I continue through the archway.
Falsetto says we'll reach the town of Andante after these woods. Claves says they're finally back home. Wait, don't you still have to pass through the woods?
Woodblock Groves
(Field NO. 21, "Wonderland Wanderer")
It's kinda pretty, but also dismal, in a way.
The main gimmick of this area is that whenever you're in battle, you're poisoned. So every time a character's turn comes around, some HP is lost. Thankfully, you don't lose HP just for being there, or this would be more horrendous.
I proceed forward and jump off a ledge, then battle a Mushroom Up, a palette swap of the Bolbo. It has One Hundred Lashes as one of its Special Attacks.
I take the path around and fight another, then forget my own advice and try to get away from one that's aggro'd to me, and get back attacked. I see another Special Attack of theirs: Entangle.
Nearby, I see a man named Hungry Drum who's been paralyzed from eating a mushroom. He asks if it'll go away if he takes a rest. He wants company, so I play Score Piece 1, which gets me an S-Rank. He thinks the harmony is like his mom's Casserole Surprise, in that you can't tell by looking at it, but it's delicious. He rewards us with a Brilliant Brooch (gives wearer Shining Body), which I equip to Viola in place of the Stone Sword Hilt, which I put on Jazz.
I proceed to a bridge and jump off, then walk away from it onto a tree branch, where I fight another MU, and beyond, where I fight another. That one demonstrates Poison Scatter.
Beyond that, I fight a Bloody Onion, a variant of the Great Coconut, except that the large form is its Light form and the Leaf Egg is its Dark. The BO (ha!) form demonstrates Onion Burp, a long-range Special Attack, and Murmur, a healing move. It was guarding a Back Sword (ATK +50). Also, it seems I never equipped the Crescent Blade for some reason. I guess it doesn't matter, as I never used Allegretto, but I should at least mention its stats. It has an ATK of +42, and if Allegretto has it equipped in battle, he regains 10% of his HP at the beginning of each of his turns. (Current? Max? Is that applied before or after poisoning?) I go ahead and equip the Crescent Blade, in case I use Allegretto before he gets a sword that's a large enough improvement on it to clearly justify changing. I jump down and head north, into the South Center.
I pass by one drop point and go to the next. Across a bridge, I go to an intersection where there's another BO.
Claves
- Lv. 21
- 5923 HP
- ATK: 84
- DEF: 91
- MAG: 51
- SPD: 88
Jazz
- Lv. 21
- 8173 HP
- ATK: 183
- DEF: 130
- MAG: 69
- SPD: 56
I switch Jazz for Falsetto and reorganize.
I pass under a bunch of bridges and fight a Mushroom Up.
Viola
- Lv. 24
- 7783 HP
- ATK: 157
- DEF: 106
- MAG: 62
- SPD: 92
I jump off near another one, which I fight, then go around the path to a planty bridge, where I fight another. I cross another and fight another MU, and sneak around a BO to a chest with Luckless (DEF +46) in it, which I equip instead of her Larkspur Robe, which I pass on to Falsetto. Then I fight the BO.
Falsetto
- Lv. 21
- 6438 HP
- ATK: 145
- DEF: 99
- MAG: 70
- SPD: 99
I go back and take the other path to a Fencing Saber (ATK +10, Light +50). It has a lower ATK and only inflicts its higher damage if I'm fighting Dark creatures. Suboptimal for this part of the map, which is mostly light. Still, it might come in handy later. I go back to where I found Luckless, then head north to the North Center.
At this point, Jazz tells us that the spores' toxins are even stronger from this point on, so he gives us something to help purify the toxins for a little while. He gives one to Falsetto, one to Claves, one to Allegretto (at which point, we find out it's called a Neutralizing Stone), and two to Viola. She thinks it's a mistake, but he was considering Arco, as well.
I save at the Save Point, then take the path to the right, fighting another MU. Farther on, I drop down and fight another. I take the path left and fight another. I go left at the intersection to find a BO that doesn't want to fight. ...I don't have the Winder somehow. ...Oh dear. Someone has the Speed Shoes. I can't continue the trading sequence this run.
Anyway, in my backtracking...
Claves
- Lv. 22
- 6237 HP
- ATK: 87
- DEF: 94
- MAG: 54
- SPD: 92
She gains Aiatar Horn, a short-range Dark attack with strong knockback. I put it in the first Dark slot.
Falsetto
- Lv. 22
- 6786 HP
- ATK: 149
- DEF: 102
- MAG: 73
- SPD: 103
I swap out Falsetto for Jazz and reorganize.
I get back to where I was, then pass up the BO, jump off the bridge, and go left, where I fight a BO , then open a chest for a Big Paper Fan. I jump down and head into the North section. I proceed to a bridge, where I jump off, then quickly head north to open a chest with a Windblow (ATK +68) in it, which is a bow. Even though it doesn't increase movement speed in battle, I equip it to Viola. Then I fight the MU. Another chest yields an Angel Trumpet.
Viola
- Lv. 25
- 8154 HP
- ATK: 170
- DEF: 124
- MAG: 65
- SPD: 96
Jazz
- Lv. 22
- 8584 HP
- ATK: 188
- DEF: 134
- MAG: 72
- SPD: 59
I get turned around, but eventually...
Claves
- Lv. 23
- 6560 HP
- ATK: 90
- DEF: 97
- MAG: 57
- SPD: 96
...I find a chest with Recovery Gloves. They make their wearer regain 10% of HP at the beginning of each turn. I drop from the mushroom bridge nearby, then from a wooden bridge, and another drop point. From there, I drop to a small platform, and from there to a path, where I fight an MU. Onward to the Waterfall area!
The Neutralizing Stones crack! I save at the Save Point. Oddly, I can still enter the previous area, and suffer no unusual damage. There's a boss fight up ahead, so I'll see you then!
Next Time: Give Me Something Good To Eat!
