The High Seas!
-Quick note before I start the session: I’m nervous. Anxious. Having access to a boat will likely open up the world to me, and while I think that’s awesome, it also overwhelms me a bit. What if I miss stuff? What if I linger somewhere too long? What if I go to the wrong place? What if I pick the wrong party members and screw myself somehow?
I know, it’s all a bit silly, but it’s part of my mental make-up when I reach more open parts of games, and thought I’d share.
-The northern continent is my ultimate destination, but I wonder if I can explore the western continent.
-Starting with a series of islands in the southwest of the map. One with a beach and chocobo tracks. Salvage Archipelago.
-First enemy here is a “Gimme Cat.” It wants us to give it a Diamond, but it has battle music rather than the kind of happy music associated with Ladybug.
Give it over, right meow!
I don’t have any diamonds. :( It hurts bad, with Scratch (one of the main Gau damaging attacks from FFVI) and all my attacks heal it, so I flee.
-Found a little cove/grotto thing.
---
Chocobo Lagoon
-!!!YES!!!! More chocobo stuff.
-Choco’s old friend, Mene, is here.
-Hot & Cold is half time and half price here, with less ground to cover.
-BLESS THIS MUSIC!!!!
-The dig depth is much higher here. Glad I leveled up at Chocobo Forest before finding this place.
-Much tougher to string together streaks here.
-Playing a crapload of Hot & Cold. So much fun.
-Whoa. Time just flew. Leveled his beak up from like 14 to 21 and got all the chocographs. :D
---
The High Seas!
-One of the islands here is Palmnell Island.
-…and that’s a Grand Dragon.
-Well. At least I found the Chocobo Lagoon and now know that the southwestern islands are NOT where I’m supposed to be.
-Found a Qu Marsh on Lanar Island to the north, in a series of islands stretching out just west of the southwestern continent.
-Caught some more frogs. 24 total. Quale shows up and gives Quina a Silver Fork.
-There’s a lot of unused space in these marshes. It’s either flavor or I’m missing something.
-Cool! Found a tower on the north part of the southwestern continent. I wonder what’s there.
-I also see a large rock sticking up in the middle of the water. Got back on the Blue Narciss to try bumping into it, but nothing happened.
-Ok. So the southwest continent is brown, rocky, and expansive. Let’s head north.
-The northwest continent is icy. I think I have a bunch of snowy chocograph areas. Quelmiera Shores.
-Found one! Echo Screens, Hi Potions, Tents, and a Theater Ship Card.
GODDAMMIT I DID IT AGAIN
I WAS AT 100 CARDS SO IT DISCARDED THE NEW ONE
FUUUUUUUCK
-Discarded 20 cards so I’m down to 80. Grrr. Yes, I should’ve remembered, and yes, I should’ve known, but still… that’s SUCH A BAD MECHANIC. If the game gave me the chance to discard when capped at 100 after winning a card game, it should give me the chance to discard when capped at 100 after finding a new card as reward or treasure. Or at the least don’t just destroy the new card.
-Ooh, found what looks to be a snowy mountain fort in the Gulug Mountains on this continent.
-Survived a fight with some Vepals, but they’re out of my league. Not supposed to be here.
---
Esto Garza
-The city is Esto Garza. Got some dramatic music.
-Mention of the Shimmering Island, where it’s said ships sometimes fly from.
TOWNSPERSON: “The Shimmering Island is proof of the Path of Souls.” I’M SORRY WHAT
-There’s an altar in here that’s really quite beautiful. In the way that warm places in cold climates can be beautiful.
-Zidane gets mixed reactions.
-People say they feel younger around this altar.
-A bishop is here. Says that life comes from the stars, and this place is holy enough to worship the Path of Souls, something again to do with the Shimmering Island.
-Mogrika is the moogle here.
-Some of these people came a long way, including from Lindblum.
-I can’t take the awesomeness of this environment.
Winter zones are always some of my favorite zones, and this place makes me long for the Minnesota winter to return.
-Doors to what seem like a temple are shut. There are dragon statues outside it. We’ll be back.
---
Exploring the Outer Continent
-Hopping on a chocobo.
-Found another chest! It includes Feather Boots and an “N-Kai Armlet.”
-There’s a dark spot on this land that looks like… I dunno. Like something.
-Not finding any more chocobo chests.
---
Alexandria
-It’s probably wrong to come back here, but I wanted to check out the rebuild.
-This city is a mess.
-Dang… I see a chocobo chest spot… right there! In the valley below Alexandria. I’m sure that’s it. But I can’t reach it.
-Ruby’s okay. Lowell is in her theater, and he’s a dick.
---
Mist Continent
-There’s one particular chest I feel optimistic about here. It’s an area called “Dawn Harbor,” near a city where it’s always night. Must be Treno.
-JACKPOT!!!
---
Chocobo Dream World
-I love this place SO MUCH.
-The big chocobo grants Choco the ability to climb mountains, turning him red.
-Something in the Big Chocobo’s language gives me chills.
---
More Chocobo Treasure Hunting
-omg yes yes yes
-This new mountain-climbing ability gives me ridiculous mobility.
-Immediately climbed through the mountains to reach the chest I’d been trying for for so long in the basin below Alexandria. Got a Jade Armlet, 3 Wing Edges, and a Cargo Ship Card.
-And found another one, this one near the western continent. I’m ROLLING. Shield Armor, Gaia Gear.
-Going to try for one last one tonight. One chocograph has the clue “go play in the icy water,” but the land is brown. Going to check around the icy continent.
-I think I may have found it. The land just south of the icy northwest continent, and found a path for Choco to reach it.
-omg this is so great. Found it, the Faraway Lagoon. Got Dragon’s Claws (sounds like an Amarant thing).
-My only remaining chocograph looks to be on the southwest continent. No beaches to touch down there, so going to put it off for now.
---
Next time: Black Mage Village.
