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

When I was 8, I decided that Sendak was very very gay for PANTS. I see nothing that contradicts this age-old theory.

You don't have to do an intensive play-by-play for every battle. I'd actually prefer if you just gave the highlights.

I'll definitely keep reading this as long as you keep showing the dragon feeding, regardless of how you choose to do it. I just really like to watch things level up, I guess. This might have something to do with why Tanto's is my favorite LP so far.

I'm happy to see this has resumed. I'm also okay with highlights/dragon feeding if it makes it easier to continue.

(Is "watching stuff level up" a fetish?)

If so, where can one find some panties that say +2 STR?

It kind of disturbs disturbs me that I think that's an awesome idea.

Sorry, didn't mean to leave you guys hanging for so long. Anyway, let's get back on track as the Granbelos Empire leaves us...





Matelite: I, Matelite, captain of the knights of Kahna, have arrived!

Taicho: I, Taicho of the knights of Mahal, have also come!

Rush: Those Granbelos jerks! Sticking BRIEFS in a place like this!

Upstairs...



I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter either way what you choose, so >You stay behind.

Rush: I see. Screw that! You just want her all for yourself, don't you?! "Oh PANTS! You came to save me! I'm so happy!" she'll say, then you'll hold each other's hands... That role is mine!

That was... sudden. This love polygon just keeps getting bigger. How many people is it now, anyway?



Rush: She isn't here...

But who's that in her bed, I wonder?



......

Soldier: !!! Sorry, General Zomberd! I was daydreaming! (pause) Who are you?! The Resistance?! Please, spare my life! What are you going to do me? [sic] You're... not gonna torture me, are you?

Well why not? >Torture it is!

Soldier: !!! Aah! Stop! I don't like being hurt!

Calm down, I was just jo-



Matelite: What is this? Where is BRIEFS?!

Rush: She isn't here. PANTS is gonna ask this guy about her by torturing him.

No! Shush!

Taicho: Excellent idea!

Matelite: Alright, PANTS! Do your worst!

...wait, what?

Soldier: Please stop! I'll talk! Princess BRIEFS was taken with Emperor Sauzer!

Matelite: BUT WHERE TOO?!

Soldier: To the forest to the north! I don't know the details!

Matelite: You don't know the details? Lying won't do you any good. Fine. I'll just have to personally show him some real torture.

Wait, I don't think he's lying, Matelite.

Soldier: Aah! Stop! I don't like being hurt!

He then climbs the wall and jumps over the party in order to escape. Pretty, er, agile - must've been that extra rest?

Rush: Oh no! He's going to call for his friends!

Crap, after him!



Now's not the time- oh forget it. Tell me when Rush reports back about the soldier, then.

With the surplus of fire items won from the last battle, I figure the best way to get more bang for our buck was to start focusing on individual dragons. So! To start off, let's see how high VicViper's fire stat will go, shall we?

First, up to 44...



Then to 76 (!)...



Then 82 (we're almost there)...



And then it's maxed out! VicViper (and, by extension, PANTS's unit) are now virtually unstoppable, as that maxed stat will guarantee them 1- or 2-HKOs against anything that rushes them.

This comes with a trade-off, however: due to VicViper's unnaturally high fire stat at this point in the game, most of the killing blows will come at his hands, resulting in a surplus of fire items for us at the expense of the others. This isn't a big deal, mind you - careful dragon management can circumvent any of these problems, and the huge power boost is more than helpful enough to push past the tougher parts - but it could make things trickier later on once terrain starts to play a larger role.

Note that there are some benefits to raising one element at a time, however, as you'll see throughout this chapter. In the meantime, let's get back to feeding, shall we?

I didn't have any cookies on hand for Wh.MAGE, so I hope this Sweet Wine will do instead, Elfir. Though Wh.MAGE doesn't seem to mind...



Oh, and I figure she could do with a little light reading as well. Remember, fight smarter, not harder!



In an effort to help Polaris start on his path to catching up to Vic, I fed him some Ice Grass to raise his lingering Ice stat. He's a little behind, but he'll catch up eventually.



And with a gentle push, Brandon gains a level in Thunder. This isn't much to look at, at the moment - VicViper, Polaris and Calzone have him more or less beaten in each stat - however, with all three at level 1 now, Brandon has access to Earth elemental attacks. The Earth stat is unique in that it relies on the three other elements for the power of its attacks, but the lack of enemies resistant to it and its ability to level mountains makes it a definite plus to have around.

The Earth element only takes on the level of the lowest stat, so you have to raise them evenly in order to make the most use of it. Not too much of a problem since Brandon's already balanced, but just keep it in mind.

Oh, and I fed Calzone some Battle Axes, but that's neither here nor there.



Cue Rush's return!

Rush: Sorry... he got away. But I brought this guy with me!



Oh, hey, it's the merchant-guy again. Let's see what ya got:



Nothing, apparently, as he's still has yet to upgrade his wares. Fine by me - by the time he does, I'll have enough to not only upgrade the entire team, but have enough left over to feed to the dragons as well.



Yep. Let's go!

Matelite: Hey! Stop shouting!



No pre-battle dialogue this time around - it's down to business from the word go. However...



In addition to the usual soldiers and magi, it seems Palpaleos himself has decided to join the battle. He doesn't do much though - he doesn't move for the duration of his stay, and he leaves after three turns - but look at those stats. At level 34 and more than 9999 HP, he'd be able to demolish us with ease.

Anyway, nothing much happens on the first turn, aside from the usual advance of troops.



These guys in the corner try to catch up to PANTS's team, but their miserable move range combined with the terrain in their way guarantees them to be out of the fight. It's almost comical, really.



The second turn comes and Matelite and Polaris are first on the scene, shooting at this formation of soldiers here.



It's all for naught as PANTS and VicViper utterly destroy them with their attacks. Remember when I said there were advantages to focusing on one element at a time? Yeah.



With no one else in range, the next few rounds pass without too much incident.



And with that, Palpaleos is out of here. Good thing, too - even with Fire maxed, any fight against him would've been nothing short of a crushing defeat.

Juxtaposing the two different spell levels together, you can really see the difference 7 spell levels can make. The initial boost you get from focusing on one elemental is definitely a plus, but remember not to go overboard if you want to raise the others.



After the usual slash&burn, the enemy's turn comes around and we get to see their healers bring this Lanzenritter unit back from the brink. From here on out, healers only start to become more plentiful on the enemy's team, so make it a point to finish off enemy units on the first go if you can, else they'll just be healed back up to take another shot at you.



Of course, not that it matters when the boss is in range and we're dealing obscene amounts of damage, but still.



Since none of the others are close enough in range to attack, I decided to just end my turn there. The dragons seem intent on getting a shot in before it ends, but who am I to complain?



You have to give these guys credit for being persistant - even this far behind, they're still trying to catch up.



Level 10 attacks *and* critical hits pretty much guarantee an easy win against whatever forces the game can muster against me at this point. Palpaleos aside, of course.



Anyway, moving on. The enemy healer tries to bring the boss's unit back to full health to save him before their turn ends.



Not that it matters, anyway. Now, to finish them off!

Zomberd: I've stalled you long enough!



And it's over! A little too easy, but what the heck.



Join us next time as we confront the Granbelos Emperor, Sauzer!

All right, now that I’m back at school, the updates should be coming much more quickly now. So let’s cut back to our heroes as they prepare to face...





Taicho: There are many enemies! They are not human! They are monsters!

Lukia: Why did they come to such a dangerous place…

Battlefield salesman: No matter how dangerous it is, there’s one thing we must do. Right? Oops, sorry for interrupting.

Sendak: Hmm... Oh! Now I remember! There is a Holy Dragon in this forest! The sense in the air here... It is the same as Bahamut’s in Kahna!

This line is very important, as it relates to the entire premise of the game as you'll see later on in the chapter. Keep it in mind for now.

Matelite: Fine, whatever! While we’re standing around here, BRIEFS’s... It doesn’t matter what the Empire is thinking! We’re going to get BRIEFS back! Alright, let's go! Follow me!

Taicho: Let us go!

After which they run off, leaving us to prepare our team. Let's see what that salesman's got, shall we?




Good news: The merchants start selling elemental equipment now for us to raise our dragons with! Since Polaris is the one that needs to catch up the most of the main three, I went ahead and purchased a bunch of Ice Brands for him.



Which I promptly feed to him, turning him into... what in the world...?

...A-anyway, it's very, very hard to lock yourself out of raising certain stats in Bahamut Lagoon, as you can see. The only bonus that comes with raising each stat parallel to each other is that you tend to accumulate a balance of items more easily, which can save you a pretty penny if you're operating on a budget.

Moving on...



>Attack!

Bikkebakke: Alright, let's go!

Matelite: *pant* ......

Taicho: Quickly! The enemy is strong!

No pre-battle banter this time around either - it's straight for the fight this time. Note that this battle's objective is to defeat all enemies, the first time we've had to do so since the Prologue.



As I'm focusing on raising their stats the most, Polaris, Calzone and their respective masters will be doing the most of the fighting this chapter. This is so that I'll be able to grab more ice and thunder elemental drops from the enemies to save our money in the long run.

PANTS and VicViper will be following behind as well, of course, but they'll mostly act as a safety net if the other two get in trouble. Or if I get bored - whichever comes first, really.



This is also our first battle with monsters, by the way. The majority of the monsters we'll be fighting this chapter have access to drain attacks, making them more difficult to take out in one go. However, our teams are still well ahead of the difficulty curve at the moment, so it'll just mean taking more time to finish them off.



After finishing off the bats, Matelite's and Sendak's units turn their attention towards these Triphids, weakening them by quite a bit. It doesn't quite finish them off, however.



I considered letting Brandon in on the action, but he insisted on letting loose with fire and I didn't want to hear of it.

Calzone takes a few blows this turn from the Triphids, but lets loose with his incredibly high STR stat. Note that he's dealing 900+ with his regular attack - that's almost on par with PANTS's techniques (minus the critical hits, of course).



This battle also introduces a new type of terrain, the swamp. Instead of being frozen like normal water, you have to purify the water with Life spells so that your team doesn't take damage crossing it.

The damage can also poison your units as well, but that's not as big a deal.



Sendak's and Matelite's units turn their attention towards the monsters to the North, hitting the lower Triphid unit pretty hard with their attacks.



Afterwards, they start to get to work on these Dendrobiums. As you may have noticed, the enemy units' HP are increasing at startling rates; in order to defeat them with any speed, ganging up on them with high-powered attacks is pretty much a requirement...

...So you'll have to excuse me when I let PANTS and VicViper jump in to steamroller these two into oblivion. I was mostly aiming to weaken them, to be honest, but what the heck.



Anyway, it's time to continue the trek northwards. Calzone manages to squeak into range and fire at this Sky Beak (though irritatingly he's deciding to use fire attacks instead of the usual thunder...).



Gah! Use thunder attacks, damn you!



THANK you. Was that so hard?



Might as well finish him off with Sendak, I suppose.



I figure I've gathered enough items for now. Time to send PANTS and VicViper in to clean up.

Since Sendak and Matelite are the closest to the north, the get straight to work beating up on this Sky Beak here (though Calzone's using fire attacks again - let's hope the thunder items I'll feed him later will curb him of this habit).



With one last shock from Sendak the Sky Beak falls, leaving nothing but a Chimera unit and a Dendrobium unit to bar our path.



Since Chimera is resistant to fire, PANTS's unit turns their eyes to the Dendrobium to the north. They can't quite reach them, however, but they still take a huge bite our of their health.



Meanwhile, the others give the Chimera the beating of its life. Matelite's unit is out of MP however, so they don't quite get the drop they need.



An oversite on my part, I admit. Sendak's team weathers the damage pretty well, but Calzone goes down just before the battle ends. And he was so close, too!

And with that, the battle is won.



And that's all! Or... is it?



Nope, for the first time in the last few chapters, we get some post-battle exposition as the story starts to kick into high gear.

Sendak: And a Holy Dragon, just as I thought...

Taicho: So that is Emperor Sauzer...

Rush: That's... Palpaleos!

Lukia: We might not be able to beat them...

Matelite: Why, are you giving up?!

Well they did kick your ass the last time you fought them, Matelite. Remember what happened in Kahna?

Matelite: Retreat?! Even if we have to put our lives at risk it is our duty to rescue BRIEFS! Hey, wait a minute. Sendak, aren't you going to say anything?

Sendak: ...I have nothing to say.



Sendak: I was just thinking... On that day, the final day of Kahna... Why did Sauzer take the princess with him? And just now, he's brought her to a Holy Dragon... what for?

Truce: [I]I think I know... BRIEFS is the daughter of King Kahna. She holds the same power as he did...

Rush: BRIEFS can speak with the Holy Dragons too!

Sendak: I believe that is the case...

Matelite: That's okay! Sendak, you don't need to worry! Because the princess is going back with us! It doesn't matter whay Sauzer is planning! Okay, let's go... I don't want to hear any more of Sendak's ramblins...

Taicho: (How rude... Saying nothing but, "Follow me!")

Rush: The others have gone ahead of us!

Truce: It's dangerous all by myself!



Poor, poor Bikkebakke, being dragged against his will into battle.

Sendak: PANTS... You do not understand... I'm talking about what Sauzer desires. He wants to speak to the Holy Dragons with the princess's power. And then what? Sauzer, the Emperor of Granbelos. Sauzer, the Ruler of Orelus. What more could he want?

*BOOM*



Sendak: (PANTS... I have to go. I wanted to talk more.)

*BOOM*

Taicho: Sir Matelite! Get up!

Lukia: PANTS, hurry!

Better hoof it before Sauzer anihilates the others. Charge!



Sauzer: What was that? Are you insinuating I'm holding the princess hostage? Princess BRIEFS is a very important person to us. That you would think we're using her as a hostage... Hmph... I shall forgive your rude comments. I have no time to be playing with you. (to Palpaleos) Bring Princess BRIEFS here.



Sauzer: How about you show me this power of Kahna's royal family as told of in the legend? Show me your miraculous power of controlling the Holy Dragons with your will!

BRIEFS: I don't know about any legend. How many times do I have to say it...?

She's not bluffing, either - it's not until a few chapters later that she actually gets to hear it for herself.

Palpaleos: Princess BRIEFS, you mustn't be afraid. DIdn't you promise us? Please tell us what the Holy Dragon is thinking.

BRIEFS: General Palpaleos...

Matelite: BRIEFS! Don't! You mustn't forget the noble spirit of Kahna's royal family!

BRIEFS: Matelite... Emperor Sauzer... No. I...

Sauzer: I see... You're saying you can't... I guess there's nothing I can do. Ever since I made you a part of my kingdom I've had to constantly put up with you. But that ends today. I can still become the man of legend even without your power! I'm through with you. You may go back to your friends.

Mission accomplished?

Sauzer: What a pity that we won't be able to watch the door to a new era open together. Such a shame!

Palpaleos: Wait!

OSHI-

This is the first and last battle you'll ever fight in the game that doesn't end after one turn. Shame that it's a scripted battle as no matter what you do, you'll lose.

First off, Sauzer's HP is infinite. No matter what you do, you simply won't be able to deplete it, even if [you come back in New Game+ files and fight him with your stats maxed.] Furthermore, he'll be dealing so much damage that you'll be worn down after a few turns, so it makes the most sense to just grin and bear it - he'll be getting his come-uppance sooner than you think.

Case in point...



Note that, while PANTS can deal some damage with his level 10 attacks, everyone else's lacks the pizazz to pierce his high defenses. Not that it matters since his HP is limitless, but still...



One turn later, and this is how the battle stands. With a single blow, Sauzer has wiped out 3/4s of the team and left PANTS near death. One more attack, and he's finished.



However, once he finishes you off, BRIEFS jumps in.

BRIEFS: ...I'll do it!! I'll take to the Holy Dragon!!



And with a single shot, BRIEFS wipes Sauzer right off the face of the lagoons.

Sauzer: Ah... Yes, this is it! The power of a Holy Dragon...



Sauzer: Did you see it, Palpaleos... The true power of the Holy Dragons... And the one who speaks with them... This power... is mine... Even without using the girl... (Sauzer collapses)

Palpaleos: Sauzer! Are you okay?!

Lukia: PANTS! Get up! I'll take care of everyone. PANTS, save BRIEFS! Be careful, there's still an enemy general here!



Palpaleos: ...... I have heard about you many times from the princes... captain of Kahna's Dragon Squad... I return her to you.

Matelite: BRIEFS!

Sendak: Princess...

Matelite: BRIEFS... And we just met after all this... What a cruel fate...

Sendal: ......?! Matelite! The princess is breathing! She's alright!

Matelite: Oh... BRIEFS... You're alright, BRIEFS! This will not do! Okay, PANTS. Let's carry her!



Palpaleos: Princess BRIEFS... You can't sleep?

BRIEFS: We're going to see the Holy Dragon, aren't we?

Palpaleos: Let's not talk about that now.

BRIEFS: Then, tell me about something. Something you're good at, Palpaleos.

Palpaleos: Something I'm good at... ...I'm sorry, I don't know about any topics that a woman would find interesting.

BRIEFS: That's not true. I was happy... Nobody would ever talk to me about that sort of thing before... (There's a line missing here; I wasn't quick enough with the screenshot, I suppose.)

(Palpaleos vanishes.)

BRIEFS: General! General Palpaleos!



BRIEFS: (Who are you...?)

Valitora: (I am the Holy Dragon Valitora... Girl... So you are the legendary... The one who reads the minds of the Holy Dragons...)

BRIEFS: (I... I don't know anything. I don't know about any legend.)

Valitora: (Girl who doesn't know the legend... If so, then who are you...

BRIEFS: (I'm... Kahna's... No... I'm nobody.)

Valitora: (Girl who is nobody... Weak-minded girl... Girl who speaks with the Holy Dragons... Gather the minds of we Holy Dragons. If you are worthy, we shall grant you power... And then you shall become a Dragnar...)

BRIEFS: (A Dragnar? I'll become a Dragnar?)

Valitora: (That is up to you. If you become a Dragnar, the world shall be yours...)

BRIEFS: (I... don't need the world... I...)





Join us next time as BRIEFS searches behind the nature of her dream - Wait, but it's not a dream, is it?

All righty, I've got the next three chapters screenshotted and ready to go over the next week, so expect updates to really pick up the pace. However, since it was asked of me a few posts ago, and since I wanted a reason to get around to explaining it anyway, let's cut away to...

~INTERLUDE~

The mystery of the dragon's form

As you may have noticed over the course of the LP, a dragon's form tends to variate depending on their stats. This is mostly for cosmetic effect, of course; as it's rare for the form to actually affect the dragon's abilities.

Note, of course, that I said "rare", not "never".

That's because there are a few unique dragon forms available to all six dragons that act much differently than the average dragon. Generally, these forms can be broken down into two categories:



~UNI-UNI~

The first of the two unusual forms, the Uni-Uni is more of a joke form than anything else. With it's growth dependent on Loyalty and Fidelity, the Uni-Uni loses all access to its former elemental abilities, gaining instead a variety of non-elemental, highly inaccurate skills that are more there for humerous purposes. This affects the partnered team's skills as well; Fighters and Spellcasters obtain similar attacks, the Summoner's summons adopt weak joke forms, and the Mini-Devils gain an entirely new set of dances.

Once the Uni-Uni's Fidelity stat reaches 100, it transforms into a Black Dragon, gaining a new physical attack and trading the Nightmare Fuel appearance for something more badass looking. There's not much reason to use one however, unless you're hoping to make the game harder for yourself.



~UNKNOWN FORM~

The other unusual form is, fittingly named, the Unknown Form. Unlike the Uni-Uni, the Unknown Form forgoes attacks entirely and focuses on transforming randomly into different dragon types, which can range from something as weak as the basic form to as powerful as the Holy or Dark forms. Though this makes them unpredictable, perhaps even unreliable, they do give their teamed party access to non-elemental attacks, and can turn the normally-useless Mini-Devils into Engines of Destruction.

The stat that affects the Unknown Form's growth is the invisible Transformation stat, which can only be affected by two items. The first item, the Princess's ???, is incredibly rare - there only exists five in the entire game - and you'll have to use all of them in order to gain access to the final Unknown Form, the Behemoth. The second item is the Gunso's ???, a relatively common item that reverses the transformation stat by 100 points. Ideally, if you plan on using the Behemoth, you'll want to hold onto the items until you've collected them all, as the last thing you want to do is spread the transformation items around and lock yourself out of the final form.


Now, you may be asking yourself the question, "are these forms worth it"? The answer depends entirely on you; the special forms are mostly curiosities, there for anyone wanting to find a way to play the game differently. Whether they'll be useful or not really depends on the player's personal choice, as there are definite bonuses to using either one. For the intents of this Let's Play, I'll be forgoing them, but don't be afraid to experiment. That is what dragon feeding's all about, remember?

Anyway, expect an update sometime tomorrow, once I get some spare time to write up the next entry. In the meantime, I hope this was of some use.

Huh, it's the night of a thousand LP updates tonight, isn't it? :P Anyway, welcome back. Last we left off, Sauzer had succeeded in convincing BRIEFS in controlling the Holy Dragon Valitora, resulting in his collapse and BRIEFS's premonition. Or was it a dream? But...



Jesus Christ I hate trying to work that title in.



And right off the bat, we're given control of PANTS to explore the ship as we please. Now that we've finally been given an opportunity to do so, let's get to know the crew, shall we?



Well gee, I dunno... sure?

Hornet: Come on, try it.



PANTS tries his best to fly the ship, but he lacks the steady hand needed to be a pilot.

Hornet: ...... You sure are young, PANTS.



Matelite: (Finally, I get to show her my skills as a commander.)

Matelite, meanwhile, is busy deep in thought about how to best impress PANTS, uncharacteristic from his usual, boisterous self.



Melodia: Even Hornet's the same! He's been grinning all this time!

Hornet: Melodia, go play in your room!

Melodia: Grrrr!

Hee hee hee.



Damn straight it is.

Taicho: You should take care of your appearance too, PANTS. You are all sticky with dragon drool.



You're probably wondering what it is that he needs to ask us about, and you'd not be wrong to do so! However, it turns out to be much different than you'd think it actually is.



Well that's great. I'll go tell her you noticed.



Note: This is the game's way of telling you to get your ass down to BRIEFS's room to advance the plot. But since we're busy talking to the crew, the plot can wait for a few moments.

Sendak: (Legends and Holy Dragons and the princess and Sauzer... My head hurts...

Dragons and princesses and Sauzer, oh my!



>Go ahead!

Barclay: Let's see, what was the name of that stuck-up wizard? Oh yeah, Anastasia. She yelled at me to move faster. I want to, but my armor is too heavy. Anyway, using magic to attack from far away is cowardly! It's best to attack head on into instense battles! Fighting face-to-face is better than fighting from far away. What's better, you ask? The spoils of victory, money, of course!

Oh, you crazy armor knights. Always with the money and the combat and the what not.



Y'know, Gunso's a really nice guy and all, but maybe he might want to invest in some nice, clean armor if his current stuff is making him that itchy.



And, of course, there's Frenze and Reeve. It seems that Frenze's in a bit of a funk now and doesn't want to go lan-lan-lancing with Reeve. Will their friendship survive these trials?



Oh, and there's a crew member in the corner selling light reading and pornography, but that's not as important.



Anastasia: You can fight a little bit and build up strength before the real thing. That's what that Heavy Armor Knight Barclay said. He knows weird things like that.

Sounds like the beginning of a beyoutiful friendship. (More on sidequests later).



I wouldn't worry, Lukia, we'll probably run into a few more in the near future.

Introducing the Papillon's gossip-girl, Diana. By the way, what the heck happened to Frenze, anyway?

Diana: In celebration of BRIEFS's return, they were doing what they always do, out side her room. You know, "Lan-Lan-Lancer! Stab-stab!" Then Zora yelled at them to stop it. Apparently that reminded one of them of their mother and he's homesick now. At least it's quiet again.

Homesickness, eh? I can symphathize with that.



I wonder who Ectarina is thinking about, hmm...?



Frederica's got a bit of a weak constitution and needs to spend her time between battles resting up as a result. We could really use her for healing, though.

>No, we depend on you.

Frederica: Thanks... You're really nice, PANTS.

Aw shucks, you're making me blush.

Anyway, let's go check up on our dragon's now.



That's... kinda creepy? I don't want to know what a Mini-Devil sees in her, to be honest...



Dragonkeeper: It looks like they're excited that Princess BRIEFS has returned!!

o_O

Dragonkeeper: Okay!! Food!!



Before I get to actually feeding the dragons, I pick up a few spears from the store for feeding. Might as well use that money for something, y'know?



Wow, they're really excited today, aren't they? Let's see what we can scrounge around to feed them.

(Sorry about the mix-up; they should be in order now)



First things first, we're going to power up Polaris all the way, as he's currently the closest to maxing out his Ice stat. First, we'll feed him those nice, juicy spears we bought earlier.



Then follow up with a few blades of Ice Grass to top it off...



Then finish off with a nice plate of Ice Armor for dessert. He's looking much better now, especially compared to what he was two or three chapters ago. As it stands, he can probably go toe-to-toe with VicViper now.



And with VicViper and Polaris powered up, it's now Calzone's turn to take the wheel. Though we don't have much in the ways of Thunder Items for now, we'll start to be able to stock up on them later on in this chapter.

But for now, plot!

First thing we're greeted by on our way to BRIEFS's room is Zora crashing right into us, exclaiming that the princess is awake, before charging back with everyone else in tow, all trampling over the stunned PANTS.



Sure, just... watch where you're going next time, 'kay?



Matelite:Huh? That Taicho, taking the best spot. Why that little...) Huh? Oh, PANTS? Aren't you happy?

Hell yeah, I am. A second summoner, with the first Holy Dragon unlocked and dragon feeding going exactly as planned? Things couldn't be going better.

Matelite: I thought so. I'm just welling up with happiness!




Seems Matelite and I aren't the only ones happy to see here. Hooray for BRIEFS!



Well, except for BikkeBakke. Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time. I'll see you in the men's barracks later, all right?

Anway, it's plot time, gang.

BRIEFS: U-ungh... Where... PANTS? Sendak! Oh! Matelite! Then, this must be...

Sendak: This is Papillon. You are back with us.

Rush: Welcome back, BRIEFS!

Truce: It's nice to see you again!

Bikkebakke: I gained some weight. Can you tell?

Ah, warm fuzzies all around.

Matelite: BRIEFS! It is I, Matelite!

Taicho: I am Taicho, of the former knights of Mahal!

BRIEFS: This isn't a dream, is it?

Sendak: No, Princess, this is the real world.

Matelite: Speaking of which, BRIEFS! I heard you had a nightmare. What was it?

BRIEFS: A nightmare...? No...

Sendak: But... then, what kind of dream was it?

BRIEFS: It was nothing. It was just an ordinary dream.

Zora: Hey, come on you guys! The princess is tired. Why don't you talk about it later?

Rush: Right. From now on, you'll always be with us!

Sendak: Let us go, PANTS...

BRIEFS: PANTS, wait!



Matelite: What is it?

BRIEFS: It's about the dream I had... Yes, it was just an ordinary dream. But I get the feeling there is a special meaning behind it...

Matelite: I enjoy BRIEFS's stories more than anything!

BRIEFS: In the dream I had, there was a Holy Dragon... The dream was about the Holy Dragon Valitora.

Sendak: What did you say? A Holy Dragon?!

Valitora!?

BRIEFS: Valitora spoke to me in my dream. He said that if I gather the power of the Holy Dragons, I can... I can become a Dragnar...

Matelite: What? A Dragnar?! BRIEFS?!

Metal Gear!?

Taicho: What is a Dragnar?

Matelite: It's a person whose mind is one with the Holy Dragons, and can control their awesome power! The king was also able to control this great power![/I]

Yeah, too bad it failed on him way back when Kahna was invaded.

Taicho: Wow!

Matelite: ...If so, then the Holy Dragons are on our side! Now it's clear why Valitora defeated Sauzer! Now the Granbelos Empire isn't an enemy! The revival of Kahna is near! Okay, let's tell everybody!

BRIEFS: Wait! It was just a dream!

Sendak: Princess... Perhaps it was not just an ordinary dream. Valitora's mind spoke to you. It makes no difference if a Holy Dragon speaks to you in a dream or in the real world. ...That is what the king said.

BRIEFS: Then... everything that Valitora said... from now on, I... ...... That's why... I didn't want to wake up from the dream. I wanted to stay in it. Please! Let me be by myself!



Zora, sick of BRIEFS's bellyaching, gives her a solid slap to the cheek and really lays into her.

Zora: Princess! Listen to yourself. You say one thing and then the other. "Wait!" then, "Let me be by myself!" I hate wishy-washy people like that!

Ouch, that's harsh.

Zora: Don't you understand? Don't you realize everybody's struggled to save you from the Empire? And you must have had a hard time too. And I'm sure there will be hard times ahead as well. Are you afraid of dreams? Are you afraid of dragons? Are you afraid of reality? Princess... get a grip. And be strong. But, when things aren't going right, when your heart won't stop trembling, we will all be there for you. Now you must move ahead, Princess.



Once Zora finishes, BRIEFS runs out of the room, leaving PANTS by his lonesome in the room. However...



Checking the bed where BRIEFS slept reveals a hidden Princess's ???. Now, I know I said I wasn't going to bother with Unknown Forms, I might (might!) be persuaded to use the items on a dragon later on once I've collected all five of them. Until then, this one's staying in our item pouch.



No, Zora, not at all.



Speaking of which, I said I was going to see Bikkebakke, wasn't I? Back to the barracks, I guess.



Well, let's hear the guy out first before we agree to any pyramid schemes or whatnot.

Bikkebakke: ...... BRIEFS is back. From now on we'll work hard and return to Kahna someday. When that time comes I want a house. But, for that, I need money... My and Rush and the others were failures of Kahna until you asked us for our help. We slept like stray dogs beneath bridges or in the corner of the castle grounds. I don't like that... This ship is fun, but... I want a house that I can live in with Rush and Truce. That's why I want your help. Also... keep this a secret from Rush and the others.

Well, after hearing a story like that, who am I to refuse him? Poor guys need a home, so it's my job to help him out.

Thankfully, it works out in my favour too, because the mushrooms Bikkebakke sells are very good for raising dragons. Not only do they raise a dragon's Thunder, Life and Poison (!) stat in that order, but they also give apreciable boosts to their other stats as well, making them well worth the money.

Though it may not look like I can afford any right now, I picked up a couple of mushrooms to help with our dragon feeding. Speaking of which...



Seeing as Brandon could use a boost in stats now so he doesn't fall behind, I decide to deligate a number of items to feeding him this time around. First off, I raise his Thunder stat up to level 2, raising his Earth stat as well.



Next, I figure I might as well do something with these leftover fire and ice items, starting with these leftover Burning Axes.



And Ice Armor...



And a Flame Vest for good measure. Now he's a well-rounded attack dragon, with enough levels in each stat to make himself more than useful for our mages.

Anyway, back on track now, before this update becomes too dragon-centric.

BRIEFS: Hornet, I have a request. Please fly around the sky of Campbell. I want to see the situation on Campbell Lagoon.

To BRIEFS's credit, she doesn't mope or sulk after being berated by Zora, but takes it to heart and grows stronger from it. A far cry from the wishy-washy whining a few minutes earlier.

Hornet: Please leave it to me, BRIEFS.

BRIEFS: PANTS, There's something I want to tell you. Let's go to the captain's room.

Sendak: (Princess... PANTS is very busy with the Dragon Squad. Please do not waste his time. But I will say no more. I do not want to be thought of as a cranky old man...)

Uh-oh, Sendak's gettin' jealous.

BRIEFS: Oh, Sendak! Let me use your room.

Matelite: BRIEFS... Can I listen too?

BRIEFS: Watch Campbell, Matelite. I'll feel a lot safer if you watch it for me!

Matelite: Heh heh heh, Leave it to me!



BRIEFS: It was just as Zora said. I was only thinking of myself. I didn't think about the fact that everybody fought for me. I didn't even think about what everybody else thought. I will try harder from now on. I will try to surpass everyone's expectations. But, I'm so scared... I don't know about becoming a Dragnar... And Valitora also said this. He said even if I gather the power of the Holy Dragons, whether or not I'll become a Dragnar is up to me. Whether or not I am suited to be a Dragnar... If I'm not, what will happen to me...? I'm sorry, talking like this must be awkward for you. ......



Oh, hey. A cookie!



Sendak: (That's right... since I'm in the captain's room, I'll make some rules... "No Love Permitted Aboard". Oh, that's no good. Everybody will hate me. I don't want to be a hated old geezer...)

Sendak's slowly going mad with power. This doesn't bode well.



Sendak: I ordered the reconnaissance of Campbell. Everybody is wondering if there's something at Campbell Lagoon...

BRIEFS: Oh! I totally forgot about that! I want to know about the legend. The legend about the Holy Dragons, told in Kahna. Sauzer knew it, but he wouldn't tell me anything about it.

Sendak: The legend of the Kahna family line? By why Campbell...?

BRIEFS: My aunt might know about it...

Sendak: Of course! So we are going to see the queen of Campbell! The queen of Campbell is King Kahna's sister. Since she's a member of the family, she has to know about it! If we learn about the legend, we can stand up to Sauzer. Okay, let's go tell everybody!



Matelite: Well, BRIEFS... there are Imperial soldiers all over the place.

Hornet: The Empire probably knows we're here. It looks like it'll be a tough fight.

Tough fight my ass. Out of all the screenshots I've taken for this chapter, less than 1/8 of them are of the actual battle, and that's because Zomberd's a fucking pussy.

Sendak: What should we do?

BRIEFS: In order to defeat these soldiers, who are a long way from home...

Matelite: BRIEFS...

BRIEFS: It's basic strategy to first set up a perimeter...

Matelite: Correct, Princess! Okay, PANTS! Make the battle preparations! But BRIEFS, where did you learn about battle strategy?

I accidentally excised the line last chapter that's being referred to right now, but needless to say it was Palpaleos that talked to her about battle strategy.

Hornet: PANTS, are we ready to go?

Yes, now let's get this show on the road.



All right, first off let's meet our newest recruit, BRIEFS! Like Sendak, she has access to both her basic Red Magic as well as her first summon, Valitora. Overall, BRIEFS is a solid character - from the moment she joins to the very end of the game, she'll be laying the smackdown hard on the enemies. Always use her if you can.



Next up, I reorganized the formations a bit. As you can see now, the Priests and Wizards are clustered together now, giving their spells the needed oomph to make them valuable on the field. I also had to kick Monyo out of the line-up to make room, but seriously, who cares about Mini-Devils?