Summary: Checking in with my chocobos and Tobli. Tying up loose ends and puzzles beneath Bevelle. Via Infinito. Ribbon and Dark Knight.
Celsius
-So Vegnagun is deep down. We have to reach him through one of the holes. (Because I guess the holes go to the Farplane? Not sure why we don’t just head straight for the Farplane access in Guadosalam.)
-But which one?
-Brother “allows” (lol) Yuna to lead the way here. As if that choice were his to bestow.
Brother… just… You know what? Never mind.
-Shinra says it’s his last mission with the Gullwings. Oh no! Why?
-I really don’t want to pick yet.
-LULU HAD A BABY OMG! I had assumed she was in like her early second trimester for some reason.
-Things in Kilika are getting messy apparently. Not sure why.
-holy shit there are hotspots almost EVERYWHERE.
-Interesting. As I look at the star difficulty ratings for the zones, everywhere is one star except for Bikanel Desert and Djose Temple, both of which are five stars. I wonder if this means that the fiend troubling Bikanel Desert is a superboss.
-First stop is checking on my chocobos.
---
Calm Lands
-Looks like my campaign for this dude’s son is over. We have a winner!
-Won an AMAZING item – a Speed Bracer. Go Speed Bracer, go! Constant haste, and the user can cast Hastega. Like. Holy shit.
-She seems… reasonably happy I guess?
-Nice. There’s a short cut from the camp in central Calm Lands to the Chocobo Ranch.
-The Thunder Plains chocobo returned, but no treasure. Gagazet chocobo returned with Arctic Wind and a White Ring. Besaid chocobo found a bunch of potions. Zanarkand chocobo found Remedy and Ether.
-Good. This tells me I was at least sort of near the mark with the places appropriate for bold and timid chocobos.
-I adjust my roster a bit, get some level 3 and 4 (still no normal chocobos, just bold and timid), and dispatch them.
-Around the Calm Lands. It seems like the yellow lettering on scan doesn’t necessarily indicate blue magic.
-The little node in the northwest of the Calm Lands is still unusable, but now there’s a treasure chest by it that wasn’t there before. Cerulean Ring, absorbs water and can use Waterga. It also tells me that I should check parts of the world I’ve already been to, since there might be something new there.
-Found another Aka Manah. I really want to see if its Emblem of Thanatos is learnable on gun mage. I waited until it used it, but didn’t learn it. Oh well.
-uh. Am I stuck?
-I jumped onto that plateau in the southeast of the Calm Lands that led to Remiem Temple. The way is blocked. And I can’t find a place to jump off.
-Never mind. After 10 minutes of wandering this plateau spamming jump, one of the places worked. Phew.
Celsius
-So Vegnagun is deep down. We have to reach him through one of the holes. (Because I guess the holes go to the Farplane? Not sure why we don’t just head straight for the Farplane access in Guadosalam.)
-But which one?
-Brother “allows” (lol) Yuna to lead the way here. As if that choice were his to bestow.
Brother… just… You know what? Never mind.
-Shinra says it’s his last mission with the Gullwings. Oh no! Why?
-I really don’t want to pick yet.
-LULU HAD A BABY OMG! I had assumed she was in like her early second trimester for some reason.
-Things in Kilika are getting messy apparently. Not sure why.
-holy shit there are hotspots almost EVERYWHERE.
-Interesting. As I look at the star difficulty ratings for the zones, everywhere is one star except for Bikanel Desert and Djose Temple, both of which are five stars. I wonder if this means that the fiend troubling Bikanel Desert is a superboss.
-First stop is checking on my chocobos.
---
Calm Lands
-Looks like my campaign for this dude’s son is over. We have a winner!
-Won an AMAZING item – a Speed Bracer. Go Speed Bracer, go! Constant haste, and the user can cast Hastega. Like. Holy shit.
-She seems… reasonably happy I guess?
-Nice. There’s a short cut from the camp in central Calm Lands to the Chocobo Ranch.
-The Thunder Plains chocobo returned, but no treasure. Gagazet chocobo returned with Arctic Wind and a White Ring. Besaid chocobo found a bunch of potions. Zanarkand chocobo found Remedy and Ether.
-Good. This tells me I was at least sort of near the mark with the places appropriate for bold and timid chocobos.
-I adjust my roster a bit, get some level 3 and 4 (still no normal chocobos, just bold and timid), and dispatch them.
-Around the Calm Lands. It seems like the yellow lettering on scan doesn’t necessarily indicate blue magic.
-The little node in the northwest of the Calm Lands is still unusable, but now there’s a treasure chest by it that wasn’t there before. Cerulean Ring, absorbs water and can use Waterga. It also tells me that I should check parts of the world I’ve already been to, since there might be something new there.
-Found another Aka Manah. I really want to see if its Emblem of Thanatos is learnable on gun mage. I waited until it used it, but didn’t learn it. Oh well.
-uh. Am I stuck?
-I jumped onto that plateau in the southeast of the Calm Lands that led to Remiem Temple. The way is blocked. And I can’t find a place to jump off.
-Never mind. After 10 minutes of wandering this plateau spamming jump, one of the places worked. Phew.
---
Moonflow
-Just as before, I’m going to start out by visiting all the non-hotspot zones, then work my way through the hotspots.
-Tobli is feeling more relaxed. Has a new show going on.
-Some musicians riding a shoopuf. Nice jazzy sound.
-The crowd’s reaction is overall on the meh side. They like it, but Yunapalooza is a tough act to follow. Regardless, the consensus is that Tobli is back.
-I really like how flexible the samurai dressphere is. A heal and status cure, self-haste, enemy dispel, for example.
---
Bevelle
-This is the last non-hotspot location. I haven’t been in touch with Bevelle much recently due to my Youth League leanings, but hopefully that’ll change since Yunapalooza.
-Huh. There’s a lift in the city now. Like a motorboat… lol it went like 10 feet.
-The Youth League spy is here, Maroda. He’s on the inside now. New Yevon is really hurting for numbers. [Later edit: I now think he’s not just a successful Youth League spy, but rather someone who’s legitimately stepping up to try a leadership role within Bevelle.]
-lolol the kinderguardians are here XD
-The Kinderguardians found some kind of teleport area. That seems… dangerous.
---
Via Infinito
-It takes us to the Via Infinito. “Cloiser 0.” Hm. Hana (one of the kinderguardians) says this is like the farplane.
????: “First in a year, you are.” I don’t recognize the voice.
-holy fuck it’s one of the old maester dudes
-Someone named Trema descended through here in the past and never returned. The name is familiar but I can’t place it. [Later edit: the more I think about it, the more likely it is I’m just thinking of the city Treno from FFIX.]
-The unnamed ghostly master disappears. Dropped a sphere. Let’s watch.
-Another crimson sphere.
-The crimson squad got swarmed by pyreflies, and saw an “apparition.” An enormous machina. Must be Vegnagun.
-Yikes. Nooj said Vegnagun somehow got inside them – made them feel fear, regret. A despair machine.
-Another person who we can’t see pops in. Tells the now-faction leaders that they passed whatever the test was and are now Crimson Squad members.
-OH SHIT AS THEY WALK AWAY THE NEW DUDE HAS THE SOLDIERS FIRE ON THEM!
-Dropped down one level in the Via Infinito. I get a message that I can’t avoid fiends here, regardless of abilities or equipment. This makes me feel like I’m not supposed to be here – like this is some kind of bonus dungeon.
-it’s a tonberry up ahead. Ruh oh. But it goes down quick
-Dropped now into Cloister 2. What the hell is this place?
Moonflow
-Just as before, I’m going to start out by visiting all the non-hotspot zones, then work my way through the hotspots.
-Tobli is feeling more relaxed. Has a new show going on.
-Some musicians riding a shoopuf. Nice jazzy sound.
-The crowd’s reaction is overall on the meh side. They like it, but Yunapalooza is a tough act to follow. Regardless, the consensus is that Tobli is back.
-I really like how flexible the samurai dressphere is. A heal and status cure, self-haste, enemy dispel, for example.
---
Bevelle
-This is the last non-hotspot location. I haven’t been in touch with Bevelle much recently due to my Youth League leanings, but hopefully that’ll change since Yunapalooza.
-Huh. There’s a lift in the city now. Like a motorboat… lol it went like 10 feet.
-The Youth League spy is here, Maroda. He’s on the inside now. New Yevon is really hurting for numbers. [Later edit: I now think he’s not just a successful Youth League spy, but rather someone who’s legitimately stepping up to try a leadership role within Bevelle.]
-lolol the kinderguardians are here XD
-The Kinderguardians found some kind of teleport area. That seems… dangerous.
---
Via Infinito
-It takes us to the Via Infinito. “Cloiser 0.” Hm. Hana (one of the kinderguardians) says this is like the farplane.
????: “First in a year, you are.” I don’t recognize the voice.
-holy fuck it’s one of the old maester dudes
-Someone named Trema descended through here in the past and never returned. The name is familiar but I can’t place it. [Later edit: the more I think about it, the more likely it is I’m just thinking of the city Treno from FFIX.]
-The unnamed ghostly master disappears. Dropped a sphere. Let’s watch.
-Another crimson sphere.
-The crimson squad got swarmed by pyreflies, and saw an “apparition.” An enormous machina. Must be Vegnagun.
-Yikes. Nooj said Vegnagun somehow got inside them – made them feel fear, regret. A despair machine.
-Another person who we can’t see pops in. Tells the now-faction leaders that they passed whatever the test was and are now Crimson Squad members.
-OH SHIT AS THEY WALK AWAY THE NEW DUDE HAS THE SOLDIERS FIRE ON THEM!
-Dropped down one level in the Via Infinito. I get a message that I can’t avoid fiends here, regardless of abilities or equipment. This makes me feel like I’m not supposed to be here – like this is some kind of bonus dungeon.
-it’s a tonberry up ahead. Ruh oh. But it goes down quick
-Dropped now into Cloister 2. What the hell is this place?
-Low level enemies so far.
-Tonberries throughout, ones we can see even while walking around. Perhaps they’re meant to be gear-checks, cloister bosses.
-I keep seeing those sigils on the floor, offering to let me return to the surface. I don’t want to just yet. But if this place is the kind of bonus dungeon I think it is, I will before too long.
-I pop out after about Cloister 5. Yay! I can either start over, or continue from the deepest Cloister reached. One of the things I haaaaated about the bonus stuff in the ios version of FFI was that you had to do it all in one go. Not so much here.
---
Bevelle
-The last thing in this city I want to check is where the lift goes. I forgot.
-A random guard up top gives us the Electrocutioner and Hypno Crown accessories. Thanks?
-There’s a setting up top that lets me change the lift. Maybe the motorboat can go vertical or something?
…nope. No impact.
-I definitely feel like I’m missing something about these lifts. Gonna do some trial and error.
-OH RIGHT, this main lift can go down!
-Made it to the ante-chamber. Is this the place before Bahamut? Saving here. If it’s going to start my descent to Vegnagun, I’ll reload. Nowhere near ready for that.
-riiight, this is the hole leading to the restricted area. Don’t wanna go there yet.
-Just changed a thing in the previous room that sets the lift to the temple depths.
-Down now in the cloister of trials, where I can collect a mess of treasure.
-Found Crystal Gloves that raise defense by 60.
-YESSS! Alchemist!Rikku learned Ether.
-omg alchemist has a 999 ability, Elixir. I’ll do that last.
-I’ve been futzing around down here beneath Bevelle for a while, and finally think I understand this lift a bit. The “normal” setting has it go between the main temple area and this trials hub. The “depths” setting sends it down near where we first saw Vegnagun. Let’s try that.
-Yup. I’m now in that creepy-ass area where Vegnagun was ripped out. Limbo. Nothing happens.
-And I STILL can’t get that treasure chest that taunts me!
-So I’m not going back to the restricted area, but I really want to get a grasp on what that lift setting above does, the one that turns red by the guard who gave me accessories.
-It says it changes the Main Lift between normal and direct mode.
-AHA!!! When the Main Lift is direct, is skips past the lengthy trials area. Very nice.
-You know what? Fuck it. I’m going to the Restricted Area. I’ll save first, and if it starts something that feels like an endgame sequence, I’ll quit and reset.
-All this messing with the lifts makes me feel like I’m in a Zelda game.
-Again, I’m really bad at puzzles, so just kind of fighting around these lit-up turrets trying to open up things I missed before.
-Been down here a while now, at this circle of security towers. I make things move, and feel like I’m close to something, but not sure what.
-What if I have to make just a straight staircase down?
-Tonberries throughout, ones we can see even while walking around. Perhaps they’re meant to be gear-checks, cloister bosses.
-I keep seeing those sigils on the floor, offering to let me return to the surface. I don’t want to just yet. But if this place is the kind of bonus dungeon I think it is, I will before too long.
-I pop out after about Cloister 5. Yay! I can either start over, or continue from the deepest Cloister reached. One of the things I haaaaated about the bonus stuff in the ios version of FFI was that you had to do it all in one go. Not so much here.
---
Bevelle
-The last thing in this city I want to check is where the lift goes. I forgot.
-A random guard up top gives us the Electrocutioner and Hypno Crown accessories. Thanks?
-There’s a setting up top that lets me change the lift. Maybe the motorboat can go vertical or something?
…nope. No impact.
-I definitely feel like I’m missing something about these lifts. Gonna do some trial and error.
-OH RIGHT, this main lift can go down!
-Made it to the ante-chamber. Is this the place before Bahamut? Saving here. If it’s going to start my descent to Vegnagun, I’ll reload. Nowhere near ready for that.
-riiight, this is the hole leading to the restricted area. Don’t wanna go there yet.
-Just changed a thing in the previous room that sets the lift to the temple depths.
-Down now in the cloister of trials, where I can collect a mess of treasure.
-Found Crystal Gloves that raise defense by 60.
-YESSS! Alchemist!Rikku learned Ether.
-omg alchemist has a 999 ability, Elixir. I’ll do that last.
-I’ve been futzing around down here beneath Bevelle for a while, and finally think I understand this lift a bit. The “normal” setting has it go between the main temple area and this trials hub. The “depths” setting sends it down near where we first saw Vegnagun. Let’s try that.
-Yup. I’m now in that creepy-ass area where Vegnagun was ripped out. Limbo. Nothing happens.
-And I STILL can’t get that treasure chest that taunts me!
-So I’m not going back to the restricted area, but I really want to get a grasp on what that lift setting above does, the one that turns red by the guard who gave me accessories.
-It says it changes the Main Lift between normal and direct mode.
-AHA!!! When the Main Lift is direct, is skips past the lengthy trials area. Very nice.
-You know what? Fuck it. I’m going to the Restricted Area. I’ll save first, and if it starts something that feels like an endgame sequence, I’ll quit and reset.
-All this messing with the lifts makes me feel like I’m in a Zelda game.
-Again, I’m really bad at puzzles, so just kind of fighting around these lit-up turrets trying to open up things I missed before.
-Been down here a while now, at this circle of security towers. I make things move, and feel like I’m close to something, but not sure what.
-What if I have to make just a straight staircase down?
*30 minutes of killing Georappellas and Precepts Guards later*
I THINK I GET THIS. I think I now understand what each of these things does.
-Wait. No. I don’t. Hm.
*45 minutes later*
-NOW I GET TI NOW I GET IT HOLY SHIT NOW I GET IT!!!!
So. One of the six towers resets the puzzle. Two of these towers move whichever the active platform is clockwise or counterclockwise. The remaining three determine which platform is being moved. Red indicates that’s the one being moved, light blue indicate not the one being moved.
I know, I know. That’s not super coherent. But holy lord I think I might understand this after bashing my brain against what probably wasn’t that tough a puzzle, and I am running on fumes.
-Let’s see what that gets me….
-Ribbon!!!!! And an achievement: “Treasure Hunter.” God that’s satisfying.
-Feeling super drained, but gonna press on into the labyrinth to see what else I missed.
-Yeah, not gonna do that gaol puzzle again right now.
-FHDJKLSFHDSKLFDSL YUUUUUUUS I SOLVED IT!!! That goddam treasure chest that was taunting me. I found the right elevator, stepped on a platform, and more platforms came up. I don’t know how I missed it before, and I’ll bet it’s just some crappy potion or remedy, but the sheer satisfaction of not having that treasure chest gnawing at me is priceless.
-you have to be shitting me.
-you have to be SHITTING ME.
-DARK
KNIGHT
DRESSSPHERERRERERERE
-I’ve sat here, just petting my cat and not really doing anything in game for like two minutes. I’m not dancing in my apartment, but rather feeling the kind of joy that you get from finally finishing a crossword puzzle that you’ve been working on all week.
-There are now only three dresspheres I’m missing.
-Time to leave Bevelle. What a satisfying session that was.
---
Next time: Bikanel Desert. I want to check in on the Cactuar Nation, if I’m able to help solve the giant fiend problem. Paine will start her Dark Knight training, since she all but completed her berserker dressphere.
I THINK I GET THIS. I think I now understand what each of these things does.
-Wait. No. I don’t. Hm.
*45 minutes later*
-NOW I GET TI NOW I GET IT HOLY SHIT NOW I GET IT!!!!
So. One of the six towers resets the puzzle. Two of these towers move whichever the active platform is clockwise or counterclockwise. The remaining three determine which platform is being moved. Red indicates that’s the one being moved, light blue indicate not the one being moved.
I know, I know. That’s not super coherent. But holy lord I think I might understand this after bashing my brain against what probably wasn’t that tough a puzzle, and I am running on fumes.
-Let’s see what that gets me….
-Ribbon!!!!! And an achievement: “Treasure Hunter.” God that’s satisfying.
-Feeling super drained, but gonna press on into the labyrinth to see what else I missed.
-Yeah, not gonna do that gaol puzzle again right now.
-FHDJKLSFHDSKLFDSL YUUUUUUUS I SOLVED IT!!! That goddam treasure chest that was taunting me. I found the right elevator, stepped on a platform, and more platforms came up. I don’t know how I missed it before, and I’ll bet it’s just some crappy potion or remedy, but the sheer satisfaction of not having that treasure chest gnawing at me is priceless.
-you have to be shitting me.
-you have to be SHITTING ME.
-DARK
KNIGHT
DRESSSPHERERRERERERE
-I’ve sat here, just petting my cat and not really doing anything in game for like two minutes. I’m not dancing in my apartment, but rather feeling the kind of joy that you get from finally finishing a crossword puzzle that you’ve been working on all week.
-There are now only three dresspheres I’m missing.
-Time to leave Bevelle. What a satisfying session that was.
---
Next time: Bikanel Desert. I want to check in on the Cactuar Nation, if I’m able to help solve the giant fiend problem. Paine will start her Dark Knight training, since she all but completed her berserker dressphere.
