Here there be dragons. Let's Play Bahamut Lagoon!

What is it?

Diana: Recently, there have been painful-sounding voices coming from BRIEFS's room. I wonder what it is... Could she be... I wonder if she's talking with the Holy Dragons...



Frederica: You're the only person to come see me, PANTS. But that's okay... I have my medicine...



Mist may want to lead us on thinking that, however, we know the truth:

Mist: ((Tee hee hee... I'll sleep a lot to preserve my beautiful skin. It will increase the number of my fans.



Trying to head into BRIEFS's room at the moment leads to nothing, save for peeking into the lock while Lukia winks on.

......



Wagahai here? He gets it.



Whelp, time to feed the dragons now.

Calzone's crazy hyper from the thunderhead we just passed through. Guess it's to be expected when you're, y'know, a thunder dragon. But before we start feeding...



We'll stop by this guy for a second.



With all the money we've been earning, it's been trivial stocking up on mushrooms. The mushrooms, above all else, are the best item to feed dragons because of how cost-effective they are.

99 Gross mushrooms, and hey-o, Polaris is one point away from maxing it. So broken, these mushrooms be.



Next goes Truffle into the feeding frenzy.

With his Life stat now maxed, our summoners are unmatched in sheer killing power. As for why, you'll see as we move into battle...



I also max out his water stat for good measure, for the times we have to use Leviathan.

Time to move onto raising that Thunder stat, so that Valitora might get his time to shine.



Next stop, I drop by Wh.MAGE to power her Thunder stat up to max. Now that she has an attack attribute maxed out, she'll be able to contribute much more effectively to the fighting than before.

Might as move the rest of those Poison Mushrooms onto Truffle. Mm-mm, poisony goodness.



All right, let's get this show on the road. Charge!



No major changes to the team this time, save for the fact that BRIEFS is disposed for the battle, forcing one of the benched Lancers to take her place. Nothing significant, though - once the battle ends, odds are the team will go back to what it was last chapter.



Taicho: Look! It is Palpaleos!!

Matelite: Everyone, listen up! No faltering! Things aren't like they used to be... Now that we've had so much training, we should be able to defeat even Sauzer!!

Taicho: We will bring this to a conclusion, right here!

Matelite: Princess BRIEFS... Please watch over us...

Sauzer: But it will carry on no longer. It ends right here! This I swear, upon my sword. I must stop you. For I am the one who will fulfill the legend!!

Palpaleos: ...She isn't here? BRIEFS...

Sauzer: ...Princess BRIEFS... How ironic... ...That we both fell ill to the same sickness... Yet I am the only one able to conquer the menacing thoughts of the Holy Dragons...

Matelite: Prepare to attack!!

Sendak: Occasionally there will be sandstorms, thus it is imperitive that we keep watch for them. And we must watch out for Sauzer and Palpaleos, too, of course.



And the showdown begins! The battle itself, despite the terrain, is relatively straightfoward: head north and smash Sauzer. We'll have to fight our way through his troops of course, but they're mostly irrelevant, lacking any really deadly skills.



Look at that range. Just look at it. Five panel range and sick damage to boot, Garuda's probably the best Holy Dragon our summoners will be using for a long, long time, perhaps for the remainder of the game. I mean, sure, there are stronger dragons to use, but how the hell are you going to beat four-panel range? That's just sick, yo.

The damage's pretty good, too.



An interesting note to make is that our priests have their first attack spell now, an Earth attack called Starfall. It's nothing special, honestly, but I figured it was worth mentioning for the novelty of battle priests.



All told, the enemies in this battle aren't anything really special - there aren't any really tough soldiers to look out for and our fighters are more than strong enough to wipe the floor with them. Hell, I'd go so far as to say it's a slaughter.



Yep

Normally, the charge here would be cause to worry, but at this point we're so overpowered that we can take them out witout breaking a sweat. Hell, Garuda alone renders them easy pickings.



Oh, right, the sandstorm. Every so often, any unsheltered units will take damage from the weather effect, which can be a bit of a pain if you'd just taken a heavy blow from one of the enemies. The damage itself is nothing to worry about though, so just heal up and keep fighting.



At this point, Palpaleos is in range enough that we can take him on. Fighting him is purely optional - you can press north and focus on Sauzer instead if you so desire - however, he's pretty easy to take out, and he gives good EXP, so you should try challenging him if you've got the time to spare.

Note that, like PANTS, Palpaleos is a Cross Knight and can attack on both the field and in battle, but the damage itself is fairly ignorable. As always, keep yourself healed and attack, attack, attack.

Sauzer, on the other hand, is a bigger threat since he can snipe our units for pretty heavy damage.



Palpaleos is extremely resiliant, but once you take out his entourage he's nothing but a kitten. Honestly, the battle itself was kind of anticlimactic.

He doesn't have any end-battle lines, interestingly enough...



This is how it stands so far. Aside from the mooks still hanging around, our goal now is to take out Sauzer and win the fight. He's pretty tough, but without enemies to back him up he's a relatively safe fight.

A little softening here...



A bit of battling there...



And then...

Sauzer: ...comands such malevolence...



Game set and match. Resistance: 4; Empire: 0.



Taicho: Sir Matelite!! We are victorious!!

Matelite: All right, let's head for that town. We need to find the Holy Dragon for Princess BRIEFS.

Taicho: We have defeated General Palpaleos... So this is what war is like...

Matelite: PANTS... You take care of the ingo about the Holy Dragons! We're going back to Papillon!! Calzone!! Come here!

[Matelite and Taicho leave on Calzone.]

Rush: Oh... I wonder if BRIEFS is feeling well... It would probably be better if we were by her side instead of Matelite.

Truce: I haven't heard any real information about Dafila. Nobody in the Resistance is from here...

What about this suspicious man?


I dunno, lately...

Suspicious man: Even you can become popular overnight! We're searching for members for the Freedom Revolutionaries! The password is... "Starting today, I will be cool!"



Secret translator message #2. Seems someone's mighty bitter.

Battlefield salesman's in a bit of a tizzy - apparently they took his wife away to work in the King's harem. Poor guy...



Woman: You wouldn't understand...

Man, everyone's brooding today.



Good thing Donfan's around to cheer us up.

Donfan: Hello, miss! O, beautiful girl of the desert! I shall fill this desert with your lovely tears!

Woman: Ugh... I wonder if he's a member of some exploration party?

Donfan: Such is the way of the world... You have lost something. That's how these things are. I do not know what, however, I wish to. Your heart is dry like this desert... But look, a mirage. The oasis of Donfan awaits you.

That oasis line slays me every time.

Donfan: Well, I, Donfan, leader of the Resistance, shall escort you home. Where do you live?



The King cometh!



*bump.*

King: Many thanks! I shall now partake in sleep! Completely ecstatic am I! With so numerous a lady in my palace! Doing such and so... Whew, so busy am I...

[King enters palace. Donfan enters.]

Donfan: 'Tis I, Donfan! Member of the Resistance! I would like to ask you to take a short break tonight...Well? I would also like you to let me in... How does this much sound? Such is the way of the world... PANTS has my wallet. How about giving the bill to him?

"Starting today, I'll be really cool too!"

Freedom Revolutionary: Okay! Enter!



HIDDEN CHARACTER ALERT!!

He's pretty hard to miss, but the two assassins here are missable characters as well, and we'll have to pay them before the chapter is over. Thankfully, we haven't bought anything yet, so money is of no concern.

Saijin: ((Oh!!!) Hey buddy! I've been spotted!



Introducing Saijin and Zeroshin, our first two, and only, assassins. Saijin's pretty standard assasin stuff, brooding and serious about his job, but Zeroshin's a pretty nice guy.

Zeroshin: By the way, won't you hire us? We'll accept payment afterwards... That's right, we'll accept up to 15 installments.

Also accepting VISA, Master Card, American Express, an arm and a leg...

Saijin: We are special assassins who perform with no mistakes!! Right now, for a basic fee, we will give you level 2 ninjutsu for free. For the optional package, we'll need a down payment. Will you hire us?

Hell yes I will. In fact... maybe I'll take the optional package as well.

Saijin: For the optional package, please select from the following menu.

Don't need to see it, my good man. For you see, there's a certain captain I've been meaning to replace for some time...

Saijin: Thank you. We are glad to do business with you.

Translation: We are now your loyal slaves and will now join you into battle against the Empire. Either way, we've got ourselves a couple of Assassins. More on that later...



Already thinking about their jobs, I see.

Libero: There have been no victories for the Freedom Revolutionaries ever since the Imperial Army showed up. However... Even though we chose the name "Freedom Revolutionaries", we don't have a leader... I'm at best Number 2... How about it... You're the leader of the Resistance, aren't you? Won't you be our leader too?

Um... sure?

Libero: Okay! Seems you want to help after all! You don't seem like a popular kinds of guy. But, that's okay! Being in the revolution is cool, don't you think? No girl will ever leave you alone! When you've decided you want popularity and freedom, come back and see me! It will begin tonight! Tonight we shall be reborn!

Why tonight? Hell, we can get it over right now.



Nuts.



The team splits up. Saijin, Zeroshin, Truce and Libero head north from the mountains while Rush, Bikkebakke and another guard head through the east. Not that it matters, since we've got our own mission.



Cool, I've never taken part in a beheading before.

Hemmed in like this, the King begins to freak the hell out, running around like a maniac.



Not good enough for my skillz, though.

Libero: King! Be prepared! Tomorrow Dafila shall be ours! The Freedom Revolution will be realized! The leader shall be PANTS!

Wait, what? I never said I wanted to be king, of all things.

Libero: I hereby declare Dafila a free kingdom! A new era begins!

King: Drat! I must flee... Farewell, my citizens...



Up in the castle...

Rush became an adult! Truce became an adult! Bikkebakke was already an adult!! As for PANTS...

...Well, that's a story for another time. Tune in later for:



Next time: We begin our search for the fourth Holy Dragon, Jormungand!

Did the crew celebrate the exile of the King by helping themselves to his famous harem? Or am I thinking things I should not be thinking?

They... yeah. I'm guessing that the women in the harem were so grateful that they gave the troop a house special to repay them for their help.

(Interestingly enough, Bikkebakke was "already a man" before the others. I guess nice guys don't always finish last, eh?)

Anyway, ready for another update, guys? ...Look, it was a slow day today, all right?

Anyway, last time we left off, we had just beaten down Sauzer's personal army and are now en-route to Jormungand's lair.

BRIEFS... BRIEFS.... Wake up...



Jormungand: I am the Holy Dragon Jormungand. Inside the desert temple I await. Now I shall tell you... We Holy Dragons... need you. Now, open the gate and come to me...



BRIEFS: Everybody...

Zora: Princess... Are you alright?

BRIEFS: The Holy Dragon Jormungand... is calling me. I must go...

Zora: Don't overdo it. We're the only ones who can fight.

BRIEFS: I must go... Jormungand... wants to tell me something.

Matelite: Oh yeah, BRIEFS! I have good news! We defeated Sauzer!! The revival of Kahna is very soon!

Taicho: We defeated General Palpaleos as well... On the battlefield one must be heartless... BRIEFS... I am relieved that you are better.

BRIEFS: ...!!!

Everyone: [I]BRIEFS!![/B]



Palpaleos: ((BRIEFS... I lost... Your friends... The Resistance has become powerful. PANTS... Matelite... Taicho... BRIEFS... I don't mind them being by your side... Who will you choose now, BRIEFS... A new era... If it comes, I will come to you...))



BRIEFS: ((A feeble dream... Even so, it's one I can't make come true...))

Garuda: ((Girl who holds onto feeble dreams... Why do you think so... With our power, this world would be yours. You would have everything you ever wanted.))

BRIEFS: ((Even if this world became mine... There are things that can't change... From the feelings of people far away from home, to the human heart... These can never be changes...))

Garuda: ((Do not grieve, Princess... You have read the minds of we Holy Dragons thus far... You have come to control us. You are faring better than the other who can speak with the Holy Dragons...))

BRIEFS: ((The other one... Emperor Sauzer... Right now, he's...))

Garuda: ((I sense faint signs of life... The man of your dreams is also safe... Do not worry. That is not the sort of thing you should desire to know...))

BRIEFS: Garuda... If everything I have wished for will really come true, there is something I want... I want the courage to believe that...

Join us now as we begin the fight for...





Rush: It's hard to explain, but... I get the feeling we're doing something really big.

You mean besides overthrowing a tyrant in a bloodless coup and establishing a free-er kingdom?

Rush: This kingdom'll change... Maybe even this world too... Here they come...



Matelite: So where is the Holy Dragon's temple?!

Truce: Matelite, please listen. Dafila has become a free kingdom. Last night... a freedom revolution...

Matelite: What're you talking about? Freedom and revolutions...!! They have nothing to do with us! Where is the Holy Dragon?!

Truce: ... It's in the temple at the very southern end of the desert...

Matetlite: Did you hear that, Taicho? Lead the way!

Rush: Matelite's always so rash... I can't believe that guy... We're not just fighting, you know. I don't really know how to explain it... I'm confused...

Truce: It hurts... my heart hurts. I'm just a soldier, so I can only follow orders, right? I can't stop it... If I had to explain how I'm feeling right now, I would be a miserable sight.

Poor guys, always being beaten around my Matelite. Don't worry guys, I'm sure he'll get his comeuppance really soon...



Not quite yet, Bikkebakke old chum - we've got some dragon feeding to do.

First one up are the Rotten Mushrooms from Bikkebakke...



Next comest time to raise his fire stat...

A little more...

Gah, so close too. Annoying, annoying, annoying.



Wh.MAGE steps up to the plate next, getting a nice helping of ice items.

And that should do. Ice stat: 100, just as planned.

Truffle gains a nice boost to his Thunder stat, which should help out Valitora a bit.



As gross as these mushrooms may be, you can't deny their convenience.

VicViper takes a bite out of a bunch, maxing out his Thunder stat and changing form into a Grand Dragon.



More... mushrooms...

Poison is maxed, tralala~



Here, have some grass.