Our next stop is over in Gondolia, and... does it feel empty for anyone else?
Veronica: Do you remember Noah, our old friend from Hotto? It looks like he's here in Gondolia. We should go and have a word with him. He's bound to know what's going on.
Erik: It looks like most people have fled from Gondolia, but that doesn't mean we can just let the monsters overrun it. We need to fight back, and fast!
Jade: Monsters have always posed a threat, but they've never been as brazen as this. This is a full-blown invasion! The dark star must be to blame. The evil that's emanating from it seems to have fired the monsters up...
Hendrik: It seems the dark star is doing its baneful work—it has driven the monsters to overrun the town. We will not leave it at their mercy, however. We shall not rest until every last one of these beasts has been slain!
Serena: This is terrible! With all these monsters around, who's going to make Gondolia's famous sweet treats? We can't allow this! We need to fight back, for the sake of all the people of this town... and their baked products!
Sylvando: Oh darling, this is a complete calamity! The town's full of hideous monsters, strutting around like they own the place! Gondolia's supposed to be all about Signor Universo, not... ummm... Signor Monstero! We can't stand for this! Come on, honey, let's show those monsters what we're made of!
Rab: These beasties are no pushover, laddie. I know ye want to rid the town of every last one of them, but there's no shame in beating a tactical retreat every now and then. If ye're not feeling up to the task, maybe it's best to head off and build up a wee bit of experience by fighting some slightly softer monsters.
Noah's here, and if we want to invite him to Cobblestone, we'll need to do something to help out Gondolia first.
Not a problem.
...I thought these two would exposit the gimmick of this section now, but I guess not.
There are 10 monster encounters to find, the lion's share being these two. I think there are six total encounters with these ones?
Ah, that's where I remember it from: Dave will tell you the gimmick. There are 10 monsters running around Gondolia, but if you want to save the place, you have to take out all 10 without reloading the map.
Dave will let you set sail, although he points out this is a bad idea.
Two of these guys, both playing lookout somewhere, I believe.
One of this guy.
The Gondolia spawns don't have drops and can't be stolen from with Half Inch, so this is not a chance for Red Wood. As nice as it would be.
Muscle-bound monsters so tough, it's said they could tear the stars from the sky and punch holes through space itself.
This is where we first bump into Badonis outside the Wheel of Harma. New to DQ11, it has the usual variety of flurry-of-punches attacks associated with these monsters. It can apparently spend one of its turns assessing the situation, too.
He still hurts like hell.
...Really bad.
Eventually we'll make it through a fight without being murdered.
Once all the enemies are dead, you're spawned talking to Doge Rotondo in his house.
...That seems a little extreme, but I can't exactly deny the thought that you had a point.
The Thunderstorm Sword gives an MP bonus and uses a Lightning element to attack enemies. Kind of a budget Sword of Light in practice, and while it's good might for now, it is quickly outclassed if you really care about your Swords.
He says this, but spoilers, I forget. I do come back before the Exploration is done, but...
Always good to hear.
Now we can get through this tunnel! You can do this while the enemies are around, and I suspect the reason I missed Noah is because I got distracted by shinies.
Few miscellaneous goodies. That's a healthy chunk of change, but this kinda feels like a disappointing Ultimate Key room in the vanilla version.
We get a tockle!
...Not entirely sure Tenton is a Pastword one clamours for, though. Still, a Pastword is a Pastword.
And already we're off in Octagonia. Noah must think I've gone barmy.
Veronica: The people here seem pretty relaxed, considering it might just be the end of the world. The dark star is quite far away, I suppose, but still I can't help but feel that they might be a little too laid-back...
Erik: Do you know something? Coming to Octagonia makes the bruises Jade gave me start aching all over again. I mean, I was going easy on her and she totally took advantage of my better nature. That'll teach me to be a gentleman.
Jade: It's strange. There's no sign of Vince or any of the other competitors from the Masked Martial Arts contest. I can't escape the feeling that there's something very wrong here- we need to get to the bottom of this.
Hendrik: I dislike talking about it, but the statue they built of me here was to commemorate my part in the battle for Dundrasil all those years ago. It does not become a warrior to boast of his achievements. I was simply doing my duty. I have no need of plaudits or praise, and certainly not of statues.
Serena: I remember coming here when we were searching for the Rainbough. It was so exciting watching you and Erik taking part in the Masked Martial Arts contest. I was there the whole time, cheering you both on! You were amazing, Erdward!
Sylvando: It seems they've totally rebuilt the town and set up a huge casino! Honey, you can colour me curious! I mean, I know we've got the dark star to worry about and all that, but it's never a bad idea to forget your troubles for a while and have a little flutter.
Rab: Ye know, laddie, it's amazing to think that I wouldnae have met ye again if it hadn't been for the Masked Martial Arts contest. Aye, I'm always going to have a soft spot for Octagonia, that's for sure.
As Sylvando mentioned, despite the complete and utter lack of Booga, Octagonia decided it needed a rebranding and went and rebuilt the Act 2 Casino.
I can only hope the tourism bump has proven encouraging.
New Act, new inventory. Apparently Puerto Valor has expanded too, although nothing there is inherently worth going for- Yggdrasil Dew, Agate of Evolution, Spectralite and Devilry Drinker.
The Elfin Elixirs available here are a potent resource- they heal all MP, so they can be used to make Veronica and Serena have more Mighty Magic Bursts if they need it. Or just using their MP for normal things.
I buy the Uberswords Illustrated (recipes for the Uber Falcon Blade and Uber Miracle Sword), as well as a Hot Bikini for Jade.
This is the upgraded costume for the Scandalous Swimsuit- still only gives +1 Def, but the Charm bonus goes from +150 to +300. Also, black suits Jade far better than pink.
The mayor's still here, preaching the right decision. With that said, though, all the Octagonian fighters are busy being involved in some danger, and we're not prepared to help them with that yet.
Veronica: I've never believed in leaving things to chance. That's why I don't gamble. If you really want something, you should try your best to get it by your own efforts. Isn't that nicer than trying to get rich by rolling a dice?
Erik: Hey, it looks like there are new prizes just waiting for us to get our hands on them! Some of that stuff's sure to come in handy. Let's see what's on offer!
Jade: Once when Rab and I visited a casino, I was asked if I'd like to work there. Naturally, I refused, but who knows what the future holds? Once our journey comes to an end, maybe I'll see if they're still interested... ...That was a joke! Just a joke!
Hendrik: This town has changed greatly since I came here as a young man. Building a casino here would have been unthinkable back then... I have no interest in such places- do what you have to do and then let us leave.
Serena: ......... ...I'm sorry, I was miles away. There's something about seeing the slot machines spinning that I find totally mesmerising. I just never want them to stop. No wonder I'm not very good at gambling.
Sylvando: Your eyes seem to light up whenever you're in here, honey. You and I clearly share the same desire for excitement! Well, don't hold back, that's what I say! Find out if Lady Luck is on your side and try and win big!
Rab: Ye know, laddie, I'm not one to order ye around, but I cannae help but feel we have more important things we need to be doing. ...Of course, if you fancied joining me in a wee wager, that'd be a different matter. Wait, no! We have things to do! Important things!
They're down in the Caverns, as it happens.
While we're here, we might as well see the in-game hint for this sidequest. Remember, a kid in Heliodor wants us to find Xero the Shadow.
That's all the clues you're getting. That could mean anywhere in the Champs Sauvage itself, Phnom Nonh, L'Academie or the Eerie Eyrie. This is where the fiendishness of the Quest settles in.
I can tell you straight up that he always appears in the same place, and he's in L'Academie.
Right, I promised some Hendrik and Sylvando stuff? This is where that comes into play. There's quite a lot of it, actually.
Hendrik wants to go say hi to Don Rodrigo, as a successful former student.
And Sylvando wants to run the hell away, as he did back in Act 1.
Without the garish redecoration into the leader of the Soldiers of Smile (...not that the costume choice makes that clear), there are fewer obfuscations on Sylvando's real identity for a man who knew him well as a boy. It still took effort from Hendrik, but in this timeline, Hendrik has only really seen Sylvando do knight-adjacent stuff as a member of our party.
I'm sure that, the kind of man you are today, you would be just as memorable as a child.
Hendrik, much like in Act 2, does not understand why Sylvando and Don Rodrigo parted ways.
And, on seeing Sylvando's decision to leave Puerto Valor, reasons out his motivations immediately. This never came up in Act 2- Sylvando decided to face his father before he even joined the party, so the first chance we had to take him here was when he chose to come.
This promise is insubstantial in the face of it, but considering the prize Don Rodrigo possesses, maybe Hendrik's on to something...
As a reminder, he came back home in Act 2 because he wanted Don Rodrigo to let his Soldiers of Smile crash on the couch. This is hardly any better a reason to return, but between Hendrik's encouragement and Jade's reconciliation with her possessed-by-Mordegon father, his normally weak excuses to back out dry up.
We're all coming this time.
Veronica: Bah! Why didn't Sylvando tell us he knew Hendrik!? Doesn't he know that it's mean to keep secrets!? You didn't look surprised at all, though, Erdward. It's almost like you knew it from the start...
Erik: Sylvando and Hendrik are old pals? Wow... I really didn't see that one coming. And that's not all. The big news is that Sylvando's real name is... Norberto! Heh. I can see why he chose to change that...
Jade: Well, this clears things up. If Sylvando is from Puerto Valor, it makes sense that he would have encountered Hendrik. The place has always had strong links with Heliodor. And to think that Don Rodrigo is his father... I hope the two of them can resolve their differences. They could teach us a lot, I'm sure of it...
Hendrik: I trained here under Don Rodrigo in my youth, and Norberto- forgive me, Sylvando- was my fellow student. He has changed a great deal since I last saw him, of course. It is little wonder it took me such a long time to work it out. There was always something strangely familiar about him, however. I felt as though I had always known him, somehow.
Serena: Well, now we know where Sylvando comes from. His past was always shrouded in mystery, so it's nice to finally learn the truth. I mean, I did wonder where he learned to handle a sword and ride a horse like that. And he's always had a really chivalrous side, hasn't he? Suddenly it all makes sense.
Sylvando: It's all true. I was born and raised in Puerto Valor. I wasn't trying to keep it a secret, though, I promise! I just never thought to mention it. Anyway, it seems it's finally time for me to meet my papi once again. If anyone can help us get rid of that horrible dark star, it's him. True, I'm a little nervous. Papi is a world-famous knight, after all. But fears were made to be faced, honey! Come on, let's go to the mansion on the edge of town. That's where it all began for the Great Sylvando!
Rab: Aye, I'd heard something on the grapevine about Don Rodrigo's son Norberto going AWOL... But now it turns out he's none other than our Sylvando! That was all a long time ago now, though. I'd say Hendrik did well to work out who Sylv really was.
Veronica's concerns relate to the fact that, while Hendrik being a member of our party is relatively new to her, Hendrik has been a major presence in the story beforehand, and the fact that Sylvando doesn't mention knowing either him or Jasper (although I think he doesn't actually know Jasper well) seems an odd omission in hindsight.
Short and quick Ultimate Key detour up here.
Oh, and a Tockle, too.
Weaver's Peak is the place the DQ6 Hero nominally comes from- I'm beginning to detect a pattern! Unlike the Hidden Valley and Whealbrook, however, the DQ6 Hero does not actually have any personal connection to Weaver's Peak. The DQ6 Hero was born and raised as the Prince of Somnia, but he finds himself starting the game as a fixture of the lives of the people of Weaver's Peak, with a little sister watching out for him and everything, because of some peculiar intersections with the kingdom of dreams. I wouldn't, strictly speaking, say he has amnesia about his true past, although you would not be wrong for describing it as such.
Fortunately, we can get into Don Rodrigo's room just fine.
That'll be a challenge.
And with that, we get Sylvando's reconciliation with his father.
To my surprise, it appears to be the exact same one as his Act 2 one.
It had to happen, but it's slightly annoying. I guess it doesn't have the "Skip me!" button because the divergence is technically still part of this cutscene. But still...
I guess I might as well leave it here, since the game saw fit to do the same.
As mentioned, the game diverges from the repeated script with the changed "good reason" for Sylvando's return.
Although for the moment, Sylvando's reasons and plans are the same regardless of whether Mordegon or Calasmos is in his way.
Since Sylvando's request has changed from "host my friends until I'm done" to "teach me something that'll give me an edge", we start getting some real divergences- and Hendrik gets to contribute too.
To be fair, you were reconciling with your estranged son. I suspect this might be how he would conduct the conversation if Sylvando weren't here, though.
Don Rodrigo will help us.
...
Burn.
With that said, Don Rodrigo won't be snapping his fingers and giving these two any new goods. To get the prize from him, we'll have to do a trial.
We have to defeat some bosses. A relatively simple task amongst the ones Act 3 will throw at us.
And a twist. This limitation is a powerful one, and while the solution works just fine, this can be super frustrating.
I dunno, I've made a Sword of Light.
...Wait, not in this timeline I haven't.
He says he will "open" the Kingsbarrow here, and I'm fairly certain the golden giants we need to defeat won't spawn until Don Rodrigo has prepared them, but I'm not sure if that extends to access to the Kingsbarrow itself. We could access it just fine when it was me, Erik, and two grim gryphons.
I can only assume being a maid to Don Rodrigo means you learn appreciation for knightly things.
If you talk to Don Rodrigo, he will obligingly tell you how to perform Executioner- he is not testing us on this. The in-game explanations leave out one additional detail- Executioner is a one-person Pep Power, so only Hendrik needs to be Pepped to perform it- although Sylvando does need to be in the active party all the same. It kinda feels like it should be a two-person Pep Power we should be performing for this trial, but considering the fact we must defeat two enemies with it in one battle, I suspect this is for the player's benefit.
New to the Definitive Version, Servantes has a reward for completing the trial of the Kingsbarrow. Since Don Rodrigo will give us his reward on-site and this is off in a "corner" of the world (there is no reason to return to Puerto Valor other than using the Casino), it's easy to forget it exists. I probably will.
Veronica: It's so sad. It looks like Sylvando and his father weren't on speaking terms for years. Once they actually spoke, though, they sorted everything out in no time. That's families for you...
Erik: I never knew my old man, but I know how important it is to be on good terms with your father. I'm glad Sylvando and Don Rodrigo managed to put the past behind them. Never mind that now, though- we've got a trial to do. We're heading to the Kingsbarrow, right? Hey, remember when we sneaked in there to recover my orb? Ah, those were the days...
Jade: Don Rodrigo is a classic old-fashioned knight, but you could tell how happy he was to see his son again, even if he did try to hide it. It was so nice to witness their reunion, all those years spent apart just falling away. I sincerely hope that the same thing can happen with my father...
Hendrik: I have heard tales of the legendary trials undergone by the knights of Puerto Valor. Now it seems it is my turn to join them. I will not do this alone, however. Sylvando and I shall join forces and do battle with whatever foes await us in the Kingsbarrow. Let us take this trial and claim the mighty weapon of which Don Rodrigo spoke- and let us hope that it shall give us the power to rid the world of the dark star.
Serena: Don Rodrigo really couldn't be more different from his son. He's much more... traditional. It makes me wonder what Sylvando's mother was like...
Sylvando: I didn't speak to my papi for so many years, but that's behind us now. I feel I understand him much better, and it's all thanks to you! What's more, Hendrik and I get to team up and take on the golden giants. Personally, I can't wait- it sounds like a scream! Now, we need to head to the Kingsbarrow to the east of Heliodor. You just watch, honey. Those giants won't know what's hit them!
Rab: Aye, Don Rodrigo is an impressive fellow, alright. There aren't many knights like that left, and now he's put that wee misunderstanding with our Sylvando behind him, we've got him on our side. Right, it's time to find out more about this mighty weapon he mentioned. If that's what we need to get rid of that dark star, we'd better get our hands on it- and fast!
Party Chat in Rodrigo's room shows a good shot of the portrait on the wall directly opposite Rodrigo's bed, which is implied to be of Sylvando's mother. Beyond her description in Sylvando's Side Story and some vague mentions scattered around here, little else is known about her.
This is the party I intend to bring into the Trial. I feel like Sylvando could be better prepared than a Platinum Headgear, but meh. Note the Archangel's Boots for everyone- not getting Turnskipped is essential. Another key detail about one-person Pep Powers is that, if Sylvando is unable to act, Hendrik can't use Executioner.
...I mentioned that having a Zoom Point in the Emerald Coast in Act 1 is essential, and this is that payoff- we need to go back to that exact point right now.
For some reason, the Emerald Coast is missing from my Zoom list right now. Which means I need to go to the next most convenient Zoom point.
This was as good a time as any to remember I forgot to pick up Noah.
Off to Cobblestone you go!
Speaking of Cobblestone, this is the most convenient place to Zoom to to get to the Kingsbarrow if you can't get to the Emerald Coast. It's still a long walk from here.
On the way, I pick up Veronica's Kaboomle, for fights I just want no part in, and we learn the Erdward/Veronica/Hendrik Pep Power. I affectionately like to call this one the real big spoiler- Pep Power compilations will include Hendrik as a matter of course, since Hendrik has plenty of animated Pep Powers, but the revelation Hendrik and Veronica can work together implies that they at some point will.
I suspect the reason Lightmare is locked behind Kaboomle, despite a lack of clear association between using the spell and using the Pep Power, is to make sure this Pep Power doesn't accidentally unlock in Act 2, where you're not supposed to know Veronica is coming back. I suspect, because she's still listed in the equipment screen, that the game hasn't fully removed her from the party in Act 2 under the hood.
Legendary sourpusses said to be born when a grublin's gruffness boils over into outright rage. Suffice it to say, they're famously foul-tempered.
Grumpy grublins, much like their gloomy brethren, are anything but in their animations. They can block, counter, increase their Atk/Agility, call for more grublins/horknights, and use Bounce.
Annoyingly, this is one of the enemies I caught at the very end of the game- they only appear in the main Heliodor region.
Mindlessly violent ministers who hate creation and absolutely adore destruction. They'll only rest when the world stands in ruins at last.
Unlike the archbashops, who also show up on the Emerald Coast. They come from DQ Super Light and passed through 10 on the way here, and they know the spells Kasizz, Fullheal, Kazing and Bounce.
Supposedly holy beasts from an ancient tale. In truth, they were just tricking people into worshipping them in order to feed their egos.
Snotbonces are the yellow ones with green caps, and they're the fairly useless ones that can just attack and call for more of themselves. Them and their brothers are from DQ10.
Monsters said to have tricked humankind into thinking them holy beings. In truth, they were just helping the friends who masterminded this devious deed.
Bilebonnets are the green ones, and they have a lot of tricks up their sleeve- Paralysis, Confusion and decreasing your Attack. OK, just three, but three scary tricks.
The last descendants of the legendary line of dragons, they rate themselves as rulers, and see themselves as somewhat superior to others.
Dread dragons (not red, they're dread) come from DQ1, although they have only appeared in the remakes of 3 and 7 on the way here. So much for their superiority. They have Scorch, C-C-Cold Breath and Kasnooze, to make me eat those words, and they can have Serpent Skins stolen from them. I may spend a while here getting some for Hendrik's Field Marshal gear.
Deadly spirit soldiers made when the souls of three warriors band together in search of greatness. Its sword skills are simply out of this world.
One-man-armies (...I think that is the plural) are from DQ3, and in between the barrage of attacks they can throw, they also have Moreheal for some level of sustainability.
That's a Malicious chewlip they're standing next to, although without the green eyes, I was wondering whether it happened to be a new recolour myself.
Wicked wizards who have forgone their human forms in order to dabble with demons - with diabolically fiery results.
Abracadabrers are the final form of DQ3's form of the prestidigitator, although they only got added come the remakes of said game. They have Kafrizzle, Kasap, Kazing and Oomphle. With that said, I can see "Co-Kaboomle" as a Pep Power they have prepared, but no Boom spell in their attack list. Strange, I suspect they probably can use a normal Boom attack.
Prestidigitators and leger-de-men were both in DQs 1 and 5 in different designs, but their final forms differ in name: DQ1 ended with the "vis mager", and DQ5 ended with the "thaumaturge". Because clearly this can end in no confusion whatsoever. I can assure you, this is on the Japanese end- a great big mix-up like this screams "translation error", but no, these monsters all have matching/different names in Japan too.
I also realise Veronica might be worth bringing to the match against the giants. Despite all appearances, she is capable of "predictable" damage, Oomphle, and importantly, I need Hendrik to be able to leave the party if the situation demands it.
Veronica: A dusty old place like this is bound to have treasure hidden somewhere. I can't wait to see this great weapon Sylvando's dad was talking about! Ah, but this isn't your first time here, is it, Erdward? Well, I'm going to let you lead the way. Just make sure you don't get us lost, you hear?
Erik: I always thought this was an impressive spot. It really looks like the kind of place knights would use for trials, you know? Being here is always going to bring back memories of us coming here to claim my orb, though. It feels like a million years ago now, doesn't it?
Jade: I have known about the Kingsbarrow since I was a girl, but I had no idea that knights used it for their training. It seems that only those in the know can train here- it's sealed off from prying eyes. I suppose it's an honour to have it opened for us.
Hendrik: I have heard tales of the legendary trials undergone by the knights of Puerto Valor. Now it seems it is my turn to join them. I will not do this alone, however. Sylvando and I shall join forces and do battle with whatever foes await us in the Kingsbarrow. Let us take this trial and claim the mighty weapon of which Don Rodrigo spoke- and let us hope that it shall give us the power to rid the world of the dark star.
Serena: Don Rodrigo said he would make sure the Kingsbarrow was open for us, didn't he? They don't let just anyone do this trial. Let's make sure we're as ready as we can be!
Sylvando: Okay, darling! We know what we've got to do! Defeat the golden giants who dwell in the darkest depths of this dingy old place! Just having us beat them would be too easy for Papi, of course! We have to finish them off by performing Executioner together... Now, don't worry, Erdward, I remember my training. Executioner is a combination of Metal Slash and Hatchet Man. I'll take care of the first one, and leave the second to Hendrik. Of course, there's no point in us even attempting the trial unless we've mastered those moves, so let's make sure we're fully rehearsed and ready before the show begins!
Rab: Hyeh heh heh! Now here's an intriguing auld building I'd like to do a wee bit of research into! I'd heard rumours that knights trained here, but no one really knows who first built it. I'll have to do some digging into the archives when I have the time.
Here are the giants, where one might expect them.
I'm sure they are.
Nods politely.
Well that's pleasant.
This lumbering trailmaster lurks in the depths of the Kingsbarrow, patiently awaiting any knights who wish to prove the depth of their camaraderie.
The second of the Kingsbarrow's two trailmasters, who were turned into monsters and tasked with passing on the secrets of knightly cooperation.
Demon family
3000 HP
70 MP
Tweedledoom and Tweedledeath are two separate monsters for targeting purposes, although the only difference between the two is that Tweedledoom is faster. Much like the gigantes they resemble, their only tricks are crits, Seismoshock to knock you over, and a Pep Power in Seismosmash to perform together. Also like gigantes, that's all they need.
Executioner will deal roughly 700 damage, depending on your stats. It is incredibly important for you to recall that these two enemies have 3000 HP and count roughly how much damage you're doing. You have a nice margin of error and the fact their HP values will turn red when they're weak helps, but the last thing you need to worry about is landing Executioner and not killing.
Hendrik already has a charge of Pep prepared from the Kingsbarrow enemies. He will be sitting out while I beat down Tweedledoom enough to set up the kill (I choose Tweedledoom first because he is on the top of the list of targets, nothing more). To that end, Serena starts us on the path to surviving that long.
Sylvando tries playing Cobra Strike, although I seriously don't know why- I can think of nothing less predicatable than this.
Kaboom was on the low end. These guys are resistant to Light, then.
You know that Quest back in Heliodor for "Apollo's Axe"? That Axe does Light damage. Don't let Hendrik use it, the Light element will weaken Executioner.
Speaking of elemental weaknesses, Erdward is going to be using his Splitter arts. They don't seem to mind Earth magic much.
Thank you!
Ow. We can also see Serena's Fantastick in action here: She's got no chance of being knocked over right now.
Yay? Tweedledoom is poisoned!
That'll speed up its defeat.
Luckily, Victimiser removes the status condition it is combo-ing with. Tweedledoom is no longer poisoned.
Hendrik has come out- Executioner is ready. Serena Kabuffs him in preparation.
Wow, they really didn't like Shadowsplitter. These guys must hate Dark element attacks- Rab might be a good pick here.
OW!
At any rate, it's time.
Tweedledoom is down. Now it is time to wait for Hendrik to Pep back up and hit Tweedledeath.
Before he kills us.
Fortunately, Serena's Pep can help with that.
Sylvando tries to make sure he is still available when the time comes to Executioner.
Will you stop that?
Snap, Crackle, Poof is still valuable if you really don't want to get statused. Serena makes sure Hendrik's chance of being knocked down is zero.
One "maybe it's a thing, maybe it isn't" feature of Pep is that having more Pepped people in the active party speeds things up. I hope that works.
Because if Hendrik is using Kabuff, I must be close to taking out Tweedledeath.
The Oomph will help, I guess?
At last! Executioner, go!
...
Did everyone, including me, forget to mention Executioner can Miss? I think the odds are in your favour to land, but still.
Luckily, the third go at the bat took less time than the first. Look at Serena's MP.
Erdward is now able to guaranteed revive people! So long as he has access to MP, we're basically able to pick ourselves off the ground after any fight.
Indeed, he was a key feature of the party.
Hendrik is still new enough to the party that he has not grown accustomed to Sylvando yet.
Good question.
When did you get there? If you'll notice, he was in the last screenshot, but not in any earlier ones.
How rude.
Sylvando is more than a little irritated that he appears to be walking away empty-handed. I'm sure this is exactly what their rocky relationship needed.
Whatever it is we've won, Sylvando can make head nor tail of it.
Hendrik, since he has a head on his shoulders, realises that to read this situation as acquiring a new weapon (equipment) is an erroneous assumption. We have acquired something intangible.
We have discovered the real weapon of... colaboracion.
I assure you, we won't be left empty handed.
Sylvando and Hendrik have finally found their expanded Skill Trees! Well, unlike most characters, "expanded" is a bit of a misnomer: They have both learned a brand new family of Skills.
I'm sure they do.
Sylvando calls his bluff. If Don Rodrigo is such a skilled and acclaimed knight, why isn't he on our quest to stop the ultimate evil?
Indeed, for Don Rodrigo to march back home would be most hypocritical to both the Knight's Pledge and his own words about colaboracion.
The game certainly can't produce any real good arguments why Don Rodrigo doesn't pitch in.
So he just doesn't bother. He does at least offer to lend a hand if called upon.
"Just do not call too often" is uttered at a very low mumble, although Don Rodrigo doesn't try to look away or otherwise muffle the thought.
Don't worry, Don, I'm sure you'll be just fine.
Who's the Daddy? is a two-person Pep Power that can be performed with Sylvando and Hendrik. They call upon Don Rodrigo, and the three unleash a flurry of slashes. Like most "damage-only" Pep Powers, a lot of work for little gain.
Veronica: That trial was far from easy. Those golden giants hit hard, and having to finish them off with Executioner was a lot to ask... Still, we got there in the end, and Hendrik and Sylvando both learnt new skills. Don Rodrigo really does know what he's doing!
Erik: Hey, I'm not going to question the guys who come up with these trials, but making those things out of gold seems kind of a waste. I mean, you could melt them down, sell the gold and make a killing...
Jade: Sylvando and Hendrik make quite a pair! It was amazing to see them, perfectly in synch. Well, I suppose they did train together all those years ago. Now, I don't know about you, Erdward, but I'm not going to let them have all the fun! Let's team up and learn all the new tricks we can!
Hendrik: The powerful weapon of which Don Rodrigo spoke proved to be working together. As long as we trust each other, we will be more than the sum of our parts. That is the only way to erase the dark star from the sky. Once again, Don Rodrigo has proven that his wisdom is beyond compare. If we can make use of the powers he has taught us, nothing can stand in our way.
Serena: Don Rodrigo's quite something, isn't he? He managed to sneak in here without any of us spotting him. Nothing gets past Hendrik usually! And now he's promised to give us his aid, there'll be no stopping us! Let's make sure we make the most of his generous offer!
Sylvando: That trial I did with Hendrik really did teach me all sorts of new things about myself. It just goes to show, there's always something new to learn. Now I feel like I could take on anyone with one hand tied behind my back! Not for the first time, I am grateful to my papi. He isn't always the easiest man, but he's always worth listening to. Like father like son, eh!?
Rab: Well laddie, there ye have it. The mightiest weapon in the world isn't a sword or a spear- it's teamwork. There are things we can do as a group that we could never do alone. If we can team up and work together, nothing can stand in our way, not even that horrible dark star.
For some reason, one of Sylvando's new skills is technically a Knife skill. Hendrik's is all in the same bucket, on the other hand.
Knives:
- Sudden Death: Deals double damage (apparently Light elemental) with a 20% chance of being instantly lethal. Cute, but not something to be relied upon.
Chivalry:
- Resilience +20 (1 panel)
- Pep-Up Power-Up
- Whipping Boy: For one turn, protects one ally from all damage. Useful in the right situation, but you have to really need it.
- Whipping Joy: If Sylvando is using Whipping Boy, he takes 50% less damage than otherwise due.
- Whipping Ploy: If Sylvando is hit during Whipping Boy, he can perform a counterattack at x2 damage. Helpful, although that still depends on getting the damage to come his way.
- Grand Stand: Raises Sylvando's Atk and Def by 1 stage each. Using Oomphle and Kabuff are far more efficient if you need this done, I don't really feel this is an efficient way of increasing Sylvando's utility. Jade's Re-Vamp gives her more bonuses and Jade is also good at dealing damage once she's set up.
- Ladies First: Sylvando will, quite literally, give his action to a female ally- each character may only perform one action a turn under normal circumstances, but Ladies First will allow the lucky lady to perform two actions in one turn. Jade, Veronica and Serena all have plenty of uses for that second turn.
- Finger of Justice: Deals 250-600 damage to a single enemy, scaled to Strength. It's his single-target attack of choice.
The Minstrel class and its like have traditionally been very bad in the long-term: Early on, Sylv was good because he knew useful spells that didn't depend on his core stats like Oomph and Hustle Dance, but as Veronica and Serena have gotten more versatile and the offensive characters more powerful, Sylvando has floundered into a mediocre jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. There is nothing that quite exemplifies how low Sylvando has fallen quite like the fact his ultimate Skill tree gives him the ability to give his turn to someone better. I almost feel bad for him. Sylvando still has some utility left in him, but I have a personal preference for Ladies First.
Hendrik's Tree is a little more robust.
Fraternity:
- Resilience +20 (1 panel)
- Magical Mending +20 (1 panel)
- Pep Chance +10% (1 panel)
- Forbearance: The mythical skill seen on Guest Hendrik, we can finally fire it off on our own. As alluded to when it was a guest skill, the fact Hendrik has a health bar is a considerable handicap to its value used as a player skill. Sure, you could buff Hendrik with Kabuff, Magic Barrier or Insulatle, but that's a lot more effort than just taking all the hits across the party. Still, though, if you think Hendrik can take it, he can certainly prove himself.
- Steadfast Forbearance: With this, Forbearance takes 25% less damage. Slightly disappointing compared to Whipping Joy, but when you factor in the scale, this increases Hendrik's odds of grabbing the bull by the horns considerably.
- Kazing: The ability to guaranteed revive a party member cannot be understated. Hendrik's MP pool is challenged, but if you need a Kazing in an emergency, you'll be glad it's there.
- H-Pathy: Hendrik gives (key word, sacrifices) 30% of his HP to give it to another ally. I really don't think you'll be in enough situations where you wouldn't just Moreheal here.
- Defending Champion: For one turn, Hendrik takes 90% less damage. If Hendrik is going to take the punishment, this works wonders, although the game has made sure you can't do Defending Champion and Forbearance together.
- Hurt Converter: For four turns, all attacks Hendrik makes will have the Miracle effect, healing him for 50% of the damage he deals. This is another ability that theoretically pairs well with Forbearance, but ultimately is weakened by the fact Hendrik can't Forbearance and use this at the same time. If Hendrik is taking the lion's share of the damage, this will be just the ticket, though.
Hendrik quite likes the MaMend and Kazing this tree provides, although the rest of the Skills sound more useful than they tend to turn out to be. Hendrik can be a defending champion if the enemies will hit him, but in practice, they do tend to be smart enough to figure out that's the idea.
Guides for the vanilla version tell me H-Pathy is the Suprise Panel for Hendrik, but in Definitive, it's over here on Magical Mending. Which is good, because Hendrik doesn't really want H-Pathy.
Hendrik used his spare SP diving into Fraternity.
While I'm at camp to recert Sylv, I also consider the ultimate Swords. These can be scary alchemy ingredients to give up (especially those Agates of Evolution), although both these swords are pretty good. I personally pass, although that's mostly because I don't see Erik needing them and don't plan on anyone else being particularly Swordy.
Here's how much of Chivalry Sylv is taking. Ladies First is a must, and Finger of Justice will matter in some fights, but mostly he's focused on Ladies First.
After that, I went off to get some more Kaleidocloths. You can get three Glacial Golems- it doesn't always happen, but if you can get it to happen, take it. There are two Glacial Golem spawns, and I find I get the best luck if I attack one while the other one is very close.
Ladies First in action. Sylvando has a few clips for it (like "Pleeease", "I insist", and "after you"), and the girls even have matching thank you clips.
You do have the option of using Ladies First on a man, although it will fail. I feel like letting Erik benefit from Ladies First would be too broken.
Veronica, of course, will be burning things.
Erdward can use Pep Up. It's costly, but in most circumstances, he can swallow that cost.
Next up, we go to Lonalulu. This turns out to be a really funny choice.
Veronica: Come on, Erdward! Why are we hanging around here? You're not planning on doing a bit of fishing, are you? We've got important things to be getting on with. We can come back here another time.
Erik: If I'd been born here, I guess I'd be a fisherman by now. I'd never have had to become a thief. Then I would never have been arrested, never been locked up, and I'd never have met you... I'd choose this life any day!
Jade: I wonder what Kainui is doing now... I know he had a lot to deal with, but I hope he overcame everything and is living a happy life as a fisherman.
Hendrik: I learned from one of the villagers here that you once defeated a tentacular that was terrorising the ocean to the west. I have fought a few of the beasts in my time, but I always had a whole troop of men with me. I am impressed by your derring-do, Erdward.
Serena: Ah, I love the sound of the waves and the cool ocean breeze. We never had any of that in Arboria, you see.
Sylvando: Wouldn't it be just fabulous to have an outfit that paid homage to the lovely seashells of Lonalulu? I'm picturing two big shells that open and then reveal... me! Wouldn't that be a showstopper?
Rab: It seems the poor folks of Lonalulu cannae even enjoy their festival because of all the rampaging beasties running about the place. We need to get rid of that dark star quick smart- these folks deserve a good knees-up!
The Lonaluluans didn't get much in Act 2, and it's not much better in Act 3.
Kai got caught up in a monster's attack and is currently imperiled on the western sea. This is at least something for him to do, but it's a relatively quick endeavour.
You can actually rescue Kai just fine if you happen to go to the Strand first.
Despite being a bunch of superstitious fishermen that believe marrying mermaids is a bad idea, they see no problem with fishing in a place known to be dangerous to boats. Strand aside, I'm sure this is just a statistical anomaly, but still.
And, of course, these people don't know what the Strand is.
The mermen aren't that dangerous, but it's just risky enough you might prefer to wait on it. Especially since the reward is more passable.
This poor guy wants a legendary flower.
...Although perhaps he's taking his failure a little hard...
I hear you.
Wow, you've got no faith at all.
...And it's back in Sniflheim's Whale Way Station.
Where I just was.
I'll be back eventually- I'll need more Kaleidocloths.
Down in Nautica, there's a similar matter of just one job to do. The Queen can tell us what.
Veronica: The fish seem to consider you a friend, Erdward. They're swimming all around you. All living things can feel the power of the Luminary, you know. You bring hope to every single one of them.
Erik: Whatever's making the monsters act crazy, we need to put a stop to it, and fast. This kingdom might not survive otherwise.
Jade: It seems that no one is safe from the evil of the dark star- not even down here. We have to speak with Queen Marina and find out what exactly is going on.
Hendrik: Such extraordinary creatures. It is no wonder that I feel rather flustered in their presence... Wait! Please ignore what I said! I did not mean to voice my thoughts!
Serena: Knowing more about life below the waves makes it hard to eat fish without feeling guilty... Still, I suppose it's also taught me to be grateful for what I'm eating.
Sylvando: Getting the people of Nautica to laugh feels like it's going to be quite a challenge. I don't know a lot about life under the sea, or what people here find amusing. I wonder if they'll enjoy the old sailor jokes that Dave's been telling me...?
Rab: Erdrea doesn't belong to us humans, ye know. We share it with all sorts of other creatures: on the surface, in the air and under the sea. Remember, laddie: when we fight, we're doing it for all of them.
She says "cut right to the chase", which kind of explains why she saw fit to rhyme madder with badder. Was there no more dignified way to phrase that while still fitting the meter and rhyme of mermaid speech?
...Someone stole Marina's scrying pearl? Granted, that thing doesn't tell the future, just her surroundings, but still. Someone means business.
Similarly to the Lonalulu crisis, I don't think you need to talk to Marina to trigger Bathysfear's appearance.
The part of the ocean which Bathysfear resides is not Insula Orientalis, but a small, unmarked island north of it, in the true north-east waters of Erdrea- Bathysfear is a creature of the deep, and he'll rise from the waters to meet us. It's easy enough to give him a wide berth.
Stopping in L'Academie, it seems the fourth page is now available!
...Huh, only four prizes for 45 Mini Medals. The grand prize is more than worth it, although where on earth are we going to find 41 Mini Medals to reach it, in an Erdrea we've already mostly explored?
Veronica: This place reminds me of when Serena and I were younger. We didn't argue often, but whenever we did, Serena would burst into tears and I would get into trouble...
Erik: Sure, I had Derk as a partner in crime, but I was basically a lone wolf when I was younger. I definitely wasn't cut out for boarding school, that's for sure. I don't know how these girls do it.
Jade: Apparently the food they serve the girls here is very nutritious. You know I often think how nice it would be to have someone cooking for us, instead of always eating the same old boring supplies...
Hendrik: I wonder if the students here ever have a chance to see their families? It is difficult to live away from home at their age. I admire their fortitude.
Serena: Do you know, I found a mini medal lying on the ground when I was a little girl. I thought it was a gold coin, so I tried to buy some sweets with it... I'll never forget how the shopkeeper laughed at me. Even thinking about it makes me blush!
Sylvando: Sorry if I'm being slow, honey, but I still don't know who makes mini medals and what they're supposed to be for. All I know is that they're nice and shiny and finding them always puts a smile on my face. Maybe that's enough?
Rab: D'ye want to hear a story, laddie? Well, this place makes me think back to the time I first met yer grandmother. There was this bookshop in Dundrasil I liked to visit, and one day I went in and saw her standing behind the counter. Aye, she was a real vision. I took one look at her bonnie smiling face and fell head over heels in love. The rest, as they say, is history!
While this place isn't as miserable as it was in Act 2, Erdwin's Lantern is still enough of a dark presence these teachings are probably a necessary idea.
And at least she's made a good lesson out of it other than just "evil is out there".
I don't actually know how Act 3 handles the Act 2-only quest of finding new students to welcome to the L'Academie, but in spite of a nail, both girls have made their way here on their own.
This girl's even found her calling as a teacher. I think she had something similar back in Act 2, although this time there's significantly less depression guiding that decision.
Xero's hiding out in the Magic Key room of L'Academie.
...
Please never do this again.
...For some reason, I have never actually spotted this element of the problem before. Goddammit, man, I thought you were supposed to be good at hiding. At least this means L'Academie has actual security.
Well, that's doing a wonder on his self-esteem.
The man has a point: Being really good at hiding is a skill, but if no one wants you around, it's just depressing.
Jarmina's doing just fine. I'm not sure about the items these girls can give you, but by now, we can forge our own just fine.
Confession: There seems to be two Party Chats for L'Academie. The one I showed earlier isn't the one I got:
Veronica: When peace returns to the world, maybe monsters and humans will be able to live together in harmony at last. It sounds like a future worth fighting for, don't you think?
Erik: You'll never guess what one of the students handed me, man- a love letter! You'd think they'd have other things to worry about, right? Like the end of the world? But I guess life goes on, and maybe silly stuff like this helps them keep their minds off more serious things. And you know, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't kind of flattered...
Jade: The world's problems seem very far away when you're in a place like this. It's our job to protect these girls from danger. Whatever happens, we'll never let the Dark One lay a finger on this beautiful school.
Hendrik: The students here have their whole futures ahead of them. It is our duty to ensure that nothing stands in their way. That is why we must defeat the Dark One, Erdward.
Serena: It seems that mini medals are a source of real joy to the students here- it's as though they give them hope for the future. We'll have to do our bit too, Erdward. Let's fight so these girls can have the future they deserve!
So they actually follow up on the Erik-being-the-talk-of-L'Academie thing, huh? So I guess he is capable of the slightest bit of heterosexuality.
(Sylvando and Rab only have the one line. It is coincidence that they are usually listed last on this blog.)
Phnom Nonh is another town you might realise something strange is going on in by the music: this time, the song is "Ole, Sylvando!", a song that, as you might guess from the title, has usually been used to accompany Sylvando's glamourous dance routines- it's practically the theme song of the Soldiers of Smile.
It's a fitting choice for this town, but it's weird hearing it used for something unpleasant. Which I suppose might be part of the point.
Veronica: This is awful! Everyone's dancing, but it doesn't look like they have any choice in the matter! I wonder if that nasty Dora-in-Grey is behind this. I wouldn't put it past her. You don't think the dark star has revived her, do you? And I was hoping we'd never have to see her again...
Erik: Sure, the villagers are dancing, but it doesn't look like they're enjoying it very much. There's something fishy about this. How about we find out what's really going on, since we're here and all?
Jade: We don't really have time to spare, but it feels wrong to abandon these people to their fate. You will have to make a decision, Erdward. Do we stay here, or do we press on?
Hendrik: Are you familiar with this kind of dance, Erdward? I am afraid it leaves me somewhat cold. Music was never something in which I had much interest, to be honest, though I still remember the marching songs of my youth fondly.
Serena: It's only the younger villagers who seem to be dancing. I wonder why that might be...
Sylvando: There's something wrong here! Everyone's dancing, so why doesn't it feel like they're having fun? Dancing is a sacred art that brings joy into the world, but these people just look miserable! Come on, honey- let's find out what's going on!
Rab: Hustle! Hustle! Hustle! ...Och, I'm sorry, laddie. Watching these folks going at it made me want to have a wee dance as well.
Here's Mony, and he's been standing here, forced to dance, for what is apparently quite some time.
Now that is indeed quite the problem.
Wait, "many days"? When did that time pass for them? I presume the Mordegon celebrations might've been longer than we saw on camera.
Bazza picked a bad time to visit Phnom Nonh.
No idea. Must've enchanted a monster, the Lantern has other ideas of what to do with Erdrea.
Some of the people are too tired to even talk to us.
Some of the lines being said are kinda in line with this, although for the most part, everyone's thoughts are their own.
A reasonable fear, albiet a difficult one to express.
...The observation that the dancing bug only affects "young adults" is a valid one, although I really don't know why this lady is dancing. Maybe she's faking it?
Poor girl gets stuck back on shop duty.
This is something absolutely ridiculous in context. If you thought she was talking about the dancing bug that Phnom Nonh has been talking about-
You'd be wrong.
There are indeed bongo bangos outside the village, and this poor girl is able to sleep through the haunting melody of Ole Sylvando, but not the banging of the bongos of those monsters outside.
And because she's a bit of a vindictive little one, she wants the monster to die of a rude awakening.
This is mechanically a perfectly fine quest, I just love how completely ignorant this girl is of the problems affecting 50% of the population of her town.
Snooze 'n' Bruise is a one-person Pep Power performed by Sylvando knowing Persecutter and Erdward knowing Snooze. The latter is trivial, the former less so.
This power should not be confused with the one-person Erik Pep Power "Edge of Sleep", combining Erik's Sleeper Hit with Erdward's Cutting Edge.
I'm sure too.
...Goddammit, Da.
Son vaguely recognises us from Act 2, but more importantly, we are an intelligent, helpful warrior who might be able to get Phnom Nonh to stop dancing.
Incidentally, the monster in charge of the curse is over in The Other Side.
...You're not fooling anyone, Da.
This entire situation is disturbing on multiple levels.
Somewhat unfortunately for the people of Phnom Nonh, the monster terrorising them, much like Dora-in-Grey before him, is a relative spike in power level compared to his contemporary bosses. Unlike him, we have the option of putting this sidequest off until we have solved other ones and made ourselves more powerful. At least they're getting physical exercise.
Utterly unhinged umbrellas with a worrying fixation on insta-death spells, which they supposedly learned from a king among demons.
Rarefied monster spotted! Brollympian is a rarefied Brollygagger, and may attach itself to any fight with one as early as Part 1. It knows Thin Air and a rampaging brolly attack that can inflict Knockdown, but power-creep has not been kind to it. It may have more HP than the Malicious Brollygagger next to it, but it actually has less Atk and Defence. Rarefied Monsters don't go Vicious or Malicious, which can result in them seeming like wimps if you put off looking for them until lategame.
The Drustaniad in Phnom Nonh has been moved to the Promontory Cave, standing as the only use of the place other than being Avarith's lair.
I'm beginning to detect a a pattern.
The monster in question for the little girl's sidequest is actually this pink creature known as "Malicious Bongo Bango", a corruption of a monster added in Act 2. It apparently has 426 HP, so this hit would've been enough to kill it from full health, although I'd recommend giving it a whack or two just to make sure.
Considering this is a little girl living in Phnom Nonh giving us Mini Medals, I have to wonder if she is or was a student of L'Academie, and if so, what it means that she's giving another her Mini Medals. Despite the textbooks claiming that the purpose of the Mini Medal Hunt for L'Academie students is to show them the world and expand their horizons, few L'Academie students can be found outside the school environment.
I highly doubt a L'Academie graduate is calling them "beddy-byes". More likely she's a drop-out.
5 Mini Medals is worth half a prize. Considering how little there's left to explore (well, there is the dungeon Cetacea pointed us to), most Mini Medal rewards from here on out will be given in bunches- there is one single Mini Medal left for us to find, although depending on your definition of such, you might extend it.
Oh yeah, almost forgot an Ultimate Key plinth just outside Nhou Wat. Can't have enough Gold Bars, though.
Next time: Erik gets his moment, and then a lot of clean-up.
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