Earning our JRPG black belt - Let's Play Legend of Legaia!

I suppose I can make a comment about how ridiculous some other aspects of this game are, like the triple solo fight in the ice mountain or how much god damn JRPG fishing you have to do to unlock the ultimate Water Seru. Its funny, I haven't really thought about this game in so long and now a lot is coming back to me, I'm really excited to revisit this game without having to actually play it. Its actually a really good PS1 RPG (I remember being SO EXCITED to get to the source of The Fog), it just has a lot of the excesses that developers liked to play with since they got more than 32 megabytes of storage space.

Chapter 1: The Walled Village of Rim Elm

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the first proper update! It's, uh... going to be a little big. I managed to cut it down some, but it's still pretty huge, so you might want to go make a sandwich or something. Hell, maybe even order a pizza or cook a bowl of ramen.

Got that snack? And a drink with it? Awesome.



Behold, the intro to every PS1 game ever. Ah, memories...



Contrail was a small developing studio within Sony Computer Entertainment. The only games they made were this and its sequel, Legaia 2: Duel Saga, which came out in 2001 or so. I don't know much about the game, having only played the first hour or so, but rest assured I'll be LP-ing it once this game is over with.



I can't find anything at all on Prokion or what their involvement in this game was, so if anyone knows who the hell they are, any info would be appreciated.



♪♪Title♪♪

There's an opening FMV that plays if you wait for about twenty seconds, but it's hella spoilery so I'll save it for later. Let's pick that New Game option and dive right in, shall we?



♪♪Prologue♪♪

The soundtrack for this game was composed by Michiru Oshima. I admit I haven't listened to much of her work, but if this game is any indication, she is insanely talented.



Hell yeah! Ruling over stuff is awesome.





Or not. Did the omnipotent creator being forget to give us weapons or something?





I guess he did. This god seems pretty absentminded. "Oh shit, I guess I better help out the beings I created in my own image or whatever."







Sounds pretty bitchin'.



What the hell is that thing?



Oh. That's... that's an awfully big Seru, assuming it is one. Who could possibly wear such a thing?

That would explain the winged dudes we saw earlier. This whole Seru thing sounds pretty kickass, if you ask me.



So of course something's gonna show up and wreck humanity's shit. This wouldn't be a JRPG if that didn't happen at some point, after all.











Things seem to have gone to hell remarkably fast.



Goddamn, the Mist does not mess around. How long did it take for that to happen, anyway?







So basically:

*God creates humans, forgetting to give them any means to protect themselves from the monsters he presumably made in a drunken bender or something.
*God collectively tells humanity "My bad" and creates Seru as the best apology ever. Then he leaves for some other part of the universe, I assume.
*The Mist shows up and totally wrecks humanity's shit after an undetermined number of years of prosperity.

I don't think I'd want to live on Legaia, is what I'm saying.

*The music and screen fade out; the screen fades in on the walled village. The gentle sound of the tide can be heard.*



*The camera slowly zooms in on the house in the bottom right. A young man with blue hair walks out of the house.*



*The young man rubs his head. The camera pans around him a bit as he closes his eyes. When he opens them, the naming screen appears.*

Well, you guys voted, and I counted the results. The name of our protagonist is...



♪♪Rim Elm♪♪

Blue! Not a bad name.

See? Even he likes it!



This is Mei's house. Mei is Blue's girlfriend, basically.



But enough about that - Blue has a vaguely tree-like thing to pray to.



Aw yeah, gettin' our prayer on.



Or not. Rude interruptions, go



*Blue turns to face the Elder and nods.*
Village Elder: The mysterious Genesis Tree. This is a soothing place. You always liked this tree.



Well, yeah. Blue's gonna need all the luck he can get to survive outside the village.

*Blue nods*
Village Elder: That is good. Then I, too, will pray for your success. Blue, I thought I would come here to cheer you up. But I guess that wasn't necessary. You will be a fine hunter! I'm counting on you, from the bottom of my heart! Ha, ha, ha, ha!
*The Elder turns and walks away.*



Now that we have control of Blue, we can explore the village.



First, though, we should check out this map, to get a better view of our surroundings.



->Blue's house



-> Juno and Mei's house



-> The Memory Statue




Well that was certainly helpful. Let's go raid everyone's homes for valuables exploring!



Er, later, that is. Seems our lady friend wants us for something.

Mei: Ah, Blue. So you did go to pray to the Genesis Tree. I need to talk to you.



Uh... yeah, sure, those hunting clothes! I totally didn't forget or anything, honest!

Blue: Is something wrong?
Mei: I'm almost finished, but I have to check some of the measurements.

Measurements, huh? Sure, you can take my measurements. if you know what I mean

Blue: *nods* Sure, go ahead.
Mei: *smiles* Thanks. Blue, you're so kind. I'll be at your house waiting for you, so don't be too late.
*Mei smiles at Blue once more and walks off in the direction of his house.*

Okay, now we can look for items. Except for any in Mei's house, because she had the good sense to lock the door behind her.



This is the Elder's house, in the northeast corner of the village. He's in the other room, along with...



A Magic Leaf! They act like Ethers from the Final Fantasy series, in that they're the basic MP recovery item. They even heal the same amount (50).

The old man from the first screenshot is the requisite backstory dispenser.

Old man: Ah, it's you, Blue. What do you want from an old man like me? Do you want to ask me something? {If you pick yes, a few more options pop up.} What do you want to ask me about?



Let's start from the top.

Blue: Tell me about the Seru!
Old man: The Seru... The Seru are like living armor. When worn by a human, it becomes both weapon and tool. With the power of a Seru, a man could carry a stone larger than himself, run faster than a wolf. But the Mist brought an end to the age of benevolent Seru. The Seru became cursed, evil. Blue, never touch a Seru. The Seru are evil. {Duly noted.}
Blue: Tell me about the Mist!
Old man: The Mist itself poses no danger to us. But when touched by the Mist, the Seru become demons -- horrible, murdering monsters! In the Mist, the Seru take on a will of their own and attack people. But that is not all. The person who wears a Seru as a weapon becomes possessed by Seru, and himself becomes a monster! Blue, tomorrow you will travel outside the Wall as one of the hunters. Now listen. Beware of the Mist. We humans are no match for the Mist or for the Seru monsters. When the Mist approaches, flee! That is the only way to protect yourself from it. {Geez, tomorrow's gonna suck if this old dude's description is any indication.}
Blue: Tell me about the Wall!
Old man: Rim Elm is a remote village. The Mist that covers the Earth seldom reaches this far. Somehow, we have managed to survive. However, at night, the wind sometimes changes direction, and the Mist closes in on us! To protect the village from the Mist, we have built the Wall. And for more than ten years, the Wall has protected us.

Wait, so the Mist has only been around for ten years or so? And society has seemingly been reduced to medieval levels in that short a time span? Man, either civilization relied way too much on Seru before the Mist appeared or they all really suck at defending themselves.



Moving on from the Elder's House, we come to the item shop...



...or rather, what was the item shop. The shopkeeper hasn't gotten any business since the Mist appeared, since the villagers are too concerned with important things like food to worry about superfluous sundries.



The shop has a second floor, but there's nothing up here besides this locked drawer. We'll be back here in an update or two.



Well, I don't like to brag or anything, but...

Boy: Blue, you little devil, you're blushing. Ha, ha, ha!

Time to talk to everyone else in the village! Feel free to skip this part if you don't want to read it.

Girl: Blue, you're going hunting tomorrow with the adults!
Woman: Blue, your father, Val, was a very courageous hunter. It's so unfortunate he hurt his leg in that accident... I'm sorry. Blue, you must take good care of your father.
Hunter guarding gate: No, no! Blue, do not get too close to the Wall.
Woman near Memory Statue: Talke to the Memory Statue to save important memories. {Thanks, lady, I never would've guessed.}
Old woman: Oh, it's you, Blue. The hunters should be returning shortly, so I'm waiting here.
Woman on the beach: The sea carries a fresh wind. From dawn till dusk, the wind pushes back the Mist. Today, though, the wind behaves strangely. I hope this is not a bad sign.



This is Ixis' house. He's the dude with green hair in the corner, and he's kind of a prick. The guy in front of the table is a pansy, ever since getting ambushed in the Mist a few years ago.

Woman: He's always complaining. He used to be strong and tough, but now...
Man: Oh, Blue. Will you listen to what a pathetic man like me has to say? {Sure thing, buddy.} You will? I'm glad. You're such a good child, Blue. It's a story about something that happened many years ago, when I was out on the hunt. We caught much game. I was in high spirits -- so happy that I dropped my guard. Suddenly, the wind change direction and the Mist came. I thought we would escape... but it was too late. The Seru monsters came from the Mist and attacked us. That's how I ended up like this. I survived, but could never go out on the hunt again. Now listen, Blue! Never underestimate the Mist! The Mist is a terrifying thing.
Ixis: Blue, so I hear you're going out on the hunt tomorrow. {Yep!} You seem happy about it! You are happy about going outside the village, aren't you? There's no one here but old people and kids. It's so boring here! {Uh, Ixis, you may have just doomed this place. Just sayin'.}

There's one last place to check before going back to Blue's place - the beach!



This is Tetsu, the guy who teaches Blue the fine arts of ass-kickery and an all-around badass.

Tetsu: You were a child when the Mist appeared, Blue, but now you are ready for the hunt. Time goes by so quickly. I have taught you the techniques of Biron all your life. Do not forget them while hunting outside the village! Now then...



We'll learn about those other things in a minute. For now, let's go with the combat tutorial.

Blue: I want to practice with you.
Tetsu: I see. Before we practice, take this.
Blue now has a Healing Leaf! {These are the basic healing item, restoring 200 HP.}
Tetsu: Now you are ready. Come at me!



♪♪Brand of the Holy Knuckles♪♪



Any battle theme that has a gong in it is a-okay in my book.



Under normal circumstances, Tetsu teaches you the basics of the battle system, but I'll be taking over to better explain some things.



When you select "Begin", these options pop up. "Item" should be self-explanatory. The "-" option on the right isn't important yet, but I'll go over it in an update or two.

Sorry about the black help boxes - nothing I can do about them. They actually do a pretty good job explaining the mechanics - like it says, "Command" lets you input a combination of Right, Left, High, and Low, while "Auto" inputs a random combination. Left and Right are Blue's left and right arms, respectively, and High and Low are kicks to the upper and lower body of the opponent.



Once you've inputted a sequence of hits or selected Auto, select your target, Begin...



...and watch your combo unfold.

Now, that's not the only thing to combat. You see, by inputting certain combinations of High, Low, Left, and Right, you can execute special attacks called Arts. The thing is, Arts cost AP (Art Points), represented by the AP bar above Blue's MP. You accumulate AP by attacking and defeating enemies, taking damage, and automatically at the start of your turn, and can hold a max of 100 AP at any given time.



A great way to get a ton of AP in a short time is to use the Spirit command. Spirit kind of acts like the Defend command of most other RPGs; by selecting it, you don't get to attack, but your defense increases for that turn - even if the enemy goes first - and you gain a ton of AP.



To top it off, your agility bar extends, allowing you to input more commands the next turn and giving you more space to use Arts.



Spirit also raises the probability of Blue blocking attacks.



The game wants us to input High, Low, and High to complete the tutorial, so let's oblige it.





I know it doesn't have quite the same effect in screenshot form, so watch this.

Blue learns Somersault

I do believe that, if my younger self had a potty-mouth, I would've said "Holy shit!" when I first saw an Arts.

A big part why I love the combat so much is the sound design. Every hit has a definite impact on your foes. When you punch someone in the face, you're not just causing x points of damage - you're punching them in the face. Arts magnify this effect, making every attack in the move sound like fucking gunshots. It's like you're hitting dudes so hard you're breaking the goddamn sound barrier. Looking fucking gorgeous by PS1 standards and adding several afterimages helps, too.

Er, moving on... you can learn new Arts by experimenting during combat. Input the right combination of moves, and as long as you have sufficient space on the agility bar and enough AP, boom - new Arts. This is the reason I asked arrow combinations from each of you - you're going to be teaching Blue his combat techniques as this LP goes along. We can't learn anymore at the moment since the tutorial is over, but rest assured we'll be kicking ass shortly.



♪♪Rim Elm♪♪

Now that that's over with, let's see what Tetsu has to say on other subjects.

Blue: I want to hear about Biron.
Tetsu: Biron is a god of strength and love. Outside Rim Elm is a temple devoted to Biron. There, many warrior-monks devoted to Biron practiced night and day. They renounced the world's dependence on Seru and worked to polish their fighting skills. Many Biron warrior-monks also traveled the globe to spread the noble teachings of Biron. When visiting Rim Elm, I was trapped here by the Mist. But I am still a faithful Biron! I feel it is my destiny to teach the young the teachings and fighting skills of Biron.{Sounds almost like a combat-oriented version of Buddhism.}
Blue: Tell me the secrets of fighting.
Tetsu: Ha, ha, ha! There's no shortcut to success in battle! Constant training is the only way. However, I shall teach you a little secret. Use your Spirit effectively! You will be unable to attack and thus be attacked... but your defensive force rises while you are accumulating Spirit. That's not all! In your next turn, you will be able to inflict more attacks! This is a good strategy when fighting a formidable opponent. {Er, thanks for the tutorial you already gave, Tetsu. =/}

Well this has all been entertaining, but we should probably be heading back to Blue's place. Don't want to keep Mei waiting anymore than we already have, after all.



♪♪Mei♪♪



*Blue's father, Val, turns away from his desk.*
Val: I'm sorry, Mei. That Blue - I wonder where he's wandering around.
*Mei turns to face Val and walks forward a few steps.*
Mei: It's alright. My father hasn't come back from hunting today yet, anyway.
Nene: *turns to face Mei* I should be the one making hunting clothes for my brother.
Mei: *turns to face Nene* Don't worry about it, Nene. I just wanted to help celebrate this special day for Blue.
*Nene walks forward, appearing apprehensive.
Nene: Um, Mei, can I ask you something?
Mei: What is it?
Nene: Mei, are you in love with my brother? {Uh, wow, that kinda came out of nowhere.}
Mei: !



I think that answers that question.

*Blue walks in the door.*
Nene: Ah-ha! I knew it!



I didn't realize one could be so embarassed that their entire body would blush.

Nene: You're always wandering around with your head in the clouds. *turns to Mei* Let's hurry up and take those measurements!
*Mei recovers from her embarassment and walks in front of Blue.*
Mei: Blue, hold still. I'll only take a minute.



Mei: I knew it!

Mei: Alright, I'm done. Thank you, Blue. *turns to face Blue's family* Mr. Val, little Nene, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way.
Val: Thank you, Mei. Give my regards to Juno when he returns from the hunt!
Mei: *nods* I will!
*Mei gives one last look at Blue before leaving.*

♪♪Rim Elm♪♪

Well that was mildly amusing. Let's loot our own house!



Aw yeah. (Nene will actually tell you that this is in here, though she says something like "Hey dude, there's food in the cupboard if you're hungry or whatever.")



Uh... Maybe? I don't think so...

Nene: Ooh, you are so hopeless! You're going hunting tomorrow, and that means you're going to be an adult, right? Well if you're an adult now, you should mind your manners! {Alright, alright! Goddamn, Nene, get off my case.}
Val: I'm sorry, Blue, but my hands are full. I'll listen to what you have to say later.

Hm, what to do now... I guess we'll dick around outside some mo-



Oh. Nevermind!





Gate guard: The hunters have returned!
Old woman: By golly, they were gone a long time.
Boy: Father! My father is back! *the dad in question comes through the gate* Welcome back, Father. Did you catch anything?



Uh... that doesn't look too good.





Well shit.

Mei: *off-screen* Father?



♪♪Night Requiem♪♪

Ah, hell, the sad music's playing. You all know what that means...

*Mei bows her head as tears come to her eyes.*
Hunter: I'm so sorry, Mei. It happened so quickly... before we knew it. The Mist came earlier than usual... Juno was attacked by the Seru monsters... *Blue runs to the scene.* There wasn't anything we could do.
Mei: Father... Father, wake up! Please, open your eyes! Father!



*The camera pans upward and fades out, then back in near the center of the village. Nene, Val, and the Village Elder walk out of Mei's house.*



Nene: Tell me, Father. Will we always have to live in fear of the Mist? When will be able to go outside the village safely?
Val: Nene...
Nene: Father!
*The camera fades out and back in once more, this time inside Mei's house. Juno's body lies on a bed, waiting to be prepared for its funeral. Mei and Blue are unable to look away.*



Old woman: Don't worry about Mei. She's calmed down considerably. It will be dark soon. We'll stay here with Mei, so go home and don't worry about her.

No can do, lady.

Old woman: I know how you feel, but Val and Nene are waiting for you to come home. Just say a word or two to Mei and then be off.



Mei: He promised to take me all over the world once the Mist cleared. Father, you promised...

I don't think she's going to budge for a while... Might as well return home.

*Blue leaves the house. The villagers wander around, at a loss for what to do. Reluctant to return home, Blue decides to talk to them.*{Skip to the next screenshot if you don't want to read the next part.}

Outside
Old woman: Hunting and accidents seem to go hand in hand. Still, I pity poor Mei.
Hunter: The people of Rim Elm cannot survive without hunting. Yet the number of men of hunting age has dropped drastically.Blue, it's a difficult time, but be strong!
Gate guard: The Mist has grown stronger lately. I can just tell.
Hunter: Blast it! When Juno was attacked by the Seru, I was powerless. I... I stood by and let Juno die.
Memory Statue woman: Talk to the Memory Statue to save important memories. {That's... a bit insensitive, don't you think?}
Girl: Poor Juno. He was so strong! Blue, the Mist is so scary! I'm scared of all the monsters!
Boy: I better go home it's getting dark. Daddy will be angry with me.
Woman on the beach: The wind has changed direction! Night approaches. Soon night will come, and bring with it the horrible Mist!
Tetsu: Blue... It is unfortunate what happened to Juno. I know it pains you, and I, too, am filled with anger. Try to be strong, Blue. Please give my regards to Mei.

In the Item Shop
Hunter: Poor Juno. I have many things to sell, but there are fewer and fewer people to use them.

Near the Genesis Tree
Boy: I'm praying here... praying for Juno to come back.
Girl: My father came home safely... But I feel so sorry for Juno... and for Mei.

Elder's house
Old man: Juno isn't the first to die during the hunt! We have lost many hunters to the Mist! The dangers of the hunt are known by all. Yet we must hunt in order to live. For if we didn't bring back game, the entire village would starve to death.
Hunter: Blue, I was just asking the Village Elder what to do about tomorrow's hunt. As there is so little food in the village, of course the hunt cannot be called off... Blue, I will let you decide whether or not to join us on the hunt.
Old man: Who would have thought that brave Juno would lose his life? Blue, you must be beside yourself worrying about what will happen during the hunt tomorrow.
Village Elder: *pause* It is unbearably sad to see someone younger than oneself die first. Old people such as us, with little time left on this Earth... We can somehow bear to live in this world without hope. But I am overcome with pity for you, Blue, and the other children... Those who must live out their long futures under these conditions. Blue, the village children like you very much. Please continue to look out for them.

*Blue decides to go home.*
Nene: Oh, you're back.



Nene: Mei is all by herself now. She must be lonely, so be nice to her.
Val: Blue, you look sad. I understand. Juno was a kind man.



Well it's not like there's anything else we can do.

Val: Good. Rest well, then.
*The screen and music fade out.*



Val: Wake up!



*The sound Val speaks of is a massive banging that echoes throughout the village.*
Val: Blue, wake up!
*Val shakes Blue awake. Blue hops out of bed.*



Val: I think it's coming from beyond the Wall. Blue, would you go take a look for me? {Well, you have a bad leg and Nene is a little girl, so...}
Blue: *Nods*
Val: That's a good son. But hurry back at the first sign of danger!
*Blue heads outside. The bangings dramatically increase in intensity, sounding almost like lightning strikes. The entire village is gathered in front of the Wall, afraid of what lies beyond it.*
Old woman: Blue, look! The Wall is bending terribly! This has never happened before.
Ixis: Hey, Blue! Did you come to check, too? Look at them! Why does everyone look so worried? I swear, Rim Elm is a village full of cowards. {I told you he was kind of a dick.}
Woman: If the Wall breaks, the Mist will enter the village and the horrible Seru will come in!
Hunter: There's something out there. Something is striking the Wall from the other side.
Hunter: We built this Wall with our blood, sweat and tears! I'd be a fool to stand by and watch it come down!
Memory Statue woman: For ten years the Wall has protected us. I've always believed it could never collapse, but... I hope it doesn't fail us now and allow the Mist to engulf the village.
Old woman: That is the sound of something hitting the Wall from the outside!
Gate guard: The precious Wall that has protected Rim Elm -- it could never collapse!
Tetsu: I sense it... I sense the presence of evil outside the Wall.
Village Elder: Oh, Blue. So you came to check on the Wall, did you? This Wall has protected Rim Elm from the Mist for over ten years. Hopefully it will stay standing forever. {The Elder is the only person you need to talk to to advance the plot.}







Whoa, what the hell is wrong with that guy's face?

Floating dude: Pitiful creatures, you humans. Living in fear of the Mist, you scream at the sight of a Seru's shadow. Pathetic humans! {He's, uh, a bit genocidal.}



♪♪Mist♪♪

*The camera pans around to the floating dude's point of view as he looks down on the people of Rim Elm.*
Floating dude: Humans! You are but insects! The time has come to abandon your foolish resistance. I am Zeto. I have come to bring the salvation of the Mist to you miserable creatures.
*Tetsu attempts to make a surprise attack on Zeto...*





*...only to be unceremoniously knocked aside. Zeto doesn't even acknowledge that this just happened.*
Zeto: Humans! Now is the time! Accept the Mist!



FMV out of nowhere!



Well that's something you don't see every day.

Looks like we're pretty fucked!



Hunter: Oh no! The accursed Mist has entered Rim Elm!





What? Why would you want to do that? Speaking of, why is it glowing?



It's hard to see, but if you look closely, you can just barely see the giant...thing leaving to go... somewhere else. Probably to murder stuff with giant fireballs.





Zeto: Save yourselves by accepting the serenity of the Mist without resistance.



Well of course we aren't going to listen. It's showtime!



♪♪Brand of the Holy Knuckles (Ver. 2)♪♪

I like that they made a separate battle theme for the Mist - it reinforces the idea that it's not something to be taken lightly.

Anyway, we've got a village to save somehow, so let's get to it. These Gimards pose a bit of a threat, since we're still at level 1 and have no equipment to speak of. Their main attack is to swipe Blue with their tails, but they can also shoot a fireball from them that does upwards of 50 damage. Needless to say, they should be taken out quickly.



Of course, we can use this opportunity to learn new Arts! First is Arithon32's suggestion of ← → ←.





Success! Here's the video to go along with it.



While I was Spiriting for another combo, the Gimard blindsided me. If I hadn't used Spirit, I'd be in trouble.

Fuck yeah! That's another one, courtesy of TheSL's ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓. Maybe his other combo will work, too?



Er... not exactly. Since ← → ← was already an Art combo, adding the extra → didn't do anything. Something to keep in mind for future updates.

This thing is almost dead, so we have time for one more combo - Elfir's ← ← ↓ →.



Success! The first three arrows form the Art; the extra → does nothing. We still got an Art out of it, though, so no worries.



And with that, we've won our first battle! It was quite productive, I'd say. A note about Blue's pose there - I got knocked around a lot, hence his injured appearance. The more ass you kick in a battle (or the faster you do it; I can't remember which), the cooler the victory pose at the end. Also, there's no victory theme; the music simply fades out. I find myself okay with this, however.

Incidentally, if the numbers look inconsistent, they are; I kept fucking up recording videos and forgetting to use pSX's quicksave function. I had to do this fight a few times.

In any case, now that the battle's over with, we need to head to the Genesis Tree to protect it. Before we do that, though...



♪♪Mist♪♪

We can fight any Gimards we see onscreen for extra experience - and to learn new Arts, of course.



♪♪Brand of the Holy Knuckles (Ver. 2)♪♪



Compared to the last battle, this one's a total wash - we don't learn any new Arts. =/



Well at least we got a slightly cooler pose out of it.



The next fight proves more successful. Props go to Raven's combo of ↓ ↓ → ↑, though the first ↓ does nothing.



We also learn Slash Kick, courtesy of Kahran042's ↑ ↓ ← →, though only the first three arrows apply.



Hooray, our first level up! Maybe now we won't burn through so many items.



There's a chance that we can run into enemies other than Gimards (though it doesn't happen often), like this Green Slime. (You can also encounter enemies on the beach, though I forgot to screenshot this. =/) They're pretty ineffectual, like all video game slime monsters, only hitting maybe once for 15 or 20 damage. That is, until they use Divide to make another Slime. It didn't happen this fight, but it can, so take them out quickly.

Right, enough shenanigans. Time to save the village! Maybe. And hopefully not die.



♪♪Mist♪♪

Something I haven't mentioned yet - if you stand still for a second, this mini status square pops up, giving you a quick reference to how you're doing. Pretty nice if you don't feel like bringing up the menu to check.



Tetsu: I'll hold the Seru here. The rest of you go somewhere safe!

Whatever man, we've got a tree to check on.



Woman: I'm glad to see you! I was all alone! I came here to get away from the Seru monsters. Hey, have you noticed that the Mist doesn't come in here? The Genesis Tree is glowing. It's radiating some kind of amazing power. The Genesis Tree is very warm. Blue, go ahead, touch it.

Well it's either that or have the village destroyed.

Something is speaking softly to Blue's mind. {That's the game, not me.}





♪♪The Quiet Tree of Creation♪♪



*The screen flashes with golden light.*



Floating red thing: I am Meta, a Ra-Seru. I have been waiting inside this Genesis Tree for someone like you.



What the hell kind of a question is that? Of course we do!

Meta: Good! By combining our powers, we will rid the whole world of the Mist! Let us pursue the same destiny as human and Ra-Seru working together!

I'm sure Blue has his misgivings, what with this being a Seru and all, but if this is the only way to save the village...

Meta: Blue, open your mind... Feel my presence.



I guess by "combining our powers" Meta meant "let me turn into a kickass armband". Not that I'm complaining.



Meta: I am too weak... I need the life force of the Genesis Tree to be strong. To revive the Genesis Tree, we need the power to change destiny -- the power of the human spirit! Blue, hurry! Hurry and assemble everyone here!

Well that's not gonna be easy - everyone in the village is either panicking or fighting for their lives. I guess we should go to Blue's house first - maybe Val can help assemble everyone.

On the way there, I run into another Gimard and kick its ass. Then this happens...





This has honestly never happened to me so soon, so I wasn't prepared for it. For now, I'll just say that we've acquired our first magic spell and leave it at that - I'll be able to go over it in depth next update, and this one's huge enough as it is.



♪♪Mist♪♪

Val: Blue, what is that? That...that's a Seru!
*Blue explains events up until now.*
Val: Now I understand, although this is all so confusing. The situation is desperate. Our only hope now is your Seru and the Genesis Tree. Alright! Tell everyone to gather at the Genesis Tree!
*The screen fades out.*





♪♪The Quiet Tree of Creation♪♪

Village Elder: You and the Ra-Seru are our last hope! We entrust you with our lives. Everyone, we must pray together.
*The villagers gather around the Genesis Tree.*
Meta: The power of prayers is strong! Now's the time, Blue! Go to the Genesis Tree!

Well, no time like the present!



Meta: Blue, you, too, must pray!

Meta: To push away the Mist! To revive the Genesis Tree! Open your mind! Pray hard!













♪♪The Awakening of the Tree of Creation♪♪













Fuck yeah. That is all.

I guess he has a point. I mean sure, the Mist is gone, but that doesn't mean Zeto or that giant monster thing won't come back. The only way to make sure Rim Elm, and the world, is safe is to destroy the Mist. Reviving the Genesis Trees is a good start to that, though whether this is permanent remains to be seen.



None of that's happening today, though. Whether exhausted or unable to properly take in what just happened, Blue falls unconscious.

Nene: Brother...
Village Elder: Don't worry. He's just in a deep sleep.
Val: How peaceful he looks. He must be dreaming about something nice.
Mei: Blue...
*The screen and music fade out.*

The scenario here isn't quite finished, believe it or not, but this update is getting too gigantic so I'll end it here for now.

As for the next one: as soon as this gets posted I'm going to edit the OP to list every combination of moves that's been attempted so far - that way it'll be easier to suggest combos we haven't tried out yet. Also, the level-up in this update means that Blue can just barely input five commands after using Spirit. Keep that in mind for any combos you wish to suggest!

Next time: Starting the journey to revive the Genesis Trees!

as it turns out, my username will rock you like a Hurricane. Awesome!

I felt bad for getting it wrong, so I cheated and looked it up. I was so close.
→ → ↓ ←

Without cheating, try ← → → ↑ ↓

↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑ ↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑

Are you making a joke or trying to sarcastically say that you don't like the game's combat? It's rather hard to tell with nothing to go on but a sequence of arrows I can't even use.

Maybe he just wants you to try ↑↑↑ eighteen times in a row.

This game's combat looks pretty fun to me!

All the Arts in the game have at least two different inputs, like Hyper Elbow(← → ←)or Somersault (↑ ↓ ↑). I probably should've said that; I'll make a mention next update. Trying one combination a bunch of times isn't going to work, though!

It gets better; give it a few more updates.

Wow, I can't believe you got a spell so early. I've played this game through to the end twice and the first half another time, and all those times spells were rare as hell.

Well now, I'd say this is looking pretty interesting! It's good to have a nice clear goal for once... And Blue is a great name, but Red is better. :3

...Just maybe not for this guy.

Since you use these things to perform special moves, let's see if Blue ever played Street Fighter as a kid. Half circle forward, half circle back and all 8 variants of 360:

← ↓ →
→ ↓ ←
← ↓ → ↑
↓ → ↑ ←
→ ↑ ← ↓
↑ ← ↓ →
→ ↓ ← ↑
↓ ← ↑ →
← ↑ → ↓
↑ → ↓ ←

Whoa, slow down, man! I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I said in the OP to only make two or three suggestions per update(I have since went back and tried to clarify this). Don't want to learn all the Arts super early, after all.

I played this game back in the day and loved it. It was at that stage in my life where I was super patient with jRPGs and didn't mind if they were slow-paced or grindy (which this is both), so that worked out well in its favor. And I thought the Arts system was badass. Another detail I liked: the characters' outfits would actually change in battle when you altered their equipment. The final armor sets in particular were cool looking.

I named my characters Erik, Asuka, and Bob.

I got Gimard super early too, in fact I always assumed the "drop" rate for gaining its magic was super low to guarantee getting it virtually right away.

This music is bringing back the mad nostalgia. It's very, very charming.

Whoops, sorry about that. Feel free to break that block up into a couple of segments. Maybe try the half circles next time and then do the 360s in the next two updates?

I can do that.

Speaking of updates, I've got the next one partially finished. Expect it sometime during the next few days!

Hey, everybody! Today's update should be somewhere around half the size of the previous one. Let's get this underway, shall we?

Chapter 2: Drake Castle

*It is the day after Zeto's attack on the village. The screen is black; nothing can be heard but the gentle sound of the tide. A text box appears, as the Village Elder gives his speech.*





Village Elder: The hateful fangs of the Seru took their lives from them.



♪♪The Misty Capital♪♪

Village Elder: But Rem, our leader. Our great leader! On your sacred wings, take the noble souls of our friends to the Valley of Noaru! May their souls find peace and eternal happiness in the distant Valley of Noaru.



*The hunters push the coffins into the tide as the villagers look on in silence.*



*The hunters begin pushing Juno's coffin into the tide. As they get close, Mei walks forward a few steps before stopping herself. The hunters hesitate for a long moment before resuming their work. As the coffins start drifting into the sea, Mei can no longer stop herself and runs forward.*





*The camera cuts to a mother and her child watching from afar.*



Woman: To the Valley of Noaru, dear. Far, far away -- beyond the sea.
Boy: Is Juno going to come back? Will he bring us good things to eat again?
Woman: The Valley of Noaru is... very, very far away, dear. I don't think he will come back.



*The seagulls give mournful cries as the sky turns blue, signifying a few hours' passing. The camera pans down to the Genesis Tree, where Blue and the Village Elder are having a discussion.*



Village Elder: Blue, Rim Elm is saved thanks to you! You were truly courageous and I thank you again. However... It's about our precious Mei. Her mother may still be alive inside the Mist! If you have pity on Mei, then rescue her mother.



It's a slim chance, but it's better than nothing. I guess we can keep an eye out for her while searching for the Genesis Trees.

*Blue nods.*
Village Elder: Oh, thank you! Now, even Mei doesn't know this, but... Mei's mother, Maya, used to work at Biron Monastery. Ten years ago the Mist came... and naturally we lost all contact with her. As for whether Biron Monastery itself still survives in the Mist... Unfortunately no one knows. But Maya is Mei's only surviving blood relative! Blue, with the Ra-Seru, I'm sure you can make it to Biron Monastery! Blue! I'm counting on you.



Village Elder: She will only be heartbroken if Biron Monastery has indeed been lost to the Mist.

Well if anyone can survive magical, evil fog, it'd probably be a bunch of warrior-monks. Hopefully we'll find Biron Monastery in our travels.



♪♪Rim Elm♪♪

*Before setting off on his journey, Blue visits with the people of Rim Elm.*

Outside
Girl near Genesis Tree: The power of this Genesis Tree will save us all from the Mist, won't it? It has to!
Old woman: Oh, it's you, Blue. If you're looking for the adults, they've already gone hunting. The Genesis Tree pushed back the Mist so it will be much safer to hunt now.
Memory Statue woman: There are Memory Statues throughout Legaia. Blue, be sure to tell the Statue any memories you wish to save.
Gate guard: Blue, do you remember that Zeto? It looked like he was after our village's Genesis Tree.
Boy: I want a Ra-Seru like you, Blue!
Girl: Even though the Wall has been destroyed, we don't have to worry about the Mist anymore.
Woman on the beach: What a horrible monster! It broke down our Wall in an instant! Yet I do not understand. Why would that monster destroy the Wall and then simply leave?
Tetsu: As a follower of Biron I have renounced the Seru... And so I cannot say what manner of thing a Ra-Seru is. However... I know you well Blue. I trust you will do what is right! Village Elder says you are going to Biron Monastery to look for Mei's mother. Biron Monastery is where I grew up. If it still stands, give my regards to all there.

Village Elder's House



Maybe? Who knows what the hell that thing was.

Old woman: Be careful, Blue! It may be lurking in the Mist somewhere. {I'm not sure how a monster that size could lurk, but that's just me...}
Old man: To the north of Rim Elm, beyond the river, is Biron Monastery. The teachings of Biron disavow the Seru. That is precisely why I believe that the Monastery still survives.
Village Elder: Blue, Biron Monastery is far. Be careful on your journey. I hope that Biron Monastery still stands, and that Mei's mother, Maya, is safe...

Blue's House
Nene: Thanks to the Genesis Tree, no one will have to die anymore, right? No one will be killed by the Seru anymore, right?
Val: I still don't believe what happened yesterday. I never knew the Genesis Tree had such powers. I know not what hidden powers that Seru on your right arm has. All this is too confusing for an old man like me. But I have faith in you! You have brought hope to Rim Elm in its darkest hours. As your father, I am very proud of the brave man you have become. Whatever you decide to do from now on... this will always be your home, and you will always be my son. Never forget that! {Uh, don't mind me. Just... chopping onions. Lots of them.}

Ixis' House
Ixis: Darn it! I should have gone to the Genesis Tree when the Wall broke. Then the Ra-Seru would have chosen me, not you. Blue, they say there are Genesis Trees all over the world, right? You should use that Ra-Seru to revive all the Genesis Trees everywhere! Use the Ra-Seru's powers to rid the world of the Mist. Hey, that sounds pretty cool. Blue, you are one lucky guy. {And you're apparently bipolar...}
Hunter: Listen, everybody! I saw a huge monster when the Wall broke!
Woman: If the Genesis Tree has such powers, why didn't it get rid of the Mist sooner? *turns to face Blue* Oh! Blue! I didn't know you were there! I was just talking to myself, so don't tell anyone what I said.

Item Shop
Hunter: Blue, the Mist may have left the village, but beasts and Seru lurk just beyond the Wall. You'll need weapons and armor. Shall I teach you about weapons and armor? {No thanks, man; I'll cover it in a minute.}
Woman: Oh, Blue. I'm glad to see you! Now that the Mist is gone, I've decided to open my shop again. My son is helping me.

Kickass! Let's see what's for sale.



We can get by without the Survival Knife for now, but we'll be needing some armor, so I buy the Warrior's Seal (helmet) and Boots (leg armor). (Incidentally, if you don't have enough money for these, leave the village and fight a few monsters. For the love of god, don't sell any healing items to get the cash; you'll need them pretty soon.)

Fun fact: You can equip things as soon as you buy them. Helpful! Speaking of equipment, now's as good a time as any to check out the pause menu.



Each of these should be fairly obvious, but we'll be taking a closer look at the Equip screen.



Equipment is broken down into these icons:

Fist: Weapons. These increase attack power.
Helmet: Uh, helmets. They raise upper body defense.
Shirt thing: Body Armor. Raises upper and lower body defense.
Boot: Leg armor. Raises lower body defense and the attack power of kicks.
The earring things: Accessories. We don't have any right now, but later we can get accessories that do all kinds of fun shit.

Next, the Status screen.



The white numbers are Blue's stats after equipment and accessory modifiers, while the blue numbers in paranthesis are his base stats according to his level. Moving on to all those abbreviations...

Meta: Meta's level. As we revive more Genesis Trees, its level will increase, raising its (and, consequently, Blue's) attack power.
HP and MP: Fairly obvious.
AP bar: How much AP we have as of the previous battle. Blue will start the next battle with the amount shown here.
ATK: Attack power. Affected by Meta's level, equipped weapons, and leg armor.
UDF: Upper body defense. Affected by helmets and body armor.
LDF: Lower body defense. Affected by leg armor and body armor.
SPD: Speed; affects turn order and the probability of blocking an attack.
INT: Intelligence. Affects magic attack power and magic defense.
AGL: Agility. Affects the length of the agility bar.
ATR (that thing in the bottom left corner): Attribute. The element Blue is affiliated with, in this case Fire; more on this later.

I'm not sure what Speed, Intelligence, and Agility are affected by besides accessories; I think Meta might have something to do with it, though.

Moving on, we can also look at magic...



and all the Arts we've learned so far.



I hope I made that easy to understand! If you any of you have any questions, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them.

Now that all that's taken care of, it's time to leave the village.



This is what a Memory Statue looks like, by the way.



Oh, right, Blue's girlfriend. Kinda forgot about that.





Mei: Oh, I'm glad I made it. Here! I brought you the hunting clothes I promised you.



Blue now has Hunter Clothes.



Blue: Are you alright now?
Mei: *closes her eyes* Yes. I had a good cry. And making your hunting clothes took my mind off everything. *opens her eyes again* Blue, I heard from the Village Elder that you're going on a long trip.
*Blue nods.*
Mei: Well, take care. And don't forget to wear the hunting outfit I made you. And be sure to come back when you finish whatever it is you have to do. I mean it! You'd better come back!
*Mei turns away from Blue.*
Mei: I've never been good with goodbyes. So I have to go home now. I'm sorry...



Don't worry, we will. Fun fact - the Hunting Clothes are actually our first set of body armor.



They're not too bad, either. Mei's a keeper, all right!

Okay, we've been dicking around for long enough. It's time we set off on our journey.



♪♪Barren Fields of Mist♪♪

This is my favorite theme in the game. I... can't really explain why. Believe me, I've tried to at least three separate times before posting this update, and I always ended up sounding like an idiot who had no idea what he was talking about. I guess I'll let you guys draw your own conclusions.

In any case, now that the Mist is no longer surrounding Rim Elm, the encounter rate has decreased, and we won't run into any Seru for the time being - Seru only appear where the Mist does.

Not really having anywhere else to go for the moment, Blue follows the path and finds this spring. Maybe someone there will know where a Genesis Tree is?



♪♪Brand of the Holy Knuckles♪♪

We run into more enemies before getting there, however. This dude here is the Gobu Gobu. They enjoy slashing you with their blades, kicking you in the chest, and stealing your stuff.



Something to note - weapons and armor change Blue's appearance in battle, and the "-" option from earlier has changed to relfect Meta attaching itself to Blue's arm. This is due to how magic works in this game - rest assured I'll get to it in a minute.



Something I forgot to mention earlier is that while inputting commands, you can press Triangle to bring up a list of all the Arts you've learned.



This, uh... Evil Fly is slightly bothersome. Since it's flying in the air, Low attacks will miss it entirely. Aside from hitting you with its wings for piddling damage, it can also poison you. Poison sucks in this game - not only does it decrease your HP by 5% every turn, it also lowers your attack power. Thankfully, status effects (which will be covered in more detail in a later update) wear off after battle, so if you can survive and find a place to heal, you should be fine.



Defeating the Fly brings Blue to level 3, and he reaches the spring shortly afterwards.



♪♪Rim Elm♪♪

Hunter #2: I'm impressed! You made it here all by yourself? {You're damn right we did.} Ha, ha, ha! You're so confident! You are a lot hardier than us hunters.
Hunter #1: By the way, Blue, see that guy over there?



Hunter #1: He says his name's Lezam, and he was telling us the most amazing story.
*Lezam turns to face Blue. They nod to each other in greeting; Lezam resumes talking with the hunter.*
Hunter #3: Blue, you should talk to Lezam, too.

Before we do that...



Free healing! Also, those statues have plaques on them that give out tutorials, but I'll cover everything on them eventually.

Hunter #1: It's been a while since I ran across someone outside the village.
Hunter #2: Blue, you should talk to Lezam.
Hunter #3: If you want to learn about Lezam, ask Lezam himself.
Hunter #4: When we came to the spring as we always do, Lezam was here.
Hunter #5: Blue, listen to what Lezam has to say!



Lezam: So, you are Blue. The hunters have told me of you. You have done great deeds. You have my gratitude.
-> (Tell me why you are grateful.)
(Thanks, but I must be going.)
Lezam: Yes, this is about something that happened before the Mist reached here. I was heading to Rim Elm under King Drake's orders to warn them of the Mist. But the Mist caught up with me, and I became a Seru monster! From what I hear, it is your deeds that enabled me to become human again. That is why I am grateful. Thank you so much! Drake is surrounded by the Mist, and King Drake is surely awaiting you... your powers!



Sure, I guess. We were heading that way, anyway. Let's just hope a Genesis Tree is nearby...

Lezam: Oh, thank you! Please do whatever you can to save Drake Castle! Before I departed, the King had made a frightening decision. I hope he is safe.

Hm... sounds like trouble. Guess we'll see what it is when we get there.

Before we do, though, let's head back to Rim Elm.



♪♪Rim Elm♪♪

The Point Card lets us earn 5% of the money spent on an item as points. We can then use the Point Card in battle, and those points all get released as damage. You can release up to 9,999 points at once; any extra points you have are saved for later. If you use this item properly, you can cheese the hell out of some of the later bosses. Better yet, this item can be used as many times as you want. It's pretty great!

You don't have to get the Point Card this soon, though; the opportunity to get it lasts all the way up to the penultimate boss. This is just the earliest opportunity to acquire it.



♪♪Barren Fields of Mist♪♪

Right, now we can head to Drake Castle. It seems to be built into the mountainside.



♪♪Mist♪♪

Drake Castle is the first dungeon in the game. There are quite a few neat items here...



... Items like this! The Door of Light, for lack of a better analogy, acts like an Escape Rope from the Pokemon series, allowing you to instantly escape a dungeon. You might end up using it if you came here without buying any Healing Leaves (like I did, without even realizing it; I walked back to Rim Elm on foot, though).

I don't remember if the game explains who this is, but it's a nice painting nonetheless.



♪♪Brand of the Holy Knuckles (Ver. 2)♪♪

Moving on, we encounter more monsters. The Skeleton here is super fast; it's almost always going to act before you do until you're at least at level 4. If you get into a fight with two of these things, you're going to take a lot of damage.



♪♪Mist♪♪

After the battle, we come to this door, with two more off to the side. Let's see what we can find, shall we?

Taking the door to the left yields...



There is a sense of sadness in the eyes of the Seru.



Meta: Take a good look. This is a human possessed by a Seru. I have looked into this person's mind, the same way I spoke to your mind. But the Seru controlling this person's spirit is too strong, and I couldn't make out any words. The only way to return these people to normal is to drive away the Mist.

Right. Before we leave, we should investigate the shiny thing to the right.



Finding keys like these is the... uh, key to getting through this dungeon. Sorry for the terrible wordplay.



Nothing in the door to the right besides more Seru-controlled humans in a cage.





Using that Sunrise Key lets us move up this passageway.



Awesome! Since these are our only method of healing for the time being, we're going to need every one we can find.



Don't mind if I do.



Sure.

Drake Castle's water is pleasing and potent. When used to water fields, grains grow tall and thick. Beasts that drink it grow strong. Even without food, one is safe so long as there is the rich water of Drake to drink. {What do they put in this stuff, growth hormones?}





We're making good progress; there are only a few more passages like this to go through.



♪♪Brand of the Holy Knuckles (Ver. 2)♪♪

Oh man, Drake Ghosts. Drake Ghosts are assholes. They have the most health out of all the monsters here, and aside from slashing you with their weird-ass swords (or hitting you with their shields), they can use an attack called Windhash, which does upwards of 50 damage. To make things worse, sometimes they can block your Arts - and, of course, Low attacks miss them entirely. If you encounter one, either defeat it quickly or run the hell away.