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xyzzysqrlAh, back from a break. I needed a quick sanity rest, and also some things happened and plans fell through and ... Well, it was awkward. Still working on stuff. Bear with me.
Last time on Tales of Vesperia, I told all y'all what happened in ALL the last times on Tales of Vesperia. Vesperiaception, I guess. Am I using that joke right? I have never seen Inception. Y'know what, let's actually just pretend that joke never happened. Let's pretend none of this ever happened.
HI I'M A SQRL AND THIS IS A VIDEO GAME.
Better.
Last time on Tales of Vesperia, Cumore died in quicksand and nobody was sad. Yuri and company ran a blockade to get back to Nordopolica after pissing off Flynn, and Raven demonstrated that he can make Imperial soliders salute on-demand. Also, Karol came up with a really goofy motto for Brave Vesperia, which I'm sure we'll hear about fifty thousand times over the course of this game. Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality! Goodness and love will always win! And on like that.
Let's just get back to Nordopolica. The group carefully case the place, then decide that security isn't really beefed up enough to keep them from strolling in. Yuri worries that it's a little... TOO quiet. Still, it's the eve of the new moon. They can meet with Belius, Raven can give over that letter... the group hits the local Inn to lay low and freshen up. In the night they slip out. Karol's kinda terrified of meeting this mysterious guild head... So's Estelle, but she wants to be strong. We pause and stock up at the local shop, then head up to Belius's chambers.
Raven is allowed in, as an official ambassador of Don Whitehorse. The guard starts to tell the rest of the party they can't come in, but is overruled by a voice from inside the chambers. We're allowed in on the condition that we never speak of anything we see inside. It's guild law.
Belius's chambers are pitch-black inside, disorienting the party. As the lights slowly come up, we finally see Belius, who looks... ...Kind of like what would happen if Renamon, a centaur, and Falcor the Luck Dragon all had a kid together. I am not joking. Karol is kinda freaked out, but this is really Belius. Estelle is surprised to hear Belius speaking their language, but hey -- Phaeroh did the same thing, right? She's an Entelexeia.
Well, enough banter. Raven presents that letter from the Don with a shrug. Nothing surprises HIM anymore. Don Whitehorse wants her assistance in defending the city from Phaeroh, which she's glad to give. The Don is an old friend from the Great War, and she's pleased at the thought of helping him again.
With official business taken care of, she turns her attention to Estelle. Ah, the Child of the Full Moon. Estelle begs to know WHY Phaeroh called her a poison, and just what this "Child of the Full Moon" business is all about anyway? Belius starts to explain, but Judith steps forward to cut her off quickly. Belius seems to put a LOT of weight on what Judith has to say. But just as Judith is starting to explain, someone kicks down the door. It's the Hunting Blades, and they proclaim they're here to fight the monsterous Entelexeia, THE ORIGIN OF ALL EVIL!
Goddamn it, you guys suck. We were about to resolve some plot points here. I'mna kick the Hunting Blades in their collective genitals, I tell you what.
Anyway, they yell at her about being an enemy of humanity, and Karol yells back about how that's not the case, and they yell that they're killing all the monsters in the coliseum including this one, and then Yuri smacks one in the face and knocks him on his ass. Unfortunately the others plow through to get their swords up against Belius. Belius shrugs it off and calls to the group to go help out downstairs while she deals with THESE intruders. Sigh. So we go running off to defend the place.
All Karol can think about as we plow through various members of the Blades is whether Nan could've caused the carnage around us. Belius's guards are getting -screwed-. One of them, just before dying, gasps out that someone named "Natz" is trying to defend the coliseum. We run off to help him, as Estelle laments that all around her people are dying. If only she'd been faster... It's not time for regret, though.
As it turns out, Nan is the one in the coliseum, freeing and slaying the monsters. She's baffled to see Karol, and more baffled when he suggests they'll be in trouble with the union for doing this. The job was a commission FROM the union! The Don's grandson, Harry Whitehorse, is right here helping out! Harry's surprised Raven isn't doing the same thing. After all, they're both trying to collect apatheia, right? And that's...
Judith suddenly sprints off to help Natz, who's surrounded by enemies. The rest of the group follows. GODDAMN IT SOMEONE GIVE ME A STRAIGHT PLOT POINT.
The guys surrounding Natz leap into battle with a cry of "Death to those who side with monsters!" ... So we beat them senseless and Estelle heals Natz up. Woo. A few moments later, Belius flops in and rolls around a while before getting up again. She's glad to see Natz is unhurt. Unfortunately "Clint" of the Hunting Blades is still up and swinging. Declaring her the "Root of All Evil" he prepares to strike again, even as Yuri tries to talk him out of it. Estelle runs to Belius's side to start dropping heals on her.
This proves to be an enormous mistake. Belius starts glowing wildly and screaming as Estelle's magic hits her, and then goes absolutely psycho. The group goes from trying to calm her down to ... quite reluctantly, trying to shut her down with brute force. She's not holding back even a little. Estelle is in shock for a few moments, then shakes out of it as Rita prods her one.
Yuri: "I can't believe we gotta do this..."
Belius: "KILL ME."
Raven: "There's got to be some other w-"
Belius: "I'M -SORRY-. KILL. ME."
It goes on like that for a while. Belius is very apologetic and very fearsome, but the group prevails almost in spite of themselves. Judith never thought it would have to come to this (seriously, -what does she know-) but Belius glows wildly before starting to fade away. Estelle is, of course, relentlessly apologetic. Belius forgives her, though. Power may corrupt, but Estelle used hers selflessly. Even if the results were... not what she expected. She also tells them to go find Phaeroh. (I have tried!)
Then she glows harder, and condenses her body until it forms into a lump of familiar-looking crystal. So that's how you make apatheia. Belius begs Estelle to take her soul (the cyano ciel) to Don Whitehorse. Client instantly insists that he'll be taking that, but Yuri snubs him. Just then, Sodia of the Imperial Knights bursts in and starts arresting everyone in sight!
Raven: "We're gonna end up in chains if we don't blow this scene."
Rita: "We haven't DONE anything that's worth arresting us?"
Karol: "I don't think they'd have trouble cooking up a reason to put us behind bars."
Estelle, however, is having a deep trauma moment and refuses to move. Her power really IS a deadly poison. It's for killing people... Yuri whips out his sword and slices deep into his arm right in front of her face, and she freaks out and heals-- Oh. Very clever, Yuri.
Yuri: "You saved me, didn't you?"
Estelle: "What? I..."
Yuri: "Let's move."
Estelle: "... Okay!"
In the escape, Raven slips out of the party. Huh.
As we're in the process of GTFO-ing, Sodia and Witcher of the Flynn Brigade are right on our heels. As they DEMAND that Estelle return with them, Rita hucks a fireball in their path to let them know that she feels otherwise. Where those two go, however... Flynn is sure to follow. Or in this case, he's waiting for the party on the bridge out of town. He makes a simple demand: Lady Estellise and the stone. As the party starts to joke around in relief, he puts his hand on his sword. He's -serious- this time.
Yuri starts a lecture on how Flynn can't just do things by force, how he can't just order knights into a peaceful city. Is he following Ragou and Cumore's examples? What's WRONG with him?
Flynn: "If I -were- to follow their example, would you kill ME as well? Like you did Ragou and Cumore?"
Yuri: "If you become a villain, you won't give me any choice."
...well. Finally the secret is out to the entire party. As Flynn stands there stone-faced, Yuri and company cut around him and escape. The group escape to their boat, where Karol is... still trying to figure out what Flynn -meant- about that thing with Yuri and Ragou, because it couldn't be what it sounded like. Oh, Karol is SPLASHING in denial.
Raven shows up again to present Harry Whitehorse. Could they fit him on the boat, maybe, while they crash through the Imperial Blockade around Nordopolica? Sure thing!
As the group tries to escape on their ship, the ship's blastia starts glowing red and vibrating strangely. Rita kneels to check it out, tinkering with the formula and trying to figure out what's gone wrong with it. Meanwhile, on the other end of the ship, Estelle tries to figure out why the cyano ciel crystal is glowing bright red and vibrating. Uhm. Guys? Combine information for... no?
It becomes a useless question moments later, anyway, as Judith climbs up on top of the engine and slams her spear through the blastia, destroying it inches from Rita's face. She, naturally, freaks the fuck out. Judith says her goodbyes, leaps off the side of the ship onto her dragon, and departs.
Below decks, the mood is glum. Rita can cobble together a replacement blastia but it'll take time. Yuri has no idea what to think about anything anymore. Yuri just knows that he has to face the choices he's made, even if means the end of the guild.
Raven and Harry Whitehorse are hanging out -- apparently Harry got fed false info by Leviathan's Claw and led the charge without thinking it through. He thought Belius had been kidnapped by a monster and held ransom for apatheia, and when he saw one... He killed the ally he was meant to protect.
Rita is frustrated as hell over Judith suddenly turning out to be "That dragon freak", and even more pissed when she hears Yuri knew the whole time. How much of what she said while Estelle was around can be trusted? Was she hunting Estelle all this time? ... Rita's reply to Yuri's confession of murder, however, is an offhand "I don't care much about what happened to those two." Girl with priorities, Rita.
Karol is downright morose. It's not that he's lost faith in the guild, or even his ability to lead the guild. It's just... Yuri, killing Ragou and Cumore? And not telling the rest of them? It's not even that he commited murder, just that he kept it a secret. Mind you, the MURDER part is pretty bad too.
Karol: "...did you really have to kill them? Flynn and Estelle wanted to bring them to justice. Was there nothing else you could...?"
Yuri: "I think there are some things you have to do even if they are a crime. I take responsiblity for my actions. You don't have to accept what I did."
This doesn't seem to cheer Karol up at all. And then there's Estelle. She's not sure who to trust or what's going on anymore. She can't ignore someone hurting in front of her, but she doesn't want to cause greater pain by acting.
Estelle: "Even if I never use my power on the Entelexeia again, to them... I'll still be evil."
In the end, though, she resolves that SHE'S going to be the one who decides her destiny. Yuri approves.
After working overnight, Rita has the blastia fixed up. It's time to head back to Dahngrest... to deliver Harry, to deliver this crystal ... and to face the music about what the party's done.
More on that next time.
Last time on Tales of Vesperia, I told all y'all what happened in ALL the last times on Tales of Vesperia. Vesperiaception, I guess. Am I using that joke right? I have never seen Inception. Y'know what, let's actually just pretend that joke never happened. Let's pretend none of this ever happened.
HI I'M A SQRL AND THIS IS A VIDEO GAME.
Better.
Last time on Tales of Vesperia, Cumore died in quicksand and nobody was sad. Yuri and company ran a blockade to get back to Nordopolica after pissing off Flynn, and Raven demonstrated that he can make Imperial soliders salute on-demand. Also, Karol came up with a really goofy motto for Brave Vesperia, which I'm sure we'll hear about fifty thousand times over the course of this game. Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality! Goodness and love will always win! And on like that.
Let's just get back to Nordopolica. The group carefully case the place, then decide that security isn't really beefed up enough to keep them from strolling in. Yuri worries that it's a little... TOO quiet. Still, it's the eve of the new moon. They can meet with Belius, Raven can give over that letter... the group hits the local Inn to lay low and freshen up. In the night they slip out. Karol's kinda terrified of meeting this mysterious guild head... So's Estelle, but she wants to be strong. We pause and stock up at the local shop, then head up to Belius's chambers.
Raven is allowed in, as an official ambassador of Don Whitehorse. The guard starts to tell the rest of the party they can't come in, but is overruled by a voice from inside the chambers. We're allowed in on the condition that we never speak of anything we see inside. It's guild law.
Belius's chambers are pitch-black inside, disorienting the party. As the lights slowly come up, we finally see Belius, who looks... ...Kind of like what would happen if Renamon, a centaur, and Falcor the Luck Dragon all had a kid together. I am not joking. Karol is kinda freaked out, but this is really Belius. Estelle is surprised to hear Belius speaking their language, but hey -- Phaeroh did the same thing, right? She's an Entelexeia.
Well, enough banter. Raven presents that letter from the Don with a shrug. Nothing surprises HIM anymore. Don Whitehorse wants her assistance in defending the city from Phaeroh, which she's glad to give. The Don is an old friend from the Great War, and she's pleased at the thought of helping him again.
With official business taken care of, she turns her attention to Estelle. Ah, the Child of the Full Moon. Estelle begs to know WHY Phaeroh called her a poison, and just what this "Child of the Full Moon" business is all about anyway? Belius starts to explain, but Judith steps forward to cut her off quickly. Belius seems to put a LOT of weight on what Judith has to say. But just as Judith is starting to explain, someone kicks down the door. It's the Hunting Blades, and they proclaim they're here to fight the monsterous Entelexeia, THE ORIGIN OF ALL EVIL!
Goddamn it, you guys suck. We were about to resolve some plot points here. I'mna kick the Hunting Blades in their collective genitals, I tell you what.
Anyway, they yell at her about being an enemy of humanity, and Karol yells back about how that's not the case, and they yell that they're killing all the monsters in the coliseum including this one, and then Yuri smacks one in the face and knocks him on his ass. Unfortunately the others plow through to get their swords up against Belius. Belius shrugs it off and calls to the group to go help out downstairs while she deals with THESE intruders. Sigh. So we go running off to defend the place.
All Karol can think about as we plow through various members of the Blades is whether Nan could've caused the carnage around us. Belius's guards are getting -screwed-. One of them, just before dying, gasps out that someone named "Natz" is trying to defend the coliseum. We run off to help him, as Estelle laments that all around her people are dying. If only she'd been faster... It's not time for regret, though.
As it turns out, Nan is the one in the coliseum, freeing and slaying the monsters. She's baffled to see Karol, and more baffled when he suggests they'll be in trouble with the union for doing this. The job was a commission FROM the union! The Don's grandson, Harry Whitehorse, is right here helping out! Harry's surprised Raven isn't doing the same thing. After all, they're both trying to collect apatheia, right? And that's...
Judith suddenly sprints off to help Natz, who's surrounded by enemies. The rest of the group follows. GODDAMN IT SOMEONE GIVE ME A STRAIGHT PLOT POINT.
The guys surrounding Natz leap into battle with a cry of "Death to those who side with monsters!" ... So we beat them senseless and Estelle heals Natz up. Woo. A few moments later, Belius flops in and rolls around a while before getting up again. She's glad to see Natz is unhurt. Unfortunately "Clint" of the Hunting Blades is still up and swinging. Declaring her the "Root of All Evil" he prepares to strike again, even as Yuri tries to talk him out of it. Estelle runs to Belius's side to start dropping heals on her.
This proves to be an enormous mistake. Belius starts glowing wildly and screaming as Estelle's magic hits her, and then goes absolutely psycho. The group goes from trying to calm her down to ... quite reluctantly, trying to shut her down with brute force. She's not holding back even a little. Estelle is in shock for a few moments, then shakes out of it as Rita prods her one.
Yuri: "I can't believe we gotta do this..."
Belius: "KILL ME."
Raven: "There's got to be some other w-"
Belius: "I'M -SORRY-. KILL. ME."
It goes on like that for a while. Belius is very apologetic and very fearsome, but the group prevails almost in spite of themselves. Judith never thought it would have to come to this (seriously, -what does she know-) but Belius glows wildly before starting to fade away. Estelle is, of course, relentlessly apologetic. Belius forgives her, though. Power may corrupt, but Estelle used hers selflessly. Even if the results were... not what she expected. She also tells them to go find Phaeroh. (I have tried!)
Then she glows harder, and condenses her body until it forms into a lump of familiar-looking crystal. So that's how you make apatheia. Belius begs Estelle to take her soul (the cyano ciel) to Don Whitehorse. Client instantly insists that he'll be taking that, but Yuri snubs him. Just then, Sodia of the Imperial Knights bursts in and starts arresting everyone in sight!
Raven: "We're gonna end up in chains if we don't blow this scene."
Rita: "We haven't DONE anything that's worth arresting us?"
Karol: "I don't think they'd have trouble cooking up a reason to put us behind bars."
Estelle, however, is having a deep trauma moment and refuses to move. Her power really IS a deadly poison. It's for killing people... Yuri whips out his sword and slices deep into his arm right in front of her face, and she freaks out and heals-- Oh. Very clever, Yuri.
Yuri: "You saved me, didn't you?"
Estelle: "What? I..."
Yuri: "Let's move."
Estelle: "... Okay!"
In the escape, Raven slips out of the party. Huh.
As we're in the process of GTFO-ing, Sodia and Witcher of the Flynn Brigade are right on our heels. As they DEMAND that Estelle return with them, Rita hucks a fireball in their path to let them know that she feels otherwise. Where those two go, however... Flynn is sure to follow. Or in this case, he's waiting for the party on the bridge out of town. He makes a simple demand: Lady Estellise and the stone. As the party starts to joke around in relief, he puts his hand on his sword. He's -serious- this time.
Yuri starts a lecture on how Flynn can't just do things by force, how he can't just order knights into a peaceful city. Is he following Ragou and Cumore's examples? What's WRONG with him?
Flynn: "If I -were- to follow their example, would you kill ME as well? Like you did Ragou and Cumore?"
Yuri: "If you become a villain, you won't give me any choice."
...well. Finally the secret is out to the entire party. As Flynn stands there stone-faced, Yuri and company cut around him and escape. The group escape to their boat, where Karol is... still trying to figure out what Flynn -meant- about that thing with Yuri and Ragou, because it couldn't be what it sounded like. Oh, Karol is SPLASHING in denial.
Raven shows up again to present Harry Whitehorse. Could they fit him on the boat, maybe, while they crash through the Imperial Blockade around Nordopolica? Sure thing!
As the group tries to escape on their ship, the ship's blastia starts glowing red and vibrating strangely. Rita kneels to check it out, tinkering with the formula and trying to figure out what's gone wrong with it. Meanwhile, on the other end of the ship, Estelle tries to figure out why the cyano ciel crystal is glowing bright red and vibrating. Uhm. Guys? Combine information for... no?
It becomes a useless question moments later, anyway, as Judith climbs up on top of the engine and slams her spear through the blastia, destroying it inches from Rita's face. She, naturally, freaks the fuck out. Judith says her goodbyes, leaps off the side of the ship onto her dragon, and departs.
Below decks, the mood is glum. Rita can cobble together a replacement blastia but it'll take time. Yuri has no idea what to think about anything anymore. Yuri just knows that he has to face the choices he's made, even if means the end of the guild.
Raven and Harry Whitehorse are hanging out -- apparently Harry got fed false info by Leviathan's Claw and led the charge without thinking it through. He thought Belius had been kidnapped by a monster and held ransom for apatheia, and when he saw one... He killed the ally he was meant to protect.
Rita is frustrated as hell over Judith suddenly turning out to be "That dragon freak", and even more pissed when she hears Yuri knew the whole time. How much of what she said while Estelle was around can be trusted? Was she hunting Estelle all this time? ... Rita's reply to Yuri's confession of murder, however, is an offhand "I don't care much about what happened to those two." Girl with priorities, Rita.
Karol is downright morose. It's not that he's lost faith in the guild, or even his ability to lead the guild. It's just... Yuri, killing Ragou and Cumore? And not telling the rest of them? It's not even that he commited murder, just that he kept it a secret. Mind you, the MURDER part is pretty bad too.
Karol: "...did you really have to kill them? Flynn and Estelle wanted to bring them to justice. Was there nothing else you could...?"
Yuri: "I think there are some things you have to do even if they are a crime. I take responsiblity for my actions. You don't have to accept what I did."
This doesn't seem to cheer Karol up at all. And then there's Estelle. She's not sure who to trust or what's going on anymore. She can't ignore someone hurting in front of her, but she doesn't want to cause greater pain by acting.
Estelle: "Even if I never use my power on the Entelexeia again, to them... I'll still be evil."
In the end, though, she resolves that SHE'S going to be the one who decides her destiny. Yuri approves.
After working overnight, Rita has the blastia fixed up. It's time to head back to Dahngrest... to deliver Harry, to deliver this crystal ... and to face the music about what the party's done.
More on that next time.
