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Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:59 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
Let’s go finish Savyna’s quest!
But first, faint in the desert a second time see if that causes different dialog, because I enjoy being a jerk to Kalas.
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:01 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
The Deluxe Pastry (HP max +120) at the shop in the cave RESTOCKS, by the way. That seems like an oversight but hey I’ll take a third one of those, thanks.
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:50 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
The answer is yes, the dialog changes!
Kalas: “Whew... This is really frustrating.”
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:52 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
Deep in the desert, we find Azdar and his crew pretty beat up. Giant monster time, it’s a cousin of whatever the heck Fadroh turned into.
Azdar: “They got the jump on us, Savyna. Be careful...” A large monster holding a multi-headed morning star. Its mouth is an eye.
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:53 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
It has a fourth eye as its crotch again and I have questions about this move name.
Hits hard-ish but not enough to be dangerous, as always, so it goes down fast...
The monster bent back, its crotch-eye glowing, using the move: “Hyper Wicked Light”
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:56 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
Savyna’s about the land the final blow, but the silent kid from earlier shows up, stopping her. (Called it, sigh)
Probably bad form to murder someone’s dad twice, after all.
Savyna, to the monster: “You’re mine!” Kid, as Savyna turns away to look towards the voice: “Father?” Kid: “Father... Why?!” Savyna looking at the monster.
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:00 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
[cw: discussion of mass murder including mass graves WOO]
Quick cut back to the massacre, person’s ghost highlighting that the kid’s got it right, horrifying explanation that will go thoroughly undiscussed but hey we can add mass graves to the fascism bingo.
Sepia flashback of the Azha Massacre, when Savyna killed the kid’s father. Savyna, as a ghost hovers in front of the monster: “This can’t be!” Savyna: “After the mission, I remember bodies being thrown into a pit, deep in the Lava Caves...” Savyna: “Those bodies must have been tainted by Malpercio!”
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:02 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
Savyna takes blows without fighting back, and eventually gets knocked away. The monster turns towards the kid, raises its weapon...
Savyna, lying on her back: “Ow!!” Kid: “No... No...” Savyna: “No! RUN!!” Fade to white, Kid: “...”
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:04 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
... and is blocked by Azdar, who picks a DREADFUL time to start making amends out loud.
(Also a note to investigate whether the transparency renders differently on original hardware, I’ll spare you the ramble about polygon sorting for now)
Kid: “Ah?” Azdar: “I’m sorry for what I did two years ago... Please forgive me...” Azdar: “But... this is... not your daddy... He’s gone...” Azdar, as the ghost reappears: “We should... let it sleep... Right?”
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:08 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
Which lets Savyna get back up and finish the thing.
This plot arc can’t really decide whether it wants to be about starting towards redemption or Savyna and Azdar being old battle buddies in a desert adventure, it feels.
Savyna leaping into the air to punch the monster in the face. Azdar: “This area is still free of monsters. We should be safe for a while.” Azdar: “Thank you, Savyna. If it wasn’t for you and your friends...” Savyna: “Don’t get mushy on me.”
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:10 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
A deep exchange ensues.
(I CALLED IT AND I DON’T LIKE IT)
Girl, facing Savyna: “...” Savyna: “...” Savyna, as the child holds up a hand: “...? Is this... for me?”
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:13 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
Could be done worse, at least. The thanks are about a specific thing, not a blanket pardon.
Girl: “The monster... that stole my daddy’s face...” Girl: “You didn’t fight back... even though it attacked you... again and again...” Girl: “Thank you.” Savyna taking the item offered by the child.
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:16 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
Still. Don’t like it.
It’s too much reward for too little good behavior too quickly, tries to wrap things up with a nice bow without owning that it will take years and years and tons of work for things to be even vaguely okay.
Savyna, smiling as the kid runs off: “Thanks... Thank you!” Textbox: “You’ve obtained a Magnus: Phoenix Crest” Azdar: “Looks like an Azhani design.” Azdar: “A token of their craftsmanship. Likely her father’s...”
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:19 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
And that’s the quest wrapped up.
It could be a lot worse! It could be a lot better! It again leaves a LOT on the cutting room floor and misses out on resolving some internal party conflict.
Azdar: “I’ll see you, Savyna. Good luck.” Savyna: “You too, Azdar. Stay strong.”
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:21 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
I went back to check what’s left on that map. Everyone’s disappeared, villagers and Mad Wolves, hopefully someplace safe, and the compass that guided us is left in the sand, broken.
Kalas facing a glowing sparkle in the sand. Textbox: “A beat-up compass too busted up to be possibly useful is protruding from the sand.”
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:24 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
To expand a bit on why I don’t like this.
There’s the abstract high-level stuff, as mentioned: it’s too quick, too “just following orders” and “well they’re helping NOW”. That lacks nuance and is just not how that stuff works, see: literally any of this shit IRL.
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:26 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
And on a pure internal story dynamics level, the first act does the “NOT NOW we have too much to do” thing a lot, and not resolving that eventually is... a bit wonky.
Cf pre-plot-twist Azha thread:
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:46 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Go 
Not like she gets to do that though, between we’ve got one party member specialized in starting shit who miraculously doesn’t get a “I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG YOU JERKS” line.
Kalas acts as the Plot Loose End Tie-Up Prompt this time ‘round.
Lyude, looking shocked: “”Lady Death” of the Mad Wolf Unit... Is that who you are?” Kalas: “Savyna, you told us you were not an Imperial soldier back in Anuenue.” Savyna: “Because I no longer am... ...that’s all in the past.” Savyna: “It’s not something I’m proud of.”
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:27 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
It does not make sense for Kalas’ character to remain silent when Savyna mentions she was assigned to killing Georg: avenging that is his entire raison d’être for half the game.
His arc does mean he probably won’t go to Instant Murder anymore, but he should protest some.
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:30 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
Similarly, it does not make sense for Lyude to stay silent the whole while. 
The Phantom Goldoba emphasized that he /still/ beats himself up over not being able to stop the slaughter.
As soon as Catranne puts “Azha” and “Mad Wolves” in the same sentence, he should freak out.
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:40 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
So it ends up being disappointing, but not surprisingly so, on the background themes, AND fails to resolve a lot of the character tension it’s setup.
Oh well. Guess the compulsive writing will take a turn towards the fix-it-fic at some point.
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Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:41 PM · Dec 15, 2020 Permalink 
Anyway. Next time is Mizuti’s quest, which is more block puzzles in Zosma.
I’m the weirdo who legitimately enjoys those. It’ll be fun!