The Dig (main)
-Hurdy leads us to the Goug Mines for a dig. He wants to find an ancient instrument there.
-The moogles working the mines are in a panic. Some “mooglesbanes” – a type of pom-pom-eating dreamhare – have surfaced for us to take out.
-The moogles keep going, finding a strange lump of metal. Are we about to find Construct 8? …nope, just that instrument I guess.
-This whole thing reminds Luso of science class back home, and this sends Adelle into an odd silence. What’s going on with her?
She leaves the site early.
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Gifted (main)
-Scene change to Goug, where Adelle sits alone on a bed.
-She flashes back to the previously unseen conversation with Lezaford.
-Again, she brings up how she’s “not like other humans.” She’s been good at things. Running, reading, dancing, singing. Inhumanly good.
-Then a plague hit her village. Killed her parents. Killed most of the village.
But not her. Holy shit.
-Lezaford is familiar with people like her. “Gifted ones,” born with wondrous talent.
ADELLE: “’Wondrous talent?’ It’s been nothing but misery for me. If you know of someone who -wants- this, by all means, let me know! It’s theirs.”
I’m afraid she’ll try to make some devil’s bargain to get rid of this isolating talent.
-She snaps out of the memory. “…Maybe it’s time.” Oh god what are you planning
-Scene change to the Goug tavern. Cid angry because Adelle stole the money he was saving for a new cloak. She left on her own and left a note.
“Thank you for everything, but I’m striking out alone. Don’t try to follow me.” Noooo!
-Luso and Cid… aren’t going after Adelle? Really? It’s not even something they think about. It’s not like they say, “Gosh, I care for this person who’s been in my clan for literal years but I want to respect her choices.” It’s like they don’t even give a shit.
LUSO: “Who cares what she does? Let’s get questing!” what the actual fuck dude
-A message pops on my screen: “Adelle has left the clan.” NOOOOOOOOO
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Through Another’s Eyes (main)
-Look. Normally I’d start tackling the 7,000 side quests that pop up after each main story quest, but I just lost a core party member. I don’t believe it’s permanent so let’s see if I can get her back.
-The next main quest is a random “clear some monsters” thing.
-Scene change to Adelle on her own. This feels nice for her. No one to split the loot with! No one bothering her!
-It’s nice. Until it’s not.
“Solitude. I’m really alone now.”
-She consoles herself with her awesomeness. “I’m a woman of many gifts. There’s nothing I can’t handle!”
-A voice offscreen praises those gifts. Crap it’s Illua.
-Illua starts to back down a terrified Adelle. Fade to black.
-Cid, Luso, and Hurdy arrive at the desert for our quest. Adelle is here waiting for us.
ADELLE: “Grimoire…” Her portrait art is different. No longer smiling, with a shadow around her eyes.
Illua ensorcelled her. Jesus, mind control stuff scares the crap outta me.
-Illua is using her to get Luso’s grimoire. Monsters arrive to back her up. We gotta snap her out of this.
-Adelle is our mark in this fight. This is wild.
-Her job is listed as “Heritor.” Like, “inheritor,” as in someone who inherited her gifts?
-We “defeat” her and give her the chance to fight back.
ADELLE: “Th-this… This is my body! I get t-to choose how… I t-told you… I’m n-not helping Kh-Khamja!”
This loss of control must be especially hard on Adelle, who values her freedom so deeply.
YAAAAY ADELLE! She basically exorcises Illua from her body.
-She sleeps, recovering. Welcome back.
-Later, we see Luso talking to Adelle.
LUSO: “When you leave a clan, you don’t leave it halfway, do you? Nice move, getting possessed by that Khamja chick.”
HOLY SHIT I HATE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW LUSO
LUSO: “Then again, you probably deserved it, after stealing Cid’s money.”
SHE DESERVED TO HAVE HER WILL RIPPED AWAY FROM HER AND BE MADE TO FIGHT HER FRIENDS??? STOP. TALKING.
-He then (barely) walks it back by forgiving her, telling her he’ll take her back. How kind.
This whole exchange is giving me strong memories of my most hated, rage-inducing television episodes of all time, “Dead Man’s Party” on Buffy.
ADELLE: “…Are you out of your mind? Who said anything about going back with you?” She’s still feeling that need to not be weighed down by friends, that friends are baggage.
And now Luso asks “why the big sulk?” FHDJKLSFHDJKLSFHDKLSFDS
-Look. I get what he’s trying to do here. He’s trying to show her that a lot of what she imagines – that the clan members find her a burden, don’t want her around, that she’s gonna get us hurt – it’s not true.
But he’s really rubbing me the wrong way here. She smacks him. Go Adelle!
ADELLE: “…What… what should I do?”
LUSO: “Look, you figure it out for yourself. I’m out of here.”
I can’t think of a single game where I liked a protag and a single interaction made me turn on them so quickly.
-AGAIN, I get what he’s doing. And that he’s an awkward, graceless kid. He even manages to inject moments of sweetness into this conversation, as when he tells her how he hopes she’ll rejoin them because it’s too quiet without her.
-She pauses alone. Then rejoins the group. Sorry, Adelle. You deserve
sympathy, a listening ear, someone to appreciate and care about your
struggles rather than belittling them as “sulking.” You deserve
validation. You didn’t ask for Illua to do that to you, and someone
should say so.
Adelle deserves better.
---
Notices, Rumors, & Side Quests
-I just tried a scion for the first time in FFTA2, summoning Xaela. WHAT INCREDIBLE AND CREEPY ART!
-The Prima Donna (FFTA2’s pop group) quests suffuse this game, mostly protecting them from mildly overzealous fans.
-Oh lord. It turns out the devotees were behind a series of robbery side quests I’ve been dealing with all game. They’ve been hunting for Prima Donna memorabilia.
-I’m not even mad about this. The devotees aren’t evil. They treat their ere’s been a series of robbery quests, stopping bandits from stealing stuff across cities. And it turns out the Prima Donna devotees were behind it, seeking Prima Donna collectibles.
…I can’t even be mad. They devotees treat their bandit employees well, forgiving them for not getting great collectibles.
-We catch them and put an end to their reign of minor theft.
Though I doubt they’re totally done.
Adelle deserves better.
---
Notices, Rumors, & Side Quests
-I just tried a scion for the first time in FFTA2, summoning Xaela. WHAT INCREDIBLE AND CREEPY ART!
-The Prima Donna (FFTA2’s pop group) quests suffuse this game, mostly protecting them from mildly overzealous fans.
-Oh lord. It turns out the devotees were behind a series of robbery side quests I’ve been dealing with all game. They’ve been hunting for Prima Donna memorabilia.
-I’m not even mad about this. The devotees aren’t evil. They treat their ere’s been a series of robbery quests, stopping bandits from stealing stuff across cities. And it turns out the Prima Donna devotees were behind it, seeking Prima Donna collectibles.
…I can’t even be mad. They devotees treat their bandit employees well, forgiving them for not getting great collectibles.
-We catch them and put an end to their reign of minor theft.
Though I doubt they’re totally done.
---
Frimelda’s Revenge (side)
-The quest of the sentient zombie continues. It’s haunting someone.
WAIT THE ZOMBIE IS FRIMELDA?? That blademaster we’ve heard about. The guy who hired us to protect him from her is Sir Luc Sardarc, her former partner.
LUC: “Then… the drug… it didn’t kill you?”
FRIMELDA: “You told me… that you loved me…”
LUC: “In the beginning, I did. But before I knew it, they came to call you blademaster. And me? What was I?”
OH FUCK THIS GUY. He consigned his partner, fellow soldier, and lover to an eternal undeath because of fragile masculinity.
-I think she’s done with him too. She lurches towards him, demanding her sword back.
I was afraid we’d have to kill Frimelda since she’s our mark, when our glorious resident lawyer, Adelle, chimes in.
ADELLE: “You wanted to never see this creature again, right? If we slay you, then we will have fulfilled the conditions of the quest, yes?” BLESS YOU ADELLE
-We defeat Luc. Zombie Frimelda takes her blade back, stands over him, swings the killing blow… and misses intentionally.
FRIMELDA: “Leave me.”
After all Luc’s done to her, she still can’t bring herself to kill him.
Yeah, walk away in utter shame and defeat you jackwagon.
-Frimelda gives Luso her sword - the Fallen Angel - thanks him, and shambles away.
-The sword is called the Fallen Angel an ability-less but powerful sword.
-Also got the High Seraph’s Plume. As the name suggests, it can summon Ultima.
-I seriously doubt this is the end of the quest line. We met that paravir earlier, Ghi, seeking Frimelda. We’ll probably have to tell him her status as a zombie.
---
Next time: I really don’t know. The game’s in-game quest chart implies there are only two main quests left but I must be misinterpreting that.
Frimelda’s Revenge (side)
-The quest of the sentient zombie continues. It’s haunting someone.
WAIT THE ZOMBIE IS FRIMELDA?? That blademaster we’ve heard about. The guy who hired us to protect him from her is Sir Luc Sardarc, her former partner.
LUC: “Then… the drug… it didn’t kill you?”
FRIMELDA: “You told me… that you loved me…”
LUC: “In the beginning, I did. But before I knew it, they came to call you blademaster. And me? What was I?”
OH FUCK THIS GUY. He consigned his partner, fellow soldier, and lover to an eternal undeath because of fragile masculinity.
-I think she’s done with him too. She lurches towards him, demanding her sword back.
I was afraid we’d have to kill Frimelda since she’s our mark, when our glorious resident lawyer, Adelle, chimes in.
ADELLE: “You wanted to never see this creature again, right? If we slay you, then we will have fulfilled the conditions of the quest, yes?” BLESS YOU ADELLE
-We defeat Luc. Zombie Frimelda takes her blade back, stands over him, swings the killing blow… and misses intentionally.
FRIMELDA: “Leave me.”
After all Luc’s done to her, she still can’t bring herself to kill him.
Yeah, walk away in utter shame and defeat you jackwagon.
-Frimelda gives Luso her sword - the Fallen Angel - thanks him, and shambles away.
-The sword is called the Fallen Angel an ability-less but powerful sword.
-Also got the High Seraph’s Plume. As the name suggests, it can summon Ultima.
-I seriously doubt this is the end of the quest line. We met that paravir earlier, Ghi, seeking Frimelda. We’ll probably have to tell him her status as a zombie.
---
Next time: I really don’t know. The game’s in-game quest chart implies there are only two main quests left but I must be misinterpreting that.
