Alright, here we go. And this time, THIS TIME I did it in a word processor first. X_X Technical difficulties over!
Let's Play Treasure of the Rudras! - Palazzo's Scenario, Day 1, Part 1: Stones, Stealing, and Stories
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During an expedition at the summit to the Tower of the Giants, Dr. Muench discovers a stone monolith at the tower's summit.
Emedded within the stone lay a creature of unknown origin.
Muench named this monolith the Lago Stone.
3999
Nineteen years have passed since Dr. Muench's discovery.
Now, on the eve of the coming melinneum, Dr. Muench discovered a new Lago Stone in the Dragon God Ruins.
And the first person, interestingly enough isn't Palazzo, but a character named Legin, who seems to take some fashion cues from a certain sickly youkai librarian asking Dr. Muench (the old guy with the blue hair). Palazzo's too engrossed in looking at the Lago Stone to talk, it would seem.
Muench: Of the Reptile race, if I'm any judge. The carving on the surface appears to be a creature called a "Rudra".
And now our protagonist gets to talk! He mainly just comments on the Stone's power, but gives another interesting tidbit about it as well.
Palazzo: Indeed. Particularly around the small jewel set into the carving itself...
Muench: We still have a lot to do on the inscriptions proper. Once translated, they may be able to tell us more about it.
Legin: This thing's giving me the creeps... Are you sure we should bring it back to the lab in Avdol? If it's as powerful as you say it is...
Ooh, powerful artifact! Whenever there's one in an RPG, you know it's probably pretty dang important. Just how important? You'll see.
Muench: Its powers should be able to dampen the Lago Stone's innate energies.
Legin: Is this stone as old as the last one?
Muench: Older still. The Giants' Lago Stone dates back only 8,000 years... This one, on the other hand appears to be nearly 12,000 years old.
Legin: That's a 4,000-year difference.
Multiples of 4(000)? Uh oh... Considering the demographic of the forum, most of you probably know the significance of the number. If not, well, 4 is the number of death in several far eastern mythologies, and is considered quite unlucky. It's kind of like 13 in the West. How is this important in this game? Read on, they talk a little about it in this conversation.
Legin (in fact mentions it right now): You think those old myths are true then? The ones about the 4,000-year cycle of creation and destruction?
Muench: if so, my studies have yet to show conclusive proof for it. As far as any Cataclysm is concerned... it's only a matter of time, really.
Palazzo: You believe the myths, then?
Muench: Ha! Who needs ancient mystical beasts? between the air and water pollution, we're doing a fine job ourselves. No, gentlemen! If our destruction looms, it is by our hands alone.
The pollution will become a recurring theme in the game, though mainly in Ciel's scenario rather than Palazzo's or Axehead's, but all three deal with it in some way.
But, Palazzo's question is answered - Dr. Muench is quite skeptical.
Muench: At any rate! Go to Eremia and ask him for the Holy Grail on my behalf.
Wait, did he just say the Holy Grail?! I think he just said it.
Palazzo: Very well.
Muench: Take care, you! Eremia's Grail is beyond priceless! If something was to happen to it...
Legin: And you, Doctor?
Muench: We shall transport the Stone to Oriab in preparation for shipping. We'll meet up at the Inn once all's said and done.
Legin: Works for me. Let's go, Mr. Surlent!
And with that, Palazzo and Legin exit, and he joins you as your second party member. Something catches Legin's eye on the way out, however.
Archaeologist: That thing? That's the Jade Sigil. As a symbol, it predates all known races... You might have remembered it from the Lago Stone. The Rudra has the same sigil carved on that jewel of his.
Palazzo: is this Sigil found on all Lago Stones?
Legin: Maybe we should wait with the questions until we get back. Lord Eremia's practically a legend around here. Wait 'til you see his place!
Archaeologist: Oh! Are you heading to Lord Eremia's? Exit the ruins and...
Legin: ...head west. I know the drill. I've been there before.
The Sigil flashes as the two depart, not noticing it, and we're transported to the world map!
Now that we're here, we can check our menu by pressing X, so let's do it and I'll do a little bit of explaining!
- Items -
Lets you look at, select, and use your consumable items. Pretty self-explanitory. You can reorder them by clicking once and selecting another spot. - Mantras -
Lets you look at your Mantras and use your healing ones. The ones you see here are Palazzo's party's default ones. - Enscribe -
This is where you write your Mantras for them to be used and rearrange them if you wish. Pressing Y allows you to copy-paste. Clicking one twice will go to the input screen:
And you just put a word, any word into this to get a mantra! Mantras come as three parts - the base, along with prefixes and suffixes. Prefixes and suffixes can change the strength of your spell for better or worse, change its targetting, and other things. There are also some that actually cut the cost of your Mantras, though usually at the cost of power, though there are some exceptions. - Equip -
This allows you to select your character and change their equipment. Wearing equipment of the same element protects you, while wearing one of the opposite can really wreck your shit. Of course, this goes same for you, if you hit them with a weapon opposite their element, it will hurt a lot while the same type won't do much. Using elements to your advantage is pretty much mandatory in the game. - Inventory -
Lets you see all of your items, weapons, armor, and key items and look at their descriptions. You can't use your consumables from here, nor can you rearrange your items. - Status - Shows your character's stats and elemental affinity. Those stats are: Attack Power, which is the power of your character's physical attack. Defense, which is your resistance to physical attacks. Mag Defend, which is your resistance to magical attacks. Strength, which is your overall physical power. Agility, which helps define your character's hit and dodge rate. Speed, which is how fast you are, and influences your turn order if you have the order by speed option on. And Spirit, which powers your mantras, and also influences the power of back row weapons by a little.
Palazzo has decent base Strength, Speed, and Agility, while having some very nice Spirit, which is good considering he's the heavy mage.
Legin has similar stats, but his spirit's a fair amount lower than Palazzo's, but it's still decent. He has better attack right now because Palazzo is wielding that cane. - Options -
Lets you configure your game. You can switch your sound from stereo or mono, change your battle cursor's memory (return to initial position at all times, return after one battle, or always memorize its spot), or set how your turns work (manually, semi-manually, or always base it on your characters' speed stats.). - Save -
Self-explanitory, lets you save your game. However, you can only select it freely on the world map, otherwise you have to use an Inn (you can say no to sleeping and still save), or a save statue. - Money in this game is called "Ragu", and is the main inspiration for the title of this LP. You use it to buy stuff, naturally.
- And the screen also tells you how which day you're on in the game's story. There are fifteen in the main game.
Now that we've done that, let's walk around a little... and get into a battle!
Aww, just one little Killer Bee. He dies in one turn in two hits. But the important thing here is the battle menu!
- Attack - Has your character attack with their equipped weapon. There are two kinds of weapons in the game - front row weapons, which lose a bit of attack power if you're in the back row, and back row weapons which have the same attack power from either distance. All front row weapons are capable of critical hits, and all but one back row weapon doesn't. I'll be explaining each weapon type when we encounter a character that can equip them - some of them even have weapon types specifically for them!
In any case, Legin and Palazzo can both equip daggers, front row weapons of okay power. Neither are equipped with one right now, though.
Legin comes equipped with a rifle, a single-target back row weapon. He can also use machine guns, which hit all enemies, which is nice for random encounters with multiple creatures - on the downside, they reduce your speed a little while rifles and daggers don't.
Palazzo comes equipped with a rod, easily having the crappiest attack power in the game. They do, however, raise your Spirit, so they have some use. They're also never non-elemental. I usually don't have one equipped, though. Reason being because of Palazzo's other weapon - the Palazzo-only scythe. A back row weapon, which like the rod, is always elemental, and has okay attack power. Sure, he won't be using it much, but there are some situations I'll have it in use. - Mantra - Goes to a list of mantras. Simply select and cast. Since we're on the subject of them in battle, let's talk about elements and how they work.
There are eight elements, three sets of two which oppose each other, and a neutral two: Fire (IG) and Water (AQU), Lightning (TOU) and Wind (TEO), Light (SOA) and Dark (SERE), Earth (PRA), and Void (NIHI). There's also healing and effect magic, but that doesn't count as an element.
Also associated with each element other than Earth is a status effect that can be caused by certain spells of that element. Fire has Burning, with which you lose HP at the end of every turn. Water has Freezing, which immobilates you. Lightning has Shock, which is basically the confusion effect - it causes you to physically attack allies or enemies and be uncontrollable. Wind has Float, which is actually beneficial, Earth attacks will miss you, and I think it reduces damage from Void spells... but there is a downside - you can't crit while floating. Light has Regeneration, which has you recover HP at the end of every turn. Dark has the VERY nasty Pollution status that not only keeps you from casting Mantras, but cuts all of your stats in half. Lastly, Void has Madness, which ups your critical rate and attack power at the cost of only being able to attack. Most of them can be canceled by Panacaeas or hitting the afflicted person with the opposing element, except Pollution, which requires a Purifier, which makes it all the yuckier. Wearing armor of the same element as the effect will prevent it. - Item - Has your character select and use a consumable item.
- Defend - Has your character guard, which reduces the effect of a physical attack used on them. Can have a strategic significance against certain enemies/bosses.
- Escape - Pressing Left or Right allows you to access this option, which has your character start to flee. Selecting this for eveyone if you want to run helps the rate a bit.
- Turn order - Pressing X will allow you to switch your characters' turns around. You can even do this in order by speed mode.
- Lastly, pressing Y will switch your character's row. This can provide interesting things, like putting your front row attacker in the back if they're going to cast something or use an item, and then put them back in the front to attack on the next turn. Best part, you don't waste turns doing it!
Anyway, enough horsing around, let's get moving west.
This town here is Oriab, where Dr. Muench waits for us. But for right now, we'll ignore these places and keep going west, until...
We reach this place on this little penensula. This is Eremia's Manor. Let's go insi-- oh dear.
Hmm, doesn't one of these guys look familiar? In any case, they jump around and sneak into the Manor, and we're returned control. The guards will tell you where Eremia is:
Second floor, it would seem.
Up these stairs... and you'll see Eremia in plain view.
Eremia: Ah, Palazzo! I expect the Doctor sent you. Come for the Grail, have you?
Palazzo: Indeed, Milord. Dr. Muench requires it for his research.
Eremia: The terrible energy of the Lago Stones, eh?
Legin: Yessir!
Eremia: Then there's no way around it. Can't have that old fool risking life and limb in the name of research, eh?
Palazzo: We can take it, then?
Eremia: Provided you promise to take good care of it, of course! Much of the Grail's power is still unknown to us. Don't start banging it about on a lark, you hear?
Palazzo (nod): Of course.
Eremia: Come!
He leads you over to a locked door in the southwest that leads into a little side room and another doorway:
We just head in and...
Oh, goddamn it.
Boy in Red: Quick! To the roof!
The two head out, leaving Palazzo and Legin with a slightly stunned Eremia.
Palazzo: Milord! Are you all right?
Eremia: ...the Grail! They took the Grail!
Legin: They WHAT?
Eremia: Guards! GUARDS! Come, damn you! Come!
We go back out, watching the crooks run off and Eremia give chase. The Lord of the Manor has stopped where you first talked to him, though, and is VERY insistent that you go after the two:
There are two ways to pursue them - going back downstairs and out, or heading to the roof via a path to the right and through another room:
The duo jump off, though, and you're just going to have to go back downstairs and out anyway.
In any case, you get a scene with the thieves when you head out:
They basically land while the Grail hits the ground, something flashes, and it begins to rain - something that's NOT common on this world in these days because of the air pollution. The guard dogs give chase, and so do Surlent and Legin, who catch up to the two at the gate, dogs keeping them at bay.
Armored Boy: C'mon, Marisa! Do something! They're coming! They're coming!
And there you have it, the name I gave Dune for this LP. If there were no votes on a particular name, I would be renaming a character with a Touhou name - I'll leave you guys to guess what the names of the other three would have been. :yukkuri:
Legin: You lousy, thieving scumbags! That Grail is a public treasure! Return it immediately!
Armored Boy: THIEVING? We're Tre-Tre-Tre...!
Marisa (though the game returns to calling him Boy in Red here): TREASURE HUNTERS! Men of refinement! And taste!
...
...In any case, the two suddenly jump out of the dogs' custody and escape to the map.
Legin: Aw hell! They got away!
Palazzo: Curious... Is that rain?
Legin: They dropped the Grail during their escape. Maybe the impact...
Palazzo: What could they possibly have needed the Grail for?
Legin: Don't worry, Mr. Surlent. We'll get 'em yet. Now we just have to break the news to Lord Eremia.
Palazzo: Very well.
The two head back up to the front door and meet with Eremia.
Eremia: I can't believe the Grail was stolen... Right under my own nose, no less! The cheek of it, bigods!
Palazzo: I fear they've escaped, milord. My deepest apologies.
Eremia: Don't worry about it! Those good-for-nothing guards are to blame here. Let us hope that the Doctor's studies will not be hampered by this, eh?
Legin: Don't worry. We'll inform Dr. Muench immediately.
Palazzo: And take steps to recover the Grail.
Eremia: Your efforts are appreciated. What of your research, though?
Legin: I'm sure the Doctor will know what to do. Let's go, Mr. Palazzo!
The two head out and we're treated to this ominous message:
Only 15 days remain until the Cataclysm.We return to the world map, where it's still raining. It tapers off after a moment, and we head to Oriab now.
Muench told us to meet him at the Inn, which is that building in the upper left. Going upstairs from there and then going into the first door leads to Dr. Muench's room:
Palazzo: Eremia's Grail was stolen.
Muench: Stolen? ...well, no matter.
Palazzo: But surely the energy of the stone...
Muench: I haven't finished talking yet! Listen, you! The Grail is part of a set of three relics called the Sealing Receptacles. Each Receptacle contains a bound Netherworld spirit which empowers it.
Legin: So there are still two others like it?
Muench (nod): Exactly! Exactly! Palazzo! Your master should know where the other two Receptacles are.
Palazzo: Then I shall confer with him.
Muench: Be snappy about it! As long as that Stone remains unshielded, we're all in grave danger!
Legin: Are we really going all the way to Thor Volcano to see Solon? Sounds like we'd better hit my dad up for his boat again.
Palazzo: Is he still in his laboratory? Perhaps we should talk to him now.
And with that, you can head back out. Before we go talk to Legin's dad, though, we can do a bit of looking around town now (we could have also done that when we first went into town, but hey!). First thing we'll hit up is the Forge, which is just west of the Inn - in fact there's a side door near the reservation desk that leads outside and right to its front door!
Nuts, I only have enough money for either a Ragu Knife or a Buckler. I buy a Buckler and put it onto Surlent, as he's got a one-handed weapon on him at the moment while Legin's got his rifle. Now that I've done that, I'll explain shop menus! BV
- Buy -
This is where you buy the items for your characters. Consumable items simply go into your inventory, while when you look at equipment, if your character is able to equip it, they'll laugh, if not they just stand there. Up arrows show an upgrade, down shows a downgrade, a - shows it's got the same stats, and an E shows you already have it on. - Sell -
This is where you sell items back to the merchant, as per usual. I think you sell for 75% of the base price? something like that. - Equip -
It's the same as the equip screen you access from the main menu, only confined to the shop. - Exit - Leave the shop. Pressing B at the main screen does this, too.
In any case, now we... go back to the Inn, sleep and save! We'll finish exploring the town and talk to Legin's dad next time, and those are only the first things we'll be doing.
