Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:19 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
Guess who had another late night session that’s getting tweeted 12 hours later?
Let’s see, our friends from the past just made a deal with the devil, named themselves Malpercio, and now we need to go kill Wiseman. SURE.
Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:23 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
First is obviously checking other places. Rasalas still looks the same but the magnus’d villagers have new lines: they could feel the people in Naos get slaughtered. Huh.
Villager 1: “I had a terrible dream... People get killed left and right. You don’t think—“ Villager 2: “Was there some sort of trouble in Naos? I get the most awful feeling...” Villager 2: “It’s so strange. Whenever I try to leave the village, it’s like something pushes me back.” Villager 3: “Maybe it’s just me, but I can feel that sort of thing now more strongly than before.”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:26 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
I’ve also split out that savefile and kept a savestate, because I found a bug! This isn’t a Sagi line, the portrait is wrong.
I haven’t nailed the exact repro yet, but this is a clear dialogue status corruption glitch so might indicate something usable for speedrunners.
Dialog from the Caretaker of Matar, but with Sagi’s portrait displayed: “The [red text] heartfall rain [end red text] of the highlands is said to crush the hearts of unwary travelers.”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:27 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
“From a save at the Naos flower after Seph and the others had the talk on the deck, talk to everyone in Rafalas, then to the caretaker” is what I currently have as repro steps. I suspect it’s more than is necessary to break things.
Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:31 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
Cujam is empty of people. The ceremony? Atria? Thoran, you’re the one who can’t stand a lack of explanations, since when do you know things
Thoran: “Whoa... There’s nobody here! What’s going on?!” Pieda: “Did they start the ceremony?” Seph: “We’re too late!” Thoran: “If they started the ceremony... They must be in Atria!”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:34 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
The only ones still around are some ghostly villagers and a bunch of caplins, plus a Subtle Hint Of Future Puzzle I’d wager.
Villager 1: “I was turned to magnus by Wiseman, but I suppose I wasn’t ready to let go, so here I remain.” Villager 2: “They’re suckers for [blue text] heartenbrace [end blue text], you know. We can’t have them ambling off to Matar for a snack.”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:36 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
To Atria then... ER OKAY THIS ESCALATED QUICKLY. Everything’s on fire and there are dragons everywhere?
Unknown Land map, revealing The Battlefields od Atria. A large expanse of desert, dragons flying overhead as Milly runs in. Title card: “The Battlefields of Atria”. Milly: “Look! So many dragons!”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:45 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
I guess “the rumors” are about the dragon alliance but why, what for, what’s the end goal, gaaaaaame you were finally starting to give me answers.
Also those dragons are very cheaply animated and look very silly
Seph: “The rumors were true...” Seph: “The Dark Brethren will come. We have to find Wiseman!”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:50 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
The main thing here is combat and navigating around walls of fire. The off-brand Bombs are super aggressive, the humans throw magic that slows you down, then charge, you get to fight the dragons, weeeee.
Inspection text: “This [blue text] blaze [end blue text] seems to be lit with magic. It shows no sign of dwindling.” Sagi standing at the bottom of the screen, in a mostly empty desert with some fire, some monsters, and some winged people. Sagi having freshly been hit by magic and being charged by a winged human. Combat screen, the party facing a purple dragon and a winged human.
Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:56 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
Make it to a rock bridge, end up extremely surrounded...
Thoran: “How many of them do we have to fight? Look at their eyes! They’re totally gone!” Pieda: “Wiseman is manipulating them. They’re lost in their own hearts!” Ven: “H-Here they come! We’re surrounded!” Seph: “Gather together, everyone! Don’t wander away!”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:59 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
I wonder what’s going to hap- DAMNIT SAGI.
Interesting that the others notice this time?
Thoran: “Hey, Marno! What’s wrong?! Hey!!” Sagi: “Duh.... rrrar... hnng... Rrrraaaaaaaaagh!” Milly: “What’s going on? What’s happening now?” Guillo: “Stop fussing. It’s the same as always. We’re back in our own world.”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 03:18 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
Sagi’s not taking the failure well at all, it seems.
Guillo: “Sagi, we should retreat for now. Call Verus.” Guillo: “It’s too late for the afterling. And we’d have to be mad to take on that machina arma...” Sagi: “......” Guillo: “Sagi!”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 03:20 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
Valara turns to us, being a jerk AT LENGTH...
Guillo: “Blast! Here they come! Hmph. We seem to have a flair for finding ourselves surrounded.” Valara: “It’s about time I broke off this dead-end relationship you and I seem to have.” Valara: “You know, I always thought you were an OK kid.” Valara: “But work is work. I’m sure you understand. Now say goodbye!”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 03:23 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
It’s the usual machina arma fight: we survive doing no damage but taking a lot, until a scripted heavy hit, at which point the baddie decides to spare us for unclear reasons.
The party facing Valara in her machina arma. Valara huttint the party with a whole lot of VFX. The party flat on the ground. Valara: “Walk away now and I’ll spare you. Go anywhere you want... just not here.”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 03:26 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
And just like previously, the Imperials keep doing their mysterious thing and we walk away.
Where the heck is Corellia and did her entire army get squashed, though?
Valara: “Collect the afterling!” Valara: “The rest of you get back to work on promachination. No slacking!” Guillo: “Let’s go. We’re not strong enough to win.”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 03:30 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
Sagi, somewhat understandably, is beyond fed up by losing all the time and decides to take a baseball bat to the fourth wall.
We never did get any hint of how Sagi ended up a spiriter, hmm.
Sagi: “What are guardian spirits good for?! Lia!” Sagi: “You’re supposed to give me legendary power! Well, where the hell is it?” Sagi: “We couldn’t even touch that machina arma!” Sagi: “It’s always the same! Diadem, Sadal Suud... now Anuenue!”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 03:35 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
I don’t know where that’s going to go but it’s certainly INTERESTING. Both dialog options lead to the same Guillo answer.
(Also featuring fixed spirit gender)
Hopefully the “intense desperation leading to evil deal” thing from the past doesn’t get repeated here........ right?
Sagi: “Tell me! What are you?! How do I know you’re not just some figment of my imagination!” Sagi: “Still... Lia, what ARE you?”
Dialog choice: “A guardian spirit” and “Not sure”. Guillo: “Sagi, that’s enough! If you don’t believe in him, who will?”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 03:36 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
The other two pull Sagi back onto the Main Plot Rollercoaster, and that’s it for now.
Guillo: “Let’s go, Milliarde. We need to get those branches from Corellia.” Milly: “Sagi, come on.”
Lia @liareplaysbk · 03:37 PM · Sep 26, 2021 Permalink
From here I’ve got a bunch of things to check again, some upgrading and mixing and stuff to do, but I guess that 1) the palace is the next stop 2) things are going to get very very messy very very soon.
We’ll see!