This door was previously locked back in Act 1, but at some point since the last time we were here, it has been opened.
Erik is currently standing over a pile of gold, and I don't mean in the treasure way. I don't think this puddle was ever usable as treasure.
Whatever it is that happened in this room, it's clearly the focal point of Erik's repressed memories.
...I think it's about time we used Yggdrasil's Guidance again.
And, much like the last time we used it, we're going back a long ways- back to Erik's childhood. Not nearly as far back as Hendrik's childhood was, but still a good solid few years.
And we talked to these people as if they were just regular NPCs.
Ah great, it's not just slavery, it's child abuse. Then again, I guess they're basically the same thing.
Turns out Erik can play quite the servant when he wants to.
Of course, not that everyone is in agreement on that point.
Say hello to Erik's little sister. How much younger? Considering the timeline information we have, anywhere between "younger twin" and "four years" sounds reasonable. My bet is in the middle.
Mia is much, much more aggressive than even Erik was in Act 1.
Erik tries his hardest to keep her head down, but Mia refuses to listen to reason.
Have you ever been stuck with a sister like this? It's bad enough in a normal environment!
Well, that explains so much. Still way too much cruelty from the Vikings, but it also goes some way to explaining their tempers.
Mia, of course, is unconvinced by reason.
...Some things, though...
(Yeah, sympathy for the Vikings is gone.)
This is a jump to Erik and Mia's room- which happens to be where we are now. Where we were was presumably up by the docks.
The more you learn about Mia, the more you learn that she's a greedy little tyke. This stubborn insistence that she will be rich is childish sheltering from the cold reality, though.
Erik's goal is just to filch himself an escape route of some kind.
Mia's in it for the gold. She probably has tried sitting on the Viking's pile of gold and bossing them around.
Yeah, do you think these kids are getting fed in here?
As hard as it is to like Mia, this line's one of her good ones. I just love how casual she is about murdering an innocent pigeon. The delivery's pretty good, too.
There are three Yggdrasil Root visions total about Mia, to be viewed in a row. The main reason it's not all in one lump is to get Party Chat about each stage of Mia's development.
Also, recall that the party is seeing Yggdrasil's Guidance, and Erik is too. If nothing else, this is going to do wonders for his amnesia.
Hendrik: It was only by the strength of their will and the bonds they shared that Erik and his sister survived their days of pain and penury. I, too, grew up without parents, without a homeland to call my own. Though our paths took us in very different directions, perhaps Erik and I are not so dissimilar after all...
Rab: The priest was right. Erik really did used to work for the Vikings, and jings, laddie, they worked him to the bone. This shack must have been Erik and Mia's home... if ye can call it that...
Sylvando: Erik's little sister was a bit of a handful, wasn't she, honey? Adorable, though, of course. I always thought Erik was surprisingly considerate for a career criminal. Maybe that's because of Mia...
Jade: So that was Erik's little sister, Mia... It looks like they had a hard life, but they made the best of it. There's one thing that's been bothering me though, Erdward- why would the Yggdrasil root show us images of Erik's past? There must be some reason... Let's try touching the root again. Maybe it'll have some more to show us...
All of these visions take place on different days, but how much time separates each one, I'm less sure. It's definitely up for grabs that there could even be weeks separating them.
Erik has been out with the Vikings, somehow.
And he brought home a present.
Considering they don't even know where they're from, I'm doubtful this is really her birthday, but at least Erik remembered the day they picked as substitute!
Hey, come off it, greedy-guts, I'm amazed they even let him nab anything at all.
...Were the Vikings in Heliodor? I highly doubt it- that's a long sail, and the Valor-Sauvage channel having a gate seems like it was built with the Vikings in mind, at least in part. Would the chunk of sapphire the size of your head closer to home be more suitable?
Privately, though, Mia does appreciate Erik's gift.
Erik had a little more than just "whatever he could nab" guiding his sticky fingers. He found something that seems like it Mia would have a lot of fun with, even if the word is just talk.
On the other hand, this necklace does have special powers.
That wasn't a gold coin she was holding earlier.
It turns out Erik has found Mia the Midas touch.
And again, he gave it to Mia.
I don't think it takes a genius to figure out what comes next. Exactly what shape, though, seems a little more esoteric. Erik got out of things alive, and the Vikings make no mention of owning a little girl capable of making them richer than astronauts (...if astronauts existed).
Rab, something's telling me you might consider eating a few of those words.
Hendrik: There was one thing in the vision of Erik's past that stood out to me in particular... His sister expressed a desire for the Red Orb of Heliodor, did she not? Is that why Erik was so fixated on stealing it?
Rab: So Erik gave his little sister a lucky necklace for her birthday... What was it he said? ‘Whoever wears it will find gold at their fingertips wherever they go.’ I'll warrant he never expected it to actually work...
Sylvando: Tee hee! Mia was a proper little firecracker, wasn't she, honey? I always thought Erik and Veronica's little squabbles were like some kind of family feud. Now I know where he got his practice!
Jade: Hm hm hm! By the looks of it, Erik could never win where Mia was concerned. That necklace has got me interested, though. Did you see how it turned that copper coin into gold? I get the feeling the story doesn't end there. Come on, let's try touching the Yggdrasil root again.
This is more clearly a timeskip of some description- Mia's taken the time to furnish their little corner of home with more gold than the average billionaire.
Erik is starting to get a little concerned.
They say power corrupts, but I don't think "they" were expecting it to come to pass so quickly.
Something I hadn't actually realised until checking for the blog- the original myth of the Midas touch does not actually touch on- pun unintended- the nature of turning the living into gold. The original Midas learned his lesson after finding out he couldn't feed himself (something Mia seems to have found no solution to on-screen), if he was lucky enough to be in a version of the myth where he survived.
Mia, on the other hand, has leapfrogged Midas and gone right into near-villainy.
Erik is in no mood to continue this argument in good faith. The hypocritical attack on his character can slide in the face of... waves vaguely in direction of pigeon.
A true statement. And probably an indication that Erik might not be so liberal about giving Mia treasures in the future.
The tension draws thickly, although Erik does not resort to anything physical.
...I'm not sure I would, either. Let one of the Vikings figure out if Mia can touch people.
Mia eventually relents, though.
...In her way.
Unfortunately for her, though...
It's a little late for her.
I'd probably disbelieve her too if I were in Erik's shoes- that "for now" was very ominous- but Mia is telling the truth.
On one hand, bad news, crap crap crap-!
On the other hand, imagine if Erik didn't steal this and the Vikings let one of their own deal with this. I can't decide whether that'd be better or worse.
The curse of the necklace turned around and afflicted... the wielder. I assume its original inventor is now also a gold statue somewhere, although that does raise the question of how the necklace was removed from his corpse to find a new owner.
Erik goes for the assist, only to have his dagger turn to gold and then dust in rapid succession.
Erik is barely a teenager, rapidly running out of ideas, and probably still scared Mia has enough of the curse in her to still affect him if he touches her.
She got the ground beneath her feet, after all.
Unfortunately, Erik did not figure out what to do in time. And frankly, I'm not sure anything could've helped.
And Erik's lived with the guilt of putting her in that situation ever since.
Hendrik: Now we know why Erik stole the Red Orb. To fulfil his late sister's last request... To atone for the curse he put upon her... Speaking of his sister- what has become of her statue? It could not have moved of its own accord. Did those thieving fiends steal that too?
Rab: So that's why Erik ran away from Sniflheim way back when... Ach, it's a crying shame what happened to his poor wee sister... And it's not the kind of memory ye'd want to relive. Come on, Erdward, let's go and make sure Erik's alright.
Sylvando: Is Erik okay, honey? Maybe you should try talking to him. After living through that awful memory again, he's going to need a shoulder to cry on...
Jade: Poor Erik. His sister turned to gold right in front of his eyes and there was nothing he could do to save her. It's no wonder all this business with Gold Fever has him so shaken up. It's strange, though... In the vision we saw, Erik left Mia in the middle of the room, but she isn't there any more. Might those thieving skeletons have something to do with it...?
This puts the events we saw at around five years ago, since that's the date we know Erik went missing for.
Erik did not find out anything like its origins or anything- although I'm sure by the time he figured that much out, he wanted to put as much distance between himself and it as he possibly could.
Which goes some way to explaining why he's not as great at it as he talks himself up to be- he's got no small skill, but he's got way too little experience to really say he's a master of the craft.
Plus, he eventually found a partner in crime in a man who became a merchant- although that might be the weirdness of the Vikings rubbing off on him.
"Him" as the Seer. From the Side Story, we saw the Seer appear as a woman before him, admittedly while unconscious. We know the Seer appears in a form you are comfortable with- I wonder what it was the Seer looked like for Erik the first time.
The Seer foresaw everything leading up to Erik joining Erdward. Getting Erdward out of a tight scrape, and putting him on the path to destroying Mordegon. Erik was more crucial for this journey than anyone else barring maybe the twins- and they didn't exactly need the help to go find him.
Erik went for it, figuring any chance at redemption was a good chance, and it turned out that he put himself on the path to saving the world. And now that path has led him back here... to Mia...
...Oh yeah, that was a thing, wasn't it? Not anymore it's not!
Although I question the method of amnesia the Seer used. Surely they couldn't figure out some way to donk Erik on the head and be done with it? I guess Yggdrasil's Guidance is magical enough to undo a magical amnesia, but I wouldn't say that really did the trick. Besides, we have the Root of Rememberance in L'Academie- actually, wait, why doesn't that work?
As far as I'm concerned, it already has.
Whatever it is going on now, though, Mia is now a part of it.
Add some personal stakes and let's get looting.
Erik may have been our fifth party member to rejoin, but now is the point where one can really say we've got our buddy back.
Partial truth. Erik has been reset to the Panels he knew in Act 1, but you'll have to relearn them manually. Consider it a free full recertification.
Hendrik: Gyldygga, the shining star of the Spectral Sentinels... Every monster to have claimed such an allegiance thus far has been a formidable foe indeed. We must not let our guards down for one instant.
Rab: The rascals who kidnapped Erik seemed to be working for somebody called Gyldygga. That's who's been spreading the Gold Fever too, I'll wager. Come on, laddie- let's head over to that golden castle and see if we can't put an end to it.
Sylvando: Happy days, honey! Erik's got his memories back! Now let's go and knock some sense into the ne'er-do-wells who kidnapped him, and save the stolen Sniflheimers!
Jade: It's good to see Erik back to his old self again, isn't it? ...But Sniflheim is still in the grip of Gold Fever, and the bodies of the victims are still missing. This won't be over until we've defeated the one behind it all. There's a golden castle near the shack where Erik used to live. That must be where Gyldygga is hiding.
Erik: I'm sorry, Erdward... Guess I've been kind of a drag these last few days. I swear I won't let you guys down again. I heard those monsters talking when they had me caught. Seems their boss is holed up in a golden castle to the north of the hideout. That must be where Gyldygga's taken my sister. Come on- let's head up there and show those sparkly scumbags who's really the boss around here! I'll get Mia back if it's the last thing I do!
This is what the Corsair's Coat looks like. We'll find the Cap eventually.
I think I'll stick with the Wolf for now, though.
With Erik's recerts in mind, I build him... thusly. He's still got plenty of SP left, what gives? Well, I'll let you in on a secret- he's going to get his expanded trees sooner rather than later, just not now. I want to focus on those new panels as soon as I am able, and the extra boosts from Boomerangs or whatever I choose to learn instead isn't worth it.
Speaking of, Boomerangs are not really worth it in Act 2. I'll be playing Erik as a swordsman, and have prepared his build accordingly. Falcon Slash might actually be a good idea, in hindsight, but c'est la vie. I fell for the trap of "but Erik's getting something better later..."
Speaking of SP, I remembered I never gave Jade her SP infusion, and finally get around to that. Three for her.
I'm sure that castle wasn't always there.
These treasures, on the other hand... well, depends on who put them there. The Snowfield Styles give recipes for a Knife, Axe, and Claws.
The Knife and Axe are Ice elemental, and the Knife and Claws can be used to launch an ice spell of some description. I wound up making the Claws, although I hear the Knife can actually be used to block Ice elemental damage.
There's also a Pastword back here.
Rose was an elf girl found in Dragon Quest IV. When she cried, rubies fell from her eyes, although they would shatter as soon as they touched your hands anyway. Rumours omitting that detail spread far and wide, though, and she was forced into hiding. Assuring her safety is the primary motivation of DQIV's final boss.
Time to begin exploring the Gyldenhal.
Hendrik: This castle seems to be made entirely out of gold. How in the world did the monsters manage to amass it in such quantities? No doubt Gyldygga meant this stronghold to serve as proof of his power. Alas, it proves naught but the extent of his avarice and ostentation.
Rab: All these statues must be the people and animals who were struck by Gold Fever. To steal the bodies of living beings and line them up for yer own amusement... This Gyldygga's got a lot to answer for!
Sylvando: Gold ceilings, gold floors, gold walls, gold doors... Oh darling, someone needs to be told that less is more!
Jade: Well, I won't say all this gold isn't beautiful, but it's easy to lose your way in here when every room looks the same. Stay focused on where we're going, Erdward, or we might be stuck in here forever!
Erik: Man, would you look at this place? They must have all the gold in the world in here. My sister, too... Damn you, Gyldygga. I'm going to take you down and get Mia back if it's the last thing I do!
The Gyldenhal is indeed rather difficult to navigate even with the help of a map- these doors aren't the greatest of things, and most of them are locked from at least one side. Other doors don't work no matter which side you're on.
The big rooms have plenty of monsters running around to fight.
Often the target of travelers looking to solve their money troubles, these poor creatures envy the carefree lives of stone golems.
Gold golems, unlike the rest of the enemies found in the Gyldenhal, are in fact classic DQ monsters. They first appeared in DQ1, and subsequently reappeared in DQs 7-10, and also in 3 with a different enemy's design. In many of the games in which they appeared, they have one of the highest Gold payouts of any regular enemy- and it turns out that this is true in this game, although that doesn't mean as much. The other gold enemies surprisingly aren't nearly as rich.
They can crit, muster their strength, and use Forbearance.
While I'm talking about gold the Gyldenhal enemies can drop, Gyldenbritches's common drop is the gold nuglet, a rare-ish alchemy ingredient it's helpful to nab now that Erik's back to Half-Inching things. Gyldenauts and Gold Golems merely have gold ore, instead.
With a party of people that can really throw out the damage when it counts, Hendrik shows off the Sage's Stone- if he uses this whenever he thinks it's necessary, sustain becomes a heck of a lot easier. It's also a lot nicer to use than back in the old days- every individual party member would be healed sequentially rather than all at once.
Rab has finally learned an AoE attack spell! Well, I guess he had Pearly Gates before this too...
There are also stairs to additional floors, to make navigation even more confusing.
Huh, who knew Gyldygga liked rubies?
This door over here is one of those "not actually a door, just a wall playing pretend."
Scattered around this place are a bunch of slot machines. You might recognise this design. If not, though, these things give Tokens- if you're not interested in gambling, this is a good way to get the Bunny and Mothmask recipes for free.
When they move their bodies, they glitter like crazy, and a gang of them together looks like a sparkling city of gold.
Gold-plated puppets are apparently also classical enemies, albiet appearing only in DQ10. They can crit, Weird Dance for MP, and explode into pieces for a multi-hit attack before reforming. Like Gyldenbritches, they drop gold nuglets.
Jade's Surprise Panel, incidentally, is this HP +30 one. It took way longer than I expected to break in here.
I wound up springing for Puff-Puff next.
I'll make no secret of it- this Pep Power is required for a Quest, and considering Jade's SP situation, I was worried I'd have to make a big deal out of grabbing this later.
This door is the one I checked from the front earlier. Why would I want this door open for later? I dunno, but it helps if it is.
When people wish to make a killing on the slots, fate plays a cruel trick on them by turning them into these murderous machines.
Penny pinchers are new to DQ11, and I think Booga was onto something with his evil plan. They can crit, spread about the smell of gold, or roll the slots. There are four outcomes, as far as I can tell:
Drain the player party's MP
Spread about Hellfire
Give the player party a restorative rain
Cause more gold coins to be dropped on player victory.
They also have Love Potions as their common drop, if you don't want to gamble for those in either casino. For some reason, they also have Yggdrasil Leaves in the rare slot...
The smell of gold, incidentally, has a chance at mesmerising. Turns out mesmerise isn't just about physical attraction.
The Gilt Gear recipe is only good for one item- the Gold Circlet. I suspect it might've also taught the recipe for the Gold Tiara, a classic DQ armour piece for women, but the game had other ideas for that one. The Gold Circlet is a plain helmet that's good for MaMight, MaMend and Charm on Rab and the girls.
While I'm forging, I also got this Flourish. C-C-Cold Blow (for some reason, the most powerful ice breath attack is known as "C-C-Cold Breath", and the idea of using that for icy things has just stuck ever since) is the exact opposite of Sizzly Puff: A Flourish that brings the temperature down 300 degrees. When the forge is cooler, strikes have less power, which allows you to nudge up the bars if they're right up against the mark. Don't cool it down too much, though- you won't be able to do anything if the Forge is at 0 degrees.
As much as she doesn't need the Magic, she can still benefit from Charm. Well, not with her current build...
The Gold Golem up ahead can be ridden around. That punch is a slam that shakes the ground and sends enemies flying- I don't think it's possible to use it as a pre-emptive attack.
Here's a Penny Pincher disguised as one of these old slot machines. The ones earlier were random encounters.
And here's some of their Slot rolls. They can't fail to get a line of three- you'd think that'd come up eventually.
Down in front, Sylv!
...You feeling lucky?
There is some good Tokens in here, though.
...Ah, crap. Don't worry, you'd fall even if you weren't on a golem.
...Aw, look, it's the lovestruck couple.
...Never mind, that's creepy.
Gold bars, now that's something to keep an eye out for. It's an endgame alchemy ingredient you're going to want in bulk.
Speaking of, the gold golems actually have it as their rare drop, so might as well fire off a Hallelujah on them.
500 Tokens, that's enough for the Bunny Suit book all on its own!
Ah, there's a mesmerise effect.
This is the room with the breaking floors, just from a different direction.
That gets us to the end of the dungeon.
This is my build for Gyldygga. She has an annoying status ailment to watch out for, but no accessory can block that. Best to focus on the rest of her offensive kit.
...Wait, she?
...This is a big throne room.
...For such a small Sentinel.
Hendrik earlier referred to Gyldygga as male, but nothing indicated such, and thanks to the Side Stories, Gyldygga was the last Sentinel to appear in the story, well after Jasper, Booga, Indignus, Alizarin and Tyriant. Almost... suspiciously absent, in hindsight. This is new to the Definitive Edition, however- vanilla players have not yet met Indignus and found Booga nothing more than a bully with Jade on a leash.
...
Is anyone really that surprised? I mean, how she stopped being a statue and started being a Sentinel, that's surprising, but the first thing the girl who doesn't think twice about turning a pigeon to gold is to go turn all of Sniflheim into statues and the Vikings into her little pets?
Five years of absolutely nothing, same old Mia. Always thinking of herself.
Well, that explains why Erik was a target. Less sure what Mia's plan for him was, but I'm sure it was nothing good. Perhaps she wanted a foot rest.
Ah great, she already has the villain laugh.
Again, Mia might be a right stuck up little prat, but you cannot deny she always gets at least one point.
Mordgeon ran recruiting, and found himself with a heart full of bitterness to capitalise upon, much like Jasper's...
It's amazing, how many shapes Mordegon can take to get all over the continent. We have to run around on a boat.
Mordegon delights in corrupting the desires of those who want more. The people who feel as though they were robbed of something, whether valid or otherwise. And then they will take what they want.
Mia has a bone to pick with the way her life has been.
And finally has the power to do something about that.
Shame about everyone else caught in the blast.
What did Mordegon do? I'm afraid to say it, Erik, but he did nothing. Nothing more than give Mia ideas.
Note to self, find out if Mordegon had a sister.
The Gyldenhal isn't so much as a mountain of gold as an entire castle, and here she is at its peak.
By the way, Sylvando would like to tell you that less is more.
I wonder if her decision to base the Gyldenauts on deadnauts is a riff on this idea. A little difficult to work a skeleton army "to the bone" when they're already there.
It's also not like Gyldenbritches has any bones...
I was on your side with the pigeon, but the Vikings... eh, I'm really tempted to say live and let live with them. They seem happy as Gyldenauts.
I'd tell Erik maybe he should've considered carrying Mia's statue around, but let's be honest, if that stunt lasted him until he got arrested by Heliodor, then Mia would not like where she wound up instead.
On the other hand, she might still be a Sentinel in that situation, Mordegon's right there.
Mia envelops herself in a shell to fight us with. Now I see why the throne room is so huge.
Mashes the button to put a hand on his shoulder.
It's what he would've done for me.
Erik decides that the least he can do to help Mia is take out Gyldygga.
Gyldygga's voice here does have a vocal effect applied to it, but she still sounds very much like the petulant child she was while she still looked like Mia. It'd be comical if this exchange wasn't so emotionally charged.
A Spectral Sentinel and lifelong lover of precious metals who presides over her golden army with a cruel-clawed iron fist.
Material family
3600 HP
999 MP
Gyldygga doesn't seem to be a classic DQ design, as far as I can tell, but maybe it's hiding in a Monsters game or DQ10. She can slice and dice her way through a party attack, knows Rake 'n' Break, Oomphle and Acceleratle, and can call for help from either a Gyldenbritches or two Gyldenauts. She can also Pep herself up, if she so pleases.
Don't worry- this time, I do see her Orb's power.
Always go right for the buffs.
One of these days, this'll be pointless.
I love it.
Like it less. This strikes people randomly, a bit like a claw version of Multithrust.
...Something's telling me this dragon is resistant to fire.
And there goes the power of Gyldygga's Orb. I'm told this ability is called "Kaching Kaclang", and that's basically what it is- a hostile version of Kaclang that turns party members into gold instead of iron. Other than that, however, being a lump of gold is basically the same thing as being hit by Kaclang- you can't act for a few turns, you're completely invincible, magic can't affect you, and in general your life stinks.
I may just dislike this most out of any trick a boss can pull on you.
Erik's regular attack looks loads better for damage.
Sylvando, noticing he is now running low on friends, uses Tap Dance to help his survival.
Oh, same to you, you little pest.
And here come the Gyldenauts. They won't be that scary.
Remember what I said about not being affected by magic? That counts buffs, too. That concludes our lesson on why I'm never using Kaclang.
Look at how much extra damage Erdward is doing compared to Erik.
At least Divide is making up the difference.
Well, that hurt. Not as sure what it was, though. I think she has some kind of group attack.
And that's her using her Pep Up ability. Her Pepping Up consumes a turn.
Sylvando does not.
Truly.
Jade's been Gold so long that she felt the need to Re-Vamp again. The buffs Re-Vamp applies are normal buffs, the same as any other kind, and casting Re-Vamp twice gives her two layers of them. Well, of the Atk/Def/Agi. The Status Resistance doesn't increase.
Party Pooper is doing just fine.
You know, Gyldygga would be a lot more annoying if she hit Erik with this.
I learned my lesson from last time. Not that Hit Parade is a bad idea here, but...
Erik could use the renewal on Oomph.
Owwwww why is Erdward the only one hurt?
I had the idea of making Gyldygga die from irony- using Gold Rush to defeat her with the gold she craves.
Was a little off.
Erik was probably the right one anyway.
Jade's going... deeper into Charm? What is my plan, past me?
Hendrik also picks up Scrap Mettle, should he ever need to be Sapping things.
Gyldygga drops the corsair's cap for Erik's outfit. If she had not, Gyldenbritches had it in his rare slot.
Gyldygga doesn't quite die like a monster does- she's not a monster, after all, she's a mechsuit for a human.
Whatever's happening, Mia's having a bad time of it.
Vines get sent everywhere, leaving Erik alone with Erdward. We're the ones closer to Gyldygga, incidentally.
...Well, not necessarily spread, but yeah, I think at least Sniflheim is going to turn to gold.
Erik prepares to charge in and wreak some havoc.
And we're left with the ability to walk around, although very little to interact with.
I think I finally have my "put a hand on his shoulder" button.
Erdward gets Erik to step down.
He's got this chance to do the right thing by Mia. And this time, he's going to take it.
Erdward uses his Luminary powers to open a path for Erik to jump up into.
Erik is coming straight for Mia.
And turning to gold as he gets closer.
He's still in enough control to grab Mia and try and pull her out.
Or at least into a hug.
I think, the way Gold Fever works, you're still fully capable of locomotion until you're fully turned. There's no partial locking up.
You kids definitely needed to be removed from the Viking's company, but I sure as hell wouldn't wish how that came about on anyone.
Mia finally realises what her greed cost her. Although, as is usually the case, it happened a little bit more magically than it might have otherwise been.
Mia's tear shatters the cursed necklace.
And the remains of Gyldygga vanish. This also cures the Gold Fever, but does not destroy the Gyldenhal. As much as we're interested in that.
I mean... you still have a giant castle made out of gold. I'm sure you could sell that for something. Not sure to who. Krystalinda sounds like she could use a vacation home.
Oh yeah, we got this, too.
Better to take Mia back for rest, though.
...Sounds good.
And she relinquishes the Yellow Orb of Dundrasil. Of course Mia has the golden Orb. But I still can't escape the sense of cosmic irony involved in giving Mia the Red Orb that motivated Erik so heavily throughout the five years he had left. I imagine the fact the Orb powers Kaching Kaclang is part of why they gave her Yellow and not Red.
At long last... after a long journey... Mia has forgiven Erik for giving her the necklace. Well, OK, I don't think Mia's going to let him off the hook for taking it away, but in some indescribable way, that tension is gone now.
Erik is now back with us for good.
About time, my good man.
You did great.
Hendrik: At long last, the people of Sniflheim can go about their lives without fear of being struck down by Gold Fever. Our work here is done. Come, Erdward- onward, to Arboria.
Rab: Phewee! It was touch and go for a while there, but we managed to put an end to Gold Fever and save wee Mia into the bargain! Thank goodness for that, eh? Actually, it's you and Erik I should be thanking. It just goes to show- true heroes never give up, even when all hope seems lost.
Sylvando: Poor little Mia... After everything she's been through, it's no wonder she's all tuckered out. It sounds like she's going to be just fine, though. She'll come back to her senses soon enough...and then she and Erik can go back to their bickering!
Jade: To get to Arboria from Sniflheim, we'll have to cross the Snærfelt and head into the Highlands. We don't know what awaits us up there, so we ought to make sure we're prepared for all eventualities before we head out.
Erik: I owe you one, Erdward. If it wasn't for you, I might never have been able to save Mia, or find forgiveness. Now that it's all over, the golden boulders blocking the roads in and out of Sniflheim will have melted, and we'll finally be able to make our way to Arboria. Come on, let's go get what we need to cut Mordegon down to size! I'll be with you all the way, partner!
So, what are the new Skills Erik has been keeping from us for so long?
Swords
- Attack +60 (2 panels) - 90 total
- Dually Deadly: Removes the damage penalty Erik has with his off-hand weapon. This isn't as powerful as it sounds, although it's certainly very appreciated and should definitely be a high priority for its value in regular encounters.
- Fatal Flash: Deals 2.5x damage to a single target, with a 40% chance of instantly killing them. This is Erik's boss-killer, as strange as it sounds to talk about an instant-death attack that way- yes, bosses are immune to that, but the 2.5x damage is nothing to sneeze at.
Knives
- Attack +30 (1 panel)- 35 total
- Crit Chance +4% (1 panel)- 6% total
- Nastier Knives: Makes the status effects Erik needs to inflict more likely to land. Considering how late this comes by compared to Sylv's, you're probably more used to Erik capitalising on the status effects other people land as opposed to him landing his own.
- HP Hoover: Deals normal damage, but Erik heals for 25% of the damage dealt. Erik has Miracle Slash, and there are no circumstances where Erik is going to be healing more out of knives than he is out of swords.
Boomerangs
- Attack +10 (1 panel)- 15 total
- Accuracy +10% (1 panel)- 20% total
- Pep-Up Power-Up
- Double Down: Deals two hits of 1.8x damage to all targets. There is a 50% chance each target will suffer a lowered resistance to debuffs. This is Erik's Wheel of Harma move, although the fact it's tucked in the top-right corner while Dually Deadly and Guile are in the other two corners makes this a difficult skill to recommend for normal use, even if it didn't cost 24 MP.
Guile
- Dodge Chance +5% (1 panel)- 8% total
- Pep Chance +5%
- Sticky Fingers: The chance Half-Inch successfully steals an item is increased by 15%. Almost as essential as Half-Inch itself.
- Critical Claim: Lands a critical hit. Also ignores blindness and evasion. This is the Metal-killer. It costs 64 MP, and with Erik's MP pool, it's never going to be used in normal situations.
I go right for Sticky Fingers, and then dive right down through the Swords tree. I don't have Fatal Flash yet, but that +60 power to Swords is enough to help push Erik past Erdward's damage output when it counts. Stick with Erik, and he turns out to be one of the best damage output characters around.
You don't have to worry about her, she's doing just fine.
I'm not entirely sure what causes the Gyldenhal to be fine and not these glaciers, but this is a boon Sniflheim sorely needed.
...Is the guy who was ogling you dead after the Fall? Wow... that was probably a tough one to work through.
Well, so much for a sense of responsibility.
Frysabel is mostly telling us the crucial information.
Krystalinda didn't get the memo that the Sentinel was Mia. I don't think anyone in Sniflheim really needs to know that.
I can assure you both that your darling boy is a Sentinel and that his pretty face has long since been ruined. Not that it was very pretty when it was sneering but human.
And, of course, her guards are just as determined to see things through.
If you haven't made some of these yet, this is definitely the time to start.
Oh wow, a perfect on these Boots. I kinda hate the Boot shape.
And, lastly, the design of the Corsair with the cap on.
Erik and Mia's story is a nice reveal at last on what was going on when it came to Erik- between a rotten childhood with some of society's worst elements, a brat of a sister he can't help but not hate and the unrelenting guilt of having shattered his status quo in pain, Erik had nothing really to keep him going forward until the Seer pointed him in the right direction. While Erdward and Erik are brothers in arms, the ability to finally come back and close this chapter of his life allows him to fully appreciate his new lease on life- although what he's going to do once Mordegon is down remains to be seen.
Mia also represents a return of the story of grudges. Much like with Jasper, Mordegon saw his opportunity to cause harm by manipulating Mia's hard feelings towards her brother, which had been festering in non-zero quantities for five years while she had nothing else to do but stare at the same room. Perhaps the real crime Erik did for Mia was locking her door. Unlike Jasper, however, Mia is not so far gone that she cannot be made to realise how toxic her grudge can grow. A bit of a shame it had to involve shattering her dragon mecha and knocking her out for an indeterminate length of time, but that's what happens when both Mordegon and the necklace are trying to influence her in the other direction.
Finally, the story of Erik and Mia harkens back to another brother/sister pair of DQ history who starred in a spinoff: Terry and Milly, of DQ6 and DQ Monsters 1 fame. When Milly grew up in her hometown of Felonia, the corrupt King took her as a dancer, and whatever it is he and his jealous wife did with her, we don't get a great deal of detail on the subject. Terry ran away from home, too, trying to better himself through any means necessary. Unlike Erik and Mia, however, the story of Terry and Milly ends differently: Milly escaped from Felonia thanks to a cellmate, and finds herself a new home with Madame Lucca before eventually joining the Prince of Somnia, also known as the DQ6 Hero, as a party member. Terry, on the other hand, serves as a rival, stealing the sunderbolt blade of Arkbolt and scoffing at the shattered Sword of Ramais before ultimately giving himself to the Dread Fiend Dhuran and opposing the Hero. Unlike Mia, Terry ultimately joins the party after this, but while Erik and Mia share a lot of similarities with Milly and Terry, their story is told in the inverse. I quite like the subversion, especially since Terry didn't quite make much of an impact- Erik has outstripped his popularity by far.
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