LogFAQs > #949064359

I forgot that recruiting Shadow was even optional, I wonder why.

Well the Terra+Edgar+Banon scenario is indeed incredibly short, a quick rapids ride and they just wander into Narshe the same way Terra and Locke left before. In fact they don't even accomplish anything here, the townspeople don't believe them and it's only Locke and Celes who know that the Empire plans to attack. And it's not like that knowledge does any good because Kefka shows up right now anyway! Ah well, the gang is back together, with some new additions.

There are some conflicts and intriguing relationships brewing here- apparently Terra and Celes have known each other before, and Celes was injected with magic at a young age. Terra also asks her out of nowhere if it's possible for her to love anyone. Odd. Cyan does not take kindly to Celes's presence here, and the group has a brief debate about the Empire. Edgar claims that though the Empire is evil, not all of its citizens are. ...That's true, but Celes was a general! A high ranking officer who apparently laid waste to Maranda of her own free will! Seems a little inaccurate to equate her to a random civilian, or indeed to Terra, who was brainwashed and made a puppet of. I'm sure there'll be a whole journey/backstory to Celes, but as it stands I don't exactly blame Cyan for not trusting the lady who like 5 minutes ago was apparently working with Kefka and Gestahl.

Locke also defends Celes, but for the same reason that he is protective of Terra. Still hung up on some promise he must've made to a woman in the past that I guess he didn't manage to keep. Edgar warns Celes of this pretty much but she makes it clear she is no love-starved twit (good!). We then have a series of battles to get to Kefka before his team reaches Banon, and this is much harder than the first version of this kind of fight we had back in the mines. I'm not sure if I split the group wisely- my teams were Sabin/Celes, Terra/Locke, and the other three. I kept the mages apart, and we laid waste to several dozen enemies before I remembered that we have to actively move south to end it. Oops! The music here is a nice remix of the terrific overworld theme. There's also been a slower version of that theme played earlier so I'm guessing it's the equivalent of this game's main theme.

Unfortunately I use up a lot of healing items and have some very bad luck in Kefka (who actually fights us this time) casting Blizzara moments before Celes casts Runic. I fail on him a few times and have to eventually restart the mission. Second time round I just rush right to the bottom with Sabin and Celes, wasting everyone in our path. This is a surprisingly effective tactic, and the Hell's Raiser doesn't halt us much. Against Kefka I get into a routine of Raging Fist with Sabin and Runic with Celes, and we're pretty much untouchable. He runs away eventually and the rest disappear.

Reaching the Esper Terra first knocks Locke, then the rest of the party over the side of a cliff, and seems compelled to interact with the Esper against her will. She turns into a... something, as Celes aptly states it, and flies around the world, apparently heading west. Huh, didn't see that coming. Everybody decides to go look for her, so now it's time to properly decide on a party. I am not used to this after IV and V had set parties the whole games lol. I never know whether to put people I already like into the party or pick new ones so I can warm to them more. I have tentatively put in Sabin, Celes, Locke and Edgar but I'm open to changing it.

I get some new gear, rest in the Elder's bed for free (up yours, 200 Gil Inn), and see a weird yeti like creature taunt me from within the mine. I don't seem to be able to reach it inside so that's something to make a note of for later. There's also a locked chest, gotta remember that too. Leaving it here for today, it was a short one but we made some progress.

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Slowly becoming a Final Fantasy aficionado. Currently playing: FFVI
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