Across the Ozmone Plains
-I cross the Ozmone Plains. They’re sunny and bright, a departure from the Giza Plains.
-There’s a huge fallen airship here, in the appropriately named “Field of Fallen Wings.” Can’t seem to access it.
-The Golmore Jungle lies to the east. The panthers here aren’t high level but land lots of status effects. Nope. I’ll come back when I have to..
-YET ANOTHER section of the Zertinian Caverns is located here. Way higher level than me.
-Reached the next river and Garif Village.
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Jahara, Land of the Garif
-The Garif here wear huge masks. I wonder if they’re animal people underneath. Their hands look hume-ish.
-The guards turn me away until War-chief Supinelu vouches for us. He saw us dominate the Plains.
-Supinelu suggests we talk with the village elders about the nethicite.
-Other humes have been here of late to speak with the elders. Imperials?
-A fiend with strange powers has been seen in Zertinian Caverns, inciting violence in the other monsters there. I’ll bet if I take it out, the monsters will go passive.
-A hume child has been here before. I bet it’s Lord Larsa.
-THE GARIF TEND BIG FLUFFY GOAT BIRDS CALLED NANNAS & THEY’RE SO CUTE
-The Mist is thick in woods southeast of here.
-The regular elders can’t help. Maybe the Great Chief can.
-There’s a rich magicite vein near the village.
-Meeting time. The War-chief doesn’t know how to work the stone.
-In the past, the gods gifted it to them, but they didn’t know how to use the nethicite. The gods took the stones back and gave it to the Dynast-King.
[Later edit: Something about this myth rubs me the wrong way. Like, the gods gave the nethicite to this “savage” people. They couldn’t figure it out, so the gods gave it to the “civilized” people who brought peace to the world? Hm.]
-And yet, he says the Mist collected in the stone is lost. Can we reinfuse it, like in that place where we heard the Mist had gathered?
“This stone is devoid of power. Empty, yet full of thirst. A terrible longing to drink the world dry. The power of men and of magick. Of good, and of evil.” Nethicite has kind of a “One Ring” feel to it.
(Btw, I love the Great Chief's voice.)
-LARSA! I knew it.
-Larsa asks for Ashe’s help. Marquis Ondore is off rallying resistance against Archadia. Larsa fears that the Rozarrian Empire will support the Resistance and use that as a pretext to war against Archadia.
-Ashe hates the idea of saving the Archadian Empire after all they’ve done, but Larsa points out that Dalmasca would be the battlefield in such a war. He’s not wrong.
-That night. Ashe sees an image of Prince Rasler. She runs up to it, but finds it’s only Vaan.
-Whoa, Vaan saw a phantom too! Or maybe he saw Reks. Idk.
-I like the parallel between Vaan and Ashe. Both had beloved ones who went off to war and died, and are still trying to find out the right way to act in the wake of those deaths. How to honor those deaths and process them.
-I love how open Vaan is, how comfortable he is talking about his concerns, his drive, his vulnerabilities and reasons.
-He has been running away from his brother’s death, and now is ready to find a purpose again. No longer just latch on.
-The next day. Ashe will accompany Larsa to Mount Bur-Omisace.
-Larsa also wants to introduce Ashe to someone there. “An enemy, and an ally also. You will just have to wait and see for yourself.” I trust Larsa, but that sounds like a terrible answer to give to a princess who’s risking a lot to help you.
-Yay, Larsa joins the party as a guest!
-Geomancer Yugelu says that the War-chief fights a great monster of immense power. I’m guessing this is metaphor, like the monster of jealousy or something.
-A legendary wyrm lives in the Golmore Jungles. I’ll bet it’s similar to Earth Tyrant.
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Hunt: Enkelados
-I pick up my next hunt from Low-chief Sugumu. Enkelados tramples his herbs in the Ozmone Plains.
-Warrior Hsemu tells me that to lure Enkelados out, I have to first clear the Wus.
-Two more rare game kills: Bull Croc and Aeros.
-Cleared out the Wus. Enkelados spawned, a giant Slaven.
-The fight isn’t too bad. He heals himself up, but other than that it’s tank-and-spank.
-One of the turn-in rewards is a Golden Amulet. It DOUBLES license points earned. Whoo!!
-He also asks me to bring the errmonea leaf I got from Enkelados to a Lesina in the Giza Plains village.
-Nobody’s there. Must be a dry season thing.
-I return to Clan Centurio to check in. I’m now a Ward of Justice, the next rank up.
-There’s a secret group that sponsors hunts outside the normal bill/contract arrangements.
-My new rank allows me to buy cheap ethers!
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Exploration: Mosphoran Highwastes, Babbling Vale, Salikawood
-Before that, I return to the Mosphoran Highwastes. I can take on the enemies here now and want to explore.
-Found the Babbling Vale, a rest zone with a caravan.
-Rumors of a water god nearby.
-Shrine of the Northwest Wind is here.
-A researcher from Archades is here researching the water shrines.
WOOHOOO GOT A PAIR OF THIEF’S CUFFS HERE!!
-Came to a bridge that led me to the Salikawood.
-It’s a sylvan zone with peaceful music. Less peaceful are the Malboro Kings.
http://i.imgur.com/NmgABuL.png
-Reached a gate to the Phon Coast.It’s locked. A Moogle Boss is here fixing it.
-He and his nine apprentices were exploring Ivalice’s architecture when monsters attacked them in the Salikawood. The King of Nabradia saved them. Really? I thought that place was destroyed.
-The king invited them to his palace, and the moogles made this gate in thanks. Ah – so this was earlier.
-Got Charm! I'm excited to try this for crowd control.
-The Malboro Kings here are a bit nasty. My Shell tends to resist their breath pretty well.
There are empty huts throughout the woods. I wonder who lives here. Moogles maybe.
-OH GOD SUDDENLY A BOSS
-I walked out past a red save crystal and ran into King Bomb. He summoned three regular bombs to help him.
-Died the first attempt. He debuffed me with Oil and burned the crap out of me. Plus, he resummoned the little bombs and healed himself up.
-Two strategy adjustments:
1) Use Handkerchiefs to clear Oil as soon as possible.
2) Use Silence Shot on Balthier to prevent him from using powerful fire magic.
WOOHOO VICTORY!!
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Next time: Continuing past King Bomb in Salikawood.
