The entirety of the following updates will take place in 2D Mode. Since these are technically Act 2 Pastwords, I'll also slip Hendrik's Party Chat in- he'll be joining us again later, of course, but the game kinda expects we'll have Hendrik on us.
We're going to start our journey in the Pastword that is probably best for the purpose I had in mind- level grinding! Hey, that's what the Ruby Path of Doom is for in Dragon Quest 9!
Hendrik: I must say, the tockles have chosen a fine place in which to stage their trial. I would like to return here some day, to challenge myself once again.
Rab: Wait a wee second, laddie... I'm sure I just saw something silver over there, scurrying off into the shadows...
Sylvando: Listen to this, honey: the tockles told me that this is a kind of special, holy place that only people with inside information know about. I have to say, it looks just like any other dank cave to me, but who am I to doubt them?
Jade: We must remain vigilant, Erdward. In a place like this, there's no telling when or where we may come under attack.
Erik: This whole cave looks exactly the same, and there's nothing to help you remember where you are. We're going to have fun trying to get out of here...
Serena: Yoo-hooo! Gosh... Judging by how long it took for that echo to come back, I'd say we were in a very large cavern indeed...
Veronica: Grrr... This place is like a maze! The paths keep twisting back on themselves! I hope you're keeping track of the paths we've already taken, Erdward. I am NOT having you walking us around in circles all day.
You're supposed to say "no" here. If you say yes, he gets annoyed.
A treasure map will point you to a Grotto. Considering the literal thousands of possible generations you can get, trading treasure maps with other DQ9 players can help you get ahead of the curve- you have to grind a lot to raise your rank and get rarer grottoes. And then you've gotta worry about finding grottoes of the right level for perhaps some middling monsters or something...
Suddenly getting reminders of why I'm never doing the postgame of DQ9 seriously.
The Ruby Path of Doom grotto that appears in DQ9 is a very famous treasure map, and with good reason- on the 15th floor of the original grotto, only Metal King Slimes will spawn. (You can find Metals on the overworld in DQ9- you can't in 11). This is not the only map you can get with that particular quality, but it's the fan-favourite one to share about.
This map is known as Masayuki's Map in the DQ9 community- not that it's called that in this game. Apparently it is in the original, but I've never had the chance to trade maps and find it for myself. Technically speaking, this might count as a fan being added to the game- by implication, we're supposed to read this character as being the Masayuki that discovered the map the first time.
By the same token, this bit is sorta supposed to be taken as him getting complaints from similarly out-of-universe fans. These must be the assholes int the Youtube comments- DQ9 is a game big on sharing with everybody, so a bunch of people that got this map were probably kids or casuals who have no idea who to complain to.
Considering you're the one who found the dungeon in the first place- and presumably verified the metal slime thing- that's very concerning and I don't blame people for raising an eyebrow there.
...Don't worry, this one isn't fifteen floors.
In DQ9, companions can be freely acquired form Patty's Party Planning, and if you've spent long enough going without, you're kind of a demigod. I assume this guy's friends are all busy.
He doesn't really seem to know what it might be that's at issue.
I think that's the first time I've seen that expression applied to mean "angry about" and not "crazy about".
Able assassins who absolutely adore blood. Their unwitting targets are usually dead before they even know what knocked them for six.
Hellbound hunters are honestly very creepy up close. They come from DQ10, and have an Eerie Light for sleep, the Rain of Pain, and the Zammle spell.
Going through this place might get you a lot of bumps, so it's a good idea to have someone on Sage's Stone duty. Somehow, that's Jade- Erdward is kinda stealing her thunder considering his level advantage.
Nose for Treasure is a huge boon going through this place- there's a lot of chests scattered around, but this whole place looks kinda samey. Now imagine this over in DQ9, where Nose For Treasure didn't work on randomly generated chests- the only kind that appear in grottoes.
...Saint's Ashes? I thought most of the drops were seeds.
What happens when a witch tries to make a fondue for friends in her cauldron? This. This is what happens.
The fromage fey is also DQ10, and can tongue-lash, Zammle, and eat a quick snack to recover its HP.
By the way, those King Crabs might take a bit of a beating, we're a little lower level than they expect.
There we go, some seeds.
Famed for their flirtatious dances, goodybags go through life intent on inflicting as much suffering and pain on others as possible.
First appearing in DQ3 and having a perfect record from 5 onto 10, Goodybag is the main form of this famous monster. It's amazing he only shows up here (by which I mean only in the Ruby Path) in 11, though. Here, they have Weird Dance, Sultry Dance, Kasap and Fuddle. His drops aren't impressive at all, and honestly, neither is his wallet.
More treasure. Good luck telling which floor is which! Incidentally, each floor actually has its own separate encounter rates, which is somewhat of a reflection of DQ9's mechanics- even if I don't think those games had it quite so erratic.
- B1F: Bodkin Bowyer, Whirly Girly, Moosifer, King Crab, Hellbound Hunter
- B2F: Moosifer, King Crab, Hellbound Hunter, Fromage Fey
- B3F: Infernal Armour, Tantamount, Scourgette, Cosmic Chimaera, Hellbound Hunter, Goodybag, Fromage Fey
- B4F: Infernal Armour, Cosmic Chimaera, Balhib, Robo-Robin, Goodybag, Fromage Fey
- B5F: Cosmic Chimaera, Sail Serpent, Balhib, Robo-Robin, Goodybag
On your first adventure through the dungeon, B6F (the final floor of the Tickington version) is completely free of any random encounters, although you will find this guy if you've been to the Observatory.
He's the guy who's eaten the Fygg.
When some slimes found a fygg and feasted on it, they transformed into this deadly dragon- the most abominable creature they could imagine. Unfortunately, none of them remembers any of it.
Dragon family
1743 HP
159 MP
The usual result of mortals consuming Fyggs is disaster, and the doomsday dragon is a bit less of a targeted one than usual. His main attacks are the Hellfire Howl, Ferocious Roar, Kasizz, and the annoying power of these dragons to hold aloft their Eye of Dragon and block either physical or magical damage.
Of course, Erdward is going to be our port of call.
Oh screw you too.
...Well, someone is still grappling hard with 2D combat. After Tatsunaga, though, this guy isn't that much.
Fortunately for the DQ9 Hero...
Defeating a monster drunk on Fygg power restores the fool who swallowed it.
All seven of the people who ate a Fygg had one wish, and since Fyggs are apparently a wish-granting fruit, their wish got granted. Usually, however, there was a catch that required the DQ9 Hero to intervene, kill a monster (most of the time the would-be wisher), solve everything, and reclaim the Fygg so they could return them someplace safe. You know, usual Town Story business.
Fortunately, most of the people who ate a Fygg are in no position to really argue with returning it once everything gets fixed.
Let's not eat this ourselves. It'll probably work out better for us, but still, we had enough time travelling to fix our problems.
Whatever you say...
Uh...
I'd say I'm not scared of you, but I'm gonna be honest, a King Slime is still kinda scary. If adorable.
Revenge of the metal slimes! I don't think there's a lot of content that paints them as enjoying their role as punching bags for adventurer EXP, so of course this turns up instead.
This slime, it's war!
And thanks to poor Masayuki, this guy will eat like a king!
A merged mass of metal king slimes who couldn't bear being victimized by experience-hungry adventurers any more, and resolved to get revenge by banding together.
Slime family
800 HP
376 MP
Don't panic, DQ8 veterans, the king of metal king slimes does not have Metal Slime defence. He has a fairly respectable score of 500, but he'll go down with enough effort just fine. He knows Boulderbringer and Lightning Storm to join his crits and smothering the party, and I'm going to assume magic is the usual kind of no-go where metals are concerned.
Second verse, same as the first.
...Wow, you really need to push in there.
Jade proves the Metal Slime standby isn't a horrible option.
So long.
30010 is their payout in DQs 4-6, 8 and 9, although in the latter game, EXP is calculated weirdly because of varying party size and contribution. A Metal King in 9 gives 120,040 EXP, shared between 4 adventurers, potentially (and probably) unevenly. 80G is their gold drop in 9 and only 9.
In DQ11, because there's a lot of Metal Slime stages in between, a normal Metal King gives 70070 EXP a head. Vicious Liquid Metals give the closest, at 30,300 (speaking of those guys, I don't think we ever bumped into one, although they're supposed to be found in Act 2).
With him bested, he bursts with unhappiness and unamalgoomates.
Incidentally, this sprite for Metal Kings is the one used in the Zenithian DQ remakes to represent a King Slime on the overworld- which both 5 and 6 had major use for.
Now that the metal kings are back to being pinatas...
They do what Metals do best.
Apparently, the metal kings declared open season on adventurers. That's all covered now.
They play DQ to relax! Which is why they're grinding obscene EXP in a dangerous dungeon.
So did I, but I'm not sure where the textual support is. Most beastiary descriptions describe them as not enjoying being defeated- although there are some where the metal slimes like to play chicken on how long they can stay in a fight without being defeated.
I'm sure they see it the same way.
He says that, but unfortunately for us, it won't be functioning as it does in DQ9 for us.
If it falls into the DQ9 Hero's hands, they'll be able to use it to power level their team, become an omnidisciplinary master along with their three party members, and then... I guess go fight some Legacy bosses because they can? If you're good enough to get to the Metal Slimes in here, you're long-since strong enough to take on the final boss of DQ9.
Incidentally, B6F is now populated with monsters. You can find Metal King Slimes, as expected, but also the enemies Stout Troll, Gnashturtium, Godsteed and Master Moosifer. These are all enemies we won't find until we get into Act 3- the latter two late into Act 3- and if you're playing this in Act 2... you could've got this Pastword right after Avarith. Treat those guys as full-blown bosses, but the rewards are greater.
And now we can return the Fygg to Aquila.
Apparently, JP and INT disagree on how the Celestrians view mortals, but the INT reading is that Celestrians, while it's their job to look after mortals, don't like it and look down on mortals. Aquila never really contradicts this.
Sure you do. The Fyggs weren't a huge part of Celestrian culture before Fyggbloom.
Oh Celestria, you guys are useless.
Whatever makes you feel better.
That's the Benevolessence acquired. We saw it in the main run- it's an infinte use Magic Barrier item. In the world of DQ9, benevolessence was the crystalisation of human gratitude, and Celestrians needed to gather it to cause Fyggbloom. The overall point was to prove the value of humanity, although I do notice the humans aren't doing much in this arrangement.
Anyway, it's time for us to move on to the last of DQ9's sections, the Quester's Rest. The inn builds up the more you socialise and interact, but this more resembles the basic level than the higher ones. The paths to other part of the inn are blocked off in DQ9 too unless you're using them.
Hendrik: This establishment would appear to serve many purposes. It is at once an inn and a tavern, a bank and a shop... From what I can gather, it is some kind of guild where like-minded adventurers can join forces and set out on quests together.
Rab: This looks like my kind of place, laddie! I'm hoping there's a well-stocked bar and many a bonnie lassie drinking at it!
Sylvando: I hear that the owner of this inn is a young woman who's barely older than our darling Erdward! Just imagine running a place like this at her age! She must be a pretty smart cookie!
Jade: You know, being in this inn reminds me of something that used to happen a lot when I was travelling around with Rab. Whenever we'd stay anywhere, we'd somehow always end up in their very best suite, no matter how full the place was or how late we turned up. Rab would simply take the manager aside and have a quiet word with him and that was that. I'd love to know what he said to them...
Erik: A tavern! Nice! Let's take a quick break- all work and no play makes you a dull boy, you know!
Serena: The tockles told me that this place is home to a former winner of something called the Inncredible Inntertainer Award. Apparently, it's awarded by an organisation called the Sinndicate. It sounds like there's more to innkeeping than meets the eye!
Veronica: Listen to this, Erdward! This inn has special rooms called Royal Suites! You don't even have to be a king or queen to stay there, either! I don't suppose I could stay there for one night, could I...? Oh, come on! I promise I won't order room service or anything...
Erinn's supposed to be Erdward's age? She has the most pinchable cheeks, though. I think I blame the DS's graphics for that, mostly.
Patty's Party Planning is an essential stop in DQ9- it's the only way you're getting any new party members.
We're going to need to talk to Patty in a personal capacity, though. The Quester's Rest proprietors have Quests for you in the DQ9 postgame, and all of them insist you get them behind the counter.
Erinn has a killer case of impostor syndrome. Erinn got hired to take over this inn because her father was Edwinn, but she herself is more than qualified to take the job.
This is Sellma, the proprietor of the DQVC shop. This is online connectivity, selling different things each day as connected to a central server- or at least it was back when any of that was true.
The bookshelf back here has a book called the "Girl's Own Annual"- this is a key item that can be used in a later Tickington quest. This one is the solution to the puzzle in question, so you must pick it up.
Patty only met Erinn at the start of DQ9. Considering how long you can play DQ9 for, that may be a reference to them spending all their time together in Quester's Rest.
This is actually a postgame Quest in DQ9, too. You had to find a Grotto to find a treasure left by Erinn's mother there, but there's another solution here.
There's a self-help motivation book Patty wants to check this time.
We saw an example of taking a book from the bookshelves in Tickington, so you'd expect, given the precedent those books set, that the book we need is in Tickington somewhere.
Nope, it's in Erdrea, actually! We'll stumble upon this book later- I don't really want a Sainted Soma (or to leave Tickington) now, nor does completing the Altar of Starry Skies hold value right away. I do want to do it quickly, but I need something else first.
Our next destination will be the Briscoletti's Mansion. This Pastword gives us access to something surprisingly important considering how it works.
Hendrik: One wonders how Mister Briscoletti made the fortune that allowed him to acquire this mansion. Well, it is clear he is no ordinary person. I should very much like to learn more about him.
Rab: One of those wee tockle fellows said there were a few lassies living here- they'll be the owner's daughters, I'd imagine. He wouldnae tell me whether they were bonnie or not, though. Only that they're all a little eccentric in their own ways.
Sylvando: Wow... Marble walls, hand-wovern rugs... Wait! Is that gold leaf!? Honey, whoever owns this palce must have really hit the jackpot! Maybe I should try and get them to fund my next production...
Jade: Those flowers by the front door are really beautiful. They look like they might be for a wedding or something. It's strange- I've never really been one to think about marriage very much, but I suppose I'm as susceptible as anyone to a nice dress and a big bouquet of flowers.
Erik: Whoa! The owner of this palce must be filthy rich. It's like Derk always said: if you want to know whether someone's got serious dough, check out their carpets.
Serena: I'm not sure I'd like to live in a big mansion like this. I'd feel bad for whoever had to clean it.
Veronica: That idiot Erik went and trod on my foot when we were going through the portal! Then, to add insult to injury, he said he hadn't seen me because I was so small and refused to apologise! He seriously needs to work on his manners!
We enter the world and... that's a lot of identical characters! I know the older DQ games had dupe issues, but...
Something has clearly gone awry.
Guns 'n' Buns is another book that can be used for a later quest, the same one as the Girl's Own Annual. This one is not the correct solution, but a comedy solution.
You get this unique message for inspecting this treasure chest. In DQ5, this Chest contained the Zenithian Shield. Presumably, it still does here, and we will never be able to open it. The chest on the left is also locked, but we will be allowed to open it later.
Four of these people have been cursed to take the shape of the fifth. I assume it's doing wonders to his self-esteem that this person would like to look like someone else.
The real Papa is the one in front of the fireplace.
Incidentally, from right to left, the three people around this table who are not who they appear to be are Bianca, Nera and Debora, the three Heavenly Brides whom DQ5 is named for. Debora was a later addition to the DS remake, although she quickly became just as beloved as the other two among the fandom- this is why I was amused to see the SFC version of the Neverglade represented.
Speaking of amusing things that show up at the same time, this man is, in fact, the series' other Rodrigo. Rodrigo Briscoletti is a man of wealth (I forget if he inherited or is self-made, but he is of a significant bloodline) and owner of the Zenithian Shield the DQ5 Hero needs to progress in the story. Fortunately, Rodrigo happens to be running a contest in which the prize includes the Zenithian Shield!
The full prize, in actuality, is to take his daughter's hand in marriage- Nera, incidentally. This contest requires collecting two Rings from dangerous places, and only the DQ5 Hero is up to the task. There was a secret reason for Rodrigo setting this goal, he actually has a method to his madness, although describing it like that isn't doing him any favours.
This is not true- the DQV Hero has gone to Stockenbarrel to pick up the bride's veil. At least, this is the most logical time in the story for this event to occur.
More importantly, how is the Hero supposed to choose a bride when he can't tell which is which?
This is actually related to Rodrigo's reasoning, funnily enough- I didn't realise he brought it up here. Back in DQV, it's revealed Rodrigo was specifically hoping a powerful guy like the DQV Hero would enter his family so they could fight back against one of these demons who happened to be breaking free of his prison, so he set up the engagement challenge to attract one. Regardless of whether the DQV Hero actually does marry into the Briscoletti family, he's happy to lend a hand on this matter.
Well, he's taking things in good humour.
I'm more Hero than the groom-to-be!
We'll have to hunt it down first, of course.
Resourceful, or able to talk to four people.
No he won't. I think he actually promises to help the DQV Hero fight that demon of his and also fails to show up.
The Quest description updates to spoil the solution- our curse-giver is over in Alltrades Abbey.
Nera's a daddy's girl, and doesn't really object in any way to being given away as part of this contest idea of Rodrigo's. She's also practically a dream wife when it comes to all the usual sorts of things you'd expect a "dream wife" to have- the words "domestic goddess" get used.
Bianca is an innkeeper's daughter, and right now, her mother is dead and her father is dangerously close to following behind her.
...I didn't talk to Debora? She must've been her usual snippy self. She's a bit of a brat- well, OK, a lot of a brat- and very domineering.
The maid has the clue where you're supposed to look.
Incidentally, this mansion is bigger than it appears, even in the SFC version. The teleportal we used to enter this place replaces the staircase upstairs, where there are massive bedrooms for Rodrigo, his wife (although I think they share a room) and Nera. Debora gets the third floor to herself, which is partially because she's a later addition, but is really funny if you try to come up with worldbuilding reasons for it.
...I don't think that's a job.
Just blatantly avoiding the use "ass" there.
You'll never make a monkey out of me.
If this sticky-fingered simian hadn't stolen Rodolfo Briscoletti's breaktime banana way back when, he wouldn't have had to be sealed away until his descendant Rodrigo's day.
Demon family
1743 HP
335 MP
...OK, that's what we're going with for the description? That is absolutely hilarious! Also, I want Rodolfo as a playable character in something now. Anyway, the pilferpithecus has a Freezing Blizzard, Kaboom, Kasnooze, and a special spell from DQ history called Hocus Pocus. Hocus Pocus has a randomly chosen effect... although this old monkey is actually too old to get any effect out of it.
Ow.
...OK, you can assume the fights are actually going this fast, thanks, Erdward.
And that's all the Heavenly Brides back to their usual selves.
Yeah, maybe you were better off staying here this time. And, frankly, also when it comes to Bjorn the Behemoose. That guy is a hard boss.
The DQV Hero will know just what to do with it. He just needs a little help first, though.
Plus, not only would us going to the wedding involve us meeting the DQV Hero, but it would also lock in a choice in bride. No, we couldn't get away with having all the details off-screen, Bianca and Nera actually get married in different locations- at least they do in the DS version. I don't really know all the different variations of the wedding between SFC/DS and Bianca/Nera/Debora off-hand.
Hey, free Gold Bar, that'll come in handy. That's a dead useful alchemy ingredient.
Incidentally, there's something else you can do for Rodrigo that you have to do to get something else to happen. For some reason. I'm not entirely sure why there's an A -> B here.
Once the DQV Hero returns with the Bride's Veil, he'll finally have to lock in whether he'll be marrying Bianca, his childhood sweetheart, or Nera, the girl he just won the engagement challenge for. There is no question that the canon answer is Bianca- official material for all versions of DQV, games that reference it, and so forth almost always use Bianca content, including the blond versions of their children (SFC, PS2, DQ of the Stars), and one of the central conceits behind the Dragon Quest: Your Story movie is that the main character wanted to finally marry Nera after years of always choosing Bianca. That's not to say you'll never see the blue-haired kids, though.
An interesting related tangent to take here is that this reputation has a bit of a history to it. As rumour goes, if you were to marry Nera in the SFC version, Bianca's father would die, Bianca would be condemned to a life as an abused barmaid, Nera's childhood friend would be miserable, and Nera was worthless in battle on top of it all. This is not true- from the sounds of it, this was a dark joke made by some forum poster back before the fan-translation of DQV was released (DQV SFC never made it out of Japan) that no one had the heart to verify, so it appeared everywhere. It wasn't until 2014, two decades later, that a big enough English-speaking DQ resource- Dragon's Den- actually looked into it and found nothing of the sort. I've married Nera in the SFC version myself, and it's basically the same as it is in the DS version- although Nera is level-capped at level 10 for Act 2 (well behind the rest of the party), she's not unusable in Act 3 even with that handicap!
Where were we? Oh yes, Rodrigo would like us to experiment with the "choosing a bride" thing.
Despite, you know, the fact that the person doing all the work in the real deal is the person who isn't here. And also that no one from DQV is participating in our rehearsal.
"You can learn just as well from watching as doing" said no teacher ever.
Oh, never mind, I'm right on it.
He says bride-to-be, but you can select any of your party members. It's pretty obvious where Hendrik's supposed to be standing and Veronica is kinda stashed in a corner, though.
One of the bigger things that's known about the Switch is the addition of a mechanic to "marry" your party members. This event has nothing to do with that.
There's no reason to choose one party member over another- if this were a game like Xenoblade, you might get Party Affinity, but DQ has no similar mechanic, so this is just for fun.
Sure you didn't. Looks at Act 1 Sniflheim.
Look, yeah, but... I can't finish that sentence, can I?
I truly feel like the Erdward/Veronica connection is one of the strongest the game works on, even non-romantically. Although if we're not even considering romance a factor, Erdward/Erik is the clear winner.
"I'm glad you chose me" always hits extra hard because of the nature of Act 3.
On a completely unrelated note, everyone else's quotes!
Hendrik: You require my assistance, Erdward? I rather think this is a choice you must make yourself. ...Hm? Did I hear you correctly? You wish for me to be your bride!?
[Yes]
Hendrik: Wh-What...!? I, I... I do not know what to say... As your sworn shield and protector, I cannot help but feel that this might...complicate matters. Are you certain that this is what you wish?
[Yes]
Hendrik: Very well. You appear to be serious, and I have a duty to take you upon your word. I shall consider your proposal carefully. However, I feel compelled to mention that marriage is a sacred bond, one that is not to be made in haste. Perhaps we had ought to become better acquainted before- ...Hm? O-Oh! It is but a rehearsal! H-Ha ha! Well... This changes things entirely! I had thought you truly meant us to... Ahem. On with the ceremony!
Rab: What's that, laddie? Ye want ME to be yer bride?
[Yes]
Rab: Jings! Ye're actually serious! Me! A bride! Fancy that! But, laddie...this isnae gonnae work. I cannae be swanning round in a veil at my age. There must be someone a wee bit younger ye could pick instead? Still, I'll not stop ye if it means that much to ye. Ye've really set yer heart on marrying auld Rab, have ye?
[Yes]
Rab: Well, far be it from me to spoil yer fun, then. Course, I'd always pictured myself walking down the aisle with one of the beauties from the Ogler's Digest, but... ye'll do, laddie, ye'll do! Suppose it was a dream I was gonnae have to give up on in the end... Ach, what am I gibbering on about? It's only a rehearsal anyway! Listen to me, going on like it's the real thing! Sorry, laddie! Ye'll have to forgive an auld man for getting a wee bit carried away!
Sylvando: ...Huh? Why are you looking at me like that, darling? Wait... are you saying you want me to be the blushing bride?
[Yes]
Sylvando: Oh, goody! I was hoping you'd pick me, but I didn't think it would actually happen! Before I get too carried away, though, I'd better check- because heaven knows I've been burnt before—you do actually mean it, don't you, honey?
[Yes]
Sylvando: Fabulous! This is going to be the performance of a lifetime! I'll have the entire congregation in tears, just you wait and see! We're going to be so happy together! We'll have happiness to spare- happiness to share with all the world! ...Hm? Oh, honey! Of course I know it's just a rehearsal! But every performer knows that the secret to a successful practice run is to treat it just like it's the real thing! So let's get out there and give these people a show to remember! Handkerchiefs at the ready, everybody!
Jade: Not now, Erdward! You need to make a decision. You can't keep Mr Briscoletti waiting, it's- Hold on... you're not asking me to be the bride, are you?
[Yes]
Jade: What!? You're joking, surely... You can't seriously be picking me...? I mean, I'm basically your older sister. Is that really who you want as your bride?
[Yes]
Jade: O-Oh. That IS what you want. Well, umm, alright... I suppose... I mean, it's your choice, and well... I... I can't really say no... Ahem... Oh, wait- it's just a rehearsal anyway, right? Sorry, err... got a bit carried away there... It's not as if you'd want me to be your wife in real life or anything, is it? Could you even imagine!?
Erik: Uhh... You sure about this, Erdward? You want me to play the bride?
[Yes]
Erik: R-Really? Wow, I... wasn't expecting this... I mean sure, we get along well enough, and we've had a lot of fun together, but do you really think I'm the best choice for something like this?
[Yes]
Erik: ...Ahh, what the heck? You only live once, right? Let's make our legendary bond official! Here's to a whole new adventure! ...Hm? Oh, yeah. Sure, I know it's just a rehearsal, but what's the point if you don't pretend like it's the real thing, right? And besides, I meant what I said- we DO have a legendary bond!
Serena: O-Oh! Oh, gosh... You...want me to be your bride, Erdward...?
[Yes]
Serena: Y-You do? Really? Goodness, this is... This is wonderful! I could jump for joy! I always did enjoy reading about romantic proposals and big weddings when I was a little girl, and now it's happening to me! ...You are absolutely sure about this, aren't you?
[Yes]
Serena: Wonderful! You know, now that I think of it, you do look like the hero from one of my stories. Strong and handsome, with a heart of gold... I'm not sure I'm entirely worthy of such a husband... but I'll do my best! I, I mean, I mustn't get carried away, of course. It's just a rehearsal, after all... But it's so much more fun when you take these things seriously, don't you think? Thank you, Erdward! I've dreamed of this day since I was a little girl, and now it's all coming true!
And, as a bonus, even amnesia Erik gets one!
Erik: You, uhh... You want me to be your bride?
[Yes]
Erik: R-Really? M-Me? But we hardly know each other! ...Or do we? I just don't know any more... You're sure about this?
[Yes]
Erik: You are? Wow... I mean... I'm just some guy with no memory... What's so special about me...? I... Thanks... (sniff) I'm sorry... (sniff) It's just... It's hard when you can't remember anything... You feel so alone... (sniff) Thanks, Erdward. You don't know how much this means. I mean, I know it's just a rehearsal... but what's a wedding without a few tears, right? (sniff) Sorry you had to see me like this, with my nose all running and... Heh, I'm a total mess... I'm going to get all my memories back one day, but even when I do...I think this'll still be one of the happiest! (sniff)
And the rejections:
Hendrik: Of course not. Forgive me. Now, you had better hurry- you have a decision to make.
Rab: Good! I'm too old to be the centre of attention! Ask someone else, eh?
Sylvando: ...Oh. Silly me. Well, if you change your mind, I'm right here. You know if anyone can make a wedding an event to remember, it's me!
Jade: No, I didn't think so. It'd be like marrying your sister or something. Now hurry up and make your decision!
Erik(?): Right. Of course not. Sorry, I don't really understand what's going on...
Erik: Gah, make your mind up, will you? You're driving me crazy here!
Serena: Ah, umm... no, of course not. Why in the world would you choose me? Ha ha... I, well... Oh dear. I seem to have got myself rather worked up...
Veronica: Oh, for goodness' sake! It's just like you to toy with a girl's emotions!
Hendrik: It is probably for the best. But why would you even entertain such a possibility? If this is a jest at my expense, I must say that I find it in poor taste...
Rab: Och, thank heavens for that! It wouldnae be much of a rehearsal with me standing next to ye- the congregation would've been in stitches!
Sylvando: Hmph! Getting people's hopes up and then dashing them on the rocks is your idea of fun, is it!? Good luck getting married with that attitude!
Jade: No, I didn't think so. There are far more suitable candidates around. Now stop wasting time and go and pick one of them!
Erik(?): Right... Yeah, I think maybe that's for the best...
Erik: Oh... Uh, I mean, sure. ...Huh? No, no, I'm not disappointed! It's... Well, I was just thinking maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all...
Serena: Y-You were just teasing? That's... That's awful! It's really not nice to get a girl's hopes up and then dash them like that! I thought better of you...
Veronica: Honestly! What are you playing at!? This stupid rehearsal's never going to end if you can't make your mind up!
The weird thing about Jade suggesting there's more suitable candidates to propose to than herself is that you can (and probably will, considering where you get the Pastword) do this without having the real Erik, Serena or Veronica in the party. So Jade's self-esteem is apparently so terrible that she sees Hendrik and Sylvando as better candidates for Erdward's bride than herself.
Bianca, Nera and Debora have been moved to the extra room to the south. I was surprised too.
Now we can open the left chest. We're not getting the Zenithian Shield, of course.
You are going to be hopeless.
Yay, 2000 Gold! This wasn't even that great a paycheck in DQV. Despite being super-wealthy, some of the cash paychecks you can get from Rodrigo are kinda flat.
This is pretty much Debora in a nutshell. There's a good person under there, not that she really cares.
Nera's just a good person at heart, wholesomely supporting the Hero however she can. In fact, she's the only reason there's a choice going on at all- when Bianca planned on going straight home after helping the Hero with the Circle of Water, Nera noticed her feelings and made sure her father provided the option for the Hero to pick Bianca.
(As for why Debora is a choice, she actually barges into the room at the last second and demands to be included. It's stated obliquely that Rodrigo has long-since abandoned hope of ever marrying Debora to anyone, and will struggle to believe you if you do pick her.)
Bianca's a rough-n-tumble girl, but very much in a similar boat to Nera. Most material that treats Bianca and Nera as friends portrays them as excellent friends- this is represented in canon through one moment before the wedding itself, where the girl you didn't pick helps the bride get ready, but is otherwise limited to weird nebulously-canon situations like this where the two characters are thrown into a new environment and get chances to interact divorced from canon.
I wish there was a version of DQV where you get both girls as party members, even if you don't marry both.
At this point, we get to the interesting thing Briscoletti Mansion has.
Bianca's pet sabrecat has gone on walkabout! This sounds relevant. Talking to Bianca is a trigger to get another Tickington quest to work.
At some point, you expect things to just fold back over themselves! The curse is removed and it turns out Nera's the maid, Rodrigo's the Nera and the maid is Rodrigo.
Wasn't expecting me not to do the sabrecat thing. Anyway, we're going to visit the elf girl, Rose, next.
Hendrik: This ceiling is rather low for my liking. I must remain vigilant, lest I hit my head.
Rab: My, my... Can ye see these walls glowing, laddie? It looks like they're built from a very unusual type of stone.
Sylvando: It's not the most spacious room I've ever seen, but I love what they've done with the upholstery. It's fit for a princess!
Jade: Hm... I'm not sure I like this room... Isn't there something gloomy about all these stone walls? I can't imagine it would be a lot of fun to spend time here alone.
Erik: If you stay in the thieving game long enough, you start to get a sense for the valuable stuff. It's like you start to tingle when there's something worth stealing nearby. ...Hey! Don't look at me like that! It's not like I'm going to take anything! I was just making conversation, that's all!
Serena: Judging by the view from the window, this is a very tall tower indeed... (gulp)
Veronica: This is a very strange place. I can sense some kind of monstrous presence, but there doesn't seem to be anything evil about it. If you ask me, this room is home to a nice, friendly creature- but don't hold it against me if that turns out to be wrong!
I don't believe the material the tower is made from is significant to DQ4, I'm not sure why Rab and Jade are bringing it up.
Walking in to Rose's Room, the first thing you notice is Rose and a slime are being chased around by a restless armour.
The restless armour is actually supposed to be a friend of Rose, but that's not the case right now.
A noble knight who has sworn his unwavering allegiance to Psaro. His only duty to make sure his master's beloved Rose stays safe from any harm.
Material family
1868 HP
153 MP
Sir Roseguardin is Rose's faithful guardian, standing firmly in place to protect her from any who'd seek to capture her- including the heroes. All he has in this game are crits, the ability to use a magic artifact called the Sphere of Silence (he had this in the original, it's a reliable means of casting Fizzle) and the ability to call for chillanodons.
Clearly this is the fight to Arboria's Blessing on!
So much for reliable.
With Roseguardin calmed down, we can talk to Rose and see what the problem is.
Well... that's a rather strange concern. Using the Flute of Revelation is the only way to gain access to Rose's Room- the main door to her tower doesn't lead to any entrances that will get you to her. In a vision, one can see Psaro using it to visit Rose... but the party get a flute of their own and it's not implied to be Psaro's in any real way.
Aamon?
Staunch and not much else. Although apparently he can talk.
Definitely Aamon.
I think Psaro can also fly, or worst comes to worst, jump up the tower or something. There's a window.
I mean, if your boyfriend decides to destroy all of humanity for you, how great a guy are they really?
Well, that sounds nice.
There are fairies in DQ4, but you can't go to the place they live. Fortunately, somewhere else in the Zenithian timeline has them.
...I'm not any less worried.
All right, so how do we find a tree branch in a forest?
Don't worry, restless armours have random Clank!s in their dialogue as a vocal tic, him randomly saying "Clank" is not a cause for alarm.
Now, we can't have that, guy-who-doesn't-protect-Rose-when-she-needs-it-most.
Scheming, snow-furred simians who ably employ their abnormal IQs to suss out strategies designed to infuriate opponents.
Silvapithecuses are in DQs 2, 5, and 10, and their abnormal IQs bring us Sweet Breath and Sizzle. Clearly they're on the low end of the scale rather than the high one.
To find a revelatree branch, you have to find and kill a silvapithecus. I knew there was a reason I saved the enemy hunting for later.
Also, while I'm in the Neverglade, can I point out how vaguely absurd it is to have a Tickington quest that requires Veronica to be in the party? A one-way ticket to spoiling the fact that Veronica's going to wind up coming back somehow, since if you didn't do this in Act 1, you'd be left wondering whether this is permanently missable with terrible foreshadowing of that fact. Yeah, there's all those Pastwords we don't have yet, but there are ways we could get those without undoing Veronica's death...
Bothersome birds that feast on lumps of lava in order to maintain their hellishly hot body temperature. They want nothing more than to watch the world burn.
There's also these things. Firebirds were in DQs 5 and 10, and know Flame Breath and Frizzle.
...Actually, I don't remember them in 5. I remember their more annoying recolours, though.
Unconscionable irritants who enjoy nothing more than inconveniencing enemies by sending them to sleep or slowing them to a snail's pace.
OK, that description is worth the annoyance of realising I had overlooked them. Hellbound horrors are from DQ10 and only know Eerie Light and Deceleratle, as their description indicates.
This is a special block of wood!
I highly doubt this is the same flute of revelation the DQ4 Hero uses. It's not even mandatory that the DQ4 Hero even visits this tower- the only thing you get is the Sphere of Silence from Roseguardin.
The Tempest Shield is new to the Definitive version, after having a near-perfect record from its introduction in DQ3 (other than DQ11, it seems to have skipped... 8?). It actually has some Wind resistance in this game, but its main appeal is being usable as an item for the Poof effect.
...It was decent at best in classic DQ and it's terrible here.
This isn't ominous at all.
Proof of concept about Rose's tears not being worth anything. Although I'm sure all the ruby powder scattered around is uncomfortable to the touch.
...I can't even headpat you comfortingly, ya dingus.
Anyway, onto the ruined town of Damdara.
Hendrik: This place brings back so many painful memories. The destruction of my home, of course... But also the tragedy of what occurred in Dundrasil. Still, there is little to be gained from dwelling on the past. Let us push on, Erdward.
Rab: One of our tockle pals told me that this village is in a kingdom called Alefgard. It's bound to be full of all sorts of interesting places. Aye, it'd be nice to have a wee explore, but I suppose we'll need to stay focused on the task at hand.
Sylvando: Our tockle friends told us this place was trashed by monsters. But who would target a quiet little village like this? Well, whatever the reason behind it, it's just not right. Come on, honey- it's time to teach someone some manners!
Jade: All we know is that something terrible happened here. We'll need to stay on our guard, Erdward.
Erik: I guess this was some kind of town, right? Man, the monsters really did a number on it.
Serena: Ugh, this poisonous swampland is horrible. You will be careful around it, won't you, Erdward? If you even dip your toe in there, the poison will be coursing through your veins before you know it.
Veronica: So the Altar of Origins brought us here, right? Talk about straight in at the deep end! This place is in an awful state!
...There are people here. That's new.
The Dragonlord is as brutal as Mordegon. Honestly, as much as he gets to play the role of the fun bad guy- especially thanks to Fortune Street- Dragonlord is a viciously dangerous ultimate villain of Dragon Quest. I mean, he literally took away the foundations of human thought in Dragon Quest Builders.
Right now, the knight aberrant that's terrorising this destroyed town brought back all the dead people to terrorise them again. Because finding new victims was too passe or something.
I can do that.
Well, all we have to do is what Erdrick has to do- go kill a knight.
The old-timey language given to the DQ1 characters kinda has a new tone in modern games- after all, DQ1 kinda feels like a relic of a bygone age like many of the stories that legitimately used old-timey language. Not that I can really say DQXI is using it that way, considering some of the other uses it has for old-timey language...
Maybe the Dragonlord himself...
There is indeed something buried in that corner in the original DQ1- Erdrick's Armour, the ultimate piece of defensive gear. Retrieving that is the main purpose of even coming this way.
Really should've done this back in Act 2...
Our knight friend is over in here.
A nefarious knight who tyrannised the downtrodden departed of Damdara, and tried to turn their beloved place of residence into a realm of misery.
Demon family
2304 HP
187 MP
The knight aberrant, as it appears as a boss, comes with Buff, Kasnooze, the Helm Splitter to lower your Defence, and a stunning Tackle. This guy is surprisingly tough, although considering you got the Pastword in the Battleground, perhaps it's not so surprising.
I think I came this way because, with all this Pep, it seemed right to Brownie Boost something.
Dangit.
At least something's going right.
Between Brownie Boost and Sap, this guy was probably down in two turns.
...If he's still there.
...So the DQ1 Hero has already found Erdrick's Armour? Are we really saving his adventure, then, considering he's already come and gone and has no reason to return?
Oh, good, we still get our Densinium.
...Since when? I really need to brush up on my Alefgard lore, apparently.
I'd rather not, I still have plenty of my life to live, and I kinda reset time itself to live that life.
...You mean there's more Tickington yet to come?
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