Lia's BK tweets archive - 2020-11-27: Imperial Fortress

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:24 PM · Nov 27, 2020 Permalink

Back to the fortress! Hopefully taking care of General Fadroh today, definitely not Kalas because it’s already late.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:46 PM · Nov 27, 2020 Permalink

First off: this place has a bad case of impractical elevator layout. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/gamecube/917921-baten-kaitos-eternal-wings-and-the-lost-ocean/map/3667

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:51 PM · Nov 27, 2020 Permalink

I’ve got a rant about crafts excellence and empire (as in, the abstract concept) with a side-mention of how shit fascists are at aesthetics, but it warrants a full blog post, so we’ll just skip over this one.

Inspection text: “A ceremonial banner. Careful craftsmanship is evident in the detailed embroidery.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:53 PM · Nov 27, 2020 Permalink

This dungeon mostly consists of running back and forth between elevators, because the one up to floor 5 requires a special key that only high officers have.
So of course it’s just lying around on a desk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(Screenshot taken post-pickup, otherwise there’s a sparkle)

A corridor with some drones buzzing around, with a desk in the corner.

Textbox: “You’ve obtained a valuable item: Elevator key”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:54 PM · Nov 27, 2020 Permalink

On the same floor are the prison cells Xelha was in, and no one has had time to fix the hole in the wall. Shoddy organization really.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:56 PM · Nov 27, 2020 Permalink

I also have questions about the safety of this ammunition storage right next to living quarters.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:57 PM · Nov 27, 2020 Permalink

We run into a couple soldiers, including one who’s really done with all of this nonsense and wants us to keep his Bunnycat safe. Luckily we have a zoo to populate, so we grab the furball.

Soldier: “But the Bunnycat under the desk is the only thing I’m worried about. It’s my favorite pet.”

Dialog choice: “Let’s take the furball.” or “We don’t need it.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:00 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

The throne room gets us a flashback of the exact day Lyude got in trouble.

Geldoblame, in a sepia flashback: “Those fools in Azha! Who do they think they are? Daring to disobey me by delaying the ore shipments!”

Geldoblame, in a sepia flashback: “Kill them! Find all those involved in the rebellion, and execute every last one of them!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:03 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

Mostly it’s an excuse to add one more layer of cartoon villainy to Geldoblame and I don’t know that it was necessary at this point?
There’s waaaaay too much of this evil ranting.

Lyude, looking furious: “Your Magnificence, the people of Azha are merely protesting against such harsh labor conditions.”

Geldoblame: “What was that? Who gave you permission to grow a brain?”

Geldoblame: “Listen to me, boy. I am the Emperor. The people are my slaves, mere pawns in a game.”

Geldoblame, looking unhinged: “If I demand more money, they will toil on with no sleep whatsoever, and pay taxes as ordered.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:04 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

Also yay I was correct

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:35 PM · Oct 23, 2020 Go

IIRC what got Lyude exiled is talking back /directly/ to Geldoblame so it’s... interesting that the accusation isn’t more direct.
Also, probably should have changed clothes or something. Whatever, videogame logic.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:06 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

It gets wrapped up with Lyude making peace with things and calling his past self a coward, now gone. Seems harsh. The heck was he going to do by himself besides add one more body to the pile, anyway?

Lyude, thoughtful: “The Emperor is gone now...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:08 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

Speaking of Geldoblame, we find his room, and...
Guess it’s time to break this down some, heh?
(The doll is hidden in a secret compartment inside the bed. Urgh.)

Geldoblame’s room, all in soft pinks and purples, filled with oversized children’s toys.

Textbox: “You’ve obtained a Magnus: Cute Doll”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:11 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

So, Geldoblame, the evil unhinged power-hungry Emperor, is:
- fat;
- using heavy make-up (that’s queercoding, and IIRC BKO has him canonically gay);
- close friends with Mélodia, a young teenage girl;
- fond of children’s toys, with rather clear sexual implications.
URGH

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:13 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

The subtext we’re supposed to get is that he’s predatory, perverted, gross and that’s all tangled with him being fat and queercoded.
It’s unnecessary - he’s evil enough! It’s boring, it’s not done well, it’s not interesting, and it lines up with some really shitty IRL things.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:15 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

Fatness as a moral failing is an IRL bias.
Fat sexuality as absurd and twisted is an IRL bias.
Queerness as sexual predation of children is an IRL bias that’s used all the fucking time to hide us under pretense of “protecting the children”.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:16 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

It’s shitty today, it was already shitty 15 years ago, it’s still happening in media on the regular and everyone needs to bloody do better.
MOVING ON

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:20 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

The next minor puzzle is to put a ton of water in a control system so we can disable an electrical field.
Good thing there’s a pond (with a toy duck) just nearby URGH.
It’s pretty funny that Lyude has to warn the others to not touch the thing, implying electrity’s a rare sight.

Lyude: “The system can only be deactivated from the operations room on the fifth floor.”

Lyude: “If we fix this main machine, we’ll be able to deactivate the electronic door lock.”

Xelha past the now-disabled electrical field.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:22 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

Past that is an ominous corridor and... Fadroh, in full villain monologue mode.

Fadroh, as the party gears up for combat: “Kudos for making it this far.”

Fadroh: “I now serve and honor Lady Mélodia. I have sworn to protect Malpercio and the Lady at all costs.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:24 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

Fadroh advocates reasonable doses of godlight rather than the full blast Geldoblame got. Much better results this way, according to him.
I’m not convinced.
(There’s another eye as the codpiece. NOPE.)

Fadroh, now a towering monster with an eye for a mouth: “Look at us, and the blessings showered upon us!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:26 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

This fight can be tough, but I got lucky and he never used his attack boost. He only got a single one-hit KO in, which I quickly recovered from, AND the cameras cooperated.

Fadroh, dying on the floor: “I am no longer afraid of death... never...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:28 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

Surprising absolutely no one, the monologue ends with a clear implication that we’re playing right into Mélodia’s hand again.
NO TIME TO THINK, MUST RESCUE BLUE-HAIRED DOUCHEBAG

Fadroh: “Your powers will be joined together... A tribute to our god...”

Xelha: “Our power? A tribute? What was he talking about?”

Gibari: “There’s no time to find out. We gotta hurry.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:29 AM · Nov 28, 2020 Permalink

But that’s going to be next session, because it’ll come with a pile of cutscenes.
I’m sure everything will go juuuuust fine.