Lia's BK tweets archive - 2021-12-08: Sidequests and new dialog mostly in Sadal Suud, Skeed and Vallye learn about sibling strife, kick Heughes' ass

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:06 PM · Dec 08, 2021 Permalink

Work vortex has finally been fully escaped.
Where the heck were we. Sure am glad I’m taking a zillion screenshots. Right. Hassaleh, with five different destinations on the todo list. Where to start...

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:18 PM · Dec 08, 2021 Permalink

Videogame says “not anywhere you thought you would” so that’s one problem solved.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:19 PM · Dec 08, 2021 Permalink

... wait no it gives me free travel anyway? BKO, we need to talk about your really unclear sense of urgency.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:10 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Attempting to exit the village gets us pounced on by the doctor, who has a SOLUTION! I remember hearing about that stuff, the Cujam herder said the caplins love it, right?

Doc: “I’ve figured out a way to help Gena!”

Doc: “There’s an herb known as “heartenbrace”. In ancient times it was a staple of the gods.”

Doc: “It’s said that by partaking of the herb, the gods were able to make their hearts stronger.”

Doc: “If we had a sprig of heartenbrace, perhaps Gena would be able to recover the strength of her heart.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:12 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Woops, it’s gone. Long live Guillo, always getting the best lines.

Doc: “That’s the problem. Heartenbrace supposedly grew wild in the highlands of Matar.”

Doc: “But Matar was defiled during the War of the Gods, and heartenbrace is said to have gone extinct.”

Guillo: “I can’t tell if we just got a hint or a slap in the face.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:15 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Let’s ignore the part where traveling through MEMORIES should not enable us to bring PHYSICAL things back. Unless it’s because they’re magna essences and er *handwaves* something, videogame logic, doesn’t matter

Milly: “Then all we have to do is go back to ancient times.”

Milly: “Except before, it would only happen when an afterling was killed.”

Milly: “This time we’ll do it differently. This time YOU have to remember...”

Milly: “and send our hearts into the past yourself.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:17 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

How about “literally the entire village”, you wonderfully silly party. Whatever, we’re not going there just yet anyway, sorry Gena

Milly: “Is there anything around that might help him remember the past? Something that’s been around since [...]”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:19 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Let’s go revisit Sadal Suud and kick Heughes’ ass!
But first, mail. Spam from the Mira Sightseeing Society...

Letter: “See the Trail of Souls (from inside the bus), then snack in the confectionary village of Parnasse.”

Letter: “*The Society is not liable for any cancellations due to weather or outer-dimensional conditions.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:21 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

And an EXTREMELY ominous request / sidequest from Geldoblame. The Dark Service (Baelheit’s crew...?) is vital you see, and no Verus doesn’t have to know. Don’t like it.

Letter: “It seems there’s been some sort of trouble at Dark Service Headquarters.”

Letter: “I’d like you to consider this a personal request from me, and not mention it to the quaestor.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:26 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

There’s a whole bunch of new dialogue around. A kid being adorable, the continuation of the spooked Prancer thread, and more terrible puns.

Child: “Hey, mister, are we going to be able to play with the animals in the woods again do you think?”

Child: “You promise? When? How many bedtimes from now?”

Old man: “Now I’m thinking I’ll forget about selling him off, and go off on a journey with him instead.”

Man: “”Where did I go wrong to raise such a Nunklehead?” she says!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:27 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Just put Palolo in charge of heroism, he’ll do a much better job

Palolo: “Baelheit, new emperor of Alfard... Heh, maybe I’ll go check him out.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:30 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

A sidequest sends us back to Alfard to fetch a Magnus, so we check on the worst kids in the Sky.
Skeed is being very secretive by, er, muttering to himself right next to his sister. Why he considers dairy shameful I can’t begin to fathom.

Skeed: “Study won’t make my body grow any bigger. If I could get my hands on that drink—“

Skeed: “Oh, but if my little sister saw me drinking that stuff, it would be so undignified...”

Skeed: “Is there no way to get at it without anyone finding out?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:31 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

We know it’s milk because of a previous scene:

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:15 PM · Sep 08, 2021 Go

The answer to why is that Skeed actually has complexes about being small, seems like. Maybe he needs a chat with Giacomo, they’d get along great.
Camilla is still in A State. I wonder if all those scenes play if you haven’t caused that!

Vallye: “As soon as I informed my brother that I’d read that pow milk contains nutrients which aid growth...”

Vallye: “he suddenly began insisting that we read up on the intricacies of dairy farming.”

Vallye: “I can’t afford to tell you any more, for the sake of my brother’s pride.”

Skeed: “Yes, yes, I see. So, you squeeze the udder like so. Then I’ll be able to...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:35 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Vallye is feeling betrayed, for Skeed will only confide in the local greythorne. Also ouch that burn’s gonna need some ice.
(Also confirmation that greythornes are sold as pets)

Vallye: “It seems my silly brother is trying to hide something from me.”

Vallye: “It seems he only tells his secrets to the greythorne Father bought us.”

Vallye: “He’s chosen the cute family pet over his own flesh and blood.”

Vallye: “It’s because he’s like that that he’ll never grow any taller. It serves him right.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:36 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

What shameful family secrets do you hold?

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:40 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Back to Sadal Suud. Rodolfo jinxes himself and we get a sweet note about the rooftop garden.
Constantly fleshing out characters that didn’t need it, what a flex.

Rodolfo: “My countrymen have finally begun to accept me as their leader. All the hard work paid off.”

Rodolfo: “Now I’ve got to get busy whipping Sadal Suud into shape. See if I let the Empire show us up again!”

Staffer: “The master is from Cebalrai, you see, and... Well, he missed the greenery living here in the city.”

Staffer: “I’ll admit I was a little surprised when he first said he wanted to plant apple trees on the roof...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:44 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Cebalrai is now near-exclusively Rodolfo Facts. Does that first kid grow up to write the light novel painting the guy as a brave leader in time of need?

Child: “There’s something about Rodolfo that just compels people to cooperate.”

Child: “You just can’t hate him, and you can’t help but want to do your part.”

Other child: “I’ve never seen someone so rich stare at the ground for fallen change like that before.”

Villager: “Rodolfo, huh? I don’t know, in the end he’s just a roughneck with money.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:46 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

The overall balance is still on the side of not being respected much, though.

Villager: “That puffed-up Rodolfo wears his flashy clothes every time he comes by the village now.”

Villager: “This is the same guy who got yelled at by his old man for stealing apples as a kid. He’s kidding [...]”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:49 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

On the lengthy list of answers BKO gives to questions no one was really asking: pow tails!

Child: “Did you ever stop to wonder why a pow’s tail is the shape it is?”

Child: “There are lots of theories, like it being floral camouflage, or helping the pow float.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:51 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

The Alfard magnus (Warm Cheers) was for those two, by the way. I... wonder if they turn into a certain Definitely An Old Couple Considering How Much They Bicker in Parnasse.

Custodian: “And yet!! There’s a giant obstacle standing in the way of our love! Her father’s the scaaary head chef!”

Cook’s daughter: “I’m leaving Sadal Suud to live with him when I get older. I’m opening up my own cake shop.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:54 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

And last tidbits.
A fresh start on an apple-hauling thread, and a surprisingly sharp if short exchange between two local gossips.

Person hauling an apple cart: “Th-This time, I really can’t be late... I’ve got to get these mountain apples delivered.”

Gossip 1: “The whole world is in dire straits... Maybe I should be doing more than just sitting around here chatting.”

Gossip 2: “We’ve got to start talking in earnest about how to ensure a future where we can sit around chatting idly.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:01 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

And now, this jerk. Friendly greetings are exchanged, Sagi does the glowing arms thing, and off to battle we go.
Heughes sounds unhinged and so, so angry throughout it all.

Heughes: “Well... Is it just me? You look a little more fierce than the last time I saw you.”

Heughes: “That’s good. Draw your blade! Let’s see if you’re worth my time!”

Heughes: “Forget your magic words. They can’t save you now!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:04 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

The fight works just like before: he hits hard to begin with, and charges up an even heavier hit. But if you hit him hard enough during the charge, the weapon explodes in his face and does damage.
I win out of sheer luck as always and Sagi punches him a lot. A bit harsh.

Combat screen, showing Heughes “using” the “Machina Meltdown” move.

The party facing a kneeling Heughes. Sagi’s taking a nap.

Heughes: “Eh heh heh... You must feel good... now that you’ve beat me.”

Heughes: “But... it’s too late. The Empire still has Tarazed!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:08 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Sagi correctly goes “dafuq is that” - I’m paraphrasing - and I guess that’s the Fortress missing from the map? Can’t imagine why they’d drop the name. (It sounds incredibly silly to my French-as-first-language brain)

Heughes: “Alfard’s greatest fortress! Tarazed will change the world!”

Heughes: “Even if you stop promachination of the islands, it won’t mean a thing.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:11 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Moral choice time: do a murder, or not?
If the murder option is picked (image 2), we get a simpler fight without machina and he’s just gone. No extra dialog, but a field guide entry and some loot.
Otherwise (image 3)...

Heughes: “What are you standing there for, Sagi? Afraid I’ll beat you? I don’t NEED a weapon!”
Dialog choice: “Let him go” or “Give him what he wants”

Sagi: “Fine. Let’s put an end to this. Get ready, Heughes!”

Sagi: “Enough, Heughes. You know it’s over.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:13 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

He gets incredibly annoyed, but leaves anyway. We’re booted out of the screen and it’s empty when we come back.

Heughes: “You think I care about your mercy?! You’ll regret this!”

Heughes: “I’ll chase you to the ends of the sky if I have to! Anywhere! Just wait!”

Sagi standing alone on a non-burning plateau in Nunki Valley.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:14 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Considering how ridiculous dense the dialog is in this game, I wonder if other things are influenced by this choice. E.g. what’s-his-name in Diadem is Heughes’ brother, one would think there’d be complexity depending on whether both or just one of them makes it.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:15 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Speaking of which, next time will be Diadem. Might as well clean up the revisit before tackling new things.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:14 AM · Dec 09, 2021 Permalink

Oh yeah good point @amidoh, I guess the kids got wind of Tarazed and ran it through the Giant Monster Name Filter

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

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?”