Lia's BK tweets archive - 2020-12-09: Komo Mai, Illusory Fortress

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:08 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

So! Sidequests!
I got sidetracked from Book Hunt, because there’s a man-child in Anuénué port who’s been refusing to talk to his wife since she “made him miss the portable shrine show”.
So we’re going to put on a new one, the people need cheering up.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:13 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

Mostly it’s getting approval from Her Majesty, and finding 6 people who’ll take on the task. Good fun for all involved and a pretty great weapon for Gibari as a reward.
(Though I question the “100% chance to cure sleep” it comes with. Any damage-causing hit does that?)

Man: “What? Do I want to take part in another portable shrine show?”

Old man: “Hooray! Hooray for the portable shrine of Queen Corellia!”

Inventory screen, focused on the Rainbow Ash, which has 100% chance to cure Sleep when attacking.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:14 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

Also in Getting Sidetracked In Komo Mai, er.

Man: “A red shoe was found downstream the other day.”

Man: “I seem to recall one of the boys who jumped into the river during the festival was wearing red shoes...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:15 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

Also, following up on our poor financial decisions...

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:37 PM · Dec 05, 2020 Go

It’s getting worse. Oh well, still nothing we can’t handle, surely.
(I guess this makes predatory lending a canon thing in this world)

Shop screen, focused on the Snowballing Debt. “It’s about time to start panicking. You weren’t able to pay back the loan, so you borrowed more money from another company to get it paid. Better get this under control soon!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:17 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

Insert US student loan joke here I guess

Shop screen, focused on the Debt Hell Magnus, which now sells for -5000G. “Now you’ve got sky-high interest to pay due to lack of planning. What a mountain of debt. Oh, if only you hadn’t borrowed that first little loan...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:20 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

Okay book time BUT FIRST.
I now get this when talking to Corellia, when she asks if we want to go take on Cor Hydrae, and I wonder if it’s because I had to go to Duhr to buy some combo ingredients. Time to reload a save and check...

Mizuti: “Great Mizuti can’t leave Great Kamroh and Kee. Let’s go help them, Kalas!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:22 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

Yep, that’s it! The five quests are optional but once you start one in earnest it needs to be finished. Interesting.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:23 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

(I’ve had to debug my share of chained-events scripting so this kind of edge case always makes me curious)

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:47 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

Apparently the school’s Principal is up to no good.
I love that this is textbook Students Rumor Mill Hyperbole.

Student: “She’s been seen frequenting the Library of Magic on the outskirts of town, carrying a very large book!”

Student: “Apparently, she’s studying black magic and is trying to put a death curse on someone.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:50 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

I went UUUURGH when she mentioned an adventure novel, because that Quest Magnus was all the way in Gemma Village. But luckily there’s now another one in the building.

School Principal: “I know it. You don’t have to speak. You’re after the Book of Magic mentioned in Anuénué’s legends.”

School Principal: “If you want to borrow it, bring me the adventure novel that I was in the middle of reading.”

Inspection text: “Mixed among student watercolor paintings and charcoal drawings, you find an adventure novel.”

School Principal: “Ah, that’s it! That’s exactly the adventure novel I was reading!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:53 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

Xelha, please get yourself a boy who can appreciate old books, this one’s clearly a lost cause.
The book does a Thing and we get a fade to white...

Kalas: “So, Ms. Principal. Is this that Book of Magic that Corellia was talking about? It’s pretty busted up.”

School Principal: “You cannot begin to imagine how valuable it is...”

Xelha: “Yes. The principal is right. I sense a strong magical energy emanating from it. This is the one.”

Kalas, surprised, as Xelha and him back off: “!!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:54 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

Oh hey, it’s the Illusory Fortress of the Book we heard about ages and ages ago! Funny how Waznesque it looks.

A wide corridor with many doors, all in blue. Title card: “Illusory Fortress of the Book”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:56 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

I of course immediately ran back out to see if that affected the dialog when talking to Corellia. And yes, it now queues Xelha and Mizuti’s protests.
(Geez I wonder what Lyude’s version will be, if we’re even allowed to leave the Phantom Goldoba partway through)

Xelha: “First let’s go search the Illusory Fortress of the Magic Book.”

Xelha: “There must be something hidden in there that can help us in Cor Hydrae Castle.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:58 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

You get this description when going back in. The one time where I’ll say “maybe this needed more particle effects”.

Inspection text: “ Strange energy emanates from the Book of Magic. The letters of its cover begin to radiate with blue [cont]”

Inspection text: “[cont] light, and the room shines brightly.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:02 PM · Dec 09, 2020 Permalink

The place is a maze-ish, with a ton of fights, so nothing too interesting ‘till the end.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:11 AM · Dec 10, 2020 Permalink

Well that sure took two hours, woops.
Snippets from the place: a Quzman family member we heard about back in the Library, the first combo above 3k damage, some cool monster designs, and a particularly goofy final-blow menu background screenshot.
(That’s the Camera use animation)

Old Man with a Bracelet: “I can’t believe this. I never imagined I’d see anyone again.”

Combat turn result screen, showing 1428 damage, boosted +129% by a 6 straight with a 9, totaling 3270.

Gibari, Lyude and Mizuti facing an angel-like monster.

Gibari facing a lion-like monster, his hand held up in the Camera-using position.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:14 AM · Dec 10, 2020 Permalink

The place has three hallways with 12 doors each, one of which leads to the next area.
Each time, Xelha gets to undo a seal and has a flashback of her mother explaining the Ice Queen’s duty.
Shoutouts to 3D model recycling via scaling, and the Young Xelha portrait being adorable.

Xelha: “I thought so! This... is the ancient crest of the Ice Lands...”

Xelha, younger: “Mother, what did you want to tell me?”

Xelha’s Mother: “The Queen of these lands has a very important duty to fulfill.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:18 AM · Dec 10, 2020 Permalink

Mostly it sums up to:
- The prophecy coming true is looming near.
- If Xelha’s mother doesn’t get to Do The Thing, Xelha most likely will.
- The plan to send the witches to Anuénué, then set out herself, was an old one set by the previous Queen.
- The Thing is about the Ocean.

Xelha’s Mother: “The time has almost come... The prophecy may be fulfilled during my reign.”

Xelha’s Mother: “If so, you will be blessed with a normal life, as any other young girl would.”

Xelha’s Mother: “But if things turn out differently... It will be your turn...”

Xelha: “I will return the Ocean to the people...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:20 AM · Dec 10, 2020 Permalink

The last seal has a good ol’ case of “Kalas, can you PLEASE shut up”.
None of this actually makes clear WHAT Xelha needs to be ready for, ‘cause that’s a last-minute heartbreak-twist for the ending.

Kalas, looking annoyed: “Oh, not again. I hate deja vu.”

Xelha: “...They’re testing me. Using the ancient book of magic as bait, to see if I’m really ready.”

Kalas: “Well, you’re as “ready” as can be, in my book.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:24 AM · Dec 10, 2020 Permalink

We end the flashback section with some pep talk, and reiterating that once it’s all done, the Ice Queen will be no more. Still vague at this point.
I think the whole thing ends up a bit messy, because we get the Refusal Of The Call before we have any idea of what the call is.

Xelha’s Mother: “The time may be here for the last of the Ice Queens to fulfill her destiny...”

Xelha’s Mother: “It will be our final prayer to the world, our final blessing...”

Xelha’s Mother: “Even if you are alone, never back down, never fear, and stride forward with your head up.”

Xelha’s Mother: “The Ocean will always be with you...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:28 AM · Dec 10, 2020 Permalink

There’s a book inside the book, which once unsealed reveals the ghosts of old magicians (to be added to the ancient wizards and the warlocks of old, I guess).
And you know how we do rites of passage in videogames?

Xelha: “The ancient and forbidden book of magic...”

Xelha: “I promised my mother, that I’d never back down, never fear.”

Magician: “Greetings. Are you the last of the Ice Queens?”

Magician: “A thousand years ago, a seed of hope was sown by our hand. Let us witness the fruit it has borne.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:30 AM · Dec 10, 2020 Permalink

By the universally understood medium of a BOSS BATTLE.
This one’s starting to hit hard-ish, it’s got a ridiculous one-hit attack for 1800+ that’s therefore impossible to guard against.

A large quadrupedal monster with giant fangs and whip-like coils on its front feet.

Combat turn result screen, showing a single attack hitting for 1881 damage.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:31 AM · Dec 10, 2020 Permalink

If it looks familiar, it’s because we’re getting into recycling territory. Though the monster description calls back to it, saying this one’s an artificial one designed as a trial.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:15 PM · Oct 14, 2020 Go

Noooo save the damsel in distress (who it turns out is a wizard and has her first finisher already, making her considerably more competent than Kalas at this point)

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:33 AM · Dec 10, 2020 Permalink

And so the area’s wrapped up. Xelha gets some kind of glowy power that doesn’t translate to anything, but makes sense plot-wise. It’s her going from Refusal to Acceptance Of The Call.
In practice, we get her level 8 finisher and that’s it.

Magician: “The world... is in your hands. Act with wisdom.”

Xelha: “Your will, and your hope reside in me now, last of the Ice Queens...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:34 AM · Dec 10, 2020 Permalink

Next time: keep poking around the world map for errands, and flying off to Nashira to see what trouble Gibari’s friends have gotten themselves into while unsupervised.