Lecture 1: The MeagerSection 3: Trouble at Dorter City<=== Everyone settled back in? Excellent, then let us continue.
After rescuing the squire Argath from the Corpse Brigade, and learning that the Marquis Elmdore de Limberry had been kidnapped, the students hurried north to bring word to Eagrose. As you may recall, the city was home to House Beoulve, stronghold of the Order of the Northern Sky, and seat of Duke Larg de Gallione in West Ivalice. What a sight the city must have been for those young students, with its river ports, bustling markets, water gardens, and the castle towering above all. Of course, they had little time to take in the sights, given that they were to report immediately to the Order, tell them of their encounter on the road, and of the capture of the Marquis.
Even so, being of House Beoulve, Ramza was afforded certain comforts that the others did not enjoy, such as free reign of the Castle, and the hospitality of his half-brother Dycedarg- adviser to the Duke himself. Being that Ramza, as well as his sister Alma, were born out of wedlock and not true-born Beoulves, Dycedarg's manner toward him tended to be cordial, but cold.
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Letters that survive from the era attest to great fear and uncertainty surrounding the Marquis' kidnapping, but the days passed quietly within the city walls. The students from Gallione were outfitted from the Castle's own armory, and were henceforth to garrison the city while the Order's knights led their campaign against the Brigade. Things would likely have remained quiet for Ramza and his companions, were it not for a chance encounter with his younger sister Alma, Delita's sister Tietra, and Zalbaag Beoulve, Lord Commander of the Order of the Northern Sky, and Ramza's other true-born brother.
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While most of the students remained to garrison Eagrose, by Zalbaag's leave Ramza and a handful of his most skilled companions went East on foot, to investigate Dorter and the disappearance of an Order informant. Argath accompanied them as well, hoping that the missing spy may have known the whereabouts of the Marquis. In order to reach Dorter, they would first have to cross miles of marshy lowlands known as the Siedge Weald... where goblins and other dangerous creatures were said to lurk.
While their party was crossing a stretch of marshland, they met with a small goblin band. Ramza, Robyn, Furte, Delita, Xander, and Argath engaged them, while the rest of the party guarded their flank from ambush. Though Goblins have since been driven to extinction, it was said that they fought with great ferocity in their day, and that every wound only made them stronger. Though they rarely carried weapons or armor, they made good use of their natural claws, and were not above scratching at eyes or other vulnerable spots.Having sustained a wound to the eyes, Argath stumbled blindly into waist-deep marshwater, while the Goblins urged their pet fire spirits forward. Known commonly as Bombs, these secrete flammable oils, and posses a natural affinity for fire magick. You may have seen trained Bombs performing fire shows at the circus... assuming young people like yourselves still go to the circus. Perhaps you see them at the Rock and Roll concerts and Rave Parties instead.At any rate, these Bombs were untamed and spat their flames recklessly. For some reason, Furte's personal writings indicate that they seemed to focus their attacks on him. Being elemental spirits by nature, the squire's recent mastery of Ochita's "Beatdown" technique, and the negative-energy flare magick it employed, may have unnerved them. Despite his wounds, he employed the technique against them to great effect.Ramza, who had been practicing with his newly-acquired crossbow since Eagrose, flanked the Bombs from a rocky hill overlooking the marsh. His carefully-aimed shots were a major factor in the battle, leading the surviving monsters to turn their attentions toward him. While the others fought on below, he was overwhelmed and nearly fell to his wounds.Xander came to his aid with potions, while Furte used the Beatdown technique once more. Furte notes that the technique seemed to react to the life force of its target, striking heavier blows the healthier they were. Argath tried to aid Ramza as well, but due to the blindness and confusion brought on by the Goblin's claws, his medical efforts were... misguided.Whether from anger at wasting good medical supplies or not, none can say, but Robyn was noted to have then performed an unusual medical procedure on Argath. One which involved a stone, and his head.Surprisingly, it was quite effective at shaking him from his stupor long enough for them to apply eyedrops, and cure his blindness. Though it may seem barbaric today, "Concussive Therapy" would go on to become a common treatment for Confusion and other mental maladies, when a proper Remedy was not readily available. A few more stones slung by Furte and Robyn, who had by this point revolutionized the thrown rock's use in combat, were able to drive off the remaining Goblins. The party regrouped on the trail, and after treating their wounds ventured on.
Some several days later, they reached the city of Dorter. Splitting into several groups, the students sought information about the Corpse Brigade from various commoners and merchants. They had been seen for outsiders, however, and nobles at that. None of the folk of Dorter had been forthcoming with information, even for the promise of a few Gil.
It was Barbarossa who found their first lead, with the aid of Panthro- that being the name he'd given to the tame Red Panther. He had found a man wearing the ragged green cloak of the Corpse Brigade, drinking in a seedy bar near the slums. When the man left, Barbarossa and Panthro tracked the man to the edge of an alleyway, where two thugs in similar garb stalked the rooftops with bows in hand. Not wanting to catch their attention just yet, they left to rendezvous with Ramza, Trixe, Delita, and Argath. On their return, they found a middle-aged Knight in tarnished mail accosting the very man Barbarossa had tracked.
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Several Corpse Brigade members had emerged from the shacks and plank-and-sailcloth hovels of the slums. Several Archers appeared from rooftop trapdoors, while the Knight they had followed was joined by two robed Wizards. Unlike the footpads they had faced in the field, these were well-armed soldiers who were fighting in familiar territory- likely former members of the civilian forces conscripted to serve in the 50-years war.
Delita and Panthro took to the rooftops to deal with the sniping Archers, while Barbarossa and Ramza moved to intercept their ground forces. No doubt noting her Chemist's garb, the Archers took the initiative to open fire on Trixie.With her natural jumping ability, Panthro was well-suited to rooftop combat, and quickly closed with the first Archer. Distracted by the beast, Delita was able to sling a stone at the unfortunate Archer, and knock him from his rooftop perch.The other archers continued to fire on Trixie. Despite efforts to heal her, she soon fell... and while Barbarossa revived her, the Brigade's Knight broke their line. Argath was able to employ the Magicksap Sword Art to prevent the Knight from using any Arts he might know, but he still managed to deal a heavy blow to Ramza.The Wizards then made their presence known, invoking potent Fire Magick heedless of the collateral damage it caused their ally Knight. Thanks to Trixie's rooftop medical attention, Ramza was able to reply with a well-aimed crossbow bolt, felling the caster.The remaining mage cast another spell at those gathered on the rooftops to drive the chemist off. Though Delita and Argath were burned, the simple leather cape Trixie had recieved from the armory was enough to guard against his spellfire.Ramza joined them on the rooftops, where he and the rest engaged in battle against the archers. Panthro was severely wounded by several aimed arrows, but before the Knight could climb to the roof to kill him, Barbarossa moved to block him. They dueled for some time, before Barbarossa was able to wound and drive him off.With Trixie's potions, Ramza's crossbow, and Barbarossa and Panthro chasing the Brigade across the rooftops, the students were eventually able to defeat their foe.Showing remarkable prudence for youths such as themselves, Ramza and his companions took the Brigade's Knight prisoner, and put him to the question within the slums of Dorter... though, now that I look at the time, I think that may have to wait until after another brief break, eh?
Be sure to sharpen your pencils and all that... or are those a thing of the past as well? Truth be told, rather than notepaper, I see that most of you have computer screens in front of you. How very quaint!
Ugh... so this is actually pretty hard. Dorter took me 4 tries in total... with 2 complete wipes, and one near victory that would have seen Trixie and Barbarossa dead, had Ramza not been double-struck by a lucky crossbow bolt, and Argath too dumb to res him. You guys lucked out this time, but there will be many potentially-lethal moments to come.
Anyway, we've got two new jobs available for some of you; introducing the Priest and Wizard! Priests are hardy healers and support casters, while Wizards (as you might have guessed) are frail fonts of magickal death, with a few debilitating spells up their sleeves as well. As always, the OP will be updated with new class information.
Also, since it appears that story battles are scaled to your highest-level character in this mod, I'm doing some behind-the-scenes leveling to keep everyone on mostly equal footing. Even if you weren't in the featured fights this update, you probably picked up some JP to spend. Remember that you get some JP for all available jobs, and can buy skills even if they don't match your job for mix-n-match purposes. Oh, and make sure to specify if you'd like to switch jobs as well. As you may have noticed, the more active the player is participating in the LP, the more likely they are to get featured in a battle, get cool write-up moments, and get fancy equipment! >_o
Wizard:A powerful offensive spellcasting unit. Though more frail than other casters, their magickal potency is unrivalled. Their spells can hit multiple opponents, and debilitate their foes as well.
Stat Growth: Job Modifier:
HP [** ] 80%
MP [**** ] 120%
ATK [*** ] 60%
MAG [*****] 140%
SPD [** ] 100%
Move: +3
Jump: +3
Evade: 5%
Job Equipment
Rod, Hat, Clothes, Robes
Combat Skills - Black Magicks:
Fire (50 JP) - Envelopes its targets in magickal flame. MP:6, Range:4, Radius:2
Fira (150 JP) - Envelopes its targets in potent flame. MP:12, Range:4, Radius:2
Firaga (300 JP) - Envelopes its targets in ferocious flame. MP:24, Range:4, Radius:2
Firaja (500 JP) - Conjures forth a raging inferno to sear a wide area. MP:48, Range:4, Radius:3
Thunder (50 JP) - Calls magickal lightning down upon its targets. MP:6, Range:4, Radius:2
Thundara (150 JP) - Calls fierce lightning down upon its targets. MP:12, Range:4, Radius:2
Thundaga (300 JP) - Calls thunderous lightning down upon its targets. MP:24, Range:4, Radius:2
Thundaja (500 JP) - Envelopes a wide area in a roaring electrical tempest. MP:48, Range:4, Radius:3
Blizzard (50 JP) - Conjures magickal frost to chill its targets. MP:6, Range:4, Radius:2
Blizzara (150 JP) - Conjures bitter frost to chill its targets. MP:12, Range:4, Radius:2
Blizzaga (300 JP) - Conjures deathly frost to chill its targets. MP:24, Range:4, Radius:2
Blizzaja (500 JP) - Calls bone-chilling ice crystals to freeze a wide area. MP:48, Range:4, Radius:3
Poison (100 JP) - A curse which induces poisoning in the body, dealing damage gradually. MP:6, Range:4, Radius:2
Toad (250 JP) - A curse which polymorphs its target into a toad, or from a toad to its original form. MP:12, Range:3
Death (400 JP) - Curse which offers the targets soul to the spirits of the dead, felling them instantly. MP:24, Range:4
Flare (550 JP) - A powerful spell which uses pure magickal energy to attack lifeforce directly. MP:60, Range:5
Reaction Skills:
Magick Counter (500 JP) - When struck by magick, counterattack with the same spell.
Support Skills:
Arcane Strength (350 JP) - Increases the potency of your magickal attacks.
Priest:A supportive caster with an array of restorative and defensive magic. They are stronger and more durable than most casters, though their spells are less potent. With access to holy energy spells, they can dispatch the undead with ease.
Stat Growth: Job Modifier:
HP [*** ] 85%
MP [**** ] 120%
ATK [*** ] 100%
MAG [**** ] 125%
SPD [** ] 110%
Move: +3
Jump: +3
Evade: 5%
Job Equipment
Flail, Staff, Hat, Clothes, Robes
Combat Skills - White Magicks:
Cure (40 JP) - Heals minor injuries with holy energy. MP:6, Range:4, Radius:2
Cura (120 JP) - Heals moderate injuries with holy energy. MP:10, Range:4, Radius:2
Curaga (250 JP) - Heals major injuries with holy energy. MP:16, Range:4, Radius:2
Curaja (400 JP) - Heals critical injuries in a wide radius. MP:20, Range:4, Radius:3
Raise (120 JP) - Fetches a unit back from the brink of death. MP:10, Range:4
Arise (300 JP) - Revives a fallen unit, and fully restores their health. MP:20, Range:4
Reraise (400 JP) - Protective charm that revives a unit when they are next knocked out. MP:16, Range:3
Regen (150 JP) - Charm that restores health gradually over time. MP:8, Range:3, Radius:2
Protect (50 JP) - Conjures invisible armor to protect units against physical blows. MP:6, Range:3, Radius:2
Protectja (350 JP) - Conjures force-armor to protect units in a wide radius. MP:24, Range:3, Radius:3
Shell (50 JP) - A protective charm that wards against magick. MP:6, Range:3, Radius:2
Shellja (350 JP) - A charm that shields units from magick in a wide radius. MP:24, Range:3, Radius:3
Wall (150 JP) - A charm that wards against both physical and magickal damage. MP:12, Range:3
Esuna (200 JP) - Cures ailments, including Stone, Blind, Confuse, Silence, Berserk, Toad, Poison, Sleep, Immobilize, and Disable. MP:18, Range:3, Radius:2
Holy (500 JP) - An offensive spell that strikes units with sacred light. MP:40, Range:5
Reaction Skills:
Regenerate (250 JP) - Gain HP regeneration whenever struck.
Support Skills:
Arcane Defense (250 JP) - Reduce damage from magickal attacks.
Party Roster: Archer
Squire Skills: Focus, Rush, Stone, Salve, Tailwind, Chant, Parry, Move +1
Chemist Skills: Potion, Hi-Potion, Antedote, Phoenix Down, Reequip
Archer Skills: Aim +2, Aim +5