sirsystemerror | EOU2: Climbing a tree, 20F

1F-5F | B1 | 6F | 7F | 8F | 9F | 10F
11F | B2 | 12F | 13F | 14F | 15F
B3 | B4 | 16F | 17F | 18F | 19F | 20F
21F | 22F | 23F | 24F | 25F | B5
26F | 27F | 28F | 29F | 30F (1) | 30F (2) | 31F

The latest quests, but first, I get to talk to Dulcet-voiced caster once more, and Exhausted Tramonte. I swear, he has to be a reference to something. If this wasn't a remake, I'd postulate Katawa Shoujo or something, since that game apparently has a Lilly who's very high maintenance. Also a creepy fanbase. As in, people who actually are literally in love with that character despite how you need to follow every single step to the letter to get her.

So quests!! The first of these is a simple one from Abigail, just go feed an orphaned monster. Given it's a flying bird monster and the only other ones on this floor are seemingly flightless and how this one flies away, we may not have a monopoly on murdering FOEs. Either way, it's commendable. The second of these is...to go find Artelinde? I'm told she went through the locked door in 3F, but I feel she's probably at the suspiciously empty area at the end. And lo, she is. She's desperately searching for something, Wilheim is worried...we end up finding it.

Also these things showed up. I laughed at first, then saw they were unique versions of these enemies. I still laughed, because even without Ecstasy madness, this was simple. Did get variously bound when I couldn't bind the bug's head, but nothing I couldn't handle. Though if I did use Ecstasy, this would've been a complete slaughter. I mean, look at these stats, or lack thereof. These enemies are kind of pathetic!! Speaking of, an ominous feeling of something that could eat us whole makes us leave. What, that's not a plot hook for a future quest. Shut up!

There's also actually a third, but I can't complete it at this time.

I'm almost instantly blocked by another bird guy, and have to play more tag, accepting a mission for the first time in forever and receiving a crest. With this, I'm finally let through. As an aside, I've had one of these for a while, just forgetting to mention it, but I get another here.

We're atop the tree. Skyline is pretty beautiful up here, and even the battle background is tweaked a bit to show this. Right here is my destination, although I can't reach it just yet.

There's three new enemies here, though I don't get to fight often due to taking out every single one of the usual FOEs I come across. Cockatrices are of particular interest: they have an enemy skill that happens to be perhaps the best for inflicting stone on enemies. There were also palette swaps of the flowers and caterpillars from the first stratum - the former had a conditional for killing them while they were asleep. They resist it, but Devaki's multipliers could bust through.

Also, Kei could now officially one-shot the mini frogs. Just worth mentioning. I catch a glimpse of the boss, right before finally hitting the middle area. And indeed, have an adventure through the center areas on my hands.

Also, check out my TP stocks by the end, and this is with a few Amritas used and the TP food. Varda and Kei are the biggest spenders (that TP Grimoire really helped this time), and Devaki still had tons to throw around at the end if she wanted, a stark contrast to how her running out was the biggest clog in my trips before. Of course, getting 7 TP back every turn certainly helped.

Did that part of the floor all in one go. The usual annoyances with the restaurant I get out of the way, and prepare to go into the next area.

The next part was fairly straightforward. Much too late, I go and grab a Safe Step Grimoire I owned since the amount of Scout Boots in stock is too low. Before that I have to cross over a long path of green stuff to get to a chest, which only really necessitated some Salve use. Zero problem once I have it, though. There was also a rhino FOE to blow up in this area. Do have some annoying random encounters - those Cockatrices petrify my characters from time to time, but it isn't that big of a threat, not even to my desire to keep everyone's levels equal since petrified party members still gain experience.

Also, the Wind Fish is here. Except it isn't. This only gives me a rare gathering material. Also I can totally see Devaki being a patient fisher, although she just falls down trying to fish up the not-fish and takes a tiny bit of damage. A few of the treasures I get here include a staff that can inflict Head Bind (from that chest above), and another Formaldehyde. Also an "Over Heal" Grimoire, which is a nice typo considering the skill's actual name. Actually had to go back to trade some stuff away, because I hit 400 again. I like to keep around everything I may or may not use.

Loretime! The birdpeople are the sons of the will of the Star, Father Sun, and Mother Moon, and live if sufferance of the Star's voice. The voice gave them birth and dictates their laws, and he heard its voice in the holy place. The oldest of several commands they've been given is to 'escort those who bear the pact to the path to the heavens.' And carry injured earthbound ones to the heavens. That's right, they literally take them up to the castle to be experimented on.

And as for the thing we're about to slaughter? It suddenly appeared before them one day when they were trying to hear the Star's voice, and they had to abandon the holy land. It apparently instills fear with its shrill cry too. Sounds like ailment preventing food to me.

This is a shot from when I first saw her, since it's cooler. A foe who has slain countless of the bird people's finest warriors. With Canaan's blessing, we head back to prepare. Surely, an epic battle awaits us.

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Yeah. Let's not even pretend this is going to be a problem and just put her in the trash. Harpuia has 19660HP, so doing it this way was a one-hit kill. Well, it was epic all right.

- Turn 1: Bull Charge/Fire Melody/Frailty Curse/Warrior Song/Torpor Curse (Force Boost)
- Turn 2: Ecstasy (Force Boost)/Defend/Swap Step (Devaki)/Defend/Stigmata

Granted, this needed Torpor to hit (could effectively be Lv10 though with a Grimoire + Boosted Grimoire) and all three Stigmata binds to land, but both were reasonable enough with some boosts to be done in two tries. Harpuia's first and only turn of significance was spent on Shrill Cry, a move that can inflict mass Fear, hence the Sweet & Sour Moa to protect against it.

Even if I didn't do this, the fight was still only three turns.

- Turn 1: Bull Charge/Fire Melody/Frailty Curse/Warrior Song/Chained Benefit
- Turn 2: Ecstasy (Force Boost)/Defend/Swap Step (Devaki)/Defend/Stigmata.
- Turn 3: Ecstasy/Defend/Swap Step (Varda)/Defend/Defend

The conditional is to kill her when Head Bound. Done and done. All it gives it the Survivalist's ultimate armor though, so not of much use to this team.

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Nearly at the end. Will the final bosses put up more of a fight?! How about the postgame? And will Exhausted Tramonte ever get the girl of his dreams? It remains to be seen. Although as I write this, the boards are currently down for maintenance, so who knows when that'll happen? Literally, there was no firm ETA forever. But now it's back, and so here it is, and I don't have to stockpile updates.