah... The King's permission. Well, I don't have that. Sorry for taking up your time!



: Gah, I hope delivering Prince Reed's letter won't make the royals mad somehow.







The chest Alena opened here is still empty. Taloon's had decent HP growth so far though, and she needed those Lifeforce Nuts more than he does.





It's fine, we had no reason to get in the coliseum again anyway.


: No, not yet. I hope that'll change soon!
: Then you came to sell the King something.
: What? No, I-
: We don't deal with new merchants unless they've got something extraordinary. You should forget it.
: Look, I'm not here to sell the King anything, I just have a message for a VIP.
: If so, proceed through this door.
: Whew, much obliged.


: But he suddenly disappeared. I wonder why.
: Huh. Maybe that's who Ragnar was after.




: Hmm!


: The soldiers in this Castle are still using copper swords. It's a shame...
: Hmm-mmm!

: Man, that's some incredible timing.




: Miss, I think it's pretty obvious that I also have a keen interest in gastronomy.





: Here goes nothing.



: I hope this day finds you well, Your Majesty! My name is Taloon, and I'm an arms trader from Lakanaba.




If we say no...



But this is no time to be facetious!

: Ah, yes, you're very perceptive.
: I heard your request. I'll think about it. You can leave now.
: You're too kind. Thank you for giving me this moment of your time.



: That was a bust, but I haven't said my last word.


: Indeed it was, and I even passed through Bonmalmo on the way. Speaking of which!

If we Appraise the Letter...



And when we read it...












: You do not need to worry.
: With all due respect, Your Highness, King Bonmalmo looked mighty chuffed at the notion of invading Endor. I'd be taking him seriously if I was you.
: Taloon is the name, isn't it? Would you take this scroll ot the King of Bonmalmo?
: Oh! S-sure! Your request honors me!



: Please hurry.
: Will do!




: It's not the time for us humans to be fighting each other. Help prevent the war, and I'll give you permission to own a shop.

: Ah, see? This one's not such a dick after all.
: I don't know, he's still climbing himself out of the hole of having nearly married his daughter to a murderer.


: Ooooh! Tell me more!
: Whoever possessed it was able to ascend into the sky.
: Huh. I wonder how much it'd go for on the open market.



Aaaaand that's it for daytime Endor. We don't have our shop, but we certainly have another mission, so we rest up at the inn and get on with it.





Back in Bonmalmo, we sell our old Chain Mail for 410 gold, as well as our Iron Shield for 782, turning a modest profit on both. We'll just replace the Shield once we get back to Endor.



: If you'll excuse me, Your Highness, I happen to have a diplomatic missive for you.



: Oh, is that so? If my son, Reed, marries the Princess of Endor, he'll be the next king of Endor. I won't have to invade Endor.
: Congratulations on independently coming up with the notion of alliance by marriage, Your Majesty.
: I appreciate what you've done. I'll dispatch a messenger right away. You can go now.





: Whew, crisis averted. I can't wait to tell Neta her hubby prevented a war, heheh.


: I'm looking forward to our marriage!
: It'll be a bit weird coming from me, but okay!





We arrive in Endor just after sunset, which is just as well, since we haven't checked it out at night yet.


: It's not easy to get his permission.
: Takes a lot more walking than I expected, for sure!


: Huh... I guess things are getting worse than I thought. I can't wait to have my family settled here.


: In the cave? I wonder if that's the same cave that mercenary was talking about.
: My husband is such a coward.
: ...I hope Neta never has a reason to talk like that about me.


: Not in the way I'd like, but yeah, I can't complain.
: That's good.

If we say no...

: Well, keep trying!


: At least, I bet whoever's in charge of taking care of that is going to need a weapon or two.



We still have to sneak into the castle, but it's a lot easier than in Bonmalmo.


: Growing up? I guess we have to hang on to our butts a little while longer, then.


: I just don't know what to believe...
: Eh... If you can't do anything about it, just focus on taking care of the people close to you, right?



: That's... one way to put it.





The Princess still can't sleep, but this time it's for a different reason!

Aaaand that's it.





: Good news, Princess! Prince Reed of Bonmalmo asked me to tell you he's looking forward to your marriage!

: Heh, so much for Alena becoming Queen of Endor, then. Oh well.


: Taloon is your name, is it not? Thank you so much. I'm so grateful.
: I'm happy to help, my lady.


: I received the message from the King of Bonmalmo. Thanks for your help. As promised, I give you permission to own a shop.
: Thank you, Your Majesty. I promise you won't regret it!



: Whew, alright, I can finally own my own shop! Time to see that old man!



: Good news, sir! I have the King's permission!


: Oof. That's kind of a steal, but...

: ...I... Uh... Um. I have 1500 gold on me. I don't suppose you'd take a deposit?




: Ugh... I should have expected a shop like this in a city like this to have one heck of a price tag. But I'm not going to let that stop me!

We could in fact make 35000 gold by selling Endor armor to Bonmalmo, or just killing monsters... but we have another lead, right? A certain rich man, looking for a certain statue!


: As it so happens, I'm mounting an expedition. Welcome aboard!




: You've got moxie, kid. Pack up, there's treasure out there!



So, Strom and Laurent!





Strom is a basic Soldier-type in every respect, though since he's a guest character just like Healie was, he has to make do with the gear of middling quality he comes with.







Seeing as Laurent knows Firebal, Heal, and Sleep, he's closest to a DW3 Sage. His defensive gear is crummy, but that Venomous Dagger has good potential if he chooses to attack with it. Of course, he's also a guest character, so you don't control him in battle and can't get him to heal you outside of combat.





Strom has a lot more HP than Taloon does, but his inferior equipment means he takes more damage; if we put him in front, Laurent will have to spend a lot of MP healing him, so we keep him in the second row. He does have huge attack power though, justifying the price of his contract.

Speaking of which, from here on out, every time we rest at an inn or see a sunrise on the overworld, both our new comrades' contract ticks over, and at the beginning of the sixth day, they'll immediately leave, and make themselves available for hire again if we choose to. Hopefully we can do what we need to do before we blow another thousand gold.

: Alright fellows, we're looking for a cave with a Silver Statue in it. Strom, you've heard about that, right?
: Well, yeah, but it's not like I know where it is. I was kinda hoping whoever hired me would have a map or something.
: So you're just the muscle, then.
: I sure am!
: That wasn't a comp-
: What about you, Laurent? Do you know?
: Ah, well, no.
: So I'm the brains, then. Fair enough. I did see a cave across a river northeast of Bonmalmo. Maybe we can get to it from the bridge just east of here.
: I'm with you wherever you're going, boss.
: ...! Boss? Heh. Yeah, I guess that's right. Let's get moving then, gentlemen.

: Yes! Let's!



Before we go exploring eastward, let's have a look to the northwest and see if we can go to Santeem.






: Ooooh, right, I heard about that!
: Find it and give it to someone with a noble heart to save this world!
: ..."give it". Right. Ehhhh...


: Nah, I'm good on that.
: I'll take an application.
: You don't much seem like the type.
: If this treasure hunting gig doesn't work out, it's good to have a backup plan.
: I paid you in advance, it's already worked out for you.
: Heh, yeah, I guess so!
: Oh, brother.





The guard gets up from his seat at the table and blocks our way as we try to leave.


: Ah, that's where Alena came from.
: Right, the champion! Man, that was a cool bunch of fights.
: Hmm. Do you know if she's looking for work?
: No, she disappeared shortly after Necrosaro did and nobody's heard of her since. Odd timing, that.
: Oh well.





: Oh cripes, come on, he should know better than to cast Firebal on these chumps!
: He knows he's casting on somebody else's dime. What do you think happens when he runs out of juice? They all have to rest up, and that's a day on the contract.
: Okay, that's cunning. Hey, Fia, how come I didn't get paid by the day?
: Family discount.
: Heh, figures.









Oof, Blazeghosts are popping up after sunset, that's a bad scene. We can't rely on ice damage anymore either. Here, Taloon takes care of the Stump so we won't have to worry about it healing its ally, and hopefully the others will take out the Blazeghost.



Oh! Alright then. I'm pretty sure Blazeghosts are resistant to fire damage, but apparently they're not completely immune. We get a Leather Shield for our trouble; I'd like to sell it in Bonmalmo, but it'll be first to go if we get something more valuable.



Ah, more late Chapter 1 critters. Taloon and Strom don't do well with Sap, so they're still dangerous. This fight gets Taloon to level 6, for 1 Str, 2 Agi, 2 Vit, and 5 HP.



: That the place?
: It's not the cave I saw, but let's check it out all the same.







: Hiya sir. You haven't seen a Silver Statue around here, have you?

: I dreamt of owning a ship and retrieving all the treasures of the world.
: It's good to dream big!
: But I ran out of money and I'm getting old too.
: Time makes fools of us all, I'm afraid.

: Thaaaaaat's a lot of money.
: Ah, I'd like to help, but I need to invest in my own dream first. Maybe once I strike it rich!
: Too bad...











: Welp, there it is. Let's go!



And that's our next dungeon: a test of courage, ingenuity and strength!

: About frikkin' time!

[Friday]

Oh, Zed, you bloodthirsty freak.

This is the chapter my brother got stuck on because we didn't own the game so he'd rent it and get to this part and start the gp grind but always run out of time.

And of course, on re-rent later, the file was always overwritten with FUCK.

[Rico]

I owned the DWs, but I definitely remember renting an SNES and SMW for a weekend, not quite getting through the Special Zone, and sneaking a polite note into the case to please not overwrite that file.

It, of course, got FUCKed.

[François]

Alright then, where's that Silver Statue?



Good grief, that's a big step up in difficulty from the critters outside. This trip is going to be limited by Laurent's MP, so we need to take out Sand Masters first before they drain him dry.





Oh hey, finally a new enemy for this chapter! Elefrovers have 28 HP, 22 attack, 16 defense, and 10 agility, with no special abilities. Taloon and Laurent can work together to take one down in a round, and Strom can one-shot them. It's not completely impossible to grind up Taloon so he's able to come in here alone and hold his own while making significant progress, but it's a lot less time-consuming to just hire a crew.



It's a good thing Ducksbills are so squishy, because we definitely don't want them to land Sap spells when they're accompanied by heavier hitters. This fight gets Taloon to level 7, for 2 Str, 2 Agi, 3 Vit, 1 Int, and 4 HP.



: That Statue is probably not on the first floor. Let's head down.



: Huh.
: I don't suppose either of you are up for a swim.
: Not with Elefrovers in there, anyway.
: Yeah, that's above my pay grade.
: Eh, don't worry about it. Maybe there's another way, or maybe the Silver Statue is somewhere else. Come on, let's go back up.

As we get to the first floor again...



...a Sand Master drops a Broad Sword. We definitely ditch the Leather Shield we picked up on the way to make some space.



: What the...
: Why would there be a boat here?



: Looks sturdy enough. Can't have been here long.
: Welp, I'm not looking a gift boat in the mouth. All aboard!





: It looks like there's a hole ahead!
: There is!
: Shouldn't we head the other way?
: There's no other way!



: Can we discuss hazard pay?
: All contract terms are finaaaaaaaaaal-



: See? We're fine.
: Ah...
: Not everyone's cut out to be an adventurer, buddy.





Another mid-late Chapter 2 critters. At least if a Flythrope manages to silence Laurent, he won't be wasting his MP for a bit.





We already had a pair of Wings, and I'm not even sure we were going to keep them. It's nice of the game to give unprepared folk a quick way back to Endor... if they manage to make it out of the cave in the first place.



Gah, a Poison Lizard. Laurent can't cast Antidote, and we don't have much room to carry Herbs; this could turn bad pretty fast. A Firebal cast and Abacus bonk handle this one before it can do any harm, fortunately. Taloon gets to level 8 here, for 3 Str, 2 Agi, 2 Vit, 1 Luc, and 5 HP.

: Another inaccessible chest... There must be some kind of trick to this place.
: Yeah, we'll figure something out. How are you doing on juice?
: N-not great.
: We might have to pull back for now.
: Where's the way out again?
: Up that waterfall, I suppose.
: I don't think I like that answer.
: No one would dig up this place just to make a guaranteed death trap. We'll find a way.





: These statues are pouring water... Hmm.
: Sure would be handy if they'd flood this place, what with the boat and all.
: You might be on to something.






: These treasures are waiting for men of quality, no doubt.
: I don't pay you to sass randos, Laurent.
: I like to provide unexpected value to my employers. Think of it as a bonus.
: I especially don't pay you to sass me.
: ...got it.



Laurent spends his last 3 MP on healing Strom here. It's gettting dangerous!











: Ha, I knew we'd find a way.





Huh, this Vampire Bat started the fight afflicted with the confusion ailment. I had completely forgotten this could happen! Taloon gets to level 9 afterwards, for 3 Str, 1 Agi, 3 Vit, 1 Int, 1 Luc, and 5 HP. Merchants do level up quickly!











: Ah, we know this place.
: In a manner of speaking.
: Come on, don't give up yet. We're not that far below the surface now.





: Hello, what's this?
: Some kind of magic dingus.
: You're a magic dingus.
: ...
: ...
: Okay, okay, not my best work.
: Well then, I'm stepping on the magic dingus. Don't try this at home!


: No button left unpushed!

The ground rumbles for a few seconds, and the loud noise of rushing water fills the cavern.

: That sound... Did something flood?
: Aight kids, we're going back down.



We discard our Wings to get that one. The next battle earns us an Iron Spear, and Taloon throws away his Wooden Hat to make room.



: The water's gone!
: With any luck, it flowed to the floor below.
: Alright, let's get us some loot!
: Nah, Laurent's in a bad way. Let's just go back to Endor.
: Eh, fine.
: T-thank you...



: Gah, no room. We'll leave it for some other time.

It's a shame we can't get Laurent and Strom to carry stuff for us, but they're combat support, not pack mules.











Man, if all these chests contain items, it'll take several trips just haul everything out of there.



Ah, nice, we run into a merchant right out of the cave. We sell the Broad Sword and Iron Spear we found; the rest I'll want to keep for Bonmalmo. Just the 1500 gold we get for the Sword more than pays for our bodyguards, so we're already in the black for this expedition. We also pick up two Wings of the Wyvern, one to take us to Bonmalmo, one to take us back to Endor afterwards. I don't want to take the chance of walking to Endor, possibly arriving in the morning tomorrow and essentially wasting a contract day at the inn.











Since we're flying to Endor anyway, we can sell all of Taloon's defensive gear here and replace it for cheap before we leave tomorrow. In fact, we won't even buy another Wooden Hat so we have one more free inventory space.



We pick up a few Medical Herbs to save on Lauren't MP, then rest up, and leave again.





: Do you think the water's still where we left it?
: Gah, I dare hope so.



: Whew, we're good. Let's check out the other chests on this floor.

A Sand Master drops another suit of Half Plate. Man, Taloon really has an eye for finding the good stuff!



Strom can one-shot Giant Bantams, but I don't look forward to seeing them accompanied later.





Taloon levels up here, for 3 Str, 1 Agi, 3 Vit, 1 Int, 1 Luc, and 3 HP.



Just like the Morning Star near the entrance, we leave this one here for later.





: Haha, score!

Taloon's dungeons are all about manipulating the environment. I dig it!






: Whuh-oh, sorry. I had no idea.
: But I survived that ordeal and got to the treasure chests. Sorry!
: ...great.
: Welp, it can't be helped. Enjoy it in good health, friend.







: So what do we do now?
: He might have missed something. We keep looking!



Aw crap, we're all poisoned now, that's a huge bummer. It's not bad enough that we need to turn back right away, but it's still no fun.





: Heh, missed that one.

We have to leave it for later as well.



Oh hey, we don't take poison damage while we're on the boat. Nice!



Better hang on to our Medical Herbs for now. We leave the Armor behind.





: It's gotta be down there, right?
: Keep your fingers crossed, boys.







: That's... this is something else!
: This is why we're doing this, right?
: Yyyyyyeah!

We use an Herb on Laurent to make room.



: Ah... That's a beauty right there.
: I'll say!

There's no unique Appraisal for the Statuette, just the same "What an awesome object!" as for the Iron Safe.

: Alright, time to haul her back home. Good work, lads.





A Vampire Bat fight earns us another Broad Sword. We gonna make it rain!



Aaand we're out.



Out, but hardly safe. Taloon's got 16 HP left, and it's a long way to Endor. With any luck we'll run into another merchant!

Taloon levels up on the way, for 2 Str, 2 Agi, 2 Vit, 1 Int, and 4 HP.

: Boss, you're looking pale.
: Heh... yeah... maybe...
: Let me take point for a bit, will you? I'm your bodyguard, after all.
: Right... T-thanks.





That Blazeghost could easily one-shot Taloon. Better put our Abacus to work!



Whew.



...gah!



Close. But then...



: N... Ne...
: Boss!
: Mister Taloon! Hang on!
: Neta... love... you...

Oof. Poison damage will absolutely kill you outside of battle, and guest characters being alive does not count against party wipe. No cigar!









Well, okay, it's a bit of false drama here. The Iron Safe protects our stash, and we're just sent back to the House of Healing where we last saved. Namely, Bonmalmo's.



Strom and Laurent are still poisoned and wounded, so Taloon lets them take advantage of his competitive health care plan.



: Oof, can't let that happen again.
: You had us worried for a minute back there.
: Who's Neta, by the way?
: ...that's my wife.
: Isn't it a bit reckless for a married man to go traipsing around in caves?
: If I gave up on my dreams, she'd never forgive me.
: Sounds like a good catch.
: The best!

We could sell the Half Plate and Broad Sword we got from enemy drops... but I'm hanging on to them for Reasons. We do get to sell an extra Chain Sickle though, leaving us with 9298 gold to our name.



: Alright guys, you get a day off. Well deserved!









Dang, nice.






: Have I got great news for you, good sir!

: The very same!
: I'll pay 20000... no, 25000 gold pieces ofr it! Will you sell it to me?
: Hot damn!
: Goodness.
: Poker face, boys.
: ...right.
: I'm sure a man as wealthy as you can do a bit better than that!
: No? If you change your mind, come back anytime and sell it to me.
: T-that's a lot of money, boss.
: Fine, it's yours. Can't blame a guy for trying!
: Thank you so much!


: Can't argue with that.
: ...by the way, I hear there once was a sword called the Zenithian Sword.
: I want it a little more every time I hear about it.
: I want it. I don't care what it costs.
:



: So... How about-
: I put up the cash up front, I put all the risk around my neck, I get to collect on the back end. That's business.
: Ah... fair enough...
: I hope one day to be as merciless as you.



We have 34330 gold, which is 670 short of our target. We could sell a Half Plate or Broad Sword, but again, I want to hang on to those for Reasons. We still have our crew, though. Let's go pick up the Morning Star we left near the entrance of the cave, it'll be enough.



Oh hey, Carnivore Plants also show up in eastern Endor, neat.



Ah, another Broad Sword. It fills our last inventory slot. That's... half sub-optimal and half excellent. Oh well. Never mind that Morning Star; we turn back right away. We'll just have to sell Taloon's Iron Shield instead. I promise this will make sense later!



Ding ding ding ding! That's 35024 gold!




: I wish you the greatest, most fulfilling retirement, sir!


: Brings a tear to the eye, it does.



Heh, the level-up jingle plays here. Great touch!


: Haha, thanks for believing in me!
: I'll work hard from now on!
: I know you've always worked hard, Neta. It's just going to be different work now.
: Let's work together to make this the world's greatest shop!

: Wooooo!
: Pfft, get a room! Heheh!
: I do believe we just did!

[Friday]

I had no idea "smack" was a sound effect for a kiss as a kid, so I just assumed DQ couples were really into slapstick as some weird japanese joke.

[nosimpleway]

I promise this will make sense later!

I don't actually remember how this chapter progresses but everything you've done so far has been to deal in real estate. Once Torneko here has his shop, he still needs to stock it. Might as well be with broadswords.