History VideoGame / OracleOfTao

* FairyTales: Each library has a few. These are typically not known tales, but rather [[FracturedFairyTale in-universe fantasy stories]]. For instance, one of the better stories is "''The Bloody Pet Shovel''" [[Awesome/OracleOfTao (in its entirety)]].

* AmbitionIsEvil: Neither Ambrosia, nor [[spoiler: the crown prince]] Nevras, nor [[spoiler: Tamashii, their daughter]] want the kingdom promised them. Instead, they want freedom and a [[{{Suburbia}} house in the fantasy suburbs]].

* TheAntiGod: The Ancient One, a hooded ghoul who rules the void. God isn't really good or evil, but rather has BlueAndOrangeMorality of some sort. The Ancient One, on the other hand seems to be merely territorial, destroying whatever is nearby. God is ruler of all existence, the Ancient One is ruler of nonexistence. Supposedly the two are equally powerful, but this may be an InformedAttribute, because God's power is never tested in battle, and there are stronger enemies out there.

* BattleThemeMusic: Situational. Each battle has either a regional battle theme, a theme appropriate to the tone of the enemies (such as [[Music/KilroyWasHere DomoArigatoMrRoboto]] for machine enemies), or in some cases a random song that may not even be suited for battles (such as romance songs of the 1980s).

--> ''Once, when humanity was still young, a man wished he could watch humanity forever. As I giant disembodied head. However, years of viewing violence, betrayal, and cruelty made his head explode. But because he wished to view forever, his head reformed. However, every so often it explodes again. Be careful what you wish for.''

* StandardStatusEffects: Everything including from Poison, Silence, Sleep, and Death, to less common ones like Berserk, Confuse, Petrify, and Curse, to rare effects like Burn, Frozen, and X-Zone (can retrieve by changing party). There's even two extra effects: Seal, which is a curse type effect and heals fully after each turn, but otherwise like petrify, to Soulless which is a DeaderThanDead status.

* FreewareGames: Duh, the game itself.

* TheAntiGod: The Ancient One, a hooded ghoul who rules the void. God isn't really good or evil, but rather has BlueAndOrangeMorality of some sort. The Ancient One, on the other hand seems to be merely territorial, destroying whatever is nearby. God is ruler of all existence, the Ancient One is ruler of nonexistence. Supposedly the two are equally powerful, but this may be an InformedAttribute, because God's power is never tested in battle, and there are stronger enemies out there.
* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: An attack called Attack Player targets the screen. Considering this is a sidescroll RPG, rather than vertical format (as is true of UsefulNotes/RPGMaker XP), this is pretty interesting. If the player dies, the game is over.
* TheHeroDies: Although, less a sudden death or murder, and more of simple old age. [[spoiler: It's actually a good ending.]]
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Given to Estheriel, telling him that he was defeated by ThePowerOfLove. It's actually a subversion, because it's completely off-base accusation. Estheriel, because he was tired of seeing other people get killed over meaningless squabbles, tried to remake the world to a more decent one.
-->''Ambrosia: ...if you can't treat those around you with love and decency, soon or later you'll fall to it.''
-->''Estheriel: [[LampshadeHanging But wait, that doesn't make any sense,]] [[BrokenAesop did not I use this plan to try to make a world without pain?]] How then is it that I could be defeated by ThePowerOfLove?''
-->''Ambrosia: [[BellisariosMaxim It's best not to think of such things]]... ({{Beat}}) Remember, it was ThePowerOfLove that undid you!''
* TheSacredDarkness: The Earth is made of two halves, the New Earth (which is completely different from Earth in its history), and the Void (which is made of some kind of all-consuming darkness with NoOntologicalInertia). This Void is sort of the inverse of the stable energy of Light, but not associated with normal darkness or dark energy.
* TheTreacheryOfImages: Used to great effect later in the game.

* AGlitchInTheMatrix: Before the Game Plus, the Earth [[spoiler:isn't real]]. One of the first signs of this is that time isn't normal. First, is the InUniverseGameClock, which is typical of games like Pokemon, but expanded to also include seasons. Only... when the end of a year comes, the year cycles.
--> '''Ambrosia:''' The new year is 4095 A.D. Last year was also 4095 A.D. and the year before. \\
'''Elias:''' Something strange is...\\
'''God:''' Not it's not.\\
'''Ambrosia:''' It's been the same date for a few years. I don't see the problem.

* AnInteriorDesignerIsYou: Sort of. [[spoiler:The party can add a bed, banker, and other features to your tent. Later morphs the tent into a house, mansion, and a portable town, if they get obscene amounts of money.]]

** TheLancer: [[OurElvesAreBetter Aster]] [[spoiler: (gets beaten repeatedly)]]

* OurElvesAreBetter: Elves are essentially human, but even half-elves have abnormal lifespans and centuries of youth.

** And of course, ElementalMagic, WhiteMagic, and BlackMagic.

* CerebusSyndrome: Much of the game is SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel with [[AnAesop various moral lessons about love]] being taught. Then, around the fourth of these, there is everything from a FamilyUnfriendlyAesop to the implication that Ambrosia at some point [[DyingDream died and the other characters are part of a dream]].

* AuthorAppeal:
** The game, being made without a corporation or outside input, but as a hobby game, is presumably entirely this (or else it wouldn't be included). On a more specific note, both the high number of {{Marathon Boss}}es and {{Romance Sidequest}}s are the author's main reason for liking the game.
** The author also has a thing for [[SuddenDownerEnding Cerebus Endings]], as most of the main game and one of the second game have extremely bleak, if not downright scary endings. [[spoiler:This game literally has an AxeCrazy ending where the hero wipes out ''her own party.'']]
** There's obviously a fetish for crossdressing. It is possible to go through the game with three of the characters wearing women's clothes, and there are some side-references to it in some NPC lines. Not to mention the whole "angels are sexless" thing, where Michael is clearly wearing a skirt and appears to have breasts in his battlesets.
*** The author of the game is an actual user of tvtropes, so likely ''this entire page.''

An amateur UsefulNotes/RPGMaker game from 2013, [[FreewareGames freely available]] on [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/1760/ Rpgmaker.net]]. The basic premise involves a spunky, tomboyish beggar girl, who is called on a MissionFromGod to save the world by restoring balance... or something. Also, an evil demon is threatening the world and needs to be stopped. Along the way she meets [[FiveTokenBand an assorted group of characters]] starting with her potential love interest, an [[WholesomeCrossdresser effeminate]] swordsman. Beyond the initial story, however, there are numerous side tales that can be gleaned from romantic sidequests, and some random [[BlackComedy dark humor]] by exploring the world. Not to mention some hints about the nature of the hero herself, and the nature of the world.

There is also a novel version of this in progress [[Literature/OracleOfTao here]].

** The [[PlayableEpilogue second game]] HeroAntagonist, [[spoiler: the angel Estheriel.]]
* [[spoiler:[[LittleMissBadass Ambrosia's daughter]], [[LittleMissSnarker Tamashii]] [[FridgeLogic Brahmin]].]]

!! This game is responsible for naming/inspiring the following tropes:
* TheChainOfHarm. Trope namer.
* Literature/MuneShinri: The book of the main "religion" ([[CoughSnarkCough cough*cult*cough]]) of this ReligiousEdutainment. Obviously, it's not mentioned anywhere before (or likely to appear elsewhere).

----

** AbsurdlyHighLevelCap: Elias. He has a number of skills and effects that actually ''use up levels'' in massive amounts, so to get the most from him, you actually end up grinding more than 99 levels. That and do [[DifficultButAwesome a lot of research sidequests to learn all his skills]].
* ActionGirl: Our female lead, Ambrosia Brahmin.

* AllAmazonsWantHercules: Defied. Most of the men are pretty boys, some of which border on DudeLooksLikeALady.

** Subverted again (not double subverted) in battle. There is a small percent chance that God will raise your character during battle.
* AllMythsAreTrue: [[BaitAndSwitchComment Except when they're]] [[UnreliableNarrator not]].
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Ambrosia, before she met anyone in the party.

* AmnesiacHero: Ambrosia, although it is subverted. She can't remember her real parents or anything before age four.

* ArbitraryHeadcountLimit: Party size at four.
* ArtifactOfDoom: [[Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung The Ring of Nibelung]].

* Our hero, [[TheChosenOne Ambrosia Brahman]].

* [[spoiler:[[LittleMissBadass Ambrosia's daughter]], [[LittleMissSnarker Tamashii]] [[FridgeLogic Brahman]].]]

* ActionGirl: Our female lead, Ambrosia Brahman.

* AwesomeMcCoolname[=/=]MeaningfulName: Ambrosia Brahman (the surname having to do with Hindu priestly castes and also with the similarity to the word Brahma, and the first name being "food of the gods").
** ThemeNaming in this regard. Her mom is Manna Leaven (or "leavened bread from heaven") before taking the "family name" of [[spoiler:God]], Brahman.

* TropeTrigger: Ambrosia Brahman is a Trope Trigger for Elias as MrExposition. Ambrosia's average intelligence and amnesia allow SmartGuy Elias to expound on obscure details pertaining to the plot.

* Our hero, [[TheChosenOne Ambrosia Brahmin]].

* [[spoiler:[[LittleMissBadass Ambrosia's daughter]], [[LittleMissSnarker Tamashii]] [[FridgeLogic Brahmin]].]]

* ActionGirl: Our female lead, Ambrosia Brahmin.

* AwesomeMcCoolname[=/=]MeaningfulName: Ambrosia Brahmin (the surname having to do with Hindu priestly castes and also with the similarity to the word Brahma, and the first name being "food of the gods").
** ThemeNaming in this regard. Her mom is Manna Leaven (or "leavened bread from heaven") before taking the "family name" of [[spoiler:God]], Brahmin.

* TropeTrigger: Ambrosia Brahmin is a Trope Trigger for Elias as MrExposition. Ambrosia's average intelligence and amnesia allow SmartGuy Elias to expound on obscure details pertaining to the plot.

--> '''Ambrosia:''' The new year is 4095 A.D. Last year was also 4095 A.D. and the year before.
--> '''Elias:''' Something strange is...
--> '''God:''' Not it's not.
--> '''Ambrosia:''' It's been the same date for a few years. I don't see the problem.

* AGodAmI: Ambrosia. [[GodInHumanForm Inverted]].

* BagOfSharing: This is a given for VideoGame/RPGMaker games, without extensive programming.

* LazyBackup: VideoGame/RPGMaker has it designed this way, barring massive coding. Subverted in one bonus castle that actually [[PlotTailoredToTheParty requires teamwork]] from the multiple parties. But still, they won't actually help in battle if your party dies.

* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: An attack called Attack Player targets the screen. Considering this is a sidescroll RPG, rather than vertical format (as is true of VideoGame/RPGMaker XP), this is pretty interesting. If the player dies, the game is over.

An amateur VideoGame/RPGMaker game from 2013, [[FreewareGames freely available]] on [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/1760/ Rpgmaker.net]]. The basic premise involves a spunky, tomboyish beggar girl, who is called on a MissionFromGod to save the world by restoring balance... or something. Also, an evil demon is threatening the world and needs to be stopped. Along the way she meets [[FiveTokenBand an assorted group of characters]] starting with her potential love interest, an [[WholesomeCrossdresser effeminate]] swordsman. Beyond the initial story, however, there are numerous side tales that can be gleaned from romantic sidequests, and some random [[BlackComedy dark humor]] by exploring the world. Not to mention some hints about the nature of the hero herself, and the nature of the world.

* [[spoiler: [[LittleMissBadass Ambrosia's daughter]], [[LittleMissSnarker Tamashii]] [[FridgeLogic Brahmin]]. ]]

* Literature/MuneShinri: The book of the main "religion" ([[CoughSnarkCough cough*cult*cough]] ) of this ReligiousEdutainment. Obviously, it's not mentioned anywhere before (or likely to appear elsewhere).

** AbsurdlyHighLevelCap: Elias. He has a number of skills and effects that actually ''use up levels'' in massive amounts, so to get the most from him, you actually end up grinding more than 99 levels. That and do [[DifficultButAwesome alot of research sidequests to learn all his skills]].

* AfterTheEnd: On the surface, the world in more or less the same, besides some portals closing. [[spoiler: In fact, the universe has been created from scratch, and [[PlatonicCave many things that didn't actually exist and were covered by illusory reality]] [[EndOfTheWorldSpecial now do exist]].]] Oh yes, and there's a giant floating egg in midair now.
* AGlitchInTheMatrix: Before the Game Plus, the Earth [[spoiler: isn't real]]. One of the first signs of this is that time isn't normal. First, is the InUniverseGameClock, which is typical of games like Pokemon, but expanded to also include seasons. Only... when the end of a year comes, the year cycles.

** Subverted again (not double subverted) in battle. There is a small percent change that God will raise your character during battle.

* AnchoredShip: Until the hero [[spoiler: confronts and joins her evil half, she's too neurotic to embrace her feelings.]]

* AnInteriorDesignerIsYou: Sort of. [[spoiler: The party can add a bed, banker, and other features to your tent. Later morphs the tent into a house, mansion, and a portable town, if they get obscene amounts of money.]]
* AnonymousBenefactor: In the first scene, some random guy gives you enough gold to start. Too bad what you spent in the plot [[DiabolusExMachina gets wasted]]

** First, if you have beaten over 999 mobs, a creature called the Wandering Buddha challenges you and asks you whether you want happiness, the joke being that apparently in Buddhism, [[https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/buddha/ happiness is emptiness]] so he thinks that you want to be attacked (if you say no, he calls you strange).
** Second, in the Normal and Hard Mode (not the Easy Mode) after killing over 999 mobs a tally starts whenever you visit the save point. The tally only stops if you SheatheYourSword against the Wandering Buddha, or in the Normal Mode if you run away. If you run away in Hard Mode, the tally doesn't stop but instead, the game warns you that going over a certain point (different from Normal to Hard mode by a factor of about 10) will trigger a bad ending (basically, the Game Plus ending where Ambrosia kills the party). If you killed the Wandering Buddha? Every save point treats you to this message:

** Third, and most bizarrely, Ambrosia's ultimate attack is run by a 0/1 switch where 0 is treated as basically an InUniverse EpicFail that not only fails to attack but tries to kill the party, and 1 takes off a large percent of monster hp. Although certain events can also turn this switch from 0 to 1 or back, the most effective way to influence this is to have under 250 victories (turns to 1 at the beginning of battles), or over 9999 (turns to 0). Other things can influence this, but basically an attack that helps you win battles becomes less effective the more you win. A new mechanism is being put in place that will let you talk your way out of battles but gain experience (it doesn't add to Victories tally though, since the monster party doesn't die), so this will actually be possible if all bosses can be hashed out.

* AscendedFridgeHorror: Something suspected by the protagonist and the audience is reprised later in the game. [[spoiler: The possibility of DreamApocalypse and DeadAllAlong. Although not quite true, it goes FromBadToWorse.]]

** The game, being made without a corporation or outside input, but as a hobby game, is presumably entirely this (or else it wouldn't be included). On a more specific note, both the high number of {{MarathonBoss}}es and {{RomanceSidequest}}s are the author's main reason for liking the game.
** The author also has a thing for [[SuddenDownerEnding Cerebus Endings]], as most of the main game and one of the second game have extremely bleak, if not downright scary endings. [[spoiler: This game literally has an AxeCrazy ending where the hero wipes out ''her own party.'']]

** ThemeNaming in this regard. Her mom is Manna Leaven (or "leavened bread from heaven") before taking the "family name" of [[spoiler: God]], Brahmin.
* AwfulTruth: [[spoiler: Ambrosia is God, and neither the world, nor anyone in it is real. [[EndOfTheWorldSpecial But Ambrosia fixes that]], and later becomes the bearer of the AwfulTruth that ''was'' the case.]]

* BabiesEverAfter: [[spoiler: In both the original game, and the PlayableEpilogue, this is part of the best ending.]]

*** The Multi-Attack ability used to ''always'' be this way, dealing each attack with about a two second wait until done, and BeatingADeadPlayer regardless. (The two second wait is to prevent interruption for other attacks). [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks It doesn't anymore, though.]]

** (Simultaneously this, and GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere). [[spoiler: Much of the enemies are sort of mystical fantasy-themed, with dragons and the like. And then, if the party goes out of order in the plot, there are three distinct places where it can encounter [[EldritchAbomination Elder Gods]].]]

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: God, who apparently is more into some sort of balance than true goodness. Knowing what you do later on, though, God's motivations are downright weird. [[spoiler: Ambrosia is God, and vice versa, so any problems God and his minions caused are effectively somewhere along the lines of Ambrosia giving herself something to do since she's ''bored''.]]

** You can also fight God (much like a [[VideoGame/DragonQuestVII certain other game]], it's a friendly match). Aside from experience rewards, God explains [[BlueAndOrangeMorality that the entire adventure was constructed because Ambrosia seemed bored, and God wanted to give her something to do]]. It gets weirder if you've completed the first game before challenging God [[spoiler: since Ambrosia is God, and so gave ''herself'' a quest]].

* CantHaveSexEver: The not-so-evil wizard, [[FullNameBasis Yazim Jianne]]. [[spoiler: His wife dies during an experiment gone wrong, and although he joins the party, he's pretty much the only one that ends up couple-less at the end.]]
** Eventually averted, [[spoiler: with Selqui]].

* CerebusRetcon: Double Subverted. [[spoiler: Ambrosia has a sudden flashback where she thinks she was dead, and can't explain why she had no wounds after that. At the time, this turns out to be a test for her resolve, before gaining another Crest, so she denies it showing . It turns out this might have been true later, and she starts to again not exist, this time fading to nothing (that is, the original retcon was subverted, then retconned again as a symptom of another, more horrifying conclusion). Which is then subverted again, as she manages to force herself into existence. Which is then retconned again, this time, [[MindScrew applying to everyone but her]].]]

** For that matter, ReverseCerebusSyndrome: [[spoiler: Immediately after a terrible point in a story where someone gets ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice you have three choices as to whether to finish them off, leave them, or kill them. Killing them makes the story head south, while either of the other options causes the ending to take a dramatic upswing.]]
* ChainOfDeals: Played with. As part of a sidequest, a girl wants a certain trophy. Which she traded away for some sushi and the recipe. She wants it back, so you start this quest of basically back-trading to get the item, which everyone's either had stolen from them, or traded away already. Then you get to the end of the trade... and not only does it cycle back to the original owner, but she decided to toss it in the trash. [[AndYourRewardIsClothes Worse yet, she decides to give Ambrosia the same exact item she wanted to trade for it in the first place, a sushi set]].

* CrapsaccharineWorld: [[spoiler: The universe and everyone in it, beside the hero [[DreamApocalypse don't even exist]]. Unlike the typical DreamApocalypse, where some people may have been there before the dream, it is kinda clear that the only option for the remaining person (who in fact turns out to be the avatar of God) is to either spend eternity alone once she awakes from this dream, or knowingly create every living thing, realizing that there's a change they ''still'' might not be real]].

* DemotedMemories: With a bit of MediumAwareness. Ambrosia manages to convince herself that her quest never happened, that this is a DyingDream, and that she's a video game character. [[spoiler: She's right on [[MediumAwareness at least one count]].]]
* DerailingLoveInterests: Also [[spoiler: DiscountLesbians]]

* DivineDate: Nevras finds out Ambrosia is [[spoiler: God]], and shortly thereafter asks her on a date.

* DivineRaceLift: You get to fight God [[spoiler: not Ambrosia, the original Trinity]] who turns out to be three women. That, or God looks like the Triforce.

* DramaticShattering: It's not actually glass that's breaking... [[spoiler: Ambrosia has an existential crisis, and the image on the screen is herself shattering into a million pieces, before she [[CessationOfExistence ceases to exist.]] She gets better, though.]]

* EasterEgg: Not only are there a number of secrets, [[spoiler: Pressing * allows you to enter a CheatCode, and there are numerous hidden items and secret battles]] but there are some interesting scenes that are hard to find, to say nothing of pretty much every book in the library and every grave in the graveyard having something to say.

** The battle balance is a little... weird. [[spoiler: Attacks in the early game barely hurt enemies, but then after the tenth epic weapon, and after beating enemies with magic, it's not really so.]]

An amateur VideoGame/RPGMaker game posted on [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/1760/ Rpgmaker.net]]. The basic premise involves a spunky, tomboyish beggar girl, who is called on a MissionFromGod to save the world by restoring balance... or something. Also, an evil demon is threatening the world and needs to be stopped. Along the way she meets [[FiveTokenBand an assorted group of characters]] starting with her potential love interest, an [[WholesomeCrossdresser effeminate]] swordsman. Beyond the initial story, however, there are numerous side tales that can be gleaned from romantic sidequests, and some random [[BlackComedy dark humor]] by exploring the world. Not to mention some hints about the nature of the hero herself, and the nature of the world.

* HeroAntagonist: Estheriel. [[AmbiguousGender Her/his]] heart's in the right place. It's just that, being an angel of justice, he's a bit of an [[LargeHam over-the-top]] KnightTemplar. In fact, during the entirety of her in-plot backstory events, he has several PetTheDog moments, and the only KickTheDog one she has, is [[WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou when someone else forces his hand]]. Her only flaw besides that is really that he's willing to [[IDidWhatIHadToDo accept the risks of her actions]], in order to try to make the world a better place. Even the commonly used [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans End Justifies The Means]] is subverted, as he throws away the [[Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung Ring of Nibelung]] and later seals it away when it causes [[LordOfTheRings two brothers to murder each other]]. Not that it helps, unfortunately, as the [[NoManOfWomanBorn means she uses as a failsafe to the sealing]] [[LoopholeAbuse has a loophole that the Ring uses to undo him]].

* InJoke: Jokes from multiple media are mixed together, such as the Rheingold section of [[Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung the Ring Saga]] mixed together with the "Precious" line from LordOfTheRings.

* SugarAndIcePersonality: Ambrosia. At first glance, she seems to be a {{Tsundere}}, but this is part is her MoodSwinger {{Kuudere}} personality, and when she's actually upset, she'll revert to a [[SugarAndIcePersonality cold, gloomy personality]]. [[DefrostingIceQueen She gets better]].

* RisingCostOfHealthInsurance: Both inns and priests cost more as your character levels.

* YinYangBomb.

* AntiGrinding: Of the ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' variety, the difference being tone (''Undertale'' makes gives you an extended guilt trip about it, while ''Oracle of Tao'' suddenly springs the consequences of your actions on you). First, if you have beaten over 999 mobs, a creature called the Wandering Buddha challenges you and asks you whether you want happiness, the joke being that apparently in Buddhism, [[https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/buddha/ happiness is emptiness]] so he thinks that you want to be attacked (if you say no, he calls you strange).

* AntiGrinding: Of the ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' variety, the being tone. First, if you have beaten over 999 mobs, a creature called the Wandering Buddha challenges you and asks you whether you want happiness, the joke being that apparently in Buddhism, [[https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/buddha/ happiness is emptiness]] so he thinks that you want to be attacked (if you say no, he calls you strange).

* AntiGrinding: Of the ''VideoGame/Undertale'' variety, the . First, if you have beaten over 999 mobs, a creature called the Wandering Buddha challenges you and asks you whether you want happiness, the joke being that apparently in Buddhism, [[https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/buddha/ happiness is emptiness]] so he thinks that you want to be attacked (if you say no, he calls you strange).

* AntiGrinding: Of the ''VideoGame/Undertale'' variety. First, if you have beaten over 999 mobs, a creature called the Wandering Buddha challenges you and asks you whether you want happiness, the joke being that apparently in Buddhism, [[https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/buddha/ happiness is emptiness]] so he thinks that you want to be attacked (if you say no, he calls you strange).

---> "''GOOD WORK! You've defeated (number) groups of monsters. Over 9999 groups will give you a special ending! ''"

** Second, in the Normal and Hard Mode (not the Easy Mode) after killing over 999 mobs a tally starts whenever you visit the save point. The tally only stops if you SheatheYourSword against the Wandering Buddha, or in the Normal Mode if you run away. If you run away in Hard Mode, the tally doesn't stop but instead, the game warns you that going over a certain point will trigger a bad ending (basically, the Game Plus ending where Ambrosia kills the party). If you killed the Wandering Buddha? Every save point treats you to this message:

--> "''GOOD WORK! You've defeated (number) groups of monsters. Over 9999 groups will give you a special ending! ''"