Here's the dragon that's frozen in the Snaerfelt. I feel like there's a better place to stick him from a "let's not wake him up" perspective. This is way too easy to awaken this guy.
Let's just move on to our next location, the Arborian Highlands.
...Why does that name sound familiar to me?
Erik: Just a little further and we'll be in the First Forest. Then it'll finally be time to offer up those hard-earned Orbs and see what happens!
Veronica: There's somewhere very special at the top of these highlands. I wonder what you'll think of it... Hmm? What's up there? Well, that would be telling! You'll just have to see for yourself!
Serena: After we cross the Arborian Highlands, we'll be in the First Forest. Tee hee! I'm ever so excited!
Sylvando: I looked up at the sky a little earlier, and the World Tree was right there, looking bigger and brighter than I've ever seen Her before! We're nearly at the centre of the world, aren't we? Come on, honey- just one more push and we'll be up in Yggie's branches in no time!
Jade: I thought the climate would change once we had left Sniflheim behind, but it's almost as chilly up here as it is down there. I suppose it's always colder at altitude...
Rab: Krystalinda might've made it more difficult than it had to be, but we finally got our hands on the Blue Orb. All's well that ends well, eh?
If you come this way before getting all the orbs, there's a few cute Party Chat lines for some of the party:
Erik: Hey, don't you think you're putting the cart before the horse a bit, coming up here now? We've still got an orb or two to track down, remember?
Veronica: The bad news is, we haven't found all six Orbs yet. But the good news is, there's a nice surprise waiting for you at the top of this hill! I'm not going to tell you what kind of a surprise, though. You'll just have to see for yourself!
Serena: Hm? Why are we here, Erdward? We haven't found all of the Orbs yet. Did you take a wrong turn somewhere? Or were you just curious to see what's at the top of the mountain? Well, I can't blame you for that! Tee hee!
Sylvando: [...] We mustn't get ahead of ourselves, though- it's not quite time to head up into Yggie's branches yet, is it? I think you might have that map of yours upside down, honey...
The red tint of these experts on gusting and blustering is caused by the air around them spinning so fast that it glows from the friction.
...I'd like to see your citations on that. Whirly girlies come from DQs 4 and 9, and their main thing is throwing out Thin Airs and Swooshes. They also have Hermes Hats as a drop, but I don't think we really want more of those as helmets?
Horrifying murder machines made by madmen. They often leap up to attack from above using their powerful piston-like legs.
Runny eggsoskeletons are new to DQ11, and aside from acting twice and having an AoE paralysis attack, they're about as dangerous as the other eggsoskeletons. This one we'll be riding!
More MP for the magic goddess!
And a Mini Medal on the climb out of this giant pit.
Welcome to... wait, is that...
Well, that's quite the theme. Despite how high energy this is, this song is traditionally assoicated with churches and sacred sites in both this game and DQ8. Although I think it's used for the monster arena sometimes in the latter.
Arboria is a sacred site dedicated to the cause of aiding the Luminary when he makes his return to fight evil, as well as raising the scion of Serenica to aid him.
And if you might remember from way back when, Veronica and Serena are those scions of Serenica, and mentioned coming from Arboria. We've finally made it to see their hometown.
It's nice to finally make it here.
Not that Veronica ever thought much of it. Growing up in a place is a good way to normalise all the fantastic elements of it, and visiting other places is the only real way to help remind you why your home is special.
There's a few practical reasons to stop off in Arboria before we get to the First Forest, too.
Erik: Looks like the First Forest is still a ways away. What do you say we take it easy for a while before we head off? Veronica and Serena haven't been back home for a while, after all. They've got some catching up to do.
Veronica: Arboria's just as quiet as ever... Nothing ever happens here, but I suppose that's not necessarily a bad thing. Come on, Erdward. Let's go and say hello to everyone. They'll get the shock of their lives when they find out you're the Luminary!
Serena: Veronica and I were born and raised here. We spent so many nights dreaming of the day we would finally meet you, Erdward. I really can't believe you're here with us now... I, I don't know what to say...
Sylvando: So this is Arboria. Hmmm... It doesn't seem the most fun-loving place I've ever seen. Where's the music, the life, the action!? Don't these people ever get bored of drinking tea and praying?
Jade: Everything about Arboria seems so spiritual and serene... Especially that figure carved into the mountain, gazing down on the village. I wonder who it's supposed to be?
Rab: This place seems so... pure. It's a wonder they let a fellow like me through the gates! Hyeh heh! Well, now we're here, why don't we have a wee nosey round town?
Ronnie and Rini were raised knowing that one day, they would be the Luminary's sworn companions. One can only wonder what that's done to their psyches, but they seem to be enjoying themselves.
When we climb the staircase, we encounter a cutscene. This is the one I mentioned earlier that can fuddle with the Party Chat if my memory can be trusted.
That baby the woman is holding is freshly born, and this is what the Arborians consider a baptism. What a baptism does for the people of Arboria goes unmentioned, but it won't be the last we see of their culture.
...Sorry for intruding.
This man is just the village head. We know who actually did the job of raising these two- this man is just their teacher, at most.
Oh yeah, Veronica's not supposed to look like this. Good to make sure we remember that.
At any rate, Veronica's of no mind to change it in a hurry, so brushes it aside. I doubt the Arborians will be any help repairing it, although perhaps it wouldn't hurt to have brainstormed a tad?
I guess these parents are going to be thinking this day is extra special. It's like I blessed their baby just for showing up. Probably. As long as I actually do my job.
Hopefully he had a life outside that, too.
So then, Benedictus... we need to stop evil. You'd think the Heliodorians would've dropped by this place at some point- they went to Pang Lai, after all.
...You know, we haven't actually had much in the way of proof even getting to Yggdrasil is going to help, but we've been focused on this goal since Hotto, now's not the time to question the premise.
Well, if the old man dreamed about it, it must be true! He speaks as if his dreams actually mean anything, so presumably they do.
At least we've had it confirmed we have the right idea.
This line is, of course, because this cutscene will play if you don't have all the Orbs and visit anyway. There are certain... reasons one might be concerned about this, but I assure you they are unfounded. If you're playing along, though, I wouldn't talk to Benedictus again until you've heard me explain that.
Erik: We've just got to head out the back of the cathedral and we'll finally be face-to-face with the World Tree! Get ready to be amazed, Erdward- we're in for one heck of a view!
Veronica: Serena and I are the scions of Serenica. At least, that's what Father Benedictus told everyone when we were born. He also saw that we had an incredible proficiency for magic, and had us studying the secrets of spellcasting from our very first day in school. Serenica's magical ability may have been divided between us, but with our powers combined, we're just as tough as the sage of legend herself! That's why Father Benedictus told me, when we set off to find you, that I mustn't go running off on my own like I usually do- so long as Serena and I are together, we're unstoppable!
Serena: Whenever a baby is born in the village, we offer our thanks to almighty Yggdrasil and ask for Her to watch over the newborn. I've seen lots of baptisms over the years, but they're always very special moments. You're only young once, after all!
Sylvando: So this is Arboria. Hmmm... It doesn't seem like the most fun-loving place I've ever seen. Where's the music, the life, the action!? Don't these people ever get bored of drinking tea and praying?
Jade: Weren't they just lovely? You know, that couple in the square with the newborn baby. They reminded me of King Irwin and Queen Eleanor... and you. I don't want any happy families to be torn apart again, Erdward. We have to defeat Mordegon.
Rab: The First Forest's just through the cathedral, then it's onwards and upwards to the World Tree. We've been on the road a fair wee while, but our journey's nearly at an end. Well, the first part at least. Once you're kitted out with whatever power auld Yggdrasil has to offer ye, the fun can really begin! Mordegon's clock is well and truly ticking!
We can spend some time exploring Arboria before we talk to Benedictus, and it is in our interests to do so.
Although I don't know how I feel about this. I guess, when you're a village dedicated to one guy, you're going to have a one track mind about it when it turns out he's cute.
Mini medal at the front of the village. Wouldn't do to forget this one, and the game does want you to rush past this part of the map.
This line is just confusing for confusing's sake. Considering she claims that Alma "gave birth" to Veronica and Serena, one would be forgiven for thinking the question of birthing vs adoption was closed, but no, they do actually settle on adoption later.
Not that this actually compromises Alma as a maternal figure in any way, it's just a weird bit of lore they didn't need to make this weird.
They each got half of what made Serenica Serenica. Which traits came from her is a little less clear- we don't have much of an indication of what Serenica is like, although we do have a few hints. The most we actually learn about her is that she's romantically devoted to Erdwin- although I'm not entirely certain that's supposed to be an inheritable trait.
Although apparently "recognising his descendant" is supposed to be inheritable.
The Luminary was thought dead for sixteen years. The Arborians clearly didn't believe it, but that doesn't mean they just assumed he was alive.
And here's a Tockle that we're going to be incredibly familiar with in due time.
The Imperial Pantry of Parthenia was a one-off dungeon in DQIV that was part of a Town Story at best- it is a storage site for some seeds for some plants, and because the place is having a bad harvest and we need their feverfew root to cure Kiryl's illness, we have to dive into its depts to retrieve the seeds and grow some more. It was a fairly forgettable dungeon the DS version improved on by adding an iconic Alena scene- the door is locked, and when you trigger the flags to enter the dungeon, Alena arrives first to open the door. Despite possessing the key needed to open the door, she kicks it down anyway.
Good to hear this place teaches the good stuff as well as just focusing on the one seed. I may be the mightiest oak in the park, but we're not much of a natural environment if the rest of the trees are rotten and withered.
Amber was the greatest woman I ever knew.
Up here is Veronica and Serena's old house, and we can introduce ourselves to their parents, Fidelus and Alma.
Ronnie, cause me trouble? What gave you that impression?
They're very good at that one, though.
Long, long ago, when the Dark One first terrorised the lands of Erdrea, a hero came forth and, with the aid of his companions, set out on a quest to end the tyranny of evil.
That hero was the Luminary. As time went on, a great many followers flocked to His cause. Those followers congregated here, and thus, the village of Arboria was born.
When the Luminary’s work was done at last, the village remained, standing as an eternal testament to the gratitude of the peoples of the world for His great sacrifice.
And in time, the Arborians came to be known by another name- that of the Keepers. This title speaks to their solemn determination to see the Luminary’s story preserved, and passed on to the generations to come.
A legacy worth protecting. And continuing.
Not more than once every few hundred years or thereabouts, a child is born in Arboria to whom the gift of foresight is granted. A foresight found in dreams.
At night, visions come to the recipient of this gift- visions that tell of the future.
Over the centuries, these visions have saved countless souls from misfortune. However, scant little is known of the origins of this sacred power.
One tantalising theory posited by the scholars of old is that the gift was received from the ancient inhabitants of the land whereupon the village stands. Inhabitants who disappeared into the very skies…
Oh, so Benedictus's dreams can be relied upon. The people who used to live here, though... I guess that explains the giant mountain that looks like the land around it disappeared. If we could sprout wings and meet them, though, we wouldn't have to jump through hoops to get to Yggdrasil.
What have you been hiding from us, Ronnie? The Supplicant Charm... well, it gives 3 MP a turn at +3, and can be given to everyone. Whether I'd say that's as worth it as the Belle's Bow, though... not so much. It's still nice to have, though.
I'm also fairly sure there's supposed to be a diary written by Veronica up here? I thought I found it, but I guess not. I did wind up finding the text, at least:
Today, Serena and I had our very first magic lesson! Father Benedictus taught us how to heal injuries and how to make fireballs! I picked up the fireball spell easily enough, but I couldn't get the hang of the healing one at all. Serena was the complete opposite, of course. As per usual, she started sniffling about it, saying that we'd never become great sages like Serenica if we couldn't master simple spells. But I don't feel that way at all. After all, if I ever get hurt, Serena can use her healing magic to fix me up, and if anyone tries to hurt her, I can wipe them out with a great big ball of flame! For better or worse, we're always going to be together. So as long as one of us can do it, what's the problem? Seriously, Serena- stop being such a crybaby!
...Just checking, she cares about me or the mark?
Hard not to see when it's the only star in the sky some nights.
Of course you have.
...I never paid much mind to that, actually. Arboria... certainly pleasant enough, although I'm not sure I'm fond of a place that worships the ground I walk on.
Here's the contents of the item shop. You could get this same time we visited Sniflheim early, and while very little of it is still relevant to us, they're all pretty nice for that point in the game.
Some of this in the shop, too. This is probably the most valuable thing in the whole place.
This is Serenica, although why they didn't name her is another matter. Erdwin going and turning into a star hurt her rather intimately, but she does seem like she made sure she left a legacy behind after all was said and done.
...I... see the logic, question mark?
Serena's gift for healing magic is tremendous, although it does leave her with precious little in the way of offensive options. At least she has Swoosh.
...I'd say he needs a reality check about throwing fireballs, but it's not like that ever stopped Ronnie.
Many have heard the legends of Arboria’s great statue of the Sage having been built long ago by an itinerant architect who spent the better part of his life on this one single masterpiece.
What is less well known is that this statue was created as a counterpart to another- that of the Luminary, which stands in ancient Dundrasil.
Indeed, it would seem that the fates of these two great statues were as wedded to one another as those of their subjects.
So, dear reader, should your travels ever take you to Dundrasil, be sure to pay your respects to mighty Erdwin. Who knows what benefits the blessing of both these great monuments might bring…
...I don't believe the statue of Erdwin is still standing. Although, and I'm sad to say, I think the same thing could be said about the subjects the statues depict.
...I've stayed in lots of inns on this continent.
...
I'm sure too.
You'll be great parents.
The people taking care of the various facilities are as enamoured as everyone else is at talking to us, but we don't get any exemptions from payment for being the Luminary, of course.
They're really good at this whole "actually understanding how to be a good person, rather than just being born one."
Although I'm not sure which saint got dumped here after the cremation.
...I don't think that's a good thing.
...That is slightly creepy for different reasons.
I know that feeling. So why couldn't I be a heroine?
This is the journal of Sudo Nim, treasure hunter extraordinaire. As it turns out, the young man I found collapsed on the way to Sniflheim was the son of this village’s high priest.
The lad’s father was overjoyed to see him alive and well, and as a reward, he offered myself and the desert doctor a choice between two great treasures.
I could scarce believe my eyes when I saw the first- a beautiful branch that glowed with all the colours in the world…the Rainbough! The very thing I’d spent all this time looking for!
The other treasure was a small stone that glowed with a curious blue light. The High Priest told us it was a magical artefact that would open the Door of Departure- a portal leading to a whole new adventure.
I’m sure I needn’t tell you that I reached for the Rainbough in an instant… but at the last moment, something stayed my hand. I thought back over all that I’d experienced on my travels, and I realised…
I realised that it wasn’t the Rainbough I’d been looking for all this time- it was the joy of the journey itself!
So I took the little blue stone and popped it safely in the pocket of my old, worn coat. The doctor, naturally, took the Rainbough.
And so it was that my quest came to an end. But it was by no means the end of my adventures!
Perhaps in the course of my continuing travels we might meet, dear reader. Just in case we do, let me tell you my name- I’m Chalky, the world’s greatest adventurer!
...Grandpa? So yeah, Chalky's done his fair share of adventuring in his day. Imagine if he had actually chosen the Rainbough that day. We'd be stuck on the Emerald Coast with no way to escape the Heliodorians! So the Rainbough was in Arboria before Gallopolis got its hands on it...
So now... Talking to Father Benedictus with all six Orbs in hand. Explaining why is a massive spoiler that requires me to spoil like three major reveals for context, but once we do so, we trigger a form of item duplication. Some of our items will be duplicated, and to enjoy the benefits of that trick, we have to know how and when. The most important part of our decision-making process is that there is an upper limit to how much we can duplicate.
The second most important part is that I want to pick up a few items from Tickington first, so we're going to stop there for a little while.
Well, we've got one of these to do. I hate not knowing how this all shakes out.
Erik: Ever thought about a fresh start, Erdward? Personally, I think I'm going to stick with what I've got. The truth is, I'm pretty curious to see where this life takes me, do you know what I mean?
Veronica: Ogres, elves, dwarves and... wetlings. Oh, and poppets! I mean, I've never even heard of some of these tribes! The tockles told me all about these five statues, each of which represents one of those tribes. It's pretty interesting, isn't it?
Serena: One of our tockle friends told me that the smallest statue represents the poppet tribe. Now, just between you and me, I think it looks a little bit like Veronica. I mean that in a nice way, of course, but I'm not sure she'd see it like that...
Sylvando: It sounds like changing your tribe isn't like changing your hairstyle or changing your job, honey. This kind of transformation is on a whole different level!
Jade: There are seven plinths, but only five statues. I wonder why...? Could there be other tribes in this world that we don't know about yet?
Rab: I'm quite fond of the idea of being born again. I reckon I'd make a fine wetling, to be honest. Or a wee elf. Aye, that'd be quite something.
As for what Jade's talking about, I think she's referring to Dragons and Demons, which are races that apparently exist in the game world, but the player cannot become one for what I assume are plot reasons (it sounds like the Dragons got banished). They may have also been added in later expansions, information is hard enough for the DQ games we got outside Japan.
- Wetling: High Agility, resistant to Ice.
- Dwarf: High Deftness, resistant to Dark.
- Elf: High MaMend and MaMight, resistant to Wind.
- Poppet: High MP and MaMight, resistant to Light.
- Ogre: High Str/HP/Res, resistant to Fire.
I think races don't affect stats anymore (they switched to a class system, I'm told).
Ogres are monsters in DQ4, although DQ10 Ogres look nothing like them. Elves and Dwarves appeared in DQ as NPC races, and from the sounds of it, Treacle (queen of the Faeries/Elves) made it to 10 in person.
It seems like whoever corrupted this Pastword has... "replaced" the race options. The actual race options are still there, on the pedestals further out.
I think this guy and his friend are supposed to be the DQX "hero" (main playable character). Dragon Quest likes to play cagey with the Heroes meeting one another, so to see the DQX Hero be an actual character in DQXI is rather surprising. Note that, in Tickington stories before and after now, the Hero has always been elsewhere.
Well, that was an abrupt substitution.
You never know, you could be a good slime- ah, who am I kidding, that's not how that's going to end.
The DQX Hero is, of course, Dead.
Apparently, the Revivalist went seeking a Lyre. Wait...
I know that place!
All the monsters are gathering in order to acquire the object that allows monsters to gather. Some would say redundant.
I very much doubt that. Well, I believe it, but I doubt your higher power is one worth worshipping.
...Does his boss want to be a religious head? I presume to know who his boss is, but none of the candidates that spring to mind actually seem all that much about that kind of thing? Maybe Hargon got involved.
A mean-spirited maritime menace who couldn't stand the sight of others being reborn, so took steps to put a stop to it.
Humanoid family
1344 HP
238 MP
This guy's not much of a boss, but he's not exactly helpless, either. He knows the spells Swoosh, Oomph, Kabuff, Magic Barrier, the Underpants Dance... and also tries to get you to crack a smile, which wastes his turn.
We'll focus on the major things, trying out some magic for a change.
The Revivalist can also call for help, summoning a Grublin, Merman and Kisser- the monsters that he replaced Dwarf, Wetling and Poppet respectively. Not sure why the Lump Wizard was left out, but the Troll is understandable.
Oh, of course you got both Kabuff and Magic Barrier off.
Right, no more Mrs Nice Girl.
BOOM.
Speaking of Boom, we got the kisser.
...Crap, that's alarming on multiple levels-
Oh.
Well... that's him no longer our problem.
Yay? This is an important panel to have, at least.
Well, your boss probably picked you over alternatives, but he's not shedding tears you lost.
Just because you believe your phony religion doesn't make it true.
You're welcome. Got an idea what you might pick?
You'll do just fine as long as you [insert MMO joke here].
Despite being called "All-Weather", they only block Ice and Wind. Strictly speaking, better than Anti-Freeze Earrings and Aerofoil Earrings (it blocks the same percentage at each stage), but I wouldn't say you're benefitting much from switching up.
Don't worry, DQX isn't the sort of game that'll make you question that.
Although perhaps this might wind up being an unhealthy attitude to have.
The statues as they appear in DQXI. Not sure how they look in X, but I have found the class designs for each one. I think I'd go with an Elf, personally. Poppet was tempting, but Elf is cuter.
Chateau Felix is probably... the most interesting of the Pastwords. Also far and away my least favourite of the bunch, probably.
Erik: The tockles mentioned something about people giving weird names to great sabrecats- things like Leo, Mohicat, Purrcy... Pretty crazy names, right? I don't know who came up with them, but I kind of like them...
Veronica: I've heard a rumour that in this world it's possible to ride around on the backs of sabrecats, like they were horses or something! I wish I could do that back home. Then I might be able to keep up with you lot when you go racing off, leaving me and my little legs behind...
Serena: A sabrecat who loves humans- isn't that adorable? I wonder if we could be friends- I mean, I don't speak sabrecat. But I could try... 'Meow are you?' 'Purretty good, thanks!' Tee hee! I think I might be a natural!
Sylvando: I've tamed my share of lions during my time with the circus, but great sabrecats are uncharted territory for me. The crowd would go wild if I could persuade one to perform with us, though. Oh honey, imagine if I made my entrance astride one of those magnificent beasts!
Jade: Did I ever tell you about the time I had to fight off four sabrecats singlehandedly as part of my training? I knew I didn't have a hope of beating them for speed or agility, so I held back and waited till they got tired before whacking them on the nose, one after the other! Ah, those were the days...! Anyway, now you know what to do if a sabrecat ever turns on you, Erdward!
Rab: So it turns out that even monsters have feelings, laddie. Treat them with a bit of respect and, who knows, ye might find ye have more in common than ye think. ...Of course, most of them are still going to be nasty wee so-and-sos. Ye wouldnae want to get too friendly with them.
...OK, seriously, who's calling "Leo" a bad name for a sabrecat?
We won't actually be meeting Felix in this game. This guy, at the door, is Tom the caretaker, and to get past him in DQ8, you've got to answer a quiz for him. That quiz is referenced later in this game, but for now, we...
...Hey, wasn't there supposed to be a Quest in here? For some ridiculous reason, there isn't one. At least, not yet. It won't be for some time until we can continue on. The ridiculousness of the Quest's prerequisites make this something I'm really not happy to get on with.
Now then... time to enter the Pantry.
Erik: Hm... The floor's covered in arrows. I wonder who drew them there... You know, whenever I see an arrow, I just want to go the other way. I've been like that since I was a kid- I'm not going to change now.
Veronica: According to the tockles, this place is called Parthenia, and it's famous for the special medicinal herbs that grow here. If we happen to get our hands on some, don't let Serena anywhere near it. She'll insist on using it in her cooking, and the results won't be pretty...
Serena: I do like having these arrows on the ground, telling us which direction to go. It's a very thoughtful touch!
Sylvando: Darling, isn't it wonderful? It's like the whole cave's been carved out of a giant gemstone. Everything's just so sparkly! In fact, maybe I could just take a little bit to decorate my next costume... Ha ha! Oh, honey! No need to look like that! I was just joking!
Jade: It's so slippery in here. We need to make sure we keep our footing, especially in battle.
Rab: Keeping a medicinal herb nice and cool helps it stay fresh for longer. Aye, I doubt ye'll find a better place for herb-preservation than this cave!
The "arrows" being talked about are these special tiles. Also in this screenshot, the ice that makes the Pantry live up to its name... and an ugly red filter that's doing the opposite.
When you step on an arrow tile in this dungeon, you are automatically moved to the tile the arrow is pointing to- chaining in sequence if they're arranged like this. Movement stops when you're no longer standing on an arrow. DQ4 is full of puzzles involving these things, and later games have a few examples. They're not really in this one, though- I imagine it doesn't work as well in 3D.
Most of the chests in here contain what they contained in DQ4. This wasn't exactly an early dungeon, but I wouldn't call it midgame either. Relative to our power level, the prizes don't stand out.
Seeds are always welcome, though. When I remember to use them.
Fairly handy guard dogs as far as monsters go. Their masters keep them nice and hungry to ensure that they never slack off.
Foo dogs come from DQs 4 and 10, and they're mostly about clawing you and going on a rampage, hitting most people. "Foo dog" seems to be an actual Chinese term, but these guys also got introduced alongside a miniboss called Master Kung, so...
This is a Rab skill it couldn't hurt to have. The HP boost is lower than perhaps I'd like, but it's existent.
Say hi to Alena- we're meeting her outright and not just talking about her influence on the Octagonia story. Two lines and we've already got a good idea of what Alena is like in general. She's a princess who cares very little for it, and she's chomping at the bit for a chance at some adventure. Getting the feverfew root is for a man who has a huge crush on her, but despite the fact he's not subtle about it at all, I don't think Alena is aware. Or reciprocating.
These guys back here are an adventuring party the DQIV met in the first town they bumped into, who had a full set of four already and didn't accept them. Alena picked them up at some point, taking the spot of the bunny girl- well, OK, she also took the spot of the leader, too.
If you ask me, this guy was probably the better pick.
...You know, the man brings up a good point. What's with this heatwave?
Well, that can only end badly.
I refuse to believe that. Granted, yes, this is the earlygame, Alena hasn't quite turned into the goddess she is in endgame, but still. Alena could punch the guy a few times and he'd be conked out!
...I can see how that would be a problem.
...I... Alena wouldn't let you get close enough for that to be a problem.
...Meh. It's good.
(No one tell him the Hero gets it without Alena's help in DQ4 itself.)
Let's get deeper down.
Said to be capable of communicating with the dead, they dream of one day dominating the dearly departed.
Heedoovoodoos come from DQ3 and probably should've stayed there. They can summon toxic zombies and heal one another.
Another seed up here.
Monsters made when men enamoured with the majesty of big cats use magic to meld themselves with just such beasts. They combine the lighting speed of cheetahs with the wily cunning of humans.
Cheater cheetahs are pains in the butt. In the main game, we're not going to see this until around level 40, and they can take a hefty punishment at this stage of the game. They can also throw out Ferocious War Cries, sandstorm for blindness, and Fizzle, just to be extra jerky.
This was actually (sort of) valuable in DQ4. It's long since outclassed for us.
This is alo impressive cash for DQ4. It's still cash.
The staircase we need to take is down here. You need to take the arrows to the left after going down from the gold- if you go right, you get sent right past.
There's the monster, in there... past that entire maze. You've got one real panel to pick to get to where you need to go, and everything else takes you... somewhere. The one to the far right here gets you to that strip of land to the north, and then you need to get on the far side of the block to get to the west, and then stand opposite the monster to get to that feverfew root.
Now then, the real prize here in the Pantry is this chest.
This was a Cannibox in DQ4, too, but Canniboxes changed in DQ11 to drop Seeds of Skill. Good to nab.
So then... time to deal with this guy. He's not much of a guy.
Insatiable pyromaniacs born from the belly of the volcano who will set fire to anyone or anything given half the chance.
Flamethrowers are normal enemies later, and I... don't see this guy's stats separate from the regular monsters. This guy's clearly stronger, but... well, all normal flamethrowers really do is throw around fireballs and fire breath.
Standard opening volley, of course.
This would've taken out a normal flamethrower straight out.
Arboria's Blessing is probably Veronica and Serena's bigger Pep Power- it's definitely one of the few Pep Powers Veronica really has to stand out with. The actual animation is pretty cool, too- in 2D Mode, the animations are described in text form, which reads as weird to me, in all honesty. That HP/MP regeneration is pretty potent, too.
You have Kabuff? Now I know there's stuff I don't know about this guy.
...Shame about that, though.
Now this is something worth noting. Dirge of Dundrasil is a powerful All-Target Sleep spell that even has a high chance of putting metal slimes to sleep. If you're using crit-or-miss skills like Thunder Thrust to take them out, this is going to be your best friend. If you're just bashing metals, though, sleep isn't going to be as helpful as it sounds.
And we're done!
Just have to sneak out through the path around us.
Flag-waving, spear-jabbing mechanical menaces whose weapons are sharper than steel swords despite being whittled from bits of bamboo.
Bamboozlers come from DQ10, and the whole "be Pepped, be a giant pain in the ass with Multithrust" schtick is still around. The second floor is a little more annoying to get enemy spawns on.
Oops, wrong arrow route. If you fall down these holes, you have to climb up where those stairs are.
From the sounds of it, I have still done him a favour overall, even if he doesn't seem to be enjoying himself. Admittedly, he didn't seem like he was enjoying himself before.
I'd say we're going to warm up, but honestly, not really.
That Holy Talisman blocks Instant Death 10-25% of the time based on forge rank. Honestly, even if you're into Instant Death blocks, there's something that's going to come up in a bit that's a little better.
Alena does not sound like she is doing a good job leading this adventuring party to success. This is why the DQ4 Hero has to come along and grab the feverfew root.
Not that Alena has noticed.
As a party leader, Alena is, in a lot of respects, lacking. After all, she does ultimately (unwittingly) lend the villains a huge hand without realising it. But as a follower, Alena punch things so good that everyone else's job is that much easier. Although I really have to wonder if she learned anything about being Tsaritsa on the job.
Now then, what was so special about the Pantry, then?
To get into that, we're going to recert out of Greatswords. I was planning on doing this anyway, we'll worry about the greater implications later, but we haven't abandoned it entirely.
We're just focusing on the bottom half of our Skill Tree for now. More specifically, we're learning the spell Holy Protection on Erdward.
And it's back to Tickington!
Back into the Pantry, cast Holy Protection, get through all the cheater cheetahs I still have to fight, and...
For, uh... some reason, this cannibox comes back. Along with his Seed of Skill drop.
This might be a good time to bring up the question of "hey, how do Seeds of Skill interact with your endgame Skill Point count?" The answer to that question is that, at level 99, all characters will actually be short the SP required to learn every single panel on their Skill Tree- by between 3 and 14 SP, differing by character. You need a total of 73 Seeds of Skill in order to learn every single panel, a feat which the game awards Accolades for, and the general reality of the situation is that you're gonna have to grind to get that many.
In the original release, the enemy you needed to grind Seeds of Skill for was rather inconvenient. The Imperial Pantry of Parthenia and its infinitely respawning cannibox (although I think it's a glitch of the 3D-2D switch) represents a much, much more convenient means of grinding Seeds of Skill, and me saying that tells you a lot about the old method. More than that, now is the best time to grind for them. I would recommend you grind now for them- by which I mean this exact point in the story- and you grind no less than 25 Seeds total (ie combined with the supply you already had) and no more than 37.
This is all assuming you haven't used any yet.
Picked these up on the cheater cheetahs doing that.
And also levelled up for this. Triple Whammy is basically Double Whammy, but better. Well, unless you're close enough that Triple Whammy will probably overshoot. Now then, time to touch up my forges, and we'll get back to that item duplication thing I mentioned.
(By the way, yes, the Seeds of Skill from the Pantry are highly relevant- you might've noticed from the whole "don't get more than 37.")
I may have gone overboard with showing off my images. But yeah, if you're at a loss for ideas on what to fill up on to duplicate, this is what you should consider.
- First notice: Only items inside your party member's inventories will be duplicated. Erdward's inventory will not be saved. This gives you 144 spaces to work with.
- Duplicate your Seeds. Two statups is better than one. Don't even question this recommendation. The Seeds of Skill especially should be duplicated here before being used- if you used the other seeds, it's no skin off your nose.
- Most armours you could choose to wear will almost definitely be outclassed by the time you get the duplicated stock. Don't bother with anything you're only using because it's good now.
- The second Belle's Bow will give Jade 12 MP recovery every turn, making Multithrust a free action and reduces the overall cost of a later ability. A lot of people speak highly of this one, but I'm honestly kinda skeptical. There are good reasons to do it, though, and I'd recommend having the option at hand.
- Bunny Tails are hard to come by, so if you want plenty, this isn't the worst way to stock up.
- Most Charms are only available once, so might as well get duplicates.
- Semi-rare alchemy ingredients like Lucida Shards might not be as used in later recipes, but it can't hurt to have more.
- Ethereal Stones, Royal Rubies, Savvy Sapphires, Molten Globules, Sainted Soma, Slime Crowns, Gold Nuglets, etc, definitely dupe. Especially the Royal Rubies- those are used in one of the best endgame recipes you want to make multiple times.
- The Drasilian coins are fairly obvious choices, but even then, the fact I've never bothered to sell them now says a lot about whether I'd sell them later.
- Yggdrasil Leaves, Dieamends, Pep Pops, Elfin Elixirs, etc, definitely dupe. These things are helpful for endgame/postgame stuff, don't be afraid to use them.
- Belle Caps can't be bought, and I didn't have as many Seeds of Skill as perhaps I'd usually try for, but I went overkill on stocking up.
Anything I didn't bring up specifically here but I have in my inventories, I either just have as a space filler or I wouldn't recommend as much as I thought I would when I was making my choices.
Erdward is done with Holy Protection and is now classed learning Swords. This, coming up, is the best time to be a Sword user instead of a Greatsword user. That extra crit chance and Strength up in Swordmaster is tempting, but I have to reclass back out of Swords later, better organisation feels better to worry about. Falcon Slash and Gigaslash are the big things.
Erik is preparing for learning certain skills in certain parts of his expanded tree. For reasons, this is a good thing to build him for right now. Even if perhaps there are smarter ways to go about that.
Ronnie and Rini don't have anything interesting they can do with their Skill Trees, so this is about what you can expect.
Sylv is focused on Hustle Dance still. He's best at support.
Jade is looking at mastering Vacuum Smash and Multithrust as her key areas. Also building in particular directions.
Rab's the most interesting set- his job is to prepare for endgame, and his ability to use Claws is about to become highly relevant. Although if you think that's the only thing I'm considering, I'd certainly invest more heavily than this!
And now... once you've read this line, you've duped. Everything I have just shown you has been saved by the game, and at a later point, you will receive these items again.
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