Lia's BK tweets archive - 2021-11-28: Check around Alfard, Sheratan

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:13 PM · Nov 27, 2021 Permalink

Alright! Turns out we’re playing the evil god of legend, Shanath is dead, Sagi got a power boost and can now kick machina arma ass, I have no idea where this plot is going, ONWARDS

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:52 PM · Nov 27, 2021 Permalink

Very few changes in Alfard, but there are some, er, interesting snippets, you’ll see. And I’ve got free movement again so I guess it’s rererererevisit day.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:53 PM · Nov 27, 2021 Permalink

Oh, or not! Free cursor but Sagi complains. Good, that makes more sense.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:43 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

Greater Mintaka is mostly unchanged. There’s a bit of new dialog, and access to a previously blocked room. It holds Bathtub Facts this time.

Greater Mintaka citizen 1: “Just what was that monster that appeared at the council meeting?”

Greater Mintaka citizen 2: “I hear the new emperor’s been chosen and Mintaka is one big party. Maybe I’ll go take a peek,”

Greater Mintaka citizen 3: “Just as I said, Lord Baelheit was chosen as the next emperor.”

Inspection text: “This bathtub is common across Alfard. Its shallow design lends itself especially to sponge baths.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:45 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

Verus and Geldoblame aren’t there (but we can still access Geldoblame’s room), the plaza is empty with no sign of demonic possession, the Emperor’s residence is now blocked off.
Probably to force you into the Entering Mintaka cutscene instead of going through the tunnel.

Greater Mintaka plaza, empty except for one child.

Empire Soldier: “Those with no business here are asked to leave until after Lord Baelheit’s inauguration.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:47 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

We’ve got more mail from the unknown sender...
I suspect it’s Savyna.

Letter: “Now I’m all alone. I have to get stronger.”

Letter: “Stronger... Stronger... Stronger than anyone.”

Sagi: “All alone? Stronger? I wonder who keeps sending these...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:49 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

Because the previous letters from Sender Unknown were those.
The first one sounds like Baelheit’s residence with its library, where we saw her accompanying Shanath.
And we’ve seen her playing with a ball. Shanath was in Anuénué, right?

Letter 1: “So much glitter. So much gold. So many books that I can’t read.”

Letter 2: “It’s sticky and humid. What if my ball falls off the big tree?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:51 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

Besides that, Georg’s still being weird, the Dark Service is still stuck on repeat mode, and the two soldiers always chattering about their next step are now talking of a fortress. HMMM.

Georg: “... As I’d expected. This is quite promising. I knew I was right to ask you all.”

Dark Serviceman 1: “Now is an important juncture for Lord Baelheit.”

Dark Serviceman 2: “The fortress is almost...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:56 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

There is indeed a tiny cutscene when we get into Mintaka, which is looking like the shittiest festival ever is going on. Someone hire experts from Anuénué already.
I’m not exactly scared of being caught when I was literally in the Dark Service HQ being ignored.

Guillo: “How festive. This must be in honor of Baelheit’s inauguration.”

Sagi: “I’m worried about Mom. Let’s go back to Hassaleh.”

Guillo: “The Sfida should be in port. And there’s no fear of getting caught amidst the merrymaking.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:59 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

We can jump into the sewers and get back into the Emperor’s residence. Not much new there either. (I checked, no the bed wasn’t a different color before)

Housekeeper: “We’re busy switching out the bedding and curtains to be Lord Baelheit’s favorite colors.”

Empire Soldier: “His Majesty, Emperor Baelheit, will no doubt be moving in shortly. Don’t do anything to wreck the place.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:01 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

And on this piece of lovely vagueness, I’ll leave you lot to speculate about what horrifying hobbies Verus might have, and finish this thread after some sleep.

Empire Soldier: “Just between us, I used to work at Quaestor Verus’s place, and I discovered a horrifying room.”

Empire Soldier: “If someone with those inclinations were to become the emperor, I can only imagine what would happen.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:45 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

Mintaka’s got some new dialog as well. Concern, joy, resignation, there’s a bit of everything, which is really nice and drives home how much more monolithic Alfard becomes in EW.
Skeed and Vallye are still learning magic and getting disintegrated, nothing new there.

Mintaka citizen 1: “It’s finally been decided. Rule by military forces, mankind controlled by machina...”

Mintaka citizen 1: “It’s foolhardy to think that people could ever live freely in a country like that.”

Mintaka citizen 2: “I suppose it can’t be helped. Time to jump on the bandwagon and welcome the new emperor!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:49 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

We still have the Sfida and the attendant probably didn’t get the memo about Sagi being a spooky superpowered experiment malideiter or whatever, so off we go.
Sagi doesn’t let us pick a destination other than Hassaleh, and the new port dialog is ominous.

Sagi: “Let’s head to the orphanage first. We can make our next move after that.”

Hassaleh villager 1: “I hear poor Gena’s really in bad shape!”

Hassaleh villager 2: “Whatever could have happened to leave someone with a heart as strong as Gena’s in such a state?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:52 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

The Sheratan kids are still playing - is this referencing anything? - and give a recipe that finally uses that helmet and sword they gave us ages back. Sure.

Child: “OK, let’s name the next villain! Floating Battleship TARAZETRON! What do you think?”

Mix Recipes menu, focused on recipe 46 which produces Hero License: “Just having this makes you a bona fide hero! It’s time to start your new life as an ally of justice! Go forth, and seek out your true self! You can do it!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:06 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

Tik and Wacho have, indeed, taken charge. Wacho’s generally the one speaking first after which Tik echoes part of the sentence. It feels extremely cartoony.

Wacho: “Don’t worry! She’s gonna be fine. Tik and I have been watchin’ her real close.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:08 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

Sagi’s presence is enough to wake her up briefly, she seems overly optimistic about her condition...

Wacho: “But Gena’s been sleepin’ like a log the whole time.”

Gena: “I’m all right now. Don’t worry about me, Sagi.”

Gena: “They took my wings away, but I’m awake, aren’t I? That means my heart’s still here.”

Gena: “Oh, turn that frown upside down. You know your mom’s heart is ten times stronger than most.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:11 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

We haven’t been told what getting your wings removed DOES, per se, but between the scene in the Celestial Veinroots and Milly’s reply, it’s all emphasizing that it’s very very bad.

Sagi: “All right, Mom. All right. Just, please get some rest.”

Milly: “No small wonder. They pulled out her wings, Wacho. It must be a struggle for her just to sit up and [...]”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:14 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

I hate Power Of Love plot points A LOT but I expect this to go someplace weirder with it. We’ll see.

Doc: “I’ve been a doctor for a long time, but I’ve never seen a patient like this.”

Sagi: “What should I do?! Isn’t there some way to help her?!”

Doc: “She didn’t show any sign of waking until you came home.”

Doc: “Her love for you must have been enough to pull her out of whatever place she’s in now.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:19 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

Planning time! Sagi wants to find a way to “reach Gena’s heart” (don’t you dare go KH on me, videogame) and has no idea where that might be. 
Might have to explore the whole world, but it’s tiny so really that seems feasible.
... it’s gonna end up Greythorne-related, I bet.

Sagi: “So... if we found something that could reach her heart, I think she’d get better.”

Guillo: “Well, that’s not so big, really. With the two of us looking, how long could it possibly take?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:22 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

Milly will tag along, and tell us her whole story on Monster Recycling Island west of Alfard. SURE, MAKES SENSE.

Milly: “After all, I wouldn’t feel right leaving everything to a mama’s boy and his dingbat puppet.”

Milly: “We never did get a chance to talk. I still haven’t told you the whole truth about me.”

Milly, over a sepia view of a rocky island with variants of previously seen monsters: “There’s a small island called Nekkar to the west of Alfard.”

Milly: “I’ll tell you everything there.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:24 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

And Guillo wants to find out why another Guillo was in the past murdering people. There was weirdness in EW already about how known or secret Duhr was, this is going to make it worse.

Guillo: “In that case... I have a place in mind, too.”

Guillo: “Duhr—the homeland of the Children of the Earth.”

Guillo, over a sepia view of Algorab village: “It seems they and I share some sort of connection.”

Guillo: “I want to know what I am. Why I was made. I might find some answers there.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:44 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

Wacho (and Tik The Echo) stop us before we can head out, sounding like a suspicious sales pitch.
If we pretend to be able to remember things, we get lectured, which, I get kiddo’s got a point.

Wacho: “Hold it right there!”
Tik: “Right! there!”

Wacho: “With the heap of stuff you gotta do, aren’t you gonna lose track of it all?”

Tik: “Aren’t ya?”
Dialog choice: “Of course not” vs “Hmm, I might...”

Wacho: “Don’t try to act tough! Even if you got it straight now, you could always forget later!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:47 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

Lookee, we got ourselves another cognitive accessibility feature on top of the journal! THIS IS VERY GOOD FOR A HUGE GAME LIKE THIS

Wacho: “Right? Well, that’s why I was smart and jotted it all down for you!”

Wacho: “If you’re ever stuck about what to do next, you just come to me and talk to me, OK?”

Sagi: “OK, guys. You’ll be the first ones we come to if we run into trouble.”

Wacho: “What do you want to know about?”
Options: “Gena’s condition”, “Nekkar”, “Duhr”, “The situation in Diadem”, “The situation in Sadal Suud”, “The situation in Anuenue”, “Activity in the Empire”, “Wacho’s latest dirt”, “Nothing, really”.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:52 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

We finally get an explanation for why the Empire messing with the Cloudvents was bad. Thinner clouds! Less fish! That’s not good.

Wacho: “I hear the Machina Vanguard has invaded the Cloudvents—um, wherever that is.”

Wacho: “Anyway, since the Empire got there, the clouds have thinned out...”

Wacho: “and the fish that normally swim down the cloudstream are getting really scarce!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:53 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

Sadal Suud we already had a pretty good idea about: forest burned bad.

Wacho: “I hear the Machina Vanguard has invaded Nunki Valley—um, wherever that is.”

Wacho: “But those machina creeps set fire to the trees, and now the woods are barren cliffs!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:55 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

As for Anuénué, er.........
MOVING ON

Wacho: “I hear the Machina Vanguard has invaded the Celestial Veinroots—um, wherever that is.”

Wacho: “They say Queen Corellia’s in trouble ‘cause she can’t visit the Celestial Tree.”

Wacho: “In fact, her skin’s started to get all cracked! Someone better do something quick!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:57 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

The “latest dirt” is a more esoteric and ominous hint. I guess the only explanation here is that Sagi and crew told the whole tale?
Malpercio never did get Wiseman, as far as we saw, so... Wacho’s got a point.

Wacho: “Way back in the past, there used to be somebody named Wiseman, right?”

Wacho: “They say he died back in the War of the Gods, but you hafta wonder.”

Wacho: “What if he’s still kicking around? If I could go back to the past, I’d make sure once and for all!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:59 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

If we check on Gena, we get a fun bit of dialog...

Milly: “You sure you don’t want to stay with her? Why don’t you snuggle up beside her? You might get through!”

Sagi: “What are you talking about? We’ve got to find a way to make her better, fast.”

Guillo: “Sagi, what are YOU talking about? You slept with her all the time. Whenever you had a fever—“

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:01 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

... oh no it’s not fun anymore.
Baelheit isn’t exactly the type to have a “world’s number 1 dad” coffee mug, that’s for sure

Sagi: “Th-That was when I was little! Now, it’s... it’s embarrassing.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:02 AM · Nov 28, 2021 Permalink

So er. I guess next time is revisit all the things see what changed?
Two new areas plus three machina arma which may or may not be optional to progress the plot? I’m going to do it all anyway, what’s another 100 hours.