![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xyzzysqrlWhen we last left Xenosa, in a canonical sense instead of that video I posted, she was getting prepped to make the next step of her ambassadorial journey out to San d'Oria, land of the elfy elves who elf a lot.
They're also really really into bagpipes. Let's try not to hold that against them.
In any event, that's where she is now, about to engage with elf royalty to find out what her assignment here is. Hopefully it won't involve violating international trade regulations again. There's only so many times one can do that and have it still remain an amusing novelty.
)
Here in San d'Oria, the major problem is Orcs. Intelligent, tool-using orcs. Orcs with machines of war. Because elves are racist as balls, the first thing my contact does is inform me that they're just like Quadav (giant turtle people, giant orc people, same thing) and that they're too dumb to be doing this on their own. Someone must be supplying them with, uh, supplies.
That would at least line up with what we learned in Windurst about the Yagudo. Anyway, our job is to head out somewhere called Yughott Grotto and investigate for signs of sponsorship among the orcs.
So it's off through the Ronfaure region... okay this is legit one of my favorite bits of music in the game so far, have a listen please... to the stronghold of the orcs, which is like inside ten minutes walk to the town gates. Uh. They got some problems in San d'Oria, I tell you. Anyway, we charge in there -- and then charge right back out, back to town, to buy a MAP of the damn place because I am not getting lost for another two hours like I did in Yagudo Land.
At least I have a Warp Ring now.
So then it's into the orc stronghold, down into their private tunnels... and I have to ask, for the first time, how would you DO THIS? Back when the game release, how would you even get through the foot-thick carpet of orcs? I mean, yes, six people in a party, but really? At the intended level? And then there's mining points down here! How would you do that? Cast 'Invisible' on yourself and hope?
On one hand I wish I'd had five friends and unlimited time so I could have experienced this 'properly', on the other hand I really don't. Give me the wimpy version.
Still, this is part of why I'm so interested in the game. The world is vast and full of secrets, and it's all highly impersonal. It's not a world that cares about you as a player, because you are not important to the world. I described it years ago as having a very GLaDOS-like passive-aggression, and while I still feel that's true... it's mellowed down to a Portal 2-era GLaDOS.
Anyway, eventually I find my way to my first Burning Circle.
These things mean Big Fights with Hard Monsters. You can use them to spawn all kinds of things in special instanced battlefields. In my case, checking it out leads to a cutscene with two elves stumbling upon a dark ritual. A dragon is summoned by a one-eyed beast called a Spotter. The elves freak a bit, then notice Xenosa walk in and decide to let her handle it, so they teleport out. THANKS GUYS. FUCKIN' HELPFUL.
I was under the impression this fight would hurt a lot more than it did. Trust-form Naji got in front and tanked while I sneak-attacked the dragon in his big bony ass and my other trusts dropped healing and buffs. It's a quick clear, and I feel good about that.
After the fight, Lion promptly shows up to frown at the dragon's corpse. That's a nether dragon from the Northlands! The last person to command those was the Shadow Lord! Which the cackling Spotter (in full Evil Sidekick Mode) confirms: The Shadow Lord is returning and none can stop him! Mwahahaha! Then he dies.
Lion predicts that if this happens, if the Shadow Lord returns to unite the beast tribes, our days will be "filled with hatred and sorrow". Lion is clearly one of nature's optimists. Then she sprints off, leaving Xenosa alone with a pair of monster corpses. Oh well. We report in to the Consulate, and they give me a letter to take back to Bastok. Warp Ring, away~~!
Back at Bastok, Naji is jealous of me. He's never been to San d'Oria or Windurst. He's never been anywhere. He guards a DOOR. Volker, Iron Eater, and Ayame are the other Mythril Musketeers, and they get all the good missions while he plays doorstop. It's just not fair!
I feel kinda guilty. Sorry, Naji. Your doppleganger is getting more play than you are. To make things worse for him, the President catches him whining and suggests that maybe he should rout the Quadav out of the mines single-handedly. After a burn like that, Naji's all too quick to get back to his doorstopping.
Then it's time to report to President Karst. He sneers at San d'Orian tradition and stuffiness, and grumps at Windurstian pacifism. They'll be no use against the beastmen! Only Bastok is prepared to fight! ... y'know, President Karst is kind of a dickass.
I'm just saying.
Once things get around to the dragon and whatnot, Karst... loses interest. He foists Xenosa off on Lucius and Volker and tells them to come back when they have some kind of plan to deal with all this crap. Lucius agrees that it sounds like someone's in charge of the monsters, but doesn't have much else to say.
And then Xenosa was Rank 3, and a real certified adventurer. With a real certificate and everything. (If I recall correctly, you actually got one of these in one of the collector's editions. I'm jealous of people who still have theirs.)
Now that I'm Rank 3, I can form a trust bond with Ayame --
-- who has actually heard of Xenosa and is enthused about the chance to send her alter ego to be part of her adventures. Xenosa's really starting to build up a name for herself and that's AWESOME. (I also pick up some trustees from the other nations. I've been building up a small army, kinda. But Ayame's an NPC I've actually heard of, so this is cooler to me.)
Let's keep fighting and winning! There'll be another mission in a little while.
They're also really really into bagpipes. Let's try not to hold that against them.
In any event, that's where she is now, about to engage with elf royalty to find out what her assignment here is. Hopefully it won't involve violating international trade regulations again. There's only so many times one can do that and have it still remain an amusing novelty.
)Here in San d'Oria, the major problem is Orcs. Intelligent, tool-using orcs. Orcs with machines of war. Because elves are racist as balls, the first thing my contact does is inform me that they're just like Quadav (giant turtle people, giant orc people, same thing) and that they're too dumb to be doing this on their own. Someone must be supplying them with, uh, supplies.
That would at least line up with what we learned in Windurst about the Yagudo. Anyway, our job is to head out somewhere called Yughott Grotto and investigate for signs of sponsorship among the orcs.
So it's off through the Ronfaure region... okay this is legit one of my favorite bits of music in the game so far, have a listen please... to the stronghold of the orcs, which is like inside ten minutes walk to the town gates. Uh. They got some problems in San d'Oria, I tell you. Anyway, we charge in there -- and then charge right back out, back to town, to buy a MAP of the damn place because I am not getting lost for another two hours like I did in Yagudo Land.
At least I have a Warp Ring now.
So then it's into the orc stronghold, down into their private tunnels... and I have to ask, for the first time, how would you DO THIS? Back when the game release, how would you even get through the foot-thick carpet of orcs? I mean, yes, six people in a party, but really? At the intended level? And then there's mining points down here! How would you do that? Cast 'Invisible' on yourself and hope?
On one hand I wish I'd had five friends and unlimited time so I could have experienced this 'properly', on the other hand I really don't. Give me the wimpy version.
Still, this is part of why I'm so interested in the game. The world is vast and full of secrets, and it's all highly impersonal. It's not a world that cares about you as a player, because you are not important to the world. I described it years ago as having a very GLaDOS-like passive-aggression, and while I still feel that's true... it's mellowed down to a Portal 2-era GLaDOS.
Anyway, eventually I find my way to my first Burning Circle.
These things mean Big Fights with Hard Monsters. You can use them to spawn all kinds of things in special instanced battlefields. In my case, checking it out leads to a cutscene with two elves stumbling upon a dark ritual. A dragon is summoned by a one-eyed beast called a Spotter. The elves freak a bit, then notice Xenosa walk in and decide to let her handle it, so they teleport out. THANKS GUYS. FUCKIN' HELPFUL.
I was under the impression this fight would hurt a lot more than it did. Trust-form Naji got in front and tanked while I sneak-attacked the dragon in his big bony ass and my other trusts dropped healing and buffs. It's a quick clear, and I feel good about that.
After the fight, Lion promptly shows up to frown at the dragon's corpse. That's a nether dragon from the Northlands! The last person to command those was the Shadow Lord! Which the cackling Spotter (in full Evil Sidekick Mode) confirms: The Shadow Lord is returning and none can stop him! Mwahahaha! Then he dies.
Lion predicts that if this happens, if the Shadow Lord returns to unite the beast tribes, our days will be "filled with hatred and sorrow". Lion is clearly one of nature's optimists. Then she sprints off, leaving Xenosa alone with a pair of monster corpses. Oh well. We report in to the Consulate, and they give me a letter to take back to Bastok. Warp Ring, away~~!
Back at Bastok, Naji is jealous of me. He's never been to San d'Oria or Windurst. He's never been anywhere. He guards a DOOR. Volker, Iron Eater, and Ayame are the other Mythril Musketeers, and they get all the good missions while he plays doorstop. It's just not fair!
I feel kinda guilty. Sorry, Naji. Your doppleganger is getting more play than you are. To make things worse for him, the President catches him whining and suggests that maybe he should rout the Quadav out of the mines single-handedly. After a burn like that, Naji's all too quick to get back to his doorstopping.
Then it's time to report to President Karst. He sneers at San d'Orian tradition and stuffiness, and grumps at Windurstian pacifism. They'll be no use against the beastmen! Only Bastok is prepared to fight! ... y'know, President Karst is kind of a dickass.
I'm just saying.
Once things get around to the dragon and whatnot, Karst... loses interest. He foists Xenosa off on Lucius and Volker and tells them to come back when they have some kind of plan to deal with all this crap. Lucius agrees that it sounds like someone's in charge of the monsters, but doesn't have much else to say.
And then Xenosa was Rank 3, and a real certified adventurer. With a real certificate and everything. (If I recall correctly, you actually got one of these in one of the collector's editions. I'm jealous of people who still have theirs.)
Now that I'm Rank 3, I can form a trust bond with Ayame --
-- who has actually heard of Xenosa and is enthused about the chance to send her alter ego to be part of her adventures. Xenosa's really starting to build up a name for herself and that's AWESOME. (I also pick up some trustees from the other nations. I've been building up a small army, kinda. But Ayame's an NPC I've actually heard of, so this is cooler to me.)
Let's keep fighting and winning! There'll be another mission in a little while.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2014-11-08 04:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-11-08 05:53 pm (UTC)Anyhow, it is very lovely music and congratulations! Have fun with Ayame. I don't suppose AI-controlled ninjas can tank in this version of the game like their player-driven counterparts can?
no subject
Date: 2014-11-08 06:01 pm (UTC)Because what if I can't? DIAS.
Ayame's actually classed as a Samurai, it seems. She's actually one of the more helpful characters because she seems willing to bend over backward to skillchain, as opposed to some of the others who just go "GOT A BAR, BLOWING WEAPONSKILL READY OR NOT!"