Pinnacle Rocks
-I assumed we’d cut to a new scene after Vivi, Dagger, and Zidane started from Pinnacle Rocks towards Lindblum, but the scene continues.
-Dagger wants to use summon magic to protect people.
-HOLY CRAP – CINEMATIC OF LINDBLUM BEING BOMBARDED BY THE RED ROSE
-FUCKING BRAHNE IS THE WOOOOOOORST
-Black mages disembark from Alexandrian airships and start burning up the soldiers of Lindblum.
-The black mages now have leg armor and bracelets, possibly indicating some kind of upgraded prototype.
-The Red Rose is using telepods to teleport black mages directly inside the castle. That’s a pretty unstoppable battle strategy.
-Zidane remembers that Queen Brahne followed up the black mage assault on Cleyra with summon magic. Will we see someone used now? Bahamut?
-Dagger runs off ahead. (Though I notice a book across the way that I want to come back to – maybe I can use it. It looks like something I can interact with, not part of the scenery.)
-JEEEEESUS WHAT LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR IS THAT
Before.
-IS THAT THE CINEMATIC OF ATOMOS???
-HOLY HELL THAT IS ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS I HAVE EVER SEEN
After.
-Brahne looking like a kid on Christmas morning. Of course.
-Dagger is shattered seeing this. Partly in horror at the act, but given what we just went through, I’ll bet part of her feelings right now are: “Will that be me if I build up my summoning ability?” I don’t blame her. In some past games (FFVI aside maybe), summons were powerful magic for taking out individuals or groups,or even doing larger scale damage like Titan’s first appearance in FFIV.
In FFIX, they are more like weapons of mass destruction.
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Lindblum
-The party walks into the decimated Lindblum.
-Zidane asks Vivi to hide. Smart. If any Lindblum soldiers were to see him, they’d kill first and ask questions never.
-Went back to Pinnacle Rocks real quick to see that book and it turns out I was mistaken. It’s not a book – it’s the sign warning about the ghost from before.
-The Alexandrian soldiers here are domineering, but not aggressive right now. They already won. They have no need to fight us now.
-Zidane, I kind of love you right now. Two citizens of Lindblum are debating how to destroy this black mage lying in the street. Zidane stops them.
-And yet, I cannot blame the Lindblumers for their reaction at all. “If it’s human, make it understand how much suffering it caused! Make it understand that it killed my only son!” “I don’t care if it lives – my friend was burned alive by it!”
-Brought Serino’s letter to Moodon in the inn. The letter describes Brahne’s use of Odin to destroy Cleyra.
-Moodon has a letter for Zidane from Ruby. She’s still having a tough time finding actors, and would even take “that narcissist.” Lowell, the superstar actor who I mistook for Kuja.
-Moodon gives us a letter for Moonte, the moogle who my notes tell me is at the Dragon Gate in Lindblum Castle.
-This place is heartbreaking to walkthrough in the same way that the destruction of Cleyra was. Both places we saw at their heights. Lindblum went from the lively Festival of the Hunt to this ruin.
-The Alexandrian soldiers are not of one mind. Some are all brash, some are horrified. One of them says it’s like they opened Pandora’s Box with the black mages and eidolons.
-Found a “Lindblum” card for Tetra master. No attack, and ridiculously high defense.
-There are two eggs in a nest above the card freak’s house. I can’t reach them now, but want to remember them. They look like I can interact with them.
-There’s a rebel group already called Vigilantes led by a man named Justin. An Alexandrian soldier asks me to tell him to stop what he’s doing if I see him. “Nicole said so.” Do they know each other?
-Black mages blinded Old Margaret, the pickle vendor!
Lord. This game is really driving home the costs of war to the citizenry.
-The industrial district is gone, and the business and theater districts are in ruins.
-Minister Artania is here. The castle was spared the attack (strange) and Cid is ok.
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Lindblum Castle
-Dagger is worried about the others left behind in Alexandria.
-Cid underestimated the power of the eidolons. That makes two of us.
-It sounds like Cid surrendered. I blame him not at all. That’s probably the only reason the city is not like Cleyra.
-Sounds like they found Vivi and want to turn him over to Alexandria.
-Artania thinks fast, telling the Alexandrian soldiers that Vivi is a human disguised as a black mage. Well done.
I’ll never get over the adorableness that is Vivi adjusting his hat.
-Cid describes Kuja as behind the attacks, and calls him a weapons dealer. Interesting. The black mages are just one of these weapons. What’s he getting paid in? Gil?
-Kuja came from the north, from “the Outer Continent,” an unexplored continent to the north. Time for exploring? Cause that’d be awesome.
-The plan is set. Well, not the plan, but the goal: destroy Kuja. Even if they defeat Brahne, if they do not defeat Kuja then he’ll find other clients.
-Zidane is confident that Beatrix, Freya, and “Rusty” (lol) can protect themselves, leaving the current group free to seek out Kuja.
-They can’t use an airship though. The mist-powered ships can’t run outside of the Mist Continent, and one of Brahne’s surrender conditions was turning over the new non-Mist powered ship. The other condition was turning over the Falcon Claw. Not sure what that is – some symbol of leadership?
-Yeah. A piece of stone. Everyone is baffled as to why she’d want that, but I’m betting that it’s some key to finding the other jewel shard.
-The harbor was also taken over. So how do we get to the Outer Continent?
-Cid says that there’s a swamp north of the city with an excavation site where foreign monsters are rumored to roam. So we find them and hopefully the cave they’re in will lead us to the Outer Continent.
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Wrapping Up in Lindblum
-BLESS YOU FFIX. A character tells me that since Lindblum is now under Alexandrian control, we should stock up and do our last rounds around the city before we leave. I love that advance warning so much.
Grrr…
-The weapons shop advertises a “special discounter for Alexandrians,” and they clearly jacked the prices up for them. We’re getting a preview of life in occupied Lindblum, and various ways the city will resist. From the Vigilantes to “special discounts.”
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The Third Jewel
-An ATE. Guessing this will be one about Brahne.
-Not quite. It’s in Lindblum Castle though, soldiers talking.
-They’re sending personnel to the harbor to supply the fleet. They have the Falcon Claw now, so no need to stay here.
-OH WAIT – what if the Falcon Claw IS the third jewel? That’s why this ATE is called that. Though I’m surprised – it doesn’t sound very jewel-like. Sounds more like a rock.
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Wrapping Up in Lindblum
-Found Justin. He looks more like Payne Stewart than what you’d think of as a rebel leader.
-Passed on Nicole’s message, and he’s taken aback by her words but determined to continue. They’re either romantically involved or family. Guessing romantically involved on opposite sides of this war.
-Heading to the Theater District.
-Lord. A woman and her child are trying to get to the Industrial District to see their husband/father. But the tram won’t fly there. Because it was destroyed.
-The citizens are traumatized by what just happened.
-Again, I really, really appreciate how much the game is fleshing out the impact and results of Brahne’s attack.
-Hee! One of the Alexandrian soldiers is in the home of the artist, Michel. She likes his painting. They seem to be getting along. A small bright spot even amidst this chaos.
-Brahne plans to build an Opera House in the theater district. And the FFVI callback potential continues.
-Found a Tetra Master card with a new letter: “A.” Hm.
-One Alexandrian soldier says she pledged to protect Alexandria, not to kill in this way.
-lol. Found an Alexandrian Lowell fan.
-Found Lowell! Since the theater here is destroyed, convinced him to go to Alexandria to work at Ruby’s theater.
-The two kids, Bunce and Lucella, are thankfully okay and still at Tantalus headquarters. Scared, but okay.
-Back in the business district, talked to Nicole again. She doesn’t say anything beyond “Justin… you must stop.” I don’t have a good feeling about this ending well. More likely that Nicole might be ordered to kill Justin directly.
-Ok, think I’m ready to roll. I can’t reach the Dragon Gate, but I’m optimistic that when I tell the regent’s servant that we’re ready to go he’ll take us there.
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Next time: moving out from Lindblum.
