Hi there everybody! Today, we're gonna try and get Piers out of jail, despite the fact he should already be out. But I guess people in this world are idiots, so whatever.
First, I'm about two levels behind where I want to be, so I walk around the forests near Alhafra a bit. Sheba learns Mad Growth at level 12, just the attack I wanted to learn before the upcoming fight.
We enter Alhafra, and the lot in Yampi Desrt follow us in. They're going to talk to the mayor so they can talk to Briggs, leader of the Champa pirates. They figure he's here, as it's the only place to get a boat in this area, and if the Champa had stolen one, there would be a huge uproar.
In the inn, we find Alex!
Alex: So, you've finally come.
Well, we do need to get a ship. You can just fly and teleport around the world for all I care. He starts talking about boats.
Alex: Unfortunately, the only boat this town possesses has already been sold.
Damn. The ship's broken too. Hmm... Let's Mind Read him!
Alex: Really, I do wish you would quit using your Mind Read on me... Trust me, my thoughts will become all too clear in due time...
He didn't think that, he actually said it. He's too good an Adept for us, let's just go. But not before getting an Apple. Jenna gets the Attack boost.
We head to Eastern Alhafra. Man, that ship really is busted. The mast has fallen over, and there's a ton of crap on it. Well, we can't do anything here, so let's go in the ship.
Hey look, it's Briggs.
Briggs: The mayor of Madra? Here?
He's conversing with one of the pirates, wondering how the mayor of Madra found them.
He knew we needed a ship, and he knew we went east. It seems pretty easy to me.
Oh good, another smart NPC.
He'll probably tell the Alhafrans we're pirates, too, huh?
Briggs: Pirates!? That seems a little unfair!
What do you mean? We... are pirates, aren't we?
OK, scratch that bit about being smart. Now Briggs has to explain himself. Basically, the people of Champa are poor, so they steal stuff to make the lives of their people better. And they don't steal much either.
See? That's why you're our captain, Briggs! You've got brains coming out your ears!
Jenna: Hmph! There's nothing brainy about that!
Damn it Jenna, you blew our cover! Well, Briggs confronts us, and we try to convince him to help us get Piers out of jail. Briggs, being a pirate, really doesn't see the point.
Kraden: We'll bring you in against your will if we must, but either way, you're coming with us!
Shut up Kraden, you're not even a fighter. And I'd like to keep this peaceful. We say that we're not doing that, for the above reason, and because Felix is a lying dick.
Briggs: Watch yourselves, you self-righteous little brats! You're the ones with a lesson to learn!
So now we're fighting Briggs. Briggs is a hard hitter, but a non-Adept, so he doesn't do anything really special and is weak to everything. He also starts with one of his Mooks, a Sea Fighter, and can summon 3 more during the fight. He's tricky, but doable. I have to reset a couple of times, as I can't revive yet. I finally get annoyed enough to use summons, which I tend not to because they're cheap.
I finally get him, with no casualties, but with Sheba at 8 HP.
Jenna: Well, that takes care of that!
IT TOOK 10 TRIES. I HAD TO BREAK MY Self-Imposed Challenge. STOP ACTING LIKE IT WAS EASY.
Briggs finally decides to come quietly. We tell him what we want him to do.
Briggs: Fine. So, what, I just have to say that Piers isn't one of my men?
Yep. But just as we try to cart Briggs off, his wife shows up. Why would you take your wife with you on a pirating voyage?
The woman, called Chaucha, tries to talk us into forgiving him with all the stuff I mentioned earlier. Seems like something killed off all the fish that was the main trade in Champa. Not Isaac's or Saturos's fault for once, as it happened years ago. The rocky terrain prevents crops from growing too. Kraden notes that Champa is on the coast near Xian and her claim is accurate. This led to the poorness I mentioned earlier.
(In the first game, you were almost never near the coast. This is presumably so you couldn't go back to the world map of the first game, although you can due to a little error in the map)
The Madrans and the mayor of Alhafra show up. The mayor actually didn't believe that Briggs was a pirate until he came down here. As I mumble under my breath how incompetent everyone that isn't us is, the mayor mentions that the tidal wave actually crashed Indra into Osenia. So there are two floating islands in this world. Great, just great.
Kraden finally interrupts the arguing between the mayor and Madrans. For once, I'm glad he's talking. Briggs takes this opportunity point out that the ship, which he bought with money stolen from Madra, technically belongs to the Madrans. He offers that he gives the ship to Madra, and that he is locked up for a little while, and everyone is even. Seems good to me. He also asks that Chaucha and Eoleo, his son, be allowed to stay in the boat until it is prepared.
And, FINALLY, Briggs says that he's never heard of Piers, so now the Madrans can free him. The mayor of Alhafra asks us to see him later, and everyone leaves except for us and the mayor of Madra. He offers an award.
Kraden: Oh, pish posh! We don't need any award, do we, Felix?
Oh yes we do. The mayor tells us to come back to Madra later for a reward. We decide we should help fix the boat. But first, we find some Large Bread. Not Power Bread, Large Bread.
We try to clear all the stuff off the sail, but there's a huge rock we can't clear. We'll be back later. Kraden wanted to ask to use this ship, but, well, it'll be stuck here a bit longer.
We talk to the mayor of Alhafra. For our reward, he offers us... a business deal!
Wait, WHAT? He wants us to work for him and help Alhafra become a trade capital. Screw you man!
We then go see Briggs and family. He complains about the food, eliciting this response:
You're IN JAIL! What did you expect, gourmet cuisine?
Eoleo then conjures a Psynergy hand thing to grab the keys to Briggs cell. We've got an Adept here. Briggs distracts him out of it just in time. We mind read Briggs...
Briggs: Felix has strange powers of his own, so we can't let him see what Eoleo can do. If he does, he might ruin our only chance to escape...
I don't care about whether you stay here or not. But at least Briggs seems to know how Psynergy works.
We then find a kid who's really hungry. We give him the Large Bread. He tips us off on how to get into an alternate path to the caves where the jail is in exchange. In there we get the Ixion Mail, which is nice.
Finally, we see Eoleo and Chaucha. Chaucha mentions that Eoleo got his powers after being hit with a Psynergy Stone. We can talk to Eoleo through Mind Read, but he says nothing interesting.
OK, I'm thoroughly sick of this town. Let's get outta here. Next time, we head for the big rock in the middle of the continent.
Stats:
Felix: Lv 12 Tamer HP:166 PP:38 Attack:106 Defence:99 Agility:56 Luck:1
Jenna: Lv 12 Pierrot HP:137 PP:48 Attack:98 Defence:77 Agility:72 Luck:6
Sheba: Lv 12 Diviner (Jupiter) HP:145 PP:95 Attack:96 Defence:65 Agility:69 Luck:5
Djinn: 2 Venus, 1 Mars, 2 Jupiter, 1 Mercury
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