Old Archades
-We exit Sochen Cave Palace to Old Archades, a slum district.
-An “ancient wyrm” lurks in Sochen. I’ll bet it lives in either the Ascetic’s Door or Pilgrim’s Door.
-Lots of talk down here about trading info, playing people false. They make it sound like a deception mini-game.
-UH IS THIS COCKATRICE TALKING TO ME
Maybe I can only understand them because I picked up that cockatrice key item back in the Giza Plains.
-This place is super depressing. There’s even a moogle troupe that got seduced into a seeq’s employ and basically met the Pleasure Island fate in Pinocchio.
-We’re barred from entering the city proper until a guy named Jules approaches. He knows Balthier.
-Jules asks for 1500gil to help get into the city. It’s a pittance to me so I say yes.
-He gives me some info about a theft. I pass on the info to the victim who is enraged that he knows the thief. The Imperials guarding the city leave their post to deal with this. Thanks, Jules!
As we leave, Jules to Balthier: “The prodigal Bunansa’s son’s come back to the Imperial roost.” Guessing that Balthier’s dad is Bunansa.
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The Imperial City of Archades
-Archades is such a great-looking city! Some of the building look almost like skyscrapers.
-Penelo and Vaan take a minute to think how cool this all is. A bit overwhelming for two Dalmascan kid, even aware of their hate for the Empire.
-A new hunt is available: Darksteel, a Titantoise.
-There’s a Chopmaster in the shops dealing with pinewood chops and sandalwood. Sounds like they’ll raise my reputation, and/or be earned from doing tasks in Archades.
-Archades has so many people that I want to match up! A person who found a love letter and one who dropped it. An investor and someone looking for money. No way to match them just yet.
-A dude named Roh’kenmu sold his moonsilver medallion when desperate. He wants it back, but the buyer, Otto is missing.
-I find Otto in Old Town. He carved some of the moonstone to make a wedding ring, and gives the rest back to me.
-Roh’kenmu says that the remaining piece of the moonsilver is even stronger than before because it’s been in the presence of true love. He will now take this back to the “Frog King of Nabudis.” Huh. That must be some boss lurking in the Necrohol. Or maybe a friendly NPC.
-HEY, IT’S JULY! She’s the woman who spied on Not!Biggs and Not!Wedge.
She’s off to Rabanastre. Someone pickpocketed an Imperial there hired her to retrieve what was stolen.
-Tried to board a cab to meet back up with Balthier, but can’t. I need this new “chops” currency.
-So THIS is where all the various paired dialogues come in.
-This involves an FFII-style keyword system. For instance, a senior researcher from Draklor Labs has a colleague who broke some equipment. She wants me to give some words of encouragement, and I memorize these to pass on.
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Hunt: Darksteel
-An Archadian plans to travel through Sochen Cave Palace, but fears this monster Darksteel.
-Not much to speak of here. He’s a turtle, he dies pretty quick.
-Got some Adamantite. A lot of the “loot” type rewards I get don’t do anything for me yet. I sell them to a vendor, but nothing appears on the Bazaar. Hm. Later maybe.
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Chop Hunting
[I cut out many of the dialogue pairs I initially wrote down. Was just so much!]
1. Historian: Wants people to appreciate Archades’ challenging past.
2. Perceptive Man: Wants to know the true history of Archades.
-Archades is a relatively young empire. Already forgetting its past.
1. Music Appreciator (T): Her lutenist friend is too old to play, and wants a skilled lutenist to play his favorite pieces.
2. Lutenist (T): A lutenist looking for work.
-There’s something especially poetic in this pairing about giving some comfort to an old musician.
1. Determined Researcher: Her dad wanted her to be a Draklor researcher, but her colleagues are unsettling. She finished her dad’s main work and wants to quit.
2. Ex-Researcher: Happy his daughter is a researcher, but torn that she doesn’t have time for a life outside.
-Draklor Laboratory work is both prestigious and demanding af.
1. Tarot Reader: Has the misfortune to see into the future, but only see tragedy.
2. Happy Novelist: Wants to write tragedies but accidentally keeps writing happy stories.
-This is one of many similar stories that show how important art and literature are to Archades. It’s not just another Vector, the FFVI military-centric Imperial capital. There’s a huge class divide we see between Archades and Old Archades, let alone the rest of the Empire, but I LOVE how much of a fully-formed culture this empire is.
Note: despite all this culture, it’s BIGOTED AF (to say nothing of its militaristic domination).
And against one of the greatest and most huggable species around! Who wouldn’t love a seeq?
1. Philosopher of Cuisine: Looking for a “revolutionary” dish. Well… maybe the Dangerous Chef’s meal is generously described as revolutionary. (If redefined as “that which causes revulsion.”)
2. Dangerous Chef: lolol a chef who made shitty food and now her guests won’t return. She wants help learning to cook.
This just kind of made me laugh. XD
1. Proud Mother: Her son’s tutor left suddenly.
2. Tutor: His pupil recently left for Bhujerba, so he needs work.
-This one seemed straightforward at first, but it cracked me up afterwards when the mom added that her kid is 33.
1. Poor Husband: OH GOD HE BOUGHT AN ANNIVERSARY GIFT FOR HIS WIFE – A NECKLACE, THAT SHE FOUND AND SOLD SO SHE COULD GET SOMETHING FOR HIM – MATCH! #1
2. Poor Wife: Wants to give a gift to her husband but lacks money. So she sold an old necklace she found at home.
1. Talented Woman: Has a knack for magick, but is too poor to buy any.
2. Akademician: Concerned about the Akademy’s slipping quality. Wants to improve their teaching.
-The Empire is largely an oligarchy, and its rewarding of wealth isn’t without consequence. It’s no meritocracy.
1. Would-Be Judge: Wants to learn how to become a judge. – MATCH! #4
2. Judge’s Wife: Her husband died nobly, attempting to save a child’s life.
-We already know that not all judges are bad. Hearing a judge’s spouse talk about how the judge died doing the right thing, and
1. Reminiscing Lady: Remembers mummers fondly. – MATCH! #3
2. Family-Minded Girl: Despises mummers. She’d “sooner watch the mating dance of the malboro.” XD
Her dad was a mummer who couldn’t for their family. One day, a noble offered to marry her mom, and her dad agreed. He wanted better for the family and also loved the mummer’s life. Left to practice it. No wonder she hates mummers.
Her mother is more understanding of the decision.
Found a Mummer in town who says his teacher no longer works in the city. The only person in all these areas who wasn’t part of a chop pair. I wonder if I’ll see the dad elsewhere.
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Next time: taking the boat to meet up with Balthier deeper in Archades.
