LogFAQs > #940205894

- Chat a bit with the students before leaving camp for day 2. Fie seems to know Agate - is she a Bracer? Yep, there it is. Makes sense given her dynamic with Sara.
- Seems Fie also has history with Randy, which again makes sense. I like it when seemingly distinct characters happen to have a connection with one another.
- Interestingly, Laura seems to know something about Musse. I'll have to file that for later use, though I'm not sure what the connection could be.
- I'm given a tutorial of sub-master Quartz, which is a nice feature to round up a build. I'll need to acquire a few more MQs before this can really come into its own, though.
- As I leave, I'm treated to a quick Lechter/Ash cutscene... seems Ash is indeed an intelligence division plant. More interestingly, Musse seems to be scheming something. I'm intrigued!

- I head out to St-Arkh. On the way, the party seems dumbfounded as to where Ouroboros is hiding... c'mon guys, there's not that many options. Smart money's on that gate near Parm - you even made a point of noting it was almost brand new.
- While in town, I upgrade my inventory - including a Green Emblem to solve my accuracy problems (since I don't have the slots to spare for Hit quartz).
- I head out to the forest to fight out a wanted monster... who completely walls me by confusing Elliott and then just healing half his HP every other turn. I stop fighting fair the 2nd go around and just spam my S-crafts, which promptly takes care of him.

- Off to the fortress - I bump into another wanted monster along the way (fight goes much better than the other one).
- ...okay, I think we've come to a point where there are too many minor character cameos. Rean can't keep bumping into old classmates every 10 meters! Even Neithardt's there, though at least his presence makes more sense.
- We meet with General Craig, who again starts things off by trying to hug his son. See, I think that's the main thing that bothers me with the Erebonia arc over the others - every character has exactly one quirk, and it seems every scene with them must feature that one quirk at all times. I miss Liberl/Crossbell's more rounded characters. At least the NPCs are better in this one than in CS1/CS2.
- Craig lets on that the Imperial Army won't support Rean & co. in a ploy to let the nobles crumble on their own. Interesting plan, though I'm not sure why the population would side with the side that willingly sits out of battles.
- Party makes a corny speech and Elliott works in a music pun (Elliott sucks). Somehow, that convinces the General to lend his help. I choose to blame nepotism.

- Cut to New Class VII back at camp! Kurt is complaining he got left behind for being immature, while complaining in an immature fashion. Good job, Kurt. The only one who has a point here is Altina, given that she accompanied Rean in his missions up north and is no stranger to a warzone.
- Juna giving a speech about surmounting obstacles... sounds like someone idolizes Lloyd Bannings!
- ...and there we go, they'll be scheming to tag around where Rean is headed. Hands up, anyone who didn't guess this would happen!
- Ah! Musse & Ash are coming in as well. I find them both much more interesting than the rest of the crew, though Juna is alright.

- Back to Rean. He figures out where Ouroboros is hiding (thankfully). Oh, it's Hamel! Of course! I should've realized before when I saw the landslide sign. Cool idea, and it's actually the first thing we'll visit outside of cutscenes/flashbacks.
- I make a pitstop at camp... huh, Musse is still around. What is she scheming? I'm really intrigued.
- I head out to Parm, and randomly bump into an NPC named Orvid. Is he the Gourmet guy from every Trails game? Nice little cameo there (and unobtrusive, unlike former Thors' classmates).
- On my way to Hamel, I spot a cutscene with the strong guy from earlier who defeated the archaisms. He's hanging out with Xeno and Leonidas... is he the not-so-dead Jaeger King?
- Of course the Hamel Road would have a flute as the main instrument! Wonder if that was intentional.
- Man, I keep finding a ton of crappy arts in chests - either really small stat boosts, and/or small-damage one-target arts. At least I feel less bad about the lack of Orbal Slots now!
- Apparently, someone's picking flowers. Is it a returning character from another game? ... no, it's just Shirley & Duvalie. Huh, didn't expect them to be the type.
- Lovely sad remix of Whereabouts of Light in Hamel - I really appreciate that!

- The Shirley/Duvalie boss fight was very painful. I manage to scrape by on my first try, but it was a close call! Not sure what the optimal strategy was for that one (especially if you're supposed to scan all four enemy types, which I most certainly did not do!). I basically Burst right off the bat to break them, then used Laura's order to up my damage by 60%, then spammed S-crafts until everything but Shirley was dead. So far so good, except Shirley S-crafts me back and OHKOs my entire party except Fie (who was left on Stealth the previous turn). What follows is a pitiful dance where I spam Revival Balms only for that character to immediately die off. I eventually prevail, but it was most certainly not my finest hour!
- Juna, Kurt & Altina arrive right after that to bail me out. Juna gives a passionate spiel about this reflecting their class's identity - errr.... do you want Class VII's identity to be "We can't listen to simple instructions"? Not sure that should be the motto of a military academy!
- Ash arrives in a Panzer Soldat. I love the "Little Miss War Crime" nickname for Shirley - good one!
- Rean calls for Valimar when the big Aion arrives. Rather than rushing to his help, Valimar spends a minute chatting with Towa, before recommending that Towa send high school students into a warzone. Divine Knights are not known for their sound advice! For a minute, I thought Towa had the presence of mind to say no and call for reinforcements instead (which is 100% the right move there), but nope, everyone's headed to Ground Zero.
- Aion fight goes much better than Shirley/Duvalie. Pretty straightforward, if a bit long.
- Jaeger King confirmed to be alive! No one ever dies in this series (seriously, outside of flashbacks and that one room of casualties during the Orchis Tower chapter in Ao, I can count the casualties on the fingers of one hand).
- Jaeger King is pretty thorough in removing the Aion from the map. Duvalie/the Sternritter are acting as if that was the plan all along. pressxtodoubt.jpg

- More cutscenes. Apparently Rean & co. share the story of Hamel with the entire Branch Campus?? Hum... Rean, I think you've forever lost the right to ream Altina & Millium over their casually sharing classified info. Agate sharing the story is one thing since he's from Liberl, but you're Erebonian military, dude.
- Rean yelling at Juna/Kurt/Altina for rushing into obvious danger is very welcome! I appreciate that the new Class VII doesn't argue back (though Laura and Elliott due, with a shaky comparison to the end of CS1). Yeah, I'm with Rean on this one.
- Randy admonishes Ash, who serves a flimsy excuse and walks away... and Randy apparently forgets all about it two seconds later. How is he getting away with this? Not that I mind.
- Ash has a connection with Hamel, huh? Interesting - wonder what his full backstory is. Doesn't explain the grudge he seems to have towards Rean.
- Musse being very overtly sinister there.
- Back at camp, we bid adieu to Fie, Laura and Elliot. Fie will look things up on Zephyr. Laura will track down Ouroboros. Elliot... will be on tour (Elliot sucks).

Chapter 1 over! Thoughts/theories forthcoming.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore