Melchom: So we're good, yes?
Nanashi: Yep. Seems like in addition to that quest Boss gave me I've got a few more, too. I'm ready to take them on now! thanks guys.
Itsumade: Thank Izanagi. Was wondering how long you'd be acting like that.
At this point in the game, the bridges leading to the Chiyoda, Kasumigaseki, and most importantly, Shinjuku regions open up. Nanashi also receives several new quests at this point, and we'll be doing them this installment before we get back to the main plot next time.
Jack Frost: Heeeeeeeee-hoooooooo! Time for the real hee-ro of this story to show up! One side all of you, I'l clea-hee-n the Divine Powers' clock myself!
Character notes: The legendary actual protagonist of the SMT series, Jack is a pan-European first sprite who is responsible for the frost patterns seen on windows on winter mornings. He freezes evildoers to death, though; you better watch out, you better not cry, indeed. He gets Bufula and Mabufu, Hama, and our first Pleroma, a passive move that boosts the power of the corresponding attack spells. His, of course, is Ice.
Character notes: Eager RPG protagonist type, and can also break the fourth wall.
Patrimpas: I'm glad you're not sad anymore, Nanashi. Here, have some salad.
Character notes: A purported water and harvest god of the pre-Christian Baltic region, worshipped as a trinity with the thunder-god Perkunas and the underworld god Peckols. All we know about him comes from chronicles written by Christian missionaries trying to convert his believers, though, so take with salt. He's a healing specialist who gets Diarama, Tetraja, and most notable our first revival spell, Recarm!
Personality notes: Uber-vegan hippie type.
Daphne: Did you take some of my leaves for that!? PERVERT!
Character notes: A tree nymph of Greek lore and daughter of a river god. The love god Eros's arrow caused the sun god Apollo to fall madly in love with her, and he chased her for days on end until she finally turned into an actual tree to get him to leaf her alone.
Goblin: Get off the stage!
Hey, who said you could interrupt me? Anyway, she actually doesn't learn any attack moves naturally, but she does get two buffs, Rakukaja and Makakaja, so she's useful for that.
Personality notes: Hates Being Touched and thinks everyone's a pervert.
Mithras: My my my, such power in the sight of such a sheer variety of demons coming together. Young man, I am Mithras - my old colleague Morax recommended I take your contract. Do not disappoint me...
Character notes: A Roman appropriation of the Persian sun god, Mithras was born from a rock and is best known in the modern day for the secretive and often disturbing ways he was worshipped, including slaughtering animals and then bathing in their blood. Some speculation some years back considered that many of the traits of the story of Jesus were appropriated from Mithras, but this is considered highly unlikely now.
Personality notes: Still the Affably Evil Mad Scientist from Strange Journey.
Morax: Come, young adventurer! Let us take on these quests! BWOOOOOOOOH!
First up is the easiest. This one requires traveling to the Toyosu shelter, southwest of Kinshicho, to retrieve an oil solution that a tailor needs for making clothes.
Spriggan: Derh, clothes need oil?
Just like in IV Vanilla Toyosu is abandoned, but you can still hit up the Terminal. The oil is a 100% spawn on three Relic spots after accepting the quest. Pick it up, take it back, easy.
Nanashi: Huh, I'm feeling better already.
Koppa Tengu: Giving up is for wieners!
Next we've got "Secure Supplies," which tasks us with retrieving a storage of food from a department store north of Ginza. This is another Domain quest, so remember your route through the thing! Reach the end, and...
MINI-BOSS: STRIX HORDE
Level 20. Weak Gun, Weak Elec
Really weak Horde overall. Pelt it with multi-target Gun and Elec skills and you probably won't even need to use buffs. As with the Itsumade Horde, you automatically retrieve the food, so get back to a bar to turn it in.
Nanashi: I've seen those bird demons in the wild too; let's see if I can get one...
Strix: Hey there, hot stuff... you know what they say about... experienced women, right?
Nadja: That's my Magnetite you old bag!
Character notes: A type of female Roman vampire. She turns into an owl at night to drink the blood of children; yummy! Sh'es nothing special, moves-wise, though she does get Tarunda.
Personality notes: Seductive older lady.
Melchom: Oh that lazy asshole! Kid, get that blue bird thing, too!
Tangata Manu: .rM mohcleM! ycnaF gniteem uoy ereh!''
Melchom: What have you been doing you lout!? I've been looking for you for days!
Character notes: The chief god of the Rapanui (Easter Island) branch of Polynesian lore; he's depicted as a man with a bird's head and is notable for the elaborate ritual honoring him that was used to select tribal chiefs. Strangely, "Tangata Manu" is the ritual's name; the god's own name is Makemake. He gets Dream Needle, Makakaja, Mazan, and our second Pleroma, for Wind.
Personality notes: Talks backwards, and is Melchom's browbeaten assistant (a reference to the fact that in SMTIV Vanilla, they often appear together).
Shikome: Ooohhhhhhhhh what a delectable little thing... and such Magnetite! I'll travel with you, young one, until you ripen enough to put in my stew...
Kaso: Take him, not my fur!
Character notes: Hideous old witches of Japanese lore, they dwell in the underworld Yomi. They're known for the episode in which they tried to kill the god Izanagi, but he distracted them by turning his comb into bamboo shoots, which the Shikome started eating. Mythology is weird. She gets the godly Stun Needles, a random-hitting Gun skill that inflicts Bind. This is a very useful attack that can easily last until the end of the game.
Personality notes: Creepy-ass witch classic.
Inugami: Uh, sir? There's a thing latching onto me.
Obariyon: Hey, I'm the latching thing around here, dude!
(IPPON-DATARA pries the THING loose)
Chupacabra: Most apologies. You are not goat, yes? Take me with you for finding of tasty goats, yes?
Character notes: Everyone's favorite Caribbean goat-eating cryptid. Often held to be an alien, because, well... look at it! Sightings of it continue to this day, making it another "modern" demon. He gets a wide variety of skills, including Skukukaja and Frenzied chomp.
Personality notes: Based on the alien from the Courage the Cowardly Dog episode "Car Broke. Phone, Yes?," who speaks like, well, that.
Nanashi: So many new, errm, friends. You don't think I'm greedy, do you?
Melchom: Well, speaking as the one who literally invented greed as a human concept, trust me, you're not greedy, you're resourceful. But hey, be greedy if you want to be!
Nanashi: Literally invented greed, seriously?
Melchom: My uncle Mammon got the official credit, but trust me, I did most of the work!
Next quest, "Secure Medical Supplies," takes us to the National Diet Building at Kasumigaseki.
Nanashi: I'm told this was the seat of government before I was born. Back when that, y'know, mattered...
This is another Domain. You know the drill.
MINI-BOSS: HORDE DEMONSTRATORS
Level 27. Weak Fire, Resist Elec, Weak Light
This Horde is composed of Zombie Cops, a seemingly unrecruitable type of demon seen around Ginza, and Quicksilvers, which we haven't seen yet. Their most dangerous attack is only Zionga so yeah, not very strong. Just don't go in with anything weak to Electricity. The lead Zombie Cop leaves us with an interesting message upon defeat, though: "Do not forgive the minister."
Nanashi: Minister? Isn't that what the people who ran the government were called before the disaster?
Poltergeist: Foreshadowing!
Grab relic, drop off, next quest.
Finally, we've got "Improve Quality of Life," asking for a retrieval of winter clothing from a store south of Shinjuku, which, if you remember, we can get to now. Yes, it's another Domain. At the end is...
MINI-BOSS: OBSESSED HORDE
Resist Gun, Weak Ice, Resist Elec, Weak Light
Probably the nastiest of the three quest Hordes of this installment on account of Damascus Claw, a medium-strike Phys move that can hit up to three times, an easy KO on more fragile demons. Tarunda and Rakukaja are definitely welcome here, so use them and attack with multi-hit spells of their weaknesses.
Nanashi: Tha'ts everything but the big supply delivery. Since we're in Shinjuku now we better do it... why do I not feel so good?
Poltergeist: Foreboding!
