Update 5 - Princess hunting
Last time, we finished up chapter 1. After leaving Igros in search of Delita's sister, Teta, we fought a few battles with the Death Corps before coming across Zalbag and Algus confronting the last remaining Death Corps soldier holding Teta hostage. Things...didn't go well. Now Delita apparently hates us and probably nobles in general, and we're working as a mercenary.
We pick up right where the tutorial battle left off, just outside Orbonne Monestary.
..........
Of course! I couldn't face the royal family unless I do!
We won't help you. It's not in the contract!
We don't need help from one who's not even a knight! A knight must fix his own mistakes. This is one of our responsibilities as guards! Lavian, Alicia, let's go!
Kidnapped.
I'm very sorry. I swear I'll get her back!
....No. You'd be in danger...
That's kind of a stupid reason to not do something.
Don't worry. I swear on my knight's honor I'll save her!
Or she'll make us do it.
I'll go, too! I won't be a burden!
Or Prosper will volunteer.
Are you crazy?! This is none of our business!
I have to know! I must see it with my own eyes!
You mean, that boy you saw?
You're stubborn as a mule. Don't cry to me for help if something happens!
For the first few battles in chapter 2, we get both Agrias and Gafgarion on our team, who are pretty decent in the regular game but are actually fairly mediocre compared to normal enemies with the insane difficulty mod.
We also get the extra characters from the tutorial battle; Rad and two other knights. We're going to dismiss them immediately after taking their shit, though.
After checking the new character's jobs, though, it turns out Mediators can't raise brave/faith values anymore. Which is bullshit.
It's not immediately obvious, but the next battle is in Dorter.
Battle 13:
There's some heavy shit going down here.
Mercenary: Way too low. 2000. It's 2000 gill a head.
It would be easy to make all of you heretics, you know.
Mercenary: Is that a threat? ...How about 1000 gill?
700. No more.
Mercenary: OK. Done deal.
They'll be here any minute. Kill all of them. Understand?
Wonder who they're talking about. Some motherfucker is about to get ganked.
Ha, speak of the devil.....There they are. Get them!
Something isn't right. Prepare yourself, we are in an ambush.
I usually don't do freebies, but I'll make an exception!
You patronizing...
It's gonna be one of those days.
This would've been a tough fight if Prosper hadn't turned into a fucking wrecking ball of fury with all the JP he earned in the fight with Algus.
R00fles!
Why, yes I do. Thanks, enemy white mage.
At this point I lost a few images and the post-battle conversation, which was nothing more than Agrias pointing out our next destination. Suffice to say we wrapped up the battle quickly and learned we need to go to Bethla Garrison.
Before that, however, it's time to recruit some new characters! Introducing our new squadmates:
We'll be using them interchangeably on missions from here on out.
Battle 14
Chocobo: W-wark!
Delita said wild chocobos are stronger than tame ones. I wonder if he's strong in a fight?
You want to help him, Prosper? No money in that!
Gafgarion has a one track mind.
He may help us save the princess...
I have a feeling this is going to be painful. While they're just goblins, they're level 25 while we're 14-15.
Or it could be really easy. I know I mentioned in an earlier post I was having trouble with this fight, but I had only tried it once at that point and on this attempt I didn't have any problems at all. Go figure.
Our goal in this battle is to save this chocobo, but he's pretty tough and can take care of himself.
You seem alright.
You're lucky. You ought to thank Prosper.
We get to recruit this chocobo. We won't really use him, though, except maybe for a gimmick later in chapter 2.
Battle 15
There's a lot of dialog in this battle.
Knight: Turn the Princess over to us and we'll spare your life!
That's a bald faced lie! You want to kill her!
Wait, what?
Then after that you'll kill me for knowing the truth!
Really, Delita, even if that's true, is it really smart to taunt this guy with that information?
Knight: Ridiculous! We came to help the Princess! Why would we want to kill her? We can't let Goldana keep her!
Suddenly...
Agrias!!
Knight: Great, here comes a crowd! Gafgarion! Kill them!! And do it now!!
Again. Wait, what?
Don't know what's going on, but it's in the contract!
Gafgarion, are you betraying us?
Betraying you? C'mon, this is business. Our job is to kidnap the Princess 'unharmed'. The job is to kill you and keep things quiet!
So yeah, as if you didn't see this coming from a mile away, turns out Gafgarion is a jerk and will turn on you at the drop of a hat.
What are you getting at? This kidnapping's a sham?
The Princess is in the way! The Prince should be next in line. If she's alive there'll be nothing but trouble!
This alludes to one of the main plot threads of FFTactics, which basically involves Prince Larg (who we met in chapter 1) and Prince Goltana fighting over the throne. It's been danced around so far but I don't think it gets spelled out for some time.
If the Princess's kidnapped and killed by Goltata, they'll be rid of her and his rivals. I'm sure that's how Prince Larg wrote the scenario. No, Dycedarg probably wrote it. Don't you agree, Prosper?
Delita was always well-informed, but it looks like he's become even more politically aware in the time since chapter 1.
Another helpless sacrifice...No more! There must not be any more victims like Teta!!
Prosper wasn't cut out for the mercenary life, anyway.
Imagine meeting you here! Are your brothers still running your life?
Who knows? They never tell me anything! But uh, Delita, are you party to their plot?
Don't be foolish! I'm here to save the Princess! To free her from those who are exploiting her!
Of course, Prosper. You can trust Delita. He'd never betray you.
Don't lie to me! You were hired too, weren't you? You were hired to kidnap her for money! Don't play dumb!!
No, I'm not like you. It's not for the money!
Then, who's getting in my way? A kid who heard the plan, and decided to save her for justice!? Who hired you? Who told you about the plan? Talk!
That's actually a legitimate point. How did Delita know about the plan? Let's see how he responds to these allegations.
I don't think so!
Are you sure of what you're doing? The Princess may be adopted but she's still royalty.
I'm quite sure! Even Princess can die for getting in the way! That's what 'royal blood' is about!
Are you mocking the Princess!?
Get in the way, get killed. It's the same for commoners! The only difference is people like you pledging blind loyalty! Unless you make it to the top you're only gonna be used so you're better off dead!
Then, I'll save her!!
All our enemies in this battle (excluding Gafgarion) are lancers. If you've ever played FF4 you can probably guess what they do.
Fortunately these lancers aren't too powerful, they're mostly just tough.
Human, just like you!
And fortunately for us Ovelia is far from useless.
Dirty!? There is no 'dirty' when it comes to money! I'm a mercenary. I have to finish the jobs I take. That's called being a pro!
Why didn't you tell me? Why?
If I'd told you, would you have stopped me? If I don't do this, someone else will! Get it? People die all the time without you knowing about it! That's reality! You think you can stop something you know nothing about?
But...but...Does that make it right?
No 'buts'! You're just a child who doesn't want to face reality! If you don't like it, try living without depending on someone else for a change! But don't come complaining to me if you can't!
Volurn's new summon ability is visually impressive.
Normally this fight is trivial because you can remove Gafgarion's equipment before the fight starts, but the insane difficulty mod gives him new equipment for this fight and levels him up a few times.
Everything was going well until Gafgarion was alone; he managed to take out Prosper and Ripley, and no one else in the group could revive. Attempt 2 will go better.
This time we've made Prosper a thief and given him battle skill as a secondary ability.
Mainly so he can weapon break the lancers. They're useless without spears.
We'd do the same to Gafgarion but he has maintainence and is therefore immune to steal and break abilities. At this point I assume all bosses will.
Delita and Agrias tag team the last lancer.
That's one hell of an impressive ability list.
And that's that.
Delita, what're you scheming?
Scheming? Don't be foolish. I'm telling the truth. Think about it. Where would you take her after making an enemy of the Hokuten? Crack Hokuten troops will come here looking for you any time now. Just where the hell do you plan on escaping to?
W, well, I...
Think carefully. The Princess knows this was Prince Larg's plan. The royal family is not on your side. So what about Goltana? No, he'd execute you just to clear himself.
Again, these are legit points, but where is Delita planning on taking the Princess?
What would you do?
I'd do what you can't do.
What do you mean?
I can't tell you...
I'll leave the Princess with you a little longer.
Teta saved me...
What?
Teta saved me back then...
......
Thank you, Delita.
See you again, Prosper.
But are you sure you want to make Hokuten an enemy?
Don't worry. I've already decided. The question is, now what should we do? Like Delita said, nobody will help us...
We can ask Cardinal Draclau for help.....Glabados church has jurisdiction over Lionel. They might be able to help.
Good plan, Agrias. If politics can't help you, turn to religion. What could possibly go wrong?
Hokuten has to be careful what they do in Lionel....Let's go. It's the only place for us.
Our next destination is Lionel Castle, where I'm sure the Princess will be completely safe and nothing bad will ever happen to her again.
But first, we need to buy some new equipment. And that means random encounters.
Battle 16
That was easy.
Battle 17
Oh god, it's this fight.
Fencer: Don't play dumb Mustadio! Don't care about your father? Just give us the 'holy stone' and we'll return him...OK guys, get him!
And you can tell Rudvich...If he lays a hand on father he'll never see the stone!
This is another mission where you have a choice. We can choose to save Mustadio or ignore him. We have to kill all the enemies either way, but if we choose to save Mustadio we have to keep him alive until the end of the fight. If we choose the other option we lose 10 brave.
My memories of this fight from when I played this game years ago are a little vague but I remember Mustadio dying after a turn or two every single time I tried it that way. But we don't want to lose 10 brave, so we're fucking doing this the hard way.
God fucking dammit.
FUCK
A few attempts and some more
later...
Are you all right?
Prosper says after being a few ticks from dying.
Yeah.....I think so. Thanks for helping me.
You know them? They're not just traders. They're a criminal syndicate into everything from smuggling and slavery.
Why were they after you?
You know why they call us mechanics?
There's a pun here somewhere.
I hear a 'lost civilization' is hidden under Goug....When St. Ajora was alive, airships were in the sky, and human robots in town. But time passed, technology was lost, and no one knows if it ever really existed.
In the world of FFTactics, humanity advances backwards.
But the civilization must have existed. Parts from many airships and machines are buried under Goug. Mechanics are the ones who restore the 'past legacies'.
That weird thing you used in the battle, was that one of the machines?
I didn't get any good screenshots of it, but Mustadio uses a gun.
Oh, this? This is called a 'gun'. A metal 'bullet' is propelled by gunpowder. This is the most simple one. They say you used to be able to put magic in it and shoot it.
Why's Bart Company after you?
You said you were going to see the Cardinal. He was a hero of the Fifty Year War. People in Lionel still think of him as a hero. My father, too. The Cardinal is the only one who can unite this country. I know he'd grant your wish. Then the princess would be safe.
Yeah, and...?
Can you take me with you? I want to meet the Cardinal.
Why?
To save my father! The Cardinal's the only one who can rescue him from Bart!
Or he'll make us do it.
Agrias is pushy.
...I can't tell you now.
Then, we can't take you.
I beg you! Trust me! I must see the Cardinal!
Suddenly...
Ovelia's been with us for 5 minutes and all the sudden she's making all the party decisions.
Really? Thank you, Highness!
Remember! You're in the presence of a princess!
It's all right. Please stand up.
All right, then. I trust you.
If the naive and kind of stupid princess trusts you, that's good enough for me.
That's it for now. This update is getting pretty long, and this is a good place to stop for the moment. Next time we'll arrive in Lionel Castle, talk to the Cardinal, and deal with Mustadio's subplot.
Chapter 2 is much shorter than I remember, I'll probably finish it up in the next two updates.