Ship Time
-Tomaj smells treasure in the air. “I’d better start getting ready myself.” It’s not ominous, because Tomaj doesn’t really do ominous, but it is intriguing. What’s he getting ready for?
-Filo wants to be a pilot! Both unsurprising and adorable.
-Llyud is done with Feolthanos. Seeing how he used up Mydia was the final straw.
-It’s not the end of the game yet, but we’re definitely approaching endgame. Everyone on the ship feels it. Tomaj in particular feels our time on this – Feolthanos’ ship – is coming to a close.
-Some aegyl and sky pirates who took refuge aboard the Galbana are thankful. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
-I’ve just met my first seeq/viera married couple. Yet another pair of random side characters that I want an entire game centered around.
-Nono and Cu Sith are getting along better.
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Restoring Honor – Feol Warrens (notice board)
-Mydia’s murders have “frozen” the Mist.
-King Bomb is the boss enemy. Success! Got a new weapon crafting book.
-Fran finds some mystical energy here: “Sorrow… no, sympathy. Mydia mourns.”
-We find a treasure left behind by the Exiled. Their “dying wish,” whatever that means.
-Tomaj and Cu Sith join us!
He thinks he can use this treasure.
-Tomaj uses the gem to sell us new gear. The game is vague about why this is. Tomaj thinks maybe the amulet makes him a better bargainer or something. Seems like a reasonable justification for a common game mechanic.
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Stroke of Luck – Underfane of Huin Qul (notice board)
-Cu Sith is excited about her new new notice board mission, urging us to seek the rare Everburn ore.
-This is a low level mission. Idk why I’m only getting it now.
-It gives me “Everburn Essentials,” a new crafting manual.
-I love how much Cu Sith cares about becoming the best blacksmith she can. She sees herself as part of a long tradition.
BLESS THE PUPPY BLACKSMITH
I almost feel bad for the indignity of how I name the product of her life’s work.
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Escape Escapade (notice board)
-Rikken and his crew are alive! Their airship wreckage wound up here on this random island.
-lolol this mission isn’t about helping them recover their ship or saving a local populace or anything like that. They’re just board and want to duel us to pass the time.
-It’s a three on three battle. I can’t summon espers. Small esper groups are scattered throughout the map, but not many. The biggest challenge is the finding each of Rikken’s crew and taking them down.
-Argh! Can’t do it. I’m 10 levels below them. They wreck me.
-I glance at the next side notice board mission to see if I should skip to it… and… I mean, the next one has a level 99 golem as part of the enemy line-up.
Y’know what? Fuck it. Going to bite the bullet and grind a bit.
-I’m drawing a lesson from FFT/FFTA: five core party members. Going with Basch, Ashe, Penelo, Llyud, and Kytes. Seems like a reasonable line-up.
-During the session, got some neat tools that round out these characters. Kytes got Flare, a powerful single-target tool. Ashe got Pyrotechnics for area damage. Even Penelo got some damage with Holy.
-Level 42 seems to be a major break point. I imagine if I keep going, 48 or 50 will be the final ability breakpoint. Maybe I’ll get stuff like Meteor then.
-Grinded up from ~39 to ~45 and ready to try again.
-Still tough, but I got it! Moved around the map cautiously, taking the pirates out one by one.
-lolol the pirates want to charge me 300,000 gil for the privilege of having dueled them. But they’re reasonable! They can wait til after we defeat Feolthanos.
-Rikken’s crew is so extra. They’re constantly doing group power poses and I adore it.
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An Uninvited Invitation – Shadow of Paharo (notice board)
-oh lord. Ba’Gamnan AGAIN. His crew is after Balthier. (AGAIN.)
-We take out his crew, and take him down too. He has a scary Mydia-esque “kill ALL the things” ability. I beat him with few espers and a couple of party members down.
-Ashe learned Teleport Teleport brings the group’s espers to the user’s position. Doesn’t sound very useful. Ashe is usually with her group.
-Basch learned Cover. It’s so great! Makes him take damage instead of his group.
-OH GOOD LORD. Team Ba’Gamnan escaped AGAAAAIN. They’ll be back.
-Ba’Gamnan’s parting words to us are unusually perceptive. He keeps thinking Vaan is Balthier’s apprentice, to Balthier’s annoyance. But he’s not exactly wrong!
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For a Moment’s Peace – Dalmasca Estersand (notice board)
-The aegyl are marching on Rabanastre in vengeance for what Ivalice did to them.
-Vaan learned Dervish (major attack speed buff) and Filo learned Overdrive (temporary stat buff). Also got “Anvil of the Earth,” another crafting book.
-Atonement is a key concept to the aegyl. It explains so many of their actions. I get it, even if assaulting Rabanastre maybe isn’t the most just or nuanced way to go about it.
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Next time: Finishing up the chapter 8 notice boards.
