(no subject)
Feb. 9th, 2007 09:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spokeIt's weird, I spent all that time waiting and leveling and then just sped through so much.
Well, not sped. Keep in mind this is what I did yesterday - all day. That, and some art between monster-killings, and reading the Book of the Dead. Almost finished!
So, first of all, a lot of the leveling happened in Giza in the Rains. I love Giza in the Rains. It reminds me of how Florida looked when I was really really small. *nostalgic*
Also, I get a kick out of the fact that we were hired by a ghost. Who wants us to bring a ring to that one lady in the village during the Dry - can do! But it's such a sweet little diversion in the midst of all that muck, because nostalgic as it makes me? That kind of weather? Is muck. Muck and slime and metal rusting all over the place and unstable footing and dude. XD Balthier who prissed about getting his cuffs soiled in the sewers under the castle?
Could not be lived with in this weather. *dies laughing*
Then I get out onto the Ozmone Plain - just this crisp, clean, fairy tale landscape. Little rock formations, white rock formations amid the short grass and the scattered flowers. Like castles or mountains. And the odd somethings that I couldn't figure out at first - abandoned buildings? No... Barrel, what?!
Information from the killing of enough monsters : The remains of an ancient airship battle, fallen to the ground below. Just image all that fire and death happening above this empty landscape. Question, though - how did these ancient airships get above Ozmone Plain? Was it not jagd then? (for those not playing FF12 - jagd = no-fly zone)
(usually)
And then,Cosmo Canyon Jahara. Rock. Just, lovely desolate Grand Canyon-esque environment, with tribes people who are definitely not human - but you can't tell what they actually look like, due to their wearing these elaborate individual masks. So cool. They're very Native American sorts, which means there are things in my reaction I can't even figure out so quickly - but I like them. And for all the beauty of its music and everything, Cosmo Canyon did kind of irritate me.
(Addition of a thought that occurred to me at work. At Cosmo Canyon? What it felt like to me? Sort of new-age hippies and environmentalists had moved into the Old World and set up camp there. Offensive not because they were trying to be offensive, but because they felt like transplants with no real history in the place, living in the bones of the past with no clue what any of it meant. As if Nanaki (Red XIII) really were the last native. Grrrrr. )
I especially like the Elder who hired us for a Mark they could very well have taken down themselves, just because he wanted to see what would happen. Dude! XD
Meanwhile, this is all backdrop for learning more about magicite and neithicite, and how in spite of the fact that we came here looking for answers? They really have no answers for us. Highlights the fact that information is not always an answer. The neithicite has already been used, and now it thirsts - I really will have to record that speech sometime, so I can transcribe it properly. But it was wonderfully poetic and ominous, that the stone has a thirst now which could devour the world - and that power-hunger attracts the power-hungry, so that those who are drawn to the stone are often those the stone itself seeks.
...Vayne/Neithicite OTP! ;p
Of course, all of this puts Ashe in a very bad light, considering she's the one who walked into the village wanting to know how to use it.
And then. Totally not expecting it. OMG Squeeee!
Larsa. <3 Have I mentioned before that no one this young has any business being so, so eloquent and persuasive and Ashe! Way. To. Go. Making yourself look like a moron next to Larsa. Larsa. Thinks you're an idiot now. Oh yes. Because you care more about your pride than your people, yes you do. *strangles*
..you know that's what he's thinking. He's what, 13? And he's looking up into the face of this 20 year old woman and thinking 'How selfishly immature.' Is why he was getting snappy with her. *nods*
XD omg, *love*
And then, while Ashe is angsting over making the only reasonable decision - go along with Larsa's plan, which will stop Dalmasca becoming the battlefield for the Rossarian/Archadian conflict, which specter of war looms behind everything we're doing - Vaan comes out and they have a life-discussions under the stars moment. :P Talking about those they have lost in the war, and such. :/ And it looks like Vaan might actually be maturing a bit!
Don't worry, he'll disappoint us later on. *head.desk* ...someone explain to me why he's the main character and not Larsa? I would so have loved to be smack in the middle of the internecine political warfare going on back in Arcadia.
Because you know, the shredding of political power in the Empire is a fascinating and horrifying thing to watch. Dude, the Judges are going to be going after each other - is there any part of this structure that's stable? Of course, the set up - a supposed democracy headed by what amounts to an Emperor-for-life... But apparently, House Solidore has been balancing this insanity for generations - and now it comes down to three: The current ruler and two sons, Vayne and Larsa. Vayne, I do not know. I just don't have enough information about what went down between his elder brothers and himself. Just tidbits and hints, and augh!!!
And Larsa, who could give Penelo that lovely speech about his brother and his House, and yet seems to have no illusions as to Vayne's ruthlessness. Their own father called Vayne a peregrine - makes me want to call Larsa an eagle.
Meanwhile, it is made clear that the Senate is maneuvering to get Larsa on the throne because they think he's a puppet. morons. *sighs* At least some of the Judges have realized there will be assassination attempts when they see the boy has talons. (It kind of worries me that the boy's first supporter we have seen outside the Senate had to be led to see this, though. It really would have been my first thought, eloquently voiced by blurting 'omg they're gonna kill the kid!' Out loud. ...see how useful it would be to have me around in these situations? ;p )
...and, okay, the viera are just something else entirely. Entirely. Just this... their whole world is the Wood, is lived among the trees and in houses built among them. Cleyra-like in their own places, light and wind and water - but it's surrounded by this thick deep green like Iifa. And they never leave. Leave and you are dead to them. It wouldn't let the party through because Fran had left. And what followed when we went in looking for her sister...
That Fran cannot hear the Wood anymore? Oh, just pull my heart out and stomp on it why don't you?!
Really, it is so... They are idiots, the world will not stay outside if they ignore it and and and - just. Noooo. :/ Box themselves in like that and eventually humes'll torch their Wood, if they become that determined. Go to Jahara and ask about the mines, geniuses.
Which makes me almost feel guilty for noticing that Fran's sisters are also hot. But I can't help it! Also, I am pleased that I guessed right in Jote being her sister - though she was not the sister we are looking for! ;p
...are there any male viera?! (Maybe they're asexual?) And while we're on the subject of inappropriate questions, here's Vaan's: (complete with painfully awkward expression) How old are you anyway?
XD *dead* And everyone! Just turned on him and walked away! XD And Balthier-snark! And Larsa looking down at him (how does someone that short convey down upon people taller than him!) and Penelo "Grow up please!"
And here I leave off, due to needing to get ready for work - where I am expecting an incredibly annoying new CSM. Transfer in from day shift. I hate this woman. But, it's only supposed to be for 4 to 8 weeks, depending on fast our regular CSM recovers from knee surgery?
I'm bracing for 8 weeks. x.x
ETA: Have survived the first night! Though I noticed her annoying others. I suspect she's looking for weaknesses, and tend to forget how I come off at work. Apparently I am this somewhat snooty and no-nonsense person? ...I love when people make random comments like that. Now if I only felt like it.
And now more of the FF12, which I didn't finish yesterday. Also, edited some bad grammar in the last part, as well as putting my finger on what bothered me about Cosmo Canyon.
So I left off... leaving the viera. After this terribly beautiful talk between Fran and Mjrn (sounds like 'yearn' with the m in front?), and then with Jote, which is trickier... I want to phoneticize it as 'yoh-tay' but there's something I'm missing. And fool that I am, I've been saving over the same file. >:P
I am absolutely in love with their voices and pronunciation, you notice. :)
Anyway, essentially it went that Mjrn was about to follow in Fran's footsteps, probably literally, and leave the Wood. Fran would not have it, painted herself as being crippled by being unable to hear the Wood - and for all I've seen yet, she might feel that way. I don't want to think so, I think she cares for Balthier and... I don't know, I want to believe that she has a life worth living in the outside.
This is not how she presented to Mjrn in convincing her not to go.
And then we see that Jote is behind them, and it comes out in the conversation that she also is Fran's sister. And Jote... I wish I remember more of the conversation, but Jote thought it was a good thing Fran had done. That she 'saved' Mjrn. And Fran replied that it was better that Mjrn hear this from her, being the one who has broken their laws, than from Jote - who is their leader, and I think I forgot to mention - who must uphold the law.
And then, in this tone that is yearning and hurt, she asks Jote to speak to the Wood for her. Because she fears that the Wood hates her. *shudder* ;_;
Jote says She yearns for the child gone from beneath Her branches. Fran, I don't know. She said it was a pretty lie, but I do not believe that Jote was lying. ...also, Fran is. Well, she comes off as very much a strong-silent-type, one who does easily admit to her emotions. Especially the pleasant ones. I got the impression that she might have been shrugging off the relief so as not to admit it was there - also because it would have meant swallowing her pride in her choice, and um. No.
*loves*
But Jote warned her about the Wood, that it was jealous and she thought it would try to harm those who have taken her. Boy, you don't think she was talking about that surprise dragon in the area named Dell of the Dreamer, do you?! Augh XD
(I love these area names too.)
Just the Wood grown up into the bones of this long dead dragon, and I don't think I've mentioned but it's a specific type of dragon we keep running into - more like a muscular lizard than the sleek and winged fantasy-types. And the scale of them, yikes. I think these suckers could snack on cows. o.o
...and you know, I completely missed the Interlude of Hunting Mjrn. We had to go through all that in the mines to find the girl to move past the Wood, and I forgot. Oh I suck. ;p
Therefore! :
So we go to the mines of the Jahara where the Wood says Mjrn has gone. Before if you stumbled onto this area, soldiers turned you back for not being an official Arcadian type. I thought having Larsa with us would solve this problem? Um. This time they're all dead, and the corpses of two people in disturbingly familiar uniforms are there as well.
The same researchers who were screwing around with the neithicite before.
This was creepy. More creepy is coming into this place and it's nothing but bats at first. The extra-pretty white variety even! Okay, so they had new blood thirsty companions, but still. Bats = pffft. ...so what's lurking, huh? It's going to get meee!
And then we found the horses. The predatory horses. The teleporting, snake-maned, completely evil horses. O.O Wheeee! >:D
And there is this whole class of Very Bad-Ass Horse in this game? But I hadn't seen anything like this since the Firemane waaaay back in the dungeons at the beginning. I'd almost forgotten! And you can get this grimorie off of them which looks to contain directions for a magic that could destroy all of Ivalice! ...if only anyone could read it. *relief* ;p
(And hey, Ivalice is only one continent right? Where a large amount of the pushy noisy land-grabbing humes are, right? >;p ...okay that's not fair. There are plenty of other peoples there also. Shouldn't blow up the Bangaa and all because the humes suck. )
Oh, and there was the next variation on a T-Rex, too.
And the Jelly - blue Flan of Doom! ...no, seriously, freaking omg I'm gonna DIE where are they coming from?!?! I couldn't even count them all I was too busy panicking and I used up my whole supply of Red Fang surviving the first assault, because of course I wasn't going to run. i'ma idiot like that ;p
And then you go back in that room, to change the switch? And They Come Back!!!! Nooooooo!!!!
On the other hand? They're a lovely blue! If only their little information tidbit did not inform one that these things are drawn to electricity and hence people, they multiply faster than usual (I Noticed!!) and whole towns have been swallowed by attacks of these Flan. Literally. Encased in a glistening blue shell. o.o
And finally, finally winning through all that. To find that Mjrn is all crazy-like. Neithcite makes veira Not Nice. And she slams Ashe, pointing her out as particularly power-greedy, you would think she had kicked her from that look. She just pointed and stumbled away.
And you know, when you find a teleportation-capable save point, that you might just be in trouble. ;p So my little Flan-fatigued butt left that darksome place and bought many Hi-Potions! And then I did return, to find Mjrn sort of dashing off behind - A Huge Dragon! ...*flat tones* I am Surprised.
So not. >:P Although I did cringe a bit when I read the name 'Tiamat'. And immediately started pulling out the Mist attacks and Belais and, you know. *omg Dragon! flail-of-trying-not-to-eaten*
And after she goes down (because Tiamat must always be She) Mjrn comes out all stumbling, and I thought for a minute she was going to attack us. A phantom-form hovering above her like a reaper vanishes when the small glowing neithicite stone she was holding shatters - and I still have received no satisfactory explanation as to what that was!
Then there is more discussion of neithicite and How Very Dangerous it is. Yeah, we kind of gathered that from the destruction of an entire fleet of ships by the damn Dawn Shard! >:P Penelo sticks up for its defensive properties, though!Totally due to her budding crush on Larsa and the fact that he was about to guilt trip on having put her in danger. XD So Cute!
And then, back to the veira and heartbreaking family goodbyes. :/ For our next destination - which was the destination suggested by Larsa in the first place, until we detoured upon Quests for the Lady Wood - Mt. Bur-Omisace! In hope of someone with answers.
It is a winter land. I am of course loving this! :D For everywhere there is snow and white wolves and undead - okay, not so much liking the undead *ignores eager voices in headspace* - but the rest of it is lovely! At one point we pass some of the refugees coming to seek shelter in this holy place, and well...
Balthier is so bitter. "...while refugees march barefoot through the snow." And I think he hurt Larsa. I mean. Youthful idealism does mix badly with worldly bitterness, but oh. :/ Balthier!
Vaan told Larsa not to take it personally. In that blunt tone of his that probably only reinforced Balthier's point for Larsa. And he does know Vaan and Penelo are war orphans, right? I think Penelo told him that. :/
And then. Lovely intricate and not fully explained conversations between the father and Vayne, ahhhh! ...I think. If I understood what he was saying fully. That their father has just completely undercut what Larsa's trying to do out there and let Vayne go and kickstart the war with Rosarria. Or at least to put down Marquis Ondore's resistance.
damn, damn, damn! x.x Larsa's trying so hard.
Well, not sped. Keep in mind this is what I did yesterday - all day. That, and some art between monster-killings, and reading the Book of the Dead. Almost finished!
So, first of all, a lot of the leveling happened in Giza in the Rains. I love Giza in the Rains. It reminds me of how Florida looked when I was really really small. *nostalgic*
Also, I get a kick out of the fact that we were hired by a ghost. Who wants us to bring a ring to that one lady in the village during the Dry - can do! But it's such a sweet little diversion in the midst of all that muck, because nostalgic as it makes me? That kind of weather? Is muck. Muck and slime and metal rusting all over the place and unstable footing and dude. XD Balthier who prissed about getting his cuffs soiled in the sewers under the castle?
Could not be lived with in this weather. *dies laughing*
Then I get out onto the Ozmone Plain - just this crisp, clean, fairy tale landscape. Little rock formations, white rock formations amid the short grass and the scattered flowers. Like castles or mountains. And the odd somethings that I couldn't figure out at first - abandoned buildings? No... Barrel, what?!
Information from the killing of enough monsters : The remains of an ancient airship battle, fallen to the ground below. Just image all that fire and death happening above this empty landscape. Question, though - how did these ancient airships get above Ozmone Plain? Was it not jagd then? (for those not playing FF12 - jagd = no-fly zone)
(usually)
And then,
(Addition of a thought that occurred to me at work. At Cosmo Canyon? What it felt like to me? Sort of new-age hippies and environmentalists had moved into the Old World and set up camp there. Offensive not because they were trying to be offensive, but because they felt like transplants with no real history in the place, living in the bones of the past with no clue what any of it meant. As if Nanaki (Red XIII) really were the last native. Grrrrr. )
I especially like the Elder who hired us for a Mark they could very well have taken down themselves, just because he wanted to see what would happen. Dude! XD
Meanwhile, this is all backdrop for learning more about magicite and neithicite, and how in spite of the fact that we came here looking for answers? They really have no answers for us. Highlights the fact that information is not always an answer. The neithicite has already been used, and now it thirsts - I really will have to record that speech sometime, so I can transcribe it properly. But it was wonderfully poetic and ominous, that the stone has a thirst now which could devour the world - and that power-hunger attracts the power-hungry, so that those who are drawn to the stone are often those the stone itself seeks.
...Vayne/Neithicite OTP! ;p
Of course, all of this puts Ashe in a very bad light, considering she's the one who walked into the village wanting to know how to use it.
And then. Totally not expecting it. OMG Squeeee!
Larsa. <3 Have I mentioned before that no one this young has any business being so, so eloquent and persuasive and Ashe! Way. To. Go. Making yourself look like a moron next to Larsa. Larsa. Thinks you're an idiot now. Oh yes. Because you care more about your pride than your people, yes you do. *strangles*
..you know that's what he's thinking. He's what, 13? And he's looking up into the face of this 20 year old woman and thinking 'How selfishly immature.' Is why he was getting snappy with her. *nods*
XD omg, *love*
And then, while Ashe is angsting over making the only reasonable decision - go along with Larsa's plan, which will stop Dalmasca becoming the battlefield for the Rossarian/Archadian conflict, which specter of war looms behind everything we're doing - Vaan comes out and they have a life-discussions under the stars moment. :P Talking about those they have lost in the war, and such. :/ And it looks like Vaan might actually be maturing a bit!
Don't worry, he'll disappoint us later on. *head.desk* ...someone explain to me why he's the main character and not Larsa? I would so have loved to be smack in the middle of the internecine political warfare going on back in Arcadia.
Because you know, the shredding of political power in the Empire is a fascinating and horrifying thing to watch. Dude, the Judges are going to be going after each other - is there any part of this structure that's stable? Of course, the set up - a supposed democracy headed by what amounts to an Emperor-for-life... But apparently, House Solidore has been balancing this insanity for generations - and now it comes down to three: The current ruler and two sons, Vayne and Larsa. Vayne, I do not know. I just don't have enough information about what went down between his elder brothers and himself. Just tidbits and hints, and augh!!!
And Larsa, who could give Penelo that lovely speech about his brother and his House, and yet seems to have no illusions as to Vayne's ruthlessness. Their own father called Vayne a peregrine - makes me want to call Larsa an eagle.
Meanwhile, it is made clear that the Senate is maneuvering to get Larsa on the throne because they think he's a puppet. morons. *sighs* At least some of the Judges have realized there will be assassination attempts when they see the boy has talons. (It kind of worries me that the boy's first supporter we have seen outside the Senate had to be led to see this, though. It really would have been my first thought, eloquently voiced by blurting 'omg they're gonna kill the kid!' Out loud. ...see how useful it would be to have me around in these situations? ;p )
...and, okay, the viera are just something else entirely. Entirely. Just this... their whole world is the Wood, is lived among the trees and in houses built among them. Cleyra-like in their own places, light and wind and water - but it's surrounded by this thick deep green like Iifa. And they never leave. Leave and you are dead to them. It wouldn't let the party through because Fran had left. And what followed when we went in looking for her sister...
That Fran cannot hear the Wood anymore? Oh, just pull my heart out and stomp on it why don't you?!
Really, it is so... They are idiots, the world will not stay outside if they ignore it and and and - just. Noooo. :/ Box themselves in like that and eventually humes'll torch their Wood, if they become that determined. Go to Jahara and ask about the mines, geniuses.
Which makes me almost feel guilty for noticing that Fran's sisters are also hot. But I can't help it! Also, I am pleased that I guessed right in Jote being her sister - though she was not the sister we are looking for! ;p
...are there any male viera?! (Maybe they're asexual?) And while we're on the subject of inappropriate questions, here's Vaan's: (complete with painfully awkward expression) How old are you anyway?
XD *dead* And everyone! Just turned on him and walked away! XD And Balthier-snark! And Larsa looking down at him (how does someone that short convey down upon people taller than him!) and Penelo "Grow up please!"
And here I leave off, due to needing to get ready for work - where I am expecting an incredibly annoying new CSM. Transfer in from day shift. I hate this woman. But, it's only supposed to be for 4 to 8 weeks, depending on fast our regular CSM recovers from knee surgery?
I'm bracing for 8 weeks. x.x
ETA: Have survived the first night! Though I noticed her annoying others. I suspect she's looking for weaknesses, and tend to forget how I come off at work. Apparently I am this somewhat snooty and no-nonsense person? ...I love when people make random comments like that. Now if I only felt like it.
And now more of the FF12, which I didn't finish yesterday. Also, edited some bad grammar in the last part, as well as putting my finger on what bothered me about Cosmo Canyon.
So I left off... leaving the viera. After this terribly beautiful talk between Fran and Mjrn (sounds like 'yearn' with the m in front?), and then with Jote, which is trickier... I want to phoneticize it as 'yoh-tay' but there's something I'm missing. And fool that I am, I've been saving over the same file. >:P
I am absolutely in love with their voices and pronunciation, you notice. :)
Anyway, essentially it went that Mjrn was about to follow in Fran's footsteps, probably literally, and leave the Wood. Fran would not have it, painted herself as being crippled by being unable to hear the Wood - and for all I've seen yet, she might feel that way. I don't want to think so, I think she cares for Balthier and... I don't know, I want to believe that she has a life worth living in the outside.
This is not how she presented to Mjrn in convincing her not to go.
And then we see that Jote is behind them, and it comes out in the conversation that she also is Fran's sister. And Jote... I wish I remember more of the conversation, but Jote thought it was a good thing Fran had done. That she 'saved' Mjrn. And Fran replied that it was better that Mjrn hear this from her, being the one who has broken their laws, than from Jote - who is their leader, and I think I forgot to mention - who must uphold the law.
And then, in this tone that is yearning and hurt, she asks Jote to speak to the Wood for her. Because she fears that the Wood hates her. *shudder* ;_;
Jote says She yearns for the child gone from beneath Her branches. Fran, I don't know. She said it was a pretty lie, but I do not believe that Jote was lying. ...also, Fran is. Well, she comes off as very much a strong-silent-type, one who does easily admit to her emotions. Especially the pleasant ones. I got the impression that she might have been shrugging off the relief so as not to admit it was there - also because it would have meant swallowing her pride in her choice, and um. No.
*loves*
But Jote warned her about the Wood, that it was jealous and she thought it would try to harm those who have taken her. Boy, you don't think she was talking about that surprise dragon in the area named Dell of the Dreamer, do you?! Augh XD
(I love these area names too.)
Just the Wood grown up into the bones of this long dead dragon, and I don't think I've mentioned but it's a specific type of dragon we keep running into - more like a muscular lizard than the sleek and winged fantasy-types. And the scale of them, yikes. I think these suckers could snack on cows. o.o
...and you know, I completely missed the Interlude of Hunting Mjrn. We had to go through all that in the mines to find the girl to move past the Wood, and I forgot. Oh I suck. ;p
Therefore! :
So we go to the mines of the Jahara where the Wood says Mjrn has gone. Before if you stumbled onto this area, soldiers turned you back for not being an official Arcadian type. I thought having Larsa with us would solve this problem? Um. This time they're all dead, and the corpses of two people in disturbingly familiar uniforms are there as well.
The same researchers who were screwing around with the neithicite before.
This was creepy. More creepy is coming into this place and it's nothing but bats at first. The extra-pretty white variety even! Okay, so they had new blood thirsty companions, but still. Bats = pffft. ...so what's lurking, huh? It's going to get meee!
And then we found the horses. The predatory horses. The teleporting, snake-maned, completely evil horses. O.O Wheeee! >:D
And there is this whole class of Very Bad-Ass Horse in this game? But I hadn't seen anything like this since the Firemane waaaay back in the dungeons at the beginning. I'd almost forgotten! And you can get this grimorie off of them which looks to contain directions for a magic that could destroy all of Ivalice! ...if only anyone could read it. *relief* ;p
(And hey, Ivalice is only one continent right? Where a large amount of the pushy noisy land-grabbing humes are, right? >;p ...okay that's not fair. There are plenty of other peoples there also. Shouldn't blow up the Bangaa and all because the humes suck. )
Oh, and there was the next variation on a T-Rex, too.
And the Jelly - blue Flan of Doom! ...no, seriously, freaking omg I'm gonna DIE where are they coming from?!?! I couldn't even count them all I was too busy panicking and I used up my whole supply of Red Fang surviving the first assault, because of course I wasn't going to run. i'ma idiot like that ;p
And then you go back in that room, to change the switch? And They Come Back!!!! Nooooooo!!!!
On the other hand? They're a lovely blue! If only their little information tidbit did not inform one that these things are drawn to electricity and hence people, they multiply faster than usual (I Noticed!!) and whole towns have been swallowed by attacks of these Flan. Literally. Encased in a glistening blue shell. o.o
And finally, finally winning through all that. To find that Mjrn is all crazy-like. Neithcite makes veira Not Nice. And she slams Ashe, pointing her out as particularly power-greedy, you would think she had kicked her from that look. She just pointed and stumbled away.
And you know, when you find a teleportation-capable save point, that you might just be in trouble. ;p So my little Flan-fatigued butt left that darksome place and bought many Hi-Potions! And then I did return, to find Mjrn sort of dashing off behind - A Huge Dragon! ...*flat tones* I am Surprised.
So not. >:P Although I did cringe a bit when I read the name 'Tiamat'. And immediately started pulling out the Mist attacks and Belais and, you know. *omg Dragon! flail-of-trying-not-to-eaten*
And after she goes down (because Tiamat must always be She) Mjrn comes out all stumbling, and I thought for a minute she was going to attack us. A phantom-form hovering above her like a reaper vanishes when the small glowing neithicite stone she was holding shatters - and I still have received no satisfactory explanation as to what that was!
Then there is more discussion of neithicite and How Very Dangerous it is. Yeah, we kind of gathered that from the destruction of an entire fleet of ships by the damn Dawn Shard! >:P Penelo sticks up for its defensive properties, though!
And then, back to the veira and heartbreaking family goodbyes. :/ For our next destination - which was the destination suggested by Larsa in the first place, until we detoured upon Quests for the Lady Wood - Mt. Bur-Omisace! In hope of someone with answers.
It is a winter land. I am of course loving this! :D For everywhere there is snow and white wolves and undead - okay, not so much liking the undead *ignores eager voices in headspace* - but the rest of it is lovely! At one point we pass some of the refugees coming to seek shelter in this holy place, and well...
Balthier is so bitter. "...while refugees march barefoot through the snow." And I think he hurt Larsa. I mean. Youthful idealism does mix badly with worldly bitterness, but oh. :/ Balthier!
Vaan told Larsa not to take it personally. In that blunt tone of his that probably only reinforced Balthier's point for Larsa. And he does know Vaan and Penelo are war orphans, right? I think Penelo told him that. :/
And then. Lovely intricate and not fully explained conversations between the father and Vayne, ahhhh! ...I think. If I understood what he was saying fully. That their father has just completely undercut what Larsa's trying to do out there and let Vayne go and kickstart the war with Rosarria. Or at least to put down Marquis Ondore's resistance.
damn, damn, damn! x.x Larsa's trying so hard.
