In Progress Let's play Berwick Saga (PS2 Strategy-RPG from the director of Fire Emblem 1-5)

[Endemic]

Update 138: Chapter 8-1 - The Veterans (ending)

Spoiler

Christine: I'm sorry... I shouldn't have fallen for it. I should have stayed and made sure they got out like they promised...

Folmer: ...Those four... When I entered officer training, they were expert ballisticians, and my drill instructors. They were a foulmouthed bunch, but compared to them, we newcomers couldn't tell left from right. At least, that's what they told us. To be honest, we were hazed pretty badly back in those days.

Folmer: I was in charge of tracking supplies and taking inventory, and I realized some of our supply was missing. Someone had stolen it and sold it off on the black market for profit. The moment I brought it to light, though, it was pinned on me and I was court-martialed. Maybe it was just a convenient excuse for my superiors to get rid of a troublesome subordinate...

Christine: You have a widespread reputation of being fair and honest. Everyone thinks as much...

Folmer: Ha ha, you flatter me... but I think I know myself pretty well. Anyway, those four men were the ones who helped me out of that mess.

Christine looks ahead silently, perhaps pondering the fates of said men.

Folmer: Thanks to them, the financial records were given a closer inspection, and it became clear that I was innocent. They eventually figured out that the culprit was none other than the commander of our group. In those days, it seemed everyone was just out for themselves and turning on each other... But all those four thought about was proving my innocence. They said to me, "You're a stubborn, snot-nosed little runt, Folmer... but you're a hundred times better than some dirty rotten thief stealing our men's food!"

Folmer: And as promised, here's your reimbursement for your expenses. You can keep the change.

Christine: ...Thank you very much. By the way, the old men wanted me to pass on a message to you. ...They said, "Keep at it".

Christine: Of course. Excuse me, Major...


Back at the office, Tianna informs us that we captured a horse during the mission, and I collect the ransom for the Imperial prisoner:

Time to see what's up with Christine.

Someone knocks on the door. Christine doesn't respond. Several seconds later we see who it is, as Elbert enters the room to address her:

Elbert: I don't think you should pity them for how they died, but that's just me...

Christine is still wordlessly staring through the window.

Elbert: Here, I brought some wine from the funeral...

Elbert: Sure... I guess I'll do that...

He finishes the drink and puts the bottle away.

Elbert: They were really something, huh? I feel like all boys dream of growing up to be like they were...

Christine: Loyalty... Honour... Chivalry... None of that really matters. You still end up in the grave...

Elbert: Their deaths weren't in vain. They died in the line of duty, doing what they knew they had to do.

Christine turns around, continuing her cynical assessment of the events.

Elbert: The ones left behind... People like your mother, you mean?

The response almost seems to catch her off-guard.

Elbert: It's a fate that soldiers can't escape. Those men understood that. And your father understands it. You should too, as a knight...

Christine: But I DON'T understand! How does that give them the right to abandon their loved ones?!

After a short pause, she lowers her voice.

Christine: When mother was dying, I immediately sent word to father... But he didn't come home. He didn't even send a response. He abandoned her, his own wife! Yet even to the end, she was praying for him... For his safety... How pathetic is that...? I just can't understand it...

Elbert: Christine... Your feelings are justified, but you're not being entirely fair...

Christine: Not being fair?!

Hmm... Surely there has to be more to this than what Christine is saying? I'm with Elbert here. We know General Ward is a good man that cares about the plight of the average citizen. We've also seen Christine do her fair share of samaritan deeds, so she wouldn't judge someone without reason. Perhaps his stern attitude and stubborn nature caused trouble at home, combined with long tours of duty, gradually estranged him from his family?


Christine: Who exactly is being unfair here?!

Elbert: Think of it this way... You said your mother was praying for the general's safety until the end... But did she ever ask you to send him any final words? Words of love, or sorrow, or regret?

Christine: No, she didn't...

Elbert: I thought not... ...One evening a few years back, I saw the general drinking by himself. I noticed something odd, but I didn't think much of it at the time... On the table in front of him, he'd poured two goblets of wine.

Christine: Even a single word from him... Something to say to his wife, to prove that he loved her...

Elbert: I can't pretend to understand how General Ward thinks... but Christine, how long do you plan to hold this grudge? Do you really want to keep this up until he dies? To never reconcile with your own father? Because you won't be able to make amends with his grave, Christine!

She says nothing, and turns around to the window once more.

Elbert's right, of course. We see him and Christine hanging around together a fair bit, and despite the occasional argument and teasing, they're obviously somewhat close friends. But it was also apparent from the very beginning, back in chapter 1, that her relationship with Ward was quite strained. In fact, they still aren't on speaking terms.

To round off this update, let's take a quick look at Christine's new crossbow:

Hawkeye is essentially a lighter, more accurate arbalest. The only real drawback is the D-grade durability, meaning roughly 20-25 shots before it expires - so you need to make them count.

 

[Endemic]

Update 139: Paralogue 1 - A Knight's Pride (Introduction and preparations)

Spoiler

Ruby's paralogue is now available, so I'll be taking that mission first.

Oh hey, it's Clifford:

Patron: He's no knight; just a miserable drunk. Any pride and honour he once had were drowned in booze ages ago.

Clifford sits in silence as the man disparages him.

Patron: You're better off throwing your money to the rats than giving it to a man like him.

The man turns to address Ruby.

Patron: It's the truth! Just look at him! It's not even midday, and he's already dead drunk! Glad to see that royal knights take their jobs so seriously...

Ruby: Well, let's hear what the man has to say for himself. Go on! Tell us, why aren't you speaking up? Have you really lost all your pride?

Clifford is presumably staring at his empty glass.

Ruby: ...Fine. It was useless to try talking to you after all...

She turns to the concerned villager.

Ruby: ...Sir, show me the way. I'll protect your village.

Villager: ...By yourself? There's an entire gang of bandits...

Ruby: I am a knight. I'll take care of them all with time after to spare. I will protect the pride my father refuses to uphold.

Villager: I understand... I'll lead you to the village.


A short while later:

Patron: She ain't coming back alive. You realise that, right?

A familiar face interrupts.

Ward: You may have fallen from grace, but you were like that too, once... For her, who grew up watching such a respectable man, now to see what you've become... Can you not imagine the pain she must feel to see you this way?

No reply is forthcoming, so he continues.

Ward: Your daughter has wagered her life to prove your worth, and still you sit here doing nothing!

Clifford: I just...

Ward: I've endured quite enough of your excuses today, Sir Clifford. However, before I go, allow me to offer you a bit of wisdom... I care not what happens to you, but if Ruby should meet her death...

Unsurprisingly, Ruby is still as reckless as she was before... but at the same time, it's hard not to sympathise with her for the reason Ward just stated. Clifford's been rather quiet here - what he's truly thinking is unknown to us. That said, drowning your sorrows in alcohol is a very relatable concept, and (without giving away too much) there will be more to this subplot after the mission.

With only 7 deployment slots this time, the team will have to be pared down from the previous mission. Fortunately, Ruby's equipment can be adjusted beforehand.

As per the intro cutscene, Clifford is unavailable:

Has his motivation really drained away? What will he do now?

I'll hire Thaddy for this mission, since his steal skill is going to come in handy. One thing I neglected to discuss before, regarding inventory management, is this option:

It functions similarly to the convoy option in Fire Emblem games. By the way, on any screens with this scrolling format, the left and right buttons advance backward\forward one full screen at a time.

You can also cycle through party members to trade with, if you select an item that's being carried by someone.

Getting back to preparations, in addition to Thaddy I'll be deploying Kramer (he needs to catch up on levels, and still has the accuracy buff); as well as Sylvis, Izerna, Larentia and Elbert. Ruby's deployment slot can't be changed, of course, so that will need to be considered at the mission site itself.

I've actually overleveled Ruby a bit here, when I should have been focusing on her sword skill. Vantage combined with the shortsword should help with that though.

Izerna has the usual light magic orbs, and I threw in the panacea just as a backup.

Not much left for Elbert's promotion, he should be able to reach it by the end of this mission. His horse has seen better days; I neglected to swap with Christine last time out. Dismounting can take care of that issue for now.

Larentia's here mainly for her mobility, especially as her combat is going to take a hit with Euthyphro about to break.

Sylvis will be the ranged support this time, but the primary reason I'm taking her is to get up to the happiness total for recruitment.

Thaddy hasn't seen nearly as much combat as Czene, since I was working on her promotion, so he's less accurate at this point. Admittedly that could have been fixed at the Kingfisher, but my focus was on the main mission of the chapter when I selected people for it.

Kramer rounds out the party. I threw him a rapier because he's pretty close to level 7 now, and it will help against thieves who can be tricky to hit.

 

[baud]

I think Ward knows what he's talking about here, doesn't he?

 

[Endemic]

I think Ward knows what he's talking about here, doesn't he?

He could well be drawing on his own experience, or just giving Clifford a nudge to act. Either way, these character flaws help them feel more like real people rather than idealized RPG heroes.

 

[Endemic]

Update 140: Paralogue 1 - A Knight's Pride (part 1)

Spoiler

We start on a road, separated from the village by Imperial-occupied high ground to the east, and dense forest to the south. There are several brigands lurking around.

There's a ballista here as well; this group appears to be guarding supplies in the building atop the hill.

There's an escape point in the southeast, and a large building guarded by what appears to be the leader of these brigands.

Dangust isn't too threatening by himself, but it wouldn't surprise me if he has more men than are visible here.

Let's begin.

Dangust: We can't let them escape; not when we still have uses for them! They can't have gone far... Scour the area! Find them!

Brigand: If you won't play nice, then I'll just have to kill you!

He throws an axe, but Ruby avoids it and swings back with her sword.

Brigand: Damn it...

Villager #2: We should have run back when we still had the chance...

Ruby: I'm going to make a diversion. When they're distracted, I want you all to make a run for it.

Villager: But Miss Ruby, even as a knight, you're only one person... You'll be killed if you do that! You should escape with us!

Ruby: ...No, I won't give up. It's not over until I say so. If I take the easy way out... If I run away here... These bandits will continue attacking more and more villages, destroying people's lives and homes... I can't run away from this! This is my duty!

The old man falls silent.

Ruby: I don't know if I'll make it, but I promise you, on my knight's honour: I will protect you all. So I want you to promise me... Don't ever give up!

Quick aside here, but I'm somewhat partial to the style of Ruby's portrait from the beta:

There are quite a few unused portraits in the iso, but I'll discuss those another time.

Villager #3: Please take care...

Ruby: Even if it costs me my life, I will protect you all.

After she leaves, the villagers begin conferring:

Villager #3: It sounds like she's accepted that fact. Who are we to question her when she fights for our lives? It's the least we can do, to have faith in her. We can't just give up.

Villager: You're right... We've got to try! I won't give in to despair any more!

Villager #2: I might be an old man, but I won't give up either!

Villager #3: I feel the same way. I believe in Miss Ruby.

Ruby: I need to get the attention of the bandits, or else the others won't be able to get away from the cave...

Dangust: For bein' such a stupid girl, she's got quite the cute li'l face... It's a shame I've got to crush that pretty face into the dirt! Kill her, men!

There is activity on the nearby hill:

Ballistician: Yes, Commander!

Commander: Once they're loaded up, then we can head back to base camp.

Ballistician: Commander, what do you want us to do about the bandits in the area?

Commander: Pay them no mind. So long as they don't bar our path, we won't have to deal with them.

Ballistician: Understood!

Seems pretty straightforward, although if you're like me and want to get the loot the Imperials are carrying away, things get more complicated. That is where Larentia and Thaddy will come in useful.

Ruby does indeed have an extra vulnerary, courtesy of the kind old lady:

Larentia strikes first with her spear.

Ruby immediately comes under attack.

Brigand: But you're a fool if you think you can take us all on by yourself!

Even with vantage, she won't be doing much. Sylvis and Thaddy advance to take out this thief Larentia spotted:

Kramer misses his sword swing and is hit in retaliation.

Ruby's sword breaks from all the countering she's doing.

The Imperial convoy begins moving out.

Their ballista covers a significant chunk of the road in front, so I'll be keeping a safe distance. Izerna takes care of Kramer:

Next turn, Kramer dodges and gets his revenge on the brigand that attacked him.

Larentia is halted by a counterattack, and her shield breaks as well.

While the Sinon Knights advance as quickly as they can through the forest, Ruby finds herself cornered. Situation at the start of turn 3:

Larentia moves out to block the escape point. The first transport is just carrying a thief's charm (+15% to Mug activation), so it's not particularly valuable, but there will be more wagons heading out soon.

Dangust's men notice us approaching and a few break away to attack.

Ruby eventually cuts down one of the brigands adjacent to her.

 

[Endemic]

Update 141: Paralogue 1 - A Knight's Pride (part 2)

Spoiler

On turn 4, the next Imperial wagon departs:

An estoc would be nice, so I'll be sure to have Thaddy steal it.

Sylvis takes aim and snipes this thief without any trouble.

Thaddy gets hit, so I have him take his turn immediately afterwards and expend a vulnerary.

Ruby wasn't expecting us to intervene:

Ruby: I see, so General Ward sent you... Thank you very much for the help. If we can beat the leader of these bandits and regain control of the main building here, I think we can win... Please help me however you can!

Elbert, slowed down by the forests, finally makes it to the front line.

Fresh from being healed by Izerna, Kramer takes out another brigand.

A nice level-up too:

Larentia spots a thief hiding in a house and attacks, but fails to kill.

Next turn, yet another enemy falls to Kramer's sword:

Elbert takes point, only to be met with more opposition.

Everyone else trudges forward on foot, except Larentia who is blocking the Imperial convoy's route. Turn 6 sees another wagon arrive.

Back in the village...

The Imperial troops have responded to the blockade by moving out to attack:

Sylvis and Kramer team up to cut down the last brigand.

Elbert is jumped by a thief that leaps from the nearby trees, but he evades and counters.

Since she has nothing else to do, Larentia is ordered to attack the adjacent wagon.

On turn 7, Elbert goes first to use provoke on the Imperial commander.

Sylvis takes a shot at him as well, while Izerna takes advantage of physic's range to patch up Elbert.

The last Imperial supply wagon leaves at the start of turn 8.

However, more of Dangust's men just showed up...

Ruby manages to stall one of them, but her longsword gives out.

Kramer joins the melee:

That kill takes him to level 8.

Sylvis opens fire on the approaching crossbowman, successfully striking him. Izerna levels up from healing Elbert again.

Speaking of Elbert, his spear makes for another dead Imperial.

Ruby trades with him for a fresh sword.

The situation is getting very dicey now, as more brigands arrive:

 

[Endemic]

Update 142: Paralogue 1 - A Knight's Pride (part 3)

Spoiler

Sylvis comes under attack from both sides, and Elbert is also struck by the second armour knight. The former is ordered to fall back and use a vulnerary.

She'll be safely hidden in a nearby house (indicated by the familiar leaf icon) until an enemy moves adjacent to her. Meanwhile, Elbert begins luring more of the Imperial troops.

Kramer enters the fray, trying to hold back the brigands from advancing any further.

Next turn, one more joins the big brawl.

Elbert equips a fresh shield and provokes the crossbowman. The melee continues, with the Sinon Knights just about defending their precarious position.

Sylvis puts an arrow through the closest brigand:

Level 12 just brings another point in bow skill.

Kramer cuts down another enemy. That accuracy boost from the Kingfisher really paid off.

My bad planning rears its ugly head, as I have no effective weapons to deal with these armoured guys.

To make matters worse, they cripple and capture Elbert on the following turn:

Kramer also took a hit, so he retreats into the trees to heal up.

However, another one of Dangust's thugs falls in the battle.

Kramer's really notching up his body count here.

One of the brigands chases after Izerna, but she is able to hide in a house for now. Sylvis repositions, and turns her attention towards the Imperials:

Ruby falls back so that Izerna can use physic from a safe location.

Kramer is bravely holding off the armour knights alone, but he won't be able to do that forever.

Having provoked the Imperial crossbowman last turn, Thaddy then retreats into some trees and uses his evasion skill. Now he's almost impossible to hit:

Larentia swoops in with her spear to help.

Fortunately, Izerna didn't get crippled here...

However, I screw up my attack order and Ruby ends up getting experience she didn't need.

Well, I guess speed is something.

Izerna uses up her vulnerary, just in case the remaining Imperials try to go after her. Thaddy takes the opportunity to begin stealing from their wagons:

Kramer continues to battle the armour knights, and his rapier soon breaks.

Sylvis switches to raijin arrows and takes aim, the extra lightning damage proving fatal.

Izerna's had to heal Kramer twice in consecutive turns while this is going on.

Ruby hands over a broadsword to him to replace the broken rapier.

For his part, Thaddy steals an estoc and then a limit shield from the Imperial convoy. Izerna's luck is holding out, and she still avoids getting crippled:

The armour knight's shield is finally broken, but his base defence is still high enough to render standard weapons mediocre at best.

Izerna takes Ruby's second vulnerary to heal again, as she's in range of the enemy.

Now that Thaddy's stolen the maximum 3 items for this mission, I begin to dispose of the wagon drivers.

Sylvis once again uses a raijin arrow to good effect:

It's been a while since she leveled strength.

 

[Endemic]

Update 143: Paralogue 1 - A Knight's Pride (part 4)

Spoiler

The rest of the Imperial convoy is eliminated, although Ruby's iron spear breaks in the process:

Only one more level to meet the first recruitment milestone for Kramer.

I could go after the ballista but we're low on equipment and Elbert is still captured, so I'll move back to the primary objective.

Dangust: I'll just have to stamp out each and every one of them!

Thaddy successfully injures him with the bolt knife on the first attempt:

Sylvis follows up with a shot from apeiron, which cripples him. Kramer moves in to capture, netting the scimitar needed for crafting harperia.

Mission complete.

After the troops return to Navaron, Ruby stops to converse with Ward:

Ward: I simply wished to save the village from its suffering, just as you did. However...

Ruby: ...I know what you're going to say. It was stupid and reckless of me...

Ward: Hearing your father mocked as he was must have severely tried your patience. I can think of nothing else that would inspire such foolhardiness in you.

Hmm...I guess Tianna didn't tell him about that incident in chapter 1 where Ruby rushed off to the Neam Mountains alone?

Ruby: Yes, you're right... My father used to be a famous royal knight, honourable and just... I was so proud of him. I respected him.

Ruby: Understand him...?

Ward: A wound to the heart such as that is not something that can simply heal. It may be many years before he can truly feel at peace again...

Ruby: Still, I want to do something. I want to show my father that he hasn't lost everything. If I became a knight... a real knight... Maybe that'll inspire him again. I don't want to be a mercenary any more, General Ward. I want to be a true knight!

Ward: If that is what you wish, come with me to see Lord Reese.

Ruby: ...And I won't let him hold himself back any longer, either!


Well well, growth and maturity from Ruby, not what you'd initially expect after that nasty argument with her father some months back. Ward understands that there are two sides to this story, and also sympathizes with Clifford's position. After all, he's had a near identical loss in his own life.

A short while later, the two meet:

Ward: What in the world happened between you two, that you would show such contempt for your own daughter?

There is a short silence before Clifford responds.

Clifford: ...She's not suited to be a knight.

Ward: What makes you think so?

Clifford: She's just like her mother... My Matilda... She was so beautiful...

No wonder he's having trouble coping with her death, even after some time. Although, we have to keep in mind he might be somewhat inebriated by this point.

Clifford: ...A girl like Ruby... shouldn't hide her beauty under all that armour.

Ward: I suppose, then, that you are also the kind of man who prefers a caged bird to a free one... is that right?

Clifford doesn't answer, either taken by surprise or too busy drinking.

Ward: Today, Lord Reese will be inducting Ruby into the Knights of Sinon.

Clifford: What?!

Ward: Although her skills are still rough and in need of training, he acknowledges her potential as a warrior.

Ward: Young knights like her learn so much faster than we old men can... A day of training for us may be as much as a month's worth for that girl. It would be selfish and wasteful to squander such potential, would it not?

Clifford is left to ponder that thought as the discussion tails off.

Clearly he's not on the same plane as Ward in this conversation, almost as if he's talking past him. This is just speculation on my part, but perhaps Clifford's alcoholism is now affecting his day-to-day perception of the people around him. The way he idolizes Matilda there does not sound like someone who is thinking rationally and calmly about this.

Ward's line about training is supported by the game mechanics, of course, with Ruby's skill growth percentages being notably higher than both Ward and Clifford. She also has paragon for the first 10 levels. Primary stats are somewhat variable due to wide bracketing and low minimums, which makes Ruby more prone to RNG screwage.

That said, Clifford's recruitment is tied to her, so even munchkins have an incentive to deploy her, not to mention the good loot in that paralogue. Anyway, more on those two after the next mission.

To round off this update, I'll fix up Elbert. Since rehabilitate is only usable in battles, I'll have to expend the panacea acquired earlier in this chapter.

 

[Dark_knight17]

The Imperial troops have responded to the blockade by moving out to attack:

The imperial troops won't actually attack if the supply route isn't cut off. You can (barely) get Thaddy to the bush beside where the convey stops in the photo above to steal the estoc and the rest of the items, but you'll miss out on the Mug Ring.

For me, that was worth it as I didn't think I was able to deal with all the imperial soldiers.

 

[Endemic]

You can (barely) get Thaddy to the bush beside where the convoy stops in the photo above to steal the estoc and the rest of the items

Sure, you can, although Thaddy can get attacked by Dangust's thugs on the way there, and I didn't want to take that chance.

I had planned to fight the Imperials to get the extra experience from the start, I just screwed up with equipment allocation (and I guess taking Kramer instead of Dean\Arthur).

 

[Endemic]

Update 144: Chapter 8-2 - The Armoury Situation (Introduction and preparations)

Spoiler

Savat: Can I help you with anything?

Tianna: Nothing in particular... but your face is rather pale, Mr. Savat. Are you feeling all right?

Savat: It's nothing serious. I'm just a little tired, is all. You don't have to make a fuss over me...

Tianna: Still...

She pauses, thinking back to something she witnessed in the shop.

Tianna: ...Is it something regarding your daughter?

Savat: How did you--?!

Tianna: Aha, so I was right after all. In truth, about a month ago...

They discuss the issue for a while off-screen. A brief fade in-out later, we return to the conversation.

Savat: That lines up with what I know... She must've got taken in by that man calling himself a baron, and they've gone and eloped...

Tianna: It certainly seems that way...

Savat: She also grabbed a good handful of cash from the store here while she was at it... I might not be the world's greatest father, but I would've thought I raised a better person than that... Is this her way of rebelling? Was I too strict on her? Even so, this is taking it too far...

Savat: Not to my knowledge. He's just a no-good crook, anyway. I have no doubts that he wheelded Cecily into stealing the money. And on top of it all... Of all people, she goes and runs away with a man like that?!

Tianna: Mr. Savat... Have you truly found no clue as to Cecily's potential whereabouts?

Savat: It's not much to go on, but an old friend of mine saw a shifty-looking couple making their way out of town. They were on a road that'd take them north through the Pyrenees...

Tianna: At this time of year? The entire area should still be covered in snow from the winter... Not to mention that slavers often take that route to avoid the eyes of the law... I will investigate this. Lord Reese will know what to do. If we act quickly, we may yet save Cecily from coming to harm.

Savat: But isn't this too small of a job for the military to get involved? Especially in times like these...

Tianna: We all have loved ones whom we could not bear to have suffer. This is just a favour to a friend. I believe that we can find Cecily and help make things right again. You can place your faith in us, Mr. Savat.

Savat: Thank you. Please do everything you can...


So, it looks like this "Baron" Lane simply took advantage of Cecily's emotional vulnerability to make false promises to her, winning her over with his apparent eloquence. We saw Marcel turn her down in chapter 7, perhaps making Cecily an easier target than she otherwise would have been. Worse still, it seems that Lane may be in league with slavers.

Later, at the office:

Tianna: Sir Marcel... ...You were already aware of the circumstances before I informed you of them, am I correct?

He pauses for a short time before responding.

Marcel: ...I heard that she deliberately ran off with this con man. Must I really go on a mission to rescue such a loose woman?

Naturally, Tianna is very offended by this comment.

Tianna: Sir Marcel, perhaps you were not aware, but women are more than just dolls that can walk and talk. They have hopes, dreams and worries, and sometimes they make rash decisions about them. In troubling times like these, many young women look to strong men who can promise to protect them. ...And so, Cecily admired you, and she found she had feelings for you. Despite her reasons, I don't think her feelings were meaningless.

Tianna: That is not to say that Cecily does not share some of the blame for her poor decisions. But what matters now is that there is a lonely, pure-hearted girl suffering in the cold.

She steps closer to Marcel to emphasize her point.

Tianna: Yet if we do not act, that purity will be sullied by crimes unspeakable. Surely you cannot allow that. Is that not so, Sir Marcel? Will you or will you not fulfill your responsibilities as a knight?

Marcel briefly contemplates.

Marcel: ...I understand. Even if it costs me my life, I will see to it that Cecily is rescued.

Tianna: An excellent answer, Sir Marcel. Thank you for understanding. Is it our duty to protect all the people we can.


So, Marcel's rejection indirectly sent Cecily into the arms of a charlatan. Or at least that's what Tianna believes. She does have a point though, now is not really the time for casting judgement, and Marcel doesn't exactly have much experience with women. On the other hand, Tianna clearly manipulates him with the worst case scenario and appealing to his sense of duty. We haven't really seen this side of her character before, she's generally been friendly and charitable in all of her screen time.

One other thing that's notable here is her comment about women looking to strong men to protect them; this is essentially a biological imperative in real life, but doubly relevant here given that women can't exactly pick up a firearm to defend themselves in this setting. With the ongoing sacking of towns and the prevalence of crime (which Volcens seems to turn a blind eye to), it's an understandable practical motivation as well.

Enough commentary from me on the story, let's get on to mission preparations.

As with the last mission, there are 7 deployment slots to work with, and Marcel is mandatory. He'll need a shield or two, so I'll head over to Savat's shop now:

Oh, hey there Teresa, what are you doing here?

Teresa: Mr. Savat asked me to fill in for Cecily while she's away. If you're in need of any shields, please don't hesitate to ask! ...Oh, where is Cecily? I'm afraid I don't really know. I hope she comes back soon. I'm worried about her...


This substitution doesn't have a gameplay effect like in chapter 5 with Lumiere, but it's a nice touch regardless. Speaking of Lumiere, time to go crafting. I already have the materials, and the commission fee won't change, so I may as well grab the repairstone.

The team will be slightly different: Marcel, Sylvis, Larentia, Ruby, Czene, Elbert and Enid. I buy a lady sword for Larentia; shortsword and leather shield for Marcel; and some vulneraries.

I also buy the materials required to craft Rossweisse:

After some inventory management, all are ready to depart.

Marcel's survival is imperative to the mission, so I've given him three swords to that end. Unfortunately he's significantly underleveled for the iron shield, but I'm willing to take the risk of it failing.

Larentia is an obvious choice here due to her ability to fly over all difficult terrain, and the lady sword will ensure she can reliably strike enemies.

Sylvis will have the honour of wielding Rossweisse for the first time. In her hands it packs a serious punch, and will be 100% accurate against most generic enemies here.

Ruby's carrying whatever spares I can throw at her, she just needs 1 more level and I'll likely bench her after that.

Czene is very close to promotion, and with the accuracy buff still in effect she should have no problem reaching it.

Likewise, Elbert is going to promote soon. His horse has seen better days though, so he'll be spending the bulk of the mission dismounted.

Enid will come along in case there are any nasty surprises, otherwise support with generic fire magic if necessary.

 

[baud]

They were on a road that'd take them north through the Pyrenees...

So the game is happening in Spain?

 

[Endemic]

So the game is happening in Spain?

There are lots of nods to real-life places and mythology\culture, but Lazberia isn't based on any particular country.

 

[Endemic]

Update 145: Chapter 8-2 - The Armoury Situation (part 1)

Spoiler

Lane: A new city, a new name, and a new life await you!

Cecily: Yes, Baron Lane!

A trio of men are spotted walking towards them, two of them snickering as they approach.

Gomez was on one of the wanted posters at the mercenary guild, so we know he's trouble.


Lane: This egg took much longer to crack than I'd expected. You can deduct those two days from the price, of course.

Cecily: Baron... Lane...?

Lane: Dear Cecily, these gentlemen will be escorting you to your new life. You'll be with them from now on.

Cecily: What...? But then... Did you... lie to me? Baron...?

Lane: Cecily, Cecily, Cecily... Let me give you a piece of wisdom: Money cannot buy love, but love can certainly earn you plenty of money. ...And my friends here are in the business of turning lovely ladies like you into money for me.

Cecily: You can't mean that... We were destined for each other...! I helped you... I even took the money from the store, just like you said to...

Lane: Yes, that was rather foolish of you, wasn't it? Really quite astonishing. Well, our time has run short. Farewell, my dear naive Cecily!

He leaves, and Gomez turns to Cecily.

Gomez: All right, come with us. You're already two days late, so we're on a tight schedule. Boys, let's get her dolled up and ready for auction before the day is out.

Brigand: Got it!

Luckily, it turns out we've managed to catch up to this gang. Except there's a couple of other problems, like Marcel rushing off ahead by himself:

Everyone else is in the southeast, next to a small village.

Gomez is a reasonably tough nut to crack.

Our second problem is that the heavy snow cuts movement in half:

This is rounded down, so Marcel's 3 becomes only 1 hex per turn. That's going to make more it difficult to keep him alive, given he is vastly outnumbered as well as being out of position.

I'll zoom this image a bit so the UI text is easier to read:

Pressing the triangle button on an empty hex brings up this display of terrain movement costs. Each unit's movement type is indicated in the info window beneath their primary stats. In this case, everyone except fliers will pay double the usual movement cost on this snowed-over road.

I'll use this opportunity to explain what typically falls into each class:

Cavalry: Most mounted units that have some kind of armour; eg knights, paladins etc.

Light Cav: Mounted units with poor armour; eg spear knights (Adel/Leon), enemy horse archers and mounted thieves, etc.

Flying: Wyverns and wyvern knights.

Knight: Dismounted knights/paladins, guardians, Daoud, enemy axe guards etc.

Armoured: Armour knights and Generals. These units cannot cross cliffs or shallows at all.

Infantry: Sherlock and Adel/Leon when dismounted, brigands, spearmen, axemen, foot archers etc.

Lt. Inf: Mages (except clerics\bishops), unarmoured infantry without shields such as mercenaries and swordfighters.

Thief: Any thief-type unit on foot, sometimes called pickpocket if enemy.

Cleric: Mages with access to healing magic, including Raze monks\priests\bishops.

Common: Civilians.

Special: Generally ballistae are the only units in this category. They take movement penalties on most terrain.

Let's check the forests along the road:

The penalties for cavalry and most other units have dramatically increased; they can only move 1 hex per turn in this terrain. However thieves on foot can still move 2 hexes per turn, and fliers are of course unaffected.

With all that said, I've now rearranged the people I can adjust the positions of, so let's begin.

An elderly man notices us and has a warning.

Serkis: ...You'll just fight back? Hey, it's your life, not mine... Still, if you do take it down, its scales would be really useful protection. There was a man who used to make 'em into shields in the olden days. I think the man's great-great-grandson or somethin' lives in the village west of here...

You can see why I brought Larentia and Enid along. One thing the objective screen doesn't tell you is that if you fail to intercept Gomez before he sells Cecily to a slave trader, he will flee; the objective then changes to just seize.

There is a cluster of buildings here which is the seize objective:

All of the generic enemies are adapted to the terrain here and don't take the same movement penalties we do. However, Gomez is being slowed down by Cecily (or something like that) and moves at 2 hexes per turn.

The slow advance begins, and Marcel immediately comes under attack. Some of these brigands are wielding axes with bonus magic damage.

Larentia spots a thief hiding in the trees by the road. Marcel manages to get the jump on someone:

Unfortunately that brigand had a vulnerary and uses it. The thief decides to attack Elbert, but does no meaningful damage.

Based on his current rate of progress, we have until turn 6 before Gomez escapes.

On turn 2, the ice wyrm makes its appearance.

As you'd expect, it's resistant to physical attacks but vulnerable to fire damage. However, it can also inflict sleep upon hit, which is very dangerous in our current situation.

Marcel is getting hammered from every direction, so he uses a vulnerary:

The wyrm is moving towards the central mountain, but hasn't attacked.

Sylvis demonstrates her pinpoint accuracy by cutting down this thief in one shot.

Gomez is now in Larentia's range, so she equips her lady sword and swoops in to attack.

On turn 3, Elbert is in position to provide support for Marcel. He dismounts and charges at the closest brigand.

As Marcel continues to hold his ground while outnumbered, the ice wyrm moves to the northeastern mountains.

Larentia hits Gomez again, but she's not doing enough damage to take him out in time. However, she does spot a thief hiding in some trees nearby:

Vantage once again works in Ruby's favour.

 

[Endemic]

Update 146: Chapter 8-2 - The Armoury Situation (part 2)

Spoiler

Another hit and Marcel's shield is gone.

I switch him over to the iron shield obtained last mission, and expend a vulnerary after a subsequent attack causes more damage.

Turn 4 now, and Larentia's going to need adept or a crit to kill Gomez in time:

The ice wyrm has moved off to a corner for now.

Meanwhile, Marcel's been racking up a lot of shield skill. Several more counterattacks later, his sword breaks.

Elbert uses provoke to give his comrade some breathing room.

Another brigand down.

However, one more arrives in the northwest on the following turn.

My first attempt at the mission got Elbert killed on this turn; turns out provoking the wyrm was a bad idea, since it put him to sleep, followed by a brigand attacking with a glacier axe (attacks always land against units that are asleep).

After reloading from the turn 5 save, the second try went a lot better; I opted to ignore the wyrm in the short term and concentrate on the brigands. However, said wyrm is a wildcard - if it attacks Marcel at an inopportune moment, you're in trouble. So you still need to be mindful of the turn order and who is low on health.

Adept allows Larentia to free Cecily from Gomez's clutches:

Pretty nice level-up too.

Fortunately we don't need to babysit Cecily.

The ice wyrm swoops in to attack. I'll need to get Enid in range soon.

Marcel's having to trade for additional vulneraries to survive. Such is the drawback of not having a cleric.

An enemy brigand does the same, as the rest of my team joins the fight.

With Elbert's help, Ruby notches up another kill:

Czene is struck, and lucky to avoid being crippled.

Sylvis takes care of the interloper.

On turn 6, another of Gomez's men arrives.

Czene retreats out of harm's way. The wyrm chooses to attack Sylvis, who takes less damage thanks to the +5 magic provided by Rossweisse.

As a precaution, Sylvis consumes a vulnerary. Larentia provides support to Marcel, with windsweep preventing any counterattacks.

Elbert saddles back up to spear charge Larentia's previous target, eliminating him:

Marcel continues to draw the bulk of enemy attacks, but holds his own.

Another turn, another reinforcement.

Enid now has focus chant available, so it's time to roast this beast with Pallas Leia.

Thanks to xp scaling, she gets enough experience for a full level.

She also obtains a scale from the ice wyrm, which will be needed for crafting the shield mentioned by the old man earlier.

Marcel kills one of his assailants:

Pretty decent level too.

After some more intense fighting, Ruby sweeps in on horseback to deal with the next brigand.

Elbert continues to bait enemies with provoke, but Marcel is still getting hit regularly.

He ends up taking a vulnerary from Elbert to survive this turn. However, the opposition is weakened by supporting fire from Sylvis and a lady sword crit courtesy of Larentia.

This helps Elbert gut another brigand:

Excellent, just one more sword skill point needed to promote.

Czene takes the opportunity to knife an injured enemy.

 

[Thorakitai]

I really love how the sidemissions aren't simply filler, they not only provide character development for certain characters minor to the main story, they also build up the world of Lazberia as a world ravaged by war and lawlessness.

 

[Endemic]

I really love how the side missions aren't simply filler, they not only provide character development for certain characters minor to the main story

Indeed, and there will be more to come next chapter as well. Slavery is legal in large parts of Lazberia, incidentally, including in the Raze Empire which is very stratified.

they also build up the world of Lazberia as a world ravaged by war and lawlessness.

The Berwick League can only suffer horrendous losses so long before manpower shortages start to rear their ugly head. That and Volcens is rather detached from the average person's troubles; he prefers keeping soldiers massed at strategically important points, like the forts at Myuhen and Remagen.

 

[Endemic]

Update 147: Chapter 8-2 - The Armoury Situation (part 3)

Spoiler

We've almost wiped out the opposition:

That's Ruby's promotion secured.

Elbert switches to a shortsword to avoid overkill on this thief.

Now he's got the stats for his promotion.

This archer loses his only weapon after breaking Ruby's shield.

Czene needs the xp, so I let her do the honours:

That's her ready for promotion too.

One more thing left to do. Enid gives the wyrm's scales to this blacksmith.

Mazela: I can hardly believe it... You want me to make a shield? Of course I'll do it! My family's technique has been passed down for generations, but I've never had the chance to put it to use... I'll pour my heart and soul into it! This shield is gonna be the best I've made in my whole life!

A while later...

Let's check out its stats:

Very nice. The only drawback, if you can call it that, is the 10% lower block rate than some other shields.

With that done, it's time to secure the objective. The Sinon Knights manage to track down and apprehend Lane:

Sinon Knight: Sir Marcel, after interrogating the bandits, we caught this man. He's a con man who's colluded with them in their slave trafficking.

Lane: Hah... Ha ha ha...

Marcel: What's so funny?

Lane: You really think I'm with them? I'm a victim here, too. They dragged me along and forced me to do their bidding.

Sinon Knight: Don't try and weasel your way out of this now, slaver scum!

Lane: Just look how fast she changed her tune going from you to me. Don't you think that's funny? What an idiot...

Marcel: ...I've got no right to speak on her behalf, but... I'd like to see what will happen if you say that line... once I drag you in front of her father to beg for mercy.

Lane falls silent, apparently cowed by the threat.

Marcel: A man like him will have many other crimes to be uncovered.

Sinon Knight: Yes, sir!


Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mql0aH4iBVY

Back in the city, Savat reunites with his daughter:

Cecily briefly looks around sheepishly.

Tianna: Cecily, don't you have anything to say to your father?

Cecily: I even stole money from the store...

Savat: All right, that's enough of that. I'm just glad you're home and safe.

Marcel turns to leave.

Savat: Oh, wait a moment, Sir Marcel! I can't let you go without rewarding you in some way. Take this sword. I'm just a simple shop clerk, but I can't tell you how grateful I am.

Marcel: It's a zweihander... but isn't this an incredibly valuable sword?

Savat: It's worth nothing to me compared to getting my daughter back safe and sound. But if that con man ever showed his face around here again, I'd stick that sword where the sun don't shine...

Marcel: Beg your pardon?

Savat: Nothing, forget it. Thanks for all of your--

Someone abruptly enters the store, cutting him off:

Peddler: Ha ha ha... Like father, like daughter! Guess eloping runs in the family, eh? Must have been twenty years ago now that you and your old lady... Wait, who are these people?

Everyone glares at him.

I guess this was the guy that tipped him off about where Lane went, heh.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fWrOHoQVVU

Later that evening, Marcel is practicing swordplay:

After a short while, Cecily steps forward and talks.

Cecily: ...Back then... ...Why... why did you come and rescue me?

Marcel: Is that why you've been watching me this whole time? To ask me that?

Cecily: Ah... I'm sorry... You're right, it was rude to ask... Sorry for being a bother... I'll go home now...

She turns around to leave, but Marcel quickly interrupts her.

Marcel: Cecily...

Cecily: Huh...? I-I mean, yes? What do you need?

Marcel puts his sword away and beckons her.

I think we can guess what this talk is going to be about.

Time to collect the bounty on Gomez:

To wrap up this update, I'll briefly discuss the zweihander.

It's classed as a blade, so Marcel is the only traditional knight that can use it. However, it's rank 20, meaning that other blade users (such as Sherpa) can equip it at level 20 - which is what I'll be doing. Unfortunately this weapon is too good to leave in the hands of a defensively oriented knight, and I don't plan on deploying Marcel after this anyway.

 

[baud]

I think we can guess what this talk is going to be about.

Cross-border trade through the Pyrénées and its consequences on the social-economic situation of the lower classes of society living in the area? Or the tactical implications of using two-handed greatswords against massed pike infantry?

 

[Endemic]

Heh. We will get to learn a lot more about some other characters soon, as the next few updates will be story-heavy.

 

[Endemic]

Quick bump to the next page...

 

[Endemic]

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[Endemic]

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[Endemic]

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[Endemic]

Update 148: A trio of promotions

Spoiler

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClLl1o8lmkY

Enoch catches up with Czene:

Czene: Hi, Enoch.

Enoch: Are you free right now? You are, aren't you?

Czene: Y-Yeah, I guess...

They arrive at the stables to find Czene's pet horse back to full health.

Czene: She's all healed...!

Enoch: Yep, she's all better now. Loves to run around like crazy, too.

Their conversation is briefly interrupted by a whinnying sound.

Czene: W-What? Why are you giving me that look?

Enoch: Well, don't you want to take her out for a ride?

Czene: Me?

Enoch: You're the only other person here, aren't you? Go ahead, give it a go.

Czene: But...

Enoch: ...Is it because of your code? The laws of your clan?

Czene is 15 when the story starts, if anyone wondered. Also, she shows a surprising amount of self-awareness here compared to her previous appearances.


Enoch: But since you left before you came of age, you don't have one... Do I have that right?

Czene: Y-Yes... But why do you know...?

Enoch takes something from Carmal and hands it to Czene.

Enoch: Czene, take this.

Czene: What?! But this is...!

Carmal: A hand-woven saddle of Tania... Proof that you're a woman now.

Czene: ...W-Why...?

Carmal: I thought you might be against it, but I took the liberty of going to Tania myself to say hello. I spoke to your father at great length about you.

Czene seems taken aback by this revelation.

Carmal: The way we both see it, you've grown into a wonderful and independent young woman. He asked me to give you this saddle as his blessing.

Czene: ...Father...

Enoch: Seems like that's cleared up. Now you're qualified, right?

Czene: ...Yeah.

Enoch: Czene, this horse deserves a name, wouldn't you say? Give her a good one!

Czene: ...Tico. Her name is Tico!

Carmal: Tico, eh? That's a good name!

Czene: Let's go, Tico!

Carmal: They're perfect for each other, don't you think?

Enoch: Yeah, they are...

Carmal: So, what are you and Czene going to do from now on?

Enoch: What do you mean? There's nothing left to do.

Carmal: ...All right, if you say so...

As the name suggests, Mug+ is an improved version of the mug skill:

As a nice bit of gameplay-story integration, Czene's bond with Tico results in some useful stat bonuses.

She now has the best mobility of any mounted unit in the party, and the extra speed gives her more opportunities to dodge and\or counterattack in combat. Tico has 80hp if I recall correctly, although specific weapons can still one-shot her, as with all horses (eg broadhead arrow, poleax).

The promotion scene for paladins has minor changes per character, so I'll only screenshot dialogue that is different.

Elbert steps forward to receive his honours.

Ward: Elbert! Raise your head and look upon your liege!

Elbert: Yes, sir!

Reese: You have shown great loyalty and courage, a testament to your worth as a Knight of Sinon! Therefore, I, Reese of Sinon, bestow upon you the title of Paladin!

The stat boosts are modest (+1 hp, defence and strength, +2 to speed). The real draw of Elbert's promotion is access to medium shields. However, he will need several missions' worth of practice to reliably block with them.

The third and final promotion of this update is Ruby's:

Ward: Ruby, raise your head and look upon your liege!

Ruby: Yes, sir!

Reese: You have shown great loyalty and courage, a testament to your worth as a Knight of Sinon! Therefore, I, Reese of Sinon, bestow upon you the title of Paladin!

Tianna: The Goddess's blessings be upon this reborn child of Veria!

Ward: May you be a guardian to the people of this nation, and a light to drive back the darkness!

Stat changes are +4 hp, +2 strength, +2 defence and +1 speed.

I'll round off this update with a quick teaser for next time: