Lia's BK tweets archive - 2020-10-15: Nunki Valley, Pherkad

Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:06 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

Okay, let’s sum up.
We’ve met our douchy protagonist, Kalas, and a mysterious blonde, Xelha.
We kinda-accidentally woke up a probably evil thing, got knocked out by a bunch of soldiers, led by the guy Kalas wants to murder.
It’s time to chase a giant imperial battleship!

Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:07 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

Not sure how long I’ll play today. Might complete the first island - called Sadal Suud - we’ll see?

Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:17 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

Understatement.png

Larikush: “It sounded like trouble was brewing over by the forest.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:19 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

The mayor is, somehow, a touch upset that you woke up a very evil thing right by his village. Can’t fathom why.
Also more bullshitting by Kalas (who definitely knows nothing about this Malpercio thing) and Larikush (who definitely couldn’t recognize the Imperial flagship).

Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:23 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

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Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:39 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

More mechanics! Leveling up in this game can only be done at a weird church that you access via blue flowers (don’t ask).
And “Class up” requires a unique item (typically from a boss or a chest) to expand your deck size / combo length etc.

Standing in a blue flower in Cebalrai village, showing the “Save your progress / Visit the church / Do nothing” menu.

The dark and ornate temple accessed through the flower.

Level and class up menu, after. A pop-up explains that class up expands deck capacity and empty slots will get filled by “Pass” magnus.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:41 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

And the first major sidequest that will last the entire game. There’s a lovely starry ceiling that’s all busted, and you get to go on a collect-a-thon to find all the fragments. Rewards are magnus of all sorts, some of them very good.

The quasi-empty star map, plus dialogue explaining that it was torn to pieces and scattered.

The star map with two more constellations, and dialogue stating that this is all we can restore foe now.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:44 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

Shoutouts to the villager who’s just saying that even if you DID unleash an ancient evil, he’ll just keep feeding animals and growing crops because what the hell can he do about it.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:47 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

FUCK’S SAKE
(And yes I am alt-texting all of those)

Kalas: “W-wait. Explosives? How did you get them on this remote island?”

Kalas: “The Empire’s the only place I can think of that has easy access to explosives.”

Larikush: “... That’s not what’s important right now. What’s important is the impassable route to Pherkad.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:48 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

Again, Larikush is from the Empire. This is MORE EXTREMELY UNSUBTLE SIGNPOSTING that you’ll dismiss on a first playthrough. Yelling. So much yelling.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:58 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

More mechanics! Quest items just go in cards, because of course they do.
What it doesn’t tell you then is that items keep aging while in there, which has Fun Consequences.

Larikush offering to teach you about Blank Magnus.

Kalas grabbing an essence in a card, demonstrated as him holding a card up as a rainbow particle effect plays over it.

Dialog explaining that the magna essence of a mountain apple has been trapped in a blank magnus.

The quest magnus interface, allowing selection of the item to deliver.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:09 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

Next area! That waterfall on the right is a minor puzzle, have to time your jump so poooooor Kalas doesn’t take a bath.
(Or, possibly, miss on purpose because he’s earned it)

A narrow mountain valley with a waterfall at the center and a stop-and-go waterfall blocking the path on the right.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:13 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

More combat tidbits.
- Number combos get REALLY strong REALLY fast. +28% damage for a straight of 3 cards, I’ll let you imagine the boost when you’re up to 5 or more...
- Woops, my healing Bamboo Shoot is now an attack Young Bamboo.

Damage result screen, showing a +28% increase from 33 to 42 damage thanks to the combo.

Combat screen with a hand of cards containing a Young Bamboo magnus.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:31 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

Yeah we’re not finishing that island tonight, pace is sloooooow because I’m bumping into every single encounter (and doing this tweety nonsense).
Gonna try and get through most of Pherkad’s dialogue, at least.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:39 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

Have I mentioned that THIS GAME IS PWETTY

Title card for Pherkad, the Ancient Capital. The view is of a grey stone street going up, with a cart full of apples, and glowing doorways to the sides. Plants grow on walls and rooftops.

View of the top of the street, showing it filled with clouds. A glorious and menacing flying battleship is anchored at the top.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:45 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

Important tavern conversations, establishing the Empire is Bad News And Not Liked Much.
And Meemai making friends.

An Imperial soldier mocking the outdated idea of building a city out of stone.

A random patron complaining that having Imperial soldiers everywhere is not peace.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:58 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

Second major ongoing side-quest: finding all of the family members of a dying old man. They are, apparently, the only people in this world of garish ornate clothing who wear bracelets. I call bullshit, but whatever.

An old man with a bracelet, explaining that he wants you to find his entire family as a dying wish.

A large family tree, with a single entry filled in.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:15 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

Oh nooo, the main entrance to the mansion (i.e. path to MURDER) is guarded by Imperials, whatever shall we- ah there’s a pesky kid who broke in and we’ll definitely not go bully for info?
Geez, how surprising.

An Imperial soldier guarding the mansion door, telling you that their battleship is docked here and you can get lost.

A woman pondering aloud whether there’s a hidden entrance to the mansion.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:47 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

NOW THAT THE OUTAGE IS FIXED.
There’s more dialog than I recalled talking about Diadem and basically hyping it up as a fantastical place, more so than the one you start in.
Note that the mentioned Good King is eminently shippable, from what I gather.

A random NPC explaining that the giant flying turtle is the express liner to the next island, “land of knights and clouds”.

Same NPC: “Diadem is ruled by King Ladekahn, renowned for his wisdom and virtue.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:51 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

I’ll you guess which of those two answer options makes Kalas pissed at you. I’m pretty sure that if you pick Xelha he turns towards you, goes “What? Absolutely not” and answers “vengeance” anyway.
(That’s Secret Tunnel Kid on the table)

Dialog options: “To get vengeance for my grandfather and brother” and “I want to save Xelha”.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:53 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

Today’s session wrapped up with punching a weirdly shiny and crab-like spider-thing until it fell into bits, so we can get a Highly Collectible Spiderweb for said kid. “Loot for secrets” is the deal, you see.

Combat screen, showing an iridescent bug-crab-thing with too few legs for a spider.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:54 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Permalink

This whole first section is sloooooooooow once you’re done at the spring. Having a single character is miserable, every battle takes ages because you can only target one enemy at a time, and HAVE I MENTIONED HE’S A DOUCHEBAG.
Soon we’re getting Xelha back and things will pick up.