This is filler, so I won't transcribe the battle. The boss, a wizard, is... interesting, however.
"Y...you are Orcus! How did you get through the blockade!? Never mind, that 30,000 is as good as mine!"
First of all, there's an enemy named Lebolt.
Stupid Name Count: 9
Also, "Shorter."
Stupid Name Count: 10
Forcas steals our kill and takes down the boss, Dagon.
Dagon: Damn it... if only I had 30,000 Goth... I could have saved my daughter's life.
...
Victory fanfare, you're not helping right now...
Well, anyway. I get 1600 Goth, 1950 extra Goth, some more goth, and a Necro spell from the boss.
Necro is... weird. None of our mages can use it right now anyway, but I might explain it later. I dunno.
Fort Bodo.
◊ No battle here, only story.
Also, note Rime comes right after.
◊ We're getting close, people. In fact, I think I'll make this post super long and include Rime in there, as something climactic happens.
After a boring conversation, the guard realizes it is us. "Sisteena!? You're alive? Selye was concerned about you."
I'm not sure if I should add "Selye" to the list. It's pretty stupid, but you have to lower your standards for this game.
We go inside.
This place looks pretty run down.
◊
I'm not getting good vibes from this Selye.
"Why did you bring these criminals before me!?" Selye shouts. "Are you trying to give away the location of our hideout!?"
"Before you jump to any conclusions, please listen to my story!" Sisteena argues.
"How dare you speak to me in that tone of voice! I am the leader of this army!" Wow. What a bitch.
"These kind strangers rescued me from pirates."
"Pirates? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
Sisteena says we're safe and continues, "The reason I'm here is to stop you from carrying out your crazy plan."
Selye turns away. "Not again! I'm through discussing the matter with you! I will not change my mind! Our comrades that also felt the same way you do about my decision left here without you. I never forced any one of you to go along with my plans. That is why I didn't stop you from leaving."
"What decision? What crazy plan?" asks Kachua, echoing my thoughts. "Would anyone care to fill us in...?"
"Shut up, you whiny bitch!" screams Selye. Whoah, unprovoked much!? I mean, yeah, okay, Kachua is a whiny bitch, but you haven't even exchanged a single word with her! "It's none of your damn business!" Wow, someone managed to out-bitch Kachua. That's surprising.
"She is planning the assassination of Duke Ronway," Sisteena helpfully says. Wait, how is that crazy? Isn't that your goal...?
Selye tells her to shut her trap, but it's too late.
"Killing the duke will not end the war," Sisteena says. "On the contrary, the Dark Knights and Bacrum will declare war against the Walstanians."
...True.
"That's right! It's just a matter of time until Gargastan loses the war. Once the Liberation Army defeats Gargastan, they will have big power. Then Bacrum and Walsta forces will be equal. If an all out war broke out, both countries would fall."
...You treacherous bitch.
"But, Branta and Ronway knows what will happen. They will keep their neutrality treaty. But if the Duke dies, Bacrum will invade Walsta. Once Branta defeats Walsta. After that happens we must assassinate Branta."
...GAH. THAT'S NOT EVEN A COMPLETE SENTENCE.
"Do you really think that your plan will pan out so smoothly?" Kachua asks, once again echoing my thoughts.
"It will. And when we nail Branta, that is when true peace will return to the land of Valeria!!!"
Yeah, a land ruled solely by you rebels! "Why don't you be part of our plan? Why don't you join us and kill the Duke?" she asks, turning to Kachua.
What, and help decimate even more of our people!? You're a psycho bitch!
Sisteena pipes up, "It is always the common people who suffer from war..." No shit. "I don't want to kill any innocent people... I don't want to see a country built on a foundation of blood!"
A soldier runs in. Selye asks him what's happening.
"I just got word that... the Gargastans... they have been defeated by the Liberation Army... Coritani Castle has fallen! Barbatos was captured and executed this morning!"
...So that's that then.
"Perfect... everything is going to plan. Tell our comrades to prepare!" she says.
Sisteena runs to her sister. "Selye, don't do it!"
Selye explains they have no choice now and they must kill the Duke before he settles in.
"It's too late, Forcas..."
Wait, you're not talking to Forcas, you're...
...
God damn it, translators. God damn it.
"You're wrong, Selye!" Sisteena shouts, and runs out of the room.
Selye says she has no time for idle chatter.
"If you give up freedom, then what do you have left? Then you've lost sight of what you're truly fighting for. We must do whatever it takes to make our dream a reality. My sister is not a revolutionary. She will not stain her hands with the blood of innocents to succeed."
This woman is way worse than Ronway... he wanted to kill a small town, she wants to slaughter two nations!
Selye turns away.
"....but I still love her. Take care of my sister for me. Help her anyway you can."
The scene cuts to the roof, where Sisteena refuses to believe what her sister is doing is right.
◊
"You're becoming worse than what you want to destroy..."
She's become way worse than what she wants to destroy.
"You will do anything to achieve your ideals. Have we been fighting to establish a country who's foundation is built upon the blood of innocent people?"
The game presents us with a choice.
◊
I think we already made the choice when we refused to slaughter the citizens of Baramus. We don't want to build a country with bloodshed. I select 1.
"Join us, Sisteena. We have a lot in common."
Sisteena turns. "I noticed that the first time you rescued me." If you remember, we said we wanted true peace, for everyone.
"Then come, let us fight together!"
"Thank you... I will never give up my beliefs. Even if it means I must fight against my own sister."
Sisteena,
◊ Forcas,
◊ and Byan
◊ join us permanently.
A few changes. Notably, I switched Leon out for Byan. Sorry, old bud, you've been good by us, but Byan is the superior mage. You're out of Squad Liveblog.
I keep everything else the same. Sisteena is pretty much a glorified valkyrie and Forcas doesn't have the ninja training Hogan does.
Let's go to Rime
◊ and finally talk with Lans. Unless it's another ambush...
Our position.
◊ Byan is at 1, Bruno is at 2, Aloser is at 3, Canopus is at 4, Freesia is at 5, Orcus is at 6, Area is at 7, Belgger is at 8, Presance is at 9, and Hogan is at 10.
Let's fight it out.
Rime is dark and silent.
◊ Once Orcus is sure nobody is here, he tells Kachua to come out of the bushes. She does.
◊ And then, suddenly...
"This must be my lucky day. I never expected to see you here."
"Damn, you again!?" Kachua shouts. "Why do these things always happen to me?"
"Come on, be nice. Let's be friends... heh, heh, heh..."
His friends appear.
"Is this another trap!" Orcus shouts.
"No... this is why it's my lucky day. I'll kill you before that damn knight of Zenobia shows up!
Note that Orcus is up here...
◊
and his allies are down here.
◊
My suggested strategy; have Orcus head down to his troops as quickly as possible. Enemies shoot at Kachua first, so she will be good for bait. The fighting space is a bit small, so keep track of enemy ranges, positions, and weaknesses, forming a tightly clumped formation that will hold off enemy attacks.
...Of course, Kachua dies in one hit from a hawkman. She uses one of her infinite supply of escape crystals.
As you can see, we are holding off the enemy at two flanks.
◊ Canopus can attack both.
After Orcus gives way and is forced to retreat, it pretty much becomes a clusterfuck. Zapan is able to get to our healer somehow, and they retreat into the hive of soldiers. The witch keeps casting Stun on us. This battle is annoying.
Hogan reduces him to 31 HP.
"Shit, you're strong. Man, I should have given up while I was ahead!"
Suddenly, we hear noises of ...carnage?
"Huh!? What's that noise!?" Zapan shouts.
Awesome music starts up.
Wait... those are... oh my god!
The Black Knights!
◊ The Black Knights have betrayed Walsta! I knew Lans Tartare couldn't be trusted!
"Stop! Is this the way of the people of Lodis!?"
"That's the Zenobian crest!" Barbas shouts. "You must be the Holy Knight Lans! It was my long time dream to see you, Lans!"
Some background: Lans Tartare lost his eye in a duel with Lans Hamilton. He bears a bit of a grudge.
"Show me the power that defeated the Highlands!" The Highlands is the government Lans helped you overthrow in March of The Black Queen.
"You wish shall be granted!" roars Lans. "Show me your power, Dark Knight!"
We're just kind of wandering around, confused. "Where's Zapan?"
"Orcus!" Kachua screams.
"Kachua, where are you!?"
"Too late, Orcus. The girl is mine! I'm taking your Kachua! Come to Amorika Castle if you want her back! I'll be waiting!"
...Amorika. Where it all began.
"Stop!!!" Orcus screams. "Bring back my sister, you bastard!!"
The Dark Knight Martym asks, "What do you want, kid?"
"What can Zenobia do to us!? Come on! You pathetic excuse for a knight!"
They start to fight.
Zapan!
◊ Damn it!
"Orcus! Go! Go after him!" roars Guildus.
"So I see, trying to be the good guy," Martym says. "Take this!"
"Go! Hurry!"
We run from the scene.
"Take this, wimp!" we can hear Martym say. An odd flash of light...
Guildus lets loose a cry of pain.
We get 2250 Goth, some more Goth, some battle boots, and two crossbows.
Warren Report Updates
There's a special scene that's only available by accessing the Warren Report.
Barbatos looks from the guillotine as Ronway proclaims that the morning has come for them to celebrate.
◊ "Through this man's death... an era of darkness has finally come to an end!"
A young man shouts, "This is what you get for treating us like scum all these years! I hope it hurts!"
"Kill that Gargastan bastard for killing my son!" a woman wails.
An old man shouts, "Go to Hell, you child-molesting tyrant!"
Wait, hold the phone... child molesting!?
"Did you hear that Barbatos?" asks Ronway. "You're hated by your own people... at ease, my people. I understand how you feel. My Walstanian comrades, hear me! Our suffering has been produced by this man! My dear Gargastans... let us cleanse your soul by spilling enough blood for all of us to see as atonement! From this day forward, let the Walsta and Gargastan people live in peace and harmony!"
A priest prepares the execution rites
◊ and asks if Barbatos has any last words. He ...laughs.
"Ha ha ha. Do you really think the war is over? Ha ha ha. Imbeciles. I'm not the one who started the war. It is you! You people made me declare war!"
"Shut up, you rotten son of a bitch! You're blaming innocent people for your evil deeds!" Ronway retorts.
"Poor Ronway... you're the same as I... all people do is complain, and yet they just blindly follow whoever is in power..."
The Gargastans did switch to Ronway pretty quick, now that I think about it...
"Ronway... if you think you have won the people over, than you are gravely mistaken. They're not the ones who are being manipulated, it's you and I who are being manipulated. Look at me... you're next!!"
"This is getting boring... kill him!" Ronway shouts.
"Poor Ronway... ha ha ha ha..."
The blade goes down and the screen flashes white to the cheering of the crowd.
◊
Next time: we end Chapter 2!
